Global Airline Industry

The global airline industry is projected to report a net profit of USD 36.6 billion in 2025, slightly higher than expected this year, helped by lower oil prices and cost control, IATA said on Tuesday. Passenger numbers are expected to rise 6.7 per cent to 5.2 billion next year compared to 2024. In 2025, the International Air Transport Association (IATA) expects the industry's revenue to cross the USD 1 trillion mark for the first time to USD 1.007 trillion, which will be an increase of 4.4 per cent compared to 2024. While the operating profit is estimated at USD 67.5 billion, expenses are anticipated to reach USD 940 billion next year. At a briefing here, IATA Director General Willie Walsh said India is witnessing significant growth and that there is a clear recognition that growth is also dependent on air connectivity. China and India are among the fastest-growing domestic aviation markets, he added. "Net profit is expected to be USD 36.6 billion in 2025 for a 3.6 per cent net pr

IndiGo on Wednesday said it has consistently scored high on punctuality, and refuted a survey that claimed the airline is among the worst on the basis of certain parameters, including punctuality. The survey was done by by AirHelp, an EU claim processing agency. It compared the world's biggest and most popular airlines and rated them according to their punctuality, quality of service, and how well they handle claims for compensation. In a statement, IndiGo said the data published in the survey does not report the sample size from India, and neither takes into account the methodology or compensation guidelines used by the global aviation industry "casting a doubt on its credibility". According to the statement, the airline has consistently scored high on punctuality and has the lowest customer complaint ratio for an airline of its size and scale of operations. "As India's most preferred airline, IndiGo refutes the findings of this survey and reiterates its promise of on-time, ...

Akasa Air saw its loss widen to Rs 1,670.06 crore in the financial year ended March 2024 even as the airline's total income jumped to Rs 3,144.38 crore during the same period. The airline, which has been flying for over two years, had a loss after tax of Rs 744.53 crore in 2022-23, according to data accessed by business intelligence platform Tofler. At the end of March 2024, the carrier had a fleet of 24 planes and operated more than 110 flights daily. "On a standalone basis, the company achieved a total income of Rs 31,443.83 million for FY 2024 against previous year's total income of Rs 7,778.48 million. "The company reported a net loss of Rs 16,700.66 million for FY 2024 against a net loss of Rs 7,444.27 million for the previous year," SNV Aviation Pvt Ltd said in a filing to the corporate affairs ministry. SNV Aviation is the parent of Akasa Air. During 2023-24, the carrier's total expenditure climbed to Rs 4,814.44 crore as against Rs 1,522.27 crore in the same period a year

More than 33,000 factory workers in the US Northwest will trudge back to work over the next week after they voted by a slim margin to accept Boeing's third contract offer

Mumbai Airport will see a marginal 2 per cent year-on-year increase at 3,372 flights per week flight movements this winter despite rising travel demand. Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (CSMIA) is all set to provide an extensive network of travel options for its passengers with 3,372 weekly flights--2,361 weekly domestic and 1,011 weekly international flights-- for the winter schedule 2024, the private airport operator said. Significantly, as per the winter schedule for the Indian Airlines announced by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) earlier this month, the Indian airlines will operate 25,007 flights every week to and from 124 airports, which is 5.37 per cent more compared to the winter schedule of 2023. The winter schedule this year started from October 27, 2024 and will continue till March 29, 2025. With increased travel on both domestic and international routes, Mumbai Airport said it is expected to see around 4 per cent increase vis- -vis summe

Airbus expects to have more than 5,000 people as direct employees in India and also aims to source services and components worth USD 2 billion from the country in the next couple of years, a top company official said on Thursday. President of Airbus India and Managing Director South Asia Remi Maillard also said the company's engagement with the country is gaining new momentum. Currently, the aircraft maker employs around 3,500 people directly in India and sources services and components worth 1 billion euros from the country. Speaking at the inaugural function of the Airbus India and South Asia Headquarters - Training Centre in the national capital, he said it will further grow the sourcing footprint and that is expected to touch USD 2 billion in the next couple of years. Also, Airbus' direct employment number in India will cross 5,000 in the next couple of years, he added. Among others, Airbus will be setting up a second pilot training centre through a joint venture with Air Indi

The government will work towards designing and manufacturing aircraft in India with the help of the industry players, Civil Aviation Minister K Rammohan Naidu said on Monday. The Bhartiya Vayuyan Vidheyak Bill 2024, which was passed by the Lok Sabha in August, includes provisions to regulate the design and manufacturing of aircraft, supporting the Aatmanirbhar Bharat initiative. "We want to design and manufacture planes in India. We are taking help from HAL (Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd) and NAL (National Aerospace Laboratories) and other industry partners we have. "In the foreseeable future, we want to also have a situation where we manufacture planes not for domestic demand only but also for the demand of the entire world... we are going to move towards it," the minister said. State-owned HAL is already into manufacturing small civilian planes but on a smaller scale. India is one of the world's fastest growing civil aviation markets and Indian carriers have more than 1,200 planes o

Boeing and the union representing striking machinists have negotiated a new contract proposal that would provide bigger pay raises and bonuses in a bid to end a costly walkout that has crippled production of airplanes for more than a month. The International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers said early Saturday that it plans to hold a ratification vote on Wednesday. The union said the deal would increase pay by 35 per cent over four years, up from 30 per cent that was offered last month. It also boosts the ratification bonus to USD 7,000 per worker instead of USD 6,000. The new offer would not restore a traditional pension plan a key demand of the 33,000 striking workers but it would increase the amount of contributions to 401(k) retirement plans that Boeing would match and retain performance bonuses that Boeing wanted to eliminate, the union said. The fact the company has put forward an improved proposal is a testament to the resolve and dedication of the frontline

The company on Tuesday said in regulatory filings that it could raise as much as $25 billion in stock and debt with its investment-grade credit rating at risk

Airbus is targeting 770 deliveries for the full year after reducing its goal from 800 jets in July, citing shortages of engines and other parts

The National Transportation Safety Board on Sept. 26 issued urgent safety recommendations to Boeing and the FAA after investigating the potential for rudder issues in some 737 airplanes

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) on Thursday proposed stricter norms for the oversight of wet-leased planes operated by Indian airlines. Faced with the grounding of a significant number of planes due to engine and supply chain woes, domestic carriers are utilising more wet-leased aircraft as a short-term measure to cater to rising air traffic demand. The watchdog has issued a draft for public consultation on the revised Civil Aviation Requirements (CAR) on wet/damp lease operations by Indian operators to strengthen the regulatory framework for safety oversight of wet/damp lease operations. Wet lease of an aircraft by an Indian carrier involves the leasing of foreign aircraft, along with crew, maintenance and insurance. The plane is also under the operational control of the foreign operator (lessor) and subject to regulatory requirements of the foreign civil aviation authority concerned. The safety oversight of such operations is also under the purview of the foreign

Etihad, which started operations in 2003, spent billions of dollars buying minority stakes in other carriers to create larger network through its Abu Dhabi hub

Global airlines' grouping IATA on Wednesday flagged concerns about a significant increase in airport charges in India and suggested having regulations to ensure all costs can be controlled in a way that will allow more people to travel by air. In India, tariffs for major airports are approved by the Airports Economic Regulatory Authority (AERA) and in recent times, charges at some airports have gone up. Emphasising that countries should be careful around airport charges, IATA Director General Willie Walsh on Wednesday said after privatisation of some airports, "there has been an automatic increase in charges in what we have witnessed in India". "India needs to be congratulated for the investment infrastructure in recent years which will pay dividends but only if costs are controlled. At the moment, we continue to be concerned around the very significant increase in airport charges in India...," he said. He also mentioned that IATA has concerns about airport charges in a number of .

Talks between Air Canada and the Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA), which represents more than 5,200 pilots at Canada's largest carrier, are continuing, but both parties remain far apart, the company

Alaska Air is one step closer to acquiring Hawaiian Airlines after the US Department of Justice chose not to challenge the USD 1.9 billion deal that the carriers say will create a company better able to serve travellers. Alaska Air announced in December that it would pay USD 18 in cash for each share of Hawaiian. The deal includes USD 900 million in debt held by Hawaiian Airlines. The brands of both airlines would be preserved after the merger, which is unique in an industry where decades of acquisitions have left only four big carriers dominating the US market. Alaska and Hawaiian say they have few overlapping routes and the intent of a tie-up is to allow the new airline to better compete with the nation's Big Four: American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, Southwest Airlines and United Airlines. Alaska Air and Hawaiian Holdings, the parent company of Hawaiian Airlines, said in regulatory filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission Tuesday that the review period for the Justice

JetBlue intends to raise $1.5 billion through a private offering of senior secured notes and an additional $1.25 billion via a term loan, secured by TrueBlue

European air carrier Air France-KLM on Thursday said it has appointed Stefan Gumuseli as the new General Manager for the India-Middle East markets from August 1. Gumuseli will oversee the passenger business for India and the Middle East, which includes a range of diverse and multicultural countries such as India, UAE, Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, and Egypt as well as additional offline countries, Air France-KLM said in a statement. He will be based at the regional office in Dubai, it said, adding that Claude Sarre will continue to lead India and the Sub-continent as Country Manager based in New Delhi, ensuring continuity and focused leadership in this key market. Gumuseli will be responsible for further strengthening the overall presence of Air France-KLM in the region, focusing on enhancing customer proximity, upholding the commitment towards sustainability, it said. "For the Air France-KLM Group, this (India-Middle East) region is a strategic market with innumerable opportunities and .

Ortberg will face pressure to help revive production of the company's strong-selling 737 jets from about 25 in June and July to 38 by year's end

Shortages of new planes, jet engines and pilots have spurred US airlines to pursue growth through acquisitions, putting them in the crosshairs of anti-trust regulators