New Delhi: Ruling out privatisation of Air India, Civil Aviation Minister Ashok Gajapathi Raju today said several decisions like that on aircraft purchases were "forced" on it and taken without commercial planning in mind.
There has been "a lot of debate going on whether Air India should be privatised or not. But Air India has been doing its work which is necessary. It is called the continuing of its social commitment," he said referring to the recent evacuation from Iraq undertaken by the national carrier.
To a question on its falling market share, Raju said, "Air India has been sliding, there is no doubt about it, probably (due to) certain decisions which were forced on Air India."
Asked what were these decisions, the minister said, "Like in Parliament we face questions so similar to the allegations that have come out ... It has been pushed to, in the sense that, like buying and selling of aircraft. This does not appear to have been done with commercial plan in mind."
23/07/14 Business Standard
To Read the News in full at Source, Click the Headline
There has been "a lot of debate going on whether Air India should be privatised or not. But Air India has been doing its work which is necessary. It is called the continuing of its social commitment," he said referring to the recent evacuation from Iraq undertaken by the national carrier.
To a question on its falling market share, Raju said, "Air India has been sliding, there is no doubt about it, probably (due to) certain decisions which were forced on Air India."
Asked what were these decisions, the minister said, "Like in Parliament we face questions so similar to the allegations that have come out ... It has been pushed to, in the sense that, like buying and selling of aircraft. This does not appear to have been done with commercial plan in mind."
23/07/14 Business Standard
