India’s Jet Airways and SpiceJet could sell stakes to foreign companies following a recent change in the country’s investment rules, a government official tells Aviation Week. Mumbai-based Jet Airways, India’s largest airline by total passengers, is in discussions with Abu Dhabi-based carrier Etihad Airways to sell a minority stake, the government official, who requested anonymity, says. “Talks are on. It is more or less final,” the official says. It may take about 45 days to conclude the deal, he adds.
State-run Air India’s recently delivered Boeing 787s are not operating at full capacity because of technical issues. “At any given point in time, at least one of the three aircraft, which has been recently added to the [Air India] fleet, is grounded due to some technical snag,” an airline spokesperson tells Aviation Weeks. “The snag has caused massive delays in most of the domestic sectors where the aircraft has been deployed,” the spokesperson continues, adding that a team of engineers from Boeing is expected to arrive in India shortly to rectify the problem.
