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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
India, which has historically been a challenging market for airlines to succeed, has all the ingredients to become a fantastic market, and some of the issues being seen now are temporary, according to IATA chief Willie Walsh. With considerable growth potential and rising air traffic demand, Indian carriers are looking to expand capacity, and over 1,500 planes are on order. More airports are also coming up. Welcoming investments in airport infrastructure and by airlines in additional aircraft, Walsh said India's domestic market is now 32 per cent larger in 2025 than in 2020. "It (Indian domestic market) has increased by more than a third in terms of revenue passenger kilometres... That growth does not come without challenges... India has facilitated that growth, which has been a great example... It is one of the most exciting global markets," Walsh said. Against the backdrop of IndiGo flight disruptions and other challenges, the IATA chief said he sees some of the issues being faced
With supply chain woes continuing to impact aircraft deliveries, IATA chief Willie Walsh on Saturday said airlines need to be properly rewarded as he flagged concerns about talks of original equipment manufacturers planning to increase prices due to tariffs and other issues. The International Airport Transport Association (IATA) represents nearly 350 airlines that account for around 85 per cent of the global air traffic. Speaking at the 69th Assembly of Presidents of the Association of Asia Pacific Airlines (AAPA) here, IATA Director General Willie Walsh said there was huge frustration that the supply chain issues are not getting much better. While airlines are a low margin industry, he said the margins of OEMs (Original Equipment Manufacturers) are high. Taking examples, Walsh said engine makers are actually improving their financial performance during a period of massive disruption which has added massive costs to the airline industry. Walsh pointed out that it is bothering when
The civil aviation ministry will soon convene a meeting to review the performance of flying training organisations in the country against the backdrop of most of them not faring well in recent rankings. In the first-ever ranking of Flying Training Organisations (FTOs) by aviation watchdog DGCA, none of the 35 organisations in the list managed to get top ratings of 'A+' and 'A'. Out of the 35 FTOs, 13 got 'B' and 22 received 'C' rankings. Civil Aviation Minister K Rammohan Naidu told PTI that he will meet with representatives of FTOs to discuss ways to improve their standards. Their rankings will be conducted every six months, the minister said, adding that monthly meetings to review the FTOs' performance are not required. FTOs provide training for pilots and other aviation professionals. Operational aspects, performance, safety standards, compliance standards, and assistance to students were considered by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) in evaluating the FTOs for
The operating crew of Air India's Amritsar-Birmingham flight reported that the Boeing 787's Ram Air Turbine (RAT) unexpectedly deployed during the final approach on October 4, but the aircraft landed safely, the airline said on Saturday. RAT deploys automatically in the eventuality of a dual engine failure or total electronic or hydraulic failure. It uses wind speed to generate emergency power. Air India said it has cancelled its Birmingham-Delhi flight as the aircraft has been grounded for inspection. "The operating crew of flight AI117 from Amritsar to Birmingham on 4 October 2025 detected deployment of the Ram Air Turbine (RAT) of the aircraft during its final approach. All electrical and hydraulic parameters were found normal, and the aircraft performed a safe landing at Birmingham," the Tata Group-owned Air India said in a statement. The airline, however, did not share specific details, including the number of people on board. Alternative arrangements are being made to ...
Air India has decided to increase the retirement age for pilots to 65 years and for non-flying staff to 60 years, sources said on Friday. At present, the retirement age for both pilots and non-flying staff at the airline is 58 years. The announcement about increasing the superannuation age was made at the airline's townhall addressed by CEO and MD Campbell Wilson, the sources said. Air India pilots' retirement age will be increased to 65 years and that of non-flying staff will be raised to 60 years, a move that will also bring their superannuation age at par with erstwhile Vistara. There was no official comment from Air India. Tata Group-owned Air India has around 24,000 staff, including about 3,600 pilots and nearly 9,500 cabin crew members It could not be immediately ascertained whether the retirement age for cabin crew, which is currently 58 years at Air India, has been increased or not. In recent times, some pilots and cabin crew members have quit the airline. According to
Airlines cancelled or rescheduled 2,458 flights due to regulatory and geopolitical issues this year, the civil aviation ministry told the Lok Sabha on Thursday. In a written reply, Minister of State for Civil Aviation Murlidhar Mohol said airlines incur costs due to delays and cancellations, including additional fuel, crew overtime, maintenance, airport fees, and rebooking expenses. Airlines are required to provide refunds or compensation to passengers for cancellations or significant delays. "Passengers carried by domestic airlines during January-June 2025 registered a growth of 7.34 per cent as compared to the corresponding period of the previous year," the minister said. This year, IndiGo and Air India cancelled or rescheduled 1,017 flights and 662 flights, respectively. SpiceJet cancelled or rescheduled 334 flights while the count for Air India Express stood at 427 and in the case of Akasa Air, it was 18 flights, as per the data shared with the written reply. These flights, .
Three-year-old Akasa Air on Thursday said it will start flights to the SAARC and ASEAN regions in the next few years, in addition to leveraging the upcoming Navi Mumbai and Noida International Airports to develop a comprehensive network. Akasa Air, which commenced operations on August 7, 2022, expects to have more than 30 planes in its fleet by the end of this year and aims for a capacity growth of over 30 per cent in terms of Available Seat Kilometres (ASKs) for the current fiscal ending March 2026. Currently, the carrier has 30 aircraft. "The airline will expand its presence in key markets such as Delhi and will leverage the upcoming Navi Mumbai and Noida International Airports to build a comprehensive network. Akasa Air will expand its global footprint with a foray into new regions, including SAARC and ASEAN, over the next few years," the carrier said in a release on Thursday. Eight countries, including India, are part of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation ...
With only a few days to go before the country celebrates Holi, several airline companies offered discounts on fares on the occasion of the festival of colours. While two airlines are providing discounts on both domestic and international networks, another has the offer only for the domestic sector. Low-cost airline Akasa Air said it is offering an all-inclusive one-way fare starting at Rs 1,499 on domestic routes. Besides, the airline has also come up with saver and flexi fares across all its domestic and international networks. In addition, the airline has also come up with a promo code HOLI15 for discounts on international bookings and a flat 15 per cent discount on seat selection for domestic and international flights. The offers are valid for 'Saver' and 'Flexi' fares on bookings made between March 10 and March 13 for travel starting from March 17, Akasa Air said in a statement. Another low-cost carrier IndiGo has launched Holi Getaway Sale, offering customers discounted fare
Bullish on the aviation growth prospects in the "fascinating" Indian market, IATA chief Willie Walsh on Tuesday said somebody with an ambition to be a pilot should be looking at India, considering the large number of aircraft orders placed by the domestic airlines. The Director General of the global airlines' grouping, which has been flagging issues about high airport charges in India, also mentioned that Indian regulators seem to be more open to listening to the voices of airlines with respect to airport charges. "(We are seeing) some good economic regulations," Walsh said in response to a query from PTI related to airport charges. India is one of the world's fastest-growing aviation markets and airlines are expanding their operations, with Air India and IndiGo placing significant orders for aircraft, including wide body A350s. Noting that India is going to see significant growth in the domestic market, Walsh said that aircraft orders have been announced by the local carriers, wit