Page 14 - Flights

Sabarimala pilgrims can carry coconuts in flights as cabin baggage: BCAS

Pilgrims going to Sabarimala temple in Kerala can carry coconuts in cabin baggage in flights, with aviation security regulator BCAS relaxing the norms for a limited period. A senior official of the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS) said the permission has been given for the ongoing Sabarimala season that is to end in late January. Lakhs of devotees visit the hill shrine every year and majority of them carry 'Irumudi Kettu' (the sacred bag containing offerings, including coconut filled with ghee, to the Lord). Coconuts meant for offering as part of Sabarimala pilgrimage have been allowed to be carried in cabin baggage for a limited period of time, the official told PTI on Tuesday. The official also said that additional security measures and checks have been put in place in this regard. Under current norms, coconuts are not permitted in cabin baggage on the grounds that they are flammable. "... Coconuts, in the view of inconvenience to the pilgrims to Shri Sabarimala shall b

0 in '14 to 48 now: Demand rises for non-stop flights between India, Canada

There were no non-stop flights between the two countries in 2014. This has risen to 48 in 2022

Calicut-bound Air India flight returns to Mumbai due to technical glitch

Air India flight AI 581 was carrying more than 110 passengers, according to an official

69% Go First flights delayed on average in past three days; DGCA to probe

Airline forced to raise utilisation of its operational planes; delay as high as 82% on Saturday

2 in 3 travellers want pre-pandemic govt fare caps back as air-fares soar

A recent survey by LocalCircles reveals that soaring airfares have worried travellers and two out of three fliers want the government to bring back an upper and lower limit on air-fares

After 3-yr lull, IndiGo to resume flights to China, Myanmar from March 2023

IndiGo used to operate daily flights on Delhi-Chengdu, Kolkata-Guangzhou, Kolkata-Yangon routes till early 2020

Air India Express begins direct flight service between Vijayawada, Sharjah

Air India Express' direct flight service between Vijayawada and Sharjah in the UAE was inaugurated by MPs Vallabhaneni Balashowry and Kesineni Srinivas at the Vijayawada International Airport on Monday. As the first flight from Sharjah, with about 60 passengers on board, landed at the airport at around 4:35 pm, it was welcomed with the customary water cannon salute. The Boeing 737 aircraft departed for Sharjah at 6:35 pm. Air India Express will operate the service twice a week -- Monday and Saturday. Air India Express is also going to start the Vijayawada-Muscat biweekly service from November 5, Air India authorities said.

Aeroflot to launch flight services to Goa from Moscow, starting Nov 2

Russian flag carrier Aeroflot on Monday said it is set to launch its flight services to Goa from Moscow, starting November 2. The airline currently operates its air services on the Moscow-Delhi-Moscow route twice-a-week with an Airbus A330 aircraft. Aeroflot will fly its Airbus A330 aircraft every Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday from Moscow to Goa, offering 268 seats in the business class and 28 in the economy, the statement said. Besides, the new services will also offer a weekly cargo capacity of 30 tons from India for Russia and the CIS countries, it added. "Goa is a popular tourist destination among Russians. We are starting our three-times-a-week flights on the Moscow-Goa-Moscow route. It marks the expansion of our Indian services in response to customer demand," said Korolev Oleg K, head of cargo at Aeroflot. Goa-Moscow route is another high-demand route between India and Russia. These flights will boost the recovering tourist market in both countries, said Delmos Aviation, w

Aircraft bird strike incidents rise by 49.3% in January-July period

DGCA official says all airport operators advised to conduct awareness campaigns in schools and localities around airports regarding proper garbage disposal

Recovery tracker: Dip in railway numbers, fewer flyers ahead of Diwali

Weekly vehicle registrations surge to nearly 600,000

DGCA removes 50% capacity cap on SpiceJet flights from October 30

The DGCA on Friday also approved Indian carriers' winter schedule. Indian carriers will operate 21,941 weekly flights, 1.55% less during the season compared to the previous winter season, it noted.

IndiGo flight to Arunachal soon as Donyi Polo Airport gets operation ready

The foundation stone of the Donyi Polo Airport was laid in 2019. Situated nearly 14 km south of the city centre, the airport will serve Itanagar

Air traffic volume may recover to pre-pandemic level in FY23: CRISIL

The air traffic volume is expected to increase to the fiscal 2020 level of around 340 million passengers in FY23

Vistara ramps up ops, announces connectivity between Pune and Singapore

Vistara airline on Friday announced the addition of a new route to its international network with four weekly flights between Pune and Singapore, starting December

Beijing's Covid rules may delay direct flights between India, China: Report

Direct passenger flight services between India and China are unlikely to resume in the near future unless Beijing modifies its policy of sudden cancellation of scheduled flights every time some passengers are tested positive for COVID on arrival in Chinese airports, informed sources here said. Flight services between the two countries have been disrupted ever since coronavirus was first reported in Wuhan in late 2019 and spread across the world. The flight disruption turned out to be a major problem for hundreds of Indian students as well as families of Indians working in China and businessmen to travel back and forth though Beijing recently lifted the visa ban after about three years. Following this, about 23,000 Indian students, mostly studying medicine who were stranded back home due to China's COVID visa bans, made preparations to travel to China to rejoin their colleges but experienced difficulties due to the absence of direct flights. The flights through the third countries w

Financial status of Indian airlines likely to remain under pressure: ICRA

The financial performance of Indian airlines is likely to remain under pressure in the near term, even as recovery in domestic passenger traffic has been healthy, said Corporate Rating firm ICRA

More flights needed on Darbhanga-Delhi route amid festivities: Bihar govt

The Nitish Kumar government in Bihar on Friday said more flights were needed on the Darbhanga-Delhi route keeping in mind the heavy rush expected during Deepawali-Chhath festivities. State minister Sanjay Kumar Jha, a key aide of the Bihar CM, also said that he had communicated the same to Union Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia whom he met in Delhi recently. The airport at Darbhanga has been the "most successful" among all the ones set up under the UDAAN scheme. But a person flying from the north Bihar town to the national capital has to cough up the same amount as someone who is flying from Delhi to Dubai, Jha told reporters here. "This has been because SpiceJet, which has a monopoly on the route, cannot meet the demands. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation has grounded 50 per cent of its fleet", the Bihar minister added. "I have pleaded with Scindia that people must not be made to suffer on this account, especially during the upcoming festive season when heavy .

Star Air inaugurates direct flight services between Mumbai and Kolhapur

/ -- Star Air, the aviation arm of Sanjay Ghodawat Group, inaugurated its direct flight services between Mumbai and Kolhapur under the Regional Connectivity Scheme. The launch of Kolhapur not only celebrates the expansion of Star Air's travel route but also marks the airline's homecoming, as it serves as the base of Sanjay Ghodawat Group's operations. With Kolhapur transitioning itself into a commercial hub, Star Air looks forward to serving its passengers with seamless connectivity, utmost care and comfort by reducing the current 8-10 hour travel time via road and rail to just under an hour. Owing to its spiritual history, Kolhapur is also known as 'Dakshin Kashi'. Not only is it one of the oldest civilizations in the country, but it has also become an important industry and tourism hub. Famous for its agricultural and manufacturing industry, pilgrim sites, jewellery, leather chappals, historical monuments, and sports, particularly wrestling, it is a confluence of culture and ...

Indian airlines revamp their in-flight menus amid intense competition

Air India latest carrier to update menu, but others have tweaked their offerings too

Air India processes refunds worth over Rs 150 crore after privatisation

Handles 250,000 refund cases in just the first few months since Tatas took over, says eligible request lodged on website will typically be processed within 2-3 days