Page 4 - Aviation Sector

Why hunt for the black box? There's a simpler fix for faster crash probes

Aircraft are equipped with sensors and recorders, which capture everything mechanical and electrical, and record cockpit conversations

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

Passenger tries to open exit midair, forces emergency landing in Iowa

A regional airline flight heading to Detroit had to make an emergency landing in eastern Iowa after a passenger fought with a flight attendant and tried to open an exit door midair, according to the pilot's communication with air traffic controllers. The pilot of the SkyWest Airlines Flight 3612 contacted the tower at Eastern Iowa Airport in Cedar Rapids shortly after 6 pm Thursday requesting to land because of a passenger causing a disturbance. He's in a fight with our flight attendant right now, trying to open the emergency exit, the pilot said, according to audio captured by LiveATC. The disturbance happened shortly after the SkyWest flight departed from Omaha, Nebraska, around 5.30 pm Thursday, according to police. The flight was diverted to and landed safely at the Cedar Rapids airport, according to a statement from the Federal Aviation Administration. Once on the ground, local police boarded and arrested the 23-year-old Omaha man, Cedar Rapids police said. The flight was abl

LAT Aviation has not bought any private jet, clarifies Deepinder Goyal

Eternal (formerly Zomato) CEO Deepinder Goyal on Wednesday clarified that LAT Aviation -- an aviation startup backed by him -- "has not bought any private jet". Earlier, a media report claimed that Goyal-backed LAT Aerospace has bought a Bombardier Global jet. The aerospace startup, co-founded by Surobhi Das, is in the regional aviation space. "For those who want facts more than clickbaity headlines LAT is a startup, and has not bought any private jet. LAT is about making planes for regional aviation, and is not in the business of buying planes," Goyal said in a post on X. "And, I don't own one personally either. Will be nice to have one, though," he added. The aviation venture faces uncertainty due to regulatory clearances, technological capability and public adoption.

AI171 crash: Both fuel switches moved to cutoff just after takeoff

AAIB's preliminary probe finds cockpit confusion and sudden loss of thrust as fuel switches moved to cutoff seconds after takeoff from Ahmedabad airport on June 12

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,

Air India's Riyadh-Delhi flight diverted to Jaipur due to bad weather

The flight was originally scheduled to land at Delhi's Indira Gandhi International Airport at around 1 am on July 7 but inclement weather in Delhi forced the aircraft to be rerouted to Jaipur

Airports tap tech to reshape travel and boost commercial potential

The global airport automation market size is projected to surge to $85.12 billion by 2033 from $5.05 billion currently

DGCA audit finds worn tyres, faulty simulators, faded runway marks

The first sectorwide saftey audit by DGCA comes days after the deadly crash of Air India's AI171 flight on June 12, in which 229 passengers, 12 crew members and 34 people on the ground were killed

Air India suspends Europe, US east coast flights amid Middle East conflict

Some flights heading for India were forced to return to their point of origin or were being re-routed

Delhi Police busts aviation fuel smuggling racket, 6 held in ₹1.62 cr scam

The Delhi Police on Monday claimed to have busted a racket siphoning off aviation turbine fuel from tankers meant for the international airport here and selling those in the open market as mineral turpentine oil, causing monthly loss of over Rs 1.62 crore to the national exchequer. The illegal operation running for over three years was uncovered following a tip-off received on Sunday, and led to the arrest of six people and detention of two others. The racket is said to be causing a loss of over Rs 1.62 crore to the exchequer every month, with an estimated 5,000 litres of fuel being stolen daily. "The ATF was originally dispatched from HPCL's Asoda Depot in Bahadurgarh for delivery to IGI Airport. However, tanker drivers, in connivance with the transporter and godown owner, manipulated GPS tracking data and diverted the tankers to a concealed location in Mundka," Deputy Commissioner of Police (Crime) Aditya Gautam said. The security locks on the tankers meant to be opened only a

Airlines weigh Mideast cancellations after US strikes leave many stranded

With Russian and Ukrainian airspace closed due to war, the Middle East route is vital for Europe-Asia flights, but FlightRadar24 showed empty skies over Iran, Iraq, Syria, and Israel

Airlines keep avoiding West Asian airspace after US strikes on Iran

Missile and drone barrages in an expanding number of conflict zones globally represent a high risk to airline traffic

SpiceJet to pay ₹25K compensation to passenger for issuing wrong ticket

A consumer commission here has held that a senior citizen suffered "monetarily and mentally" after SpiceJet issued incorrect tickets while rerouting his journey in 2020, and directed the airline to pay a compensation of Rs 25,000 to the passenger. The District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission, Mumbai (Suburban), in the order passed on June 17, held the budget carrier guilty of "deficient service and negligent behaviour" for the error which caused "mental harassment" to the passenger. In view of the urgent need of the passenger (age not specified in the order), the airline had made an alternate booking- where the wrong ticket was issued- after his initial flight was cancelled due to bad weather. The commission acknowledged that the flight cancellation was beyond the control of the airline, and the Air Traffic Control (ATC) had taken the decision in view of the passengers' safety. It noted the airline had taken all the necessary efforts to provide an alternate ticket to the ...

AAIB to decide black box decoding location after safety assessment: Moca

MoCA says AAIB will assess all parameters before decoding AI171 black boxes, as minister meets airlines and airports to strengthen safety and passenger response

Airbus projects global aircraft fleet to double by 2044, led by India

The global in-service fleet will swell by 24,480 units to 49,210 aircraft in 2044, Airbus predicted in its latest global market forecast

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

Akasa Air signs pact with Adani Airport to launch operations from NMIA

Akasa Air partners with Adani Airports to begin operations from Navi Mumbai International Airport, starting with 100+ weekly flights and expanding to 350+ domestic and international departures

Airlines facing skewed value chain, profit margin never crossed 5%: IATA

Airlines are grappling with a skewed value chain globally and historically, the profit margin has never crossed 5 per cent, according to IATA Chief Economist Marie Owens Thomsen. Also, she expressed hope that any efforts to address making the airline value chain less skewed will surely be an example for other countries. India is one of the world's fastest growing civil aviation market. At an interaction in the national capital this week, Thomsen said the skewed value chain for the global airlines industry is also a result of legacy policies. Thomsen is the Chief Economist & Senior Vice President Sustainability at the International Airport Transport Association (IATA), a grouping of over 350 airlines. "Nobody sat down from the beginning and said, I'm going to create a super skewed value chain and make sure that the airlines never make any money. "I don't think anybody had that intent. But unfortunately, that's sort of where we've ended up. And our industry globally has never made