Air India losses pegged at Rs13, 300 crore

National carrier Air India has incurred a cumulative loss of over Rs13,300 crore since its merger with Indian Airlines in 2007, Rajya Sabha was informed on Thursday.

Responding to a question on the losses before and after the merger, civil aviation minister Vayalar Ravi said before the merger in 2006-07, the losses reported by erstwhile Air India and Indian Airlines were Rs447.93 crore and Rs240.29 crore, respectively.

But the merged entity incurred a loss of Rs2,226.16 crore during 2007-08.

"The cumulative losses at the close of financial year 2009-10 were Rs13,326.86 crore," Ravi said.

But, the government has no plans to refer the sick company to the Board for Reconstruction of Public Sector Enterprises (BRPSE), Ravi said in a written reply in Rajya Sabha.

He replied in the negative when asked whether the Government was planning to put Air India under the supervision of BRPSE or whether its financial restructuring plans were being put under the oversight of the Board.

Responding to another question, he said Air India owes Rs3,050 crore to various agencies as of February 15, 2011, of which dues to Airports Authority of India stands at Rs720 crore by the end of January 2011.

Ravi said that Air India has 1,794 pilots, including 56 expats.

He denied suggestions that the expat pilots were being paid more salary than their Indian counterparts.