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Hyderabad, Oct. 7 Air India has said that the company hopes to complete at least 70 to 75 per cent of the merger (with Indian) by the end of the financial year.

Talking to reporters here on Tuesday, Mr Raghu Menon, Chairman and Managing Director of Air India, said the company also expected to complete the process of setting up the SBUs (strategic business units) to explore opportunities in maintenance, repair and overhaul, ground-handling and training services.

Mr Menon was here in connection with the upcoming Indian Aviation-2008, an aviation conference and expo, scheduled to be held here later this month.

“We are engaged in several global companies to set up these SBUs. We expect that these units would be ready by June-July 2009,” he said.

The idea was to increase revenues from avenues other than passenger movement activity.

Asked whether the airline would cut fares in the backdrop of the reduced aviation turbine fuel cost, he said there would be no fare cut for now.

He said the airline was exploring opportunities tolaunch services to the west coast of the US, South Africa and Australia.

He reiterated that there would be no retrenchment as the merger process went ahead. He, however, hinted that the airline might choose not to recruit in non-operational areas as staff retired.

More Stories on : Mergers & Acquisitions | Airlines

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