Air India blames Praful Patel for big Boeing order

New Delhi: Officials of Air India and Indian Airlines have put the onus of buying a large number of aircraft on the civil aviation ministry headed by then Civil Aviation Minister Praful Patel. Senior officials of the National Aviation Company of India Limited (NACIL), the holding company of Air India, appeared before the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) on Thursday and said both Air India and Indian Airlines had no "long-term" plans of procuring such a large fleet of aircraft.
The officials of NACIL, the body that was formed to oversee the merger of Air India and Indian Airlines, told the PAC that the ministry assured the management of both the carriers that "financial aspects" of the acquisition would be looked after by the ministry.
The officials told the panel that both Air India and Indian Airlines had only short-term agenda of buying aircraft and the ministry's support helped them to revise the plan and go for a "long-term" purchase plan.
Members sought to know from the officials as to who took the decision to buy the aircraft, changing the initial plans. The officials said the decision was taken at the level of the minister and board members and other senior officers of the ministry and carriers were aware of it.
20/01/12 AM Jigeesh/Business Today

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Categories: Air India Jan 2012