Page 4 - Civil Aviation Ministry

Aviation ministry seeks FinMin help to boost aircraft leasing at GIFT City

It has also raised concern over slow progress in developing aircraft leasing in India

Air India asked me to fly in broken seat or get refund: Goa AAP leader

Goa AAP president Amit Palekar on Friday evening claimed Air India told him that his seat on a Delhi to Seoul flight was broken, and he could either choose to fly or take a refund, which prompted the airline to respond that it was "reviewing his concern". Palekar shared a post and video on X about his experience. "I am at the counter (at the Delhi airport) and I have been told by the staff...that my confirmed seat is unserviceable, it does not recline. I have to give a consent, which is a kind of forced consent because I have no other choice but to fly because I have connecting flights....and Air India is saying either we will give you complete refund and you choose another option, or you fly this seat which is a broken seat," he said in the video. In his post, Palekar wrote, "Welcome to @airindia. This is a common feature for those flying on Air India to face this ordeal of being told that your seat is not reclining or broken after paying full fare." "This is my third time. I ...

Govt to set up SPV for making aircraft in India: Civil aviation minister

The government is in the process of setting a special purpose vehicle for making regional transport aircraft, Civil Aviation Minister K Rammohan Naidu said on Monday as he asserted that necessary policies are in place for India to manufacture planes and its components. Replying to questions in the Rajya Sabha, the minister highlighted the steps taken by the government to promote aircraft component manufacturing and MRO (Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul) activities, including having a uniform IGST rate. India is one of the world's fastest growing civil aviation markets and domestic carriers have placed orders for more than 1,500 planes as they expand their fleets to meet rising air traffic demand. "We have changed the thought process that we have when it comes to manufacturing of aircraft. We are saying that India is at the stage right now where we can manufacture, we can design and we can maintain an aircraft," Naidu said. Elaborating about the way forward, the minister said the ..

Hoax bomb threats to airlines jumped 13 times to 714 in 2024, shows data

Airports, too, bore the brunt of this chaos, with the number of bomb threats rising nearly six-fold to 299 in 2024, compared to a mere 51 the previous year

India needs at least 20K pilots in coming years: Aviation minister Naidu

Civil Aviation Minister K Rammohan Naidu on Thursday launched Electronic Personnel License (EPL) for pilots, a significant step towards modernising and enhancing the safety, security, and efficiency of civil aviation in India. With this launch, India has become the second country in the world to implement EPL for flight crew. China has already implemented such a facility. The minister launched the EPL at UDAAN Bhawan here. Implementation of Electronic Personnel License (EPL) by Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) aligns with the government's Ease of Doing Business and Digital India Initiative. The adoption of EPL cements India's position as a leader in aviation innovation. India has not only addressed the needs of its own aviation sector but has also set an example for other nations to follow. The step aligns with the roadmap of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) for modern aviation governance and reflects the nation's readiness to embrace the future.

Govt says 255 passengers placed in 'no fly list' in last three years

The government on Monday said 255 passengers were placed in the 'No Fly List' by airlines in the last three years for various reasons, including incidents of misbehaviour, quarrels and manhandling of crew members. A total of 82 people were placed in the list in 2024 while the count stood at 110 in 2023 and at 63 in 2022, as per data shared by the civil aviation ministry with Rajya Sabha. In a written reply, Minister of State for Civil Aviation Murlidhar Mohol said passengers were placed in the 'No Fly List' for incidents of misbehaviour, quarrels and manhandling of crew members, among others. Adequate regulatory frameworks are in place to ensure safety of the aircraft/ persons/ property/ good order and discipline on board the aircraft and to handle the unlawful/disruptive behaviour on-board the aircraft, he noted. A person aggrieved due to inclusion in the list can appeal within 60 days from the date of issue of the order, to an appellate committee constituted by the ministry. The

Aircraft tech glitches reported by Indian airlines fall in last 3 yrs: Govt

The number of technical glitches in aircraft reported by various Indian airlines has reduced in the last three years, with the count at 273 for 10,69,680 flights operated during the period from January 2024 to January 2025. In 2023, there were 390 technical faults reported for 11,94,777 flights operated that year. In 2022, the number stood at 723 for 9,97,041 flights operated in that particular year, official data showed on Monday. Civil Aviation Minister K Rammohan Naidu said the data available for the last three years (2022-2024) shows there was a decrease in the number of technical glitches reported by the airlines. Technical snags are general phenomena in aircraft which may be caused due to improper function/malfunction of components/ system/ accessories fitted on the aircraft, he said in a written reply. Separately, Minister of State for Civil Aviation Murlidhar Mohol said the government has been encouraging the development of the ecosystem for the manufacturing of aircraft, .

Jewar airport to start operations from April: Civil aviation minister Naidu

The Jewar international airport is emerging as the largest airport in Asia and regular operations will start from April, Minister for Civil Aviation Kinjarapu Rammohan Naidu said in Rajya Sabha. Responding to supplementaries during Question in the Rajya Sabha, he said the airlines are also excited to start operations from there and improve connectivity across the world. "Jewar airport is emerging as the country's and Asia's biggest airport. We have conducted the validation flight in December at the airport. "Everything is going according to timelines and very soon in the month of April we will see regular operations starting from Jewar-Noida international airport," the minister told the Upper House. He said all airlines including Air India and Indigo are very excited to improve connectivity from the Noida airport. "... The airport lies right next to Noida expressway and we will see connectivity of roads happening very soon," he said. Responding to other supplementaries, the minis

Budget 2025: Civil aviation gets Rs 2,400 cr, UDAN funds cut to Rs 540 cr

The budgetary allocation for the civil aviation ministry has been cut by nearly 10 per cent to Rs 2,400.31 crore for the next financial year, with the regional air connectivity scheme UDAN set to get a lower amount of Rs 540 crore. The allocation in the Union Budget 2025-26, presented by the Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman in Parliament on Saturday, is less compared to Rs 2,658.68 crore in the revised 2024-25 Budget. Out of the total allocation for the next fiscal starting from April 1, 2025, UDAN will get Rs 540 crore, which is 32 per cent lower compared to Rs 800 crore in the year-ago period. Interestingly, Sitharaman has announced that UDAN (Ude Desh ka Aam Naagrik) scheme will be modified to connect 120 new destinations. As per the budget papers, the allocation for the DGCA and BCAS have increased marginally to Rs 330 crore and Rs 95 crore, respectively, for 2025-26. For the Customs Cost Recovery (CCR) charges to Airport Authority of India (AAI) and AAI Cargo Logistics and

No level playing field in allocation of bilateral rights: Akasa Air to govt

Bilateral rights, negotiated between two countries, determine the number of flights allowed between them. Each government then allocates its share to its airlines

Section of Akasa Air pilots seeks probe into airline's hiring practices

A section of Akasa Air has written to the civil aviation ministry seeking a probe into the airline's hiring practices, alleging rostering issues and other lapses. Among others, these pilots have claimed that some operating crew do not report to work on time and claimed that there are issues with reporting of On Time Performance. On Thursday, the section of the pilots sent an e-mail to Civil Aviation Minister K Rammohan Naidu, Civil Aviation Secretary, and Director General of Civil Aviation, flagging various issues at the airline. There was no immediate comment from Akasa Air. In the e-mail, the pilots have sought an investigation into the airline's hiring practices, claiming that hiring was being done at the whims and fancies of a chosen few. It also alleged that the carrier does not have a stable roster. Recently, the section of pilots had raised concerns about alleged training and safety issues at the airline even though the airline had rejected them as baseless and untrue. In

Regional air connectivity will remain govt's priority: Civil aviation secy

Regional air connectivity will continue to be a priority for the government and air passenger traffic is projected to touch 40 crore by 2029, Civil Aviation Secretary Vumlunmang Vualnam said on Monday. Speaking at a conference in the national capital, he also said the ecosystem is being developed for operations of seaplanes. Emphasising that there is "huge potential" for growth of the country's aviation sector, he said that 10 years ago, passenger traffic was at 11 crore and the count has doubled to 22 crore. By 2029, the number is expected to touch 40 crore, he said and added that there is aspiration among people for air travel. The Regional Air Connectivity (RCS) scheme or UDAN aims to enhance regional air connectivity from unserved and underserved airports as well as make air travel more affordable. Vualnam said RCS will remain a priority for the government and efforts are also on to push operations of helicopters and seaplanes. Under UDAN (Ude Desh ka Aam Nagrik), which was .

Govt tackles fog delays: Staffed airport counters, better communication

The Ministry of Civil Aviation has implemented new measures to tackle fog season challenges for travellers

Is Digi Yatra data shared with I-T dept to catch tax evaders? Govt says no

Digi Yatra data stored on airport systems is automatically purged within 24 hours of a flight's departure, says aviation ministry

Fog plan: DIAL completes airfield construction, sets up German hangar

DIAL has taken a slew of steps to reduce flight disruptions during foggy winter season

Akasa Air pilots flag training and safety practices, airline denies charges

The section of Akasa Air pilots wrote to Civil Aviation Minister K Rammohan Naidu and highlighted alleged unfair practices, harassment and safety concerns.

Six airports leased out through competitive, transparent process: Naidu

Civil Aviation Minister K Rammohan Naidu on Thursday said six airports were leased out to the Adani group through a thorough, competitive and transparent process. State-owned Airports Authority of India (AAI) has leased out six airports -- Lucknow, Ahmedabad, Mangaluru, Jaipur, Guwahati and Thiruvananthapuram -- to the Adani group. While mentioning about the leasing out of these airports, Trinamool Congress leader Saugata Roy said in the Lok Sabha that Niti Aayog and the Department of Economic Affairs (DEA) were of the view that two airports should not be given to the same entity. Naidu, however, said there was no fact in the member's statement. These are wild allegations and an empowered group of secretaries, headed by Niti Aayog CEO, where DEA secretary was also a member, was constituted, he said. A thorough process was followed for the leasing out of the airports, he said, adding when they (Niti Aayog CEO, DEA secretary) were members of the group, where does the point arise tha

IndiGo working with aviation ministry to extend lease of Boeing 777 planes

IndiGo is working with the civil aviation ministry to explore the possibility of extending the wet lease of wide-body Boeing 777 planes from Turkish Airlines, as the existing lease period is ending this week. Currently, IndiGo is operating two wet-leased Boeing 777 planes for flights from Delhi and Mumbai to Istanbul. These are also the only two wide-body aircraft that are in the fleet of the airline, which is India's largest carrier with a domestic market share of over 62 per cent. These aircraft were wet-leased to cater to the rising demand for international travel from India. IndiGo started operating its first wide-body Boeing 777 aircraft on the Delhi-Istanbul route from February 1, 2023, and began operating the Boeing 777 plane on the Mumbai-Istanbul route from May 17, 2023. Sources in the know said the airline has not received an extension for continuing with the wet lease of the aircraft. When contacted, an IndiGo spokesperson on Monday told PTI that the airline is "working

IndiGo working with govt to extend wet lease of Boeing 777 planes

IndiGo is working with the civil aviation ministry to explore the possibility of extending the wet lease of wide-body Boeing 777 planes from Turkish Airlines as the existing lease period is ending this week. Currently, IndiGo is operating two wet-leased Boeing 777 planes for flights from Delhi and Mumbai to Istanbul. These are also the only two wide-body aircraft that are in the fleet of the airline, which is India's largest carrier with a domestic market share of over 62 per cent. These aircraft were wet-leased to cater to the rising demand for international travel from India. IndiGo started operating its first wide-body Boeing 777 aircraft on the Delhi- Istanbul route from February 1, 2023, and began operating the Boeing 777 plane on the Mumbai-Istanbul route from May 17, 2023. Sources in the know said the airline has not received an extension for continuing with the wet lease of the aircraft. When contacted, an IndiGo spokesperson on Monday told PTI that the airline is "working

Centre issues new guidelines to handle bomb threats on flights; details

The revised guidelines from the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security outline several new indicators for assessing bomb threats