By NNN-PTI
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New Delhi : Assuring government's support to Air India to regain its past reputation of being one of the world's best airlines, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh today said the national carriers have so far been unable to take advantage of the opening of skies.
"The opening up of the skies has created new market opportunities for civil aviation business in India. However, our national carriers were unable to take full advantage of the opportunities at hand for a variety of reasons," he said at a function here to mark the induction of new Airbus and Boeing aircraft in the fleet of newly-merged Air India.
The legal formalities for the merger of national carriers — Air India and Indian — are likely to completed early August.
Shortage of aircraft was one of the problems which had hampered the growth of the state-owned airlines, Singh said, adding the government had taken "decisive steps" to address the problem and has placed orders for 43 Airbus and 68 Boeing planes for Indian and Air India in a short period of one year.
"This has been by far the largest procurement of aircraft by any airline in the country," he said, hoping that with these acquisitions, the national carriers would be better placed to take on competition at home and abroad and rekindle their "lost elan."
Asking the public sector carriers to ensure world class service levels, Singh said: "I want you to focus your attention on that. Our airports, our airlines and all related systems must be world class and must make every customer and client feel cared for."