WebinarsNew
Explore Business Standard
Indian Aviation
Akasa Air has set up an entity at the GIFT City in Gujarat to strengthen its aircraft financing and leasing activities. The nearly four-year-old carrier has established Akasa Air Leasing IFSC Private Limited (AALI) at Gujarat International Finance Tec-City (GIFT City), Gandhinagar. In a release on Friday, the airline said AALI office would play a pivotal role in advancing its aircraft financing strategy, enabling greater flexibility, cost efficiency, and enhanced access to global capital markets. "AALI is expected to finance a majority of the airline's aircraft over time while strengthening onshore leasing capabilities," the release said. Currently, Akasa Air has a fleet of 38 Boeing 737 MAX airplanes. It has placed an order for 226 such aircraft. Air India and IndiGo also have their aircraft leasing entities in the GIFT City.
Air India's board of directors met in the national capital on Thursday amid the loss-making airline facing multiple headwinds in the wake of the West Asia conflict. The meeting is expected to discuss various issues, including financials and cost-saving measures. Discussions related to the selection of a new CEO are also likely at the board meeting. Current CEO and MD Campbell Wilson will be stepping down later this year. Airspace curbs and higher jet fuel prices due to the West Asia conflict are adversely impacting the airline, which is in the midst of an ambitious transformation plan. Operational costs have gone up significantly in recent months for the carrier. Against this backdrop, the airline is mulling various cost-saving measures. Sources said the board meeting started after 11 am on Thursday. Specific details about the agenda for the meeting could not be ascertained. Air India board is chaired by Tata Sons Chairman N Chandrasekaran. Wilson, Singapore Airlines CEO Goh
ATSEPA, an electronic engineers' body at Airports Authority of India (AAI), has raised concerns over the proposed privatisation of air traffic control services, saying that shifting control away from the Authority without establishing an autonomous regulatory entity could be perceived as a policy decision that weakens India's national strategic capabilities. In a letter to Civil Aviation Minister K Rammohan Naidu on April 23, Air Traffic Safety Electronic Personnel Association (India) General Secretary YP Gautam said the matter warrants urgent reconsideration at the highest policy level. "The proposal to introduce private participation in Air Traffic Control services, without first operationalising an independent Air Navigation Services (ANS) structure, is viewed with grave concern," he said. Stating that the matter is not exploratory, he said the carving out of ANS (ATC + CNS) from AAI has already been "deliberated, accepted in principle, and partially implemented" during the tenur
SpiceJet Chairman and Managing Director Ajay Singh on Wednesday said the government's decision to allow only a partial increase in jet fuel prices would be a significant relief for the country's aviation industry at a time of unprecedented global uncertainty. PSU oil marketing companies, under the Ministry of Petroleum, in consultation with the Ministry of Civil Aviation, decided to implement only a partial and staggered increase of 25 per cent or Rs 15/litre for domestic airlines, Civil Aviation Minister K Rammohan Naidu said in a post on X. Airlines are already incurring higher operational costs due to the airspace restrictions in the West Asia region amid the conflict. The situation is forcing carriers to take longer routes for international flights, resulting in increased fuel burn. "The government's decision to allow only a partial increase in Aviation Turbine Fuel prices comes as a significant relief for the Indian aviation industry at a time of unprecedented global ...
India's aviation sector is facing a bottleneck in new aircraft procurement, Civil Aviation Minister K Rammohan Naidu has said, citing that while 1,700 new planes are on order, supply chain disruptions could stretch deliveries up to 15 years. The government is emphasising domestic manufacturing of aircraft through joint ventures with global giants like Embraer, and a partnership with Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) is already underway to produce the Sukhoi Superjet 100, Naidu said on Sunday. He flagged off new flights at Bhavnagar airport in Gujarat. The minister remarked that building airports is not difficult once land is made available, but getting aircraft has become a major bottleneck after the COVID-19 pandemic. Aircraft manufacturing has slowed down worldwide, affecting the speed at which planes are being delivered, he noted. "After COVID-19, there were many difficulties in aircraft manufacturing. There was some disruption in the supply chain. So the speed and scale at w
Demand for Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO) services in India is expected to grow to USD 5.7 billion by 2030 from USD 4.4 billion in 2025, a 5.4 per cent growth per annum, a Singapore-based consultancy said Friday. Engine MRO demand is expected to contribute almost half of this demand, with airframe and modifications slated to grow the fastest in this five-year period, according to a study report by Alan Lim and Joshua Ng, Directors of Alton Aviation Consultancy and aviation industry veterans. Alton forecasts that India's commercial aircraft fleet will grow to more than 1,800 aircraft by 2030, with narrow-body aircraft almost doubling from over 700 aircraft today to over 1,300, Lim and Ng said. The directors noted that Indian airlines have already placed more than 500 aircraft for delivery over the next five years. "To accommodate this growth, the government has committed to building more than 100 additional airports over the next six years, taking the total to over 200 by 20