Page 2 - Airline Sector

AIX Connect's merger into Air India Express is complete, says DGCA

Air India Express' fleet size has grown to 88 aircraft

AI-Vistara merger: Systems integration in progress after initial assessment

A comprehensive enterprise assessment of all systems has been completed and the integration process is going on as part of the upcoming merger of Vistara with Air India, a senior official said on Monday. Vistara, a joint venture between Tatas and Singapore Airlines, is set to be merged with Air India in November. The process for the merger of the two full service carriers, announced in November 2022, is in progress. Murali Karthik, VP & Head of Enterprise IT at Air India, stressed the importance of data-driven decision making process and a highly integrated system. Speaking at a session at the CAPA India Digital Aviation Summit in the national capital, he also said a comprehensive enterprise assessment of all systems has been completed with respect to the merger of Vistara and Air India. At the session, regional carrier FLY91's CTO Prasanna Subramanian said it is building the complete architecture for the digital systems. The systems are being scaled up and the focus is also on ..

Fueled by Rs 3,000 crore fundraise, SpiceJet to aim 100 aircrafts by 2026

SpiceJet will aim for 100 aircraft by 2026, announced following a Rs 3,000 crore QIP. The airline is facing financial crisis that arose due to Covid-19 driven operational challenges and other factors

Shareholders approve Rs 3,000 crore fund raising plan, says SpiceJet

SpiceJet on Thursday said its shareholders have approved the proposal to raise up to Rs 3,000 crore through issuance of securities. The no-frills carrier -- which is grappling with multiple woes, including financial challenges, legal battles and grounding of aircraft -- is looking to raise money that will help it meet various obligations. In a regulatory filing on Friday, the airline said shareholders have given their nod for the special resolution for raising funds of up to Rs 3,000 crore. The funds are proposed to be raised through Qualified Institutional Placement (QIP) and other options. SpiceJet, which had a fleet of 74 planes in 2019, is currently operating around 20 aircraft. Shares of the airline rose 8 per cent to close at Rs 71.66 on the BSE.

Air Canada urges govt to intervene as labour dispute with pilots grows

Canada's largest airline and business leaders on Thursday urged the federal government to intervene in labour talks with its pilots in hopes of avoiding a shutdown, but the labour minister said the two sides should negotiate a deal. Air Canada spokesman Christophe Hennebelle said that the airline is committed to negotiations, but it faces wage demands from the Air Line Pilots Association it can't meet. The issue is that we are faced with unreasonable wage demands that ALPA refuses to moderate, he said. The union representing 5,200 pilots says Air Canada continues to post record profits while expecting pilots to accept below-market compensation. The airline and its pilots have been in contract talks for more than a year. The pilots want to be paid wages competitive with their U.S. counterparts. The two sides will be in a position starting Sunday to issue a 72-hour notice of a strike or lockout. The airline has said the notice would trigger its three-day wind down plan and start the

Carlyle Aviation will write off $40 million of lease arrears: SpiceJet

The write-off comes days after the airline said it will convert dues to Carlyle Aviation into equity and debentures

Air Canada finalising plan to shutdown as union talks near impasse

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

Metal pieces from aircraft fell near Delhi Airport, DGCA orders inquiry

Emergency landing was declared at Delhi Airport on Monday evening when crew members detected some fault in the engine and the emergency landing of the flight was made successful

DGCA seeks to reduce compliance burden with new norms for light aircraft

Aviation watchdog DGCA has come out with new regulations to simplify the airworthiness requirements for light aircraft and non-scheduled plane operators as part of efforts to reduce compliance burden. The new regulations will come into effect from January 1, 2025, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) said in a release on Tuesday. At present, there are two primary Civil Aviation Requirements (CARs) governing the continuing airworthiness of aircraft -- CAR-M and CAR-145. CAR-M covers the continuing airworthiness of all aircraft types, including those used for scheduled operations, non-scheduled operations, flying training, general aviation, and private operations. CAR-145 specifies regulations for the maintenance of aircraft used in commercial operations and complex motor aircraft. These regulations are applicable uniformly across organisations irrespective of size and for maintenance processes required for commercial as well as private aircraft. In order to put in place

IndiGo cofounder Gangwal sells $1.3 bn worth stake near record high

Gangwal has a fortune of $6.9 billion after adding $1.8 billion this year, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index, with one-third of that move coming in the past 10 days alone

DGCA slaps Rs 10 lakh fine on Air India Express for not paying compensation

Aviation regulator DGCA on Thursday imposed a penalty of Rs 10 lakh on Air India Express for non-payment of compensation to passengers for cancelled flights. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) carried out an inspection as per Annual Surveillance Programme (ASP) 2024 of scheduled domestic operators in June. This was in respect of norms pertaining to facilities and compensation that are to be provided to passengers. "During the surveillance inspection of the airlines, it was observed that Air India Express was not complying with the provisions of CAR Section-3, Series M, Part IV," DGCA said in a release. Subsequently, a show cause notice was issued to Air India Express. The regulator said the airline's reply revealed that it had not complied with the provisions for providing compensation to passengers affected due to cancellation of flights. For the violations, DGCA has imposed a fine of Rs 10 lakh on Air India Express. Specific details about the violations could not

Man opens plane's door, walks on wing at Australian airport, police arrest

A passenger was arrested at an Australian airport after he left a stationary airliner through an emergency exit, walked along a wing, and then climbed down a jet engine to the tarmac on Thursday, officials said. Jetstar Flight JQ507 had arrived at Melbourne Airport from Sydney and had parked at a terminal gate when the man left the plane by the right-side exit, officials said. Opening the exit automatically deployed a slide from the back of the wing at the fuselage to the ground, a Jetstar statement said. But the man instead walked along the wing and climbed down one of the Airbus A320's two engines, an official said. Passenger Audrey Varghese said passengers screamed and shrieked as the man began erratic behaviour shortly before he opened the hatch. The man was exhibiting some quite strange behaviour, Varghese told Melbourne Radio 3AW. "As soon as the plane had started coming to a stop, he immediately got up and basically charged to where the emergency exit row is, and in the pro

DGCA suspends approval of Bhopal-based International Aircraft Sales

Aviation regulator DGCA has suspended the approval for Bhopal-based aircraft maintenance organisation International Aircraft Sales Pvt Ltd following concerns over its compliance with regulatory standards. The decision follows an audit of the entity that was done after an aircraft crashed due to engine failure at Guna in Madhya Pradesh on August 11. The Cessna 152 aircraft VT-BBB of Belagavi Aviation and Sport Enterprises that had crashed was powered by the engine whose overhaul was done at the International Aircraft Sales, according to a release. It was also the first flight operated with the overhauled engine. Following the crash, DGCA conducted a special audit. "The findings of the audit have raised serious concerns on the maintenance standards being followed by the organisation," DGCA said in the release on Thursday. In view of the significant safety concerns, the regulator said the maintenance organisation approval of International Aircraft Sales has been suspended with immed

Alaska Air clears big hurdle in its proposed merger with Hawaiian Airlines

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

What's a CUTE fee, asks IndiGo passenger; check breakdown of flight ticket

A passenger travelling from Lucknow to Bengaluru has expressed his frustration over the numerous charges 'levied by IndiGo', asking if the CUTE fee is charged for being cute

IndiGo inducts 77 female pilots to mark 77 yrs of country's independence

IndiGo on Wednesday inducted 77 female pilots for its Airbus and ATR planes to celebrate 77 years of the country's independence. With the latest induction, the carrier has more than 800 female pilots. The induction of 72 female pilots for the Airbus fleet and 5 for the ATR fleet to celebrate 77 years of the country's independence marks a milestone, the airline said in a release. The airline has around 14 per cent women pilots compared to a global average of 7-9 per cent women pilots in the workforce, it added. Captain Ashim Mitra, Senior Vice President of Flight Operations at IndiGo, said the airline has always promoted a workplace that thrives on diversity and inclusivity. Among other initiatives, IndiGo has introduced life cycle initiatives that provide flexibility to lady pilots with children under five years old to choose a reduced flying contract. As of March 31, 2024, the airline had 36,860 permanent employees, including 5,038 pilots and 9,363 cabin crew.

JetBlue Airways to raise over $3 bn through debt offerings, shares fall

The New York-based airline 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

Successful trajectory towards profitability: Akasa Air on 2 years of flying

Completing two years of flying, Akasa Air on Wednesday said it is on a "successful trajectory" towards profitability and expects seat capacity to rise 50 per cent on an annual basis. Akasa Air, which commenced operations on the same day two years ago, flies to 22 domestic and five international cities, and has carried over 11 million passengers in India since its inception. It operates more than 900 weekly flights. Airline's CEO Vinay Dube said it has registered a triple-digit growth and continues to be the fastest-growing airline in the global aviation history. In a release, Akasa Air said its "unwavering commitment to cost leadership, supported by operational and financial discipline, has set the airline on a successful trajectory toward profitability". Last fiscal, the airline recorded a 300 per cent growth in Available Seat Kilometres (ASKM), a measure of a flight's seat capacity. "With the strong financial foundation the airline has built, it anticipates a year-on-year increa

Amid US scrutiny Alaska extends period for Hawaiian Airlines acquisition

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

SpiceJet to raise $360 mn by selling securities to restore normalcy

The company will issue shares to institutional investors, it said in an exchange filing, without disclosing the price at which they would be sold