HS Puri meets Air India unions' representatives regarding privatisation of national carrier

As the national carrier Air India is set to be privatised, Union Civil Aviation Minister Hardeep Singh Puri met with several representatives of Air India unions on Thursday. The minister has told the unions that the airline cannot survive and will have to be privatised.

New Delhi:Union Civil Aviation Minister Hardeep Singh Puri on Thursday met with several representatives of Air India unions regarding the privatisation of national carrier.

The government had on Tuesday said that privatisation of debt-ridden Air India has become a compulsion as fear grows about the shutdown of the national carrier.

"I had said earlier also, for us, it is not an option. Air India has to be privatised," Puri had said.

The minister had also said that debt over Air India has made it unsustainable and the national carrier needs to go in private hands to keep it running.

"Air India over a period of time has now gathered debt which could be described as unsustainable," he had added.

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