NEW DELHI: The Tata Group has virtually ruled out re-acquiring Air India when the government decides to divest in it.

"That was 14 years ago (when Tatas were keen on buying back AI.) Not now," Tata Sons-Singapore Airlines (SIA) JV Vistara chairman Prasad Menon told TOI.

BHUBANESWAR: A Delhi-Bhubaneswar Air India flight (AI 873) made an emergency landing at Lucknow airport with 169 passengers onboard at about 12.30 pm on Tuesday. All the passengers were safe after the landing.

Airport sources here said that there was minor crack in the windshield forcing the pilot to land at Lucknow airport. The flight left Delhi at 11.30 am and was to land in Bhubaneswar at 1.15 pm.

Low-cost carrier Air Asia India has decided to go slow with its fleet expansion due to lack of clarity on international flying rules. It has also deferred its one-plane-per-month fleet expansion plan, and plans to end the year with 7-10 planes from the present five.

"We slowed down in adding one plane a month plan. I took the call of watching and waiting," airline's chief executive Mittu Chandilya told PTI, and blamed the decision to the lack of clarity on overseas flying rights for new airlines.

A stringent psychological test for pilots in the wake of the Germanwings disaster has led Air India to reject nearly a third of the prospective candidates.

The airline might find it difficult to fill posts for senior trainee pilots for Airbus A320 aircraft.

Air India has dismissed Indian Commercial Pilots Association’s (ICPA) claim that the airline pays its junior pilots on an ad hoc basis, doesn’t pay them for domestic night stops, forces them to fly overtime and does not grant them leave, causing illness. ICPA had written to the Directorate General of Civil Aviation on the issue, marking a copy to Air India, last month.

ICPA had highlighted that 40-45 junior pilots at Air India were under stress because being ad hoc, they got a third of the salary. Besides, one fine day, the airline management had “unilaterally” changed the terms of employment for co-pilots. The letter was sent to DGCA just a few days after a German pilot (suffering depression) crashed a Lufthansa plane in the French Alps, killing 150.

New Delhi: Air India Ltd, the state-owned carrier, is in talks with Airbus Group NV to order single-aisle jets valued at $1.5 billion (around Rs.9,600 crore) in list prices, according to a person with direct knowledge of the discussions.

The carrier wants to purchase at least 14 A320neo aircraft, according to the person, who asked not to be identified as the discussions are private. An A320neo costs $106.2 million at list prices. Buyers usually get a discount when they order planes in bulk.

The troubles for government-owned Air India (AI) could deepen in 2015-16 if it doesn’t get the expected infusion of additional capital.

The Union civil aviation ministry told a parliamentary panel recently that AI could default on repayment of loans taken for aircraft purchase if it did not get the entire expected equity infusion. And, that this could mean a series of delayed payments to oil companies, the Airports Authority of India (AAI) and on repayment of interest on the government-guaranteed debentures. The ministry said so to the standing committee on transport, tourism and culture.

Mumbai: Loss-making Air India Ltd has decided to sell several real estate assets in India and abroad to raise Rs.1,200 crore in the next 24 months, two Air India executives said. To begin with, Air India in April sought the necessary permissions from the ministry of civil aviation to sell its real estate assets in Chennai, Coimbatore and Mumbai.

However, this move to reduce debt and cut interest costs may not be easy, caution experts.

The civil aviation ministry has sought an amendment to the Industrial Disputes Act 1947 to end the protection granted to pilots and aircraft engineers under the prevailing labour laws.

The proposal has been mooted at the behest of Air India, which continues to be in precarious financial health despite Rs 17,000 crore equity infusion under the turnaround plan.

State-owned carrier Air India's operating losses may climb slightly in 2014-15, and it is likely to see a steep decline in its earnings, sources said.

The airline has been struggling to turn profitable for years and has posted continuous operating losses. However, the losses have been reducing, from Rs 5,140 crore in 2011-12 to Rs 3,807 crore in 2012-13 and Rs 2,123 crore in 2013-14.

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