Aviation News

Govt order to offer 60% flight seats without additional charges put on hold

The government on Thursday "put in abeyance" its earlier direction to airlines to offer at least 60 per cent of seats in a flight without levying any additional charge from April 20, according to sources. On March 18, the civil aviation ministry announced that directions have been issued to the DGCA to direct airlines to allocate a minimum of 60 per cent of seats for selection on any flight free of any additional charges to ensure fair access for passengers. "The matter has been reviewed in light of representations received from the Federation of Indian Airlines and Akasa Air, highlighting operational and commercial implications of the above provision, including its potential impact on fare structures and consistency with the prevailing deregulated tariff regime. "In view of the above, and pending a comprehensive examination of the issue, it has been decided that the provision relating to offering at least 60 per cent of seats free of charge shall be kept in abeyance till further ..

Datanomics: One-third of airline costs burn in fuel in Indian skies

ATF consumption per aircraft moderated during FY16 to FY 25, showing gradual efficiency improvements in the aviation sector

ATF, commercial LPG and premium fuel prices soar amid oil squeeze

Jet fuel prices were partially raised to cushion domestic travellers despite global surge, while commercial LPG prices were hiked and domestic rates kept unchanged

Indigo to raise ticket prices again starting April 2 as ATF costs surge

For domestic routes, the airline said it has adjusted fuel charges based on distance bands after the government allowed only a partial pass-through of rising costs

SpiceJet, Indigo welcome ATF price increase amid West Asia crisis

SpiceJet Chairman and Managing Director Ajay Singh on Wednesday said the government's decision to allow only a partial increase in jet fuel prices would be a significant relief for the country's aviation industry at a time of unprecedented global uncertainty. PSU oil marketing companies, under the Ministry of Petroleum, in consultation with the Ministry of Civil Aviation, decided to implement only a partial and staggered increase of 25 per cent or Rs 15/litre for domestic airlines, Civil Aviation Minister K Rammohan Naidu said in a post on X. Airlines are already incurring higher operational costs due to the airspace restrictions in the West Asia region amid the conflict. The situation is forcing carriers to take longer routes for international flights, resulting in increased fuel burn. "The government's decision to allow only a partial increase in Aviation Turbine Fuel prices comes as a significant relief for the Indian aviation industry at a time of unprecedented global ...

IndiGo appoints William Walsh CEO to steer growth, stabilise operations

Former IATA chief to take charge from August as airline looks to stabilise operations and drive global expansion following recent disruption and leadership change

Vikram Yadav new DGCA chief; Faiz Ahmed Kidwai's turbulent tenure ends

Faiz Ahmed Kidwai moved after tenure marked by aviation crises, safety lapses and regulatory challenges, as Centre appoints Vir Vikram Yadav as new DGCA chief

Aviation in a tailspin again as it recovers from last year's shocks

Disruptions from Iran war have sharpened underlying challenges in a sector that is still recovering from last year's shocks

IndiGo launches Shanghai-Kolkata flight boosting India-China connectivity

IndiGo airline on Monday launched its daily flight from Shanghai to Kolkata boosting the air connectivity between India and China. The IndiGo6E flight was launched by Indian Consulate General in Shanghai Pratik Mathur. Meeting the IndiGo management team on the occasion, Mathur underlined the positive momentum, appreciated the growing confidence and enthusiasm being expressed through the booming air connectivity and the resurgent economic links between India and the region, the Indian Consulate in Shanghai said in a post on X. Indian airlines such as IndiGo and Air India have started connecting Shanghai with metro cities such as New Delhi and Kolkata. Kolkata is the second Indian metro after New Delhi now linked with Shanghai, China's commercial capital. Air China plans to launch a direct flight between Beijing and New Delhi on April 21, according to officials. The new route linking Shanghai-Kolkata is also expected to push the development of India's northeast, Mathur said. Kolka

Aircraft supply crunch 'hurdle' in India's aviation growth: Rammohan Naidu

India's aviation sector is facing a bottleneck in new aircraft procurement, Civil Aviation Minister K Rammohan Naidu has said, citing that while 1,700 new planes are on order, supply chain disruptions could stretch deliveries up to 15 years. The government is emphasising domestic manufacturing of aircraft through joint ventures with global giants like Embraer, and a partnership with Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) is already underway to produce the Sukhoi Superjet 100, Naidu said on Sunday. He flagged off new flights at Bhavnagar airport in Gujarat. The minister remarked that building airports is not difficult once land is made available, but getting aircraft has become a major bottleneck after the COVID-19 pandemic. Aircraft manufacturing has slowed down worldwide, affecting the speed at which planes are being delivered, he noted. "After COVID-19, there were many difficulties in aircraft manufacturing. There was some disruption in the supply chain. So the speed and scale at w

PM inaugurates Noida airport, says it will drive growth in western UP

The Prime Minister positioned the Jewar airport as a key connectivity and economic hub for cities including Agra, Meerut, Aligarh, Ghaziabad, and Mathura

Locals seek affordable fares as PM Modi inaugurates Noida airport

Welcoming the inauguration of the Noida International Airport, several locals on Saturday urged the government to ensure affordable airfare so that the facility benefits not just the affluent but also the economically weaker sections. Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the first phase of the airport on Saturday at Jewar in Gautam Buddh Nagar district. The project has been developed under a public-private partnership (PPP) model by the Yamuna International Airport Private Limited, a subsidiary of Zurich Airport International AG. Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, Governor Anandiben Patel, Civil Aviation Minister Kinjarapu Ram Mohan Naidu and other dignitaries attended the inauguration ceremony. Thousands of locals also attended the event and shared their expectations from the airport, with many emphasising the need for affordable air travel. Speaking to PTI Videos, Sanjay Kumar, a local, said the project would be truly successful only if it became accessible to the

Commercial flights from Noida airport to start in 45-60 days: Naidu

Commercial flight operations from the Noida International Airport will start in the next 45 to 60 days, Civil Aviation Minister K Rammohan Naidu said on Saturday. The Noida International Airport (NIA), located in Jewar, Uttar Pradesh, was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday. Naidu said flight operations from the airport would start in 45 to 60 days. Security plans for the airport are being worked out and IndiGo is keen to start flights from the airport, he told media persons. Earlier in the day, billboards and cutouts of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath dotted the approach road towards the venue where bhajans and songs filled the air before the formal inauguration. People poured in to the venue having elaborate and segmented seating arrangements under an expansive shamiana. Among the largest greenfield airport projects in the country, NIA, located in Jewar, Gautam Buddh Nagar district of Uttar Pradesh, will initiall

Travel crisis deepens as jet fuel shortage grips Asia, may spread to Europe

The amount of jet fuel lost because of the conflict is ultimately too much for the world's refiners to offset

Indian aviation industry outlook 'negative'; weak near-term demand: ICRA

Ratings agency ICRA on Friday revised its outlook on the Indian aviation industry to negative from stable, citing disruptions in international airspace following escalation of geopolitical tensions in West Asia. The revision in outlook is also on account of a sharp depreciation of the rupee against the US dollar and an expected increase in jet fuel (ATF) prices, ICRA said. These factors are likely to significantly increase cost pressures for airlines, even as demand growth faces downside risks, it said. The ratings agency said it expects domestic air passenger traffic growth to be at 0-3 per cent for the ongoing fiscal year and international passenger traffic growth for Indian carriers at 7-9 per cent, indicating a relatively weak near-term demand environment. Prior to the West Asian crisis, ICRA had estimated domestic air passenger traffic growth at 6-8 per cent and international traffic growth for Indian carriers at 8-10 per cent for FY27. However, these projections now carry a

DGCA is looking to ease rules for airlines to help them grow: Chief

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) is trying to promote ease of doing business for airlines to help them grow and flourish as well as taking steps for passenger rights, its chief Faiz Ahmed Kidwai said on Thursday. There are big challenges for airlines, including taking longer routes and higher operational costs due to airspace restrictions, he said, expressing hope that there would be "better days". The ongoing West Asia conflict is posing more challenges for airlines, which have curtailed services to the region. "It is not only passenger rights which we are looking at... we are trying to ease things for the airlines also and the rules and regulations which are there, promote ease of doing business because we want our airlines to grow and flourish," Kidwai said. He said many airlines have gone bust in India and emphasised the need to support carriers. India is one of the world's fastest-growing civil aviation markets and the DGCA as well as the civil aviation minist

Indian airlines to operate 10% fewer domestic flights in summer: DGCA

Indian airlines are set to operate a little over 23,000 weekly domestic flights during the summer schedule starting from March 29, which is 10 per cent less than the services flown during the same period a year ago. Aviation watchdog DGCA has published the domestic flights summer schedule, which is from March 29 to October 24, for nine scheduled airlines. A senior DGCA official on Thursday told PTI that the airlines would be operating around 10 per cent fewer flights in 2026 summer schedule compared to the previous summer schedule. During the 2025 summer schedule, there were 25,610 weekly flights and this time, a 10 per cent reduction would mean the number of services will come down by 2,561. Accordingly, the total count will be about 23,049 weekly flights, as per an analysis. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has put out the airline-wise domestic summer schedule for 2026 on its website but has not provided a consolidated figure and comparison with the previous summe

British Airways to add extra Delhi, Mumbai flights amid West Asia crisis

British Airways will operate additional flights from Delhi and Mumbai for a short term to meet the traffic demand amid the disruptions due to the West Asia crisis. From April 7 to May 31, the airline will operate a third daily flight from Delhi to London Heathrow and from Mumbai, it will have a third daily flight to London Heathrow from May 15 to 31, a release said on Thursday. "The airline is adding short-term capacity on these routes to meet strong demand and provide customers with greater choice and flexibility when travelling between India, the UK and beyond," it said. With the additional capacity, British Airways will operate up to 63 weekly flights with more than 1,000 additional seats per week between India and the UK. British Airways' Chief Planning and Strategy Officer Neil Chernoff said the airline has been able to reallocate additional capacity to meet strong demand to other destinations across its route network and that India remains one of its most important global ...

DGCA seeks corrective steps from Air India over Vancouver flight error

Aviation watchdog DGCA has asked Air India to take corrective measures after the airline deployed a wrong aircraft for operating a flight to Vancouver last week, a senior official said on Thursday. Action has also been taken against an airline official for the incident, the senior official at the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) told PTI. A Vancouver-bound Air India Boeing 777-200 LR aircraft, after being airborne for over seven hours, returned to Delhi on March 19 after it was found that the plane was not approved for operating the flight. The approval is only for Boeing 777-300 ER to operate that flight. Following the incident, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) had sought a report from the airline. Air India has been asked to take corrective measures to ensure that such incidents do not happen again, and action has also been taken against an airline official, the DGCA official said. Specific details could not be ascertained. There was no immediate com

Cabinet clears ₹28,840 cr modified UDAN scheme for regional connectivity

Under the revamped plan, the government will develop 100 new airports and 200 helipads, with a focus on hilly regions, the Northeast, island territories and aspirational districts