Zoom Air enters the Indian aviation market

After acquiring a schedule-operating permission from the Directorate General of Indian Civil Aviation on February 3, Zoom Air, the brand name for Zexus Air Services and a regional airline based in Delhi, took off on the inaugural flight from Delhi to Durgapur on February 12, and will begin its commercial operations from February 15 to three destinations in India on a Bombardier CRJ200.
Founded in 2013 as Zexus Air, the airline will set out with daily scheduled flights on the Delhi-Kolkata-Durgapur-Delhi route, which will be extended to Amritsar in the afternoon.

India: Hundreds of 'ghost airports' hold back aviation boom

The country's crowded airports handled more than 220 million passengers during the most recent fiscal year, an annual increase of nearly 20%. Traffic is expected to double over the next two decades, propelling India past the U.K. to become the world's third-largest aviation market.
But there's a major obstacle to sustaining that growth: Less than 20% of the country's airports are in regular use.
The shock figure was cited by Ajay Singh, chairman of Indian budget airline SpiceJet, at the CNN Asia Business Forum in Bangalore on Monday. According to Singh, only 75 of the country's 400-odd airports are fully operational.

New Pune airport will take 5 yrs to start ops

Pune: The new Pune airport at Purandar taluka will take at least five more years to be built and become operational, district guardian minister Girish Bapat told TOI.
Bapat said the expansion plan for the existing airport in Lohegaon was in sync with the new airport project, which will be ready in five years. Bapat's statement goes against claims made by Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis earlier. While announcing the project last year, Fadnavis had said the new airport would be operational within three years.

Free Sim cards at airports for foreign tourists

New Delhi: Foreign tourists arriving in India will get free SIM cards from the government. Union minister Mahesh Sharma launched the initiative on Wednesday saying that this initiative will help foreign tourists in communicating in India.

“This unique initiative will facilitate the foreign tourists in communicating with their acquaintances immediately after their arrival in India. A tourist helpline in twelve foreign languages is already there so that the foreign tourists can get the required information in their own language,” said Mahesh Sharma, minister of state (independent charge) for Tourism and Culture.

Aero India 2017: India to set up defence innovation fund to boost startups

Bengaluru: India is to soon set up a defence innovative fund to encourage new entrants in the aviation sector, especially startups, Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar said at the Aero India 2017 air show in Bengaluru on Tuesday.

The five-day event will see the participation of 279 foreign and 270 Indian companies.

India’s public sector giants HAL and BEL will participate in the initiave whose main principle is to encourage research & development in defence aviation, minister Parrikar said. Accordingly, defence PSUs have been asked to increase outsourcing of their work to make the sector more vibrant.

AirAsia India launches new training facility in Bengaluru

No frills carrier AirAsia India has launched its new training facility here, where its crew will be imparted advanced coaching equipment and practical scenario-based trainings.
AirAsia crew will also be equipped with the requisite knowledge and skills essential to managing any emergency seamlessly, the company said.

The in-house coaching facility located at AirAsia India head office premises here can accommodate 100 trainees, a company release said.

New integrated international passenger terminal building work soon

The proposed construction of a new integrated international passenger terminal building at the Tiruchi airport is expected to commence in the coming months with a separate project division office having been created for this purpose.

The detailed plan for the construction of the new terminal building along with associated facilities would be chalked out by a project management consultancy firm to be selected by the Airports Authority of India (AAI).

From May, Air India to start 4 flights a week between Chandigarh, Bangkok

Air India informed the Punjab and Haryana High Court on Monday that it was going to start flights between Chandigarh and Bangkok four days in a week from May onwards for which the flight schedule was yet to be finalised. However, as planned earlier, Air India is yet to take a final call about starting of flights connecting Chandigarh and Singapore.
The information was submitted before a division bench comprising Justices S S Saron and Darshan Singh during the resumed hearing of a public interest litigation filed by the Mohali Industries Association.
Appearing for the Air India, advocate Sunil Kumar Sahore submitted that Air India was in the process of acquiring more aircraft but the supply of aircraft had been delayed at the end of the manufacturing company by over a month.

Spice Jet launches direct flight on Delhi-Bangkok route

Low cost airline SpiceJet on Monday announced the launch of a direct flight on the Delhi-Bangkok-Delhi route from April 15 2017.
The one-way fares for the Delhi-Bangkok route will start from Rs. 7,999 (all inclusive) whereas for Bangkok-Delhi route will start from Rs. 8633 (all in). Bookings for the routes are currently open, said the airline in a press statement.
The service on the Delhi-Bangkok route, commencing on April 15 will be operational six days a week (except Tuesday) and after May 9 the service would be a daily one.
To Read the News in Full 13/02/17 Manju V/The Times Of India

IndiGo adds three flights from Hyderabad

Hyderabad: Budget carrier IndiGo will soon add 20 new flights to its network, including three from Hyderabad. The flights connecting Hyderabad to Chennai, Chandigarh and Cochin will commence operations from Feb 20, the airlines announced in a release on Sunday.

IndiGo will also add a second daily flight on the Chennai-Singapore route beginning March 5, 2017. On the Eastern India frontier, IndiGo will enhance operations from Delhi and Kolkata to Bagdogra with four additional flights to strengthen connectivity between the two metro cities and remote areas. IndiGo recently launched two non-stop daily flights to Sharjah and additional flight to Muscat.
To Read the News in Full 13/02/17 Times of India

AirAsia India launches new training facility in Bengaluru

No frills carrier AirAsia India has launched its new training facility here, where its crew will be imparted advanced coaching equipment and practical scenario-based trainings.
AirAsia crew will also be equipped with the requisite knowledge and skills essential to managing any emergency seamlessly, the company said.

The in-house coaching facility located at AirAsia India head office premises here can accommodate 100 trainees, a company release said.

Mumbai: Jet Airways reschedules flights owing to closure of airport main runway

In light of the temporary closure of Mumbai's Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport's main runway, Jet Airways has said that it has revised some of its flight schedules until April 29, 2017.
The airlines said that its contact centre is keeping guests updated about the revised timings and re-accommodation on alternate flights, where necessary.
To Read the News in Full 14/02/17 India Blooms

Airbus A350-900, the world’s most modern aircraft, reaches New Delhi

New Delhi: The world’s most modern aircraft airbus A350-900 has been brought to India via Lufthansa Airlines. The aircraft landed in Delhi on Saturday. The A350 model boasts of seating 325 passengers over a 15,000 km range. It weighs 280 tons. The aircraft has business, premium and economy classes and has bigger windows. Lufthansa has personalised it to accommodate large TV screens, innovative mood lighting, personalised playlist among other facilities. The aircraft produces 25 per cent fewer emissions and also reportedly makes less noise while takeoff. It was received by the airlines in December 2016 at his home airport in Munich. The aircraft was greeted with water cannons when it landed in Delhi and the passengers were given gifts.

India’s budget carrier SpiceJet places UAE at core of expansion strategy

Mumbai: The UAE as a destination is a crucial part of SpiceJet’s expansion strategy, says Ajay Singh, the airline’s chairman and managing director, as it looks to stay profitable just two years after the budget Indian airline was on the brink of collapse.

Mr Singh wants to increase flights from India to Dubai by 50 per cent – to 15 flights a day within a few months from its current 10 daily flights.


"Now there are negotiations going on between UAE and India to increase some of the flying rights between the two countries and we expect that will happen very soon," he said. "We already have the landing slots in the airport in Dubai and take-off positions and so on, so as soon as the bilaterals are done we’ll be able to [start the new flights]", he said, adding that the rights should take about two to three months to come through.

UK-India deal agrees to ease restrictions on flights between two nations

At the CAPA India Aviation Summit 2017, an important new aviation deal was agreed on by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon, UK’s Minister for Aviation and the India’s Minister for Civil Aviation, Pusapati Ashok Gajapathi Raju. The deal to ease restrictions on flights between the two nations will boost not only tourism and trade, but benefit NRIs and the diaspora visiting family and friends. Limits on flights from key Indian cities including Chennai and Kolkata have been scrapped, allowing for a greater range of flights for passengers; building new links with important trading partners is a key part of UK Prime Minister Theresa May’s government plans for a Global Britain, opening up new export markets and creating jobs and economic growth. At the moment, about 3.5 million passengers fly directly between the UK and India every year on 88 scheduled services per week in each direction.

Domestic airfares likely to go up, thanks to costlier jet fuel

With costlier crude oil, local travelers will now have to pay more to fly within the country as expensive jet fuel will force the airlines to raise domestic fares.

The hike in consumer fares in January reflects the persistent rise in aviation-fuel prices, and they increased 8% on-month in November at the New Delhi airport , the country's busiest. However, after a brief lull in December, prices firmed in January and February, breaching the levels of 2015 when the cycle of declines began.

IGIA enters big league, is 12th busiest airport in the world

Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA), the busiest in the country, is now also among the top 15 busiest airports in the world.

Private airport operator Delhi International Airport Limited (DIAL) on Sunday said it was the 12th busiest airport worldwide in November 2016 as per the latest report published by International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO).

AI on expansion mode, Eastern Region to get more flights

With the induction of more Dreamliners to its fleet this year, national carrier Air India is planning to start more direct international flights, including one from Kolkata,” AI Chairman and Managing Director Ashwani Lohani said here today.

After an internal meeting at the AI Headquarter here, Lohani said that “Air India is set to enhance its connectivity in the Eastern Region from its summer schedule starting in a phased manner from March-end this year.”

The national carrier would launch a thrice-a-week Kolkata-Bangkok flight operated by the state-of-the-art Airbus A320 Neo aircraft in May.

Air India suspends bookings for Gaya-Delhi flight from March 1

Gaya: Even as the Gaya MP Hari Manjhi's demand for additional flight on the Gaya-Delhi route has not found favour with the civil aviation ministry, the Air India, in a surprise move, suspended booking tickets on this route for March 1 onwards travel.
The AI operates a flight (433) on the Gaya-Delhi route in the afternoon, the only air link between the seat of Buddha's enlightenment and the national capital. After taking off from Gaya, the flight stops at Varanasi.
Confirming the suspension of passenger booking, a Bodh Gaya based IA official said it does not mean withdrawal of services from the Gaya-Varanasi-Delhi route.

British Airways in talks with Indian carriers to fly to more international airports in IndiaForeign Feb 2017

New Delhi: Britain has urged India for more flight slots at Delhi and Mumbai airports while its state-run carrier British Airways (BA) is now moving ahead for a tie-up with Indian carriers to fly to more international airports in the country.

The two countries on February 9 signed an open sky pact to ease restrictions on the number of scheduled flights between the two countries and scrap limits on flights from key Indian cities including Chennai and Kolkata, Express had reported.

Top government sources said that the British Airways is exploring with Indian carriers for a profitable routes to link London with few potential international airports in India, where it does not fly now.

Lufthansa’s first flight from Munich to Delhi takes off

Lufthansa has started its regular scheduled service from Munich to Delhi with the new A350-900. The Airbus A350-900 aircraft has been the latest addition to its fleet.

This means that all Lufthansa passengers can now experience the world’s most state-of-the-art long-haul aircraft themselves for the very first time.

The first flight was officially opened with a ribbon-cutting ceremony led by Steffen Harbarth, CCO Lufthansa Hub Munich and Michael Kerkloh, CEO Munich Airport, in the presence of the Lufthansa crew, and Lufthansa Station and Munich Airport employees.

Kempegowda airport clocks 22.5% growth in passenger traffic in 2016

Bengaluru: Air traffic at the Kempegowda International Airport (BLR Airport) grew by 22.5 per cent by clocking 22.18 million passengers in calendar 2016.

Bangalore International Airport Limited (BIAL), which operates BLR Airport, released its annual traffic figures for2016 which showed that Air Traffic Movements (ATMs) increased by 19.9 per cent, with the airport now connecting 45 airlines to 66 destinations in India and globally. On an average, 60,000 passengers travel through the airport every day.

GV Sanjay Reddy, Managing Director of BIAL, said “2016 saw another strong year for us at BLR Airport. Despite the many challenges, we have grown exponentially in terms of passenger traffic. Our cargo business has also seen an incremental growth which reaffirms our growth strategy to develop our airport as the cargo hub of South India.”

Indians airlines never performed flights to Iran: official

Tehran: An aviation official, while rejecting claims on the halt in flights of Hindi airlines to Iran due to US sanction, said the Asian country never performed flights to Iran.
Deputy Director of Administrative Affairs in Tehran Imam Khomeini Airport City (IKAC) Kourosh Fatahi said Hindi airliners have never scheduled any flights to IKA refuting the news by some media on stoppage or halt in flight timetable of Indian companies to Iran.

Special flights for summit participants

Ranchi: Two special flights between Ranchi and New Delhi and five special flights between Ranchi and Kolkata will be operated to ferry the delegates who will participate in the global investors' summit scheduled in the state capital next week.
Nidhi Khare, additional chief secretary of the state personnel department, on Friday said national carrier Air India will run two special flights between Ranchi from New Delhi on the morning and afternoon of February 16 - the first day of the two-day summit.
"In addition to Ranchi-New Delhi special flights, five similar flights will be operated between Birsa Munda Airport and the Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose International Airport in Kolkata on February 16 and 17 to ferry the delegates between Ranchi and Kolkata," Khare said.

CM assures support to improve air connectivity in state

Ranchi: All five Divisions in Jharkhand will soon get connected through air routes. Chief Minister Raghubar Das said that the State Government was ready to provide all support to the Government of India to get five divisions connected through air routes.

Das, during his inaugural speech of the newly constructed Cargo Complex at Birsa Munda Airport here on Friday, was reacting to the request made by Union Minister of State for Civil Aviation Jayant Sinha.

 “I support the proposal made by the Union Minister of State and request him to start the work in all the five divisions as it is you who has to show the pace,” said the Chief Minister. The work of the construction and up-gradation of airports in all the five divisions will be started soon in the next 2-3 months.

Sinha, seeking support of the State Government, had requested Das to connect all the five divisions in Jharkhand through air routes which will bring pace in the business. He also assured all support from the Ministry of Civil Aviation and said that all necessary funds will be released in this regard. Now, the ball was in the State Government’s court, he added.

Indian Airlines Reconsider Plans to Conduct Iran Flights

Indian carriers are either reviewing or stalling their plans to start flights to Iran, as the Donald Trump-led US government hardens its stance on the Islamic Republic, ratcheting up diplomatic tensions.

Air India Express is now taking a second look at its plans to start flights to the capital city of Tehran initially slated for later this year, Indian daily newspaper The Economic Times reported.

The carrier has alternative plans ready—Delhi-Tashkent-Almaty or Delhi-Doha-Bahrain—if geopolitical conditions make it difficult to start operations to the country. The plans, however, have not been dropped yet. Air India Express is the low fare international subsidiary of state-run Air India.

BSNL to install WiFi facility at Punjab international airport

Chandigarh: The Airport Authority of India (AAI) has awarded the installation of WiFi at Chandigarh International airport to the state-run BSNL, AAI officials said on Saturday. The new terminal of the Chandigarh International airport, which was inaugurated in 2015, currently has no WiFi facilities available for passengers.
Other than the WiFi facilities, AAI officials said soon another ATM machine will also be installed in the departure terminal of the airport. There is only one ATM at the airport, which is located outside the airport arrival hall.
”We have given the work of WiFi installation to BSNL. BSNL will now install and provide WiFi services at the airport,” said CEO of Chandigarh Airport Sunil Dutt. He also said that an ATM of the State Bank of India will be installed inside the airport’s departure hall.

GMR Hyderabad Airport bags CAPA award

Hyderabad: GMR Hyderabad International Airport Ltd, which operates Rajiv Gandhi International Airport, has won the Centre for Asia Pacific Aviation (CAPA) Chairman’s Order of Merit for its focus on environmental sustainability and becoming the first airport in Asia Pacific to become carbon neutral.

GHIAL received the award during the CAPA 12 Annual India Aviation Summit in Mumbai earlier this week. CAPA India is a specialist aviation consulting and research practice in South Asia, with the region’s largest team of analysts and a portfolio of more than 125 advisory and research projects.
To Read the News in Full 10/02/17 Business Line
 

Odisha’s Jharsuguda airport to be operational by June ‘18

Jharsuguda: Jharsuguda airport will be fully operational by June 2018, informed Airport Authority of India (AAI) Chairman Guru Prasad Mohapatra here today.
The AAI chief said the airport being modernized at an outlay of Rs 200 crore will have two airstrips for the landing of A-320 Boeing and the terminal being constructed will have facilities to handle 300 passengers.

“ATC tower, administrative block and terminal building which can handle 300 passengers at a time have been constructed. Jharsuguda airport after being operational will connect western Odisha with the coastal part of the state and will also connect with the states of Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, and Bengal.

Indian Budget carriers to remain profitable in FY17

Indian carriers are likely to report combined lossess to the tune of $250-300 million according to a report by aviation consultancy Centre for Asia Pacific Aviation (CAPA).

“IndiGo, Jet Airways, SpiceJet, GoAir and Air India Express are all expected to remain profitable for the full year (FY17), but at levels lower than in FY2016, while losses are projected to increase at Air India, AirAsia India and Vistara.
At a total industry level, losses could reach USD 250-300 million,” the CAPA India Aviation outlook FY2018 report said.

Oil price slump hits demand in Gulf sector: Jet Airways

New Delhi: Jet Airways, which saw a steep fall in its third quarter net profit, today said demand has been slowing in the Gulf sector amid a fall in oil prices.
In the three months ended December 2016, the full-service carrier recorded a nearly 70 per cent plunge in net profit at Rs 142.38 crore as higher fuel expenses and other costs took a toll on its bottom line.
The airline logged a net profit of Rs 467.11 crore in the year-ago period.
During a conference call to discuss the latest quarterly results, Jet Airways Acting CEO Amit Agarwal said the Gulf sector is witnessing slow demand due to the slump in oil prices.

Air India to take delivery of four more dreamliners this year

National carrier Air India is scheduled to take delivery of the four remaining dreamliners -- Boeing 787-8 planes -- this year with the last one to be delivered in October. The airline has acquired 23 dreamliners during the period from September 2012 to January 9, 2017, Minister of State for Civil Aviation Jayant Sinha told the Lok Sabha even as he acknowledged the aircraft "have experienced technical reliability issues" since induction into the fleet. "One B787-8 aircraft will be delivered in July 2017, two B787-8 aircraft in August 2017 and one B787-8 aircraft will be delivered in October 2017," Sinha said in a written reply to the Lok Sabha.

DIAL seeks green nod for 4th runway, new terminal at IGI

New Delhi: Delhi International Airport (Pvt) Ltd (DIAL) has sought environmental clearance to begin its ambitious expansion plan, which will ensure that IGIA remains India's biggest airport for a long time to come.
The green nod has been sought to lay a fourth runway , expand existing terminals, construct a new one and build supporting infrastructure. Sources say these plans will cost about Rs 16,000 crore.
The airport operator has so far not spelt out how the expansion plan will be funded and whether it will mean higher user charges for flyers. Despite repeated attempts, DIAL has refused to comment on its master plan -which has been cleared by the aviation ministry -for IGI Airport.

Hindus critical of fee for yoga space at airports

Nevada, USA: Hindus are critical of the new trend where travelers have to pay a fee to access yoga space or session, which is part of the privately owned airport gyms or living-rooms.

Distinguished Hindu statesman Rajan Zed, in a statement in Nevada today, said that these airport gyms and living-rooms were fine; but all the world airports should also provide space for multi-benefit yoga for the passengers without any charge if they were serious to help reduce their stress levels and deliver the “world-class passenger experience”.

AI Express defers Tehran flight plan on US-Iran uncertainties

Air India Express has deferred plan to launch direct flight to Tehran amid uncertainties over the current US administration's stance towards Iran as fresh sanctions could hurt the airline's operations.
The carrier -- the low cost arm of national carrier Air India -- was preparing to start Tehran flight this year as part of international expansion plans.
"We don't know what is going to be the policy of the Trump administration towards Iran. If sanctions are re-imposed, there could be an issue in getting permission from the US banks for operating the aircraft in that territory," a highly placed source told .
As of now, the plan to launch flight to Iran stands deferred, the source said.

India, UK sign open sky pact; scraps flight limits to Chennai, Kolkata

New Delhi:  India and Britain have signed an open sky pact to ease restrictions on the number of scheduled flights between the two countries. As a result limits on flights from key Indian cities including Chennai and Kolkata have been scrapped.

In a statement, the Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) on Thursday said the pact has opened up all destinations in the Britain for Indian carriers for code share flights, and reciprocally basis.

“British carriers can also operate code share flights to any international airport in India, through domestic code share arrangements,” MoCA said in a statement.

Air India to Announce New Mumbai-Tel Aviv Route During Modi’s Visit to Israel

Air India is in the process of inaugurating a new Mumbai-Tel Aviv route, which is expected to be announced during Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s upcoming visit to Israel, The Times of India reported Thursday.

The flight will take a circuitous route to avoid flying over countries that do not have relations with Israel, and will therefore take seven rather than five hours.

“Saudi Arabia does not allow planes to fly to Israel from over its airspace. So AI is drawing up a circuitous route to avoid overflying countries that have such restrictions for Israel-bound planes,” a source with knowledge of the expected announcement told the Times.

Brace yourself for drastic changes in flight schedules in Bengaluru

The Kempegowda International Airport (KIA) will be partially shut down till April 30, first for Aero India rehearsals, the show and later, for runway upgradation work.
The upgrade has been designed to support the growing air traffic at the Bengaluru airport. During the upgrade, Rapid exit taxiways (RETs) are being constructed to improve air traffic movement.
"Passenger convenience will be ensured with airlines sharing communication on the change in airport operations and revised flight timings during the length of the 2017 Aero India show," KIA said in an official release.

AAI Plans Rs 100cr For 11 New Aircraft Bays In City Airport

Bhubaneswar: The Airports Authority of India (AAI) will construct as many as 11 new aircraft bays at the Biju Patnaik International Airport here. This was revealed by AAI chairman Guru Prasad Mohapatra here on Friday.

“We have plans to build 11 new aircraft bays here at a cost of Rs 100 crore. This will help the airport manage parking of the flights,” Mohapatra said.

GMR Hyderabad Airport bags CAPA award

Hyderabad: GMR Hyderabad International Airport Ltd, which operates Rajiv Gandhi International Airport, has won the Centre for Asia Pacific Aviation (CAPA) Chairman’s Order of Merit for its focus on environmental sustainability and becoming the first airport in Asia Pacific to become carbon neutral.

GHIAL received the award during the CAPA 12 Annual India Aviation Summit in Mumbai earlier this week. CAPA India is a specialist aviation consulting and research practice in South Asia, with the region’s largest team of analysts and a portfolio of more than 125 advisory and research projects.
To Read the News in Full 10/02/17 Business Line
 

Bengaluru airport is busiest in South, clocks 22.5 percent growth

Bengaluru: With an overall growth of 22.5 per cent in 2016, Kempegowda International Airport (KIA) continues to be the busiest airport in South India. In 2016, KIA had 22.18 million passengers.
KIA also witnessed the highest single day traffic with 75,515 passengers on December 21. This was the highest since KIA started operations in 2008. Also, air traffic movement increased by 19.9 per cent, with the airport now connecting 45 airlines to 66 destinations in India and abroad.
The airport saw a record-breaking two million passengers travelling in November 2016 and an all-time monthly high of 2.15 million passengers in December 2016 - the single highest traffic in a month for any airport in South India. Earlier in the year, KIA had reached the landmark of welcoming its 100 millionth passenger in 2016.

‘Surat airport can expand terminal’

Surat: The Surat airport has got the much-needed infrastructure push with the Airport Authority of India (AAI) approving the expansion plan for the terminal building.
The expansion was necessary considering the increase in passenger traffic and future requirement to commence international flight operations.
The present terminal building spread on 3,600 sq m will be extended on both the sides, adding another 5,746 sq m. This will take the total area of the terminal building at 9,346 sq. The carpet area of the terminal's first floor will be nearly doubled from 3,200 sq m to 6,172 sq m
AAI sources said that that work on expansion will begin shortly. The number of aerobridges will also be increased from two to five.

Delays in new aircraft addition to hit IndiGo's expansion plan

New Delhi: Delays in adding new aircraft to its fleet have led IndiGo to push back plans of more flights to Gulf countries and Southeast Asia, marking the first such deferment in the expansion of its overseas network by India's biggest commercial airline by market share.

The Gurgaon-based airline, which is seeking to add Qatar and Sharjah to its list of destinations, has told the Civil Aviation Ministry in a letter last month that proposed route additions will be deferred by at least a month. Delays in inducting new aircraft have led the company to postpone the plans, according to the letter seen by ET.

Air India Express exploring partnerships with other airlines

Air India Express is exploring commercial partnerships with other airlines and looking at routes in South East Asia to de-risk itself from the slowdown in West Asia business.

Air India Express is low cost arm of Air India and deploys 85 per cent of its capacity on West Asia routes.

The airline reported a profit of Rs 362 crore in FY 16 aided  by lower fuel prices and improved revenues. This year profit is expected to be lower and the airline is likely to miss its annual revenue target of Rs 3,550 crore because of muted demand from West Asia market.

"We have been a point to point carrier and there are pressures created by capacity growth.  We are open for partnerships with other airlines to grow our business and gain access to other markets," said the airline's chief executive officer K Shyam Sundar.
To Read the News in Full 09/02/17 Aneesh Phadnis/Business Standard
 

Peak season provides impetus to air passenger traffic growth in December 2016, says ICRA

Undeterred by demonetisation, the domestic air passenger traffic reported a robust YoY growth of 24 percent in December 2016. The growth was propelled by peak season demand along with prevalent low airfares due to intense competition. The traffic growth on international routes was however impacted slightly, with the industry reporting 7.7 percent YoY growth during the month.

Nevertheless, performance of Indian carriers on international routes was better than the industry, with 16.1 percent growth in traffic. Domestic passenger traffic growth was healthy at 22.9 percent during 9m FY2017.

AirAsia India, Vistara eye int'l ops in 2H18

AirAsia India(I5, Chennai) and Vistara (UK, Delhi Int'l) have both confirmed plans to enter the international market in the coming eighteen months.

The former's Chief Executive Officer Amar Abrol told India's Economic Times on the sidelines of the CAPA India Aviation Summit that the budget carrier will likely make its international debut during the second half of 2018. Current fleet projections put the carrier over the twenty aircraft fleet threshold in or around mid-2018, he added.

AI Express defers Tehran flight plan on US-Iran uncertainties

Air India Express has deferred plan to launch direct flight to Tehran amid uncertainties over the current US administration's stance towards Iran as fresh sanctions could hurt the airline's operations.
The carrier -- the low cost arm of national carrier Air India -- was preparing to start Tehran flight this year as part of international expansion plans.
"We don't know what is going to be the policy of the Trump administration towards Iran. If sanctions are re-imposed, there could be an issue in getting permission from the US banks for operating the aircraft in that territory," a highly placed source told .
As of now, the plan to launch flight to Iran stands deferred, the source said.

AirAsia India to commence international operations by mid-2018

AirAsia India is likely to commence international operations from the second half of the next calendar year as it is expected to have a fleet of 20 aircraft by mid-2018.

The domestic budget airline, which is a joint venture between Tata Sons and Malysian carrier AirAsia, has eight aircraft in its fleet and as per the norm, requires a minimum of 20 planes to fly on international routes.

"We will have 14 aircraft in the fleet within this year, depending on the business performance. And, we will add another six planes by the middle of the next year.

AirAsia India may fly from Mumbai

Low-cost carrier AirAsia India is currently in talks with the management of Mumbai International Airport Ltd (MIAL) to start operations from country’s most congested yet important airport in the city.

Though the airline management is very keen to connect their network with financial capital Mumbai, there is nothing concrete as of now, claim the sources.

When asked about the development, Amar Abrol, managing director and CEO of AirAsia India, said that it was not that they did not want to come to Mumbai, but it was about when.

Kiran Jain, director - commercial, AirAsia India, when asked about the ongoing talks between the airline and Mial over slot availability, said, “I can not talk about it now.”

AirAsia India to double revenue, traffic this year

AirAsia India says it expects to double the annual revenue in the coming financial year, 2017-18.

However, profitability will remain under pressure as it invests in new planes, routes and hiring of more people, said chief executive Amar Abrol.

Revenue was Rs 658.8 crore in 2015-16. The airline, joint venture of Tata Sons and Malaysia’s AirAsia, has eight aircraft and will add six more this calendar year. The aim is 20 by the winter schedule of 2018, the qualification for applying to ply abroad. Which is when we will get to international operations, said Abrol.

IndiGo announces new flights to Sharjah

In a bid to consolidate its position in the Middle-East market, IndiGo airlines has announced Sharjah as its 6th international and 43rd overall destination in its schedule. The new daily non-stop flights on Sharjah-Kozhikode, Muscat-Kozhikode route would come to into effect from March 20 while Sharjah-Thiruvnanthapuram from April 8, a company release said here today.
These new flights will further consolidate IndiGo’s position as the fastest growing airline in India, the release said.
With 126 Airbus A320 aircraft, the company will operate 857 daily flights, connecting 43 destinations with effect from March 2017.
To Read the News in Full 08/02/17 PTI/The Financial Express
 

Self check-in kiosks at airport

Queuing up at the check-in counter for boarding pass will be a thing of the past with the Airports Authority of India (AAI) launching the Common Use Self-Service (CUSS) kiosks at the domestic and international terminals of Thiruvananthapuram International Airport.

Developed by the AAI and SITA, the facility, installed near the X-ray machine on the way to check-in counters of various airlines, is to reduce check-in time at the counters and avoid inconvenience to passengers travelling only with hand baggage.

Kannur airport gearing up for September launch

Thiruvananthapuram: Kannur International Airport, State’s second greenfield airport coming up in public-private partnership mode, is gearing up for commissioning scheduled for September this year.

The Kannur International Airport Ltd (KIAL), the government company set up to execute the project, is hopeful of completing the works by April-May this year and for commissioning of the fourth international airport of the State by September. Over 90 % of the works on the air-side and 82 % of the works of the integrated terminal building had been completed.

IndiGo expands operations from Muscat

Muscat: To boost travel and trade between India and Oman, Indian budget carrier IndiGo will operate a non-stop daily flight between Muscat and Calicut in India starting from March 20, 2017.

Calicut, also known as Kozhikode, is a city in the state of Kerala in southern India on the Malabar Coast.

The budget carrier of India will be offering introductory fares of OMR 39.900 all-inclusive one way from Muscat.

Jet goes double daily on capital route

The new service, flight 9W212, is already underway, departing Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport at 1745 and arriving in Abu Dhabi at 2010. The return flight, 9W211, then leaves the UAE capital at 0845 and arrives back in Delhi at 1335.

“The new service will offer our guests additional flexibility and choice to plan their travel, whether to the Gulf or further onwards. It is yet another step from Jet Airways to make their travel experience enjoyable, convenient and comfortable,” said Jayaraj Shanmugam, Jet’s chief commercial officer.

“Our signature Indian hospitality together with our commitment to create an exceptional flying experience for our guests will undoubtedly cement our place as the preferred airline on this extremely vital route.”
To Read the News in Full 07/02/17 Mark Elliott/Travel Daily India
 

Air India’s women-only seating section elicits mixed response

Even as women-only pink auto rickshaws (tuk-tuks) dot the landscape of Delhi’s suburban satellite cities, Air India’s decision to reserve six seats – one row – for women on all domestic narrowbody aircraft due to an increase in sexual assaults by male passengers is eliciting a mixed response.

The women-only seats can be requested during check-in at the airport. If not selected by women, the seats will be released 90 minutes before departure for other travelers, an Air India (AI) official tells Runway Girl Network.

“We introduced this [policy] to ensure passenger experience is improved as unruly behavior can ruin it. We feel it will increase our competitive edge in the market,” says the official. He suggests that a man sitting in a middle seat in economy class, with a woman seated on either side of him, could “make the women uncomfortable even if his elbow slightly touched them.

Air India barred from outsourcing Haj flights

To avoid inconvenience to Haj pilgrims, state-run airlines Air India has been asked not to outsource their operations to any other airlines to ferry Haj pilgrims, Minister of State (IC) for Minority Affairs Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi Tuesday said.
“There were some disruptions in the operations by sub-contractors. It was prescribed that the airlines will not be allowed to outsource their operation to any third party for onward Haj operations,” Naqvi said during a Rajya Sabha session.
The minister informed Air India is operating Haj flights with its own fleet since 2015.

Jet Air to recapture lost ground with 11 Boeing 737s

Jet Airways, which has seen a dip in its market share in recent times, will now lease 11 old Boeing 737s in an incremental manner by the end of this year, before phasing them out with the arrival of 75 Boeing 737 Max aircraft from 2018 onwards.

"The 11 Boeing 737s are older planes and will be used for temporary basis till the induction of Boeing 737 Max," said a Jet Airways source aware of the development.

It is pertinent to note that Boeing 737 Max will mainly come as replacement for the existing leased aircraft which will be returned on the expiry of their lease.

However, a Jet Airways spokesperson refused to comment on the story, calling it speculative.

Mumbai airport second-most efficient after Heathrow: Sinha

The Mumbai International airport is widely considered to be the second-most efficient airport in the world with as many landings and take-offs as Heathrow in the UK, government said in Rajya Sabha today.

"Our airports are second to none in terms of their efficiency in operations. I would like to inform the member that the second-most efficient airport in the world is widely considered to be Mumbai airport which has as many landings and take-offs which the UK airport has. Our airports are performing very efficiently," Minister of State for Civil Aviation Jayant Sinha said during Question Hour.

Trial of first flight between Jodhpur-Jaisalmer successful

Jodhpur: Flight trial between Jodhpur and Jaisalmer was executed successfully on Monday. A nine-seater Cessena Grand Carvan aircraft by private airlines Supreme Aviation landed at Jaisalmer airport on Monday afternoon, becoming the first ever passenger flight to have landed in Jaisalmer.
Confirming the trial to be a successful move, CEO of the Supreme Aviation Amit Agarwal said that it was the first trial and the second trial was scheduled on February 8.
"If all the hurdles are cleared, we would be the first one to link two important tourist destinations of the state - Jodhpur and Jaisalmer by air route," Agarwal said.

Jet Airways introduces second daily flight between New Delhi and Abu Dhabi

Jet Airways, India’s full-service, premier international airline, announced the introduction of a second daily flight between New Delhi and Abu Dhabi, bolstering connectivity to meet the booming traffic on this key sector.

The new service – designated as flight 9W 212, is conveniently timed to depart for Abu Dhabi from New Delhi, in the evening at 1745 hrs IST. It arrives in Abu Dhabi at a comfortable time of 2010 hrs (local time). The return flight, 9W 211, departs Abu Dhabi at 0845 hrs local time, arriving in New Delhi the same afternoon at 1335 hrs IST.

The burgeoning ties between India and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) have opened up significant opportunities for enhanced cooperation in the areas of trade and business, aside from encouraging tourism and leisure travel between the two countries.

Air India’s Washington-Delhi flight: a 7,480-mile ‘bridge’ that’ll be covered in 14 hours

In a welcome development enhancing connectivity, Air India announced on Friday that it will operate direct flights thrice a week from Washington to Delhi, beginning in July, if not earlier.

The national capital region is all set to become Air India’s fifth US destination, following New York, Newark, Chicago and San Francisco. India’s state-owned national carrier will be the only airline offering nonstop service, on its Boeing 777 aircraft, linking the capitals of the world’s largest and oldest democracy. And quite expeditiously, given the distance, duration of the flight is about 14 hours.

Addressing an event to announce the new route on Friday, Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe noted that Air India’s “capital connection” will benefit the Washington metropolitan region (District of Columbia, Maryland and Virginia) by bringing an estimated 30,000 people from India, generating about 30 million dollars in revenue, fostering educational opportunities, and reuniting families.

SpiceJet introduces new uniforms for flight attendants, ground staff

SpiceJet said it is giving its staff an image makeover with a “Redder, Hotter and Spicier” new uniform starting today.

“The uniforms retain the carrier’s signature red colour largely while incorporating some unique and flamboyant designs to infuse boldness and style,” it said.

The new dress code has been created by SHIFT, a design house based in Mumbai. Promoted by the celebrated designer Nimish Shah, Shift has been associated with several industry awards including Vogue India Fashion Fund & Grazia International Next Glam Award.

SHIFT’s clients include Sonam Kapoor, Deepika Padukone, Kalki Kochelin, and Freida Pinto among others.

Ethiopian Airlines to begin operations to Chennai in 2017

Ethiopian Airlines is working for expanding its reach in India by launching a thrice-weekly flight to Chennai in 2017. However, the dates of the launch were not disclosed by the officials. In the last year, the airline recorded a growth of 12-15% as compared to 2015 from the Indian market in terms of passengers.

Esayas Woldemariam, Managing Director, Ethiopian International Services said, “The Indian market has been performing quite efficiently for us. We have plans of expansion in the Indian market in 2017 and we’ll start it from Chennai very soon. Our moto is to promote Ethiopian Tourism along with Ethiopian Airlines in the Indian market.”

World's Longest Flight Is Now a Matter of Dispute -- Is It Doha-Auckland or Delhi-San Francisco?

Qatar Airways says its Boeing 777 200-LR has completed the longest commercial flight in the world – by time.

Measured by distance, the honor of operating the longest flight in the world is now a matter of a global dispute.

Qatar’s first Doha, Qatar to Auckland, New Zealand flight took off Sunday and covered 9,032 miles before landing on Monday.

‘Footfall of international passengers up by 50 pc in 2016’

Amritsar: The footfall of international passengers at Sri Guru Ram Dass Jee International Airport increased by 50 per cent in 2016 compared to the corresponding period in 2015. From January to November 2016, the number of passengers increased to 4,53,012, which was 2,90,448 in the same period in 2015.
“However, this is not being seen as a big success,” said office-bearers of the Amritsar Vikas Manch (AVM), a city-based NGO.
They rued that neither any political party nor any contesting leader took up the issue of starting more international flights from the local airport.

Mysuru airport: Government taking long-term view

 Mysuru: While commercial flights to Mysuru are yet to resume, there is a growing belief in the city’s long-term growth and potential to support the same. The authorities are positive about expanding the airport besides getting more flights.

D. Randeep, Deputy Commissioner, speaking at the CII Summit on promoting Mysuru as the first choice for startups, said one could look forward to hearing some good news on the airport in the days ahead.

Speaking to The Hindu, Mr. Randeep explained that the crux of the issue was increasing the length of the runway of the airport from 1,740 m to 2,400 m to facilitate the landing of Boeings and Airbus classes of planes.

Agility storage centre at Hyderabad airport zone

Hyderabad: Global logistics provider Agility has opened the first temperature-controlled life sciences storage and handling facility in the Hyderabad Airport Zone.

This 6,000-sq ft Life Sciences Excellence Centre at Rajiv Gandhi International Airport is strategically placed to serve pharma manufacturers in Hyderabad, Goa, Pune, Visakhapatnam and Bengaluru.

It will provide conditioning, preparation and storage of pharmaceutical goods and operate as a control tower for Agility life sciences customers in India.
To Read the News in Full 04/02/17 Business Line
 

Biometric-enabled Aadhaar card entry introduced at KIA

Bengaluru: The entry into Kempegowda International Airport (KIA) in the city has just got easier for passengers with Aadhaar cards.

The airport has launched biometric-enabled Aadhaar card entry as a pilot project for two airlines. The process is a seamless, paper-less bi­o­­metric verification at all the checkpoints of the airp­o­rt. The passenger simply needs to wave his/her hand at all the process points to walk through.

Here’s how the process works: At the airport entry, the passenger comes pre-checked in with either the paper-printed boarding pass or e-mobile pass.

Vadodara-based firm deserves credit for hassle-free air travel

Vadodara: Whenever domestic flights get delayed or there is a change in flight schedule, an SMS, an email or a voice-call lands promptly on passenger's phone. The passenger is informed about the changed timings to avoid any inconvenience. But not many know that the software that automatically informs airline passengers about the flight delays, advisories and changed timings has been developed by a city-based software firm.
Phoneon.in that was started by Ujwal Makhija now caters to six major airlines providing domestic flight services. "Vistara recently implemented our Unified Communication System (UCS) for automation of its flight-related notifications. If any of its flight gets delayed, the passenger will be informed well in time about the changed timings.

Ethiopian Airlines expands India service

Mumbai: Ethiopian Airlines is adding cargo and passenger service to Ahmedabad and Chennai and increasing its capacity to Delhi as a part of its expansion in India.

Ethiopian Airlines is the largest carrier in Africa and currently flies twice daily to Mumbai and Delhi. It plans to introduce thrice weekly Addis Ababa-Chennai service later this year and upgrade it's Delhi operations from existing Boeing 737 service to Boeing 767 and 787 service adding 100 seats on the route.

At present, no Indian carrier flies to Africa and passengers to the continent fly via Addis Ababa, Dubai, Nairobi or other hubs.

DIAL asked to free up IGI's terminal 1 fast

New Delhi: Coming to the aid of domestic budget flyers, the aviation ministry has directed Delhi International Airport Pvt Ltd (DIAL) to take immediate steps for decongesting the choked terminal 1. Three low cost carriers (LCC)-IndiGo, SpiceJet and GoAir-operate domestic arrivals and departures from T1, leading to the terminal handling more traffic than its capacity and causing massive trouble to flyers in peak hours.
"We have asked DIAL to work with airlines and decide as soon as possible which LCC goes where.

Zoom Air zooms in on February 12

Kolkata: Zoom Air, the country's 10th scheduled carrier that received the DGCA licence on Friday, will launch its service with flights to Kolkata and Durgapur on February 12. Aviation minister Ashok Gajapathi Raju will flag off the airline's inaugural flight from Delhi to Kolkata at 7.15am that day.
Speaking to TOI, Zoom Air MD & CEO Koustav Dhar said the airline will operate a fleet of Bombardier CR-J200 LR series twin-engine jet aircraft with 50 premium seats in 2x2 layout. "Zoom is a full-service carrier that will serve complementary meals," he said.

IGI airport first in India to cross 5 crore flyer mark

New Delhi:  In a first for any Indian airport, IGI Airport crossed the 5-crore passenger mark last year.
The airport with three runways and as many terminals handled 5.5 crore passengers: 4 crore domestic and 1.5 crore international flyers. Mumbai was a distant second at 4.4 crore.
This was 21% higher than 4.6 crore passengers IGI had handled in 2015, according to figures furnished by the Delhi International Airport Pvt Ltd (DIAL).
Delhi's record comes at a time when the country set new highs for both domestic and international air travel last year, primarily because of low international oil prices that allowed airlines to offer cheap fares. Almost 10 crore domestic passengers flew in India in 2016, up 23% from 2015's figure of 8.1 crore.

New airport terminal opened to public

Kochi: The Cochin International Airport  will allow the public to view the newly built terminal three at the airport from Monday to Friday.

The terminal will be opened to the public between 10 am and 7 pm and the people who reach the airport should take the flyover near the domestic terminal to get inside. Those who come by vehicles should take their vehicles to the flyover from the starting point of the flyover near the entrance of the main road.
To Read the News in Full 06/02/17 New Indian Express
 

Civil Aviation Ministry Gives Push to Executive Development for the Aviation Sector

The first  Executive Development  Programme of Rajiv Gandhi National Aviation University was inaugurated by the Minister for Civil Aviation Shri  Ashok Gajapathi Raju in the capital today.  Speaking on the occasion, the Minister said that the Aviation University   should play  the important role of spreading  knowledge and see that  it is applied practically in the growth of the Aviation sector.  Shri  Raju pointed out  that skill development was a key of the growth of the Aviation sector which is likely to see an increase in demand for skilled workers   in the years to come .  He  also asked  the University to co-ordinate its activities with the Aviation Academy.
 The Minister of State for Civil Aviation Shri Jayant Sinha said that   to have  better infrastructure and transportation facilities in the country, it was necessary to close the gap of increasing demand for trained and skilled people   in the Aviation sector.  In the present scenario people are looking for jobs and  airlines are looking for trained persons, he added.  Shri Jayant Sinha also advised the university to be innovative and include research programmes.

Civil aviation ministry approved mechanical and avionics aircraft courses

New Delhi: In a bid to give requisite training and skills through a combination of rigorous class-room training, practical knowledge and on-the-job-training, a School for Aircraft Maintenance Engineers (SAME) has been recently opened in India.

According to sources, the institute is aimed at developing a talent pipeline of aircraft maintenance engineers.

Furthermore, the SAME will offer a DGCA and civil aviation ministry- approved three-year AME course in mechanical and avionics.
More on the report:

People demand start of airport works in Adilabad

​Adilabad: The locals of Adilabad urged the government to initiate the construction works of airport in the district.

Adilabad is one of the most backward districts of Telangana. Though it is geographically located at the center of the country, it is connected to other areas only through roadways.

The Air Force authorities had chosen this area as center for aviation. In this context, 1,592 acres of land near the town was allotted for the Air Force authority and construction of an airport.

Jet Airways introduces 2nd daily flight on New Delhi-Abu Dhabi route

Jet Airways has introduced a second daily flight between New Delhi and Abu Dhabi. The new service, designated as flight 9W 212, departs New Delhi in the evening at 1745 hrs IST and arrives in Abu Dhabi at 2010 hrs (local time). The return flight, 9W 211, departs Abu Dhabi at 0845 hrs local time, arriving in New Delhi the same afternoon at 1335 hrs IST.

Jayaraj Shanmugam, chief commercial officer, Jet Airways, said, “The new service will offer our guests additional flexibility and choice to plan their travel, whether to the Gulf or further onwards. It is yet another step from Jet Airways to make their travel experience enjoyable, convenient and comfortable. Our signature Indian hospitality, together with our commitment to create an exceptional flying experience for our guests, will undoubtedly cement our place as the preferred airline on this extremely vital route.”
To Read the News in Full 03/02/17 The Financial Express
 

Air India to start 3 flights a week non-stop from Delhi to Washington

Air India will start three flights a week non-stop from New Delhi to an airport here this summer that this will bring 30,000 people from India to America every year for economic, commercial and family purposes, Virginia Governor Terry McAuliffe said.

"Today, I am happy to announce that Air India will now establish three flights a week non-stop from New Delhi to the Dulles International Airport (in suburb of Washington DC)," McAuliffe said at a formal announcement ceremony at this airport in the suburb of Washington DC.

44 airports ready for regional connectivity: FICCI report

The prestigious organization of industry and commerce the F.I.C.C.I has suggested in its report that 44 out of 414 Airport of India are fully ready to operate flights for regional connectivity. These air fields confirm all the geographical, operational and commercial parameters and meet the fixed standards. Till now 22 states are covered under the ‘uddan’ scheme of the Central Government for regional connectivity.

The FICCI suggested there were 30 more airports perfectly ready and operational to take on traffic operations. The India is fast emerging economy but its civil aviation has yet not gained momentum to match it. There were days when industries were set only in big cities. Now it are being setup any were even in villages where electricity, water and above all land is available.

The country has been opened for foreign direct investments and it require fast air links. Now every district must have an airport and air connectivity. The Aviation can no longer be kept confined and limited up to metropolitan cities and international flights.

Airport out of overseas fliers’ favour

Pune: The city's overseas fliers seem to be skirting the Lohegaon facility because of high airfares to international destinations and opting for more "pocket-friendly" airports like Mumbai, Delhi and Hyderabad.
The Airports Authority of India (AAI)'s latest data reveal that the international passenger traffic growth at the Lohegaon airport has been the lowest in the past three years (till December 2016). The international passenger traffic between April and December 2016 here reported an increase of just 3.4% — the weakest three quarterly performance in the past three years.

Aviation Minister writes to Finance Ministry, wants service tax on tickets to be sub-12% in GST: Report

Aviation Minister Ashok Gajapathi Raju has sent a proposal to the Finance Ministry on service tax according to government sources. These sources told ET Now that he wants service tax on tickets to be sub-12% in Goods and Services Tax (GST). He has also proposed that ATF should be kept under GST, the sources said. ” With ATF out of GST, Aviation Minister fears that ticket prices will rise under GST. The Finance Minister is unlikely to consider ATF demand, since petroleum is out of GST,” the sources added.
Currently, the Centre and states levy taxes on ATF including excise duty and value added tax. A service tax of 6 per cent is levied by airlines for economy air travel and 9 per cent for non-economy air travel.

GoAir flights from Hyderabad to 5 new destinations

GoAir has commenced additional flights out of Hyderabad to five new destinations. Effective February 1, there will be non-stop flights from Hyderabad to Goa, Port Blair, Pune, Guwahati and Bagdogra.

The new routes aim at connecting Hyderabad with network cities and providing passengers flexible options in planning their travel. Passengers travelling from Hyderabad will have better access to these cities further bolstering the airline’s already extensive domestic network.
To Read the News in Full 02/02/17 The Hindu Business Line
 

Air India to focus on GCC, South Asia in 2017

Dubai: Air India plans to focus on the GCC (Gulf Cooperation Council) and the South Asian markets where the airline sees growth potential amid a slowdown in demand and economic growth across other parts of the world.
Pankaj Srivastava, commercial director and board member at Air India, said the airline plans to increase flights and capacity to markets such as Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bangladesh, Maldives, Myanmar, Tokyo, Hong Kong, as well as Sydney and Melbourne.
“The Gulf is a very important region for us, so we are substituting smaller aircraft with larger aircraft. In Bangkok and Singapore we’re poised to grow.

Newcastle Airport should have links to America, China and India, report says

Newcastle Airport should develop links to America, China and India to take advantage of its unique potential in growing the economy of the North, a new report has said.

The influential Transport for the North (TfN) group - which brings together business and council leaders from across the north to influence the Government - says the airport “has a particularly important role within the North’s wider offer in providing international connectivity for businesses and entrepreneurs based in the North East, Cumbria and southern Scotland”.
The report envisages new routes being developed to Hong Kong and Beijing in China, to Delhi in India, and to Atlanta and Toronto in North America in what is described as a “transformational scenario”.

To achieve the hoped-for growth, however, improvements to roads near the airport, upgrades to the Tyne and Wear Metro and a direct rail link to the airport should be also be built, TfN says.

Union Budget 2017: More airports in tier II cities

Seeking to make travel between tier-II cities faster, the centre has proposed developing airports in partnership with private players. As part of the regional connectivity plan, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley announced in the Budget that select airports will be developed and maintained under PPP mode.
"Airport Authority of India Act will be amended to enable effective monetisation of land assets. The resources, so raised, will be utilised for airport upgradation," Jaitley said while presenting the budget. Experts said the boost to the aviation sector will be crucial for the growth of transport sector.

Record 422 air safety violations reported in 2016 against 275 in 2015, says Directorate General of Civil Aviation

New Delhi: A record 422 air safety violations were detected by India’s civil aviation regulator, Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) in 2016 against 275 in 2015.

According to the data provided by the DGCA in 422 air safety violations, 272 pilots including crew members were suspended, 42 pilots were kept off roaster, and 108 pilots got a warning.

SpiceJet reported the highest number of suspensions in 2016, followed by Jet Airways, 53 and 41 IndiGo pilots and crew members facing suspensions for air safety violations.

Massive rise in air safety violations in 2016 comes at a time when the United Nations’ aviation watchdog, the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) is coming to India later this year for a 10-day safety audit of DGCA.

The outcome of the audit will have consequences for the expansion plans of airlines such as Jet Airways (India) Ltd, Air India and the international launch plans of the Tata-Singapore Airlines joint venture Vistara, which will meet government norms to go international in 2018.

Expansion by Indian carriers to help aviation sector overcome cash ban impact

New Delhi: Continuous addition of capacity by India’s airline companies will help the country’s aviation market overcome the impact of demonetisation, says airline body International Air Transport Association (IATA).

IATA’s observation came, as it announced that ‘the domestic India market topped the growth chart for the second year in a row; passenger volumes surged by 23.3% in 2016 – twice as fast as the next fastest growing market, China.’

“It has not all been positive news over recent months; indeed, the seasonally-adjusted (SA) traffic trend slowed in H2 from its stellar upward trajectory, and business confidence has fallen following the withdrawal of large-denomination banknotes in November.

Etihad Airway introduces third daily flight to Bengaluru

Etihad Airways is launching a third daily flight on the Abu Dhabi – Bengaluru route, effective 26 March 2017.

The triple daily schedule will provide greater choice to local passengers travelling between the two cities, and improved connectivity to destinations across the GCC, North America and Europe via the airline’s Abu Dhabi hub.

The capacity increase underscores the airline’s commitment to offer guests more travel options between Abu Dhabi and key destinations across its network.

Oman Air boosts India connections following bipartite deal

Oman Air is growing its capacity to India, where it will increase its weekly frequencies from 126 to 161 flights per week.

The carrier currently flies between Oman and 11 destinations in India.

The growth in capacity follows the recently signed agreement between the governments of Oman and India, where both sides agreed to increase the weekly seats.

Now, govt wants aceess to airlines passenger reservation data in advance

Airlines will now be required to share passenger reservation data with customs department in advance.

The government has proposed an amendment to the Customs Act for improved surveillance and risk assessment of travellers leaving and entering the country. The changes in the rules will bring India in line with countries like Australia, Canada, United States and the European Union which have similar norms in place.

Airlines will now be required to share PNR (passenger name record) data of passengers with customs before departure and arrival of overseas flights.

New winter schedule for flights in effect from Feb 1, says AAI

The Airports Authority of India (AAI) on Thursday said the new winter schedule has been released for the flights operating at the Chandigarh International Airport. According to the new schedule, the first morning flight will arrive at 9 am instead of 7.40 am and the last flight will depart from the airport at 7 pm instead of 5.55 pm. The first flight to arrive at the Chandigarh International Airport is Air India from Leh and the same one will depart for Leh at 9.40 am. In the evening, the Go Air flight to Mumbai will arrive at 6.30 pm and depart at 7 pm from the Chandigarh airport.

Tiruchi-Abu Dhabi flight service launch put off

The much-awaited new flight service in the Tiruchi – Abu Dhabi sector by the Jet Airways from February 2 has failed to take off for now. The airline had proposed to operate a daily service to Abu Dhabi from here in the early hours by publicising the schedule in October last year.

The announcement of a new service to Abu Dhabi had gladdened travellers in this part of the region in view of the heavy demand for flight connectivity to more West Asian destinations from Tiruchi.

India sees highest domestic air passenger growth in '16: IATA

Emerging as a stand-out performer, India witnessed the highest growth of 23.3 per cent in domestic air travel demand worldwide in 2016 twice that of neighbouring China, according to IATA.

The global airlines' grouping today said domestic India market topped the growth chart for the second year in a row with passenger volumes surging twice as that of China.

"Domestic air travel rose 5.7 per cent in 2016. Capacity rose 5.1 per cent and load factor was 82.2 per cent, up 0.5 percentage points over 2015.

Public-private partnership to give wings to Maharashtra airports

Maharashtra stands to gain big time from the Union government's decision to operate airports in smaller cities in the public-private partnership (PPP) mode.
An Airports Authority of India (AAI) official told TOI the state would get priority on this front for having the maximum number of airports in the country.
The total number of airports and airstrips in Maharashtra — both used and unused — is more than 25. Of them, AAI manages six — Mumbai, Aurangabad, Pune, Solapur, Gondia and Kolhapur.

PPP spells bright prospects for Lucknow airport

Lucknow: Flyers may be in for better services with Union government making budgetary provision for operation and maintenance of airports in tier-II cities on a PPP (public private participation) model.
Aviation experts said the provision actually replaces the privatisation scheme proposed earlier that could not take off on account of low profitability of relatively smaller airports. In UP, for example, Lucknow and Varanasi airports were proposed to be thrown open for privatisation in 2013.

A dreamy flight comes true for Kochi passengers

Kochi: Air India fulfills the long-standing demand of the Kochi air passengers for a Boeing 787 Dreamliner service between the national capital and the city. The national air carrier began its New Delhi-Kochi-Dubai service on Wednesday and the first flight landed at Cochin International Airport at Nedumbassery at 9:35 am.
The flight carried 245 passengers including Pankaj Srivastava, Commercial Director of Air India on its maiden flight to the city. The 256-seater then took off to Dubai at 10:35 am.
The long haul fuel-efficient Boeing 787 Dreamliner redefines flying experience with its generous window view, roomy cabin and interior facilities.

Dubai International Airport welcomes Air India’s first 787 Dreamliner from Kochi

Dubai International Airport welcomed Air India’s first Boeing 787 Dreamliner from Kochi on Wednesday afternoon with a traditional water salute.

The plane had arrived from the South Indian city in Kerala. Its crew and representatives of the airline were also welcomed at a cake-cutting ceremony at the airport’s Concourse D.

The flight, which is expected to operate daily, is Air India’s second Dreamliner service connecting India and Dubai, as the carrier already operates a Dreamliner on the Delhi-Dubai route.
To Read the News in Full 02/02/17 The National
 

Mixed reaction by aviation, tourism industry experts

New Delhi: Aviation and tourism industry experts today gave a mixed reaction on the Union Budget.
Terming the budget as "overall, a well-balanced, pro-poor, pro-growth budget" Amber Dubey, Partner and Head (Aerospace and Defence) of KPMG in India said the announcement of select AAI airports in Tier 2 cities to be taken up for operation and maintenance in PPP mode is a development step.

"It will bring in greater efficiency, best practices and accountability. Higher commercial revenues will help reduce aeronautical charges and make flying more affordable," he said.

Finance Minister Arun Jaitley in his budget speech said that the AAI Act will be amended to enable effective monetisation of land assets.

GoAir launches four flights from Hyderabad

Hyderabad: GoAir, one of India’s fastest growing airlines, on Wednesday commenced four additional flights from Hyderabad.
The daily flights would provide non-stop connectivity from Hyderabad to five destinations: Goa, Port Blair, Pune, Guwahati and Bagdogra, GoAir said in a statement.
The new routes aim at connecting Hyderabad with network cities and providing passengers flexible options in planning their travel.
GoAir will launch the first direct flight from Kochi to Ahmedabad this month.
To Read the News in Full 01/02/17 IANS/Financial Express
 

Oman Air increases weekly capacity to India

Muscat: Oman Air, the national carrier of Oman, is growing its capacity to India with plans to increase its weekly frequencies from 126 to 161 flights per week between the sultanate and its 11 destinations in the Subcontinent.

The growth in capacity follows the recently signed agreement between the governments of Oman and India, where both sides agreed to increase the weekly seats.

Effective February onwards, Mumbai, New Delhi, Calicut and Hyderabad will be operated with 21 weekly flights each, and Lucknow with 14 weekly flights. With this development, Oman Air is flying its multi award winning wide bodied aircraft to select Indian destinations.

Staff licence uncertainty may ground airport operations from April

Kolkata: Airline officials are wary of flight disruptions from April 1 if the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS) refuses entry passes to staff of ground-handling agencies outsourced by various airlines at the Kolkata and other Indian airports.
The current entry passes used by nearly 6 lakh staff of 400-odd ground-handling agencies at Indian airports are valid till March 31, 2017.
According to the National Civil Aviation Policy 2016, from April 1, 2017, airlines will only be permitted to hire staff from three registered ground-handling agencies at each airport.

Will private players look at regional airports now?

New Delhi/Mumbai: State-owned airports will now be allowed to monetise the huge parcel of land that it holds across the country in order to encourage private sector participation in developing these airports. Finance Minister Arun Jaitley in his speech of the Union Budget  2017-18 proposed a change in the Airports Authority of India (AAI) Act allowing the airport operator to use the land bank for commercial purposes. At present, the act allows an airport operator to use land only for aviation-related services. With 128 airports across the country, AAI owns almost 55,000 acres of land.

The minister also said that airports in Tier-2 cities will be taken for operation and maintenance in a Public-Private-Partnership (PPP) model. Will the move encourage private players to bid for management contracts of airports in cities like Ahmedabad, Jaipur?
 According to senior officials in AAI, the two Budget announcements have a history and should be seen in connection. AAI, which functions under the Ministry of Civil Aviation, had applied for relaxation in land usage norms back in 2010 following a request by the country’s private parties.

Etihad Airways to launch third daily flight to Bengaluru

Etihad Airways is launching a third daily flight on the Abu Dhabi – Bengaluru route, effective 26 March 2017. The triple daily schedule will provide greater choice to local passengers travelling between the two cities, and improved connectivity to destinations across the GCC, North America and Europe via the airline’s Abu Dhabi hub.

With a new daily late night departure from Abu Dhabi, and early morning service from Bengaluru operated with a two-class Airbus 321, the schedule provides additional online connectivity to and from a number of destinations, including Doha, Jeddah, London, Dublin, New York and Dallas.

Service tax sop for UDAN flights

The first flight under UDAN or regional connectivity scheme (RCS) is likely to take to the skies later this month. The VGF is being given to airlines as an incentive to operate cheap flights to tier-II and tier-III towns to enable more people to fly.

In his Budget speech, Jaitley said the exemption is being provided for one year from the date of commencement of operations of the regional connectivity scheme as notified by the Ministry of Civil Aviation.

Air India's Dreamliner service ready

The Boeing 787 Dreamliner to take off from Cochin international airport limited (Cial) will embark from Kochi to Dubai on Wednesday.
This will be Air India's second Dreamliner service that will connect India and Dubai, as AI already operates a Dreamliner between Delhi - Dubai sector.
The new Dreamliner service will fly the Delhi - Kochi - Dubai circuit, with flights connecting from Kochi to Dubai, departing at 9.15am and arriving in Dubai 12.00pm.

Economic Survey 2017 makes interesting observations on Air India

Air India, the state-run carrier, found an indirect mention in the 319-page Economic Survey 2017, but it may not bring cheers to the approximately 20,000 employees of the airline. Chief Economic Adviser Arvind Subramanian was not happy with efforts to make it "world class."
Air India had earned an operating profit of Rs 105 crore in 2015-16, the first time since its merger with Indian Airlines about nine years ago; the ailing airline had incurred net loss of Rs 2,636 crore in the preceding financial year. The carrier's total income rose to Rs 20,526 crore in 2015-16.

After Indigo, Vistara airlines comes to the aid of needy Northeast Indians!

After IndiGo, domestic airline Vistara today announced that it would carry the mortal remains of economically disadvantaged people of the Northeast living in New Delhi back to their homes free of cost.

Officials of Vistara today informed Robin Hibu, nodal officer of Delhi police’s special unit for people from the Northeast, about their decision. Earlier this month, IndiGo had made this decision while Jet Airways has agreed to provide the service at a 50 per cent concession.

Vistara has its services in Guwahati and Bagdogra (used by people in Sikkim).
To Read the News in Full 30/01/17 The North East Today
 

'Zoom' to Delhi from Kolkata via Durgapur soon

A little over six months after Air India withdrew its operation in the Kolkata-Durgapur-Delhi route, Zoom Air, a Delhi-based airlines, starts its operation in the same routes seven days a week from Sunday. Kaji Nazrul Islam Airport (Andal) will also act as the regional hub of the company.

Interestingly, GoAir and In diGo have proposed to operate flights from KNIA, but the proposals are yet to take final shape. Bhutan and Bangladesh Airlines are also interested as reported earlier.

GoAir launches four additional flights from Hyderabad

Budget carrier GoAir today announced the commencement of four additional flights from Hyderabad to five new destinations including Goa and Bagdogra besides launching a direct flight connecting Kochi and Ahmedabad.

Effective today, these additional flights from Hyderabad would provide non-stop connectivity from the Telangana capital city to Goa, Port Blair, Pune, Guwahati and Bagdogra, a release said.

Air passenger traffic in India to grow 21-23% in 2016-17: CRISIL

Crisil Research estimates domestic passenger traffic in India to grow 21-23 percent on-year in 2016-17, primarily on account of lower air fares following decline in fuel prices and high competition. In 2017-18, growth in domestic passenger traffic is expected to moderate to 15-17 percent on-year, on account of relatively flat fares – projected to rise 0-2 percent. Economic growth, low fares and better connectivity to tier-II and -III cities would be the key growth drivers. During the year, domestic passenger load factor (PLF), though, is expected to decline 100–200 bps to 81-82 percent because of fleet expansion.

‘Makes sense for IndiGo to shift to T2’

SpiceJet chairman and managing director Ajay Singh said on Monday that it would make “some sense” for low-cost airline IndiGo to shift its domestic operations to Terminal-2 (T2) of the Delhi airport.

“There are news report that IndiGo wants to shift [to T2]. They have the size and scale to be able to do it. If they operate large number of flights, it makes some sense for them. For us, it doesn’t fit. We have just recovered from a pretty bad situation and to undergo this shift would make it difficult for us,” Mr. Singh said at the sidelines of the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) Budget AajTak event here.

Clean Sweep for SpiceJet at Asia One Awards, Singapore

It was a clean sweep for India’s favourite airline –SpiceJet at the Asia One Awards, Singapore – as it walked away with top recognition in three prime categories. The airline which has been trending all through 2016 with multiple awards and accolades was adorned ‘Asia’s Greatest Brands – 2016’ by the Asia One Board. The selection process was supervised by PricewaterhouseCoopers.
SpiceJet Chairman and Managing Director Mr. Ajay Singh, who has scripted the most remarkable turnaround story of recent times, was honored with the title of the ‘Global Asian of the year’ while Chief Financial Officer Mr. Kiran Koteshwar won the award for ‘Asia’s Greatest CFO 2016’.

IndiGo owner Q3 net profit falls 25 percent on high fuel costs, lower yields

New Delhi: InterGlobe Aviation, owner of India's largest airline IndiGo, suffered its biggest fall in quarterly net profit, hit by high fuel costs and lower yields, as competition and the government's demonetisation move put fares under pressure.

Net profit for the October-December quarter fell 25 percent to 4.87 billion rupees ($71.8 million) compared with 6.5 billion rupees last year. Total income from operations rose 16 percent to 49.86 billion rupees.

Yields, a measure of fares and distance flown, fell 16 percent during the quarter, said Rohit Philip, the airline's chief financial officer, adding that it expects yields to have fallen by 10 percent in January.

Economic Survey: Will Air India fly to corporate hands, as hints of privatisation in Civil aviation sector surface

Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley on January 31, tabled the Economic Survey 2016-17, and one of the key points was the call for more privatisation in Civil Aviation and other sectors with an aim to further the economic reforms process. The Economic Survey has put across the issues in privatising public companies also in the case of enterprises which are believed to belong to the private sector. Will Air India, which has been floating on a Rs 30,000 crore bailout package from the central government, lead the pack in the privatisation in the civil aviation space?
On the privatisation process in India, the Economic Survey says, “India is now squarely in the middle of the emerging market pack. This is partly because India has allowed the private sector entry into, amongst others, civil aviation, telecommunications, and financial services.”

Apply Same Rule For All Players: Spicejet On OTP System Review

With the aviation regulator DGCA reviewing airlines' on-time performance (OTP) mechanism at four airports, budget carrier SpiceJet on Monday called for applying same rules for all players and making the system more efficient.

"If data is challenged, do it in a better way ... as long as rules are same for everybody, then there is no problem," SpiceJet Chairman and Managing Director Ajay Singh said on Monday.

His comments came against the backdrop of Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) setting up a committee late last year to look into the OTP monitoring system of domestic carriers at four airports of Delhi, Mumbai, Hyderabad and Bengaluru after another budget carrier IndiGo complained that the current system was flawed.

In pursuit of profit, Air India shortlists 3 consulting firms

Loss-making national carrier Air India has shortlisted three top consulting companies - McKinsey and Co., Bain and Co., and EY - to beef up its business strategy, according to Mint .
Ashwani Lohani, Chairman and Managing Director of the state-run airline, said the firms had been shortlisted based on several presentations that had been made after Air India floated a tender last October inviting proposals for the project.
“They [the firms] will helps us in improving our network, cash flow and other things,” said Lohani.

AAI to construct 170 parking bays as airlines look to import more aircraft

The Airports Authority of India is to build 170 aircraft parking bays and six hangars at the airports that it runs in the country.

The exact number of parking bays and the airports they will come up in will be decided soon, a senior AAI official told BusinessLine. It is likely that the construction of the aircraft parking bays will not include the airports at the four metros — Delhi, Mumbai, Hyderabad and Bengaluru. Technically speaking, these airports are no longer with AAI but are run as joint ventures with the private sector.

Airline Flash Sale starting at Rs 899: Last 2 days of special offers from SpiceJet, Jet Airways and Air Carnival

Air travel is getting cheaper by the day and more and more airlines are offering great discounts especially to the economy class travelers. This has opened up a large number of travel opportunities for backpackers and budget travelers. Week after week, there are new offers being rolled out offering cheap airfares on flights. You can fly to your favorite destinations all across India without spending a bomb. All you need to do is plan well in advance and avail these offers when they present themselves. One such sale going on right now is the Airline Flash Sale with flights starting at Rs 899.
To Read the News in Full 30/01/17 Dilip Merala/India
 

Boeing and spicejet Announce Largest Order in Carrier's History

Boeing and SpiceJet recently announced an order for 205 new airplanes, including 100 more 73 MAX 8s. This is the largest order in the history of SpiceJet. The contract also includes the low-cost carrier’s current order of 42 MAXs, 13 new 737 MAXs and the purchase rights of 50 additional airplanes.

Ajay Singh, chairman and managing director of SpiceJet said the company is anticipating the order will increase its competitive advantage. "The Boeing 737 class of aircraft has been the backbone of our fleet since SpiceJet began, with its high reliability, low operation economies and comfort," Singh said.

SpiceJet ready to shift part of its operations to Delhi's Terminal 2

SpiceJet is willing to shift part of its operations from Delhi's domestic terminal T1D to T2 so that the airport operator can undertake modernisation work.

The airport operator GMR-led Delhi International Airport (DIAL) has asked IndiGo, SpiceJet and GoAir to shift operations from Terminal-1 (T1D) they currently operate so that the expansion work of the terminal can begin.

"We are willing to shift our operations to Kolkata, Mumbai and Bengaluru, provided we get more time to undertake the process," said SpiceJet CMD Ajay Singh.


Singh felt the time given to undertake the process was too less. "One has to realign all the flights that has is connected to these three cities, we need some time for that operation," he said. DIAL Chief Executive Officer Prabhakara Rao wrote to the heads of the three airlines that as there was no consensus between them over who would shift, all three would have to partly shift operations from February 15.

More frisking booth for women at airport

Chennai: After years of putting up with fewer frisking booths at the Chennai airport, women are finally going to get some relief. The domestic terminal will soon have two additional frisking booths for women. At present, there are only six booths for women in contrast to 14 for men, officials said.

This move comes after women passengers repeatedly raising the issue and even tkaing to social media such as Twitter.

Sriram V ‏@MadrasMobile tweeted recently: “Dear Airports Authority of India — what’ the logic behind 8 security queues for men and just one for women at #ChennaiAirport?”

Rajiv Gandhi National Aviation University to Launch Executive Development Programme

Delhi: The Rajiv Gandhi National Aviation University in collaboration  with US-India  Aviation Cooperation  Programme will be launching its first Executive Development Programme  on Thursday 2nd February, 2017.

The programme will be delivered by highly-learned experts in the aviation sector and shall cover key topics such as Next Generation Transportation Systems, Airport Planning,  Air Traffic Flow Management, Safety and Security and Sustainability in Aviation.