By Nirbhay Kumar

New Delhi, May 6 (IANS): State-run Air India has decided not to pursue its plan to take B777s from grounded Jet Airways as it has found it commercially not viable given the huge maintenance requirement.

"The engineering unit has done their work around the B777s and found no merit in taking them," said an airline executive.

A few weeks back, Air India had shown keen interest to take five wide-body Boeing 777 aircraft of Jet Airways on dry/wet lease and initiated talks with the crisis-hit airline's lead lender SBI.

Air India Chairman Ashwani Lohani had even discussed the proposal with SBI Chairman Rajnish Kumar.

However, now that Air India has changed its decision, SBI seems to have a plan B for the grounded long-haul airplanes.

An internal Jet Airways mail has revealed that one of the B777 jets is scheduled for maintenance ferry to Hong Kong on May 10.

"This is to inform you that there is a B777 maintenance ferry scheduled to Hong Kong on May 10, 2019...," a mail to CP (chief pilot) from B777 Fleet Office said.