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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
Union Civil Aviation Minister K Rammohan Naidu on Monday informed the Rajya Sabha that Indian airlines have cancelled 4,335 flights and foreign carriers 1,187 flights so far in the wake of the West Asia conflict. The escalating conflict involving the US, Israel and Iran has significantly disrupted flight operations due to airspace closures in the West Asia region. Replying to a supplementary query during Question Hour, the minister asserted that the safety of airline operations is the topmost priority. "Regarding the cancellations that have happened because of airspace closure in West Asia, almost till now, in a cumulative, Indian carriers have cancelled up to 4,335 flights, and foreign carriers have cancelled up to 1,187 flights," Naidu said. Stating that the safety of the operations is the topmost priority during this crisis, the minister said there is no reason for us to operate in this area when the airspace itself is closed. Naidu said the aviation ministry and the DGCA ...
An Air India A350 aircraft from New York to Delhi was diverted to Shannon in Ireland due to a suspected technical snag on Monday morning. There were around 300 people onboard the plane which was airborne for nearly six hours before getting diverted to Shannon, according to sources. "Flight AI102 operating from New York (JFK) to Delhi on March 15 made a precautionary diversion to Shannon, Ireland, following a suspected technical issue," an Air India spokesperson said in a statement. The spokesperson said the aircraft landed safely at Shannon Airport at 0430 hours local time, and all passengers and crew were safe. "The aircraft is currently undergoing detailed technical inspections as per established safety protocols," the spokesperson added. Information available with flight tracking website Flightradar24.com showed the plane was airborne for nearly six hours before getting diverted.
Domestic carriers have scheduled 57 inbound flights from various cities in West Asia for March 12, the Civil Aviation Ministry said on Thursday. A total of 1,50,457 air passengers have travelled from Gulf countries to India between February 28 and March 11, it added. Indian carriers have resumed their flight services to and from Riyadh on March 12, with three services being operated to Mumbai by Air India and IndiGo, and one service to Calicut by Air India Express, thereby restoring important air connectivity between India and Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, the ministry said in a statement. Amid the escalating West Asia conflict, airlines are operating services in a calibrated manner as there are airspace restrictions and closures in the region. "During the period February 28 to March 11, a total of 1,50,457 air passengers travelled from the Gulf countries to India. "Further, Indian carriers have scheduled 57 inbound flights on 12 March 2026 from various cities in West Asia, including Abu