Civil Aviation Sector

The Centre has granted NOCs to two new airlines amid efforts to boost competition and avoid repeat disruptions following the cancellation of over 4,000 IndiGo flights earlier this month

Two new airlines -- Al Hind Air and FlyExpress -- are set to take to the skies, with the carriers receiving their no objection certificates from the civil aviation ministry. In 2026, apart from these two carriers, Uttar Pradesh-based Shankh Air, which already has a No Objection Certificate (NOC), is likely to start operations. Al Hind Air is being promoted by Kerala-based alhind Group. The ministry is keen to have more airline operators in the country, which is one of the world's fastest growing domestic civil aviation markets. Currently, there are nine operational scheduled domestic carriers in the country. Fly Big, a regional airline, suspended scheduled flights in October. IndiGo and Air India Group -- Air India and Air India Express -- together have over 90 per cent of the domestic market share. Concerns about apparent duopoly in the fast-growing domestic airlines' industry got amplified this month in the wake of the massive operational disruptions at IndiGo, which has a mark

IndiGo's two-decade ascent to market leadership has met a major setback, as planning lapses and new crew rules exposed vulnerabilities in the airline's lean operating model

Amid significant flight disruptions, IndiGo CEO Pieter Elbers on Thursday said the airline's immediate goal is to normalise operations and bring punctuality back on track "which is not an easy target". In a message to the staff, he also admitted that the airline could not live up to the promise of providing good experience to customers. IndiGo, the country's largest airline, is grappling with significant operational disruptions in the past few days and more than 300 flights were cancelled on Thursday while scores of flights were delayed. Against this backdrop, Elbers said these past few days have been difficult for many of IndiGo's customers and colleagues. "We serve close to 380,000 customers a day and want each of them to have a good experience. We could not live up to that promise these past days and we have publicly apologised for that," he said. According to him, an accumulation of several operational challenges, including minor technology glitches, schedule changes, adverse

India's tighter FDTL pilot fatigue norms have triggered cancellations and delays, exposing crew shortages, roster stress and a fresh debate over safety, planning and preparedness

India's aircraft maintenance, repair and overhaul market is projected to be worth USD 4 billion by 2031 providing unprecedented opportunities, Civil Aviation Minister K Rammohan Naidu said on Wednesday. Speaking at the inauguration of French major Safran's MRO (Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul) facility in the city, Naidu said the country will become a preferred destination for aircraft maintenance activities. The Safran Aircraft Engine Services India (SAESI) facility in the city will be operational in 2026 and will be a major boost for the country's indigenous capabilities in the fast-growing aviation sector. Naidu also noted that carrying out aircraft MRO activities within the country will help save up to USD 15 billion in foreign exchange in the coming years. The cost savings of the airlines will be passed on to the passengers, the minister added. India is one of the world's fastest growing civil aviation markets and domestic carriers have over 1,500 planes on order. Asserting

Secondary ladder point checking for all flights has been made compulsory at airports as part of enhanced security measures following the blast in the national capital on Monday. Full search of aircraft and catering services of aircraft, strict monitoring of non-scheduled flight operations, including air ambulance, random checking of passengers' baggage are among the other security measures put in place by the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS). "In view of the recent blast in New Delhi and subsequent surcharged security scenario, it is necessary to enhance security measures at all the civil aviation installations like airports, airstrips, airfields, air force stations, helipads, flying schools, aviation training institutes etc...," the BCAS said in an advisory. The enhanced security measures are to ensure that there are no untoward incidents, it said in the advisory, dated November 10. According to the BCAS, Secondary Ladder Point Checking (SLPC) has been made compulsory for

Akasa Air will plan flights to various overseas destinations, including Singapore, Vietnam and Kazakhstan, as it gets new planes and Boeing aircraft deliveries are expected to be faster, a senior airline official said on Monday. Akasa Air's Co-Founder and Chief Commercial Officer Praveen Iyer said the airline will also look at the option of starting services to China. "We don't have (bilateral flying) rights for China now, but we will consider them in the future". The more than three-year-old airline, which is loss-making, currently has a fleet of 30 planes and flies to 24 domestic and 6 international destinations. It has been facing delays in aircraft deliveries. At a briefing in the national capital, Iyer said it will very soon start international flights from Delhi and the airline is also looking forward to start services from the upcoming Jewar airport in Uttar Pradesh. Currently, the airline has 24 daily departures from Delhi. The airline has a firm order for a total of 226 .

Smoke was seen billowing from the engine of a private jet just before take-off at the Kolkata airport on Monday morning, following which the aircraft returned to the taxi bay for a thorough inspection, officials said. The pilot immediately alerted the Air Traffic Control (ATC), which instructed him to halt and return to the taxi bay, they said. Airport authorities at the NSC Bose International Airport swiftly brought the situation under control, the officials said. According to airport sources, the non-scheduled aircraft with six passengers on board was taxing towards the runway for take-off when the pilot of another plane noticed smoke emanating from its engine. The private jet was bound for Bhopal from Kolkata. An airport spokesperson said a full emergency was declared by the ATC at 11.33 am, which was withdrawn at 11:40 am after inspection. Director of Kolkata airport C Pattovi said the aircraft was thoroughly inspected, but no technical issues or signs of fire were detected.

Air India San Francisco-Delhi flight also made a precautionary landing at Ulaanbataatar in Mongolia after the flight crew suspected a technical issue en route

Air India Express currently has a one-way codeshare partnership with its parent airline. This allows Air India to sell seats on Air India Express flights through its own booking channels

Pilots' body ALPA India on Sunday urged aviation watchdog DGCA to withdraw the flight duty time extension for two-pilot Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft operations, saying the decision creates a "scenario ripe for fatigue induced errors". For the Boeing 787, two-man flight crew operations, the Flight Duty Time Limitation (FDTL) has been increased to 10.30 hours from 10 hours and the Flight Duty Period (FDP) to 14.00 hours from 13 hours. FDP refers to the time duration when a flight crew member is on duty for operating an aircraft and ends when a plane comes to rest at the end of the flight. Tata Group-owned Air India operates Dreamliners. In a letter to the regulator, Airline Pilots' Association of India (ALPA India) said the whole idea of formulating a Civil Aviation Requirement (CAR) on FDTL was based on extensive research and scientific study on human fatigue and its operational consequences. "The present deviation gives the impression that the DGCA is placing greater considerati

After a hiatus of over four years, direct flights between Kolkata and China's Guangzhou city will resume on Sunday, with the first one scheduled to take off at 10 pm, said an official at the NSCBI airport here. Direct flights were operational between the two countries till early 2020 before being suspended due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The services remained suspended in view of the eastern Ladakh border row. Following recent diplomatic initiatives, private carrier IndiGo said it will resume services to China, connecting Kolkata to Guangzhou with daily, non-stop flights, starting October 26. "The first flight is scheduled to leave Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport at 10 pm today," the official said.

Antonoaldo Neves says aircraft supply, not market access, is the bigger challenge; India accounts for 20% of Etihad's business.

Following discussions with airlines, the regulator said carriers have committed to deploying extra capacity to meet higher travel demand

The Manchester service will be operated with wide-body Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner aircraft and marks the start of IndiGo's long-haul operations from Delhi

The Civil Aviation Ministry will restart seaplane operations on at least two routes in India by October, Union Minister Ram Mohan Naidu said here on Monday. Addressing the Eastern Region Civil Aviation Ministers' Conference, Naidu said, "Seaplane operation was there once, but it was limited to a single route. The government has simplified the guidelines to operate seaplanes, and we hope that by October, we will have two seaplanes in the country operating either on the Andaman & Nicobar, Kerala, or Andhra Pradesh network." He added that the service could also be extended to Odisha's Chilika Lake and the entire eastern coast. "The service can be started on any water body where you have more than five feet depth and 200 metres of landing space," he said. Naidu said the norms for setting up a waterdrome, training pilots, and the rules and regulations governing seaplane operations have been simplified. He urged airline operators present at the conference to explore the opportunity, ...

Naidu further stated that pilots and crew are the backbone of the aviation industry and assured that all necessary steps would be taken to uphold safety standards

Business Aircraft Operators Association has sought the civil aviation ministry's intervention to reverse Mumbai airport's decision to evict private jet operators from the airport's parking facilities by July 31, saying the proposed terms are prohibitive. Mumbai International Airport Ltd (MIAL), part of Adani group, is operating the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (CSMIA) in the city. In a letter to Civil Aviation Secretary Samir Kumar Sinha, BAOA's Managing Director R K Bali said CSMIA is a public asset and public assets should be available to all stakeholders in a fair and equitable manner without any discrimination. "The terms now sought to be imposed by MIAL upon the GA/BA operators are prohibitive and make the entire operation unviable and are intended to oust the GA/BA operators from the asset. Accordingly, it is crucial for MoCA to intervene and uphold legal and policy safeguards for the GA/BA sector in India," the letter, dated July 9, said. BAOA represents

According to the Ministry, the Crash Protection Module from the front black box was safely retrieved, and on June 25, memory module was successfully accessed and its data downloaded at the AAIB Lab