Page 5 - Aviation Sector

Dunes Air enters private aviation market, to offer premium charter services

Ahmedabad-based private aviation firm Dunes Air has announced its entry into the air charter business with the launch of its premium chartered services. Under this vertical, the company will offer aircraft charter services to business leaders, high-net-worth individuals, and discerning travellers, its co-founder Ritesh Hada said. The airline is positioning itself as a premium air carrier delivering efficient, private and flexible flying experiences, Hada said. The non-scheduled operator currently operates two aircraft the Cessna Citation CJ2+, a jet suited for fast intercity routes, and the Cessna 208B Grand Caravan, known for its short takeoff capabilities and suitability for regional and remote destinations. Dunes Air said it is also set to induct a Challenger jet into its fleet, enhancing its long-range and luxury offerings, and supporting the growing demand for premium aviation services. The firm has already connected major metros and tier-2 cities, serving corporate leaders

Kempegowda Airport posts record profit for first time since inception

Kempegowda International Airport Bengaluru has reported a record profit for the first time since its inception, signifying a robust financial turnaround, according to the BIAL sources. The Bangalore International Airport Authority (BIAL) held its board meeting on May 16, presided over by its Chairperson and Chief Secretary to the Government of Karnataka, Shalini Rajneesh, a press statement said. "The meeting marked a historic milestone as Kempegowda International Airport Bengaluru (BLR Airport) reported a record profit for the first time since its inception, signifying a robust financial turnaround and a testament to the airport's strategic growth, sustainability initiatives, and operational excellence," the statement added. In addition to its strong financial performance, BLR Airport has earned multiple prestigious global recognitions in 2025, further cementing its position as a leader in sustainable and safe airport operations worldwide, it said. According to the statement, BLR .

Indian airlines carried 14.5 mn passengers in March; 8.79% higher YoY: DGCA

Indian airlines carried 1.45 crore passengers in March, an increase of 8.79 per cent compared to the year-ago period, according to official data released on Saturday. The Indian carriers had flown a total of 1.33 crore passengers in March 2024. "Passengers carried by domestic airlines during March 2025 were 145.42 lakh as against 133.68 lakh during the corresponding period of the previous year," the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) said in its monthly domestic passenger traffic report. In the month gone by, IndiGo transported a total of 93.1 lakh passengers with a market share of 64 per cent while Air India Group (full-service carrier Air India and low-cost carrier Air India Express) flew 38.8 lakh passengers with 26.7 per cent market share. The two other major carriers - Akasa Air and SpiceJet - flew 7.2 lakh and 4.8 lakh passengers, respectively in March 2025, cornering market share of 5 per cent and 3.3 per cent. IndiGo delivered the highest on-time performance (O

Direct flights between India and China a possibility now after long halt

But this time, Chinese carriers are unlikely to dominate the market

GE Aerospace CEO Culp advocates tariff-free regime for aviation industry

Trump's trade war has created the biggest uncertainty for the aerospace industry since the COVID pandemic. It has also led to a breakdown in the industry's decades-old duty-free status

Nipun Aggarwal replaces Campbell Wilson as Air India Express Chairman

Air India Express is a wholly owned subsidiary and low-cost airline under Air India

Delhi airport to reopen runway 10/28 in May first week to ease congestion

Faced with air traffic congestion and flight delays, Delhi airport operator DIAL on Sunday said the upgradation works of runway RW 10/28 will be temporarily suspended and it will be reopened for operations in the first week of May. The airport has four runways -- RW 09/27, RW 11R/29L, RW 11L/29R and RW 10/28. In a series of posts on X, DIAL said that in coordination with stakeholders, it has decided to temporarily suspend the critical ILS (Instrument Landing System) upgrade work necessary for the winter season. "Runway 10/28 will be brought back into operation in the first week of May, with the remaining upgrade activities deferred for a month or so," it said. The decision comes against the backdrop of flight delays due to reduced capacity following the runway closure and easterly winds. Runway RW 10/28, where one side is not compliant for CAT III operations, was closed for operations this week to carry out maintenance works. A CAT III facility allows aircraft operations in ...

French aviation firm Lauak mulls sale as Lohia eyes global expansion

The company in France's Basque region is attracting interest from potential suitors including India's Lohia Aerospace Systems

Indian airlines fear CORSIA's financial impact may clip their wings

Kapil Kaul, chief executive officer and director of aviation consultancy firm CAPA India, said that none of the Indian carriers are ready to meet the targets set under CORSIA

Delhi Airport set for 'global hub' tag in 2 yrs: CEO Videh Kumar Jaipuriar

To become a global hub, Delhi airport should have an international traffic of about 24 million

ICRA expects 18-20% growth for airport operators in FY26 on higher traffic

Indian airport operators are expected to see an 18-20 per cent topline year-on-year growth in this fiscal, driven by a sustained improvement in passenger traffic and tariff hike as well as ramp-up in non-aeronautical revenues, ratings agency ICRA said on Thursday. At the same time, ICRA estimates overall air passenger traffic growing at a healthy 7-9 per cent Y-o-Y to reach at 440-450 million in FY26, on the back of an around 10 per cent estimated increase in the just concluded financial year, it said. The overall passenger traffic (domestic and international) is estimated at 412-415 million in FY25, as per ICRA. The ratings agency said its estimation is based on a sample set of airports, including those managed and operated by the Airports Authority of India (AAI), as well as Delhi, Bangalore, Hyderabad and Cochin International Airports, which operate under the public-private partnership (PPP) model. Also, given the capacity bottleneck faced by a few airports, the sector will ...

Air India launches major jet revamp to lure back disgruntled passengers

The multi-year turnaround programme will initially focus on the airline's 27 Boeing Co. 787-8 Dreamliners that are more than 10 years old in some cases

How a supply glitch gave Air India 50 Boeing jets made for Chinese airlines

Air India Express has received 41 of 50 white-tail 737 Max jets from its June 2023 order of 190 planes- jets built for others but remained unused in storage

I-T dept imposes Rs 944 cr penalty on IndiGo, airline to contest order

The Income Tax Department has slapped a penalty of Rs 944.20 crore on IndiGo, which said it will contest the order that is "erroneous and frivolous". The order was received by InterGlobe Aviation, the parent of the country's largest airline IndiGo, on Saturday. In a regulatory filing on Sunday, IndiGo said the Assessment Unit of the Income Tax Department (Income Tax Authority) has passed an order imposing Rs 944.20 crore penalty for assessment year 2021-22. "The order has been passed on the basis of an erroneous understanding that appeal filed by the company before the Commissioner of Income Tax (Appeals) (CIT(A)) against the assessment order under Section 143(3) has been dismissed, whereas the same is still alive and pending adjudication," it said. According to the filing, the company strongly believes that the order passed by Income Tax Authority is not in accordance with law and is erroneous and frivolous. The company will contest the same and shall take appropriate legal remed

AAI plans to invest Rs 1,625 crore to expand Ayodhya airport capacity

Move aimed to increase its passenger handling capacity to 6 million passengers per annum

India's air passenger traffic to see 7% growth in 2025: Alton Aviation

India's air passenger traffic is expected to grow at a strong pace of 7 per cent in 2025, supported by a growing middle class and increasing air travel affordability, according to Joshua Ng, Director of US-headquartered Alton Aviation Consultancy. Bullish on aviation prospects in India, Ng said the country, which contributes approximately 10 per cent of Asia Pacific's domestic and international air traffic demand, has already returned to pre-pandemic levels. "Such growing demand in turn supports India's massive aviation development programmes including setting up of 150 airports across the country," Ng told PTI on Friday. He further noted that "India's passenger traffic is expected to grow at a strong pace of 7 per cent in 2025, supported by an order book of nearly 1,900 aircraft among airlines based in the country." Besides, "the recent merger between Air India and Vistara is also expected to bring more stability to the industry, with Air India and IndiGo emerging as the two prima

Delhi airport operator takes govt to court over Hindon commercial flights

Indian aviation rules prohibit airports within 150 km of an existing facility, but Hindon airbase is operating just 30 km from Delhi Airport

India will need 30,000 pilots in 15-20 years, says aviation minister

India will need 30,000 pilots in the next 15-20 years as domestic airlines have more than 1,700 planes on order as they expand their network, Civil Aviation Minister K Rammohan Naidu said on Tuesday. Asserting that the ministry is working with a collective approach for the aviation industry, he also said that officials are verifying various aspects of 38 Flying Training Organisations (FTOs) and these organisations will be rated. The minister was speaking at a function to mark the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for an order for 200 trainer aircraft. Indian airlines have placed orders for more than 1,700 aircraft and currently, there are over 800 planes, Naidu said. Presently, there are 6,000-7,000 working pilots and the country will need 30,000 pilots in the next 15 to 20 years, the minister said and also pitched for making India a training hub. India is one of the world's fastest growing civil aviation markets. According to the minister, efforts are being made to

'Polythene bags, rags…': What clogged lavatories on Air India flight

AI126 from Chicago to Delhi returned to the US city on March 6. The company then stated that the flight was returned because of a technical issue

IndiGo to start direct long-haul flights to Manchester, Amsterdam from July

Expanding its international operations, IndiGo will start non-stop long-haul flights to Manchester and Amsterdam with the leased Boeing 787-9 planes from July this year. Making the announcement on Thursday, the airline said the development signals a significant step in its journey to become a global player by 2030 and also make India a global aviation hub. Also, the carrier is evaluating multiple markets in Europe for long-haul flights. "Today, we unlock a new and very exciting chapter in IndiGo's growth journey, connecting India to the heart of Europe. We're thrilled to announce our first-ever long-haul destinations - Manchester and Amsterdam," IndiGo CEO Pieter Elbers said in a statement. Without disclosing the Indian cities from which the services will be operated, the airline said there will be 3x weekly flights each to Manchester (the UK) and Amsterdam (the Netherlands) that are expected to start in July 2025, subject to completion of all operational preparedness and regulator