Page 11 - Flights

Technical issue hitting flights on busy travel day: UK air traffic control

Britain's air traffic control system said it is experiencing a technical issue that could delay flights on Monday, the end of a holiday weekend and a busy day for air traffic travel. The National Air Traffic Service said it had applied traffic flow restrictions to maintain safety. Engineers are working to find and the fix the fault. Scottish airline Loganair said there has been a network-wide failure of UK air traffic control computer systems. Although we are hopeful of being able to operate most intra-Scotland flights on the basis of local co-ordination and with a minimum of disruption, north-south and international flights may be subject to delays, it said.

UK air traffic curbs: Air India says no significant impact on its flights

Air India on Monday said there is no significant impact on its flights to and from the UK, where a technical issue has impacted air traffic services, and that the airline is actively monitoring the situation. NATS, which provides air traffic control services in the UK, has put in place certain traffic flow restrictions to maintain safety. In an update at 1515 hours GMT, NATS said it has identified and remedied the technical issue affecting its flight planning system. Air India and Vistara, both part of the Tata Group, are the only Indian carriers operating flights to the UK. While Air India flies to London, Gatwick and Birmingham, Vistara operates services to London. "There is no significant impact on our flights to and from the UK, as of now. We are actively monitoring the situation," an Air India spokesperson said. Air India operates 98 weekly flights between India and the UK. On August 28, the airline is scheduled to operate 14 flights between India and the UK. Vistara operat

North Korea to allow citizens abroad to return home as Covid curbs ease

North Korea said Sunday it will allow its citizens staying abroad to return home in line with easing pandemic situations worldwide, as the country slowly eases its draconian coronavirus restrictions. In a brief statement carried by state media, the State Emergency Epidemic Prevention Headquarters said those returning to North Korea will be put in quarantine for a week for proper medical observation. The statement didn't elaborate. But analysts predicted the announcement would lead to the return of North Korean students, workers and others who have had to stay abroad, mostly in China and Russia, because of the pandemic. The workers are a key source of foreign income for the country. North Korea banned tourists, jetted out diplomats and severely curtailed border traffic and trade after the pandemic began. The lockdown has further worsened the North's chronic economic difficulties and food insecurity. Earlier this month, South Korea's spy agency said North Korea was preparing to furth

North Korea signals reopening with first passenger flight in three years

Cargo train and ship traffic has slowly increased over the past year, but North Korea has only just begun to allow some international passenger travel

IndiGo to start flights from Delhi to Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan next month

No-frills airline IndiGo on Wednesday announced the launch of its direct air services to Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan in Central Asia from Delhi next month, subject to regulatory approval. The four times a week air services between Delhi and Tashkent in Uzbekistan will commence from September 22, while Almaty in Kazakhstan will be connected with Delhi from September 23 with three flights per week, IndiGo said. With the launch of flight services to these two new cities, IndiGo will be operating to a total of 111 destinations, including 32 in the international markets, the airline said. The introduction of this new route aims to improve India's connectivity to Kazakhstan, Central Asia's prominent financial centre, the airline said. This direct connectivity will not only promote trade but also foster stronger economic and cultural ties between India and Uzbekistan, IndiGo said, adding, the connectivity to Kazakhstan will further foster trade and commerce, given its status as the wealthi

Akasa Air eligible for international routes, operates 900 flights per week

Akasa Air has flown 4.3 million passengers with over 900 flights per week, besides becoming eligible to fly internationally with a fleet of 20 aircraft in its first year of commercial operations, which it completed on Monday, the airline said in a statement. Owned by SNV Aviation Pvt Ltd and founded by former Jet Airways CEO, Vinay Dube along with others, Akasa Air commenced operations with its maiden flight taking off from Mumbai for Ahmedabad on August 7, 2022. In its first year of commercial operations, Akasa Air served 4.3 million passengers with a 4.9 per cent market share, and crossed the milestone of operating over 900 weekly flights with a published network of 35 unique routes across 16 destinations, the airline said in a statement on Monday. Also, the airline said, it has carried over 25,000 tonnes of cargo across its network during this time. Akasa has during the period also registered a passenger load factor of over 84 per cent since the start of operations, with a stead

Paris-bound Air India flight returns to Delhi after suspected tyre burst

Air India officials said that alternate arrangements are being made for the passengers to reach their destinations

Flights until 30 July cancelled due to 'operational reasons': Go First

In May, Go First declared insolvency due to a cash crunch and its application was admitted by the NCLT

AIX Connect gets regulatory nod to operate flights under Air India Express

Air India subsidiary AIX Connect has received regulatory approval to operate its flights under 'Air India Express' brand name. AIX Connect, earlier known as AirAsia India, is being merged with Air India Express as Tata Group is consolidating its airline business. Air India and Vistara, a joint venture between Tatas and Singapore Airlines, are also part of the group. According to a statement on Thursday, the approval from the regulator allows both Air India Express Ltd and AIX Connect flights to be marketed, distributed and operated under a common brand name 'Air India Express', prior to the subsequent scheduled legal merger of the two entities. This development marks a significant fast-tracking of the integration efforts, including harmonisation of customer touch points, products, and services across both airlines, it added. Currently, Air India Express connects 20 domestic destinations and 14 international destinations while AIX Connect serves 19 domestic destinations. The propo

Four domestic flights diverted from Delhi airport due to 'bad weather'

Four flights were diverted from the Delhi airport in the afternoon on Tuesday due to bad weather in the national capital, according to an official. The official said three flights were diverted to Amritsar and one flight to Lucknow. All were domestic flights. Light rainfall or thundershower has been predicted for Delhi on Tuesday.

IndiGo cancels Istanbul-Mumbai flight due to tech issue in aircraft

IndiGo on Monday said it cancelled a flight from Istanbul to Mumbai on Sunday due to a technical issue in the Boeing aircraft. Since the aircraft was not available, the flight scheduled from Mumbai to Istanbul on Monday was also cancelled. A source in the know said the Boeing 777 aircraft had some fuel imbalance issue. Some passengers took to social media to complain about the flight cancellation from Istanbul to Mumbai on Sunday. Details about the number of passengers who were booked on the two flights could not be immediately ascertained. "IndiGo flight 6E 18 operating Istanbul-Mumbai-Istanbul on 2nd/3rd July was cancelled due to a technical issue. Passengers had been offered alternate options. The aircraft is back in operation after necessary maintenance," the airline said in a statement.

Go First extends cancellation of its scheduled flights till July 6

Cash-strapped Go First on Thursday announced extending the cancellation of its scheduled flights till July 6. The airline, which is undergoing insolvency resolution process, stopped flying from May 3 and since then, it has extended cancellation of flights multiple times. On Wednesday, senior representatives of the current management of Go First discussed various aspects of the revival plan with officials of the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA). "... due to operational reasons, Go First flights scheduled till 6th July 2023 have been cancelled," the budget carrier said in a tweet. The company has filed an application for immediate resolution and revival of operations. "We will be able to resume bookings shortly," the airline said. Sources on Wednesday said DGCA will examine documents submitted by Go First related to the revival plan and will also conduct an audit on operational preparedness before allowing the carrier to restart operations. The revival process gathered

Airline travel delays pick up early, expected to grow steadily worse

Travellers are getting hit with delays at US airports again early on Wednesday, an ominous sign heading into the long July 4 holiday weekend, which is shaping up as the biggest test yet for airlines that are struggling to keep up with surging numbers of passengers. As of early morning, more than 900 flights have been delayed in the US, according to FlightAware. Cancellations topped more than 670 flights. Cancellations and delays were most severe along the East Coast early and were growing worse rapidly. Disruptions are expected to spread West. The delays are being compounded by thunderstorms that raked the Northeast on Tuesday. At various times, the Federal Aviation Administration held up flights bound for LaGuardia Airport in New York and Reagan Washington National and Baltimore-Washington airports near the nation's capital. About 6,500 flights were delayed and about 1,900 cancelled on the East Coast on Tuesday. United Airlines, with a major hub in Newark, New Jersey, cancelled ab

India will be 'Vishwaguru' to world on monopolistic capitalism: Chidambaram

Senior Congress leader P Chidambaram on Sunday took a swipe at the government over rising airfares, saying that in free markets, when demand increases, supply will increase, but in India's free market, when demand increases, prices will increase. The Congress has been attacking the government, demanding concrete action over rising airfares. In a tweet, Chidambaram said, "Delhi-Chennai Business Class air tickets on Vistara and Air India have been set at a 'reasonable' price of Rs 6300 and Rs 5700 respectively. Oops, sorry, they are set at a 'very reasonable' Rs 63,000 and Rs 57,000 respectively." "In free markets, when demand increases, supply will increase. In India's free market, when demand increases, prices will increase," he said. Airlines will expand their routes, curtail flights on old routes and jack up prices, the former finance minister said. "India will be the Vishwaguru to the world on monopolistic capitalism," he said. In another tweet after many criticised him for qu

Go First hopes to resume ops by month-end and restore 94% of daily flights

The carrier is also waiting for creditors to approve additional funding, the person said, declining to specify the amount of investment needed

Jettwings, new regional airline for northeast states, plans takeoff in Oct

In India, the first E175 jet with 12 business class and 64 economy seats was inducted by regional airline StarAir in May

Air India launches second Mangaluru-Mumbai flight service starting June 10

Air India has strengthened the flight connectivity between Mangaluru and Mumbai by introducing a second daily flight from June 10. The development closely follows IndiGo's addition of a third daily flight on the Mumbai-Mangaluru route on May 22, an airport release here said. The two airlines now offer a combined total of five daily flights on this popular route. In 2022, the Mumbai-Mangaluru route emerged as the busiest, serving approximately 4.90 lakh passengers. The Air India flight (1679) departs Mumbai at 12.40 pm and arrives in Mangaluru at 2.10 pm. The return leg, AI (1680), leaves Mangaluru at 2.50 pm and reaches Mumbai at 4.35 pm. The inaugural flight of the service welcomed 182 passengers on AI (1679), while 167 passengers departed for Mumbai on AI (1680). The other Air India flight, AI (679), departs Mumbai at 5.45 am and arrives here at 7.20 am. On the return journey, flight AI (680) leaves Mangaluru at 7.55 am and reaches Mumbai at 9.35 am. IndiGo has indicated that it

All airports in Afghanistan operational, with 20 foreign flights daily

The Taliban-led government in Afghanistan on Monday said that all the airports in the war-torn nation were currently operational

Unruly passenger behaviour on rise; 1 incident in every 568 flights: IATA

One unruly passenger incident was reported for every 568 flights last year compared to one such incident per 835 flights in 2021, according to international airlines' grouping IATA. In recent times, there has been a steep rise in unruly passenger behaviour incidents, including in India. As it released an analysis of such incidents on Sunday, the International Air Transport Association (IATA) also urged more states to take the necessary authority to prosecute passengers under Montreal Protocol 2014 (MP14). "Latest figures show that there was one unruly incident reported for every 568 flights in 2022, up from one per 835 flights in 2021. The most common categorisations of incidents in 2022 were non-compliance, verbal abuse and intoxication. "Physical abuse incidents remain very rare, but these had an alarming increase of 61 per cent over 2021, occurring once every 17,200 flights," IATA said in a release. Although non-compliance incidents initially fell after the mask mandates were .

Air India Express to start Haj flights from Kannur, Kozhikode on June 4

Air India Express will start operating Haj flights from Kannur and Kozhikode on June 4. In a release on Friday, the airline said the Haj charters will be carried out in two phases. In the first phase, it will operate 44 flights from Kozhikode and 13 flights from Kannur to Jeddah and plans to carry 8,236 Haj pilgrims. In the second phase, the carrier will operate 44 flights from Medina to Kozhikode and 13 flights from Medina to Kannur. "This is the first time the airline is operating Haj services after winning the government-released bid for the two cities in Kerala," the release said. According to the release, the airline has introduced colour-coded pouches for elderly pilgrims to carry their boarding passes and brightly coloured luggage tags for easier identification and to prevent baggage mishandling. The airline will transport Zam Zam water on the return ferry flights and keep it at Kozhikode and Kannur airports. Upon arrival, each pilgrim will be offered a 5-litre can of Zam Z