Aviation

Washington-area airports halt flights after chemical smell at ATC centre

Airports serving Washington, D.C., Baltimore and some cities in Virginia briefly halted all flights Friday evening because of what federal authorities said was a strong chemical smell at the flight centre that controls traffic into the airports. According to a spokesperson with the Department of Transportation, the Federal Aviation Administration temporarily stopped traffic at at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, Washington Dulles International Airport, Baltimore-Washington International Airport, CharlottesvilleAlbemarle Airport and Richmond International Airport because of a the chemical odor at the Potomac TRACON. The TRACON is a terminal radar approach control facility that manages air traffic for those regions, according to the FAA website. FAA spokeswoman Kristen Alsop said Friday that controllers were coming back to work and normal flight operations should return to normal soon. It was the second time this month that airports in the region have had to halt flights ..

West Asia crisis: Pilots' body ALPA India seeks centralised risk assessment

Pilots' grouping ALPA India on Friday urged the civil aviation ministry and regulator DGCA to suspend flight operations into high-risk conflict zones till a centralised risk assessment is carried out amid the escalating West Asia crisis. Stressing the need for having war-risk insurance, it also said the watchdog should mandate immediate disclosure and verification of valid insurance coverage, including war-risk clauses, for all crew operating into or near conflict zones. The Middle East conflict involving the US, Israel and Iran has significantly disrupted flight operations, and airlines have curtailed their services. In a letter to DGCA, Airline Pilots' Association of India (ALPA India) said commercial airlines do not possess the requisite intelligence, surveillance capabilities, or geopolitical risk assessment infrastructure necessary to adequately evaluate threats in active conflict environments. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) should immediately review and ...

Air India's London-bound A350 aircraft faces tech issue, returns to Delhi

Air India's A350 aircraft enroute to London Heathrow returned to the national capital due to a technical issue on Thursday afternoon after being airborne for nearly seven hours. The same A350-900 aircraft VT-JRF had faced a technical issue on March 15, following which the plane operating the flight from New York to Delhi was diverted to the Irish town of Shannon, sources said. An Air India spokesperson said its flight AI111, operating from Delhi to London on Thursday, made a precautionary air-return to the national capital following a suspected technical issue. "The aircraft landed safely and consistent with Air India's high safety standards, it is currently subject to extensive technical evaluations, which will require additional time to complete," the spokesperson said in a statement. According to the sources, noises were heard in the aircraft following which it was diverted. The spokesperson also regretted the inconvenience caused to the passengers due to the unforeseen situat

Soft landing for aviation insurance premiums amid benign loss trends

Aviation insurance rates have softened due to excess reinsurance capacity and lower global losses, though geopolitical risks continue to influence underwriting conditions

ATF price rise impact may be visible from April 1: Aviation minister

Naidu said , "The impact should not translate into operations or the passengers. That will be the intention of the Ministry, and we will engage positively"

A-I Delhi-Vancouver flight returns after 7 hours over operational issue

After being airborne for over seven hours, an Air India plane from Delhi to Vancouver returned to the national capital on Thursday evening due to an operational issue. Without providing specific details, Air India, in a statement on Friday, said the aircraft landed safely at the Delhi airport. The flight was operated with Boeing 777-200 LR aircraft VT-AEI and was airborne for over seven hours. The plane turned back to Delhi when it was in the Chinese airspace, according to information available on the flight tracking website Flightradar24.com. "Air India flight AI185, operating from Delhi to Vancouver on 19 March, returned to Delhi due to an operational issue and in line with established standard operating procedures. The aircraft landed safely, and all passengers and crew had disembarked," the airline said in a statement. A source said that there might have been an administrative issue in terms of the aircraft deployed, which led to the decision to return to Delhi. Further detail

MRO demand set to reach $5.7 billion by 2030, driven by engine services

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

Delhi-bound Air India plane diverted to Ireland due to technical snag

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.

Phuket airport closes runway after Air India Express plane malfunction

An Air India Express aircraft operating its Hyderabad-Phuket (Thailand) flight suffered a nose-wheel issue at Phuket Airport, the airline said on Wednesday. Authorities suspended flight operations at Phuket airport following the incident since the aircraft is stuck on the runway, sources said. The number of passengers onboard the Boeing 737-Max8 aircraft was not immediately known. "We confirm that our Hyderabad-Phuket flight on March 11 experienced an issue with the nose wheel at Phuket Airport," Air India Express said in a statement. Nose wheel is a critical component of an aircraft's landing gear system. Flight IX 938 took off from Hyderabad at 6.42 am instead of its scheduled departure time of 6.20 am, and landed at Phuket International Airport 11.40 am local time, according to flight tracking website flightradar24.com. "The crew followed all standard protocols, and guests were deplaned," Air India Express said in the statement.

Cabinet clears proposal to declare Madurai airport as international airport

The Cabinet on Tuesday approved the proposal to declare Madurai airport as an international airport. Madurai is a prominent city in Tamil Nadu, and Union minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said the decision was taken keeping in view the aspirations of the people of Madurai. Briefing media persons about the Cabinet decisions, the Information and Broadcasting (I&B) Minister said that the policy decision to declare Madurai airport as an international airport will help bring air connectivity from various parts of the world to the temple city, and there is a huge industrial cluster around it. The decision would also strengthen the city's role as an educational and healthcare hub, he said. Vaishnaw said multiple airlines have shown interest in expanding their international flights from the airport. Madurai airport is one of the oldest airports in Tamil Nadu. Elevating Madurai airport to an international status would enhance regional connectivity, promote trade, and drive economic development in

IndiGo flight to Manchester aborts trip, returns amid airspace closure

The airline said on March 7 that it would restart its Europe operations as airlines gradually restored schedules following disruptions caused by the evolving situation in West Asia

'Safer environment, equal opportunities': DGCA on International Women's Day

Chief Flight Operations Inspector, Directorate General of Civil Aviation, Shweta Singh, said that they provide training to girls to maintain equilibrium between professional demands and personal life

Air cargo agents seek waiver of demurrage charges amid West Asia crisis

ACAAI urges Civil Aviation Ministry to direct cargo terminal operators to waive demurrage as export consignments remain stranded due to West Asia airspace curbs

Aloke Singh to step down as Air India Express MD after five-year tenure

Air India Express MD Aloke Singh will exit on 19 March after steering the airline through privatisation, a merger with AirAsia India, a four-fold fleet expansion and a major brand overhaul

444 flights to be cancelled amid Iran-Israel tensions: Aviation ministry

In an X post, the MoCA stated that the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) is in complete coordination with the airlines to ensure passenger safety and operational regulations

Datanomics: India's defence aviation bears the brunt of flight crashes

In 2024-25, commercial aircraft, fighter jets, and helicopters accounted for the largest share of India's overall aviation fleet

DGCA rolls out 48-hour free cancellation window and stricter refund rules

DGCA has revamped airline ticketing rules, adding a 48-hour free cancellation window, capping fees, tightening refund timelines and introducing passenger-friendly provisions for emergencies

Air India technical incidents like fuel leaks hit 14-month high in January

Air India operated more than 17,500 flights in January and recorded 23 technical incidents on its international and domestic flights, according to the document

Aviation Ministry weighs curbs on festival airfare surge, Centre tells SC

The Centre on Monday told the Supreme Court that the Ministry of Civil Aviation was actively considering the issues raised in a PIL which sought regulatory guidelines to control the unpredictable fluctuations in airfare and ancillary charges imposed by private airlines in India. A bench of Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta, which termed the issue as "serious", granted four weeks to the Centre for the conclusion of the deliberations on the issue flagged in the public interest litigation (PIL). "This is a very serious concern. Otherwise, we don't entertain 32 petitions," the bench said. Appearing for the Centre, Additional Solicitor General Anil Kaushik said that they need at least three weeks to file their response on the PIL as the concerned ministry is actively considering the issues raised in the petition. The bench, which recorded that the issues have been taken note by the ministry, posted the matter for further hearing on March 23. On January 19, the top court said it wo

Akasa Air Chief Commercial Officer Praveen Iyer resigns, to exit in April

Akasa Air Co-Founder and Chief Commercial Officer Praveen Iyer will step down at end-April; CIO Anand Srinivasan to take over as CCO amid leadership reshuffle