Aviation Industry

Navi Mumbai International Airport in talks with govt for global hub status

The plan envisages to bring back transfer traffic which have been using global hubs like Dubai, Doha, London, Frankfurt amongst others

How IndiGo is set to dominate Navi Mumbai over rivals with capacity push

Aviation experts say the expansion in NMIAL is closely tied up with the availability of new planes the airlines need to expand

Singapore Airlines deepens role at Air India amid losses, safety concerns

While relying on its minority shareholder for operational support, Tata Group, which owns 74.9% of Air India, is focusing on commercial, human resources, finance and information technology functions

Air India expects to complete retrofit of 7 more Boeing 787-8 planes

Air India expects to complete retrofitting of seven more legacy Boeing 787-8 planes this year as it upgrades the fleet of these aircraft that is key to the airline's long-haul operations. The loss-making carrier, which is in the midst of an ambitious transformation plan, has received the first of its retrofitted legacy Boeing 787-8 plane, which has 250 seats in three class configuration of business, premium economy and economy. The plane landed in the national capital on April 13. Air India's Chief Customer Experience Officer Rajesh Dogra on Sunday said the airline expects to complete retrofitting of a total of eight legacy Boeing 787-8s this year. This includes the plane that landed on April 13. On Sunday, the airline unveiled the retrofitted, twin-aisle B787-8 (VT-ANT) that underwent a nose-to-tail cabin refresh. According to Dogra, 85 per cent of the legacy Boeing 787-8 planes retrofit is expected to be completed by the end of 2027 and retrofitting of all such aircraft is likel

SpiceJet preparing for layoffs as financial troubles intensify: Report

Salary delays have stretched to months while fleet size has dropped, pushing the cash-strapped airline to seek govt funding as competition, operational constraints intensify, a media report said

EU to push for jet fuel diversification as Iran war threatens supply

Flights in Europe could start to be cancelled from the end of May due to a lack of jet fuel, the International Air Transport Association's director general Willie Walsh said

Singapore Airlines CEO to hold talks with Tata executives on Air India ops

Singapore Airlines CEO Goh Choon Phong will be meeting senior Tata Group executives on Thursday, and both sides are expected to have detailed discussions on loss-making Air India. Goh Choon Phong arrived at the Bombay House, the headquarters of the Tata Group, on Thursday morning. Tata Group acquired Air India from the Indian government in January 2022, and later Singapore Airlines purchased a 25.1 per cent stake in the airline. A source said he would be meeting senior Tata Group executives. Details about his planned meetings with the Tata Group executives could not be immediately ascertained. According to reports, the Singapore Airlines CEO will be meeting Tata Sons Chairman N Chandrasekaran. The meeting assumes significance against the backdrop of Air India facing multiple headwinds, including spiralling operating costs due to the airspace curbs in the wake of the West Asia conflict and the closure of Pakistan airspace for nearly a year now. These restrictions have forced the

War impact: India's overall airline capacity declines 0.2% in April

West Asia tensions dent international travel demand, dragging down India's airline capacity in April despite steady domestic growth and rising fares

US opposes Adani push to shift cargo carriers to new Mumbai airport

US Department of Transportation wrote to India's aviation ministry in March, arguing that Adani Airport Holdings Ltd.'s push to relocate freighters violates the bilateral Air Transport Agreement

Chandrasekaran says Air India is going through a challenging period

Chandrasekaran urged staff to focus on execution and stay grounded in reality

How the Iran conflict is reshaping global aviation, shifting market share

The global aviation dynamic changed almost overnight when the Iran war broke out, shuttering airspaces, grounding planes and leaving regional airlines in disarray

Impossible to quantify war impact on airlines; airfares on rise: IATA

With sharp rise in fuel costs as well as tight capacity and thin margins for airlines, airfares are already rising in the wake of the Middle East war, global airlines' grouping IATA said on Tuesday. The International Air Transport Association (IATA) represents around 350 airlines, including Air India, Air India Express, IndiGo, and SpiceJet. On Tuesday, the grouping released the data for global passenger demand in February 2026 and said total demand in terms of Revenue Passenger Kilometres (RPK) rose 6.1 per cent last month compared to the year-ago period. Total capacity, measured in Available Seat Kilometres (ASK), increased 5.6 per cent year-on-year while the passenger load factor stood at 81.4 per cent, the highest February figure on record, it said in a release. IATA Director General Willie Walsh said with an RPK expansion of 6.1 per cent, February was a strong month, showing that the fundamentals for demand growth were in place for a positive year. "However, without knowing t

IndiGo names Willie Walsh as CEO: List of foreign chiefs at Indian airlines

IndiGo names Willie Walsh as CEO, adding to a growing list of foreign executives leading Indian airlines, including Air India, amid the expansion of global operations and networks

Airlines to offer 60% seats in flights without extra charges from April 20

Airlines will start offering at least 60 per cent of seats in a flight without levying any additional charge from April 20, as well as maintain a transparent seat allocation policy, according to aviation watchdog DGCA. On March 18, the civil aviation ministry announced that directions have been issued to the DGCA to direct airlines to allocate a minimum of 60 per cent of seats for selection on any flight free of charge to ensure fair access for passengers. In this regard, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) issued the amended Air Transport Circular dated March 20. A DGCA official said the circular would come into effect from April 20. The regulator has said that airlines should ensure at least "60 per cent of the seats in any flight shall be offered free of charge". "Airlines should maintain transparent seat allocation policies and clearly communicate the availability of free seats and applicable conditions on their booking interfaces," as per a revised circular dated

DGCA tells pilots to resist pressure on VVIP flights, stress safety norms

The aviation regulator has issued stricter norms for VVIP flights, directing pilots to prioritise safety, resist undue pressure and follow enhanced operational protocols

Indian aviation industry outlook 'negative'; weak near-term demand: ICRA

Ratings agency ICRA on Friday revised its outlook on the Indian aviation industry to negative from stable, citing disruptions in international airspace following escalation of geopolitical tensions in West Asia. The revision in outlook is also on account of a sharp depreciation of the rupee against the US dollar and an expected increase in jet fuel (ATF) prices, ICRA said. These factors are likely to significantly increase cost pressures for airlines, even as demand growth faces downside risks, it said. The ratings agency said it expects domestic air passenger traffic growth to be at 0-3 per cent for the ongoing fiscal year and international passenger traffic growth for Indian carriers at 7-9 per cent, indicating a relatively weak near-term demand environment. Prior to the West Asian crisis, ICRA had estimated domestic air passenger traffic growth at 6-8 per cent and international traffic growth for Indian carriers at 8-10 per cent for FY27. However, these projections now carry a

Services sectors feel ripple effects as West Asia crisis hits operations

Aviation, hospitality, travel, e-comm, q-com, logistics prepare for dent to bottomlines; IT services insulated for now

Air India finds misuse of its leisure travel policy, initiates actions

Air India has detected large-scale discrepancies in the utilisation of its leisure travel policy, involving more than 4,000 employees and has initiated corrective actions, including imposing penalties on the erring staff, according to sources. Loss-making Air India was acquired by the Tata Group in January 2022, and the airline, which has faced multiple headwinds in recent times, is also in the midst of implementing an ambitious transformation plan. The airline has more than 24,000 employees. The sources in the know told PTI that the large-scale discrepancies in the use of Air India's Employee Leisure Travel (ELT) policy were detected after a detailed internal investigation. The ELT policy allows a specified number of free air tickets for individual employees and their nominees, including spouse and parents. These are subject to certain conditions. Many employees were found to have misused the policy by showing those not related to them as relatives to avail the benefits. Some were

Akasa Air partners with Noida International Airport to set up MRO facility

Domestic carrier Akasa Air on Friday announced a strategic collaboration with Noida International Airport for setting up an aircraft maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) facility at the upcoming airport in Jewar, Uttar Pradesh. Under the collaboration, Akasa Air will operate the facility within the airport premises, offering advanced MRO services, supporting a broad spectrum of maintenance activities, it said in a statement. Aimed at strengthening India's aviation infrastructure and positioning Noida International Airport (NIA) as one of the country's leading MRO hubs, the facility will enhance operational efficiency, generate local employment opportunities and foster skill development in the region, as per the statement. This would be Akasa Air's first MRO facility, since its launch in August 2022. "This partnership will not only enhance India's MRO capabilities but also create opportunities for skill development and employment in the region," said Christoph Schnellmann, Chief

West Asia war: Air India introduces fuel surcharges amid rising oil prices

Air India to impose fuel surcharges on domestic and international flights in phases from March 12 as aviation turbine fuel prices surge amid supply disruptions