The proposal to take off Indian Airlines and Air-India from the divestment list will come up for discussion at the next meeting of the Cabinet Committee for Divestment to be held soon.

"The next CCD meeting will take up the issue of removal of Indian Airlines and Air-India from the divestment list," Civil Aviation Minister Syed Shahnawaz Hussain told newsmen on Friday.

The removal of both these companies from the divestment list is a prerequisite for their plans to go for fleet expansion. After the approval of the CCD the issue of fleet augmentation will go to the Cabinet Committee for Security for final clearance.

Indian Airlines has proposed to acquire 43 new aircraft for replacement of the entire fleet of old aircraft and for capacity expansion. Air-India has decided to acquire 17 new aircraft.

Hussain, who formally handed over the third passenger airliner to Afghanistan President Hamid Karzai on Friday, said, "We want to go about the whole process in a transparent way. Everyone is positive about the whole issue."

Before the handing over ceremony, Karzai said, "It is a very kind gesture on the part of India to give three planes to Afghanistan. It will help the Afghan Airlines perform better."

The three planes that have been handed over to Afghanistan after full refurbishing belonged to Air-India. India had also trained Afghan crew. The Airbus A 300 B4 will be flown to Kabul by Afghan crew.

The planes are a part of the $100 million package for reconstruction of Afghanistan announced by India.

UNI