Budget airline IndiGo on Wednesday said that it is not in any "ongoing discussions" with any Gulf-based carrier for an Air India bid. The denial comes after some reports indicated that InterGlobe Aviation-run IndiGo and Qatar Airways might jointly bid for Air India. "While IndiGo normally doesn't respond to rumors, in this particular instance, we would like to state that there are no ongoing discussions of this nature," said country largest airline in a statement released on Wednesday denying all the reports.
Meanwhile, yesterday Qatar Airways had also denied reports of its supposed joint bid for acquiring beleaguered Air India.
Ever since the government cleared a proposal to sell state-run carrier, several companies have expressed an interest in buying some of its businesses. In January, the government gave its nod for a proposal to allow foreign investors to own up to 49 per cent of Air India. InterGlobe Aviation, Tata Group and Turkey's Celebi Aviation Holdings have expressed an interest in acquiring the carrier since then.
Air India has six subsidiaries - three of which are loss-making - with assets worth about $4.6 billion. It has an estimated $1.24 billion worth of real estate, including hotels, according to a report by news agency Reuters.
The government has injected $3.6 billion since 2012 to bail out Air India which was founded in the 1930s and is known to generations of Indians for its Maharajah mascot.
The carrier's debt has ballooned to $8.5 billion and the government plans to transfer part of this into a separate unit before selling a stake in the carrier.
(With agency inputs)
The government has injected $3.6 billion since 2012 to bail out Air India.
