Aviation Industry

Air India Group expects to get 50-60 new aircraft in the next 18 months and the transformation programme is on track even as the airlines' industry has been impacted by multiple black swan events, according to a senior executive. Loss-making Air India was acquired by Tata Group in January 2022 and the airline is in the middle of an ambitious transformation plan. Nipun Aggarwal, Chief Commercial Officer of Air India and Chairman of Air India Express, said there have been "tonnes of learning" in the last few years and that it was a complex as well as challenging" project. "I think this industry itself has gone through several challenges. And we have been hit by multiple black swan events, which I don't think anybody could have forecasted when we started this transformation journey. "The supply chain issues, the airspace issues, the oil price volatility, and the geopolitical issues," he said. Aggarwal, who spoke after a panel discussion in Abu Dhabi on July 15, said the group was dea

Air India has revamped its mobile application with new features that will help with quicker responses to travellers as well as allow deployment of India-specific innovations in the payment system. The main enhancements in the app pertain to assistance during flight disruptions, payment system updates and in-house internet booking engine, according to Air India. The enhanced mobile app would provide greater ease of booking and allow the airline to respond more quickly to the needs of the customers, the airline's Chief Digital and Technology Officer Satya Ramaswamy told PTI. In a release on Thursday, Air India said the app has been downloaded nearly 17 million times and serves over 1,00,000 users daily. In case of flight disruptions, support would be provided to the passengers with the hotel accommodation and transportation assistance contextually from the home screen, the airline said. The in-house internet booking engine will offer a faster and responsive user interface. "Payment

The Supreme Court on Monday asked the Centre to place before it within two weeks the rules framed under the Bharatiya Vayuyan Adhiniyam, 2024, which is aimed at modernising India's aviation sector. A bench of Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta said the rules be placed before it in a sealed cover, irrespective of whether they have been placed before Parliament. The apex court passed the order while hearing a plea filed by social activist S Laxminarayanan, who has sought a robust and independent regulator that ensures transparency and passenger protection across the civil aviation sector, and regulatory guidelines to control the "unpredictable fluctuations" in airfare and ancillary charges imposed by private airlines in India. The counsel appearing for the Centre informed the bench that the draft rules are ready and they are in the process of translation. He said the rules have to be placed before Parliament. "We grant two weeks' time to the respondents to place before this cour

French company Simaero, which has set up its simulator training facility in India, plans to tap the country's local engineering talent in the specialised areas of simulator engineering and technology services. In a recent interview with PTI, Simaero's CEO Nicolas Moute said the company's long-term vision was to build a centre of excellence for aviation training that serves not only India but the wider South Asian region. "We are very optimistic about India. Every market has its challenges, but we see far more opportunities than obstacles," he said, adding that the company does not see any barriers that would prevent it from expanding its presence in the country. At the training facility in Gurugram, Haryana, the company recently launched its first Airbus A320 neo simulator and expects to add one or two more simulators in the near term, based on customer demand. "We could possibly expect to add a Boeing or regional ATR aircraft simulator. However, it would depend on our client's ...

The revamped scheme aims to address the shortcomings of the original UDAN programme while significantly expanding India's regional aviation network and strengthening regional connectivity

Saudi Arabia-based Riyadh Air on Monday announced its entry into India with the launch of daily direct flight between Riyadh and Mumbai, starting August 4. The premium carrier, backed by Saudi Arabia's sovereign wealth fund, the Public Investment Fund (PIF), announced that bookings for the daily flight will open from July 6. The new daily air service between Mumbai and Riyadh will be operated by a Boeing B787-9 aircraft, offering a four-class configuration business elite, business, premium economy and economy. The latest route is a key addition to Riyadh Air's growing network, which now spans nine destinations with more set to be announced in the coming days and weeks, the airline said, adding that it also strengthens its mission to connect the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia with major global and regional hubs. "With India emerging as one of the fastest-growing aviation markets globally, we are delighted to offer travellers a new premium choice and enhanced global connectivity from Mumba

The airline also aims to expand its passenger-handling capacity by more than 30 per cent year-on-year (Y-o-Y) in financial year 2027 (FY27)

Akasa Air plans to come out with its initial share sale in the next two to four years, depending on achieving various milestones, its Chief Financial Officer Ankur Goel said on Tuesday as he stressed that the airline's IPO is "not a question of if but a question of when". After taking to the skies in August 2022, the airline is slowly expanding its presence and currently flies to 34 destinations, including 7 international cities. The nearly four-year-old carrier, now, has a fleet of 39 planes and aims to have 226 aircraft by 2032. Responding to queries about the Initial Public Offering (IPO) at a briefing in the national capital, Goel said the time frame is going to be 2-4 years, depending on achieving various milestones such as being EBITDA positive, cash flow and profitability. "IPO will happen for us, it is not a question of if, it is a question of when, we are not creating an airline to do an IPO, we are creating an airline that really creates value...," he said, and also ...

Akasa Air aims at 30 per cent capacity growth in the current financial year and the long term plans have not gone through any rethink amid the geopolitical uncertainties, the airline's Chief Financial Officer Ankur Goel said on Tuesday. The airline, which has been flying for nearly four years, currently has a fleet of 39 Boeing 737 MAX planes and around 25 per cent of its capacity is deployed in international routes. In the 2025-26 fiscal, the airline's operating revenue increased 37 per cent and capacity measured through Available Seat Kilometres (ASKs) rose 30 per cent. At a briefing in the national capital, Goel said the focus is to remain well capitalised and the airline has enough cushion to tide through the current situation. The West Asia conflict and higher fuel prices have pushed the operational costs for airlines and some of them have temporarily cut flights. According to Goel, Akasa Air aims to increase capacity by 30 per cent in this financial year and the capacity gro

Star Air on Tuesday announced the launch of scheduled commercial services to Mundra in Gujarat, marking the airline's 32nd destination on its expanding domestic network. Its operations are set to commence from June 23, further strengthening Star Air's commitment to connecting underserved regions of India with major economic and cultural centres. According to Star Air, Mundra, home to India's largest private commercial and container port and a rapidly growing industrial ecosystem, will now benefit from enhanced air connectivity. "Star Air's new flight services will link Mundra with Mumbai, Hindon, Goa, Surat, Belagavi, Bengaluru, Kolhapur and Nanded, offering greater convenience and reduced travel times for business travellers, professionals, industrial stakeholders, and tourists," the airline said in a statement. The airline said it will operate five weekly direct flights between Mumbai and Mundra, with departures on Tuesdays, Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays, ensuring ..

The NIA will start handling flights from Monday onwards, becoming the second major commercial airport in the National Capital Region (NCR) to address the rising passenger demand

India is a fantastic market that demonstrates the real value of aviation, but high fuel costs is a challenge for the local airlines, IATA chief and IndiGo's incoming CEO Willie Walsh said on Monday. Speaking at briefings after the conclusion of the IATA Annual General Meeting (AGM) in the city, Walsh said India has great opportunities, as well as some as challenges. Howeever, taxation could slow down the growth potential, he added. "The net position in India is very, very exciting and that is proven by the growth that we've seen in the domestic market... I think (there) would be a very significant growth in the international market in due course as well," he said. The International Air Transport Association (IATA) is a grouping of more than 370 airlines and accounts for around 85 per cent of the global air traffic. Talking about the challenges in the Indian market, Walsh cited high fuel costs. "That is an additional burden when fuel (price) is denominated in dollars and you've see

Akasa Air, which was founded during the coronavirus pandemic and made its first commercial flight in 2022, operated 10,109 flights in March and April 2026

The Supreme Court on Friday said there should be some rationalisation of airfares and asked the Centre to provide relief to flyers. A bench of Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta flagged that on the same day, one airline flying in the same sector charges a particular airfare while other charges a different airfare. "Try to give some relief to the people because of the discrepancy. On the same day, flights to the same sector, one airline charges Rs 8000 while the other airline charges Rs 18000 for the economy class," the bench told Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the Centre. Justice Mehta said, "There should be some rationalisation (of airfares)" after the solicitor general said that a new enactment of 2024 has come into effect and the corresponding rules are in the process of consultation. Mehta said the government was not disputing the problem and is treating the issue as non-adversarial and considering all aspects. The bench was hearing a plea filed by social ..

Air India has terminated more than 1,000 staff in the last three years for ethical breaches, including those for misusing the employee leisure travel system, according to the airline's chief Campbell Wilson. Flagging that hundreds of employees are terminated every year due to non-compliance, Wilson has also emphasised that the staff need to act in the right way even when others are not looking. As Air India implements cost-saving measures amid significant financial headwinds, Wilson made the remarks during the town hall meeting with the staff on Friday, according to sources. Tata Group-owned Air India has around 24,000 employees now. The airline's CEO and MD said that over the past three years, "we have terminated more than 1,000 people for ethical breach" such as smuggling things off the plane and allowing excess baggage onto the aircraft without being charged. He also mentioned hundreds of staff who had misused the Employee Leisure Travel (ELT) system and added that such things

The plan envisages to bring back transfer traffic which have been using global hubs like Dubai, Doha, London, Frankfurt amongst others

Aviation experts say the expansion in NMIAL is closely tied up with the availability of new planes the airlines need to expand

While relying on its minority shareholder for operational support, Tata Group, which owns 74.9% of Air India, is focusing on commercial, human resources, finance and information technology functions

Air India expects to complete retrofitting of seven more legacy Boeing 787-8 planes this year as it upgrades the fleet of these aircraft that is key to the airline's long-haul operations. The loss-making carrier, which is in the midst of an ambitious transformation plan, has received the first of its retrofitted legacy Boeing 787-8 plane, which has 250 seats in three class configuration of business, premium economy and economy. The plane landed in the national capital on April 13. Air India's Chief Customer Experience Officer Rajesh Dogra on Sunday said the airline expects to complete retrofitting of a total of eight legacy Boeing 787-8s this year. This includes the plane that landed on April 13. On Sunday, the airline unveiled the retrofitted, twin-aisle B787-8 (VT-ANT) that underwent a nose-to-tail cabin refresh. According to Dogra, 85 per cent of the legacy Boeing 787-8 planes retrofit is expected to be completed by the end of 2027 and retrofitting of all such aircraft is likel

Salary delays have stretched to months while fleet size has dropped, pushing the cash-strapped airline to seek govt funding as competition, operational constraints intensify, a media report said