Air India incurred loss of over Rs. 5,500 crore in 2009-10

The national carrier loss was estimated at Rs. 5,552.44 crore, followed by Kingfisher Airlines and Jet Airways at Rs. 1,239.30 crore and Rs. 467.60 crore respectively in the said fisca

An Air India aircraft in flight. File photo

National carrier Air India incurred a loss of over Rs. 5,500 crore during the 2009-10 fiscal, the government said today.

The national carrier loss was estimated at Rs. 5,552.44 crore, followed by Kingfisher Airlines and Jet Airways at Rs. 1,239.30 crore and Rs. 467.60 crore respectively in the said fiscal, Minister of Civil Aviation Vayalar Ravi said in a written reply in Lok Sabha.

Besides, another private airline operator Go Air incurred a loss of Rs. 65.50 crore in the period.

Low cost carrier IndiGo made the maximum profit (Rs. 484.70 crore) in the same fiscal, followed by its rivals SpiceJet Rs. 67 crore and JetLite Rs. 46.20 crore.

Various measures like equity infusion to Air India and persuading state governments to reduce the sales tax on Aviation Turbine Fuel (ATF) have been taken to check, Mr. Ravi said.

“Further, Group of Ministers (GoM) has been constituted by the government to review the operational and financial performance of Air India from time to time and preparation of turn around plan,” the minister said.