Page 24 - Airlines

Malaysian carrier MyAirline abruptly suspends ops, passengers stranded

Malaysian budget carrier MyAirline abruptly suspended operations Thursday, citing financial pressures less than 11 months after it took to the skies. The unexpected announcement on social media caught many by surprise and left angry passengers stranded at the airport. The airline apologised for the extremely painful decision but said significant financial pressures made it necessary to temporarily halt operations pending shareholder restructuring and recapitalisation of the company. We have worked tirelessly to explore various partnership and capital raising options to prevent this suspension. Unfortunately, the constraints of time have left us with no alternative but to take this decision, its board of directors said in the statement. The move came just days after the airline said it was in advanced stages of finalising a strategic partnership. Local media reported that the suspension signalled that those talks may have collapsed. The airline began flights last December with a fle

India outpaces peers in recovery of int'l flight capacity, report reveals

Among the top ten international markets for India in August 2023, six have surpassed their pre-pandemic capacities

Jindal Power submits expression of interest for insolvent Go First

Go First's resolution professional invited EoIs for the carrier's sale in July. Sources have confirmed that JPL has filed an EoI for Go First in the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT)

Be selective in consumption stocks ahead of ICC World Cup, say analysts

Headwinds for the airlines and QSR sectors, analysts believe, could outweigh the positives in the form of a demand uptick

Air India to open second hub in south India in a bid to improve operations

The hub may come up in Bengaluru or Hyderabad and will work primarily to strengthen its operation in Mumbai

Air India Kochi-Gatwick flight gets cancelled due to technical fault

An Air India flight from Kochi to Gatwick was on Sunday cancelled following a technical fault in the aircraft that was noticed just minutes before it was set to take off, an airline source said. The AI 149 flight, which was scheduled to take off with 252 passengers on board at 2.15 pm, returned from the taxiway at 2.30 pm and everyone was deboarded as the aircraft was checked for the cause of the technical fault, the airline source said. As the aircraft was not found fit to undertake the flight today, it was cancelled and those not wishing to reschedule their trip or avail of seats in other airlines were issued a full refund and an appropriate monetary compensation, the source said. "We are trying to accommodate passengers (those who do not want to cancel their tickets) on other airlines and have arranged hotel accommodations for them as well as those who are unable to return to their homes today," the source said. "Since Air India accords top priority to safety issues, our ...

Weight loss drugs like Ozempic, Wegovy would reduce airlines' costs

There could be a more than $100 billion global market for such medicines, with sales climbing quickly through the end of the decade

COAI demands deadline for airlines to phase out radios, seeks 5G services

Telecom industry body COAI has written to the civil aviation ministry seeking a strict deadline for phasing out old altimeters used by Indian airlines as that will help in rolling out 5G service in areas around airports. Aviation regulator DGCA has imposed restrictions on the rollout of 5G services in mid-frequency range of 3.3 GHz band due to apprehensions that the wireless signals may interfere with those of the radio altimeters used by aircraft. Altimeters determine altitude of aircraft and any interference could lead to wrong readings that could also jeopardise the movement of a plane. Against this backdrop, the Cellular Operators' Association of India (COAI), whose members include BhartiAirtel and Reliance Jio, has written to Civil Aviation Secretary Vumlunmang Vualnam seeking his intervention with respect to the curbs imposed by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA). The industry body has said the DGCA should mandate all airlines to phase out non-conforming radio .

Air India crafts action plan to resolve spectrum of pilot concerns

In light of pilots identifying errors in flight plans, the airline will randomly scrutinise five per cent of dispatched flight plans for enhanced oversight

Bombay HC allows Akasa Air to proceed with case against pilots in Mumbai

Justice SM Modak said that the actions rose within its jurisdiction as resignations were accepted by the company in Mumbai

Vietnam's Vietjet to launch more services to India to tap growing interest

As Vietnam is largely becoming an emerging tourism destination for Indian travellers, Vietjet, the country's largest private carrier, is getting ready to tap this growing interest by expanding its service to India connecting more cities. A new route connecting Tiruchirappalli (Tamil Nadu) and Ho Chi Minh City is expected to be launched this November, airline authorities said here. Direct flight services from Kerala's Kochi to Ho Chi Minh City had already been launched by the private carrier from Cochin International Airport in August. A senior airline official said here that Vietjet currently has 32 return flights servicing India each week. "From November, Vietjet is expected to launch a new route connecting Tiruchirappalli and Ho Chi Minh City and we have plans to have an initial frequency of three return flights per week, in order to meet rising demand from travellers in both countries," the official, who doesn't want to be named, said. Vietjet would like to eventually expand it

Go First says airline's revival could be derailed by lessors' demands

Dubai Aerospace Enterprise (DAE) Capital and ACG Aircraft Leasing recently sought a Delhi court's intervention by complaining some parts had been allegedly "robbed" or the jets were corroding

Former Akasa pilots challenge maintainability of lawsuits filed by airline

The pilots contend that since their employment contracts were signed in Delhi, the case should fall under the jurisdiction of the Delhi High Court

EU boosts green aviation with 70% sustainable fuel at airports by 2050

EU lawmakers approved Wednesday new rules requiring airlines to use more sustainable fuels across the bloc in a bid to help decarbonise the sector. Under the new standards adopted during a European Parliament plenary session in Strasbourg, France, 2 per cent of jet fuel must be sustainable as of 2025, with this share increasing every five years to reach 70 per cent by 2050. The Parliament said that sustainable fuels will include synthetic fuels, certain biofuels produced from agricultural or forestry residues, algae, bio-waste, used cooking oil or certain animal fats." Recycled jet fuels produced from waste gases and waste plastic, as well as renewable hydrogen, will be considered green, while food crop-based fuels and fuels derived from palm and soy materials won't. The aviation sector accounts for 13.9 per cent of transportation emissions in the EU, making it the second biggest source of greenhouse gas emissions in the sector after road transport, the European Commission said. If

IndiGo to lease 22 aircraft to overcome impact of P&W engine snags: Report

IndiGo has the largest fleet with 135 planes running on the P&W engines which will be impacted due to safety inspection

JetBlue steps up campaign to save plan to buy Spirit Airlines for $3.8 bn

JetBlue Airways said on Monday it has reached agreement to turn over Spirit Airlines' operations at airports in Boston and Newark, New Jersey, as JetBlue ramps up its effort to win regulatory or court approval to buy Spirit. JetBlue CEO Robin Hays said the announcement is aimed at removing any doubt of our commitment to promoting competition. The US Justice Department is suing to block JetBlue's proposed USD 3.8 billion purchase of Spirit, arguing that it will hurt competition and raise prices by eliminating Spirit, the nation's biggest discount airline. A trial is scheduled to start next month in federal court in Boston. Lawyers for two dozen consumers have filed a similar lawsuit in the same court. The Justice Department was emboldened after it won a similar case and blocked a partnership between JetBlue and American Airlines, leading JetBlue to scramble to salvage its Spirit deal. The New York-based airline argues that buying Spirit will make it bigger and a stronger competitor

Adani, Emirates, Tata interested in SriLankan Airlines, claims report

Private companies, including Tata Sons, Adani Group, and Emirates, engage in discussions as the Sri Lankan government looks to privatise SriLankan Airlines

G20: Air India, Vistara announce waivers for ticket holders from 7-11 Sept

A spokesperson for Delhi airport said it has also formed a team of senior officials who will monitor G20 arrival and departure operations to ensure the best experience for the arriving delegates

TMS Ep514: G20 Summit, Sahasra chip plant, metal stocks, airline codes

What are the key things to look for at the New Delhi G20 Summit? What is the significance of the Sahasra chip plant? Do metal stocks have more mettle? What are airline codes? All answers here

Qantas CEO to depart early as airline looks to rebuild reputation

Over a decade and a half Joyce faced regular criticism for cutting jobs, including a 2011 decision to ground the entire Qantas fleet over an industrial dispute