Page 3 - Indian Aviation

Aviation ministry modifies rule to make masks optional on domestic flights

In-flight announcements may only mention that all passengers should preferably use masks/face covers; no specific reference to fine/penal action needed

India's aviation safety rank to improve after UN agency audit: DGCA

Says country fared well in ICAO audit of Nov 9-16 covering legislation, licensing, operations, airworthiness, among other areas; India was placed below Pakistan and Nepal an earlier exercise

US fines Air India $1.4 mn for 'extreme delays' in passengers refunds

'A flight cancellation is frustrating enough, and you shouldn't also have to haggle or wait months to get your refund'

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

Embraer says talks for manufacturing aircraft in India progressing well

Says it's looking at various partnering options for next-gen turboprop aircraft

How did Air India beat Indigo?

IndiGo, was the most punctual airline in 10 out of the 12 months last year. Now Air India is trying to make a mark. It has left Indigo behind in punctuality. How did Air India manage the turnaround

J-K Police set to hire helicopter services for next 3 years; bids floated

Jammu and Kashmir Police has invited bids from registered aviation companies for renting helicopters to ensure faster mobility of its force, officials said on Sunday. Flight operations are required for carrying police officers and central armed paramilitary force (CAPF) officials in all sectors of J-K, as well as for other emergent purpose, they said. The police floated the tender on Saturday and sought bids from registered aviation companies having a fleet of minimum three airworthy light helicopters for its operations in Jammu and Kashmir on 'leave and licence' basis for a period of three years -- January 16, 2023 to January 16, 2026, officials said. Officials said the helicopters will be integrated in the 'disaster management plan (DMP)' and 'emergency response plan (ERP)' being prepared by the police. "All the helicopters at Srinagar and Jammu helipad will be integrated into the ERP," officials said. The operations will be carried out daily with least inconvenience to the poli

SAIL inks pact with AAI for initiation of commercial flights from Rourkela

State-owned SAIL on Friday said that it has entered into a pact with Airport Authority of India (AAI) for facilitating the start of commercial flights from Rourkela in Odisha. Steel Authority of India Ltd (SAIL) has signed the operation and management contract with AAI through its unit Rourkela Steel Plant. The public sector enterprise had in 2018 signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for use of its own airport, under the regional connectivity scheme UDAN, for operation of commercial flights. The civil aviation ministry has rendered financial support for the upgradation of this airport. The Odisha government will deliver security, fire and ambulance services besides assisting with other local clearances. AAI, on behalf of SAIL - Rourkela Steel Plant, will operate and manage the airport. Regional Connectivity Scheme (RCS) -UDAN, a flagship project of the central government launched by the civil aviation ministry, envisages enhancing the regional air connectivity by providin

Aeroplanes will be manufactured in Gujarat soon, says PM Modi in Rajkot

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday expressed confidence that aeroplanes will soon be manufactured in Gujarat and their spare parts will be made at Rajkot in the state. He was addressing a gathering in the Race Course area of Rajkot city after launching a host of projects, including houses for the economically weaker sections. Modi is on a two-day visit to his home state Gujarat, where Assembly elections are due by December end. Praising the engineering industry in Rajkot district during his address, Modi said, "Aeroplanes will be manufactured in Gujarat soon and their spare parts will be made in Rajkot." Some leaders built bungalows for themselves after coming into politics, but did not do anything for the poor, he said without mentioning anyone. "They came into politics and built their bungalows, but never thought of improving the conditions of those living in slums. I have taken up the work of building houses for the poor" he said. On the occasion, he handed over the ...

Hyderabad incident: DGCA orders engine inspection of SpiceJet 14 Q400 plane

On October 12, a SpiceJet Q400 plane with 86 passengers on board conducted an emergency landing in Hyderabad as smoke was detected in the cabin when it was mid-air

IndiGo, SpiceJet to wet lease aircraft in the winter to enhance capacity

Wet leasing is an arrangement where the lessor provides an aircraft along with crew and maintenance, and has operational control

Indian airlines revamp their in-flight menus amid intense competition

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

Can Air India become the Maharaja of Indian skies again?

Air India has unveiled a five-year transformation plan that is expected to triple its domestic market share. So, can Air India become the 'Maharaja' of Indian skies again? Let us find out

Akasa Air filled 53% seats in August, accounting for 0.2% market share

Top-6 carriers posted much higher seat occupancy; experts say not much can be read into Akasa's load factor as airline is at a very nascent stage

Five-year transformation goal: Air India eyes 30% domestic share

Air India, as it operates wide-body planes with bigger fuel tanks, is the market leader on long international routes that reach as far as the US

DGCA reviews breath analyser test guidelines as air traffic soars

It also said that before every use, the BA equipment should be sanitized using UV sterilizers and integrity and sanitary condition of BA tubes should be maintained

Domestic airline industry may report up to Rs 17k-cr loss in FY23: Report

Domestic airlines industry is expected to report a net loss of around Rs 15,000-17,000 crore this fiscal on account of elevated price of Aviation Turbine Fuel (ATF) and a weak rupee, a report said on Wednesday. The losses for the industry in the previous fiscal were estimated at around Rs 23,000 crore, credit ratings agency Icra said in its report. However, the debt levels for the industry are expected to be at around Rs 1 lakh crore (including lease liabilities) as on March 31, 2023, as per the ratings agency. Any positive or negative movement in rupee against the US dollar and any increase or decrease in the jet fuel prices have a major bearing on the cost structure of airlines as in India, ATF accounts for around 45 per cent of the operational cost of an airline while as much as 35-50 per cent of the airlines' operating expenses are US dollar driven. Two listed airlines -- IndiGo and SpiceJet -- have reported losses to the tune of Rs 1,064 crore and Rs 789 crore, respectively, i

IndiGo's new CEO Pieter Elbers takes over, eyes 'new frontiers'

Known for his decisiveness, new chief will have his task cut out as domestic competition heats up

Air India to redesign flight schedules to improve OTP: CEO Wilson

Air India's on-time performance at four metro airports -- Bengaluru, Delhi, Hyderabad and Mumbai -- was 83 per cent in July: DGCA

How can SpiceJet fly out of its existential crisis?

Electric vehicles are set to take India by storm. Foreign as well as domestic companies have lined up a host of variants. The stage is set for the electric vehicle revolution in India. Here's more