Most Indian Airlines Suffered Losses In 2012-13

New Delhi : Almost all Indian airlines, barring Jet Airways, IndiGo and GoAir, suffered losses in 2012-13, with Air India suffering the highest loss of 5,490 crore, the Lok Sabha was informed today.

While no-frills carrier SpiceJet registered a loss of 2,798.2 crore in 2012-13, Jet’s low-cost subsidiary JetLite recorded a loss of 2,468 crore, Minister of State for Civil Aviation G M Siddeshwara, said in reply to a question.

Low-cost airline IndiGo earned a profit of 7,958 crore, while GoAir recorded a profit of Rs 851 crore, he said.

A major reason for the losses was the changing air transport environment dictated by the global economic scenario, forcing airlines to seek structural adjustments in order to survive, Siddeshwara said.

In India, important causes include the high and growing debt burden, higher operating costs, huge taxation on fuel, high airport charges and maintenance costs which were afflicting the airline industry, he said.

Air India’s provisional losses in 2013-14 stood at 5,389 crore, as the Government was taking a number of measures to beef up its financial position, Civil Aviation Minister Ashok Gajapathi Raju said in reply to another question.