Flight

Air India Express-AIX Connect merger will drive long-term profitability: MD

Tata Group's low-cost carrier, Air India Express, has completed its merger with AIX Connect (formerly AirAsia India), a strategic move to create a unified budget airline under Air India with a focus on achieving sustainable profitability without straining its financials, a top company official said. Dismissing concerns regarding the merger of AIX Connect, a loss-making entity, Air India Express managing director Aloke Singh told PTI, "The merger process was completed in October. The integration of AIX Connect will expedite our path to profitability by achieving significant scale, optimising costs, and better utilising our assets. The objective is to build a robust, scalable network that supports long-term growth." Compared to a profit of Rs 117 crore in FY'23, Air India Express reported a net loss of Rs 163 crore in FY'24. This was despite a robust 33 per cent year-on-year (Y-o-Y) increase in income to Rs 7,600 crore, driven by higher passenger volumes and improved operational ...

Threat to flights: 16 cases filed in Delhi likely to be transferred to NIA

At least 16 cases registered in connection with threats to flights of different airlines operating from Delhi are likely to be transferred to the National Investigation Agency (NIA), officials sources said on Friday. It has been learnt that the Delhi Police has written to the city government's home department to transfer the cases to the NIA, they said, adding that it would be further sent to the Union home ministry for final approval. "The matter was related to national security and it has an international ramification. All these 16 cases were registered under the Suppression of Unlawful Acts against Safety of Civil Aviation (SUA SCA) Act with BNS sections and they needed deeper probe," an official source said. In the last two weeks of October, more than 510 domestic and international flights received bomb threats that later turned out to be hoaxes, causing major operational and financial distress for the airlines across the country. Most of the threats were issued through social .

Advanced Air Mobility can improve accessibility, create opportunities: WEF

Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) solutions hold the potential to decongest roads, improve accessibility and create new economic opportunities in India, and integrating them through dynamic corridors can facilitate seamless coexistence with traditional airspace operations, a report said on Thursday. World Economic Forum (WEF) in collaboration with the civil aviation ministry has prepared the report titled 'Skyways to the Future: Operational Concepts for Advanced Air Mobility in India'. To develop a robust ecosystem for AAM, the report has suggested establishing urban and rural vertiports, integrating AAM into the country's multimodal transport system and addressing key challenges such as noise mitigation, energy demands and community acceptance. Electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) and short take-off and landing (STOL) aircraft are fixed-wing planes that can take off and land on runways much shorter than those needed by conventional aircraft are among the AAM solutions. "They .

Over 100 flights get bomb threats on Tuesday; toll reaches 510 in 16 days

More than 100 flights operated by various Indian airlines received bomb threats on Tuesday, according to sources. In 16 days, over 510 domestic and international flights have got the threats that later turned out to be hoaxes. The threats were issued mostly through social media. Air India received threats for around 36 flights and IndiGo for about 35 flights. Vistara received the threats for 32 flights, the sources in the know said. "A number of Air India flights were subject to security threats received on social media on 29 October 2024. "Following the laid down protocols, relevant authorities were immediately alerted, and all security procedures strictly adhered to, as per guidance from the regulatory authorities," an airline spokesperson said in a statement. Meanwhile, the Mumbai police have registered a case against an unidentified person after three airlines received bomb threats on their X handle, an official said on Tuesday. IndiGo, Air India and Vistara had received the

Lufthansa reports 9% decline in Q3 profit as core brand struggles

The third quarter, which includes the busy summer months for travellers, is usually the strongest for European airlines. But rising costs, unpredictability tied to the crisis in the Middle East

Boeing to raise up to $24.3 bn to shore up finances, stave off downgrade

S&P warned of a ratings downgrade if Boeing's cash balance fell below a $10 billion target or if the company had to increase leverage to meet debt maturities

At least 50 Indian flights receive bomb threats; 2 diverted on Sunday

At least 50 flights operated by Indian airlines received bomb threats and two of them were diverted on Sunday, according to sources. In 14 days, more than 350 flights operated by the Indian carriers have received hoax bomb threats. Most of the threats were issued through social media. Akasa Air on Sunday said 15 of its flights got security alerts and after thorough inspections, all aircraft were released for operations. The sources in the know said IndiGo received threats for 18 flights and Vistara for 17 flights. At least two IndiGo flights were diverted following threats. Its flight 6E 133 (Pune to Jodhpur) was diverted to Ahmedabad and 6E 87 (Kozhikode to Dammam) was diverted to Mumbai, an official said. According to an IndiGo statement, the flights that received security-related alerts include 6E 11 (Delhi-Istanbul), 6E 92 (Jeddah-Mumbai), 6E 112 (Goa-Ahmedabad), 6E 125 (Bengaluru-Jharsuguda), 6E 127 (Amritsar-Ahmedabad) and 6E 135 (Kolkata-Pune). Among others are 6E 149 ...

US hires chartered flight to send back Indians staying in country illegally

The United States hired a chartered flight to send back Indian nationals who stayed in the US illegally, the Department of Homeland Security said on Friday, noting that this has been done in cooperation with the Indian government. Indian nationals without a legal basis to remain in the United States are subject to swift removal, and intending migrants should not fall for the lies of smugglers who proclaim otherwise, said a senior official performing the duties of Deputy Secretary of Homeland Security Kristie A. Canegallo. The charter flight was sent to India on October 22. The statement said DHS continues to enforce US immigration laws and deliver tough consequences for those who enter unlawfully by swiftly returning those without a legal basis to remain in the United States while encouraging the use of lawful pathways. Since June 2024, when the Securing the Border Presidential Proclamation and accompanying Interim Final Rule went into effect, encounters between ports of entry alon

Malaysia Airlines to resume Kuala Lumpur-Kolkata flights on December 2

Malaysia Airlines will restart direct flights between Kuala Lumpur and Kolkata from December 2 as the carrier boosts its services to India. Currently, the airline connects Kuala Lumpur directly with nine Indian cities -- New Delhi, Bengaluru, Mumbai, Chennai, Hyderabad, Kochi, Amritsar, Trivandrum and Ahmedabad. Five weekly flights will be operated with Boeing 737-800 aircraft on the Kuala Lumpur-Kolkata route starting from December 2, the airline said in a release on Tuesday. Malaysia Airlines stopped direct flights to Kolkata in 2006. With the recommencement of the Kuala Lumpur-Kolkata services, the airline will offer 76 weekly flights between India and Malaysia. Currently, the carrier operates 71 weekly flights to India. The flights to Amritsar were increased from four per week to daily in August. "India is a key market for us, and by continually enhancing our network and increasing frequencies, we aim to deliver exceptional travel experiences, complemented by Malaysia Airline

EAM Jaishankar reveals his father was on a hijacked flight in 1984

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Friday revealed that his father was on a hijacked flight in 1984 and said he had a unique window on both sides in such situations the perspective of family members and those in the government. Jaishankar was answering a question during a community event here about the recently released television series on the hijacking of IC814 in 1999. Jaishankar told the audience how as a young officer then, he was part of the team dealing with the hijack situation on the one hand and on the other, he was part of the group of families putting pressure on the government. During the question and answer session after his address to the Indian community, a member of the audience asked the Minister about his comments on the recently released series 'IC814: The Kandahar Hijack' on Netflix, which he said, showed the bureaucracy and the government dealing with hijacking in poor light. With a disclaimer that he has not watched the series, Jaishankar went on to .

Noida airport to finish calibration, validation of flights by December

A calibration flight for a new airport verifies and fine-tunes navigation aids, runway lighting, and airspace, ensuring safety and accuracy before commercial operations commence

Vistara flight makes emergency landing at Mumbai due to hydraulic failure

A city-bound Vistara flight from Delhi, carrying 167 persons, made an emergency landing here on Wednesday due to a hydraulic failure, according to sources. The flight landed safely at around 1230 pm at the Mumbai airport, they said. However, Vistara in a statement said as a precautionary step, the Delhi-Mumbai flight made a "priority" landing due to a "minor" issue on Wednesday. The airline also said the aircraft landed safely and was undergoing inspection before resuming operations. "Vistara flight UK 995, which was operating Delhi-Mumbai flight and had 167 persons on board, suffered a hydraulic failure due to which it had to make an emergency landing at Mumbai airport," one of the sources said. In the statement, the airline said that shortly before landing, a minor technical snag was detected in the aircraft. As a precautionary step, the pilots requested the Air Traffic Controller for a "priority landing", and landed safely at Mumbai's Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International

August rush: Airfares jump by 46% as long holiday week drives demand

Industry sources state that a significant number of planes in India continue to be grounded due to engine issues, supply chain problems, or financial difficulties

Microsoft global tech outage: When all systems in the world go down

The tech outage marks the risk of depending on a single firm's software, report Shivani Shinde & Ashutosh Mishra

All passengers, crew land safely: Air India after flight diverted to Russia

According to an Air India statement, flight AI-183 of July 18, operating from Delhi to San Francisco, made a precautionary landing at Krasnoyarsk International Airport (KJA) in Russia

Turbulence tosses passenger into overhead bin on Air Europa flight. Watch

The mid-air turbulence was so intense that passengers were thrown off their seats, with one passenger reportedly getting stuck in an overhead compartment

Ixigo, PhonePe extend partnership to offer flight, bus booking services

Travel booking platform ixigo on Monday announced that it has expanded its exclusive partnership with PhonePe to offer flight and bus bookings on the fintech platform's app. The two companies had joined hands to offer booking services for trains. The expanded partnership will enable over 54 crore PhonePe users to experience more comprehensive travel booking and utility services for flights, trains and buses, ixigo said. As part of the collaboration, ixigo will exclusively power these travel booking options on PhonePe, integrating services from ixigo flights for flight bookings, AbhiBus for bus bookings as well as expanding its prior partnership with ConfirmTkt for train bookings, it said. "This collaboration will particularly benefit travellers from tier-II/III cities, leveraging the platform's products and offerings for the next billion users and PhonePe's growing penetration in smaller towns and its fintech expertise," ixigo Group CEO Aloke Bajpai said. Along with simpler paymen

Airfares can rise further while still being affordable: Akasa Air CEO

We have lots of room for airfares to grow while still being extremely affordable for the Indian consumer, he noted

Akasa's Delhi-Mumbai flight diverted to Ahmedabad due to 'security alert'

No-frills carrier Akasa Air on Monday said its Mumbai-bound flight from Delhi was diverted to Ahmedabad after it received a "security alert". The captain of the flight followed all required emergency procedures and landed safely at Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport at 10:13 AM on Monday, Akasa Air said in a statement. "Akasa Air flight QP 1719, flying from Delhi to Mumbai on June 3, received a security alert on board. As per prescribed safety and security procedures, the plane was diverted to Ahmedabad," the airline said. The aircraft had 186 passengers, 1 infant and six crew members onboard, it said. The airline further said that all passengers have been deplaned, and "Akasa Air is following and supporting all safety and security protocols on ground".

What causes in-flight turbulence?