Debt-laden Air India is now planning an outright sale of these aircraft to raise up to $450 million (about Rs 2,500 crore), sources said. The national carriers resorted to the act as it failed to find any lessor for its five Boeing 777s.
Air India will soon appoint a consultant to help it find a suitable buyer besides taking the assistance from Boeing on the issue, they said. The move is to trim over Rs 68,000-crore debt, they added.
Air India sources said on November 26 that these are surplus aircraft, after the induction of the latest Dreamliners in its fleet, which it has decided to dispose of.