Merger in the air

The on-off courtship between public sector carriers Air-India and Indian (Indian Airlines) is likely to takeoff to a full-fledged merger soon with Union Civil Aviation Minister Praful Patel playing cupid between the two national carriers. The countdown has already begun.
‘‘It’s an absolutely logical proposal to consolidate and optimise the use of the assets of the two public sector airlines,” Patel said, and added the clearance would be forthcoming in the present financial year.
Experts feel that the merger will give India a competitive edge, one the country has lacked in civil aviation for the past two decades. For one, a merged Indian-AI airline will have a combined fleet strength of over 130 aircraft which will touch the 200 mark in the next few years.
With new airlines breathing down their necks, the merger would also allow the airlines to provide seamless connectivity to inbound passengers at a much grander scale.
20 Mar 2006 Zeeshan Shaikh/Indian Express

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