AI-Indian must get more new planes: Patel

New Delhi, July 31 (UNI) Civil Aviation Minister Praful Patel today called for further fleet acquisition for Air India (AI) and Indian in view of the fact that the entire existing fleets will have to be replaced by 2011.

The fleet size will go down requiring further strengthening, the planning for which should begin now, he said during the parliamentary consultative committee meeting.

Even if AI grows at a conservative rate of 10 per cent, the carrier will require a much bigger fleet size than what would be available to it, said Mr Patel.

The consultative committee met in Mumbai as AI geared up for its first non-stop flight from the financial capital of India to New York. Mr Patel said the government will make AI a truly international carrier by giving it strength and muscle in the form of a brand new fleet.

He said AI and Indian's merger is necessary to join one of the three airline alliances across the globe. None of them would have considered the national carriers on a stand-alone basis.

The members cutting across party line congratulated the Ministry of Civil Aviation for the merger and modernisation of all airports across the country.

Among those present on the occasion were: Mr Madhu Goud Yashki, Mr Sachin Pilot, Mr Kunwar Jitin Prasad, Mr Santosh Gangwar, Mr Ratilal Verma, Mr Ramswaroop Koli, Mr Tarit Baran Topdar, Mr A Krishnaswamy, Mr Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa, Ms Sumitra Mahajan, Mr Deepender Singh Hooda, Mr Santosh Bagrodia, Mr Tarlochan Singh, Mr Dinesh Trivedi, Mr Abdul Wahab Peevee, Mr Farooq Abdullah, Mr Sanjay Raut, Mr Rajeev Shukla and Mr Bashistha Narain Singh.

UNI