National carrier Air India seems to have had a change of mind and is now understood to have decided against leasing five grounded aircraft of Jet Airways to fly on five international routes. Sources said that post the meeting between Air India chairman and managing director Ashwani Lohani and State Bank of India chairman Rajnish Kumar last week, the state-owned carrier went through the technical records of the five aircraft and found that they needed some repairs for which Air India will have to incur an expenditure.
Sources said that the preliminary view within Air India is that since the five aircraft are not technically in a condition in which they can be straightaway put in operations either through wet or dry lease, it’s best not to go ahead with the proposal which was first mooted by Lohani to the state-run bank’s chairman.
