The inter-ministerial group (IMG) that is to decide on the contours of Air India’s divestment is evaluating all options and is still in the process of receiving suggestions, Union civil aviation minister Ashok Gajapathi Raju told FE in an interview. “Let’s not go into any kind of speculation at this moment. The group of ministers has just met twice and is still in the process of inviting suggestions. As part of the group we are looking into all the possible options to make Air India a vibrant airline,” the minister explained.

India's aviation regulator DGCA has found 132 pilots and 434 cabin crew of state-owned Air India to have allegedly skipped the mandatory pre and post-flight alcohol test this year and they face the prospect of being grounded.

These crew members had regularly been "evading" the breath analyser (BA) test over a period of time for flights to and from certain destinations such as Singapore, Kuwait, Bangkok, Ahmedabad and Goa, sources close to the development told PTI today.

Air India has dubbed travel agents its "principal customers" and wants them to shoulder the task of the goods and service tax-related invoicing of corporate customers.

The move will reduce the workload of the airline. But agents may have to hire more staff to complete the formalities.

Under the GST, economy-class air travel and business-class travel is charged at 5 per cent and 12 per cent, respectively. Companies purchasing tickets for staff travel can claim an input credit on tax payment.

Air India’s interim chief Rajiv Bansal has started review of various departments and subsidiaries of the airline, according to officials. Bansal, who took over the reins of the loss-making national carrier on August 24, is meeting senior executives from various departments to understand the overall functioning and issues that need to be addressed on a priority basis, they said. He has been appointed for three months as Chairman and Managing Director of the disinvestment-bound airline. His priority areas include on-time performance of flights and customer satisfaction.

NEW DELHI: The Modi government is unlikely to sell Air India to a foreign carrier and has clarified it in the consolidated Foreign Direct Investment policy, released today. It has said that the rule allowing foreign carriers to own up to 49% in Indian carriers do not apply to Air India.

“The policy mentioned at para (c) above (foreign carriers allowed to own 49% in Indian carriers) is not applicable to M/s Air India Limited,” the government clarified in consolidated FDI policy released today.

Air India is e-auctioning 41 apartments in Mumbai in the first phase of its property sale and 12 in others cities in the second phase. The properties to be sold in the second tranche include 35 residential flats and land banks.

Though the airline has kept a reserve price of Rs 315 crore for its Mumbai properties, it hopes to make around Rs 500 crore from the sale, and looks to make a similar amount from the sale of properties in other cities, according to sources.

NEW DELHI: Senior IAS officer Rajiv Bansal today took charge as the interim Chairman and Managing Director of Air India.

Bansal replaces Ashwani Lohani, who has assumed office as Railway Board Chairman.

Lohani, who was at the helm for nearly two years, handed over the Air India CMD charge to Bansal.

The Modi government, true to its intentions of divesting Air India, has put apartments owned by the airline across Mumbai on the block. These apartments, most of which are concentrated in upmarket South Mumbai, are expected to fetch Air India a minimum of Rs 305 crore. According to the company’s auction documents, the minimum price (called the reserve price from which bidding shall start), range from above Rs 10 crore to a little under Rs 1 crore.

While the bids for some these properties need to be submitted on or before August 31, bids for others can be submitted a day later on September 1, 2017. Cushman and Wakefield has been appointed as the advisors for the sale of these properties.

After two failed attempts, Air India is back with its plan to auction some of its prime properties in Mumbai. The properties being re-auctioned are worth Rs 299.7 crore with the carrier increasing prices of the flats and hiring a marketing firm.

The 14-flat building in Bandra, which was being sold at Rs 122 crore in the last auction in July, is now priced at Rs 200 crore. Similarly, prices of other flats have also gone up including those in Malad. Flats which were priced at Rs 85 lakh are now close to Rs 1 crore.

Air India plans to sell as many as 41 flats in different parts of Mumbai, according to a notice by the national carrier which is continuing with the efforts to monetise its assets.

The proposed sale of properties also comes at a time when the government is working on the modalities for strategic disinvestment of the loss-making airline. The carrier has immovable properties, including land and buildings at prime locations. While efforts have been going on for quite sometime, there has not been much headway.

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