Page 19 - Civil Aviation

FinMin allows airlines to avail up to Rs 1,500 crore loan under ECLGS

The Finance Ministry's decision is likely to benefit financially-beleaguered airlines, such as SpiceJet, which have been looking for the Centre's assistance to run their operations

Vistara airlines commences daily Mumbai-Abu Dhabi flight operations

Full service carrier Vistara has inaugurated daily non-stop flights between Mumbai and Abu Dhabi as part of the airline's business expansion, its Chief Executive Officer Vinod Kannan has said. The inaugural Vistara flight from Mumbai took off at 19:10 Hours (IST) and arrived in Abu Dhabi at 2040 Hours on Saturday. The airline has been steadily strengthening our presence in the UAE and the rest of the Gulf region. We are excited to add Abu Dhabi to our growing international network. UAE's flourishing business, trade, and tourism make Abu Dhabi a perfect fit in our network. We are confident that travellers will appreciate the choice of flying India and South Asia's best airline on this route, said Kannan on Saturday during the operations launch. The airline, which is a 51:49 joint venture between Tata Sons Private Limited and Singapore Airlines Limited, has a fleet of 53 aircraft and has flown more than 35 million customers since starting operations. Schedule of flights to/from Abu .

Malaysia-bound flight delayed after bomb hoax by passenger at IGI Airport

A Malaysia-bound flight on Friday was delayed over a false bomb alarm after a fight between two passengers on board the plane at the Indira Gandhi International Airport here, officials said. Seucrity agencies were alerted about the bomb call from the Malaysia Airlines's MH173 around 1 pm after which they thoroughly checked the flight, the officials said. The aircraft finally departed for Kuala Lumpur after a delay of two hours and 40 minutes and four passengers allegedly involved in the incident were handed over to the local police, they said. "A fight broke out between two passengers for keeping their bags in the overhead cabin of the aircraft. When one passenger asked the other what was in his bag, the other replied 'bomb'. The flight was then grounded as the pilot was informed about it and the pilot intimated the ATC (air traffic controller)," official sources told PTI. "A bomb threat assessment committee immediately probed the matter and the flight was put through checks after

GIFT city-based lessors likely to lease out 60-odd aircraft by March 2023

The 11 aircraft leased out of GIFT City to date include helicopters, regional aircraft, trainer aircraft and private jets

Flying on time: TCS-developed app powers AirAsia India's punctuality record

At No 3 in early 2022, the airline has topped the on-time performance for five straight months since April

ICAO calls on aviation regulators to productively engage with innovators

The International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) called on aviation regulators to operate in creative ways to productively engage with innovators, according to a statement issued by the UN agency

Jet Airways take-off in coming weeks; in advanced talks for leasing planes

Jet Airways is in an advanced stage of talks with aircraft makers and lessors to lease planes and expects to restart operations in the coming weeks, according to executives at the airline. The once-storied carrier is now under the ownership of the Jalan-Kalrock consortium and its air operator certificate was revalidated by aviation regulator DGCA in May this year. The executives said the operations of Jet Airways will commence before the end of this year and the initial fleet plan is close to being finalised. Earlier, the airline had said it was targeting to launch operations in October. Amid reports of the launch being delayed, a spokesperson for the consortium said the airline is very close to finalising its initial fleet plan in preparation for opening for sale soon and restart of operations in the coming weeks. "There is no deadline; target dates are set by us alone, and we have always maintained that this is a marathon, not a sprint. We had said we were targeting to launch by

Passengers from bird-hit Air India plane leave for Delhi via another flight

The passengers who were stranded here a day ago after a Delhi-bound Air India plane was forced to land at the Kannur International Airport due to a bird hit, finally left for the national capital on Tuesday aboard another aircraft of the airline. The flight with 135 passengers had originated from Kozhikode and landed in the Kannur airport before flying to Delhi. "A Delhi-bound Air India flight from Bengaluru was routed through Kannur to pick up the 61 stranded passengers," the airport SHO told PTI. They were sent on the flight from Bengaluru as the bird-hit aircraft was still undergoing fitness trials and the airline did not want to further delay the travel plans of the passengers, the officer said. While the bird-hit aircraft was undergoing repairs, Air India also kept open the option of routing a flight from Bengaluru to Delhi through Kannur, the officer said. Earlier in the day, an Air India official said that they planned to send the passengers to Delhi on the same bird-hit ..

Jet Airways' return to skies delayed with plane talks in limbo: Report

The airline, once India's top private carrier, can't sell tickets in September because lenders are reluctant to allow it to take on any fresh liabilities such as an aircraft order, said the people

Air India signs deal with Willis Lease Finance to replace 34 old engines

Air India has 113 planes in its fleet currently. Its narrow-body fleet comprises 70 aircraft, of which 54 are in service

'Abundant caution': Regulator extends cap on SpiceJet flights till Oct 29

Airline will have to demonstrate that it has the resources to fly more planes and it will continue under DGCA's 'enhanced surveillance'

Mumbai airport handles 260,000 passengers over weekend, most since May 2020

Delhi, Bengaluru and Chennai were the top three domestic destinations, while Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Singapore took the top three positions for highest international traffic

Air India Express incurs net loss for the first time in seven years

Before FY22, Air India Express was in the red in FY15, when it posted a net loss of Rs 61 crore

Sky high: Flying during Diwali likely to cost 20-30% more this year

While ATF price has jumped 83% in Sept on a YoY basis, capacity deployed by airlines has also increased. Airlines flew 37% more flights and carried 50% more passengers last month compared to Aug '21

Rajasthan govt sanctions Rs 37.75 crore for expansion work of 10 airstrips

The Rajasthan government has sanctioned Rs 37.75 crore for expansion work at 10 airstrips in the state. An official statement said Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot has approved the fund for various airstrip development works including boundary wall construction, campus wall construction and airstrip refurbishment. Of these, Rs 14 crore will be given for shifting the mega highway and Buddha Mandavar Road and construction of boundary wall for the Kolana (Jhalawar) airstrip, Rs 4 crore for increasing the height of the boundary wall of the Abu Road (Sirohi) airstrip and other works there. As much as Rs 1.97 crore has been allocated for works at the Phalodi (Jodhpur) airstrip, Rs 3.40 crore for the Talwara (Banswara) airstrip, Rs 4.60 crore for the Padihara (Churu) airstrip, Rs 4.50 crore for the Sirohi airstrip. The government allocated Rs 2 crore each for the Tarapura (Sikar) airstrip and the Kumher (Bharatpur) airstrip, Rs 1.23 crore for the Sawai Madhopur airstrip and Rs 5 lakh for the .

Jet Airways faces turbulence ahead of launch as 3 senior executives quit

The Jalan-Kalrock consortium (JKC), which is preparing to launch the airline, however, downplayed the exits

SpiceJet likely to get Rs 225 crore next week under ECLGS to clear dues

The airline has been making losses for the last 4 years. Moreover, it is currently operating less than 50% flights, following the July 27 order DGCA in the wake of a spate of incidents.

Aviation safety, security paramount, aggressive checks set: Scindia

Safety and security were "paramount" in the aviation sector and the civil aviation ministry had instituted a "very ambitious and aggressive" annual surveillance plan (ASP) of 3,709 checks for 2022-23, Union minister Jyotiraditya Scindia said here on Friday. The civil aviation minister was replying to queries from the media on recent multiple incidents of technical snags involving aircraft. "Safety and security were paramount. The primary responsibility (of aircraft safety) is with the airline and also with the regulator. The DGCA (Directorate General of Civil Aviation) and the civil aviation ministry lay complete stress on safety and security," he said. "In 2019-20, the DGCA's ASP resulted in 2,275 checks being conducted across all aspects of civil aviation. During COVID-19, there was not much civil aviation activity. This year (2022-23), we have instituted a very ambitious and aggressive ASP of 3,709 checks. By the end of July, we have completed 1,862 checks," Scindia ...

Stranded passengers at IGI demand 'justice' after Lufthansa cancels flights

Chaos reigned at IGI airport's Terminal-3 on Friday after Lufthansa airline cancelled two of its flights due to a pilots' strike stranding hundreds of passengers. Around 700 passengers on Friday were stranded at the IGI airport's Terminal-3, police said. According to police, more than 100 people, relatives and family members of the stranded passengers, gathered outside the airport and demanded refunds or alternate arrangements. Among the stranded people, many were students whose classes are starting soon. The passengers, visibly distraught and mostly in their early twenties, sat down at the airport with their luggage and shouted We want Justice. Passengers have alleged that no help has been provided by the airport authorities. "We have been given no food, no accommodation and no flight rebooking. We are stranded here. Our classes are starting next week. We need to go back urgently," said one passenger. Several of them also took to social media, urging for help from the ...

700 passengers stranded at Delhi airport after Lufthansa cancels flights

Around 700 passengers on Friday were stranded at the IGI airport's Terminal-3 after Germany-based Lufthansa airline cancelled two of its flights due to a pilots' strike, police said. According to police, more than 100 people, relatives and family members of the stranded passengers, gathered outside the airport and demanded refunds or alternate arrangements. An information was received on Friday at 12.15 am that a crowd has gathered on the main road in front of departure gate number 1, Terminal 3 IGI Airport, a senior police officer said. The crowd which caused a traffic jam outside demanded a refund or alternate arrangement for their relatives who were present inside the terminal building, Deputy Commissioner of Police (airport) Tanu Sharma said. When they were told that the flights had been cancelled without any prior intimation, they became agitated. They were later pacified by the CISF and the airport staff. Two flights of Lufthansa, one of them scheduled to depart at 2.50 am f