The Civil Aviation Minister Ashok Gajapathi Raju Pusapati.
The new Civil Aviation Minister Ashok Gajapathi Raju Pusapati, Telugu Desam party's (TDP) nominee in the Narndra Modi government, today didn't rule out privatization of the ailing public carrier.
"I am open to it. I'll let me put it this way. I am not closed to anything," said Mr Pusapati, who for most parts was evasive about answering specific questions on the civil aviation sector.
He refused to commit the new government's position on whether or not, they would honor UPA's commitment to infuse 30,000 crore to the ailing airline. "We will have to formulate our policies. If we have to honor every commitment, why is there a new government?" asked Mr Pusapati.
Asked to comment on the sensitive issue of renaming the Rajiv Gandhi International Airport at Hyderabad after NT Rama Rao, TDP founder and former Andhra Pradesh CM, Mr Pusapati said it's for the new state government to decide adding, "Earlier the domestic terminal was called NTR but the government of the day (Congress) changed it."