Newsmakers: Ratan Tata's new investment, PM Modi on high airfares and more

30 senior Dreamliner pilots quit Air India
Air India, the cash-strapped state-run carrier, is in fresh trouble. Thirty of its senior Boeing 787 Dreamliner pilots have quit in quick succession, leaving the national carrier to grapple with a severe human resource crunch. The pilots who have called it quits were senior co-pilots with 4,000 hours of flying experience on an average.

Jet Airways board approves merger of JetLite with the parent airline
Jet Airways' board has approved the merger of its low-cost subsidiary JetLite with the parent airline. The Naresh Goyal-led airline had bought Sahara Airlines in April 2007 for Rs 1,450 crore after an arbitration award. It later renamed Sahara Airlines as JetLite and operated it as a low-cost arm till November last year. At present, Jet Airways and JetLite operate under two different Air Operator Permit (AOP).

PM Narendra Modi voices concern over high airfares during festive seasons
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has expressed concern over steep rise in airfares during festive seasons, following which the civil aviation ministry is looking at ways to curb such practice. There have been instances of airlines hiking price of air tickets during festival seasons when more people travel. According to a senior ministry official, Prime Minister has asked whether there is a way to handle it (the issue).

Ratan Tata invests in food tech start-up Holachef
Ratan Tata, Chairman emeritus of Tata Sons, has made a personal investment of an undisclosed amount in Holachef, an online marketplace for chefs. "Launched in September 2014 by Saurabh Saxena and Anil Gelra, Holachef has seen substantial growth in Mumbai and Pune," the company said in a statement on Wednesday.

Last date for filing income-tax returns extended till Sept 7
The government on Wednesday extended the last date for filing Income-Tax return by a week to September 7.
"Due date for filing Income Tax return extended till 7th Sep, 2015," the Finance Ministry said in a tweet. The earlier date was August 31.