A-I, IA may merge after IPO

State-owned carriers Air India and Indian Airlines may be merged after their initial public offerings are completed, Minister for Civil Aviation Praful Patel said on Monday.

State-owned carriers Air India and Indian Airlines may be merged after their initial public offerings are completed, Minister for Civil Aviation Praful Patel said on Monday.

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A merger could help raise the competitiveness of the airlines against privately owned carriers, Patel told reporters on the sidelines of an aviation conference in Singapore. "We are looking into synergizing the operations of Air India and Indian Airlines to make them stronger carriers, but we haven't decided on the structure (of a merged carrier)." A final decision on the merger will be made later this year, the minister said. Patel said Air India will delay its planned IPO by at least two months as the final details of the offer are still being negotiated.