Cargo Service Centre looks to buy AI ground-handling arm

This is the third company after Turkish firm Celebi and Indian conglomerate Bird Group to show interest in buying the profit-making subsidiary of the national carrier -- Air India Air Transport Services Limited (AIATSL).

Low-cost carrier IndiGo had earlier written to the Ministry of Civil Aviation expressing interest in international flight operations of Air India as well as its subsidiary, Air India Express.

"Cargo Service Centre has written to us for ground handling services of Air India," Choubey told reporters at an event here. Cargo Service Centre provides cargo services at Delhi, Mumbai and Chennai airports, according to its website.

Air India has several subsidiaries including AIATSL, Air India Charters Limited, IAL Airport Services Limited, Airline Allied Services Limited and Air India Engineering Services Limited. The Union Cabinet had given its in-principle approval for strategic disinvestment of Air India and its five subsidiaries in July this year. A group of ministers has also been constituted to work on the modalities for privatisation of the national carrier.

New Delhi: A group of ministers, headed by Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, on Thursday discussed in details the modalities for the strategic disinvestment of Air India, official sources said.

Second in less than a month, the meeting came a week after the government invited applications from entities to act as advisers for the stake sale process last week. Loss-making Air India is staying afloat on taxpayers' funds and to revive the carrier, the government decided on strategic disinvestment in June.