The development assumes significance since the submission of financial bids is due in September. On its part, the national carrier has set up a Divestment Cell to facilitate coordination between the Tata and Air India teams. Air India is said to be providing full support to these teams and facilitating their visits to the operational sites.

Furthermore, the Tata teams have been given access to the airline’s operational areas such as ticketing, check-in-counters. In July the team visited several stations including Kolkata and the airline’s corporate office here in New Delhi. One such visit occurred at Delhi’s T3 based sites of Air India. At present, this is the largest operational site of the airline in the country.

Besides, technical intelligence about the company is being sought from Tata Group’s airlines AirAsia India and Vistara. Furthermore, contractual obligations and cost structure of Air India is being closely studied.