Page 3 - Directorate General Of Civil Aviation

DGCA plans to come out with framework on gender issues early next year

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) plans to come out with a framework early next year on what could be done to address gender issues, a top official said on Saturday. Speaking at an event here, DGCA chief Vikram Dev Dutt said the issue of gender has been debated at the regulator informally. "Systemically, when we as a regulator when we look within it... we thought we will show the mirror to ourselves as an organisation... early next year... we will come out with a framework for DGCA in terms of what we would do for gender, beyond paper and beyond official circulars," he said. Specific details about the proposed framework could not be immediately ascertained. Dutt also mentioned DGCA's larger role in influencing positive change within the private sector and sought suggestions from stakeholders. Minister of State for Civil Aviation V K Singh said the tremendous growth story in Indian aviation is synonymous with the vision, inspiration, and strength embodied by women in

Number of air passengers has gone up from 60 mn in 2014 to 145 mn now: Govt

Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia on Thursday said the number of air passengers has gone up from six crore in 2014 to 14.5 crore at present and added that airfares are competitive with the railway AC first class fares. The minister was asked about rising airfares during the Question Hour in the Lok Sabha. Scindia said that the civil aviation sector is a deregulated sector and despite the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and rising jet fuel cost, airfares have not increased in the same proportion. "There were only six crore travellers in 2014. In the last nine years, this number has gone up to 14.5 crore," Scindia said. He said airfare today is competitive with the fare of the AC First Class of the Indian Railways. "We estimate, by 2030, there will be 42 crore air passengers and the sector will grow three times," he said. IUML MP E T Mohd Basheer asked the minister about the rise in fares during holiday and festival seasons and in case of natural calamities, and said tha

Airline industry projected to record $25.7 billion net profit in 2024: IATA

The airline industry is projected to register a net profit of USD 25.7 billion in 2024 as more normal growth is expected in both passenger and cargo segments, global grouping IATA said on Wednesday. For 2023, the net profit is estimated at USD 23.3 billion, significantly higher than the USD 9.8 billion projected by the International Air Transport Association (IATA) in June this year. IATA has more than 300 airlines as members. The airline industry's operating profit is expected to touch USD 49.3 billion in 2024 from USD 40.7 billion this year. In 2024, the total revenue is estimated to grow 7.6 per cent to USD 964 billion compared to 2023. "Some 4.7 billion people are expected to travel in 2024, a historic high that exceeds the pre-pandemic level of 4.5 billion recorded in 2019," IATA said. Industry passenger load factor is nearing its 2019 level, which is supporting the financial recovery of the airlines, IATA Director Policy and Economics Andrew Matters said. "The airline indus

Air India pilot unions express concern over flight duty, rest period scheme

Air India pilot unions IPG and ICPA on Saturday expressed "deep concern" over the flight duty and rest period scheme adopted by the Tata Group airline, accusing the carrier of deviating from the DGCA-approved norms. The two unions -- Indian Pilots' Guild (IPG) and Indian Commercial Pilots' Association (ICPA) -- in a joint communication to the Directorate General of Civil Aviation also alleged that the introduction of a side policy, along with the flight duty time limitation (FDTL) scheme, by Air India seems to "undermine the authority and purpose" of the DGCA approval. The pilot unions have also sought a review and assessment of the issue by the DGCA, requesting it to take appropriate measures to address the matter. Pilots and cabin crew's flight duty time limitations are governed by the aviation safety regulator DGCA, which proposed more rest hours for the pilots last month. In recent months, the issue of fatigue has been in focus, especially after the death of an IndiGo pilot, wh

Penetration of international air travel remains low in India: CAPA

Even as India has become the third largest market in terms of domestic traffic, the penetration of international air travel remains low, CAPA India chief Kapi Kaul said on Friday. He also pitched for regulatory reforms, saying if corrective measures are not taken, the capacity pipeline will reduce further. "In terms of domestic traffic, we have reached number 3. But in terms of international (traffic), we are ranked at 18. In spite of being the third-largest domestic market, the penetration of (international) air travel remains lowest among the top 20 domestic markets," Kaul said. He was delivering the keynote address at a function organised here by Tata Memorial Trust to mark the 119th birth anniversary of JRD Tata. Kaul said India's seats per capita consumption stands at 0.13, whereas the same for a country like Australia is as much as 3.11. The long-term fundamentals for growth are very strong, he said, adding that "we have only searched the surface of international travel. We

Cricket WC final drives highest-ever single-day air traffic at 460,000

The rise in air traffic comes after the initial days of November registered muted domestic air traffic, which is uncommon for a festive period

DGCA committee may conclude graft probe against senior official in a week

It has been alleged that Anil Gill, Director of the Flying and Training Division at the DGCA, misused his authority to obtain three aircraft as bribes from flying schools

DGCA implements new rules for powered hang gliders to enhance safety

On October 7, an infiltrator of Hamas, a terror group, used a motorised hang glider to enter Israel

Air India to invest $200 million towards training its pilots, cabin crew

The airline will partner with plane manufacturers Airbus and Boeing to train its staff

DGCA approves wet lease for domestic carriers to meet festive season demand

IndiGo and SpiceJet are likely to wet-lease 20 aircraft. While IndiGo will source 11 Airbus A320 aircraft from SmartLynx Airline, SpiceJet will induct nine Boeing 737Max aircraft from Corendon Airline

Resignations have no impact on expansion, more pilots joining: Akasa CEO

Promoted by family of the late investor Rakesh Jhunjhunwala, Akasa is planning to add more aircraft to its fleet and take it to 28 by March 2024 and add 10-12 planes every year for the next few years

Aviation ministry permits Akasa Air to launch international flights

The young airline, which is facing pilot exits, is yet to announce its first international destination

India to have 425 million air passengers by 2035: Jyotiraditya Scindia

India is expected to have 42.5 crore air passengers by 2035 from the current level of 14.5 crore and that is the growth potential that international players can look at, Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia said on Friday. The minister also said that the regional air connectivity has democratised civil aviation and has spawned four regional carriers. He highlighted the growth potential of the country's civil aviation sector and urged international players to "look at India". He was speaking at the International Aerospace Conference in Gwalior organised by industry body CII. According to him, the country is expected to have 42.5 crore air passengers by 2035 from the current 14.5 crore passengers. In July, domestic air traffic surged 25 per cent to 1.21 crore passengers compared to the year-ago period, as per official data. It is "imperative" to grow civil aviation as a service as well as a product, Scindia said and stressed that it is time for aerospace players to supplant

Vumlunmag Vualnam to be new Civil Aviation Secretary as part of reshuffling

A total of 15 IAS officers have been appointed as secretaries and additional secretaries in various departments and organizations of the Government of India

As air-traffic zooms, Indian airports need thousands more staff, says study

A total of 3,800 more Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) personnel and 440 more immigration staff is required to cater to just eight airports

Go First looking to raise more funds, resume services with fewer aircraft

Previously, Go Air planned to begin its operations with 26 aircraft by making arrangements for Rs 400-500 crore from its lenders

Centre grants in-principle approval for 21 Greenfield Airports across India

The responsibility to implement these projects, including funding, lies with the airport developers

With 148 airports in place, over 12.3 mn people travelled via Udan flights

To facilitate the scheme, the government operationalised 148 airports which included nine heliports and two water aerodromes

Airfares down on some routes after aviation minister's meet but still high

At its highest, one-way fare for a Delhi to Leh flight in May stood at a whopping Rs 43,519, which is more than thrice the prices a year ago, Rs 14,334

Get CoC approval on revival plan before we consider it: DGCA to GoFirst

Legal experts say that since there is no previous case of a company filing for voluntary insolvency, the DGCA wants the CoC to approve the resolution plan before it takes any decision on it