Page 26 - Aviation Industry

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

A-I CEO lists features of Airbus A350, says it's 'highly fuel efficient'

Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia on Thursday inaugurated India's and Air India's first Airbus A350 aircraft on the first day of Wings India 2024

Alaska Air passengers sue airline over 737 Max 9 door blowout incident

"Alaska Airlines breached its duty to its passengers by failing to ground" the plane before the flight, lawyers for the passengers said in the new complaint

Don't park planes in remote bays during flight delays: MoCA to airlines

The Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) has told airlines that they should not park their aircraft in remote bays and also not allow passengers to disembark at the apron in case there are long delays in flights, according to officials. The directive comes against the backdrop of the incident at the Mumbai airport on Sunday when passengers of a diverted Goa-Delhi IndiGo flight had food on the tarmac. Regulators BCAS has slapped penalties on IndiGo and Mumbai airport operator MIAL for the incident while DGCA has also penalised MIAL. Against this backdrop, the officials on Thursday said that airlines have been directed to ensure that in case of flight diversion and long delays, the aircraft should be parked on contact stand so that passengers can be shifted to terminal building for disembarkation if required. The ministry has also said that under no circumstances, the aircraft should be parked on remote bay and passengers be allowed to disembark at the apron in case there is a flight del

Scindia launches GMR School of Aviation in collaboration with Airbus

Union Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia on Thursday digitally launched GMR School of Aviation set up in collaboration with Airbus on the sidelines of wings India 2024 being held here. Strategically located within the GMR Aerospace and Industrial Park at Rajiv Gandhi International Airport, here, GMR School of Aviation is poised to become a beacon of excellence in Aircraft Maintenance Engineering, a press release from GMR said. The school will offer a fully integrated 4-year AME program along with type training. It has been certi?ed by DGCA (Directorate General of Civil Aviation) and EASA (European Union Aviation Safety Agency). The school has technical collaboration with Airbus and is a first of its kind institution in India to offer a combined B1.1 and B2 Aircraft Maintenance Engineering licensing programme, Aircraft speci?c type training courses and ancillary courses like Aircraft structures, Aircraft composite courses. Airbus will provide the necessary courseware in th

Airbus signs agreement with Tata, Mahindra for aircraft components

Airbus on Thursday said it has signed contracts with Tata Advanced Systems Limited (TASL) and Mahindra Aerospace Structures Private Limited (MASPL) to procure commercial aircraft components. Under the contract, TASL and Mahindra Aerostructures will manufacture metallic detail parts, components and assemblies for Airbus' A320neo, A330neo and A350 programmes, a press release from Airbus said. The two companies are already among more than 100 India-based suppliers that provide components and engineering and digital services for various Airbus programmes. Airbus has made Make in India' front and centre of its strategy in the country. Our ambition is not only to support the growth of the Indian commercial fleet but also to grow the complete aerospace ecosystem here and that includes developing and strengthening manufacturing and engineering capabilities from our Indian partners, said Rmi Maillard, President and Managing Director of Airbus India and South Asia. Tata Advanced Systems and

Japan Airlines names ex-cabin attendant Tottori as first female president

Mitsuko Tottori, a senior managing executive officer who joined JAL in 1985, the year it suffered one of the worst crashes in airline history, will become president from April 1, it said in statement

Fog-induced chaos: Regulators impose fines on 3 airlines, Mumbai airport

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) and the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS) imposed a total fine of Rs 2.7 crore on the aforementioned four major aviation sector players in India

Fog impact: Give real-time update on flight delays, DGCA tells airlines

DGCA to issue SOP to airlines for better communication with passengers as fog impacts flight operations, he added

Boeing to step up inspections of aircraft during production after blowout

Boeing will also bring in an outside party to review its quality controls and suggest improvements, he said, adding another layer of scrutiny to its manufacturing process

Sensitise airport staff to inform passengers on delays: DGCA to airlines

Aviation watchdog DGCA on Monday asked airlines to publish accurate real-time information regarding flight delays and appropriately sensitise staff at airports to suitably communicate with passengers amid fog-related disruptions at airports. Against the backdrop of a significant number of flights getting delayed and cancelled and passengers facing tough times, the regulator has come out with a set of Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs). The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) said that airlines should publish accurate real-time information regarding delays in their flights. There should also be appropriate sensitisation of the airline staff at the airports to suitably communicate with and continuously guide and inform the passengers about flight delays, according to a release. "In view of the prevalent fog season and adverse weather conditions, airlines may cancel, sufficiently in advance, such flights that are anticipated to be delayed or consequentially delayed on accou

Scindia revises timeline for Navi Mumbai airport launch to March 2025

Adani Group, the parent company of Navi Mumbai International Airport, had earlier stated that the airport was on track to start commercial operations by December 2024

US govt investigating Boeing's design of part that blew off jetliner

Federal officials are investigating whether Boeing failed to make sure a panel that blew off a jetliner in midflight last week was properly designed and safe to use. The Federal Aviation Administration said on Thursday that the investigation is focusing on plugs used to fill spots for extra exits when those doors are not required on Boeing 737 Max 9 jetliners. The plug that blew off an Alaska Airlines Max 9 was found near Portland, Oregon, and will be be examined in a government laboratory. This incident should have never happened and it cannot happen again, the FAA said in a statement. Boeing's manufacturing practices need to comply with the high safety standards they're legally accountable to meet. The FAA notified Boeing of the investigation in a letter dated Wednesday. The agency asked the aircraft maker to present any evidence or statements in its defense within 10 business days. The FAA has grounded Max 9 jets, including all 65 operated by Alaska and 79 used by United Airli

SpiceXpress, Star Air partner to manage belly space in Star Air's fleet

SpiceJet's cargo arm SpiceXpress on Thursday said it has partnered with Bengaluru-based Star Air to manage the belly space capacity for carrying cargo in Star Air's fleet. The Kolhapur-headquartered Sanjay Ghodawat Group-owned Star Air has a fleet of nine Embraer planes, operating across 20 domestic destinations. This collaboration underlines SpiceXpress's commitment to expanding its reach and strengthening the domestic air cargo infrastructure, SpiceJet said in a statement. Under the collaboration, Star Air will significantly enhance SpiceXpress's domestic network, incorporating nine new destinations, it said, adding, the three-year agreement, extendable by mutual consent, establishes a foundation for seamless cooperation between the two companies. These destinations are Belagavi, Bhuj, Kalaburagi, Kishangarh, Kolhapur, Jamnagar, Jodhpur, Nagpur, and Shivamogga. With this, SpiceXpress' domestic network will increase from 39 to 48 destinations helping the company strengthen its ..