The civil aviation ministry and the directorate general of civil aviation plan to award the low-cost carriers some key morning and evening peak-time slots (a fixed time for departure or arrival of a particular flight) lying unused with the full-service carriers at metro airports like Delhi and Mumbai. DGCA officials and airline officials confirm that airlines like Jet and Kingfisher are not using around 10 per cent of their slots during the peak periods.
While portals such as makemytrip, cleartrip and ezeego have seen a rise of 30 per cent in advance booking in the first week of January, others such as yatra and travelocity, with a 10-15 per cent surge, are also expecting more bookings in the coming weeks. The cleverly-introduced advanced booking fares have induced passengers to book tickets until as late as November.
The lukewarm response to the proposed real estate development around the Delhi airport has put its Rs 8,940-crore modernisation in a financial bind.
Despite sharp erosion in the net worth of airline companies due to losses in the recent past, banks and financial institutions have decided to sanction loans to some of them including Jet Airways and Kingfisher Airlines, while some of the companies in this sector are still waiting.
Travel agents in the country have had their way with airlines, at least in the domestic sector. National carrier Air India today agreed to pay a 3 per cent commission to travel agents, nearly two weeks after Jet Airways and Kingfisher agreed to do the same.
Several Indian and international aviation and logistics companies such as Air India, Singapore Airport Terminal Services, Menzies, Bobba, Swissport, Bird Group and Worldwide Flight Services have responded, individually or through tie-ups with each other, to two requests for proposals to set up a new cargo facility at Delhi airport and upgrade the existing one. The RFPs were sent by Delhi International Airport Limited, the GMR-led consortium that is modernising the airport.
Fourteen unions representing over 30,000 employees of the National Aviation Company Ltd have threatened to go on strike in Mumbai from Tuesday to oppose the government's decision to set up a ground-handling services joint venture with Singapore Airport Terminal Services (Sats).
Delhi-based low-cost carrier SpiceJet is looking at restructuring its core leadership team as part of US investor Wilbur Ross's strategy of turning around the company.
In addition to that, an increasing number of airlines like SpiceJet, national carrier Air India and GoAir are either getting into hedging of aviation turbine fuel or increasing the quantum of ATF hedged on the MCX. Last month, state-run Indian Oil Corporation approached MCX to provide it with a platform to hedge its refinery margins and end products from crude oil.
Move aimed at forcing airlines to revoke decision to withdraw 5 per cent commission.
Inbound travel to the balmy beaches of Goa is expected to drop a significant 60 per cent following large-scale cancellations by charter flights after last week's terror attacks in Mumbai.
Mumbai's unprecedented terror attacks have put airports across the country on a high alert.
The 750-strong Jet Airways pilots, represented by the Society for Welfare of Indian Pilots, plan to ask the management to do away with around 120 of the 280-odd expatriate pilots on contract with the airline before accepting a salary cut.
The India-Bangkok sector is operated by carriers like Air India, Jet Airways, Thai Air, Cathay Pacific, Singapore Airlines and Malaysian Airlines amongst others and travel companies say it constitutes more than 40 per cent of their business in the south east Asian market. Thousands of protestors have laid siege to Bangkok's Suvarnabhumi airport, the world's 18th largest in terms of passenger traffic, as their latest mark of protest against the elected government.
Full-service carriers Jet Airways, Kingfisher and Air India have told travel agents that they will not levy the transaction fee on air tickets from November 25. This means tickets will be Rs 350 to Rs 10,000 cheaper of bought from the airline office or website. In all, 16 carriers have shifted to the zero-commission mode. The decision of the airlines might leave 1 million people employed with over 2,000 IATA affiliated travel agencies without jobs.
Currently, airlines, including Jet Airways and Kingfisher Airlines, undertake their own ground-handling. But under the new policy, they will not be permitted to do so. Carriers have said that at least 8,000 employees working in these companies will need to be given the pink slip if the new policy is implemented. They have also argued that outsourcing will dramatically increase their overall costs, especially at a time when airlines are reeling under losses.
Cash-strapped Indian carriers are finally finding money to finance expansion plans or merely fund operations. State-owned Air India is set to receive a $1 billion (Rs 49,000 crore) loan and Naresh Goyal-promoted Jet Airways is close to striking a deal for a Rs 500-crore loan from Indian Overseas Bank.
Slowdown-hit airlines stop paying commission.
Airline companies under the Federation of Indian Airlines plan to make a presentation to the civil aviation ministry saying they will be forced to axe 8,000 employees if the government implements the new ground handling policy from January 1, 2009. About 29 per cent of the 28,000-odd employees working in the private carriers are involved in ground handling.
By cutting international flights, Indian firms forefeit market share.
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