Page 2 - Aviation News

Air India's CEO pick was earlier chosen to lead Pakistan's largest airline

Tewolde Gebremariam was earlier shortlisted to head Pakistan International Airlines as it pursued a turnaround following its privatisation

Tewolde Gebremariam to replace Campbell Wilson as Air India CEO & MD

Air India on Wednesday announced the appointment of former Ethiopian Airlines Group chief Tewolde Gebremariam as the next Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer. He will replace Campbell Wilson, who announced his resignation in April this year. In a release, Air India said it rigorously evaluated internal as well as highly accomplished external candidates from across the world before deciding on Gebremariam. The appointment comes at a crucial time when the loss-making Air India is working on expansion amid multiple external headwinds. Gebremariam has served as the CEO of Ethiopian Airlines Group, where he spearheaded a multi-billion-dollar expansion, transforming a regional carrier into Africa's largest and most profitable airline, the release said.

India needs more competition in aviation, says Akasa Air CEO Vinay Dube

Akasa Air will be supportive of a proposal to allow airport operators to own airlines as the government will take into account the "considerations" involved before taking a decision since India needs more competition in aviation, according to its CEO Vinay Dube. The remarks from the founder and CEO of the nearly four-year-old Akasa Air comes against the backdrop of reports that the government is looking at allowing airport operators to own airlines. In an interview to PTI on Wednesday, Dube said he was very confident that the government will take into account considerations involved when a private enterprise owns both an airport and an airline. "And I'm very confident that they (government) know about this (and) they'll take into account. Therefore I am happy and supportive of this move," he said. Dube was responding to queries regarding the proposal being considered that would allow airport operators to own airlines. While stressing that the country needs "more competition in ...

Govt says 352 tech defects reported in flight operations in 2026 till June

The government on Monday said that 352 significant technical defects were reported in domestic and international flight operations this year till June. Out of the total, 334 significant defects were related to domestic flight operations and the remaining pertained to international services, according to data provided by the civil aviation ministry to the Rajya Sabha. The data was provided by Minister of State for Civil Aviation Murlidhar Mohol in a written reply. As many as 334 defects were related to domestic services and 18 pertained to international flights. The minister did not disclose specific details about the defects. Among the 352 "significant defects" during the given period, 152 pertained to flight operations of Akasa Air, 53 related to Air India Express and 47 pertained to IndiGo flights, the data showed. In the case of Air India and SpiceJet, the number of such defects was 46 and 9, respectively. during their flight operations. As per the data, Star Air reported 29 .

IndiGo to discontinue widebody operations, end Norse Atlantic lease

A worsening operating environment, driven by geopolitical tensions, has increased costs and weighed on the economics of the programme

IndiGo's flight path, 20 years on: Market leader faces global headwinds

Global headwinds have forced the airline to make steep cuts in capacity

Govt plans 44 airports for Hub and Spoke flights to boost connectivity

The government aims to have a total of 44 airports, including 4 hub airports, to provide seamless international air connectivity, a senior government official said on Tuesday. Air India on Tuesday launched flights under the Hub and Spoke model from Amritsar, the second airport after Varanasi from where such fights have been started. Presently, there is one hub airport -- Delhi -- and two spoke airports -- Varanasi and Amritsar. The next spoke airport will be Ahmedabad. The model, that seeks to make India a global aviation hub, will enable seamless connectivity between Tier-II and Tier-III airports with international destinations through hub airports. Passengers arriving from smaller cities will be routed through major hub airports such as Delhi for onward international connections. At a function at the Amritsar airport to mark the launch of Hub and Spoke model flights, Civil Aviation Secretary Samir Kumar Sinha said 4 hubs and 40 airports would be developed. From Amritsar, Air In

Demand trends, pricing power may keep IndiGo's revenue growth strong

Higher fuel and leasing costs pushed IndiGo into a Q1 loss, but brokerages remain positive on the airline's long-term growth driven by strong demand and international expansion

InterGlobe Aviation swings to ₹238 crore Q1 loss as fuel costs rise 86%

Aircraft fuel expenses rose 85.7 per cent to ₹10,832.9 crore and accounted for 44.1 per cent of revenue, up from 28.5 per cent in the year-ago quarter

IndiGo to place order for over 1K aircraft engines with CFM International

The country's largest airline IndiGo on Monday announced it will place an order with CFM International for more than 1,000 engines to power its 510 A320 neo family planes. IndiGo and CFM International, an equal joint venture between GE Aerospace and Safran Aircraft Engines, have inked a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for the order at the Farnborough International Airshow in the UK. The order for more than 1,000 LEAP-1A engines to power 510 Airbus A320 neo family aircraft will also be the "largest single order ever placed for LEAP engines and a record for CFM International," a release said on Monday. Financial details were not disclosed. A320 neo family planes include A320 neos, A321 neos and A321 XLRs. All are narrow-body aircraft. CFM International would also provide extensive support to the airline in establishing its engine MRO (Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul) facility in Bengaluru. Besides, it will provide support to the IndiGo fleet through long-term material services .

India raises windfall tax on diesel and ATF exports amid oil surge

India has increased windfall taxes on diesel and aviation turbine fuel exports as global oil prices rise following the escalation of the US-Iran conflict

Akasa Air eyes ₹1,050 crore fundraise as Iran war drives up costs

Akasa Air is seeking to raise about ₹1,050 crore through equity and debt to cushion the impact of the Iran conflict, which has disrupted flights and driven up jet fuel costs

SpiceJet, Ajay Singh to deposit ₹140 crore in Maran award dispute

The Delhi High Court recorded SpiceJet and Managing Director Ajay Singh's undertaking to pay Rs 140 crore to KAL Airways and Kalanithi Maran in an arbitration award dispute

Airfare regulation plea: SC asks Centre to submit aviation rules in 2 weeks

The Supreme Court on Monday asked the Centre to place before it within two weeks the rules framed under the Bharatiya Vayuyan Adhiniyam, 2024, which is aimed at modernising India's aviation sector. A bench of Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta said the rules be placed before it in a sealed cover, irrespective of whether they have been placed before Parliament. The apex court passed the order while hearing a plea filed by social activist S Laxminarayanan, who has sought a robust and independent regulator that ensures transparency and passenger protection across the civil aviation sector, and regulatory guidelines to control the "unpredictable fluctuations" in airfare and ancillary charges imposed by private airlines in India. The counsel appearing for the Centre informed the bench that the draft rules are ready and they are in the process of translation. He said the rules have to be placed before Parliament. "We grant two weeks' time to the respondents to place before this cour

Simaero plans to add more simulators, tap local engineering talent in India

French company Simaero, which has set up its simulator training facility in India, plans to tap the country's local engineering talent in the specialised areas of simulator engineering and technology services. In a recent interview with PTI, Simaero's CEO Nicolas Moute said the company's long-term vision was to build a centre of excellence for aviation training that serves not only India but the wider South Asian region. "We are very optimistic about India. Every market has its challenges, but we see far more opportunities than obstacles," he said, adding that the company does not see any barriers that would prevent it from expanding its presence in the country. At the training facility in Gurugram, Haryana, the company recently launched its first Airbus A320 neo simulator and expects to add one or two more simulators in the near term, based on customer demand. "We could possibly expect to add a Boeing or regional ATR aircraft simulator. However, it would depend on our client's ...

What is Viksit UDAN? India's new push for regional air connectivity

The revamped scheme aims to address the shortcomings of the original UDAN programme while significantly expanding India's regional aviation network and strengthening regional connectivity

Saudi-based Riyadh Air to launch daily Mumbai-Riyadh flights from Aug 4

Saudi Arabia-based Riyadh Air on Monday announced its entry into India with the launch of daily direct flight between Riyadh and Mumbai, starting August 4. The premium carrier, backed by Saudi Arabia's sovereign wealth fund, the Public Investment Fund (PIF), announced that bookings for the daily flight will open from July 6. The new daily air service between Mumbai and Riyadh will be operated by a Boeing B787-9 aircraft, offering a four-class configuration business elite, business, premium economy and economy. The latest route is a key addition to Riyadh Air's growing network, which now spans nine destinations with more set to be announced in the coming days and weeks, the airline said, adding that it also strengthens its mission to connect the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia with major global and regional hubs. "With India emerging as one of the fastest-growing aviation markets globally, we are delighted to offer travellers a new premium choice and enhanced global connectivity from Mumba

Air India cuts fuel surcharges for North America, Europe flights

Air India has cut fuel surcharges for flights to North America, Australia, Europe, and the UK as oil prices eased in recent weeks, according to sources. The airline announced fuel surcharges on April 7 amid a surge in oil and jet fuel prices due to the West Asia conflict. The higher costs and airspace curbs had pushed up operational expenses for the airline. Fuel surcharge for North America and Australia flights have been cut to USD 200 from USD 280 per ticket and that for Europe and the UK services have been reduced to USD 125 from USD 205, the sources said on Thursday. The revised fuel surcharges are effective from July 1, the sources said. There was no comment from Air India. Fuel surcharges for other international flights and domestic services of the airline remain unchanged. Fuel surcharges for North America, Australia, Europe, and the UK flights had come into force from April 10. On April 7, the Air India Group announced fuel surcharges ranging from USD 24 to USD 280 for ..

Govt hikes windfall tax on petrol, cuts levy on diesel and ATF exports

The government has lowered export duties on diesel and aviation turbine fuel while raising the levy on petrol exports as global crude oil prices continue to ease

Akasa Air plans IPO in next 2-4 yrs; share sale is 'question of when': CFO

Akasa Air plans to come out with its initial share sale in the next two to four years, depending on achieving various milestones, its Chief Financial Officer Ankur Goel said on Tuesday as he stressed that the airline's IPO is "not a question of if but a question of when". After taking to the skies in August 2022, the airline is slowly expanding its presence and currently flies to 34 destinations, including 7 international cities. The nearly four-year-old carrier, now, has a fleet of 39 planes and aims to have 226 aircraft by 2032. Responding to queries about the Initial Public Offering (IPO) at a briefing in the national capital, Goel said the time frame is going to be 2-4 years, depending on achieving various milestones such as being EBITDA positive, cash flow and profitability. "IPO will happen for us, it is not a question of if, it is a question of when, we are not creating an airline to do an IPO, we are creating an airline that really creates value...," he said, and also ...