The issues that have kept Air India’s fate hanging in balance
NEW DELHI: The government has decided to ease terms of sale for Air India but it is still facing a tough choice on almost half a dozen issues that could be crucial for the airline’s successful disinvestment.
Among the key issues holding Expression of Interest (EoI), first stage of bidding, is whether FDI norms have to be relaxed to allow foreign airlines to take full control of the airline and extending national carrier status after change in ownership.
While raising FDI limit in domestic airlines beyond 49 per cent for foreign carriers would enthuse carriers like Qatar Airways and Singapore Airlines to participate in the bidding, national carrier status would give right of first refusal to the new owner in seat allocation on international routes.
