Page 10 - Civil Aviation Sector

Vistara inducts 50th Airbus A320 neo plane in its fleet of 66 aircraft

Tata Sons-Singapore Airlines jointly run airline Vistara on Friday inducted the 50th Airbus A320 neo plane in its fleet. With this latest addition, Vistara now has 66 aircraft, including 50 Airbus A320 neo, 10 Airbus A321, and six Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner aircraft. The airline plans to have 70 aircraft in its fleet by March next year. Vistara had in January this year said it was looking at a fleet of 70 planes by mid-2024. "In line with the focus to expand its domestic and international footprint, Vistara is on course to have 70 aircraft by the end of FY2024, thereby providing better connectivity and a wider network to its customers," the airline said in a statement. Vistara currently operates over 300 daily flights, connecting 32 domestic and 18 international destinations.

Air India gets DGCA's approval for maintenance of A350, A320 aircraft

Private carrier Air India said on Friday it has received the DGCA approval for engineering line maintenance of A350 and A320 aircraft. The Gurugram-based full-service airline is expecting to induct its first wide-body Airbus 350-900 plane in the fleet by year-end, which will make it the first air services operator in the country to have this type of aircraft. The airline plans to induct a total of six such planes in the first phase. The regulatory approval for engineering line maintenance of A350 is a major step forward in ensuring the smooth operation and maintenance of six A350 aircraft which is set to join the Air India fleet, Air India said in a statement. The first of these six planes is expected to land by the month end, it said. Along with this key approval, Air India engineers also received the DGCA certification for attending to any work related to the maintenance of A350 aircraft, it said. The airline said its engineering team has been gearing up to receive the A350 air

Cabinet clears plan to declare Surat airport as international one

The Union Cabinet on Friday approved the proposal to declare Surat airport as an international airport. "This strategic move promises to unlock unprecedented economic potential, making Surat a key player in the international aviation landscape and fostering a new era of prosperity for the region," an official release said. The decision was taken by the Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. "Elevating Surat airport to international status is paramount for enhancing economic growth, attracting foreign investment, and bolstering diplomatic ties. With a surge in passenger traffic and cargo operations, the airport's international designation will provide a crucial impetus for regional development," the release said.

Domestic air passenger traffic rose by 9% in November; crosses 1.27 cr

Domestic air passenger traffic rose 9 per cent to more than 1.27 crore in November, according to official data released on Friday. Last month also saw daily air traffic touching new highs multiple times. IndiGo remained the country's largest domestic carrier but its market share declined to 61.8 per cent in November from 62.6 per cent in October. However, none of the scheduled carriers had an On-Time Performance (OTP) score of more than 80 per cent in November. Official data released by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) on Friday showed that airlines flew 1.27 crore passengers in November compared to 1.17 crore in the year-ago period. This marks a growth of 9.06 per cent on an annual basis. "Passengers carried by domestic airlines during January-November 2023 were 1,382.34 lakhs as against 1,105.10 lakhs during the corresponding period of previous year thereby registering annual growth of 25.09 per cent and monthly growth of 9.06 per cent," DGCA said. The domestic

Digi Yatra facility to be available at 25 more airports in 2024: Scindia

Civil aviation minister Jyotiraditya Scindia on Friday said Digi Yatra facility will be available at 25 more airports in 2024. Currently, the facility is available at 13 airports for domestic passengers. Digi Yatra provides for contactless, seamless movement of passengers at various check points at airports based on Facial Recognition Technology (FRT). At a briefing in the national capital, Scindia said Digi Yatra will be introduced at 14 airports in the first phase and another 11 airports in the second phase next year. By the end of 2024, Digi Yatra will be available at 25 more airports and the total number of airports that will have the facility will increase to 38, he said. Currently, Digi Yatra facility is available at 13 airports that handle around 85 per cent of the country's domestic air passenger traffic. Next year, the facility will be available at a total of 38 airports that handle around 95 per cent of the traffic. The data shared by a passenger for Digi Yatra is store

Delhi airport to have full body scanners by May 2024, says BCAS chief

Full body scanners are expected to be installed at the Delhi airport by May 2024, a senior official said on Friday. The Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS) Director General Zulfiquar Hasan also said that due to some provisioning issues, the deadline for installing full-body scanners and CTX scanners at certain airports will be extended. The deadline is to end on December 31. Once CTX (Computer Tomography X-ray) scanners are in place, passengers will not have to remove their electronic gadgets from baggage during security checks at airports.

IndiGo occupies sixth position in global mcap, surpassing United Airlines

On Wednesday, shares of InterGlobe Aviation, the parent company of IndiGo, ended 1.73 per cent higher at Rs 2,982.50 on BSE

Air India unveils new uniform collection designed by Manish Malhotra

Private carrier Air India on Tuesday unveiled its new collection of uniforms, designed by Manish Malhotra, for its cabin and cockpit crew. The new uniforms will be introduced in a phased manner over the next few months, starting with the entry of service of Air India's first Airbus A350 aircraft, the company said in a statement. "Air India's crew uniforms are amongst the world's most storied in aviation history, and we firmly believe that Manish Malhotra's innovative ensemble will script an exciting new chapter for Air India's future narrative," said Campbell Wilson, Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director at Air India. The crew's new uniform perfectly captures the essence of the airline's new identity, among others, he said. The female cabin crew attire features a ready-to-wear ombre saree with intricate patterns reminiscent of Indian heritage architecture (jharokha) and the Vista (new Air India logo icon), paired with a comfortable blouse and blazer, Air India said. "My ai

SpiceJet board okays Rs 2,250 crore fundraising from 64 investors

Airline slips back to loss in second qtr

SpiceJet-Wilmington Trust SP Services in deadlock over rental agreement

Spicejet said that as per the repayment schedule of arrears they received, the total amount due from February to December alone was $1,560,011

Scindia discusses airfares, ways to improve airlines' on-time performance

Civil aviation minister Jyotiraditya Scindia on Tuesday reviewed the self-monitoring mechanism for airfares put in place by individual airlines and emphasised keeping fares in check on select routes. During an advisory group meeting, there were discussions on airlines' on-time performance (OTP), and the minister instructed the Airports Authority of India (AAI) to relook technical specifications at VFR-equipped (Visual Flight Rules) airports to help enhance OTP, according to an official release. Scindia held a meeting with the airline advisory group that was attended by representatives of various carriers, including Vistara CEO Vinod Kannan. In a post on social media platform X, Scindia said that he met the advisory group to discuss solutions to enhance on-time performance and "airfares on a few sectors, and in-house practices followed by each airline". Specific details about the discussion on airfares and the particular routes could not be immediately ascertained. There have been

Domestic airlines reported 406 instances of malfunctioning in Jan-Nov 2023

Domestic airlines reported 406 instances of aircraft malfunctioning in the first 11 months of this year, according to the government. Minister of State for Civil Aviation VK Singh shared the data in a written reply to the Rajya Sabha on Monday. From January to November 2023, IndiGo reported 233 instances of aircraft malfunctioning, while SpiceJet reported 44 such cases. Air India reported 52 instances of malfunctioning of aircraft, followed by the now-grounded Go First (22), Akasa Air (20), AirAsia (India) Ltd (15), Vistara (13), Fly Big (5) and BlueDart Aviation (2). In 2022, these airlines had reported 542 instances of malfunctioning of aircraft. "Technical snags in aircraft are caused due to improper function/malfunction of components/accessories fitted on the aircraft," the minister said. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has laid down regulations under Civil Aviation Requirement (CAR), which requires that the aircraft is maintained in accordance with the ...

SpiceJet, IndiGo among seven airlines owing more than Rs 95 crore to AAI

Seven airlines, including Alliance Air, SpiceJet, IndiGo and Emirates, together have pending dues of more than Rs 95 crore to the Airports Authority of India (AAI), according to the government. Other foreign airlines that have pending dues are Biman Bangladesh Airlines Ltd, British Airways Plc and Qatar Airways, as per data provided to the Rajya Sabha on Monday. The figures exclude interest and take into account only dues that are over Rs 1 crore pending for more than one year as of November 30, 2023. As per the data provided by Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia in a written reply, three domestic carriers -- Alliance Air, SpiceJet and IndiGo together owe Rs 86.89 crore to the AAI. Out of them, the maximum dues amount is that of Alliance Air at Rs 83.38 crore, followed by SpiceJet (Rs 2.13 crore) and IndiGo (Rs 1.38 crore). Among the four foreign airlines, Biman Bangladesh Airlines has the highest dues of Rs 4.02 crore, followed by British Airways (Rs 1.85 crore), Emirat

Mumbai airport handled the highest-ever 4.46 mn passengers in November

On 25 November, the airport experienced peak activity, recording a footfall of 167,132 passengers. This figure comprises 120,000 domestic and more than 46,000 international passengers

Airlines advised to self-regulate on airfares: Scindia on price concerns

The Civil Aviation Ministry has discussions with airlines over the airfares and these were advised to self-regulate and keep passengers' interest in mind while fixing the fares, Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia said on Thursday, asserting that the airfare is neither established nor regulated by the government. Scindia made the statement in response to a written question in the Lok Sabha about surge in airfares and steps taken by the government to address the issue. "As per prevailing regulations, airfare is neither established nor regulated by the government. The airline fare system runs in multiple levels (buckets or RBDs) which are in line with practice being followed globally. "The fares are fixed by airlines keeping in mind the market, demand, seasonality and other market forces. The airfare increases with increase in demand of seats as the lower fare buckets get sold out faster and move to higher fare buckets," he said. Scindia informed that the Ministry had consultation

Number of air passengers has gone up from 60 mn in 2014 to 145 mn now: Govt

Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia on Thursday said the number of air passengers has gone up from six crore in 2014 to 14.5 crore at present and added that airfares are competitive with the railway AC first class fares. The minister was asked about rising airfares during the Question Hour in the Lok Sabha. Scindia said that the civil aviation sector is a deregulated sector and despite the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and rising jet fuel cost, airfares have not increased in the same proportion. "There were only six crore travellers in 2014. In the last nine years, this number has gone up to 14.5 crore," Scindia said. He said airfare today is competitive with the fare of the AC First Class of the Indian Railways. "We estimate, by 2030, there will be 42 crore air passengers and the sector will grow three times," he said. IUML MP E T Mohd Basheer asked the minister about the rise in fares during holiday and festival seasons and in case of natural calamities, and said tha

India set to become most exciting civil aviation market, says IATA director

The International Air Transport Association (IATA) said that airline revenues globally will rise in 2024 as the sector is witnessing continued growth in post-pandemic travel

Air India changes aircraft order with Airbus, cites 'business requirements'

Indian carrier had placed order for 250 planes with European manufacturer

Airline industry projected to record $25.7 billion net profit in 2024: IATA

The airline industry is projected to register a net profit of USD 25.7 billion in 2024 as more normal growth is expected in both passenger and cargo segments, global grouping IATA said on Wednesday. For 2023, the net profit is estimated at USD 23.3 billion, significantly higher than the USD 9.8 billion projected by the International Air Transport Association (IATA) in June this year. IATA has more than 300 airlines as members. The airline industry's operating profit is expected to touch USD 49.3 billion in 2024 from USD 40.7 billion this year. In 2024, the total revenue is estimated to grow 7.6 per cent to USD 964 billion compared to 2023. "Some 4.7 billion people are expected to travel in 2024, a historic high that exceeds the pre-pandemic level of 4.5 billion recorded in 2019," IATA said. Industry passenger load factor is nearing its 2019 level, which is supporting the financial recovery of the airlines, IATA Director Policy and Economics Andrew Matters said. "The airline indus

Parl panel advice to start process of approval of 2nd airport in Chennai

As per the report, the Tamil Nadu government has identified two locations Mamandur and Parandur for the development of a second airport in Chennai