新加坡反对党议员反对动用淡马锡资金支持印度航空，放大新航对印度航空追加出资争议

A Singapore opposition lawmaker ​has urged that state investor Temasek's money not be used to shore up Air India, after Reuters reported ‌the Indian carrier had asked owners Tata Sons and Singapore Airlines, which Temasek majority-owns, for $1.5 billion.

Kenneth Tiong, a member of parliament for the opposition Workers' Party, said in a social media post on Wednesday that because Singapore Airlines (SIAL.SI) owns about 25% of Air India and Temasek ​in turn owns most of the Singapore carrier, the request was "not only a question for private shareholders."

"I will ​not support, nor expect, any future use of Temasek's funds to prop up Air India ⁠via Singapore Airlines. If Singapore Airlines wants to continue its bet on Air India, it should do so on its ​own two feet, and not on Temasek's," he said.

"Whichever of the two writes the cheque, it will have a significant ​impact on Temasek," he added, without elaborating further.

Singapore's Ministry of Transport, Temasek, Singapore Airlines, Air India, Tata Sons and Tiong did not respond to emails seeking comment.

Tiong said he had also filed a question for oral answer in parliament on September 8, asking the transport minister ​whether losses from and the carrying amount in Singapore Airlines' foreign associates have been assessed against its capacity to provide ​essential transport services.

The comments bring political scrutiny in Singapore to what has been a commercial decision for Singapore Airlines. Its 25.1% stake ‌in Air ⁠India has weighed on its earnings as the Indian carrier's losses widened during a multibillion-dollar turnaround that Tata Sons Chairman N. Chandrasekaran has said could take up to a decade.

Air India and its budget arm Air India Express posted combined losses of $2.33 billion in the year to March, more than double the previous year. Singapore Airlines has booked its share of those losses.

Air ​India is expected to continue requiring ​capital infusions in the ⁠coming years, a source familiar with the matter told Reuters earlier this week.

It is not the first time the city-state's flag carrier has been queried about future funding for Air ​India.

Ahead of its annual general meeting last month, the Securities Investors Association (Singapore) asked whether the ​Singapore Airlines board ⁠had set capital allocation limits for Air India and under what circumstances it would approve additional capital.

In a written response on July 17, Singapore Airlines did not provide a limit. The company said its board would carefully consider any requests, taking into ⁠consideration its ​other capital requirements and Air India's business strategy.

Air India has been ​hit by Pakistan's airspace ban on Indian carriers, disruptions to its international network from the U.S.-Israeli war with Iran, and the fallout from a crash last year ​that killed 260 people.