Page 15 - Aviation

Lessors approaches regulator DGCA to deregister three planes of SpiceJet

In further headwinds for struggling SpiceJet, lessors have approached aviation regulator DGCA for deregistration of three planes of the airline. Many aircraft of the budget carrier are grounded due to various reasons. The airline's three lessors -- Wilmington Trust SP Services, Sabarmati Aviation Leasing and Falgu Aviation Leasing -- have sought deregistration of one aircraft each, according to an update on the regulator's website. The latest development comes a day after the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) issued a notice to the Ajay Singh-promoted private carrier on a petition filed by an aircraft lessor seeking initiation of insolvency resolution proceedings against it. "Two of the three planes are grounded for a long period now and the same doesn't affect our operations," a SpiceJet spokesperson said in a statement. "We are in discussion to resolve the matter. We have been working to bring back our grounded fleet basis the loan sanctioned under the ECLGS (Emergency Credit

Prez Joe Biden wants airlines to pay passengers in US for lengthy delays

The US Department of Transportation did not specify how much cash it aims to require airlines to pay passengers for significant delays

DGCA orders Go First to stop selling air tickets with immediate effect

Aviation regulator DGCA on Monday directed crisis-hit Go First to immediately stop bookings and sale of tickets directly or indirectly till further orders, according to a source. Besides, the watchdog has issued a show cause notice to the budget carrier under the relevant provisions of the Aircraft Rules, 1937, for its failure to continue the operation of the service in a safe, efficient and reliable manner, the source said. Earlier, the airline had suspended the sale of tickets till May 15 and has cancelled flights till May 12. The carrier has filed a plea for voluntary insolvency resolution proceedings before the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT), which has reserved its order. The source said the airline has been directed to stop the booking and sale of tickets directly or indirectly, with immediate effect and until further orders. The airline has been asked to submit its reply within 15 days of the receipt of the show cause notice, and further, a decision on the continuation

Go First insolvency will impact investor confidence: SpiceJet's Ajay Singh

'The factors behind the Go First crisis were beyond its control'

Go First insolvency: Spot airfares rise on the airline's top routes

Go First's third busiest route was Delhi-Leh route where the airline was scheduled to operate 66 flights per week this month

One domestic airline on average went belly up every year in three decades

One scheduled airline on an average has gone out of business every year since private airlines took to the skies nearly three decades ago, with Wadia group-owned Go First being the latest carrier battling financial turbulence for survival. The first private airline to go belly up was East West Travels & Trade Link Ltd, which shuttered operations after almost two years in November 1996. The same year, ModiLuft Ltd also went out of business. Since 1994, the year when private airlines took off in the country, at least 27 scheduled carriers have either been shuttered or have been acquired or merged with other carriers, according to official data. While the country's domestic aviation sector is on an upswing with strong traffic recovery post-pandemic, Go First is grappling with severe financial crunch due to non-availability of Pratt & Whitney engines that has resulted in grounding of more than half of its fleet. Three scheduled airlines -- Zexus Air Services Pvt Ltd, which ...

Go First owner Wadia Group has no plans to sell its stake in airlines: CEO

BENGALURU (Reuters) -Go Airlines (India) Ltd owner Wadia Group is completely committed to the airline and had no plans to exit it, the airline's chief executive told Reuters in an interview on Wednesday.

Wadia Group not exiting; some people have shown interest in Go First: CEO

On Tuesday, Go First filed for bankruptcy with the National Company Law Tribunal, blaming Pratt & Whitney engines for the grounding of about half its fleet

DGCA issues show cause notice to Go First after airline cancel flights

Aviation regulator DGCA on Tuesday issued a show cause notice to Go First after the airline decided to cancel flights for two days amid a severe financial crunch. The crisis-hit airline has cancelled all their scheduled flights for May 3 and 4 "without any prior intimation", the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) said in a statement. "Since Go First has failed to adhere to the approved schedule leading to passenger inconvenience, this is non-compliance with the condition for approval of the schedule. "The airline has been called upon to show cause as to why suitable action should not be initiated against the airline for the aforesaid violation," it said. Go First has been asked to submit its response to the DGCA within 24 hours. Further, the watchdog has directed the carrier to submit the details of the steps taken to mitigate the inconvenience caused to the passengers booked on flights for May 3 and 4. The airline also has to submit its plan of action to operate flight

Domestic air traffic touches all-time high on Apr 30: Jyotiraditya Scindia

Domestic air traffic touched an "all-time high" of 4,56,082 passengers in a single day on Sunday, with Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia saying that the skyrocketing passenger number is a sign of the country's rising prosperity. The country's domestic air traffic has been on the recovery path for the past many months after being severely hit by the coronavirus pandemic. "Indian Domestic Air Travel Hits New High, surpasses pre-Covid Average", on April 30, the civil aviation ministry said in a tweet on Monday. A total of 4,56,082 passengers flew on 2,978 flights on Sunday, as per the ministry. "India's domestic air traffic reaches new heights with an all-time high!" it said. Prior to Covid, the average daily domestic passenger number was 3,98,579. In a tweet, Scindia said that the country's civil aviation sector is setting new records every day. Post Covid, skyrocketing domestic air passenger number is a sign of the country's rising growth and prosperity, he added. In

SpiceJet to operate more flights to evacuate people under Operation Kaveri

SpiceJet on Monday said it plans to operate more flights from Saudi Arabia to different Indian cities to bring back people evacuated from Sudan under 'Operation Kaveri'. The no-frills airline operated a flight from Jeddah to Kochi on April 30 and brought back 184 Indians under Operation Kaveri. In a release, the carrier said it is in regular touch with the Ministry of External Affairs and the Indian Embassy in Saudi Arabia to coordinate further evacuation efforts. "More evacuation flights from Saudi Arabia to different cities in India are being planned," it said. The airline operates daily flights from Jeddah to Calicut, Delhi and Mumbai. It also has daily services from Riyadh to Delhi. Under 'Operation Kaveri', a total of 2,140 Indians have been brought back from strife-torn Sudan, according to official data. Earlier, SpiceJet helped in evacuating more than 1,600 students under Operation Ganga by operating special flights to Budapest, Kosice and Suceava.

Majority of pilots have accepted new compensation package: Air India

Air India chief Campbell Wilson on Friday said that a majority of pilots have accepted the new compensation package offered last week, amid protests by Air India pilots' unions against the revised salary structure and service conditions. The loss-making airline, which was taken over from the government by the Tata Group in January 2022, has announced a new compensation package for pilots and cabin crew. In his weekly message to Air India staff on Friday, Campbell said the airline is making investments in workplace technology and training as well as in new and improved employee benefits. "On the latter front, I'm pleased to report that 90 per cent of cabin crew and a majority of pilots have received and accepted the new compensation package offered last week, which will be back dated to 1 April 2023," he said. On April 17, Air India rolled out a revamped compensation structure for its pilots and cabin crew, which has since been rejected by the two pilot unions -- Indian Commercial .

Long-range Airbus jets will put India within reach, says Wizz Air

Wizz Air has 47 of the long-range Airbus A321 XLR on order, with deliveries set to start sometime in 2024

SpiceJet to appoint Arun Kashyap as Chief Operating Officer from June 12

No-frills carrier SpiceJet on Thursday announced the appointment of Arun Kashyap as its Chief Operating Officer. Kashyap will be rejoining SpiceJet from Air India where he is the Chief Technical Officer. Earlier, he had served as the Chief Program & Transformation Officer at SpiceJet. The appointment of Kashyap will be effective from June 12 and he will report to the airline's Chairman and Managing Director Ajay Singh, SpiceJet said in a release. He has also worked with flydubai, Jet Airways and Oman Air. "I am delighted to welcome Arun back to the SpiceJet family. As COO, he will have a key role to play in the growth of the airline," Singh said.

After weak start to year, airlines eagerly looking to profitable summer

Most US airlines lost money in the first quarter, traditionally the weakest time of year for travel, but they are all eagerly looking ahead to a summer of full planes and high fares. American Airlines and Southwest Airlines said on Thursday that they expect to be solidly profitable in the second quarter. They joined Delta Air Lines and United Airlines in giving an upbeat outlook for the April-through-June period, which includes the start of the peak travel season. Southwest CEO Robert Jordan said that despite losing USD 159 million in the first quarter the airline blamed fallout from its December meltdown, which hurt bookings early this year his airline made money in March as revenue picked up. While we are mindful of the uncertain economic environment, demand for domestic air travel remains strong, thus far, Jordan said. American eked out a USD 10 million profit for the first quarter as revenue jumped 37 per cent from a year earlier. The airline predicted second-quarter earnings

Air India, Sabre Corporation sign multi-year global distribution deal

Full service carrier Air India on Thursday announced a new multi-year global distribution services partnership with US-based Sabre Corporation. The collaboration enables travel agents and corporations around the world to access Air India fares and seats through Sabre's extensive global travel marketplace, Air India said in a statement. In addition to the distribution services, Air India said it is utilising Sabre's consultancy expertise to help determine optimal routes for its existing and new fleet. Air India earlier this year announced placing a 470 aircraft order with Boeing and Airbus. "We are delighted to further strengthen our relationship with Sabre, and look forward to closer collaboration in the coming years," said Nipun Aggarwal, Chief Commercial and Transformation Officer at Air India. The Indian travel market is back, and it's coming back strong, he said and added, "so, we're delighted to have re-established, and enhanced, our relationship with Sabre at this transforma

European Union agrees to boost green fuels for aviation, cut emissions

New rules requiring airlines to use more sustainable fuels across the European Union have been agreed by negotiators from member countries and the EU Parliament in a bid to help decarbonise the sector. The European Commission, the bloc's executive arm, said Wednesday that the deal reached by member states and the European Parliament demands that suppliers blend sustainable aviation fuels with kerosene in growing amounts from 2025. The move is expected to reduce aircraft carbon emissions by two-thirds by 2050 compared to a no action' scenario, and provide climate and air quality benefits by reducing non-CO2 emissions," the Commission said. The aviation sector accounts for 13.9 per cent of transportation emissions in the EU, making it the second biggest source of greenhouse gas emissions in the sector after road transport, the Commission says. If global aviation were a country, it would rank in the top 10 emitters. The political agreement is part of the EU 's Fit for 55 package, whic

DGCA orders derostering of Air India's entire crew pending investigations

Nearly two months after an Air India pilot allowed a female friend into the cockpit during a Dubai-Delhi flight, aviation watchdog DGCA has directed the airline to deroster the entire crew till investigations are complete, according to a senior official. A cabin crew member of the flight had filed a complaint with the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) about the pilot allowing a female friend into the cockpit. The incident had happened on February 27. On the condition of anonymity, the official at the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) said though prima-facie, the cabin crew seems to have no role in the incident, the entire crew of the flight has been derostered pending investigations. There is an allegation, which is being investigated and the principle of natural justice will apply, and the pilot concerned will also be given an opportunity to present his case, the official said on Wednesday. The official also said the pilot will remain grounded till a final ..

DGCA receives report from American Airlines on urination incident

Aviation regulator DGCA on Monday said American Airlines has submitted a report to it on the incident of a passenger allegedly urinating on a co-passenger onboard a New York-Delhi flight on Sunday and that the airline will further probe the matter as per internal procedures, according to a senior official. The airline has recorded the statements of co-passengers and handed over the passenger to law enforcement and an FIR has been lodged, the official at the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) said. In a statement on Monday, the airline said the flight 292 with service from John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) in New York to Indira Gandhi International Airport was met by local law enforcement upon arrival in the national capital due to a disruption on board. This is at least the second such incident onboard an American Airlines flight from New York to Delhi in less than two months. On March 5, a passenger, allegedly in an inebriated condition,had urinated on a ...

Go First now open for partnerships; Wadias not exiting aviation biz

Wadia Group-owned Go First is open for partnerships but its promoters are not looking to exit from the loss-making aviation business, according to an airline source. The no-frills airline, beset with engine woes, is estimated to have incurred a loss of Rs 1,800 crore in 2022-23, and expects around Rs 600 crore fund infusion in the coming weeks, according to the source closely involved in the management of the carrier. The airline, which was cornering an 8-10 per cent market share for many months, saw it slipping to 6.9 per cent in March as a good chunk of its aircraft fleet remains grounded. We can obviously evaluate a good partnership but it does not mean that we are out to sell ... Indian aviation is getting a lot of traction, and there are some reports that some airlines, some entrepreneurs are looking at (investing in the airline segment), that is why we are happy to look at ( any investment proposal, the source told PTI. "But if somebody asks us whether we are open for ...