The Indian government has withdrawn the preliminary information memorandum for privatisation of Pawan Hans Helicopters (Delhi International) as no prospective bidders showed interest in the carrier, The Hindu has reported.
New Delhi put its 51% stake in the rotary-winged specialist up for sale in October last year as part of its ongoing privatization of state assets.
In February, Indian Minister for Civil Aviation Ashok Gajapathi Raju said that the tender attracted only one "serious buyer" and hinted that the carrier will be retendered.
The helicopter specialist currently offers mostly sightseeing and charter flights, although it also operates scheduled flights between Daman and Diu in western India. At the end of 2017, during the second round of the Indian Regional Connectivity Scheme (RCS/UDAN) allocations, Pawan Hans was awarded rights to operate 35 city pairs across the country and is now considering adding seaplanes to its fleet to serve some of these connections.
For the time being, the carrier's fleet includes only helicopters manufactured by Eurocopter/Airbus Helicopters, Bell Helicopter, and Oboronprom.
