They also clarified that these issues will be considered by the cabinet separately and will not be a part of the mandate to be given to a high-powered ministerial group that Prime Minister Manmohan Singh intends to set up to look at the issue of high aviation fuel prices.

Air India has been pursuing an ambitious fleet expansion plan for the past few years to induct as many as 111 new aircraft, orders for which were placed with both the US-based Boeing and the European Airbus Industrie.

The airline's current fleet size is 152 aircraft.