Aviation Industry

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

Akasa Air unveils long-term incentive plan to retain pilots amid hiring war

Akasa Air has launched a long-term incentive plan offering up to ₹25 lakh for captains to retain pilots amid rising competition in India's fast-growing aviation sector

IndiGo CEO Pieter Elbers resigns after airline's major outage crisis

The company said that Elbers has resigned from his position with immediate effect due to some personal reasons

AAI denies seeking aviation fuel stock details from airport operators

In a statement issued late in the evening, AAI said the reports suggesting such communication were "false and factually incorrect".

Delhi airport ranked 5th-busiest in Apac last year, shows OAG data

In 2025, according to aviation data platform OAG, Delhi airport ranked 5th, with 46.18 million seats, after a dramatic leap from the 9th position, which it held in 2019

IndiGo now fully prepared to implement FDTL norms, informs DGCA

Airline tells DGCA it has put in place operational and rostering systems to comply with revised Flight Duty Time Limitation rules after one-time exemption ends

Akasa Air co-founder Praveen Iyer resigns, second top exit in four months

Akasa Air's Co-founder and Chief Commercial Officer Praveen Iyer has resigned, marking the second high-level exit at the over three-year-old airline in four months. In a statement on Wednesday, the airline said that after a remarkable five- year journey, Iyer has decided to move on to begin the next chapter of his life. He will partner closely with the leadership team to ensure a smooth and structured transition through April 30, 2026, it added. Iyer is the second Co-founder after Neelu Khatri to leave the airline, which started flying from August 7, 2022. Khatri stepped down in October 2025. Iyer is also part of the airline's Executive Committee. Now, Akasa Air has four Co-founders -- Aditya Ghosh, Anand Srinivasan, Belson Coutinho and Bhavin Joshi. Vinay Dube is the Founder and CEO of the airline. Currently, the airline has 33 Boeing 737 MAX aircraft.

Boeing to cut around 300 defense supply chain jobs across multiple sites

The latest employment adjustments are rattling some employees and angering union officials at a time when Boeing leaders are trying to rebuild the company's culture

Air India Express could post first operating profit since privatisation

Management projects H2FY26 operating profit on improved unit economics, cost control and stronger execution

No dilution in pilot weekly rest norms, DGCA tells Delhi High Court

Aviation regulator tells HC that weekly rest for pilots remains mandatory, with no airline granted exemptions, amid challenge to revised flight duty norms