Page 22 - Aviation Industry

IndiGo asks flyers not to share PNR on social media after techie conned

Budget carrier IndiGo on Wednesday cautioned flyers against sharing their PNR number on social media or to unauthorised people in light of an incident in which flight tickets of eight passengers were cancelled without consent. The Noida-based software engineer had reportedly shared ticket details, including the PNR, on social media platform X and the airline believes that is when cyber thugs took him for a ride. The techie was travelling from Thiruvananthapuram to Delhi on January 7 and had booked eight tickets at around Rs 72,000. He reportedly shared on X a purported screenshot of the web check-in process, and tagged IndiGo to ask "Why forced to web check in? If it is mandatory, why should I pay additional charges?" "If auto-assignment stopped and I have 8 passengers on my PNR, why is the portal forcing me to pay an additional amount for all eight seats?" he added. Later, a conversation took place between the techie and an IndiGo representative over direct messages (DM), whose .

Flag coercive call from management to extend duty: Unions ask A-I pilots

Tata Group-owned Air India's two pilot unions on Wednesday asked their members to flag any "coercive call" from the management for extending flight duty timings beyond the stipulated limits. In a joint communication to their members, Indian Commercial Pilots Association (ICPA) and Indian Pilots Guild (IPG) also said that they are in the process of compiling the records of recent instances (of such calls). The communication comes in the backdrop of the two unions writing to Air India Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer Campbell Wilson, alleging that the airline management is "intimidating and coercing" some of their members to extend flight duty timings beyond the prescribed limits. The letter to Campbell was also marked to Tata Group and Air India Chairman N Chandrasekaran, among others. "We wish to bring to your attention a matter of utmost importance concerning potential coercive calls related to the extension of Flight Duty Time Limitations (FDTL)," the pilots unions s

Boeing postpones 2024 outlook, CEO says company has 'much to prove'

The 787 production rate was at five per month, Boeing said, adding that it had also resumed 777X production during the fourth quarter

Flight ops resume from Naini-Saini airport in Pithoragarh after 3 yrs

Flight operations from Pithoragarh's Naini-Saini airport began on Tuesday after a gap of more than three years. Following the resumption of flight operations, which was suspended in early 2020, aviation firm Flybig will operate a 19-seater aircraft between Dehradun and Pithoragargh thrice a week on Monday, Tuesday and Friday. Addressing the inaugural function virtually, Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia said after the resumption of flight operations from the airport, the distance between Kumaon and Garhwal regions of Uttarakhand will become closer. Resumption of services from the airport, which will soon be extended to Pantnagar and then to Hindon airport in Ghaziabad, will be crucial for the strategically important border district, he added. The duration of the journey between Pithoragarh and Dehradun will be reduced from 11 hours by road to 1 hour by air, he said. The Union minister said the state government and the Centre were making all efforts under the leadership

Noida Airport's 1st phase development to cost Rs 10,056 cr, 70% spent

The first phase of development of the upcoming international airport in Noida will cost Rs 10,056 crore and so far, around Rs 7,100 crore has already been spent on it, officials said. S P Goyal, Additional Chief Secretary to Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister, on Monday reviewed the progress of the international airport in Jewar and directed officials concerned to ensure completion of work by September this year. The first phase of the airport, being developed in 1,300 hectares, is scheduled to open for flight operations by September. Goyal held a review meeting with officials of developer Yamuna International Airport Private Limited (YIAPL), a fully-owned subsidiary of Zurich International Airport AG, the concessionaire for the greenfield airport. Kumar Harsh, Director, UP Civil Aviation; Noida Airport's Chief Operations Officer Kiran Jain; OSD Shailendra Bhatia; and Deputy Collector Abhay Singh were present in the meeting, according to a statement. "During the review, the additional c

Boeing one incident away from airplane 737 production halt, says lessor

Investigators are probing whether bolts were missing or wrongly fitted when the airplane was delivered just eight weeks before the Jan. 5 blowout that led to a partial grounding

Rolls-Royce, Azad Engineering partner to make defence aero-engine parts

Power and propulsion solutions provider Rolls-Royce on Monday said it has signed an agreement with Azad Engineering for making complex defence aero-engine components in India. Under the long-term agreement, Hyderabad-based Azad Engineering will manufacture and supply complex components for defence aircraft engines and thus join the global supply chain for complex category components for Rolls-Royce's technologically advanced aero-engines, the company said in a statement. "Strong collaboration has been at the heart of Rolls-Royce's journey of success in India. As we work towards strengthening the defence ecosystem, we are happy to expand our supply chain in India in partnership with Azad Engineering," Rolls-Royce Executive Vice President Business Development and Future Programmes and Head of Global Networks, Alex Zino, said. The sourcing of complex components from India for aero-engine programmes further advances the goal of capability creation in the country, he added. Azad ...

Fund raising plan: SpiceJet receives first tranche of Rs 744 crore

SpiceJet, which has been facing multiple headwinds, on Friday said it has received Rs 744 crore as the first tranche of funds being raised through allotment of securities on a preferential basis. On December 12, the airline had said it would raise fresh capital of Rs 2,250 crore through issuance of securities. According to a release, on January 25, the company's board of directors approved the allotment of 5.55 crore equity shares on a preferential basis to 54 subscribers. The airline has allotted shares and warrants totalling Rs 744 crore on a preferential basis in the first tranche. The board has also approved the allotment of 9.33 crore warrants to Elara India Opportunities Fund Ltd and Silver Stallion Ltd. Meanwhile, the airline has requested for additional time from the competent authority to complete the process under the ongoing preferential issue, as per the release. The extension has been sought due to limited banking days arising from long weekends during the intervenin

Here's what airlines, regulators are doing about Boeing 737 MAX 9 jets

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)'s move comes after the aircraft had been grounded since a mid-air blowout on an Alaska Airlines jet on Jan. 5

Air India to take delivery of 5 more A350s by June: CEO Campbell Wilson

Air India will add five more wide-body A350 aircraft to its fleet by June, and the process of upgrading 40 of its legacy Boeing 787 and 777 planes will begin in July, its chief Campbell Wilson said on Thursday. As Tata Group's takeover of loss-making Air India completes two years on January 27, Wilson also said that on average, one aircraft will arrive every six days throughout 2024. There will be an addition of 5 more A350s, which will progressively take to India's skies between January and June 2024, the Air India CEO and Managing Director said in a message to the staff. Air India will also induct 17 A320s and 46 B737s. The airline started the commercial operations of its first A350 aircraft on January 22, with a flight from Mumbai to Chennai. Currently, Air India has 117 operational aircraft and together with Air India Express, the total number of operational planes is 180. Last year, Air India placed an order for 470 planes with Airbus and Boeing. The "process of upgrading 4

Aviation safety regulator DGCA terminates contract of its CFOI: Report

Aviation safety regulator DGCA on Wednesday terminated the contract of its Chief Flight Operations Inspector (CFOI), according to sources. There was no immediate comment from the DGCA on the decision. The official, who was earlier serving as a wide-body pilot with Air India, joined the regulator as CFOI on an ad hoc basis in March 2021. An order issued by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation said the services of the official have been terminated with immediate effect on administrative grounds and in the public interest, sources in the know said.

'We have a problem': Boeing 757 passenger jet loses wheel during take-off

An FAA notice filed on Monday said the aircraft was lining up and waiting for takeoff at Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport when the "nose wheel came off and rolled down the hill."

Plane carrying mine workers crashes in Canada, multiple deaths reported

The incident happened on Tuesday, and the Northwest Territories coroner also said that there were fatalities in the crash but did not specify the number

Passenger traffic rose 35% to 51.58 million at Mumbai airport in 2023

Air passenger traffic at the city's Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (CSMIA) jumped 35 per cent year-on-year to 51.58 million in 2023. The airport, promoted by Adani Group and the Airports Authority of India (AAI), handled a total of 38.33 million passengers in 2022. Compared to the pre-pandemic level (2019), the growth in total traffic was 110 per cent, airport operator Mumbai International Airport Ltd (MIAL) said in a statement. Out of the 51.58 million passengers seen last year, over 25.4 million passengers arrived and 26.1 million passengers departed from the airport, MIAL said in a release on Tuesday. In 2023, MIAL said it handled 20 per cent more Air Traffic Movements (ATMs) at 3,34,391 arrivals and departures compared to 2,77,052 ATMs recorded a year earlier. According to the release, 2023 has been a fruitful year for the domestic aviation industry, especially in the months of November and December. The highest passenger traffic movement in a single day fo

Uncomfortable reality of global air travel as airlines race to decarbonize

The five airlines in the world that emit the fewest pollutants per passenger are all low-cost carriers, according to data from carbon-reduction advisory firm Envest Global

Malaysia Airlines aims to expand in India; eyes codeshare pact with carrier

Bullish on the "important" Indian aviation market, Malaysia Airlines will soon have a deep codeshare partnership with an Indian carrier as well as further expand its operations to the north east and southern destinations in the country, according to a top official. Malaysia Airlines, the national carrier that is part of the Malaysia Aviation Group, operates a total of 69 weekly flights to nine Indian cities. In an interview with PTI, Captain Izham Ismail, Group Managing Director of Malaysia Aviation Group, said, "India is an important market for us and we want to be part of the success story of India as a country". The airline, which has implemented a financial restructuring and is on the revival path, connects nine Indian destinations to Malaysia. The cities are Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Chennai, Hyderabad, Kochi, Amritsar, Ahmedabad and Thiruvananthapuram. Apart from crossing its pre-pandemic levels of operations in the Indian market, the carrier, this month, increased its freque

India ready to give new energy to global aviation market: PM Modi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will on Friday inaugurate American aircraft manufacturer Boeing's new global engineering and technology centre campus near here, official sources said. Built at a cost of Rs 1,600 crore, the 43-acre state-of-the-art Boeing India Engineering and Technology Centre (BIETC) campus is the aviation giant's largest such investment outside the US, they said. The campus at Hightech Defence and Aerospace Park in Devanahalli on the city outskirts will become a cornerstone for partnerships with the vibrant startups, private and government ecosystem in India, and will help develop next-generation products and services for the global aerospace and defence industry, they said. The prime minister will also launch the 'Boeing Sukanya Programme' that "aims to support the entry of more girl children from across India into the country's growing aviation sector", an official said. "The programme will provide opportunities for girls and women to learn critical skills in ...

JetSetGo signs 280 hybrid-electric aircraft deal worth $1.3-bn with 3 firms

Air services operator JetSetGo has signed a 280 hybrid-electric aircraft deal, including 130 on option, worth over USD 1.3-billion with three global aviation tech firms. These planes can be deployed for airport transfers, regional connectivity, inter-city commute, intra-city shuttles and urban air taxis, JetSetGo said. The strategic collaboration with Electra.aero, Horizon Aircraft and Overair, was unveiled at the on-going mega aviation event Wings India 2024 in Hyderabad. "As part of the agreements signed this week, JetSetGo is set to acquire 150 aircraft for an aggregate deal value of USD 780 million. "The agreements include further options to acquire additional aircrafts for a potential fleet size of 280 to scale its innovative air mobility solutions, raising the overall deal value of above USD 1.3 billion," the company said. Advanced Air Mobility utilizes new aviation technologies like electric and hybrid-electric propulsion to enable air taxi-style services for short distance

IndiGo evaluating options to file appeal against BCAS' Rs 1.20 cr penalty

IndiGo will evaluate options to file an appeal against regulator BCAS imposing a penalty of Rs 1.20 crore for certain violations with respect to the incident at the Mumbai airport. Many passengers rushed out of an IndiGo aircraft at the Mumbai airport, sat on the tarmac, and some were also seen having food there as soon as their diverted Goa-Delhi flight landed after a long delay on January 14. The flight was diverted due to fog issues at the Delhi airport. For certain lapses in connection with the incident, the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS) has imposed a fine of Rs 1.20 crore on the airline. "The company is in the process of investigating and will evaluate its option to file an appeal in this regard," a regulatory filing by InterGlobe Aviation, the parent of IndiGo, said on Thursday. As per the filing, the alleged violations include not reporting the incident to the regulator, and failure to ensure security screening of passengers and their cabin baggage before ...

India needs 2,840 new aircraft, 41,000 pilots in 20 years: Airbus forecast

Addressing a press conference on the sidelines of the aviation conclave and exhibition, Wings India 2024, Maillard said Airbus will double its sourcing from India to USD 1.5 billion