Page 15 - Aviation Industry

Akasa on path to profitability; will launch more int'l flights: Co-founder

Akasa Air is well on the path to profitability and will fly to more international destinations, including in South Asia and Southeast Asia, according to its Co-Founder Aditya Ghosh. In less than two years of taking to the skies, Akasa Air has a fleet of 24 planes and has more than 4,000 employees. In an interview to PTI in the national capital, Ghosh, who has donned multiple and diverse roles during his career, said that airlines are becoming more of a consumption story in India. "We will increasingly see it as consumer-focused businesses where the learnings which are there from ecommerce companies will help us address the needs and behaviour of consumers better in the transportation business," he said. Among other roles, he had served as IndiGo's President and Whole Time Director for ten years till 2018. When a customer-focused and employee-centric organisation is being built, it is also important to build a financially sustainable business, Ghosh said and emphasised that Akasa A

IndiGo lands, Air India takes off on same runway at same time in Mumbai

ATC official de-rostered; DGCA, AAI probing the incident

'India a big market; good to have stronger Lufthansa-Air India partnership'

India is a big aviation market and a stronger partnership between Air India and Lufthansa is good, as efforts of the Star Alliance are to bring the partners together to provide a unique value proposition for the passengers, the airline grouping's CEO Theo Panagiotoulias has said. Air India and Lufthansa are part of the Star Alliance, whose 26 member airlines come together at more than 50 global hubs to offer smooth connections across a global network. A management company, based in Frankfurt and Singapore, coordinates Star Alliance projects and activities. It includes airport co-location, digital infrastructure, frequent flyer integration and joint business lounge projects to improve the travel experience. Talking to PTI on the sidelines of IATA annual general meeting in Dubai this week, Panagiotoulias was bullish about the prospects in the Indian market that offers "so much of opportunities". "The alliance is to bring the partners together to provide a unique value proposition...

Indian airport industry's profit expected to grow 35% in FY25: Consultancy

Major domestic airlines can become world class carriers, says senior executive of CAPA India

Delhi airport to increase peak runway capacity by 30% in 3 years: DIAL CEO

India's largest airport also plans to increase international passenger handling capacity by 50% in 12 months, he says

Won't have ATC towers at airports in 20 years, says Adani Airports CEO

AAI has started trials with remote digital towers, he added

Go Air crisis: Central Bank set to auction Wadia's land for Rs 1,965 cr

Over 94 acres of land will be sold under the Securitisation and Reconstruction of Financial Assets and Enforcement of Security Interest (SARFAESI) Act 2002

Surge in aerophobia treatment in Singapore after severe turbulence on SQ321

More people in Singapore are seeking treatment for aerophobia -- the fear of flying -- following the severe turbulence incident that struck a Singapore Airlines flight over the Irrawaddy Basin in Myanmar last month. Aerophobia can range from slight uneasiness to very severe panic attacks triggered by a thought or impending occasion of flying, according to a Channel News Asia report on Friday. While aviation experts say that flying remains among the safest forms of travel, some service providers have seen a spike in people seeking to address this fear, according to the report. On May 21, SQ321, en route from London to Singapore, encountered extreme turbulence. The Boeing 777-300ER aircraft was carrying 211 passengers and a crew of 18 when it made an emergency landing at Bangkok's Suvarnabhumi Airport. One passenger a 73-year-old British man died and dozens were injured, some of them seriously. Some SQ321 passengers painted a harrowing scene in an interview with the channel. Thos

Airport industry to see profit before tax of $1.3 bn this fiscal: CAPA

The country's airport industry is projected to report a profit before tax of USD 1.3 billion in the current financial year. The profit is anticipated to be Rs 256.1 (USD 3.1) per passenger in the fiscal ending March 2025, aviation advisory firm CAPA India said while giving projections at its aviation summit in the national capital on Friday. In the current fiscal, passenger throughput at Indian airports is estimated to rise to 404.9 million. Out of the total, 81.1 per cent will be domestic and 18.9 per cent will be international traffic, it said. As per the report, the Airport Authority of India's (AAI) profitability is likely to remain robust in FY2024 and FY2025. "The topline will grow due to an increase in aeronautical revenue along with the receipt of revenue share from the recently privatised six non-metro airports, without having to incur any expense associated with it - resulting in higher profitability," it added. The industry's profit before tax is expected to be USD 1.3

Akasa Air expects deliveries of Boeing 737 MAX 10 aircraft by 2027

Akasa Air had ordered 150 737 MAX narrow-body planes in January, including the MAX 10 and MAX 8-200 versions. It had not specified how many of each type were ordered

Domestic air traffic expected to rise 6-8% to 164 mn in FY25: Report

India's domestic air traffic is expected to rise 6 to 8 per cent to 161 to 164 million in the current financial year, according to a report. Aviation advisory firm CAPA India in a report on Wednesday said international air traffic is projected to jump 9-11 per cent to 75 to 78 million in the fiscal ending March 2025. The domestic carriers are projected to report consolidated losses in the range of USD 0.4 to 0.6 billion this financial year. The losses are estimated at USD 1.3 to 1.5 billion, excluding IndiGo, which is profitable. One of the reasons for the losses would be on account of capacity shortage due to the grounding of aircraft. At present, around 130 planes are grounded due to various reasons, and the number would be about 180, including the aircraft of Go First, it said. Go First stopped flying last year. In terms of the total fleet, CAPA India said net inductions are expected to be 84, taking the total number of planes with domestic carriers to 812 at the end of March

SpiceJet plans to raise $250 million by mid-August, says Ajay Singh

The airline's shareholders had earlier this year approved the issuance of equity and warrants for raising Rs 2,241 crore, out of which the airline has raised Rs 1,060 crore to date

Air India: Now lock your flight rate for two days by paying nominal fee

Air India's 'Fare lock' feature allows passengers to secure a fare for two days by paying a nominal fee, allowing them to confirm their travel plans

Govt to develop more airstrips, calibrate airport rules, says official

The civil aviation ministry is looking at developing more airstrips as well as calibrating regulations for major and small airports to boost air connectivity, a senior official said on Wednesday. India is one of the fastest growing civil aviation markets in the world, with domestic air traffic on the rise and airlines expanding their fleet as well as operations. Civil Aviation Secretary Vumlunmang Vualnam said the number of airports in the country has increased to 157 from 74 in the last ten years. The ministry has reviewed the full list of 453 airstrips in the country and around 157 of them are operational, he said and added that more airstrips would be developed as brownfield projects. Also, efforts will be made to jointly develop more defence airfields for civil aircraft operations. Speaking at the CAPA India Aviation Summit 2024 in the national capital, the secretary said the ministry would look at calibrating regulations for major and small airports. These are steps aimed at

India to host IATA's annual global airlines summit after 42 years

IndiGo, India's largest airline by market share, will be the host airline of the AGM and the World Air Transport Summit, which will take place in Delhi between June 8-10, 2025

Global airlines on track for $30 billion profit in 2024, predicts IATA

The outlook compares with the $27.4 billion in profit achieved last year, IATA said at its annual general meeting in Dubai

Current, former Boeing execs unlikely to be charged for 737 Max crashes

The department's decision about what to do next will advance just one of the multiple legal threats Boeing now faces after a fuselage panel blew off a 737 Max mid-flight in January

Air India failing 'time and again' in taking care of passengers: DGCA

Regulator issues show cause notice to airline as passengers suffer on "inordinately delayed" flights

FAA to not allow Boeing to boost 737 MAX production due to safety issues

The FAA's enhanced oversight of Boeing will continue in the coming months, with weekly meetings and quarterly exchanges between the heads of the company and the US regulator

Simaero to invest $100 million over five years to train 5,000 pilots

Last month, IndiGo placed an order with Airbus for 30 A350-900 widebody aircraft at a deal size estimated to be between $4-5 billion