Unpaid oil bills ground four Air India flights

Thiruvananthapuram: Four Air India flights were cancelled on Friday as oil companies refused to give the national carrier fuel following huge outstanding bills, an official said here.

An Air India spokesperson said two flights from Kochi and one each from Thiruvanathapuram (to Chennai) and Kozhikode (Air India Express flight to Muscat) were cancelled.

'Two flights from Kochi -- Air India Express flight to Sharjah and a domestic one to Bangalore -- have also been cancelled. But we are able to operate the Riyadh flight from Thiruvananthapuram via Kochi that is carrying 400 passengers,' said the Air India official, who did not wish to be identified.

Meanwhile, top company officials have started damage control exercise.

'The outstanding bills run into crores of rupees. Payment was done on the basis of cash and carry, but some problem has cropped up. We are hopeful that things would be sorted out soon,' said the official.

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