Page 4 - Civil Aviation Sector

Ambani's Jamnagar pre-wedding bash: IAF helped manage 600+ jets in 5 days

The airfield in Jamnagar was designated an international airport for the five-day event celebrating Anant Ambani's engagement with Radhika Merchant

Digi Yatra with modifications to be rolled at 14 more airports in April

Digi Yatra is likely to be rolled out at 14 more airports by the end of this month and efforts are on to make the facility more user friendly with certain changes in the architecture, according to a top executive. Based on Facial Recognition Technology (FRT), Digi Yatra provides for contactless, seamless movement of passengers at various check points at airports and currently, there are nearly 5 million users. The facility is now there at 14 airports for domestic passengers and discussions are ongoing with various stakeholders concerned to make it available for international travellers as well. Digi Yatra Foundation CEO Suresh Khadakbhavi told PTI that Digi Yatra is expected to be available at 14 more airports by the end of April. A not-for-profit entity, the foundation is the nodal agency for Digi Yatra, which was introduced in December 2022. The 14 new airports where the facility is to be rolled out soon are Bagdogra, Bhubaneswar, Chandigarh, Chennai, Coimbatore, Dabolim, Indore

Summer airfares on major domestic routes increase by 13%, shows data

However, the data also shows that summer airfares on key routes such as Delhi-Leh and Delhi-Kolkata have significantly decreased due to the introduction of new flights

'Indicate' timeline to implement new FDTL rules: DGCA to airlines

FDTL norms are crucial as they guarantee sufficient rest for pilots, minimising the risk of untoward incidents

Go First insolvency resolution gets a 60-day extension from NCLT

Go First filed for voluntary insolvency on May 2, 2023, under Section 10 of IBC, and on May 10, the NCLT admitted Go First's insolvency plea

'Crew unavailability': Vistara cancels 50 flights, several others delayed

The airline has deployed larger aircraft like the B787-9 Dreamliner and A321neo on select routes to merge flights or accommodate more passengers

AAI planning capex of Rs 30,000 cr in next five years: Jyotiraditya Scindia

AAI Chairman Sanjeev Kumar said the AAI's capex in 2023-24 stood at Rs 5,250 crore. It was a bit higher than the capex of 2022-23, which stood at Rs 5,175 crore

Over 44% passengers paid extra charges on booking flight tickets: Survey

As much as 44 per cent respondents in a survey complained that they had to pay extra charges to get a seat at the time of purchase of a flight ticket. Many of the respondents also reported paying between Rs 200 and Rs 2,000 as seat allocation fee, which can amount to 5-40 per cent of the air fare, LocalCircles, which carried out the survey, said in a statement. It also said there has been a very marginal improvement in the last 12 months in the ability of consumers to get a free seat when booking their flight. The Ministry of Consumer Affairs and consumer regulator CCPA late last year convened a meeting of the airlines on the issue and questioned them about the alleged unfair trade practices and misleading claims of "free" web check-in, it said. The new survey, which received over 41,000 responses from consumers across 339 districts of the country, has focused on fliers' problems when booking for travel with family members, particularly young children, LocalCircles said. According

SpiceJet settles Rs 755 crore liabilities with aircraft lessor EDC

This will allow airline to own 13 of the 15 Bombardier Q400 aircraft financed by the Canadian agency

DGCA defers June 1 deadline for new pilot rest norms; airlines relieved

The regulator on Tue said airlines can continue to comply with the old FDTL norms, issued in 2019, 'till approval of their respective scheme in compliance with this CAR (civil aviation requirement)'

IndiGo exploring purchase of widebody aircraft to counter Air India

IndiGo has repeatedly toyed with the idea of introducing long-haul services to tap the growing pool of affluent Indians flying further afield to places such as the UK and Europe

New FDTL rules: Have enough pilots, won't cancel flights, says Akasa CEO

As of February 2024, the cancellation rate at Akasa Air has been 0.30 per cent, which is the lowest among domestic Indian carriers

A voice for consumers

Ombudsman for aviation sector a good move

Families of those on missing Flight 370 still looking for answers

Over the past decade, Grace Subathirai Nathan graduated from law school, got married, opened a law firm and had two babies. But part of her is frozen in time, still in denial over the loss of her mother on a missing Malaysia Airlines plane in 2014. There has been no funeral service, and Grace, 35, still speaks of her mother in the present tense. When she got married in 2020, she walked down the aisle with a picture of her mother tucked in a bouquet of daisies chosen because of her mother's name, Anne Catherine Daisy. The Malaysian criminal lawyer has become one of the key faces of Voice 370, a next-of-kin support group, as she channelled her grief into keeping alive the quest for answers in the disappearance of MH370 that has ripped families apart. In terms of going on, I progressed in my career, in my family life ... but I am still trying to push for the search of MH370 to continue. I am trying to push for the plane to be found, so in that way I haven't moved on, Grace said in an

Air India records OTP at 60% in Feb; lowest among all major airlines: Data

The OTPs (On-Time Performances) of other major airlines such as IndiGo, SpiceJet, Akasa Air, AIX Connect, and Vistara were also low in February

Supply chain issues to hit aircraft deliveries for Indian airlines: Report

Aircraft deliveries to domestic airlines are likely to be impacted amid the supply chain challenges being faced by aircraft and engine makers, a report said on Wednesday. In its report, credit rating agency Icra said Indian airlines have a total order book of around 1,700 aircraft, which is more than double the size of the current fleet. Supply chain challenges and engine failure issues remain the headwinds in the near term, Icra said in its mid-term outlook on the domestic aviation industry. "The deliveries, however, are likely to be gradual, spanning over the next decade, and will also be impacted by the current supply chain challenges encountered by engine and aircraft Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs)," it said. India is one of the fastest-growing civil aviation markets and domestic air traffic is on the rise. Airlines have also embarked on ambitious expansion plans to cater to the increasing travel demand. Since February last year, Akasa Air, Air India and IndiGo togeth

Cash-strapped SpiceJet resolves Rs 93 cr dispute with Cross Ocean Partners

SpiceJet further stands to benefit from the 'transfer of airframe and an engine at no additional cost, augmenting its operational capabilities'

Akasa Air to trim its budget for 2024-25 as part of cost control measures

Akasa Air, which is all set to start international services this month, has decided to trim its budget for the next financial year starting April as part of cost control measures, according to two sources. When contacted, an airline spokesperson said it is always looking for prudent ways to control costs. The carrier, which commenced commercial flights on August 7, 2022, operates more than 20 Boeing 737 Max aircraft. The sources in the know told PTI on Monday that the airline has decided to reduce its budget for 2024-25 fiscal and the reduction could be up to 20 per cent compared to the current financial year. "As a cost-conscious business, we are always looking for prudent ways to control our costs without sacrificing safety, our customers' experience or the long-term health of the business. Cost consciousness does not apply to employee salaries," an Akasa Air spokesperson told PTI. "We take great pride in offering a market leading compensation package to each work group at the .

'Abu Dhabi Investment Authority acquires SpiceJet shares from open market'

SpiceJet on Monday said Abu Dhabi's sovereign wealth fund ADIA has acquired shares of the airline from the open market. However, the carrier did not disclose specific details. A source close to the airline said Abu Dhabi Investment Authority (ADIA) started buying shares in late February. The no-frills carrier is facing multiple headwinds and is in the process of raising funds. "ADIA has acquired shares of the airline from the open market," a SpiceJet spokesperson said on Monday. In recent weeks, the carrier has raised a total of Rs 1,060 crore through preferential issuance of securities. On December 12, the airline had said it would raise fresh capital of Rs 2,250 crore. Shares of SpiceJet declined 1.50 per cent to Rs 62.58 apiece on BSE. As of February 21, 2024, public shareholders, including Foreign Portfolio Investors (FPIs), held 51.51 per cent stake in the carrier, according to stock exchange data.

Jamnagar airport faces huge traffic due to Anant Ambani's pre-wedding bash

The Airports Authority of India (AAI) has permitted the airport to handle international flights from February 26 to March 6