Civil aviation ministry officials caught up in Air India criminal probe
India’s civil aviation ministry said it will cooperate fully with a criminal probe into a decade old airplane order and merger between Air India and Indian Airlines.
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) says it has opened three criminal cases against Air India and is also investigating the actions of three unnamed officials who were then at the civil aviation ministry.
Air India bought 111 aircraft for about $10.8 billion a decade ago, which the CBI said was not value for money and landed the airline with major losses. It also questioned why the carrier leased a large number of planes ‘without due consideration, proper route study and marketing or price strategy’.
The CBI is also probing the merger of India’s two national carriers Air India and Indian Airlines over alleged corruption and mismanagement.
"We will fully cooperate with the CBI on this," civil aviation minister Ashok GajapathiRaju said,
The investigation and any prosecutions brought as a result could undermine the government’s plan to restructure the airline or even sell it off.
Regarding Air India’s future, all options are being looked at, Raju said.
This includes seeking a strategic investor or even a sale, he said
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