Around 80 per cent of the Rs-5,548 crore losses posted by the National Aviation Company of India last financial year are on account of interest payment on borrowings, depreciation and lease rentals.

"NACIL posted a loss of Rs 5,548 crore in the last financial year. Interest payment, depreciation and lease rentals account for almost 80 per cent of this loss," informed sources told PTI here.

Civil Aviation Minister Praful Patel had last week said that NACIL, Air India's holding company, was expected to incur a loss of approximately Rs 5,400 crore during the year 2009-10 and that "the trend of losses is likely to continue for few more years."

While interest payments accounted for Rs 1,665 crore, depreciation amounted to Rs 1,090 crore, the sources said. In addition, the company paid Rs 1,000 crore towards lease rentals during 2008-09, the source added.

Interest payments and depreciation accounted for 67-68 per cent of the total losses while lease rentals made up for another 12 per cent, they said.