NEW DELHI -- The long-awaited sale of Air India has been put off again, with the government of Prime Minister Narendra Modi extending by another two months the deadline for submission of preliminary bids to buy a 100% stake in the loss-making national carrier.
The culprit this time: the novel coronavirus pandemic.
In late January, the government relaunched its drive to privatize the airline, after an attempt in 2018 failed. It set a March 17 deadline for bidders to submit expressions of interest. But as the coronavirus sent the global aviation industry into a tailspin, the deadline was extended to April 30, then to June 30.
