In what could make Air India sale an uphill task for the government, the national carrier could report highest-ever loss of over ₹7,600 crore in financial year 2018-19 on account of low fleet utilization and high fuel prices among others.
An official source said the total revenue in the previous fiscal stood close to ₹26,000 crore.
The airline has gone into losses ever since its merger with Indian Airlines in 2007. The massive fleet order cleared by the UPA government continues to weigh on its books.
“In the first two months of the fiscal we have seen 20-25 per cent increase in our sales. If, restriction from Pakistani airspace is withdrawn, we can still make operating profit,” he said.
