The Hindu : Kerala News : `Allegations brought to Centre's notice'

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, May 01, 2005

Kerala

Kerala

`Allegations brought to Centre's notice'

Staff Reporter

ABU DHABI: The Air-India management has brought the allegations raised by Airbus Industries on the Rs.30,000-crore fleet acquisition of the airline to the notice of the Union Government.

The Chairman and Managing Director of Air-India, V. Thulasidas, told presspersons on board the Air-India Express maiden flight to Abu Dhabi on Friday that "the Air-India management has taken strong exception to the allegations [raised by Airbus Industries] about the `wisdom, integrity and evaluation' of the fleet acquisition. It is outrageous."

"We take strong exception to the charges and have left the matter to the Government to take necessary steps. We do not want any recommendation from anyone for a Central Vigilance Commissioner probe into the Rs.30,000-crore fleet acquisition project."

Mr. Thulasidas said the airline had well thought out procedures in such matters.

He said the delivery schedule of Boeing and Airbus Industries was on the same track as they delayed aircraft delivery.

Air-India will decide later whether to go in for the latest A-380. "We need more aircraft and not bigger aircraft now," he added.

Under the fleet acquisition project, Air-India is to buy Boeing B777-200 LRs, 15 B777-Ers and 27 B-787s.

The Union Minister of State for Civil Aviation Minister, Praful Patel, said Air-India would raise money through an initial public offering (IPO). The IPO had been cleared by the Air-India board and the extent of offloading the equity is to be decided, he told a press conference at Abu Dhabi on Friday.

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