Aviation Sector

5G near airports? DGCA to ask all airlines to upgrade radio altimeters

This precaution is due to the potential interference of 5G emissions with radio altimeters (RAs) on airplanes

IPL 2024 points table, team rankings, highest run-getters and wicket-take

Virat Kohli is currently holding the orange cap, with 203 runs in 4 matches. CSK's Mustafizur Rahman has the purple cap with 7 wickets

Why are airfares in India soaring and is there a way to beat it?

Airlines look at affordability, demand, availability and lots of other factors when pricing their flights s

Air India's expansion plans stir tension over airline flying rights

Tensions over plans to transform AI into a global airline with hundreds of new jets rippled across aviation sector as foreign carriers clamoured for more access to the world's fastest-growing economy

India likely to require 31,000 pilots in next 20 years, says Boeing

US aircraft maker Boeing has said India may require 31,000 pilots and some 26,000 mechanics over the next 20 years amid the growing order book of the aircraft original equipment manufacturers. Speaking on the sidelines of a CII event here, Boeing India President Salil Gupte also said the South Asian region is expected to remain the fastest growing market globally over the next 20 years. India is going to need over 31,000 pilots and 26,000 mechanics over the next 20 years to take care of the aircraft coming in. This is as important a part of the Indian growth story as the aircraft (orders), Gupte told reporters. He said considering India's air traffic growth, a lot of focus has to be on making infrastructure robust, both hard infrastructure which includes airports as well as critical infrastructure, which includes pilots, among others. It may be mentioned here that Tata Group-owned Air India had last month announced placing orders for a total of 470 planes with both Boeing and Europ

DGCA de-registers 2 SpiceJet aircrafts on request from Dublin-based lessors

The deregistration of the aircraft "would not impact" the carrier's operations, according to a SpiceJet representative

AI CEO calls for concerted efforts to curb unruly passenger behaviour

Expressing concern over the rising number of instances involving unruly behaviours by passengers, Air India CEO Campbell Wilson has called for concerted industry efforts to contain the problem

Close to 1,500 flights from Kochi airport weekly during summer: CIAL

Close to 1,500 flights would be operated every week from the Cochin International Airport as part of its summer schedule starting from March 26 till October 28 this year, CIAL said. The summer schedule of 1,484 flight services every week would also include 332 weekly departures to international destinations by 31 airlines of which 23 are foreign carriers, the Cochin International Airport Ltd (CIAL) said in a release. Indigo, which tops the list with 63 weekly departures to international destinations, has also started operations on a new sector -- Kochi to Ras Al Khaimah in the UAE, the release said. The domestic services will see an increase in flights to Mumbai, Bengaluru and Hyderabad, it said. During the winter schedule there were 1,202 weekly services from the airport, it further said. "Over the past ten years, the aviation sector in India has undergone significant expansion and transformation. With more people choosing to travel by air than ever before, India is now the ...

Aviation sector seen returning to profit in FY24 on higher traffic, pricing

Although competition from Tatas and Akasa could increase, analysts see 25% upside in IndiGo

SpiceJet's $100 mln debt rejig: Carlyle Aviation to buy stakes in airline

In a move that will help reduce its debt by USD 100 million, cash-strapped SpiceJet on Monday announced that Carlyle Aviation Partners will acquire a 7.5 per cent stake in the airline by converting outstanding dues as well as snap up shareholding in the cargo business. As it faces multiple headwinds, the no-frills carrier will also tap the Qualified Institutional Buyer (QIB) route to raise up to Rs 2,500 crore. SpiceJet's board has approved restructuring more than USD 100 million outstanding dues to aircraft leasing firm Carlyle Aviation Partners into equity shares and Compulsorily Convertible Debentures (CCDs). Carlyle Aviation Partners is the commercial aviation investment and servicing arm of Carlyle's USD 143 billion Global Credit platform. Fresh equity shares to the tune of USD 29.5 million (around Rs 244.28 crore) will be issued to Carlyle Aviation Partners at Rs 48 per share or the Sebi-determined price, whichever is higher. Post deal, the lessor will have a 7.5 per cent sta

When customer is king but unpleasant: How bad behaviour affects air crew

Behind the exotic travel destinations, prim and proper clothing, smiles, flawless skin, and perfectly manicured hands of the air hostesses, there's a dark world of enormous struggle

IndiGo, Go First face P&W engine headwinds; over 50 planes on ground

More than 50 planes of IndiGo and Go First are on the ground due to Pratt & Whitney engine woes amid persisting supply chain headwinds, forcing airlines to explore wet leasing of aircraft and other options to minimise disruptions, according to officials. The country's largest airline IndiGo is looking at various options, including slowing down redeliveries through lease extensions, exploring the re-induction of aircraft into the fleet, and evaluating the wet lease options within the regulatory guidelines. While the global supply chain issues continue, especially in the wake of the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict, the Pratt & Whitney (P&W) engine problems have been there for quite sometime. Few months back, senior civil aviation ministry officials also had discussions with the engine maker on ways to improve the supply situation. A senior government official told PTI that there are at least 25 aircraft each of IndiGo and Go First that are on the ground due to P&W engine

DGCA plans to hire 400 tech staff in 1-2 yrs; increase offices to 19: Chief

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) plans to ramp up its technical staff to 1,100 by hiring another 400 people in the next one to two years as well as increase the number of offices to 19 as the watchdog strengthens the safety oversight capabilities, according to its chief Arun Kumar. Kumar, who will be superannuating on February 28 after being at the helm for nearly four years, described his tenure as a "roller coaster ride" during which various steps were taken to improve aviation safety and the regulator also dealt with multiple headwinds, including engine issues and safety concerns over SpiceJet. India's aviation safety oversight ranking jumping to the 55th position from 112th place earlier under the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) coordinated validation mission, rollout of eGCA for processes at the regulator, introduction of regulations for transgenders who want to be pilots as well as compulsory breath analyser tests for air traffic controllers are

Air India to add 4,200 cabin crew, 900 pilots after record aircraft deal

Air India has planned to hire over 4200 cabin crew trainees and 900 pilots in 2023 as the airline adds new aircraft and rapidly expands its domestic and international operations

Spicejet to consider capital raise amid losses, market share battle

Spicejet's market share slipped to 7.3% in January from 7.7% in December

India has enough potential for recurring aircraft orders: GE Aerospace

Leading engine maker GE Aerospace has said there is enough potential for recurring aircraft orders by Indian carriers as massive growth is happening in the country's civil aviation space. Against the backdrop of Tata Group-owned Air India placing firm orders for 470 aircraft, a top official of GE Aerospace also said that India, which is the world's third largest aviation market, has the potential for growth in both wide-body and narrow-body aircraft. Besides, GE Aerospace's Country Head for South Asia & Indonesia Vikram Rai told PTI that the supply chain situation will be better this year, compared to 2022. There are around 700 commercial planes flying in India, with a majority of them being narrow-body aircraft. The civil aviation ministry is also working on ways to make an international aviation hub for which Indian carriers will have to have more wide-body planes in order to carry international traffic. Referring to the aircraft orders, Rai said these orders are huge "but there

Air India's aircraft order ignites expectation from Indian aviation sector

From increased direct international air connectivity to being a showpiece of divestment programme to job creation in faraway US, Air India's mega 470 aircraft order has ignited myriad expectations in and about the world's fastest growing aviation market -- India. A raft of factors -- surging air traffic demand, rising middle class population and disposable incomes, demographic dividend, over 1,200 planes on order by various Indian carriers and improving aviation infrastructure -- are all fuelling the growth of the market. Out of the 470 firm aircraft order, 250 will be supplied by Airbus and 220 by Boeing, while there is also the option to buy another 370 planes from the two plane makers. The firm order includes 70 wide-body aircraft. Aircraft & Air Traffic Indian airlines have placed orders for more than 1,100 aircraft that are to be delivered in the coming years. The country's largest airline IndiGo is to take deliveries of around 500 planes, Go First is to receive 72 aircraft, .

Airlines must look at common services facility to cut costs: Suresh Prabhu

As Indian airlines seek to expand their fleet, former Union Civil Aviation Minister Suresh Prabhu has said the carriers should look at having a common services facility within the country for maintenance, repair and overhaul works as that will help reduce costs. With Air India placing orders for new aircraft after more than 17 years, he also said the airline should look at flying more on the profitable Gulf routes as well as restoring overseas "historical connections" which it used to operate earlier. Prabhu served as the Civil Aviation Minister from March 2018 to May 2019 and during his tenure also efforts were made to turnaround the loss-making Air India, which was finally taken over by the Tata Group in January 2022 under the government's disinvestment programme. "We should work on having international aviation hubs in India as well as look at having some sort of a common aviation services facility that can be shared by all airlines. Such a facility will help in reducing costs as

Air India Express flight from Dubai seeks airport assistance during landing

An Air India Express flight from Dubai to Thiruvananthapuram sought assistance from the airport here on Sunday after the pilot experienced some problem during landing, an airline source said. "The pilot felt something uneasy during landing and sought assistance from the ATC. It was a normal landing at the scheduled arrival time of 6.30 AM. No emergency was declared by the pilot," the source said. After the IX540 Air India Express flight was checked on landing, it was found that the top layer of a wheel of the nose gear of the aircraft had de-capped, he said. "There is nothing serious about that," he added. The plane was towed to the flight bay and all passengers deboarded safely, the source said.

How secret talks in London led to Air India's gigantic plane order

On Tuesday, Air India provisionally agreed to acquire almost 500 jets from Airbus and Boeing to take on domestic and international rivals