Page 17 - Aviation

Food on airport tarmac: Incident unacceptable and shameful, says Scindia

Union Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia on Thursday said incidents like passengers having food on tarmac at Mumbai airport were unacceptable and that penalties were imposed. The safety and security of citizens is primary for the government, he said. "Within hours of being informed or getting to know of that incident happening, beyond midnight, a meeting was held with all officials within the ministry. The showcause notice was issued immediately," he told reporters here during the Wings India 2024 that began here today. The fact that passengers were inconvenienced and that they had to eat on the tarmac, apart from security being compromised across all points was unacceptable, he said. The minister pointed out that within three to four hours, notices were issued and within 24 hours, the necessary penalties were levied. "This or any incident like this is unacceptable for us. Therefore, penalties were issued," he said. He added that two separate Civil Aviation Requirements

Boeing to step up inspections of aircraft during production after blowout

Boeing will also bring in an outside party to review its quality controls and suggest improvements, he said, adding another layer of scrutiny to its manufacturing process

US govt investigating Boeing's design of part that blew off jetliner

Federal officials are investigating whether Boeing failed to make sure a panel that blew off a jetliner in midflight last week was properly designed and safe to use. The Federal Aviation Administration said on Thursday that the investigation is focusing on plugs used to fill spots for extra exits when those doors are not required on Boeing 737 Max 9 jetliners. The plug that blew off an Alaska Airlines Max 9 was found near Portland, Oregon, and will be be examined in a government laboratory. This incident should have never happened and it cannot happen again, the FAA said in a statement. Boeing's manufacturing practices need to comply with the high safety standards they're legally accountable to meet. The FAA notified Boeing of the investigation in a letter dated Wednesday. The agency asked the aircraft maker to present any evidence or statements in its defense within 10 business days. The FAA has grounded Max 9 jets, including all 65 operated by Alaska and 79 used by United Airli

SpiceXpress, Star Air partner to manage belly space in Star Air's fleet

SpiceJet's cargo arm SpiceXpress on Thursday said it has partnered with Bengaluru-based Star Air to manage the belly space capacity for carrying cargo in Star Air's fleet. The Kolhapur-headquartered Sanjay Ghodawat Group-owned Star Air has a fleet of nine Embraer planes, operating across 20 domestic destinations. This collaboration underlines SpiceXpress's commitment to expanding its reach and strengthening the domestic air cargo infrastructure, SpiceJet said in a statement. Under the collaboration, Star Air will significantly enhance SpiceXpress's domestic network, incorporating nine new destinations, it said, adding, the three-year agreement, extendable by mutual consent, establishes a foundation for seamless cooperation between the two companies. These destinations are Belagavi, Bhuj, Kalaburagi, Kishangarh, Kolhapur, Jamnagar, Jodhpur, Nagpur, and Shivamogga. With this, SpiceXpress' domestic network will increase from 39 to 48 destinations helping the company strengthen its ..

Officials gauging possibility of 4 bolts missing before Alaska Air take-off

Federal investigators say a door panel slid up before flying off an Alaska Airlines jetliner last week, and they are looking at whether four bolts that were supposed to help hold the panel in place might have been missing when the plane took off. The comments on Monday from the National Transportation Safety Board came shortly after Alaska and United Airlines reported separately that they found loose parts in the panels or door plugs of some other Boeing 737 Max 9 jets. Since we began preliminary inspections on Saturday, we have found instances that appear to relate to installation issues in the door plug for example, bolts that needed additional tightening, Chicago-based United said. Alaska said that as it began examining its Max 9s, Initial reports from our technicians indicate some loose hardware was visible on some aircraft. The findings of investigators and the airlines are ratcheting up pressure on Boeing to address concerns that have grown since the terrifying fuselage ..

iPhone lands in functioning condition after 16,000 ft fall from Alaska Air

A new-generation Apple Inc. iPhone landed intact, unlocked and with hours of battery life remaining on a Portland, Oregon roadside, according to a post on X by a user calling himself Seanathan Bates

SpiceJet's resurgence could disrupt Indian aviation market: CAPA India

Earlier this month, cash-strapped SpiceJet announced it is going to raise a total of Rs 2,241.5 crore through issuance of equity and warrants

337 flights delayed at Delhi airport amid dense fog on Thursday morning

Multiple flights were also diverted from the Delhi airport to other nearby airports

LIVE news: BJP national secretary Anupam Hazra removed from his post

Catch all the latest news updates LIVE from across the world

Govt working with French authorities after flight carrying Indians detained

India on Saturday said it was working with the French government for an early resolution of the situation after a Nicaragua-bound flight carrying 303 people, mostly Indians, was detained by French authorities during a technical halt at an airport near Paris over suspected "human trafficking". The plane that took off from Dubai in the United Arab Emirates carrying 303 Indian passengers, including many minors, was grounded at the Chalons-Vatry airport in Marne on Thursday. "French authorities informed us of a plane w/ 303 people, mostly Indian origin, from Dubai to Nicaragua detained on a technical halt at a French airport," the Indian mission said in a post on 'X'. "The embassy team has reached & obtained consular access. We are investigating the situation, also ensuring the well-being of passengers," the mission said on Friday. On Saturday, the Indian embassy said it was continuing to work with the French government for the welfare of the Indians currently at the Varty airport and

Indian carriers could incur up to $1.2 bn per year for 200 grounded planes

The standard monthly cost an active aircraft incurs is about $1 million and if it's grounded, the cost comes down to $0.5 million, according to CAPA's 'conservative' estimates

Go First resolution professional, lessors in talks to maintain aircraft

Advocate Diwakar Maheshwari, appearing for the RP, told the court that they are in talks with the lessors, one of which is SMBC Aviation Capital, to maintain the aircraft

Unable to repossess Go First planes, global aviation body downgrades India

Country tagged 'negative' due to 'material non-compliance', says Aviation Working Group

Air India moves its IT infrastructure to Cloud, shuts down two data centres

Tata Group-owned airline said that the move is expected to help Air India save $1 million annually

Delhi airport to levy higher charges on airlines for grounded aircraft

Delhi airport operator DIAL plans to levy higher charges from airlines for grounded aircraft as they occupy available parking space and impact overall operational efficiency, amid rising instances of grounding of planes due to technical and other issues. "We are planning that in the next traffic calculation, we are going to request that for people who are grounding (aircraft) here for more than a certain period, there should be some sort of higher charges because otherwise it disturbs the operations of other airlines," Delhi International Airport Ltd (DIAL) CEO Videh Kumar Jaipuriar told PTI in an interview. Jaipuriar, who is in charge of the country's largest airport, was responding to a query on whether the operator will look at levying higher charges from airlines for aircraft that are grounded at the airport. The next traffic review of the airport is to happen early next year. As many as 64 planes of various airlines, including IndiGo, SpiceJet and Air India, were grounded at t

SpiceJet promoter Ajay Singh looking to raise $100 mn through credit funds

Ajay Singh is reportedly in discussions with global private credit funds to refinance part of promoter debt and equity infusion

Aequs bags contract from Airbus for supply of critical aircraft components

Aerospace components maker Aequs on Wednesday said it has secured a contract with European aircraft major Airbus for the supply of critical components for A320 family, A330neo and A350 aircraft for over a period of 10 years. Under the terms of the agreement, Aequs will make detailed parts, parts with bench assembly for wings, fuselage, and pylons for these planes, Aequs said. Aequs has been a longstanding supplier to Airbus which was its first original equipment manufacturer (OEM) customer and has consistently been a preferred Detailed Parts Partner (D2P) to it for well over a decade. The mandate is a significant milestone not only for Aequs, but also for the Indian aerospace industry, amid the country's growing significance as a global aerospace manufacturing hub, deepening Airbus' Make-in-India drive, Aequs said. "This contract is a significant moment in Aequs' journey with Airbus. We are proud to stand alongside the world's largest aircraft maker as a long-term strategic ...

Asian airlines eye growth as int'l passenger traffic soars by 171% till Oct

As the international air passenger traffic grew by 171 per cent in the first nine months of 2023, a top airline association on Thursday said it looked forward to celebrate growth of the industry and focus on sustainability. Ahead of the 67th Assembly of Presidents of the Association of Asia Pacific Airlines (AAPA) to be held here on Friday, the Association said, the number of international air passengers in Asia Pacific reached 79 per cent of 2019 levels in September 2023, behind other regions given that borders in Asia fully re-opened only six to 12 months after the rest of the world after the pandemic induced lockdowns across nations. Nevertheless, demand is robust, with international air passenger traffic measured in revenue passenger kilometres (RPK) growing by 171 per cent in the first nine months of 2023, compared to the same period in 2022, AAPA said. Seat capacity measured in available seat kilometres increased by a comparatively slower 130 per cent in the first nine months

SpiceJet records lowest OTP at 60.11% among all major Indian carriers

SpiceJet's operations in October were also affected due to its involvement in repatriation operations from Tel Aviv

Electric planes, once a fantasy, are beginning to take to the skies

The first will be the CX300, a sleek plane with a 50-foot wingspan, large curved windows and a rear propeller