Air-India has been making profit during the last three years though the provisional results for the fiscal 2003-04 show a dip of nearly Rs 28 crore (Rs 280 million) as compared to the previous financial year, the Lok Sabha was informed on Friday.

As per the provisional results, Air-India will end the fiscal 2003-04 with a profit of Rs 105.50 crore (Rs 1,055 million) as against Rs 133.86 crore (Rs 1,338.6 million) in 2002-03, Civil Aviation Minister Praful Patel said.

The minister said the decline in profit was due to cancellations and withdrawals during SARS outbreak, non-cooperation of pilots during April-May 2003, the Iraq war, increase in prices of aviation turbine fuel and overall recessionary trend in the international market.

Patel said Air-India has already taken measures to generate more revenues which included dry leasing aircraft to increase frequencies on the existing routes and operating new service stations, implementing Automated Revenue Management System, reducing staff strength at foreign destinations, banning recruitment except in operational areas, lowering retirement age and reducing agency commission from nine to seven per cent.

Alliance Air: As many as 33 pilots have resigned from Alliance Air out of which 11 joined Indian Airlines and two joined Air-India, the minister said in reply to another question.