'Air India only needs equity. The owner of the company is the government. The owner of Jet Airways brings equity in their company and the owner of Kingfisher brings equity in theirs.'

Patel said it was important that 'effective and efficient people' sit on the board of Air India, which posted losses of about Rs.5,000 crore last fiscal.

'A new CMD has come and he has tried to bring in new changes in his own style. New ideas will come forward. Often people think that the ministry runs the company, but this is not correct. There are high-level officials, IAS officers and others.'

Asked if he thought the bureaucracy was not cooperating with him, the minister said: 'No. I think, in the structure we lack the flexibility, which is required for competition with the private sector.'

He also refused to be compared to former railways minister Lalu Prasad, who is credited with making the Indian Railways profitable for the first time in its history during the tenure of the previous United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government.

'Why are you saying so? For the last five years you were saying that revolution has come in the aviation sector,' Patel responded when a comparison was made with Lalu Prasad.

'The common man can (today) sit in an airplane. New airplanes are coming. India is connecting with the world. But now there are losses. Losses are not because of management. If today 30 percent passengers have decreased, then Air India or Jet Airways cannot do anything.'