Page 14 - Aviation Industry

A-I Express union alleges unfair labour practices; seeks govt intervention

Air India Express' cabin crew union has alleged unfair labour practices by the airline, including in issuance of charge sheets to its members, and sought the intervention of the labour commissioner to resolve the issues. The Air India Express Employees Union (AIXEU), which is affiliated with the Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh, has written a letter to the Chief Labour Commissioner (Central) in this regard. The communication also comes at a time when conciliation proceedings are going on before the CLC (C) on the disputes between the cabin crew members and the airline management. The union has alleged that the management is adopting various measures that are not conducive to creating good industrial relations. "... their actions are spoiling the industrial relations already affected by their unfair labour practices and violations of labour legislation," it claimed in the letter dated June 28. There was no comment from Air India Express. Among other issues, the union has claimed that charg

Boeing in talks with US justice dept to resolve charges over safety lapses

The settlement could be announced as soon as next week and is expected to include imposing a corporate monitor on the world's second-largest planemaker

Aviation market big enough for Akasa Air to succeed: CEO Vinay Dube

As Akasa Air spreads its wings on domestic and international routes, the less-than-two-year-old airline's chief Vinay Dube has said he does not think about competition in encouraging or discouraging terms, as the aviation market is "big enough for us to succeed". The carrier, which took to the skies in August 2022, currently has a fleet of 24 Boeing 737 MAX planes and operates more than 900 flights weekly. While emphasising that the focus is on service excellence and cost leadership, Dube said the airline is looking for network and international expansion. "I don't think about competition and certainly don't think about it in encouraging or discouraging terms. If we focus on ourselves, the market is big enough for us to succeed," he told PTI in a recent interview. In response to the query on whether current competition is encouraging, Dube said, "We don't spend so much time focused on what competition is doing unless we have things we can learn from... what can be improved upon...

Canada's WestJet cancels over 400 flights after surprise strike by union

Canada's second largest airline, WestJet, said it canceled 407 flights affecting 49,000 passengers after the maintenance workers union announced it went on strike. The Aircraft Mechanics Fraternal Association said its members started to strike Friday evening because the airline's unwillingness to negotiate with the union made it inevitable. The surprise strike affecting international and domestic flights came after the federal government issued a ministerial order for binding arbitration on Thursday. That followed two weeks of turbulent discussions with the union on a new deal. WestJet said it will continue to park aircraft through Sunday for the long weekend culminating in Canada Day on Monday. The airline has about 200 aircraft and says they'll operate approximately 30 by Sunday evening. The airline's CEO, Alexis von Hoensbroech, put the blame for the situation squarely on what he said was a rogue union from the U.S. that was trying to make inroads in Canada. Von Hoensbroech sai

Boeing offers to buy 737 supplier Spirit AeroSystems for $35 per share

Spirit posted a net loss of $617 million and burned through $444 million in the first quarter, far more than analysts had expected

Airbus cuts key industrial, financial targets, takes hefty space charge

Yielding to growing scepticism among suppliers over its plans for jet output, Airbus lowered its widely watched forecast for deliveries this year to around 770 jets from around 800

Post-pandemic travel boom to sustain high airfares, says new AirAsia boss

The global aviation industry has been transformed as the post-pandemic reopening unleashed a wave of pent-up travel demand that's sent ticket prices surging faster than inflation

Boeing expected to evade criminal charges for violating settlement: Report

The agreement included money to compensate victims' relatives and required Boeing to overhaul its compliance practices

DGCA revises regulations to boost seaplane operations under UDAN scheme

These collaborative efforts have ensured that the new regulations address key stakeholder concerns and pave the way for growth in this niche area

EU Commission plan may exempt long-haul flights from new emissions rules

The EU is developing plans to require airlines to track and report their contribution to climate change from January 2025

Boeing CEO Calhoun apologises to relatives of 737 Max crash victims

US lawmakers prepared to press Boeing's chief executive Tuesday about the company's latest plan to fix its manufacturing problems, and relatives of people who died in two crashes of Boeing 737 Max jetliners were in the room to remind him of what was at stake. CEO David Calhoun appeared before the Senate investigations subcommittee, which is chaired by Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., a Boeing critic. Blumenthal opened the hearing by recognising the relatives of the crash victims and the family of a Boeing whistleblower who died by suicide earlier this year. This hearing is a moment of reckoning, the senator said. "It's about a company, a once iconic company, that somehow lost its way." Calhoun's appearance before Congress was the first by a high-ranking Boeing official since a panel blew out of a 737 Max during an Alaska Airlines flight in January. No one was seriously injured in the incident, but it raised fresh concerns about the company's best-selling commercial aircraft. Calho

Delhi Airport introduces self-baggage drop facility: Here's how it works

The quick drop facility eliminates the need for a boarding pass or any biometric verification, reducing processing time from one minute to just 30 seconds

BPCL to invest Rs 1,400 cr to set up sustainable aviation fuel facilities

The company operates three refineries located in Mumbai, Kochi, and Bina (Madhya Pradesh), with collectively refining capacity of 35.3 million metric tonnes per annum

Boeing's CEO to face questions about plane safety from US senators

US lawmakers are expected to press Boeing's chief executive on Tuesday about the company's latest plan to fix its manufacturing problems, and relatives of people who died in two crashes of Boeing 737 Max jetliners plan to be in the room, watching him. CEO David Calhoun is scheduled to appear before the Senate investigations subcommittee, which is chaired by Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., a Boeing critic. The hearing will mark the first appearance before Congress by Calhoun or any other high-ranking Boeing official since a panel blew out of a 737 Max during an Alaska Airlines flight in January. No one was seriously injured in the incident, but it raised fresh concerns about the company's best-selling commercial aircraft. The National Transportation Safety Board and the Federal Aviation Administration are conducting separate investigations. From the beginning, we took responsibility and cooperated transparently with the NTSB and the FAA, Calhoun said in remarks prepared for the

Air India faces scrutiny as passenger finds metal blade in his meal

The passenger claimed that Air India subsequently contacted him a few days later, proposing a complimentary business class journey to any destination worldwide

Passenger plane lands safely in New Zealand after fire shuts down engine

A passenger plane landed safely at a New Zealand airport on Monday after a fire shut down one of its engines, the nation's fire service said. The Virgin Australia Boeing 737-800 jet bound for Melbourne, Australia, landed in the New Zealand city of Invercargill after the fire forced a diversion. Fire trucks met the plane as it arrived in Invercargill about 50 minutes after takeoff from Queenstown, said Lynn Crosson, shift supervisor for Fire and Emergency New Zealand. The cause of the engine fire and the number of passengers on board the plane were not immediately known, Queenstown Airport spokesperson Catherine Nind said. Virgin Australia said in an emailed statement that the incident may have been caused by a possible bird strike. Queenstown, with a population of 53,000, is popular tourist destination on New Zealand's South Island, famous for skiing, adventure tourism and alpine vistas.

NCLT gives 4th extension of 60 days to Go First to complete insolvency

The National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) has granted an extension of 60 days to the grounded air carrier Go First for completing the insolvency process. This is the fourth extension for Go First to complete the Corporate Insolvency Resolution Process (CIRP), which is struggling to find a buyer. Earlier, the insolvency tribunal had granted an extension of 60 days on April 8, which ended on June 3, 2024. Following this latest extension, the CIRP of GO First will come to an end on August 3, 2024. While granting the extension, the Delhi-based NCLT bench said: "This is the final extension". The two-member bench also came down heavily on the Resolution Professional for seeking an extension. Counsel appearing for the RP informed the tribunal that they were seeking this extension owing to an extraordinary situation post the Delhi High Court judgment asking DGCA to deregister all of its 54 aircraft. According to the RP, those who have shown interest in buying the airline have revised the

European people coming more via India than West Asia: SriLankan Airlines

SriLankan Airlines is currently operating about 80 flights per week between Colombo and 11 cities in India

Boeing sales tumble as firm gets no orders for 737 Max for second month

Boeing received orders for only four new planes in May and for the second straight month, none for its best-selling 737 Max, as fallout continues from the blowout of a side panel on a Max during a flight in January. The results released Tuesday compared unfavourably with Europe's Airbus, which reported orders for 27 new planes in May. Boeing also saw Aerolineas Argentinas cancel an order for a single Max jet, bringing its net sales for the month to three. The dismal results followed poor figures for April, when Boeing reported seven sales none of them for the Max. Boeing hopes that the slow pace of orders reflects a lull in sales before next month's Farnborough International Airshow, where aircraft deals are often announced. But the Federal Aviation Administration is capping Boeing's production of 737s after a door plug blew out from an Alaska Airlines Max, allegations by whistleblowers that Boeing has taken shortcuts to produce planes more quickly, and reports of falsified ...

Chargesheets to cabin crew can be detrimental: Air India Express Union

The Air India Express Employees Union (AIXEU) has termed the alleged issuance of charge-sheet by the airline's management to around 200-odd cabin crew members for reporting sick during last month's strike as unfortunate and unfair labour practice. In a letter to Air India Express chief Alok Singh on Sunday, the Union also warned the Tata Group-run airline's management that such actions could be detrimental to the interests of the company and its passengers. According to Union sources, the charge-sheet was issued to around 200 cabin crew members on June 5, with a deadline of 72 hours to file a response. Around 200 cabin crew members of Air India Express went on strike on May 7, to protest against the alleged mismanagement in the airline, resulting in cancellation of hundreds of flights. Consequently, the airline management terminated the services of 25 cabin crew members and warned the others to join work or else face the same action. Three days later, the strike was called off aft