Draft MoU ready to choose 3rd partner for Nagpur MRO: Thulasidas

Mumbai, June 15 (UNI) A draft Memorandum of Understanding (Mou) is ready for signing, after which, Air India and Boeing will decide about the third partner for the Maintenance, Repairing and Overhaul (MRO) facility at Nagpur, Air India Chief V Thulasidas told reporters here today.

''The draft MoU is ready for signing, after which selection of the third partner will be decided,'' he said.

Mr Thulasidas was here to attend the unveiling ceremony of the refurbished Boeing 747-400 aircraft here today, which was the first of the six aircraft to undergo a total makeover.

The first refurbished aircraft, christened ''Agra'', will operate to US destinations - New York, Newark and Chicago.

However, when asked about the timeframe, Mr Thulasidas said, ''As of now, there is no specific timeframe for choosing the partner.'' When asked about the revenue growth of the combined entity, the Air India chief said that as a result of merger, he was expecting a surge in traffic an proportionate revenue.

''Our present load factor is about 70 per cent, which would go up to 75 per cent post merger,'' he said.

When asked about the competitive edge that the combined entity will have over other players, Mr Thulasidas said that so far Air India was way ahead of the other carriers.

''At present we are 30/31 in terms of revenue, and post merger we are likely to stand around 20th position, with a total revenue of Rs 16,000 crore,'' he added.

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