Air India’s Chairman Rohit Nandan says the airline has already completed 45 of the 64 requirements for joining the Star Alliance and will finish the remaining this month, setting the stage for the carrier to be the first Indian airline to be part of a global interlining network. The board of the Star Alliance, a group of 26 global carriers, will meet in London on June 23 to call on a vote of support for the entry of Air India, with a fleet of 123 aircraft, into the group, Star Alliance’s Chief Executive Officer Mark Schwab says.

India’s attempt to intercept a target ballistic missile at an altitude of 120 km "attained mission objectives," a senior defense scientist says. "In a significant milestone achieved in developing a two-layered Ballistic Missile Defense system, the Defense Research and Development Organization [DRDO] successfully carried out the maiden ‘Prithvi Defense Vehicle’ [PDV] mission, meeting the objectives perfectly," a DRDO scientist says.

Air India intends to acquire 14 Airbus A320s on lease for up to six years, to replace some of its aging aircraft and strengthen its domestic service. The airline wants to replace 14 older A320s and another 5 A319s. The aircraft, in an all-economy configuration with 188 seats, are being leased in a bid to meet heightened competition on domestic routes.