Air India spent Rs 117 crore in 2015-2016 on Prime Minister Narendra Modi's foreign travel, a 25% increase from the previous year. Modi visited 22 countries, including Russia, France, Germany, Korea, Mongolia, China, the UAE, Ireland, the UK, Pakistan, Afghanistan and Turkey among others till December last year.

In comparison, the national carrier spent Rs 108 crore on air travel of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh during 2013-2014.

Responding to an RTI application by Comm (retd) Lokesh Batra, Air India said it spent Rs 117 crore till December 2015 while it spent Rs 94 crore in 2014-2015. Modi visited 12 countries in his first year of office including Bhutan, Australia, Myanmar, Fiji, Japan, Seychelles, Brazil and Mauritius among others according to the ministry of external affairs.