Air India sale: Prime assets of airline may be part of deal

Girja Shankar Kaura

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, June 14

After failing to get any bid for the strategic sale of debt-laden Air India, the government is pondering over various options. Some of the national carrier’s prime real estate assets across the world could be part of the deal for the buyer.

Air India, which had bought these assets many years ago, can put the value of these properties, many of which are located in upmarket areas, at hundreds of millions of dollars at current market prices.

Officials believe that tagging along these properties across the world as part of the strategic sale would sweeten the deal for the buyer.

Some of the properties that might be put up as part of the strategic sale include villas in Hong Kong, Mauritius and Nairobi. These are all huge properties and are located in upmarket areas.

Besides the villas, some of the apartments owned by the airline would also be part of the sale deal. It owns two apartments in Tokyo, an apartment in Paris measuring over 1,700 sq ft.

Air India also owns a building in London measuring over 24,000 sq ft, which may also be made part of the strategic sale. The building is located in the Berkshire locality of London.