Aviation Sector In India

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

Kolkata-bound IndiGo flights returns to Nagpur after suspected bird hit

A Nagpur-Kolkata IndiGo flight returned to the airport here following a suspected bird hit after take-off on Tuesday morning, a senior airport official said. As a precautionary measure, the plane, carrying 160 to 165 passengers, had to return to the Nagpur airport, the official told PTI. The flight has been cancelled, the official added.

DGCA staffing crisis a threat to aviation safety system: Parl panel

A Parliamentary panel on Wednesday suggested a time-bound plan to grant administrative as well as financial autonomy to DGCA and flagged that the staffing crisis at the regulator is an "existential threat to the integrity of India's aviation safety system". Besides, the committee said the current imbalance, where aircraft induction is outpacing airport growth, is putting unsustainable pressure on existing facilities, degrading service quality, and dangerously straining safety margins, as it pitched for developing a comprehensive National Capacity Alignment Plan to synchronise airport infrastructure development with airline fleet induction schedules. The Department-Related Parliamentary Standing Committee on Transport, Tourism and Culture -- headed by Rajya Sabha member and JD(U) leader Sanjay Kumar Jha -- submitted its report on the 'Overall Review of Safety in the Civil Aviation Sector' on Wednesday. One of the recommendations is to establish a time-bound mechanism for the closure

World's biggest passenger jet, Airbus A380, is becoming costly to maintain

Two decades after its maiden flight, regulatory bulletins ordering repairs, inspections or replacement parts for the massive four-engined plane Airbus SE A380 are piling up

'Serious' safety violations: DGCA issues 4 show cause notices to Air India

The DGCA issues four show-cause notices to Air India for safety violations, including cabin crew deployment lapses and training deficiencies, following multiple incidents

Many Indian airlines spend more on publicity than passenger safety: Survey

Around 76 per cent of respondents in a pan-India online survey opined that many airlines in India are spending more on publicity than on passenger safety. The online survey conducted by LocalCircles revealed that as many as 64 per cent of these respondents had experienced at least one rough flight in the last three years, involving a difficult takeoff, landing, or inflight situation. The survey, which received 44,000 responses from citizens across 322 districts, assumes significance amidst a spate of incidents, both mid-air and on ground, reported recently. These included Tata Group-run Air India's Boeing 787-8 aircraft accident that crashed within seconds of taking off for London Gatwick from Ahmedabad last month, killing 241 of the 242 passengers on board and another 19 on the ground. The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) is investigating the crash and has already submitted its preliminary report. Also, on Monday, passengers on board Air India Kochi-Mumbai flight had

Preliminary report on Air India crash to give peek into jet's final moments

Preliminary findings indicated the fuel switches were turned off, though it's unclear whether it was accidental or intentional and whether any effort was made to turn them back on

DGCA to implement ranking system for flying training organisations

Aviation watchdog DGCA has introduced a ranking system for flying training organisations as part of efforts to improve the quality and safety of pilot training activities in the country. The move also comes against the backdrop of various incidents involving planes of Flying Training Organisations (FTOs) and apparent lapses. The ranking system will be implemented from October 1, 2025, and the rankings will be published biannually, preferably on October 1 and April 1 every year, according to a DGCA communication. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) said the initiative is part of its "continued commitment to improve the quality, safety, and efficiency of pilot training in India, while fostering a performance-driven and transparent training ecosystem". FTOs will be ranked on the basis of various parameters and if the overall score of a FTO falls below 50 per cent, then the entity concerned will be served a notice for self-analysis towards improvement of their performance,

Patna-bound IndiGo flight grounded in Ranchi due to deflated tyre: Official

A Patna-bound Indigo flight was grounded at Birsa Munda airport here on Friday afternoon because of deflation in one of its tyres, an airport official said. The flight, originating from Kolkata, was scheduled to fly to Patna and then to Lucknow, he said. "The flight was grounded due to precautionary safety reasons," airport director RR Maurya said. "After landing at Ranchi, the pilot suspected one of the front tyres might be deflated and requested an inspection," he added. He added that Patna passengers were sent by road, while those traveling to Lucknow were put on other flights via alternate routes.

Black box of crashed AI plane is in India, being examined by AAIB: Minister

Civil Aviation Minister K Rammohan Naidu on Tuesday said the black box of the Air India plane which crashed in Ahmedabad earlier this month was being examined by the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau, and dismissed speculation that it would be sent abroad for an inquiry. The London-bound Air India flight crashed into a hostel complex in Ahmedabad moments after taking off from the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport there on June 12 afternoon, killing 270 persons, including 241 on board. One passenger survived. The black box of Air India's Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner plane was recovered from the site on June 13. A black box is a small device that records information about an aircraft during its flight. It helps in the investigation of aviation accidents. Asked about some media reports suggesting the black box would be sent abroad for a probe into the incident, Naidu said, "...it is all speculation. The black box is very much in India and it it currently being investigate

Air India crash risks fueling up to 30% jump in airline insurance premia

Insurance claims for the Air India crash are expected in the realm of $475 million, including those for the aircraft's hull and engine as well as additional liability for loss of life

Aviation stocks fall after Air India Boeing 787 crash kills over 200

Air India's fatal Boeing 787 crash triggers declines in aviation stocks across India and the US, as investor sentiment turns cautious ahead of the Paris Air Show

European plane maker ATR bullish on India; in talks with airlines

Bullish on the business opportunities in India, European aircraft maker ATR is in discussions with scheduled and non-scheduled operators to explore sale of its aircraft. Considering the growth potential of the Indian market, a senior ATR official said it expects the country to have 300 more turboprops in the next 10 years. A joint venture between Airbus and Leonardo, ATR manufactures turboprops with up to 78 seats as well as freighters. Currently, there are 70 ATR aircraft in the country that are operated by IndiGo, Alliance Air, and FLY91. ATR is still "very bullish" on the Indian market and is in active discussions with some of the operators, the company's Managing Director and Head of Region Asia PacificJean-Pierre Clercin told PTI in a recent interview in the national capital. Without divulging specific details, he said the company is in talks with scheduled and non-scheduled operators, including those already flying ATR aircraft. India is one of the world's fastest-growing c

Rising missile threats, airspace closures increase pressure on airlines

Six commercial aircraft have been shot down, with three near-misses since 2001, according to aviation risk consultancy Osprey Flight Solutions