Aviation

Statsguru: Cracks in aviation oversight as safety concerns mount

India's plan for an independent civil aviation authority seeks to address regulatory constraints, strengthen safety oversight and equip the sector for rapid growth

International flyers won't need physical boarding passes from Sep 1: Report

International passengers flying out of India can use e-boarding passes at immigration counters from September 1, while physical boarding passes will remain accepted but will no longer be stamped

Centre okays RGNAU expansion plan, directs UP govt to allot 500 acres

The Centre has approved a proposal of the Rajiv Gandhi National Aviation University (RGNAU) at Fursatganj in Amethi to expand its aerospace activities on an additional 500 acres, and directed the Uttar Pradesh government to make the land available for it, a top official has said. "The Centre has approved our proposal and sent it to the Uttar Pradesh government for making 500 acres of land available to us," RGNAU Vice Chancellor B N Singh told reporters on Friday. Singh said a centre of excellence would be developed once the state government provides the land, for which a survey is currently underway. The vice-chancellor said he recently met Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, who assured him that the land would be made available soon. The proposed expansion will include state-of-the-art laboratories, research centres and other infrastructure aimed at promoting higher education, research and innovation in aviation, aerospace and allied fields, he said. According to the ..

After the plunge

The latest incident comes just a year after the fatal Boeing 787 Air India crash, which is yet to find a closure with no clarity on what caused the catastrophic accident in Ahmedabad just seconds afte

Two more Air India pilots test positive for psychoactive substances

The pilots have been removed from the duty roster and their samples sent for confirmatory tests as Air India continues its one-time mandatory screening exercise

Akasa Air, AI Express say their B737 planes not impacted by FAA directive

Akasa Air and Air India Express, the key operators of Boeing 737 planes in India, on Friday said their fleets are not impacted by the US aviation watchdog FAA's directive for inspection of these jets for possible fuselage cracks. Apart from Akasa Air and Air India Express, SpiceJet also operates the narrow-body Boeing 737 aircraft, but the airline did not comment on the impact of the directive. The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) on Thursday issued an Airworthiness Directive (AD) for certain Boeing 737-8, 737-9 and 737-8200 aircraft. There were reports of cracks in the bearing strap at the forward upper corner of the forward galley door cutout of the aircraft. The directive requires an inspection of the fuselage skin for existing repairs and applicable on-condition actions, according to the watchdog. In a statement, a Boeing spokesperson said it identified and reported this issue and has been working with operators on it over the past six years. Since 2021, there have been

Tewolde Gebremariam to replace Campbell Wilson as Air India CEO & MD

Air India on Wednesday announced the appointment of former Ethiopian Airlines Group chief Tewolde Gebremariam as the next Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer. He will replace Campbell Wilson, who announced his resignation in April this year. In a release, Air India said it rigorously evaluated internal as well as highly accomplished external candidates from across the world before deciding on Gebremariam. The appointment comes at a crucial time when the loss-making Air India is working on expansion amid multiple external headwinds. Gebremariam has served as the CEO of Ethiopian Airlines Group, where he spearheaded a multi-billion-dollar expansion, transforming a regional carrier into Africa's largest and most profitable airline, the release said.

Govt says 352 tech defects reported in flight operations in 2026 till June

The government on Monday said that 352 significant technical defects were reported in domestic and international flight operations this year till June. Out of the total, 334 significant defects were related to domestic flight operations and the remaining pertained to international services, according to data provided by the civil aviation ministry to the Rajya Sabha. The data was provided by Minister of State for Civil Aviation Murlidhar Mohol in a written reply. As many as 334 defects were related to domestic services and 18 pertained to international flights. The minister did not disclose specific details about the defects. Among the 352 "significant defects" during the given period, 152 pertained to flight operations of Akasa Air, 53 related to Air India Express and 47 pertained to IndiGo flights, the data showed. In the case of Air India and SpiceJet, the number of such defects was 46 and 9, respectively. during their flight operations. As per the data, Star Air reported 29 .

Boeing posts larger-than-expected Q2 loss on Air Force One costs

Despite the charge ​and larger-than-expected loss, Boeing's share price rose by 4% in midday trading, as investors appeared to respond to steady, continued progress ​in improving production

Odisha puts aviation push on runway: 5 airports, 2 int'l gateways by 2030

Draft civil aviation policy aims to strengthen tourism, cargo and industrial growth by expanding airport infrastructure, logistics networks and international air connectivity

Demand trends, pricing power may keep IndiGo's revenue growth strong

Higher fuel and leasing costs pushed IndiGo into a Q1 loss, but brokerages remain positive on the airline's long-term growth driven by strong demand and international expansion

InterGlobe Aviation swings to ₹238 crore Q1 loss as fuel costs rise 86%

Aircraft fuel expenses rose 85.7 per cent to ₹10,832.9 crore and accounted for 44.1 per cent of revenue, up from 28.5 per cent in the year-ago quarter

Govt weighs easing rules to allow airport operators to own airlines

Government is considering relaxing ownership rules that could allow airport operators such as Adani Group and GMR Airports to own airlines, aiming to boost competition in the domestic aviation market

Air India revamps mobile app with India-specific payment features

Air India has revamped its mobile application with new features that will help with quicker responses to travellers as well as allow deployment of India-specific innovations in the payment system. The main enhancements in the app pertain to assistance during flight disruptions, payment system updates and in-house internet booking engine, according to Air India. The enhanced mobile app would provide greater ease of booking and allow the airline to respond more quickly to the needs of the customers, the airline's Chief Digital and Technology Officer Satya Ramaswamy told PTI. In a release on Thursday, Air India said the app has been downloaded nearly 17 million times and serves over 1,00,000 users daily. In case of flight disruptions, support would be provided to the passengers with the hotel accommodation and transportation assistance contextually from the home screen, the airline said. The in-house internet booking engine will offer a faster and responsive user interface. "Payment

Simaero plans to add more simulators, tap local engineering talent in India

French company Simaero, which has set up its simulator training facility in India, plans to tap the country's local engineering talent in the specialised areas of simulator engineering and technology services. In a recent interview with PTI, Simaero's CEO Nicolas Moute said the company's long-term vision was to build a centre of excellence for aviation training that serves not only India but the wider South Asian region. "We are very optimistic about India. Every market has its challenges, but we see far more opportunities than obstacles," he said, adding that the company does not see any barriers that would prevent it from expanding its presence in the country. At the training facility in Gurugram, Haryana, the company recently launched its first Airbus A320 neo simulator and expects to add one or two more simulators in the near term, based on customer demand. "We could possibly expect to add a Boeing or regional ATR aircraft simulator. However, it would depend on our client's ...

West Asia conflict may push Indian airlines' FY27 losses to ₹38K cr: ICRA

ICRA has raised its FY27 airline loss estimate to Rs 36,000-38,000 crore and cut traffic growth forecasts, citing higher ATF prices, a weaker rupee and lease costs

Air India may restore flights as West Asia situation improves: CEO

Wilson was referring to the network rationalisation Air India undertook because of the West Asia conflict, which started on February 28 when Israel and the US attacked Iran

New aviation model to cut travel time, expand global access: PM Modi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday said the Hub and Spoke international flights model will reduce travel time for passengers as well as being regions of India closer to global opportunities. The Hub and Spoke model seeks to enable seamless connectivity between Tier-II and Tier-III airports with international destinations. Under this model, Air India on Thursday launched flight operations from Varanasi that will connect passengers to various overseas cities through Delhi. Describing the launch of the first Hub and Spoke international flight operations as a historic milestone, Modi said better international connectivity creates new opportunities for trade, tourism, investment, education and business. "It enables people from smaller cities to access global destinations through a single, integrated journey while also supporting the movement of goods and services. This will contribute to regional development and strengthen India's economic growth," he said in a message. The message

Explained: What is 'hub-and-spoke' aviation model and why it matters now

The government has launched the first service under the hub-and-spoke model; here's how the system works and what it could mean for travellers from smaller cities

Air India flight from Delhi hit by bird during landing at Raipur Airport

Following the incident, the flight crew carried out all mandatory Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) as per safety protocol