Cash-starved state-run carrier Air India is likely to be given the first instalment of the bail out package before December, a senior official with the civil aviation ministry told the Hindustan Times. He said the fleet acquisition plan of the airline would also be re-looked.
The
government has agreed to give
Rs. 5,000 crore to the carrier, which is in deep crisis because of losses to the tune of
Rs. 7,200 crore, interest outgo of
Rs. 4 crore per day and a bank overdraft of
Rs. 16,000 crore.
“The bail-out package should come to the airline before calendar year ends. This will help the airline meet its financial needs keeping in view the peak travel season, which has already begun,” the official said.
The government will re-look the airline’s fleet acquisition programme. The cash-strapped carrier has placed orders for 111 new aircraft worth Rs. 50,000 crore.