National carrier Air India’s passenger revenue grew 17% during April-December of the current fiscal due to better aircraft utilisation and rationalisation of routes, chairman and managing director Pradeep Singh Kharola said on Wednesday.

Air India got Rs 15,081 crore from domestic and international ticket sales during April-December 2018 as compared to Rs 12,918 crore in the year-ago period. The passenger count was up 7% y-o-y to 16.13 million in the first three quarters of this fiscal.

Air India's Chairman and Managing Director Pradeep Singh Kharola said Wednesday the airline has started carrying food from India for use during the journey back to the country, in an attempt to rationalise catering costs on international flights.

The loss-making airline has already started using food items stocked from India during its onward journey to Stockholm, Copenhagen, Birmingham and Madrid, and use them when returning. It has said food items purchased from these foreign cities are much more expensive when compared to Indian cities.

National carrier Air India’s net loss declined 17.6% year-on-year to Rs 5,337 crore during 2017-18 due to lesser allowance for exceptional items which includes balance payable to employees and duty credit entitlement under the Served From India scheme (SFIS).

Air India provisioned Rs 112 crore in FY18 for under exceptional and extraordinary items compared to Rs 2,415 crore spent exactly a year ago.

Cash strapped national carrier Air India should disclose its assets abroad and earnings from them, the Central Information Commission has ruled.

It “summarily” rejected the contention of Air India that the information sought by activist Aseem Takyar regarding rent, lease fee fetched by it from April 01

Cash-strapped national carrier Air India should disclose its assets abroad and earnings from them, the Central Information Commission has ruled. It “summarily” rejected the contention of Air India that the information sought by activist Aseem Takyar regarding rent, lease fee fetched by it from April 01, 2008 with regard to its properties abroad; demarcation plan and total area of these properties, arrears attracts exemption of commercial confidence under the RTI Act.

The government of Prime Minister Narendra Modi sought Parliament’s approval for an equity infusion of 23 billion rupees ($330 million) in Air India, effectively ruling out an immediate revival of its plan to sell the ailing carrier.

Modi’s bid to turn the airline profitable under his watch comes after the government failed to find any takers for its ambitious plan to privatize the national airline.

Air India offer: India’s national carrier Air India has announced ‘Night Flights’ offer, using which flyers can book flights for as low as Rs 1,379 (all-inclusive). “Night Flights, beat peak rush hour at attractive fares,” the air carrier said on its website. The customers can book Ahmedabad-Bengaluru late night flight (departure time: 0305; arrival time: 0525) for Rs 1,379. Other attractively priced routes include from Delhi to Coimbatore (departure time: 2115;

The Pune chapter of Travel Agents Association of India (TAAI) and Travel Federation Association of India (TAFI) held a protest march against the national carrier, Air India, and its plans to align with only one Global Distribution Partner (GDS).

Air India had decided to use Travelport as their exclusive GDS and is giving up the rest of systems.

Mumbai: Air India has floated tender for the sale of its iconic 23-storey tower at Nariman Point in Mumbai. Only government entities are allowed to participate in the bidding for acquiring leasehold rights of the land and building on “as is where is basis.”

“Air India invites sealed bids from government entities for sale of leasehold rights of the land, and its iconic Air India building constructed hereon at Nariman Point, Mumbai, on as is where is basis,” the tender said.

Despite fiscal constraints, the Centre is likely to provide Rs 12,200 crore from the Budget — half of it this fiscal and the balance in the next year — to retire 40% of the Rs 30,000-crore working capital debt of Air India. As a precursor to this, the debt — not backed by assets — will be shifted to a special purpose vehicle (SPV).

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