Page 20 - Aviation Industry

Qantas to offer daily flights between B'luru, Sydney from Dec-Mar next yr

Qantas, the national carrier of Australia, on Tuesday announced that it is adding flights from Bengaluru to Sydney to cater to the strong demand over the peak holiday season. Between mid-December 2024 and late March 2025, the airline will increase flights from five a week to daily, adding over 12,000 seats between the two cities over the four-month period, Qantas said in a statement. The flights add to Qantas' existing services from Delhi to Melbourne, which operate three days a week. Qantas' flights from India are operated with its fleet of Airbus A330 aircraft with 27 Business Class suites in 1- 2-1 configuration, with each suite featuring direct aisle access and converting into a lie-flat bed. All Qantas international fares include checked baggage allowance, food and beverages and in-flight entertainment as standard with every booking. Qantas recently announced it would accelerate a programme to introduce fast and free' Wi-Fi across its existing fleet of international aircraft,

AI Express fiasco: Woman couldn't see hospitalised husband before death

In a heartbreaking incident, a woman, whose husband was in a hospital ICU in Oman, was unable to see him one last time before he died there due to the cancellation of her Air India Express flight to that country last week, her family alleged. The woman, Amrita, had booked tickets for May 8 to see her husband in Muscat, but on reaching the airport here, she was told that the flight was cancelled. Her protest at the airport earned her a ticket for the next day on another Air India Express flight, but unfortunately, that too was cancelled and she had to abandon her travel plans altogether. On Monday, news of her husband's death reached her from Oman. "It was so unfair that she could not see him for one last time. We begged the airline to accommodate us on some other flight so that we could see him for one last time. But they did not do anything," Amrita's mother told a TV channel. She also said that Amrita's husband had said that he wanted to see his wife and kids and that is why the

US airlines suing Biden admin over new rule that requires more transparency

US airlines are suing to block the Biden administration from requiring greater transparency over fees that the carriers charge their passengers, saying that a new rule would confuse consumers by giving them too much information during the ticket-buying process. The US Transportation Department said Monday it will vigorously defend the rule against what it called hidden junk fees. American, Delta, United and three other carriers, along with their industry trade group, sued the Transportation Department in a federal appeals court on Friday, saying that the agency is going beyond its authority by attempting to regulate private business operations in a thriving marketplace. The airlines said the administration hasn't shown that consumers can't get information about fees already. Airlines go to great lengths to make their customers knowledgeable about these fees, the trade group Airlines for America said Monday. The ancillary fee rule by the Department of Transportation will greatly ...

Air India Express cancels 91 flights as cabin crew goes on sick leave

After Vistara cancellations, it's the turn of another Tata airline to face crisis

Air India Express cancels several flights due to cabin crew shortage

Air India Express has cancelled "scores of flights" due to a shortage of cabin crew members as a section of them are reporting sick to protest against alleged mismanagement at the Tata Group-owned airline, according to sources. Discontent has been brewing among a section of the cabin crew at the low-cost carrier for some time now, especially after the start of the process of merger of AIX Connect, formerly AirAsia India, with itself. The sources on Wednesday said several cabin crew members started reporting sick since Monday evening and as there are not enough cabin crew members, "scores of flights" have been cancelled at various airports, including Kochi, Calicut and Bangalore. Late last month, a union representing a section of the Air India Express cabin crew alleged that the airline is being mismanaged and there is a lack of equality in the treatment of the staff. Air India Express Employees Union (AIXEU), a registered union, which claims to represent around 300 cabin crew membe

A-I Express cabin crew conciliation: Labour dept to seek DGCA inputs

The regional labour commissioner will seek inputs from aviation regulator DGCA in the ongoing conciliation process with respect to the dispute between Air India Express management and a section of the cabin crew members, according to a source. Tata Group-owned profit-making Air India Express is in the process of merging loss-making AIX Connect, formerly AirAsia India, with itself. Meanwhile, Air India Express has cancelled over 90 flights since Tuesday night as a section of cabin crew members reported sick to protest against alleged mismanagement at the airline, which said it is working hard to minimise the disruptions. A union representing a section of the Air India Express cabin crew had filed a complaint before the labour department last year. The union had raised various concerns at the airline, including about room sharing during layovers. The matter is now under the conciliation process as per the Industrial Disputes Act, 1947. The source on Wednesday told PTI that the ...

Spirit Airlines forecasts weak Q2 revenue on slow growth in domestic demand

The carrier estimates it will average about 25 grounded aircraft throughout 2024, while competitors expand their capacity in Spirit Airlines' core markets such as Florida

India's airlines to have 50% mkt share of int'l passengers by FY28: CRISIL

As much as half of the country's international air passenger traffic is expected to be catered by Indian airlines by financial year 2027-28, credit ratings agency CRISIL said on Monday. The share of Indian airlines in international passenger traffic, including originating or terminating as well as the traffic transitioning through the country, is seen surging 700 basis points to around 50 per cent by 2027-28, from 43 per cent in the previous fiscal, it said. The improvement would be driven by Indian airlines deploying additional aircraft and adding new routes in the international segment, as well as their inherent advantage of superior domestic connectivity compared with foreign carriers, CRISIL Ratings said in its report. The report noted that business profiles of Indian carriers will strengthen as a result of their rising share in international traffic, which is more profitable than the domestic segment. India's international passenger traffic grew to around 70 million in fiscal

Will air taxis fly between Delhi and Gurgaon soon? Here is what we know

InterGlobe Enterprises, parent of IndiGo, is teaming up with Archer to bring flying taxis to India. Read on to find out more about the cost, routes, etc

Oz carrier Qantas Airways faces $79 mn penalty for flight cancellations

Qantas was sued in August by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC), which accused it of selling tickets to thousands of flights after they were cancelled

Plane-less Go First's situation 'painful'; hopes for tailwind remain muted

Last May, it all started with flight suspension for just three days and "an unfortunate decision" of voluntary insolvency resolution option taken to protect the airline's interests. A year down the lane, the now plane-less Go First's fate remains uncertain and come June, there are revival expectations, though muted, when the extended deadline for the resolution process ends. There are concerns that the airline might even be pushed into liquidation, experts opined. "It is extremely painful to see that even after one year, the airline has not been able to revive the operations," the budget carrier's former chief Kaushik Khona told PTI. Since May 3, 2023, Go First has not taken to the skies, with its blue and white livery A320 planes gathering dust at airports, most staff leaving and many staring at uncertain times, and a resolution process still remaining on the tarmac. Hopes of a quick revival further faded, as the carrier's 54 planes have been deregistered after protracted legal .

Air India to resume flight services between Delhi-Tel Aviv on May 16

Air India on Friday said it will resume flight services between Delhi and Tel Aviv on May 16. The airline has temporarily suspended flights to and from Tel Aviv amid tensions in the Middle East. In a post on X, Air India said it will resume "services between Delhi and Tel Aviv with five weekly flights from 16 May, 2024". On April 19, the airline said Tel Aviv flights will remain suspended till April 30. The suspension was later extended till May 15. After nearly five months, the Tata group-owned carrier had recommenced services to the Israeli city on March 3. Tensions remain high in the Middle East due to the conflict between Israel and Hamas.

ED opposes bail to Jet Airways founder Naresh Goyal; HC decision on May 6

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Friday opposed the interim medical bail sought by Jet Airways founder Naresh Goyal in a money laundering case and said his stay at a private hospital could be extended for a month. Goyal has sought interim bail on medical and humanitarian grounds, citing that both he and his wife, Anita Goyal, suffered from cancer. On Friday, a single bench of Justice N J Jamadar said it would pass orders on May 6. A special court had in February refused bail to Goyal but permitted him to be admitted to a private hospital of his choice and seek medical treatment. Goyal had last week moved the high court seeking interim bail on merits and release on medical grounds. While Goyal's counsel, Harish Salve, urged the court to consider the case on humanitarian grounds, the ED's counsel, Hiten Venegaonkar, vehemently opposed the bail and said the probe agency did not have a problem if his hospitalisation was extended. Before closing the matter for orders, Justice Jamad

Boeing scandal: Another whistleblower dies; was battling sudden infection

He was among the initial whistleblowers who raised concerns about the oversight of manufacturing defects in the 737 Max by Spirit's leadership

Lufthansa, Air France-KLM plan to cut costs after tough first quarter

Air France-KLM said it would tighten spending for the rest of the year, including a freeze on hiring support staff and a vow to stabilise operations, particularly at carrier KLM

Go First's lenders consider liquidation after court order on planes

Go First's resolution professional did not immediately respond to a Reuters' email seeking comment

German carrier Lufthansa looks to strong summer to shake off strike costs

The airline confirmed its forecast of full-year adjusted earnings before interest and taxes (EBIT) of 2.2 billion euros ($2.3 billion)

US strikes deal to boost aviation safety, to not raise pilot retirement age

The bill also requires airplanes to be equipped with 25-hour cockpit recording devices and directs the FAA to deploy advanced airport surface technology to help prevent collisions

India's widebody aircraft fleet has remained stagnant for last 15 years

This has allowed foreign carriers grow in the country's market

New US rules mandate automatic refunds to customers for cancelled flights

The Joe Biden administration on Wednesday issued new rules that require airlines to provide automatic cash refunds to passengers when owed and protect consumers from costly surprise fees. "Too often, airlines drag their feet on refunds or rip folks off with junk fees. It is time Americans got a better deal. Today, my administration is requiring that airlines provide automatic refunds to passengers when they are owed and protect them from surprise fees," Biden said in a video statement. "This is about airlines treating passengers better and it will save people more than half-a-billion dollars, avoiding unwanted, expensive, unnecessary surprise airline fees," said Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg. Biden said his administration is holding airlines accountable and bringing costs down for American families. "This is just one part of my administration's plan to prevent companies from playing the American people for suckers. It matters," he said. The White House said these rules wi