New Delhi, Jan 15: Civil aviation ministry will shortly take the view of the Union cabinet on disinvestment of Air India and Indian Airlines before it proceeds with the proposal for fleet acquisition of the two carriers. "We will shortly take a note to the cabinet to seek its views on disinvesment of the two airlines and then accordingly proceed with aircraft acquisition," civil aviation minister Shahnawaz Hussain told reporters after inspecting the arrangements for Haj pilgrims at the Delhi airport.
He said the cabinet would "first guide us on disinvestment and only then will we think of putting money" to finance aircraft acquisition.
Hussain said the entire process would be over "very soon".
The Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) had last night deferred by a month a decision on the issue of acquisition of 43 aircraft by Indian Airlines and 17 by Air India. Bureau Report