Air India sold 21 aircraft for $452 mn: Patel

Air India sold 21 aircraft for $451.88 million during 2007 to 2009, Union Civil Aviation Minister Praful Patel said today.

"Seventeen aircraft were sold on 'sale and lease back' basis whereas, four aircraft were sold on 'as is where is' basis," Patel said in a written reply to a Rajya Sabha query.

He said that the national carrier has leased 46 different types of aircraft from various companies across the globe and was paying a monthly rent of $18.945 million.

Air India's leased aircraft fleet includes different types of Boeing and Airbus airplanes.

"The average monthly expenditure of Air India before depreciation and obsolescence is about Rs 1,500 crore," the minister said replying to another question.

Patel said that Air India was taking various steps such as rationalising of routes, return of leased aircraft, reduction of contractual employment and employees at foreign offices and establishing international advisory boards to cut down its overhead costs.

In reply to another query, he said that 304 bird hit cases were reported during 2008.