Mumbai, Apr 12: With both Boeing and Airbus pitching for the Medium Capacity Long Range (MCLR) aircraft order worth over USD 1.5 billion, the Air-India board would meet today to finalise its decision on buying 10 aircraft with options for seven more. The much awaited decision will be known when the five member technical evaluation committee presents its report at the crucial board meet here to decide on the 250-seater plus MCLR aircraft, part of over us dollar 2.5 billon fleet acquisition plan.

A-I officials were tight-lipped about the possible outcome of the meeting. The board had last year decided to acquire 17 MCLR aircraft with 10 options and appointed a five member technical evaluation committee, under the chairmanship of operations directors M K Hathi, to look into the financial and technical bids from both the aircraft manufacturers.

The order was scaled down to 10 aircraft with options for seven more in the face of the turbulent times faced by the aviation industry since September 2001. Indian Airlines chairman and managing director Sunil Arora has expressed his inability to attend the meeting as he is away in Indonesia to attend the Pata meet.

Both Boeing and airbus had been vigorously pitching in for the order. The last acquisition made by A-I was in August 1991 for six Boeing 747-400s.

Both IA and A-I fleet expansion plans are spread over a five year period beginning this fiscal. Bureau Report