Aviation Sector In India

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

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

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

Huge aviation opportunities in India, but taxes are a hurdle: IATA chief

India is a fantastic market that demonstrates the real value of aviation, but high fuel costs is a challenge for the local airlines, IATA chief and IndiGo's incoming CEO Willie Walsh said on Monday. Speaking at briefings after the conclusion of the IATA Annual General Meeting (AGM) in the city, Walsh said India has great opportunities, as well as some as challenges. Howeever, taxation could slow down the growth potential, he added. "The net position in India is very, very exciting and that is proven by the growth that we've seen in the domestic market... I think (there) would be a very significant growth in the international market in due course as well," he said. The International Air Transport Association (IATA) is a grouping of more than 370 airlines and accounts for around 85 per cent of the global air traffic. Talking about the challenges in the Indian market, Walsh cited high fuel costs. "That is an additional burden when fuel (price) is denominated in dollars and you've see

Indian airlines urge oil firms to defer jet fuel price hike amid Iran war

The proposal floated by airlines including Air India Ltd., IndiGo and SpiceJet Ltd. is being considered by the refiners

Pilots Association flags fatigue risks, seeks urgent FDTL rollout by DGCA

The pilots' body further stated that the continued granting of variations to airline operators has significantly diluted the intent of FDTL regulations

Extended duty limits could threaten flight safety: Pilots' union to DGCA

Federation of Indian Pilots warns that DGCA's temporary relaxation in flight duty limits for Air India long haul flights could heighten fatigue risks and compromise safety

Air India finds misuse of its leisure travel policy, initiates actions

Air India has detected large-scale discrepancies in the utilisation of its leisure travel policy, involving more than 4,000 employees and has initiated corrective actions, including imposing penalties on the erring staff, according to sources. Loss-making Air India was acquired by the Tata Group in January 2022, and the airline, which has faced multiple headwinds in recent times, is also in the midst of implementing an ambitious transformation plan. The airline has more than 24,000 employees. The sources in the know told PTI that the large-scale discrepancies in the use of Air India's Employee Leisure Travel (ELT) policy were detected after a detailed internal investigation. The ELT policy allows a specified number of free air tickets for individual employees and their nominees, including spouse and parents. These are subject to certain conditions. Many employees were found to have misused the policy by showing those not related to them as relatives to avail the benefits. Some were

Iran war exposes vulnerabilities for airlines in global aviation network

Global airlines have seen billions of dollars wiped from their market capitalisation on the surging cost of fuel and uncertainty about when safe operations can resume

Airlines seek govt support as Iran war hits ops, raises pricing pressure

Airlines warn prolonged West Asia conflict could disrupt operations and raise costs as jet fuel prices surge, routes lengthen, and insurance premiums climb, prompting calls for regulatory relief

UK asks Air India to explain Boeing Dreamliner fuel-switch incident

Air India said in a statement it had completed a precautionary re-inspection of the ​switches and found no issues, and would 'respond to the UK regulator accordingly'

Protectionism in bilateral rights not good for anyone: Etihad CEO

Indian carriers are doing very well and have no reason to fear competition, says Antonoaldo Neves

Turbulence in India's skies as duopoly strains aviation sector boom

India's skies over the past decade have shifted from a battleground of about half a dozen carriers to a near-duopoly

IndiGo cancels 175 flights as pilot shortage crisis enters third day

The crisis is a major setback for the two-decade-old airline that built its reputation on being punctual, coining the tagline "IndiGo Standard Time" when it shut plane gates well before departure time

Air India to operate relief flight to bring 228 passengers from Ulaanbaatar

Air India will operate a relief flight on Tuesday to bring back 228 passengers who are stranded in Ulaanbaatar after their San Francisco-Delhi flight was diverted to the Mongolian capital on Monday due to a technical issue. The relief flight will return with the passengers on Wednesday morning, the airline said. There were 245 people in the plane, including 228 passengers and 17 crew members, a source said on Monday. "Air India will be operating a relief flight to ferry the passengers of flight AI174 (San FranciscoDelhi of 02 November), which was diverted to Ulaanbaatar on Monday. The ferry flight AI183 is scheduled to depart Delhi this afternoon and return with the affected passengers on Wednesday morning," the airline said in a statement. The relief flight will be operated with a Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft. The statement also said the airline along with local authorities and the Indian Embassy in Mongolia, has been looking after the passengers and crew, including providing t

Air traffic controller shortage widens US flight delays amid govt shutdown

Continued staffing shortages in air traffic control facilities around the country were again causing delays at airports on Friday as the government shutdown neared the one-month mark. US Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy has been warning that travelers would start to see more flights delayed or cancelled as the nation's controllers continue to work without pay during the shutdown, which began Oct 1. Every day there's going to be more challenges, Duffy told reporters Thursday outside the White House after a closed-door meeting with Vice President JD Vance and aviation industry leaders to talk about the shutdown's impact on US travel. The Federal Aviation Administration reported staffing-related delays Friday at a number of airports, including in Boston, New York City, Nashville, Houston, Dallas and Newark, New Jersey. The airports in Boston, Nashville and New York City were experiencing delays averaging two hours or longer. Aviation analytics firm Cirium says flight data showed a

Image India denying bilateral flying rights is 'wrong': IndiGo CEO

Pieter Elbers says India is being selective, not restrictive, in granting bilateral flying rights; adds IndiGo is focusing on mitigating grounded aircraft issues

IndiGo to boost connectivity to UK with increased flights to Manchester

Additionally, IndiGo has recently announced the launch of direct, daily flights to London Heathrow from Mumbai, effective October 26, 2025

oneworld Alliance considers Indian airline partner as market expands

Given that many of its members currently serve India, the alliance is also considering ways to leverage their joint presence in country like with a loyalty deal or a joint lounge initiative, CEO said

Delhi Airport's upgraded Terminal 2 to reopen on October 26 with new tech

Delhi Airport's refurbished T2 will resume operations on October 26 with 120 daily flights of Air India and IndiGo, featuring self-baggage drop and India's first autonomous aerobridges