Page 16 - Aviation

SpiceJet cleared all outstanding dues: Credit Suisse tells Supreme Court

Credit Suisse and SpiceJet have been entangled in a legal conflict since 2015 over outstanding debts of approximately $24 million

FLY91 starts commercial operations with maiden flight from Goa to B'luru

FLY91, the latest entrant in the country's aviation sector, on Monday commenced commercial operations with its first flight taking off for Bengaluru from here. The flight departed from Goa's Manohar International Airport at 07.55 am to Kempegowda International Airport, Bengaluru. The regional airline also operated its maiden flight to Sindhudurg from Bengaluru on Monday, a company spokesman said. The airline also launched a special fare of Rs 1,991 (all inclusive). The inaugural offer will be valid on all flights across FLY91 sectors, he said. Commenting on the start of commercial operations, Manoj Chacko, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of FLY91 said the launch of commercial flight symbolises the airline's "commitment to connecting India in a way that has never been done before. The company spokesman said that FLY91 is initially offering flights between Goa, Hyderabad, Bengaluru and Sindhudurg, with plans to start operations to Agatti, Jalgaon and Pune in April. T

Several team members resigned as part of restructuring, says SpiceJet

On Monday, sources said the airline's Chief Operating Officer Arun Kashyap and Chief Commercial Officer Shilpa Bhatia have put in their papers

IndiGo flight from Mumbai to Istanbul delays due to technical issue

The IndiGo flight coming from Mumbai to Istanbul has been delayed due to a technical issue, the airline said on Saturday.According to the official statement, passengers for this flight are being accommodated on two special flights operated by A32x aircraft."IndiGo's flight 6E18 from Mumbai to Istanbul has been delayed due to a technical issue with the incoming aircraft from Istanbul. Passengers for this flight are being accommodated on 2 special flights operated by A32x aircraft and, we are currently working with the regulator to obtain the requisite clearances at the earliest," an official statement said."At this moment, ensuring passengers' comfort caused by this unforeseen situation is our top priority and we are providing alternate options, rescheduling, and refunds as per norms. IndiGo sincerely apologizes for the inconvenience resulting from this delay," it added.Earlier, a 42-year-old passenger travelling in an IndiGo flight on Tuesday was arrested by the Mumbai police for ...

SC rejects JKC's plea opposing sale of Jet Airways aircraft to Ace Aviation

The court said it did not find anything wrong with NCLAT order and JKC could benefit from aircraft sale

Airbus gets DGCA approval for new generation H160 helicopter in India

Airbus has received approval from aviation regulator DGCA for its new generation H160 helicopter in India. More than 100 helicopters of Airbus, including the single-engine H125, are being operated by various entities in the country. In a release on Thursday, Airbus said its H160 helicopter has been granted the letter of type acceptance by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) that will pave the way for its entry into the Indian market. A multi-role helicopter, H160 can be used for offshore transportation, emergency medical services, private and business aviation and public services, among others. Sunny Guglani, Head of Airbus Helicopters, Airbus India and South Asia, said the DGCA approval paves the way for the introduction of the world's most modern helicopter in India starting with a corporate customer followed by the potential deployment for other types of missions. "Airbus Helicopters is committed to developing a holistic helicopter ecosystem in India, including ...

American Airlines to buy 260 new planes from Airbus, Boeing and Embraer

American Airlines announced a massive order for new planes on Monday, splitting 260 new aircraft between Airbus, Boeing and Embraer in a move designed to meet growing travel demand and increase the airline's supply of premium seats. American said it placed options for up to 193 more planes over the next several years. The package of orders includes 85 A321neo planes from Europe's Airbus and an identical number of similarly sized Boeing 737 Max 10s. American converted a previous order for 30 Max 8s to the larger Max 10s. The Fort Worth, Texas-based airline also ordered 90 smaller E175 aircraft from Brazil's Embraer. The planes are all single-aisle, so-called narrow-body aircraft that American will use for flights within the United States and to nearby international destinations. American CEO Robert Isom said the airline has invested heavily in the last decade more than 600 planes, including those used by its regional affiliates to modernize and simplify its fleet, which is alread

Boeing must develop plan to tackle quality issues in 90 days: FAA

Whitaker said Boeing's plan must incorporate forthcoming results of the FAA production-line audit and findings from an expert review panel report released earlier this week

Boeing's safety management 'inadequate and confusing': FAA report

"We will carefully review the panel's assessment and learn from their findings, as we continue our comprehensive efforts to improve our safety and quality programs," Boeing said in a statement

Boeing replaces head of 737 Max program two months after midair blowout

Ed Clark, who helped ramp up 737 production in the aftermath of the Covid-19 pandemic, is stepping down immediately after nearly 18 years at Boeing, the company said Wednesday

A-I enters into 12-yr pact with SIA Engineering Co for A320 family planes

Air India has entered into a 12-year agreement with SIA Engineering Company Ltd for extensive component support coverage for the airline's A320 family planes. "Under this 12-year agreement, Air India Group's current fleet of Airbus A320 family aircraft will receive extensive component support coverage from SIAEC. "Besides access to its inventory pool, SIAEC (together with its subsidiaries and joint venture companies with Original Equipment Manufacturers) will also provide repair and overhaul services for airframe and on-wing engine component," the airline said in a release on Wednesday. Air India has inked an agreement with SIAEC for Inventory Technical Management (ITM). Currently, Air India has around 60 planes from the A320 family, including 320s and 321s, in its total fleet of 123 aircraft. It has also placed an order for 210 A320 family aircraft. Air India Chief Executive Officer & Managing Director Campbell Wilson said the collaboration will further bolster our repairs and .

'Demographics in India provide optimal condition for low-cost carriers'

India's unique demographics have created an optimal environment for the development of new local Low Cost Carriers (LCCs) that are likely to deploy both wide- and narrow-body aircraft to cope with demand on domestic routes, an aviation sector expert here said. "Travellers will look for lower cost options and this will help LCCs grow much faster than the more premium Full-Service Carriers (FSCs) in India," says Joshua Ng, a director at the Singapore-based Alton Aviation Consultancy on Wednesday. He noted that the type of aircraft flying domestic destinations will depend on the route demand and the connectivity between mega cities, as well as the capacities at new airports being built across the country. LCCs are well positioned to capture and stimulate new demand in the country, given the vast territory and large population, Joshua told PTI after chairing a session at the Advanced Air Mobility Forum being held here from Feb 20-25. He said the LCCs in India were also an alternative t

With 11.9 mn arrivals, India tops list for number of passengers in Dubai

India emerged at the top spot for the highest number of passengers flying through the Dubai International Airport, the world's busiest for international travel, with traffic totalling 11.9 million guests, the airport announced on Monday. According to a statement, the Dubai airport, known as DXB, surpassed not only its own yearly forecast but also pre-pandemic levels of traffic. In 2023, DXB witnessed a surge in passenger numbers, reaching 86.9 million passengers (86,994,365), an impressive year-on-year increase of 31.7 per cent. It was just under a per cent higher than the passenger numbers recorded in 2019 (86.4 million), the numbers were driven by robust growth in the second half of the year during which the airport recorded a total of 45.4 million guests. With 7.8 million guests, December was the busiest month in the fourth quarter during which the airport welcomed a total of 22.4 million guests, a year-on-year growth of 13.8 per cent compared to Q4 of last year. Q3 remained the

Passenger finds screw in food, IndiGo says not reported during journey

An IndiGo passenger has claimed that he found a screw in a sandwich served by the airline, which on Tuesday said the issue was not reported to it during the journey. The passenger shared his experience on social media along with a picture of the sandwich that he had after deboarding the aircraft. "We are aware of the image circulating on social media with reference to a customer sharing their experience on flight 6E-904 operating between Bengaluru- Chennai on February 1, 2024. The issue was not reported by the passenger during the journey," IndiGo said in a statement. The airline said it regretted the inconvenience caused to the passenger but did not specify details about the image that was being circulated. "Our in-flight meals are sourced from reputable and highly regarded caterers to maintain the highest standards of quality and hygiene. We regret the inconvenience caused to the passenger and remain committed to providing the best possible in-flight experience and ensuring ...

Boeing 'undoubtedly' making progress on quality issues: Avolon CEO

Boeing has been under fire from regulators and airlines over a succession of quality issues that have snagged production and development timelines

Laser strikes against aircrafts have surged to new record, says FAA

The Federal Aviation Administration said Wednesday that it received 13,304 reports from pilots about laser strikes last year, erasing a record set in 2021

Boeing postpones 2024 outlook, CEO says company has 'much to prove'

The 787 production rate was at five per month, Boeing said, adding that it had also resumed 777X production during the fourth quarter

NCLT rejects Wilmington Trust's insolvency petition against SpiceJet

In a relief to low-cost carrier SpiceJet, the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) on Monday dismissed an insolvency petition filed against the company by aircraft lessor Wilmington Trust SP Services. A Delhi-based bench of NCLT comprising members Mahendra Khandelwal and Rahul Prasad Bhatnagar dismissed the petition of the aircraft lessor based in Dublin, Ireland. Wilmington moved the insolvency plea against SpiceJet in June 2023 over unpaid dues. Last month NCLT had dismissed an insolvency petition by another aircraft lessor, Willis Lease Finance Corporation, which was also claiming dues. SpiceJet faced insolvency pleas filed by its aircraft lessors, including Willis Lease, Aircastle Ireland Ltd, Wilmington, and Celestial Aviation. However, NCLT has issued notice only on the petition filed by Aircastle so far. Earlier, the Delhi High Court directed SpiceJet to pay USD 4 million to its two engine lessors, Team France 01 SAS and Sunbird France 02 SAS, by February 15.

Financiers grapple with plane shortage issue amid Boeing MAX crisis

For months, aviation has been struggling to keep pace with a post-pandemic travel boom amid labour and parts shortages

Air India pilots' unions flag concerns over duty timings, safety issues

Air India pilots' groupings have alleged that the airline management is "intimidating and coercing" some of their members to extend flight duty timings beyond the prescribed limits. The Indian Commercial Pilots Association (ICPA) and Indian Pilots' Guild (IPG) have written to Air India Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer Campbell Wilson flagging the issues. In their joint letter, dated January 28, the unions also claimed the airline's approach to extend the Flight Duty Time Limitation (FDTL) for pilots amounts to "compromising" with safety of the pilots besides violating established regulations. ICPA represents the narrow body pilots while IPG has members from the wide body fleet of Air India. It has come to the notice that some pilots are facing intimidation and coercion to extend their FDTL beyond the prescribed limits by the Director of Operations and base managers, including threats of jeopardising their career progression, the letter said. The unions also termed the