Air India is planning to either sell or lease out the eight Boeing 777 Long Range aircraft in its fleet and replace them with Boeing 787s, the national carrier’s Chairman and Managing Director, Rohit Nandan, said on Wednesday.

“Air India is in advanced stages of discussions with many parties on the Boeing 777. I cannot set a time limit for it..but the earlier we can complete something the better it will be," Nandan said. The airline is also in discussions with aircraft manufacturer Boeing to dispose the aircraft, he added.

Air India is set to receive all of the 27 787 Dreamliners it ordered by 2016. It currently has six in fleet and hopes to induct eight more by December. The press conference at which Nandan spoke had been called to announce the re-launch of commercial services with the 787 after the aircraft had been grounded for close to five months over a battery fault. Air India hopes to reduce payroll costs to improve its financial health. Nandan said that of the current 39,000 workers on its rolls, 26,000 are regular employees. “At least 7,700 people are expected to retire in the next five years, while 18,000 employees will be transferred to the two new subsidiaries which have been created recently. The parent airline will be left with 9,000-10,000 people," he added.

In 2012-13, the airline altered its pay structure to reduce its staff cost by Rs 243 crore.

>ashwini.phadnis@thehindu.co.in

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