IndiGo rules out bidding for Air India

“From day one, IndiGo has expressed its interest primarily in the acquisition of Air India’s international operation and Air India Express. However, that option is not available under the government’s current disinvestment plan for Air India. “Also, as we have communicated before, we do not believe we have the capability to take on the task of acquiring and successfully turning around all of Air India’s airline operations,” president and whole time director of IndiGo Aditya Ghosh said in a statement. 

IndiGo, with close to 40 per cent share, was one of the first players to show interest in the ailing airline soon after the government gave its in-principal approval last June for the disinvestment of the national career. It had written to the civil aviation ministry expressing its interest to buy out Air India’s flight operations, particularly the international services. 

On March 28, the ministry came out with the preliminary information memorandum on Air India’s strategic disinvestment. According to the memorandum, the government plans to offload 76 per cent equity share capital of the national carrier as well as transfer the management control.