Air Traffic

Air travellers face frustration as FAA's further flight cuts take effect

Air travellers could face more frustration as busy US airports need to meet a higher Federal Aviation Administration target for reducing flights Tuesday after already cancelling thousands to scale back demands on the nation's aviation system during the government shutdown. The FAA ordered domestic airlines last week to drop 4 per cent of their flights at 40 major US airports, saying absences and signs of stress among traffic controllers made it imperative to act in the name of public safety. After already cancelling more than 7,900 since Friday, the goal for cutting flights is set to rise to 6 per cent on Tuesday and again to 10 per cent on Friday. But it was unclear exactly how many additional flights would need to be cancelled Tuesday. The average cancellation rate over the last few days already exceeded the FAA's requirement, according to aviation analytics company Cirium. The FAA also expanded its flight restrictions Monday, barring business jets and many private flights from ..

US air traffic staffing crisis disrupts thousands of flights amid shutdown

Some 1,500 flights were canceled and 6,000 flights were delayed on Saturday, compared with Friday when 1,025 were canceled and 7,000 were delayed

US to cut flight capacity by 10% at key airports as shutdown persists

The announced plans, if they impact the top 40 airports in the US, could cut as many as 1,800 flights, data analytics company Cirium said

FAA reducing air traffic by 10% across 40 markets amid US shutdown

The Federal Aviation Administration on Wednesday announced that it will reduce air traffic by 10 per cent across 40 high-volume markets beginning Friday morning to maintain safety during the ongoing US government shutdown. The reduction stands to impact thousands of flights nationwide. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is confronting staffing shortages among air traffic controllers who have been working unpaid since the shutdown began October 1, with some calling out of work, resulting in delays across the country. FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford said the agency would not for a crisis to act, citing growing staffing pressures caused by the shutdown. We can't ignore it, he said. Bedford and Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said they will meet later Wednesday with airline executives to determine how to safely implement the reduction in flights. The early indicators are telling us we can take action today to prevent things from deteriorating, Bedford said. Both Bedford a

Delhi Airport records 34% surge in East-West transit passenger traffic

Air India and IndiGo handle over 90 per cent of Delhi's East-West transit traffic as DIAL ramps up routes to Thailand, Japan, China, and the UK

Domestic air traffic at 12 mn in Aug; flight delays hit 74,381 people: DGCA

Domestic airlines flew 1.29 crore passengers in August, lower than 1.31 crore people carried by them in the year-ago period, according to the latest official data. However, the traffic quantum was higher in August compared to July, when it stood at 1.26 crore. IndiGo's domestic market fell to 64.2 per cent in August against 65.2 per cent in July, while that of Air India Group -- comprising Air India and Air India Express -- rose to 27.3 per cent from 26.2 per cent during the same period. "Passengers carried by domestic airlines during January-August 2025 were 1,107.26 lakhs as against 1054.66 lakhs during the corresponding period of the previous year, thereby registering an annual growth of 4.99 per cent and a monthly growth of -1.40 per cent," DGCA said in its monthly traffic report for August. In August, the passenger number stood at 1.29 crore, lower than 1.31 crore recorded in the same period a year ago. Meanwhile, the market share of Akasa Air dipped to 5.4 per cent in August

Global air passenger traffic expected to hit 9.8 billion in 2025: Report

Global air passenger traffic is projected to touch 9.8 billion in 2025, nearly 4 per cent higher compared to last year, according to Airports Council International (ACI) World. In 2024, the total passenger traffic stood at 9.4 billion. Its bi-annual World Airport Traffic Report (WATR) released on Tuesday said the global aviation market is expanding, but its trajectory remains sensitive to geopolitical events, macroeconomic conditions and region-specific headwinds. "Current projections estimate total passenger traffic will reach 9.8 billion in 2025, a 3.7 per cent increase from 2024. International traffic is expected to reach 4.3 billion passengers (44 per cent of the total), while domestic traffic is projected at 5.5 billion passengers (56 per cent of the total)," ACI World said. In the Asia Pacific region, the traffic number is forecast to reach 3.6 billion passengers in 2025, with Southern and Southeast Asia driving growth while East Asia's outlook remains cautious. The figures

Icra cuts FY26 domestic air growth to 4-6%, August traffic stagnates

Icra lowered FY26 domestic air growth forecast to 4-6 per cent from 7-10 per cent, citing global tensions, accident-related hesitancy, and weak demand, as August passenger traffic stagnated

Southwest crew members injured as jet makes sharp evasive move post takeoff

The incident comes a week after a Delta Air Lines Inc jet was forced to abort landing to avoid a midair collision with a B-52 bomber in North Dakota

Domestic air traffic rises 1.89% to 14.05 million in May, says DGCA

DGCA's monthly data showed the number of domestic passengers flown by Indian airlines in May 2024 was 13.79 million

Debate around bilateral rights 'silly': Etihad CEO Antonoaldo Neves

Staggered increase in bilateral rights needed now between India and Abu Dhabi, he added

Mumbai ATC reports surge in traffic as flights avoid Pakistani airspace

Mumbai Air Traffic Control (ATC) has experienced a surge in traffic, after international flights were rerouted due to the closure of Pakistani airspace since last month, sources said. Apart from handling Europe, North and South America-bound flights originating from Mumbai, the ATC is now also handling aircraft flying towards these regions from Northern India, the sources added. Pakistan shut its airspace for Indian airlines on April 24 in response to India's diplomatic measures against the neighbouring country following the terrorist attack in Pahalgam on April 22 that killed at least 26 people. On April 30, India also shut its airspace to Pakistan airlines as part of the retaliatory measure. On a normal day, Mumbai ATC handles between 950-970 arrivals and departures, including unscheduled flights, apart from some 2,000 flights overflying Mumbai skies, as per sources. "Some 130 flights from Northern India for destinations in Europe, North and South America would take the ...

Domestic air traffic rises 11% in January, IndiGo tops with 65.2% share

Domestic air traffic grew 11.28 per cent to 1.46 crore in January compared to the year-ago period, according to official data. IndiGo saw its market share climb to 65.2 per cent while that of Air India Group declined to 25.7 per cent last month. Akasa Air and SpiceJet saw their respective market share increased to 4.7 per cent and 3.2 per cent. "Passengers carried by domestic airlines during January 2025 were 146.11 lakh as against 131.30 lakh during the corresponding period of the previous year thereby registering an annual growth of 11.28 per cent and monthly growth of 11.28 per cent," DGCA said on Thursday. Last month, the overall cancellation rate of scheduled domestic airlines stood at 1.62 per cent, with the highest cancellation rate for Fly Big at 17.74 per cent followed by Fly91 (5.09 per cent) and Alliance Air (4.35 per cent). The data released by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) showed that IndiGo recorded the highest On Time Performance (OTP) at 75.5 pe

Musk has inside track to modernise air traffic communications system

A satellite company owned by Elon Musk has the inside track to potentially take over a large federal contract to modernize the nation's air traffic communications system. Equipment from Musk's Starlink has been installed in Federal Aviation Administration facilities as a prelude to a takeover of a $2 billion contract held by Verizon, according to government employees, contractors and people familiar with the work. Musk said that the network used by air traffic controllers is aging and requires drastic and quick action to modernize it. The Verizon system is not working and so is putting air travelers at serious risk, Musk on Monday posted on X, the social media site he has owned since 2022. The emergence of Starlink as a potential replacement for the Verizon-led effort underscores the extraordinary conflicts of interest inherent in Musk's position as both a senior White House adviser to President Donald Trump and a business mogul in charge of a sprawling array of companies. It is no

Aero India 2025: Traffic advisory issued ahead of air show in Bengaluru

Bengaluru police issued traffic advisory, including restrictions and diversions at many places near the Yelahanka Air Force Station from February 10 to 14

Air India aims to double international transit traffic in three years

The current share of I2I traffic in the airline's total international traffic stands at about 10%

Asia-Pacific regions lead 2024 with 7 of top 10 busiest airline routes

Asia-Pacific dominates Official Airline Guide's 2024 report, claiming seven of the 10 busiest airline routes. Hong Kong-Taipei leads, signalling a strong recovery in post-pandemic air travel

Domestic air passenger traffic rises 6% to 13 million in September

Domestic carriers flew 1.30 crore passengers in September, which is 6.38 per cent higher compared to the year-ago period, according to official data released on Tuesday. In September last year, airlines carried 1.22 crore passengers. IndiGo's market share rose to 63 per cent while that of Air India climbed to 15.1 per cent in September 2024, as per the data released by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA). AIX Connect, which was merged with Air India Express this month, topped the list of airlines in terms of On Time Performance (OTP) at 70.1 per cent, replacing Akasa Air, whose OTP slipped to 62.1 per cent. The data showed that Vistara's market share dipped to 10 per cent and that of AIX Connect slipped to 4.1 per cent last month. The overall domestic market share of Air India Group comprising Air India, AIX Connect and Vistara touched 29.2 per cent. In September, Akasa Air and SpiceJet carried saw 5.73 lakh and 2.61 lakh passengers, respectively. While Akasa Air's m

Air traffic soars as more passengers opt for direct flights to & from India

In 2023, around 37 million international passengers booked direct flights, an increase of 2 million compared to 2019, according to UK-based air consultancy firm OAG

Air, rail, road traffic hit in Bengal ahead of cyclone Remal's landfall

The impending landfall of severe cyclone Remal has led to significant disruptions in air, rail, and road transportation in Kolkata and other parts of South Bengal on Sunday, with concerns expected to continue into Monday. As a precaution, Kolkata airport authorities have suspended flight operations for 21 hours from Sunday noon. Additionally, the Eastern and South Eastern railways cancelled several trains. Intermittent showers and gusty winds affected South Bengal districts from Sunday morning, leading to a noticeable absence of buses, taxis, and three-wheelers on the roads in Kolkata and district towns. Disruptions in road and rail transport are anticipated on Monday, due to the effects of the cyclone's landfall, expected by midnight on Sunday. A total of 394 flights both international and domestic will not operate during the flight suspension period, an Airports Authority of India (AAI) official said. This precautionary measure was taken after a meeting with stakeholders of the