Andrzej Jeziorski/SINGAPORE
Air India has set a new deadline of 26 August for the best and final offers from bidders offering to lease up to five Airbus A310-300s to expand the airline's existing eight-strong fleet of the type.
The deadline coincides with a reissued tender, extending the permissible age of the dry-leased aircraft from 12 to 15 years. The airline has also decided to drop an earlier stated intention to sell and lease back two Boeing 747-300s.
According to Air India, offers of two A310-300s are still under consideration from Airbus Industrie and Singapore Airlines (SIA). But a further offer of two aircraft from GE Capital Aviation Services (GECAS) was rejected under the terms of the initial tender, because the company was offering aircraft which were 12 years and five months old, albeit at a lower price than the rival offers.
Air India says that the extended age limit allows it to consider all three offers and select five aircraft from among them. The aircraft are set to be brought into service in November and December, serving mostly Gulf routes.
This is the airline's second attempt at a dry-lease, after earlier negotiations over four aircraft with Emirates failed when another unnamed carrier stepped in with a better offer. Attempts to attract offers of a Boeing 747-400 for a three-year lease have drawn no response, while the terms of a deal to sell and lease back its two 747-300s were deemed "not viable" by the airline.
Air India now runs a fleet of six 747-400s, two 747-300s, seven 747-200s, eight A310-300s and three A300B4-200s.
n The Indian Parliamentary Standing Committee on Transport and Tourism has urged a rethink of plans to privatise Air India, saying that it opposes any move which could see the government lose management control of the airline.
The committee says in a statement that it objects to the plan to sell 26%of the carrier to a foreign investor and recommends that the government restrict this to 25%. Indian law requires at least a 26% stake for a seat on the airline's board of directors and the power of veto on board decisions.
The advisory committee comprises 45 lawmakers from across the political spectrum, but has no executive powers.
Source: Flight International
