New Delhi: Government has not ordered anyprobe into large-scale purchase of aircraft by the Air India, Lok Sabha was informed on Monday. Civil Aviation Minister Ashok Gajapathi Raju said the government "has not ordered any probe into the matter." "However, the CBI, on the issue of creation of MRO facilities and a training centre, in an agreement signed between Indian Airlines and Airbus Industrie, on the basis of of a preliminary enquiry (dated 14-1-2010), has filed an FIR (on 27-2-2013) and the matter is under investigation with the CBI," he said.
In 2004-6, with the approval of Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs, the Air India, the erstwhile Indian Airlines (now merged into Air India Ltd) and Air India Express, had placed an order for a total of 111 aircraft of which 102 have already been inducted, Raju said. He also said that no purchase order for aircraft has been placed by Air India in the last three years and the current year. The Minister said the delivery of three B777-300 ER aircraft has been postponed, while the balance six B-787 Dreamliner aircraft will be completed by 2016.
