The government on Tuesday appointed Air India chief V Thulasidas as CMD and his Indian counterpart Vishwapati Trivedi as joint managing director of the newly merged state-owned carrier.

As per the order, both would hold the post till March 31 next year or till further orders, official sources said.

Thulasidas, an IAS officer, retires on March 25 next year.

The appointments would take effect from the date the merged entity starts functioning, the sources said.

The pay and perks of the two officers would also be protected, they said.

The appointments are a step forward in the merger process of the two public sector airlines. A new company, National Airlines Company Limited, has already been registered.

Earlier this month, Civil Aviation Minister Praful Patel said that the new carrier would start functioning as a single entity by the middle of July.