A day after Air-India gave away its entire Rs 30,000 crore (Rs 300 billion) deal for 50 aircraft to American company Boeing, European manufacturer Airbus Industrie on Wednesday sought that all documents relating to the tendering process be sent to the Central Vigilance Commission and fresh tenders be called for the deal.
"We will be writing to the civil aviation ministry and Air-India in the next couple of days that the evaluation be reconsidered and fresh tenders called to ensure fair competition. We would also like them to send all related documents to the CVC for stand-alone evaluation," Nigel Harwood, Airbus Industrie's vice president (sales) told reporters in New Delhi.
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Observing that "we are not disappointed (in not clinching the deal), but astonished", he said his company had written several letters since November last to the Indian flag carrier raising several issues pertaining to the tender conditionalities but had received no response.
"We were not given fair and equal treatment. We were not given a chance to make a presentation on A-350 whereas Boeing made their case on B-787s, which will not fly before 2007. That goes contrary to tender conditionalities," he claimed.
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Harwood also claimed Air-India board has chosen 787s with nine seat configuration instead of the internationally-accepted norm of eight seats abreast provided by the A-350 for long haul flights. He said the Indian carrier had also not considered the latest A-380, which took its first flight on Wednesday.
When contacted, A-I spokesman Jitender Bhargava categorically maintained, "there have been no changes made in the tender norms".
