Daijiworld Media Network
New Delhi, May 14: Air India has dismissed media reports that claim the airline is on verge of bankruptcy as ‘baseless rumours’ and called it an attempt to create confusion and tarnish its credibility.
The issue began when Israeli media outlets reported that Air India will collapse soon as it has debts running over a billion. It further advised Israeli passengers against booking tickets on the airline and those who have booked to take necessary steps to recover their money.
"Air India (AI) strongly refutes the canards being spread by a section of the media in Israel and a few web/online portals about the airline being on the verge of collapse. This is totally baseless, false and hatched to malign the image of the organisation and thwart its rising graph by vested interest," according to a statement issued by AI's Tel Aviv office.
"We would like to clear the air that, contrary to this speculation, Air India is growing from strength to strength and has, in fact, been standing by passengers in distress left stranded by airlines abruptly shutting down," it said.
“It is requested that any such attempt to create confusion and tarnish the credibility of Air India be rejected outright," the statement said.
Meanwhile, Air India country manager Pankaj Tiwari told media that the entire episode was a result of ‘fake news’ and contrary to shutting down its planning to increase the number of flights on the Tel Aviv-Delhi route.
India’s national carrier started operation on Tel Aviv-Delhi route on March 22, 2018 with three flights per week. Later it increased the flights to four per week due to the demand from passengers.
As Israel does not have diplomatic relations with Saudi Arabia and Oman, the permission given to Air India by Saudi Arabia and Oman to use their airspace to fly into Tel Aviv is considered to be a diplomatic success.
Meanwhile, Israel's national carrier El Al had filed a petition with Israel's Supreme Court stating that the permission given to Air India is "unfair competition".
Though El Al later withdrew the petition, currently they the organisation is being blamed for spreading the rumours.