The Hindu : Fleet expansion plans for AI, IA

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Apr 04, 2003

National

National

Fleet expansion plans for AI, IA

On Board ATR-42 April 3. The Civil Aviation Minister, Shahnawaz Hussain, today said the plan for disinvestment of Air India and Indian Airlines was likely to be shelved and his department had drawn up an ambitious Rs 30,000 crore fleet expansion plan for the national carriers during the next five years.

Talking to reporters onboard the inaugural Kolkata- Shillong-Kolkata flight via Silchar and Aizawl, Mr. Hussain said his department was awaiting a formal decision of the Cabinet Committee on Disinvestment, on shelving of the disinvestment plan relating to the carriers.

"I hope the CCD will meet very soon to formally scrap the (disinvestment) proposal," he said.

Once the proposal was shelved, his department would place the fleet acquisition plan before the cabinet for approval.

Mr. Hussain said of the Rs 30,000 crore fleet expansion plan, the Indian Airlines would spend Rs 16,000 crores for acquiring 43 aircraft and Air India Rs 14,000 crores for 17 wide-bodied aircraft in the next five years. — PTI

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

National