AI gives 1st priority to PSUs to lease its real estate assets

Air India is to give preference to State-owned enterprises to lease its 1.7-lakh sq ft office in central Delhi's Baba Kharak Singh Marg. AI's decision is part of its programme to monetise real estate assets. The loss-making and debt laden airline had decided in February to monetise its properties spread over India and various parts of the world over the next three years to raise an estimated Rs 5,000 crore, kick starting the process with its city terminal office at Baba Kharak Singh Marg.

The airline doesn't want to sell it to private companies but lease it to government-owned enterprises after it received strong interest from the State Bank of India (SBI), Oil and Natural Gas Corp (ONGC) and Life Insurance Corporation (LIC). If the national air carrier don't get encouraging rates from PSUs then only it will float a tender for private party, a senior Air India executive said.