Air India has issued a fresh global tender for the lease of 19 new Airbus A320 aircraft, after the financially troubled airline’s first bid in August failed to attract any lessors. “As part of its effort to reduce costs and optimize revenue, Air India intends to procure new A320s with Sharklet fuel-saving wing-tip devices, powered by CFM56-5B4/3 PIP engines, on dry lease for a lease period of maximum up to 12 years, up from the six-year lease period it planned in August,” an airline spokesman tells Aviation Week. The airline will accept bids until Nov. 19.

India’s Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) has allowed Singapore Airlines (SIA) to establish a full-service airline in the country in partnership with the Tata Group, but the joint venture airline will need several other regulatory approvals before it can start operations. “The Tata-SIA proposal has been cleared,” said Economic Affairs Secretary Arvind Mayaram after a meeting of the FIPB, a panel of bureaucrats who examine various aspects of foreign investments. The government has not set any preconditions for the joint venture, Mayaram added.

NEW DELHI — The Indian air force (IAF) completed the flight of its first upgraded Mirage 2000 at the Istres-Le Tubé air base in France early this month, according to a spokesman of manufacturer Dassault Aviation. Faced with a depleted tactical air capability and an inordinate delay in signing the Medium Multi-Role Combat Aircraft (MMRCA) deal, the IAF is pushing to expedite the upgrading of its Mirage 2000s. The first upgraded Dassault Mirage 2000H is likely to be delivered in August or September 2014, says an IAF official.