Air India would continue to fly, rumours of shutdown baseless, says chief Ashwani Lohani

Amid privatisation talks of the national carrier Air India, its chairman and managing director Ashwani Lohani on Saturday said the airline would continue to fly and also expand. Lohani, in a tweet, said that the “ rumours about Air India shutting down or closing operations baseless.”

“Rumours regarding Air India shutting down or closing operations are all baseless. Air India would continue to fly and also expand and there should be no cause for concern whatsoever to travellers, corporates or agents. Air India the national carrier is still the biggest airline of India,” the Air India Chairman and Managing Director (CMD) tweeted.

“It also needs appreciation that the overall financial situation is grossly untenable and the airline may not be able to sustain physical operations in the absence of immediate government intervention and support that we have been repeatedly requesting for in the recent past.” said the CMD in a letter to the ministry last month.

Ashwani Lohani’s statement also came two days after the civil aviation minister Hardeep Singh Puri met with Air India’s employees and reassured them that the national carrier will be operational till its privatisation process is complete.

13 employee unions met aviation minister Hardeep Singh Puri on Thursday to make sure their interests are protected in the disinvestment process.

During the meeting, Puri said the ministry would need employees’ cooperation during the process and ensured help with pending dues. An airline official close to the developments said the minister made it known that the airline cannot survive without privatisation.

The government-run airline has around 14,000 employees and the unions have been opposing divestment of its stake to private players.