The CBI has registered three FIRs against unknown officials of the civil aviation ministry and private persons for alleged irregularities in UPA government's purchase of 111 aircraft for Air India and Indian Airlines at a cost of Rs 70,000 crore, leasing of a large number of aircraft by AI without due consideration, and surrendering of the debt-ridden carrier's profit-making routes and schedules to benefit private players. In addition, the agency has launched a preliminary enquiry (PE) into the 2007 merger of the two public carriers, IA and AI, to ascertain whether the matter needs to be probed further by registering an FIR. The merger followed the decision to place huge orders with Boeing and Airbus, a decision which the agency alleged cost the exchequer "tens of thousands of crores".

The CBI has registered three FIRs against unknown officials of the civil aviation ministry and private persons for alleged irregularities in UPA government's purchase of 111 aircraft for Air India and Indian Airlines at a cost of Rs 70,000 crore, leasing of a large number of aircraft by AI without due consideration, and surrendering of the debt-ridden carrier's profit-making routes and schedules to benefit private players. In addition, the agency has launched a preliminary enquiry (PE) into the 2007 merger of the two public carriers, IA and AI, to ascertain whether the matter needs to be probed further by registering an FIR. The merger followed the decision to place huge orders with Boeing and Airbus, a decision which the agency alleged cost the exchequer "tens of thousands of crores".