In a bid to avert the proposed strike called by a section of its employees on March 19, the NACIL management has convened a meeting with representatives of the Air Corporation Employees Union (ACEU) in Mumbai on Wednesday.

Noting that Air India was reportedly at a disadvantage vis-a-vis the private players, a Parliamentary Committee has asked the government to make rules to penalise those airlines which were not operating 10 of their capacity to socially important but commercially unviable routes like the Northeast.

National carrier Air India is expected to incur a loss of about Rs 5,400 crore during 2009-10 and the trend of losses is likely to continue for few more years, Parliament was informed today.

An Air-India employee was arrested and another detained early today for allegedly molesting a nine-year-old girl at NSC Bose International airport here.

India approved a cash infusion for ailing national carrier Air India on Thursday, as part of an expected $432 million bailout of a company many once considered a proud symbol of the nation.