Tata Group 'interested' in Air India

Agencies

December 14, 2020

New Delhi, Dec 14: Tata Group is seeking to board Air India again after nearly seven decades, with the salt-to-software conglomerate set to participate in the bidding process for the national carrier, sources said on Monday.

The last date for submission of Expression of Interest (EoI) for Air India is Monday.

At present, the Tata group is operating two airlines -- the full service carrier Visatara in association with Singapore and AirAsia India, for which it has collaborated with Malaysian airliners group AirAsia.

The Narendra Modi government has already taken one attempt to privatise Air India in the last three years, which came a cropper. However, the government re-initiated the disinvestment process of Air India early this year.

Sources said Tata Sons is "interested" in acquiring Air India and will meet the government deadline for expressing the same.

The holding and promoter firm of the Tata group companies has, however, not decided as yet whether it will go solo or bid through a partner, the sources said.

When contacted, Tata Sons spokesperson declined to comment.

An AirAsia India spokesperson, in response to a query sent to its Chief Executive Officer Sunil Bhaskaran, refused to comment.

"We would not be responding to the query," said the spokesperson.

A group representing as many as 209 Air India employees have also put in a bid for the national carrier, the airline's Commercial Director Meenakshi Mallik said.

"We submitted the bids today (Monday) morning for acquiring the full (entire 100 per cent stake) company," Mallik, who initiated the employees' participation, told PTI.

Earlier, a section of Air India employees said that they were looking to bid for the airline in partnership with a private equity fund and each employee was asked to contribute Rs 1 lakh towards the bid.

In January this year, the government invited bids for selling 100 per cent of its holding in Air India and its international budget arm Air India Express Ltd and 50 per cent in ground handling joint venture Air India SATS Airport Services Private Ltd.

As per the Air India EoI floated by DIPAM in January, of the airline's total debt of Rs 60,074 crore as of March 31, 2019, the buyer would be required to absorb Rs 23,286.5 crore, while the rest would be transferred to Air India Assets Holding Ltd (AIAHL), a special purpose vehicle.

On December 10, the government said that the interested entities are required to submit the physical bids within 15 days from December 14 -- the last date for submitting EoIs.

The Centre said it will intimate qualified interested bidders (QIBs) of Air India on January 5 next year, instead of the earlier decided date of December 29, 2020.

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IndiGo meltdown: 200 flights cancelled; Bengaluru hit hard with 42 cancellations

News Network

December 3,2025

IndiGo, India’s largest airline, is battling one of its worst operational disruptions in recent years, with hundreds of delays and cancellations throwing domestic travel into chaos.

Government data on Tuesday showed its on-time performance plunging to 35%, an unusual dip for a carrier long associated with punctuality.

By Wednesday afternoon, airports in Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru and Hyderabad had collectively reported close to 200 cancellations, stranding travellers across the country.

Crew Shortage After New Duty Norms

A major trigger behind the meltdown is a severe crew shortage, especially among pilots, following the rollout of revised Flight Duty Time Limitation (FDTL) norms last month.

The rules mandate longer rest hours and more humane rosters — a shift IndiGo has struggled to incorporate across its vast network.

Sources said several flights were grounded due to lack of cabin crew, while some delays stretched upwards of eight hours.

With IndiGo controlling over 60% of India’s domestic aviation market, the ripple effect has impacted airports nationwide.

IndiGo Issues Apology, Lists “Compounding Factors”

In a statement, IndiGo acknowledged the large-scale disruption:

“We sincerely apologise to customers. A series of unforeseen operational challenges — technology glitches, winter schedule changes, adverse weather, system congestion and updated FDTL norms — created a compounding impact that could not have been anticipated.”

To stabilise operations, the airline has begun calibrated schedule adjustments for the next 48 hours, aiming to restore punctuality. Affected passengers are being offered refunds or alternate travel arrangements, IndiGo said.

What the FDTL Rules Require

The FDTL norms, designed to reduce pilot fatigue, cap duty and flying hours as follows:
•   Maximum 8 hours of flying per day
•   35 hours per week
•   125 hours per month
•   1,000 hours per year

Crew must also receive rest equalling twice the flight duration, with a minimum 10-hour rest period in any 24-hour window.

The DGCA introduced these limits to enhance flight safety.

Hyderabad: 33 Flights Cancelled, Long Queues Reported

Hyderabad’s Rajiv Gandhi International Airport saw heavy early-morning crowds as 33 IndiGo flights (arrivals and departures) were cancelled.

The airport clarified on X that operations were normal, advising passengers to contact IndiGo directly for latest flight status.

Cancellations included flights to and from Visakhapatnam, Goa, Ahmedabad, Delhi, Bengaluru, Chennai, Madurai, Hubli, Bhopal and Bhubaneswar.

Bengaluru: 42 Flights Disrupted

Bengaluru’s Kempegowda International Airport recorded 42 cancellations — 22 arrivals and 20 departures — affecting routes to Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Hyderabad, Goa, Kolkata and Lucknow.

Passengers Vent on Social Media

Irate travellers took to X to share their experiences. One passenger stranded in Hyderabad wrote: “I have been here since 3 a.m. and missed an important meeting.”

Another said: “My flight was pushed from 1:55 PM to 2:55 PM and now 4:35 PM. I was informed only three minutes before entering the airport.”

Delhi Airport Hit by Tech Glitch

At Delhi Airport, the disruption deepened due to a slowdown in the Amadeus system — used for reservations, check-ins and departure control.

The technical issue led to longer queues and sluggish processing, adding to delays already worsened by staff shortages.

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