Air Travel In India

Rs 200 samosas, Rs 500 thalis has airport users fuming in new survey

Passengers report paying up to 200% more for food and beverages at Indian airports, with samosas priced at Rs 200 and thalis at Rs 500, sparking calls for affordable options and pricing reforms

Indians flock to visa-free destinations, spend up to 70,000/person on trips

Increased disposable income, better airline connectivity, and simplified visa processes have made it easier for Indians to travel abroad

Airlines, hotels make up 70% of India's $53 billion travel market: Deloitte

In 2023, airlines and hotels made up 70% of India's $53 billion travel market, with corporate travel valued at $10.6 billion. By 2030, the Indian travel industry is expected to touch $97 billion

How Indians travel decoded: Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, Bhutan new favorites

There has been a 70% increase in the combined search volume for the top 10 emerging destinations. Almaty and Baku have seen phenomenal growth rates of 527% and 395%, respectively.

Rising airfares put a damper on Dussehra and Diwali travel plans this year

The cost of flights during Diwali week in 2024 has surged compared to the same period last year, even for bookings made three months in advance, according to media reports

Air travel demand normalises after Covid boom, customers back to basics

Ryanair reported earlier on Monday a bigger than expected drop in quarterly profit as fares plunged 15 per cent, with management saying that ticket prices were continuing to deteriorate

Airlines add 51 new passengers to no-fly list for unruly behaviour in 2024

The civil aviation ministry on Monday said 51 passengers have been placed under the no-fly list of airlines for unruly behaviour this year till July 1. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has norms in place for handling unruly/disruptive passengers, including procedures for placing unruly passengers on the no-fly list. A total of 300 passengers have been placed on the no-fly list in the last five years, including 51 people this year till July 1, according to data provided by Minister of State for Civil Aviation Murlidhar Mohol to the Rajya Sabha. In 2023, as many as 110 passengers were placed on the no-fly list while the count stood at 63 and 66 in 2022 and 2021, respectively. As per the data, 10 passengers were placed on the list in 2020. Adequate regulatory frameworks are in place to ensure safety of the aircraft/ persons/ property/ good order and discipline on board the aircraft and to handle the unlawful/disruptive behaviour on-board the aircraft, the minister sai

India's monsoon travel surge: Bookings up 25% with discounts driving demand

Countries with short-haul international flights and visa-free or easily obtainable visa options, such as Bhutan, Sri Lanka, Bali, and Malaysia are experiencing a 20% increase in demand annually

Summer travel rises 40% this year, travel sector see buoyant demand

As Indian travellers pack their bags to escape the scorching heat, there has been a 40 per cent on-year increase in summer travel this year, with hospitality and travel services providers noticing buoyant demand. Although the ongoing general elections have had a minor impact on corporate and Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, and Exhibitions (MICE) business, hotels are finding increased retail business with beach destinations still fighting it out with hill stations for the favoured holiday site. "Those in the Northern part of the country head to the hills to escape the heat. There is also movement from the cities to nearby tourist or leisure destinations. Industry sources estimate a 30 to 40 per cent increase in the summer travel this year as compared to last year," Hotel Association of India, President and Radisson Hotel Group Chairman-South Asia, KB Kachru told PTI. MakeMyTrip Co-Founder & Group CEO Rajesh Magow said, "Summer is always one of the biggest quarters of the year in

IndiGo Q4 results: Net profit doubles amid high demand for air travel

Set to offer business class by end of this year

Goa top summer destination; Puri, Varanasi lead in pilgrims: MakeMyTrip

Among international destinations, while Dubai remains the top choice, Baku in Azerbaijan, Almaty in Kazakhstan, and Nagoya in Japan are recording the highest growth in searches

Akasa Air now allows carriage of pets weighing up to 10 kg in cabin

Akasa Air passengers can now carry pets that weigh up to 10 kilograms in the cabin of domestic flights, with the airline on Wednesday saying the enhancement to its pet travel service has been done after taking customer feedback into consideration. In November 2022, the airline introduced the service wherein passengers have been allowed to travel on domestic flights with their cats and dogs in the cabin or cargo, based on their weight. "As part of the enhancements, Akasa Air now allows customers to travel with pets weighing up to 10 kg (including the weight of the container) in the cabin -- an increase from the previous limit of 7 kg. This change has been introduced keeping customer feedback in mind, reflecting the airline's commitment to continuously enhance its services to meet the evolving travel needs of its customers," the airline said in a release. In the cargo, pets weighing up to 32 kg are allowed by Akasa Air. According to the release, the airline has carried more than 3,20

Indians prepare for summer travel despite heat waves, soaring fares: Report

IMD expects May 2024 to record a higher than normal number of heat wave days in various parts of the country

Passengers may exit from departure gate; BCAS issues new airport guidelines

The Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS) has introduced new guidelines in case of flight delays and congestion at airports, ahead of the summer travel season

Over 44% passengers paid extra charges on booking flight tickets: Survey

As much as 44 per cent respondents in a survey complained that they had to pay extra charges to get a seat at the time of purchase of a flight ticket. Many of the respondents also reported paying between Rs 200 and Rs 2,000 as seat allocation fee, which can amount to 5-40 per cent of the air fare, LocalCircles, which carried out the survey, said in a statement. It also said there has been a very marginal improvement in the last 12 months in the ability of consumers to get a free seat when booking their flight. The Ministry of Consumer Affairs and consumer regulator CCPA late last year convened a meeting of the airlines on the issue and questioned them about the alleged unfair trade practices and misleading claims of "free" web check-in, it said. The new survey, which received over 41,000 responses from consumers across 339 districts of the country, has focused on fliers' problems when booking for travel with family members, particularly young children, LocalCircles said. According

SpiceJet adds 10 aircraft to fleet ahead of busy summer schedule

Low-cost carrier SpiceJet has finalised lease agreements for 10 aircraft to ensure seamless travel during the upcoming summer season

Supply chain issues to hit aircraft deliveries for Indian airlines: Report

Aircraft deliveries to domestic airlines are likely to be impacted amid the supply chain challenges being faced by aircraft and engine makers, a report said on Wednesday. In its report, credit rating agency Icra said Indian airlines have a total order book of around 1,700 aircraft, which is more than double the size of the current fleet. Supply chain challenges and engine failure issues remain the headwinds in the near term, Icra said in its mid-term outlook on the domestic aviation industry. "The deliveries, however, are likely to be gradual, spanning over the next decade, and will also be impacted by the current supply chain challenges encountered by engine and aircraft Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs)," it said. India is one of the fastest-growing civil aviation markets and domestic air traffic is on the rise. Airlines have also embarked on ambitious expansion plans to cater to the increasing travel demand. Since February last year, Akasa Air, Air India and IndiGo togeth

India needs over 2,500 new aircraft deliveries by 2042: Boeing outlook

Backed by high traffic growth, India will need more than 2,500 new aircraft deliveries by 2042, Darren Hulst, Boeing vice-president of Commercial Marketing said on Friday. Addressing a press conference, Hulst said to meet rising passenger and cargo demand, South Asian carriers are projected to quadruple the size of their fleets over the next two decades and they will require more than 2,705 new airplanes to address growth and fleet replacement. "Over 92 per cent of that (2,705) or over 2,500 (aircraft India will need) by 2042. It is based on the (forecast given in) middle of the last year," he told reporters. "We project that carriers here (South Asia including India) will need more than 2,700 aircraft deliveries by the year 2042," he said, adding a similar composition of the fleet with more than 2,300 single aisle, nearly 400 wide body aircraft for long haul. According to Boeing, India is the only large economy, a large market in Asia that has evolved to pre-pandemic levels both .

SpiceJet passenger gets stuck in lavatory mid-air, airline apologises

For almost an hour, a SpiceJet passenger was stuck inside an aircraft lavatory mid-air, a cabin crew slipped in a note saying "do not panic" and finally the passenger came out after an engineer opened the door on landing at the Bengaluru airport. Malfunctioning of the lavatory door led to the passenger getting stuck onboard the flight from Mumbai to Bengaluru on Tuesday. The flight was operated with a Boeing 737-8 aircraft. SpiceJet apologised for the inconvenience caused to the passenger and will also provide a full refund. As the passenger kept waiting in the lavatory, a cabin crew slipped in a note asking the passenger not to panic and that despite trying their best, the door could not be opened. "Do not panic, we are landing in few mins, so please close the comode lid and sit on it and secure urself as soon as the main door is open, engineer will come. Do not panic," the handwritten note widely shared on social media said. An official said the Directorate General of Civil Avia

The 10 best budget travel destinations for 2024; all details inside

The astonishing variety of travel places in India has to be seen to be believed. Tourists have given lifetimes to exploring the popular places and neglected corners of this incredible country