The government is likely to extend the deadline to bid for Air India till December 14 and also give flexibility to a potential investor to decide on the humongous debt with the national carrier, a source said.
Hong Kong has banned Air India flights from Mumbai till November 10 after a few passengers on its flight earlier this week tested positive for COVID-19 post-arrival.
Air India will operate its flight to Wuhan on October 30, the first after the central Chinese city from where the coronavirus initially emerged in December was officially declared safe from the virus in June and all curbs were lifted.
A passenger onboard Air India's Delhi-Goa flight created ruckus and claimed a terrorist was present on the aircraft. According to the details, the passenger, identified as Zia-Ul-Haq from Delhi's Jamia Nagar claimed he was from the special cell and that a terrorist was present on the aircraft.
To attract potential suitors, the government will ease asset valuation norms for Air India by allowing bidders to put in offers on an enterprise value basis. The government is likely to further extend the deadline for putting in a preliminary expression of interest for the loss-making national carrier to December 15.
Flyers will now be able to avail air services between Goa and London. Air India has started direct flight services between the two cities on a weekly basis. It is soon expected to turn into a bi-weekly service from November under the Air Bubble agreement.
National carrier Air India on Friday said it will operate flights to Germany from October 26.
Hong Kong has banned Air India and Vistara flights from October 17 to 30 after a few passengers on their flights tested positive for COVID-19 post arrival.
Air India and its subsidiaries have paid the salary of June 2020 to its employees. Civil Aviation Minister Hardeep Puri said that the airline industry worldwide is facing an unprecedented financial crisis due to COVID-19.
Retired employees of Air India have said that the absence of pensions is causing them hardship.
Government officials, familiar with the process of transportation of mortal remains and airport security in the US, have said that Air India is the only airline to be insisting upon security scanning of mortal remains.
Air India is planning to start a new initiative for those who want to travel but have nowhere to go. Under 'flights to nowhere' programme, Air India will take the travellers for a picturesque journey in the sky
. Air India passenger flights were barred from landing in Hong Kong between August 18 and August 31 after 14 passengers on its Delhi-Hong Kong flight of August 14 tested positive for COVID-19 post arrival.
Air India is intending to operate a special evacuation charter flight to facilitate the return of stranded Indian nationals from Basra in Iraq to New Delhi on September 17 under the Vande Bharat Mission.
The United States has announced that it plans to restore Air India's ability to self-conduct its ground handling operations at American airports. Issuing an order in this regard, US Department of Transportation reversed its previous order of July 2019 that had suspended the right of Air India to self-handle at US airports.
Civil Aviation Minister Hardeep Singh Puri on August 30 said that Government should not be running airports and airlines.
Signalling a thaw in the interface between Air India pilots and the government, Civil Aviation Minister Hardeep Puri has given an assurance to the pilots that he will review the disproportionate pay cut as well as examine payment of pending 25 per cent arrears.
The process of stake sale in the national carrier was initiated on January 27. This is the fourth extension given by the government for putting in bids.
Air India's Vande Bharat Mission flights to and from Hong Kong have been banned by Hong Kong authorities citing "poor pre-flight" testing and allegedly ferrying too many Covid-19 positive passengers.
Air India has now accepted that 57 pilots seeking greener pastures had resigned from the services of the airline citing financial constraints.
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