As part of the restructuring strategy, a separate plan is being prepared for the return of Air India’s leased aircraft at the earliest. A team has been set up to work on the lease contracts, the sources said. This is apart from the ongoing review of its fleet acquisition plan which is likely to be “redrawn”, they said. Air India has till date inducted 49 planes out of its order for 111 aircraft at an estimated cost of Rs 10,000 crore.

As part of its plans, Air India will close its offices at overseas locations where it does not operate. Heads of strategic units concerning cargo, MRO and other businesses are also finalising similar plans.

TOP GUNS TO SIT ON BOARD

NEW DELHI: Air India is in the process of having a seven-member international advisory board, with former top officials of global carriers, to turn the organisation around. The board, which is likely to be headed by industrialist Ratan Tata, may have former heads of leading carriers like Lufthansa and Singapore Airlines, sources in the know said. Discussions are on to finalise the names of other members on this global advisory board, sources said, adding that an advertisement would soon be issued for the newly-created post of chief operating officer so that a professional airline manager works under chairman-cum-managing director Arvind Jadhav to improve AI’s operations. PTI