New Delhi, July 28: Tata Group-owned Air India and its low-cost subsidiary Air India Express reported a combined net loss of Rs 22,238 crore in FY26, more than double the Rs 10,859 crore loss recorded in the previous financial year, even as their combined revenue declined nearly 9 per cent.

According to the airlines’ annual reports, the combined revenue stood at Rs 71,870 crore in FY26.

Air India posted revenue of Rs 51,452 crore and a net loss of Rs 15,368 crore, while Air India Express reported revenue of Rs 19,088 crore and a net loss of Rs 6,767 crore.

Air India is currently owned 73.82 per cent by Tata Sons, 25.1 per cent by Singapore Airlines and 1.08 per cent by employees under a share benefit scheme created during the airline’s privatisation in 2022.

Addressing shareholders, Air India Chairman N. Chandrasekaran said the carrier’s transformation should be viewed as a long-term exercise, stressing that building a world-class global airline cannot be achieved within a few quarters.

“Every great airline in history was built over decades, not quarters,” Chandrasekaran wrote in his message to shareholders.

He said Air India’s transformation should be seen as a five- to 10-year journey, given the condition in which the airline was acquired, prolonged supply chain disruptions affecting aircraft components, the need to modernise legacy systems and processes, renew the fleet, reshape the organisational culture and build a large pool of skilled technical and aviation professionals.

However, his comments indicate that the airline’s turnaround is likely to take longer than initially anticipated as the Tata Group continues its multi-billion-dollar investment to revive the national carrier following its acquisition from the government in 2022.

Earlier in the month, Air India had appointed UK-based aircraft marketing and asset management firm Skytech-AIC to oversee the sale of six Airbus A319 aircraft.

New Delhi, July 27: The Ministry of Civil Aviation informed Parliament on Monday that there has been no delay in the investigation into the Air India Boeing Dreamliner crash at Ahmedabad airport and the inquiry “is progressing as per established procedures.”

The investigations into major aviation accidents depend on several factors and involve multiple variables, making it impossible to specify a fixed timeline for the final report, the ministry said in a written reply to a question in the Upper House.

“The timeline for completing a major air accident investigation cannot be predicted,” the Ministry’s statement said.

It also said that all probable causes and contributing factors leading to the accident are being investigated, indicating that the probe remains comprehensive and no conclusions have been reached so far.

The ministry further informed the Rajya Sabha that the inspection of the complete Thrust Control Module at the original equipment manufacturer’s (OEM) facility is underway as part of the ongoing investigation.

The Ministry of Civil Aviation had earlier, in a reply, also stated in Parliament that the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) is “transparently” conducting its investigation into the Air India Boeing crash on June 12 last year and “all probable causes leading to the accident are being investigated.”

A preliminary investigation report was published by AAIB on July 12, 2025, and the same is available on their website www.aaib.gov.in. The investigation is in progress, and the final report will be published after completion of the investigation, the ministry stated in a written reply to a question in the Rajya Sabha.

“As per the ICAO Annex 13 requirements, the interim statement has been published by AAIB on June 12, 2026. The final investigation report will be published after completion of the investigation,” the ministry added.

As many as 260 people were killed when the AI-171 Boeing Dreamliner flight from Ahmedabad to London-Gatwick on June 12 crashed within 35 seconds of taking off. While 241 people on board the Dreamliner lost their lives, 19 people were killed on the ground. One passenger on the plane had a miraculous escape.

The preliminary report released by the AAIB on July 12 stated that both engines of the ill-fated Air India Boeing 787 Dreamliner lost thrust after the two fuel cut-off switches moved from the ‘RUN’ to the ‘CUTOFF’ position. However, the cockpit voice recorder has revealed that one of the pilots told the other that he did not turn off the fuel control switches. The fuel switches were then returned back to the RUN position just before the plane crashed.

Union Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu earlier said that the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau’s report on the Air India crash was based on preliminary findings, and urged against reaching any conclusions until the final report is released.

New Delhi, July 27: Maharashtra has become the first state to qualify for the second instalment of the government’s Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana funding after utilising about Rs 260 crore of the Rs 335 crore first instalment, exceeding the 75 per cent utilisation benchmark, an official statement said on Monday.

Union Minister for Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare Shivraj Singh Chouhan chaired the virtual review meeting to assess the utilisation of funds released under the scheme and to consider the issuance of the second instalment to Maharashtra, the statement said, adding that the process for release is being taken up.

The minister acknowledged satisfactory progress under the Mission for Integrated Development of Horticulture and urged the state to accelerate expenditure on digital agriculture, agriculture extension, the National Horticulture Mission, seeds, oilseeds and agroforestry components.

He also suggested that pending liabilities under the Seeds component be booked expeditiously to improve fund utilisation.

Chouhan said Maharashtra’s overall utilisation exceeding the required threshold reflected effective implementation of agricultural development programmes.

The minister emphasised that timely expenditure should always be accompanied by continuous monitoring to ensure that public funds are utilised strictly for the objectives for which they have been sanctioned.

He also appreciated Maharashtra’s performance in generating Farmer IDs and recalled the state’s prompt financial assistance to farmers affected by floods, wherein compensation amounting to around Rs 14,000 crore was transferred directly to farmers’ bank accounts within five days.

During the meeting, a separate discussion was also held on the implementation of the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY). The minister stressed the need for accurate disclosure of information by farmers while applying for crop insurance.

He clarified that both Kisan Credit Card (KCC) and non-KCC farmers are eligible to avail crop insurance benefits, but concealment of KCC status by applying through another account should be avoided.

The proposed declaration on the portal is intended solely to ensure transparency and correctness of information, and not to restrict benefits to any eligible farmer.