Page 2 - Civil Aviation

No objection to release 4 leased engines to lessors: Go First to NCLT

Go First got a final 60-day extension from the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) on June 12 to complete its corporate insolvency resolution process (CIRP)

Digi Yatra policy should spell out rules on passenger info deletion: Report

The policy for Digi Yatra -- a digital platform to verify air travellers using biometric data -- needs to spell out all the rules related to deletion of passenger information from the database once the travel is complete, according to a study instituted by NITI Aayog. There have been privacy concerns in various quarters about Digi Yatra user data. Based on Facial Recognition Technology (FRT), Digi Yatra provides for contactless and seamless movement of passengers at various checkpoints at airports. As per the policy for Digi Yatra, facial biometrics are deleted from the local airport's database 24 hours after the departure of the passenger's flight. "However, the rules related to deletion of other information collected from the passengers, as well as any facial biometrics that are stored in other registries, must be clearly set out in the policy," the study said. Digi Yatra envisages an identity management ecosystem for Indian airports, which can enhance the capabilities of Indian

Delhi airport roof collapse: TMC alleges PM Modi's guarantee 'crumbling'

The Trinamool Congress on Friday slammed the central government for the roof collapse at Delhi airport's Terminal 1, alleging that Prime Minister Narendra Modi's guarantee was "crumbling". Civil Aviation Minister K Rammohan Naidu announced that an investigation has been ordered into the roof collapse that left one person dead and six others injured. "A Glimpse into PM Modi's 'Guarantee': Crumbling under his lies," the TMC said in a social media post. "The roof at Delhi Airport's T1 collapsed, ..... which Modi hastily "inaugurated" in March, despite its unfinished state, just for election optics,' the TMC said in its X handle post. Naidu also said a thorough inspection of the structure at the airport would be carried out. Sources in the government said the roof that collapsed at Delhi airport's Terminal-1 (T1) was constructed during 2008-09 and that the work was contracted out by GMR to private contractors. T1 has only domestic flight operations by IndiGo and SpiceJet. The airport

India's aviation mkt growth needs to be matched with capacity: Emirates CCO

Indian aviation market's pace of growth needs to be matched with capacity, and increased competition will provide more choices for consumers, Emirates Airline Deputy President and Chief Commercial Officer Adnan Kazim has said, as he pitched for increased bilateral flying rights between Dubai and India. On whether Emirates is looking for partners in India, Kazim said it is open to any such future engagements if there is an appetite in an Indian airline for that sort of dialogue and engagement. For the full-service carrier, he said India is a top-tier market, and the demand today is exceeding the current capacity offered in the country. Currently, the airline operates direct flights to nine Indian cities from Dubai. Over the years, the airline has been pitching for enhanced bilateral rights between the two countries, which is currently at 65,000 seats per week, to operate at a higher capacity to meet the rising travel demand. "India has always remained an important market for Emirat

Delhi's airport among top 10 busiest airports in the world: Full list here

ACI report: Global air travel rebounded with 8.5 billion passengers in 2023. See where India ranks

Average daily domestic air traffic sees modest growth of 1.6% in April

The average international air traffic to and from India also observed a flat growth of 0.88 per cent month-on-month to 197,782

Go First won't move against Delhi High Court order, set for liquidation

Go First filed for bankruptcy in May 2023. Since then, the lessors of these aircraft have been locked in a battle with the former owner of the airline and others to take control of their aircraft

DGCA removes Vistara's head of training for violating pilot training rules

Sources said that the issue arose when 12 Vistara pilots, trained on A320 family planes, were undergoing conversion training for B787 aircraft

'Indian airlines will need 60 wide-body planes for long routes by FY2032'

Indian airlines will require around 60 more wide-body aircraft to serve long and ultra-long haul markets in financial year 2032, aviation consultancy CAPA India said on Thursday. India is one of the world's fastest growing civil aviation markets but at present, only Air India and Vistara have wide-body planes in their fleets. IndiGo on Thursday announced placing a firm order for 30 A35-900 planes and also has the right to buy up to 70 more aircraft. During a webinar on 'Outlook for Wide-body Aircraft in India', the consultancy said the country's long and ultra-long haul market is "ripe for disruption, provided that Indian carriers lead the charge". Long and ultra-long haul operations can be structurally profitable given the strong demand for non-stop connectivity, it said and added that higher pricing thresholds and stability are visible. Further, it said the wide-body aircraft needed by Indian carriers to serve long and ultra-long haul markets by FY2032 will be around 100, which

NCLT seeks MCA views on aircraft lessor moratorium exemption in IBC

The Civil Aviation ministry's interpretation of the MCA notification, might be a deterrent for the airlines which end up in insolvency but give a leg up to lessors business

DGCA directs airlines to seat kids up to 12 years with their parents

Airlines shall ensure that children up to the age of 12 years are allocated seats with at least one of their parents or guardians, who are travelling on the same PNR the DGCA mentioned

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

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

Over 98% pilots signed new contract, ops to stabilise soon: Vistara CEO

Vistara CEO Vinod Kannan on Saturday said the airline hopes to stabilise operations for this month by this weekend and that more than 98 per cent of pilots have signed the new contract. The full service carrier faced significant disruption in operation earlier this week due to the non-availability of crew and many flights were cancelled. In a statement, Kannan said the situation has already improved with its on-time performance improving for the last three days. "We hope to stabilise our operations for the rest of April 2024 by this weekend," he said. Referring to the new contract for pilots, he said some pilots have some concerns and queries regarding the contract. The airline is engaging with them to clarify and resolve the concerns, Kannan said and added that "over 98 per cent of pilots have signed the new contract". Vistara has around 1,000 pilots. A section of pilots have raised concerns about the new contract that will result in pay revision, sources had said earlier. Acc

'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

Pilots body flags deferment of revised duty norms; writes to ministry

The Federation of Indian Pilots (FIP) has raised concerns about aviation regulator DGCA deferring the implementation of the revised flight duty norms for pilots, saying the health of pilots cannot be prejudiced for the commercial benefit of operators. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), on March 26, deferred the implementation of the revised Flight Duty Time Limitations (FDTL) norms that were to be effective from June 1. The new framework, which would provide more rest hours for pilots, was proposed amid concerns about pilot fatigue. In a letter dated March 28 to Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia, the FIP has flagged concerns about the DGCA decision. "The action of the DGCA not only endangers pilot safety but also undermines the safety of passengers which the implementation of the revised CAR (Civil Aviation Requirements) could prevent. "Furthermore, the health and safety of the pilots cannot be prejudiced for the commercial benefit of the operators," the

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

The greening of flights

More airlines are embracing SAF, which has triggered a spurt in production, but its high cost remains a challenge

DGCA refuses to extend June 1 deadline to implement new FDTL rules

FDTL norms are important as they ensure adequate rest for pilots so that there is no untoward incident

Qatar Airways plans 150 widebody orders from Boeing, Airbus; eyes expansion

Major airlines are in a race to procure new fuel-efficient widebody jets to keep operating costs down and to cater to booming international travel demand