Air Passenger

Delhi airport handles 1.34 mn int'l transit passengers in FY25: DIAL

DIAL on Monday said Delhi airport has become a preferred transit hub, with 1.34 million international passengers transiting through the airport in the last financial year. The Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA) in the national capital is the country's largest airport, operated by GMR Group-led Delhi International Airport Ltd (DIAL). Citing data from the International Air Transport Association (IATA), DIAL, in a statement, said International-to-International (I to-I) transfers increased by 244 per cent, from 3,88,000 in FY 2023 to 1.34 million in FY 2025. The airport provides connectivity to around 150 destinations worldwide. IATA is a global grouping of about 350 airlines. "Aligned with the Government of India's strategic vision to position Delhi as a leading international transit gateway, we have been continuously working to build a hub that connects continents," DIAL CEO Videh Kumar Jaipuriar said.

76% flyers say airlines prioritise publicity over passenger safety: Survey

A majority of airline passengers believe carriers prioritise publicity over safety, while 64% report rough flights in 3 years, raising serious concerns over aviation safety and regulatory oversight

India becomes second-largest air passenger mkt for Thailand this summer

In the summer of pre-Covid 2019, India was Thailand's sixth-largest international airlines market

79% Air India flyers report quality, aircraft maintenance issues: Survey

A staggering 79% of Air India passengers experienced aircraft quality issues, up from 55% in 2024, amid growing safety concerns after the June 12 crash, finds a nationwide LocalCircles survey

'Tragedy calls for introspection': Naidu vows reforms after Air India crash

Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu pledges full support and reforms after the Air India AI171 crash in Ahmedabad. A high-level probe and urgent aircraft inspections are now underway

Operation Sindoor: Over 300,000 flight tickets cancelled in 6 days

Besides cancellation of domestic flights between May 7 and May 12, the airlines have also been financially impacted by the closure of Pakistan airspace to Indian carriers' international flights

IGI airport aims 24 mn passengers annually, more global links: DIAL CEO

Delhi airport expects to handle more than 24 million passengers annually in the next 1-2 years and is working on having more connectivity to the Asia Pacific region, including Australia and New Zealand, a top official said on Friday. Currently, the Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA) handles around 22 million passengers annually and of the total, 5.5 million are connecting passenger traffic. DIAL CEO Videh Kumar Jaipuriar said the airport is in discussions to enhance air connectivity to the Asia Pacific region, including Australia and New Zealand. Among other initiatives, a memorandum of understanding has been signed with the Auckland airport. Delhi International Airport Ltd (DIAL) operates IGIA in the national capital and has connections to 70 international destinations at present. "We are well advanced into becoming a global gateway," Jaipuriar said at a briefing here. Currently, the annual passenger traffic is around 22 million. Now, there are three operational termina

Air India passenger urinates on fellow traveller on Delhi-Bangkok flight

An Air India passenger allegedly urinated on a fellow traveller during a flight from the national capital to Bangkok on Wednesday, according to sources. Air India, in a statement, said that an incident of "unruly passenger behavior" was reported on its Delhi-Bangkok flight on April 9 and the matter has been reported to the authorities (DGCA). When asked about the incident, Civil Aviation Minister K Rammohan Naidu on Wednesday said the ministry will take note of the incident and speak to the airline. "If there is any wrongdoing, we will take necessary action," Naidu said on the sidelines of an event in the national capital. "Air India confirms that an incident of unruly passenger behaviour was reported to the cabin crew operating flight AI2336, from Delhi to Bangkok, on April 9, 2025," an Air India spokesperson said. The crew followed all laid down procedures, and the matter has been reported to the authorities, it said. In addition to warning the unruly passenger, the airline s

Delhi airport fee hike for business-class flyers sparks fairness debate

In February, DIAL stated that the increase would raise final airfares by no more than 1.5 per cent on average

'Unwell' Air India passenger dies after arriving at Lucknow airport today

Citing a fellow passenger, the report added that the man did not respond when a stewardess asked to clear his food plate and drinks

Delhi airport's T2 to shut for upgrades; T1 likely to reopen by March 15

Terminal 2's current passenger load, which stands at 15 million, will be shifted to Terminal 1, according to airport operator DIAL

DGCA fined Air India Express ₹30 lakh in Dec 2024 for rule violation

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation imposed a financial penalty of Rs 30 lakh in December last year on Air India Express for installing and operating a Boeing aircraft with an external livery without its permission, Parliament was informed on Thursday. In a written reply to the Lok Sabha, Minister for State for Civil Aviation Murlidhar Mohol said the violations of safety norms by the airlines are monitored by the DGCA and based on the severity of the violation, actions are taken. He also said the DGCA carries out surveillance/audits at regular intervals vide published Annual Surveillance Programme (ASP) on needs basis to ensure that continued compliance is maintained by airlines. Violations to the extant rules and regulations are dealt as per enforcement policy and procedure manual and enforcement actions as deemed fit are taken by DGCA, he added. According to the data shared as part of the written reply, a total of 23 enforcement actions were taken by three directorates unde

Transfer passengers' share likely to double in 10 years, says BIAL COO

In an interview with Business Standard, he said about five years ago, the share of transfer traffic in the airport's overall traffic was about six per cent

Sarla Aviation unveils prototype air taxi, may launch flying taxis by 2028

Aerospace startup Sarla Aviation on Friday unveiled its prototype air taxi, Shunya, at the Bharat Mobility Global Expo amid its plans to introduce electric flying taxis in Bangalore by 2028 to revolutionize urban transport in India. With speeds reaching up to 250 km per hour and optimised for short trips of 20-30 km, Shunya is expected to significantly reduce travel times across congested urban areas, the company said. The Bengaluru-based platform named after India's first woman pilot Sarla Thukral recently secured USD 10 million in Series A funding led by Accel, with participation from notable angel investors including Flipkart co-founder Binny Bansal and Zerodha co-founder Nikhil Kamath. Founded in October 2023 by Adrian Schmidt, Rakesh Gaonkar, and Shivam Chauhan, Sarla Aviation prototype Shunya is designed to accommodate up to six passengers and can carry a maximum load of 680 kg, making it the highest payload eVTOL (electric vertical Take-off and landing) in the market. "Shuny

Mumbai airport sees 6.3% rise in passenger traffic to 54.8 million in 2024

Mumbai International Airport logged a 6.3 per cent year-on-year growth in passenger traffic at 5.48 crore in 2024, the private airport operator Mumbai International Airport Ltd (MIAL) said on Thursday. The passenger traffic at Mumbai airport was recorded at 5.16 crore in 2023, it said. The airport also recorded 3,46,617 air traffic movements, or departures and arrivals, marking a 3.2 per cent increase over the previous year, MIAL said. The facility saw its highest single-day passenger movement on December 21, with about 170,000 passengers -- 116,982 domestic and 52,800 international travellers, it said. December also emerged as the busiest month for the airport, recording a 3.4 per cent growth in arrival and departure of passengers at 50.5 lakh. Additionally, the airport achieved a milestone with over 8,000 international air traffic movements in December, further strengthening its position as a global travel hub while two days of February 2024 -- 3 and 10 February -- saw CSMIA ...

Delayed flights: Delhi airport sets up special enclosures for passengers

Special enclosures have been set up at the Delhi airport to accommodate passengers who have disembarked from flights that have been delayed for over three hours to allow their faster return to the terminal to board their respective flights. To reduce the discomfort and waiting time for such passengers to board their respective flights again, they will not be required to go through the normal process for security check ins and the process will be done separately to allow them to return to the Security Hold Area (SHA), according to airport operator DIAL. The government has relaxed the security protocols at airports to allow passengers of flights delayed by over three hours or canceled due to fog, weather or technical issues to disembark and return to the terminal. Following the eased norms, DIAL on Monday said it has set up the special enclosures at all the three terminals -- T1, T2 and T3 -- for such passengers that will allow them back inside the terminal concerned. "Ranging from 2

Aviation milestone: Indian airlines carry over 500,000 passengers in a day

Indian skies set a new record with 505,000 domestic flyers in a day, driven by post-Diwali demand, festive travel, and a steady rise in passenger numbers over recent weeks

India's aircraft fleet set to increase by over 5 times in 20 yrs: Report

This growth will boost Indian airlines' share of the Asia-Pacific passenger fleet from the current 8 per cent to 18 per cent by 2043, according to a Cirium report

Vistara merger: Air India deploys additional resources to help passengers

Air India has deployed additional resources, including help desk kiosks, at touch points and airports to ensure a smooth experience for Vistara passengers post its merger with the airline next week, an official said on Wednesday. Full-service carriers -- Air India and Vistara, a joint venture between Tatas and Singapore Airlines -- set to be merged on November 11. Post-merger, the routes and schedule operated by Vistara and the Vistara in-flight experience will remain the same. Also, Vistara aircraft will be identified by a special four-digit Air India code beginning with the digit '2'. The official in the know said Air India deployed additional resources across touch points in India, including help desk kiosks, at the curbside before terminal entry at hubs and metro city airports. There will be "customer support staff wearing 'How may I assist you?' Air India x Vistara branded t-shirts for support", the official added. In due course, Vistara airport ticketing offices and check-in

Hyderabad's BluJ Aerospace aims for hydrogen-powered air taxis by 2030

The eVTOL startup is scheduled to launch an air taxi service, connecting major cities in under 39 minutes by 2030, while also developing a zero-emission cargo aircraft set for debut by 2026