Page 3 - Indian Airlines

IndiGo Airlines world's second fastest-growing airline in seat capacity

At 10.1% growth in 2024, it is only behind Qatar Airways, which grew 10.4%: OAG

Not in discussions for ventures with other airlines at present: flydubai

Gulf carrier flydubai on Monday said it continuously looks for opportunities to organically grow its network in India and is not in any discussions for ventures with other airlines at present. The statement comes against the backdrop of reports that the airline along with Busy Bee Airways might be looking at buying the assets of grounded Go First. Meanwhile, Nishant Pitti, the majority shareholder in Busy Bee Airways, on Monday said there are no discussions with flydubai. India has always been a very important market for flydubai, an airline spokesperson said in the statement and added that it continuously looks for opportunities to grow the network organically in India. "We are not currently in any discussions for ventures with other airlines. If this changes in the future, an official announcement will be made," the spokesperson said. On January 20, the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) ordered the liquidation of Go First, the budget carrier that stopped flying nearly two yea

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, .

Akasa Air appoints Belson Coutinho as COO to oversee operations, growth

Belson Coutinho, a key member of Akasa Air's leadership since 2022, previously served as chief marketing and experience officer before being appointed Chief Operating Officer (COO)

Air India to increase global coverage in years ahead: CEO Wilson

Air India has covered a lot of ground since privatisation and its global coverage will further increase in the years ahead, the airline's chief Campbell Wilson said on Wednesday. He also said the interior refit of the single-aisle fleet, serving domestic and short-haul international destinations, is underway, and will be completed by mid-2025. Loss-making Air India was acquired by the Tata Group from the government in January 2022, and is undergoing an ambitious five-year transformation plan. In 2024, Air India completed the merger of Vistara with itself as well as integration of Air India Express and AIX Connect was also done. In his New Year message, Wilson said these mergers and new aircraft deliveries have taken Air India Group's fleet to 300 aircraft, allowing it to expand to over 100 domestic and international destinations. "Air India's global coverage will further increase in the years ahead, not least because of the recent addition of 100 aircraft to our order book, augmen

Indian carriers see 12% more domestic flyers at 14.2 million in Nov

Indian airlines carried 1.42 crore passengers on domestic routes in November, nearly 12 per cent more compared to the year-ago period, amid rising air traffic demand. In terms of domestic market share, IndiGo topped the list with a 63.6 per cent pie, followed by Air India (24.4 per cent), Akasa Air (4.7 per cent) and SpiceJet (3.1 per cent). While all these carriers saw their share rise, the share of Alliance Air was unchanged at 0.7 per cent in November, according to the latest data from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA). "Passengers carried by domestic airlines during January-November 2024 were 1,464.02 lakh as against 1,382.34 lakh during the corresponding period of the previous year thereby registering an annual growth of 5.91 per cent and monthly growth of 11.90 per cent," the watchdog said in its monthly report. Domestic air passenger traffic was at 142.52 lakh in November compared to 127.36 lakh in the same period a year ago. In October this year, domestic ...

Govt sets Rs 1 cr fine for airline bomb hoaxes under revised security rules

Hoax bomb threats on airlines now attract fines up to Rs 1 crore under revised Aircraft Security Rules as the Centre aims to curb disruptions, and enhance safety

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.

Pilot aspirants should look at fascinating Indian market: IATA chief

Bullish on the aviation growth prospects in the "fascinating" Indian market, IATA chief Willie Walsh on Tuesday said somebody with an ambition to be a pilot should be looking at India, considering the large number of aircraft orders placed by the domestic airlines. The Director General of the global airlines' grouping, which has been flagging issues about high airport charges in India, also mentioned that Indian regulators seem to be more open to listening to the voices of airlines with respect to airport charges. "(We are seeing) some good economic regulations," Walsh said in response to a query from PTI related to airport charges. India is one of the world's fastest-growing aviation markets and airlines are expanding their operations, with Air India and IndiGo placing significant orders for aircraft, including wide body A350s. Noting that India is going to see significant growth in the domestic market, Walsh said that aircraft orders have been announced by the local carriers, wit

DGCA to streamline norms for Indian airlines' wet-leased plane operations

Aviation watchdog DGCA will soon come out with streamlined regulations for wet-leasing of planes by Indian airlines that will also entail enhanced oversight of the aircraft, amid airlines looking to operate more planes to meet rising travel demand. With persisting supply chain woes, there is a delay in aircraft deliveries and to meet the near-term needs, carriers are opting for planes on dry and wet leases. A senior official in the know told PTI that the efforts are on to streamline the regulations for wet-leasing of planes to assist in the growth of the aviation. "Realities of the engine problems cannot be wished away suddenly and on the other side, the possible routes are also increasing all the time," the official said. Many planes of IndiGo are on the ground due to Pratt & Whitney engine issues and the number of such aircraft is slowly coming down. Generally, wet-leasing of an aircraft involves the leasing of foreign aircraft, along with crew, maintenance and insurance. The ..

Why Indian airlines can't raise fares despite soaring passenger demand

Despite soaring passenger numbers, Indian airlines can't raise fares due to fierce competition, rising costs, and price sensitivity, leaving them struggling to stay profitable

Aircastle drops insolvency case against SpiceJet after $5.6 mn settlement

Earlier in November, the airline had announced the resolution of a $23.39 million dispute involving Aircastle (Ireland) Designated Activity Company and Wilmington Trust SP Services (Dublin) Ltd

Aviation milestone: Indian airlines carry over 500,000 passengers in a day

Indian skies set a new record with 505,000 domestic flyers in a day, driven by post-Diwali demand, festive travel, and a steady rise in passenger numbers over recent weeks

India's aircraft fleet set to increase by over 5 times in 20 yrs: Report

This growth will boost Indian airlines' share of the Asia-Pacific passenger fleet from the current 8 per cent to 18 per cent by 2043, according to a Cirium report

Indian airlines' shakeup intensifies competition, expands business seats

Vistara operates its final flight on Monday before its planned merger with Air India kicks in the following day

'No choice': Supreme Court orders liquidation of grounded Jet Airways

Says Jalan-Kalrock Consortium, successful bidder for the airline, failed to implement the resolution plan five years since its approval

Bomb threat received on Indian Airlines flight in Kathmandu: Nepal's CAA

According to CAAN officials, a search is underway in the Indian Airlines flight that was scheduled to take off for Delhi from Kathmandu

Air India's Delhi-Indore-Mumbai flight gets hoax bomb threat; FIR lodged

A message claiming a bomb had been placed on Air India's flight from Delhi to Mumbai via Indore was posted on a social media platform which later turned out to be a hoax, police said on Wednesday. The Indore police in Madhya Pradesh have registered a case in this connection against an unidentified person, they said. The "threatening message" that a pipe bomb was placed in Air India's flight AI 636 was posted on an X social media account at 5.08 pm on Tuesday, an Aerodrome police station officer said quoting a complaint by a local official of the airline. The flight, arriving from Delhi, had already left for Mumbai from Indore at 4.38 pm, he said. "The message about a pipe bomb being placed in the Air India flight was proved to be fake in our investigation," Deputy Commissioner of Police Vinod Kumar Meena told PTI. A case was registered against the unidentified person who posted the threatening message on social media under Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita section 351 (4) (criminal intimida

Aircraft grounding crisis has peaked, says IndiGo CEO Pieter Elbers

"We've turned the corner," Chief Executive Officer Pieter Elbers said in an interview with Bloomberg Television on Tuesday

'Abetting crime': Centre slams X after over 140 flights get bomb threats

Joint Secretary Sanket S Bhondve demanded clarification from X on what measures it is taking to curb the spread of such rumours