IndiGo's size should be compared with global carriers, and not other domestic airlines, chief executive officer Pieter Elbers said on Tuesday, adding that such benchmarking will help India transform its airports into aviation hubs. Elbers flagged the tendency to scrutinise domestic competition, assess fares on domestic routes, and determine if they are high. "But if we want to build some hubs, we should have a broader look," he said during a panel discussion at a convention organised by All India Management Association (AIMA).
Since 1954, the Bhasins have collectively flown every aircraft in India.
Indian customers will have wider travel options as airlines introduce new flights from the end of March. While Malaysian Airlines and Turkish Airlines are resuming passenger flights to India after a gap of two years, Air France-KLM and Lufthansa Group will scale up their existing service in a graded manner in the summer schedule. Emirates, the largest foreign airline operating in India, too, is looking to restore its pre-Covid-19 schedule of 172 flights per week.
IndiGo will introduce business class seats in select flights on 12 domestic routes starting from November 14 and also launch a customer loyalty programme, as the 18-year-old airline seeks to expand business and strengthen global presence. The announcements, made at an event in the national capital on Monday to mark 18 years of operations, also highlights a pivotal trajectory for the airline.
Agra, Shimla, Nanded, Kanpur and Jamshedpur are among the many airports that would see connectivity under Udan.
The Indian community in Russia are eagerly waiting for Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Moscow and will be seeking his support to build a Hindu temple in the country, a new Indian school building and the availability of more direct flights to India.
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.
International and Indian airlines are refusing to refund cash and giving credit that can be used later.
'...than by the calendar.' Indian travellers are no longer restricting their getaways to summer or winter holidays.
The DGCA advised airlines to remain ready to operate additional flights from the Srinagar airport if the need arises.
It is clear that foreign airlines have realised the growth possibilities of the Indian aviation sector and are keenly interested, the minister said.
Just over a three-hour flight from Delhi, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Azerbaijan and Georgia have seen a big jump in visitors.
As photographs and video clips were distributed on social media, aviation security watchdog BCAS issued show cause notices to IndiGo and Mumbai airport operator MIAL over the incident, official sources said on Tuesday.
Zudio was the standout performer as it tapped into the pentup demand in small-town India, at a pace never seen before, notes Indrajit Gupta, co-founder and director, Founding Fuel.
Almost all Indian airlines like SpiceJet, IndiGo, GoAir, Jet Airways and Air India, have been offering discounted fares on domestic sectors almost on a month-to-month basis.
Terming as "unfortunate" the loss of lives in the Malaysian Airlines tragedy, Civil Aviation Minister Ashok Gajapathi Raju on Friday said there was no Indian on board the aircraft.
Red Square and VDNKh easily rank among the most striking places I've visited -- both for their historical significance and architectural splendour.
My admiration for Russian culture, vision and ambition grew with every step as I clocked the miles, Nitin Sathe tells us after a visit to Moscow and St Petersburg.
Singapore government's sovereign wealth fund Temasek is looking to invest $10 billion in India during the next three years, Ravi Lambah, Temasek's head of India and strategic initiatives, said.
Experts said the risks associated with the Indian Experts say that aviation sector would keep investors away from airline stocks.
'Airlines will need a war chest to deal with post-COVID economics.'
The Indian aviation sector is on the cusp of a change as airlines look to induct a record number of aircraft. This, analysts said, will put the sector on a growth runway, though keeping it viable for only long-term investors. According to Vinit Bolinjkar, head of research at Ventura Securities, expectations of strong air traffic, coupled with low penetration, is the prime reason for a solid long-term outlook.
Rivals say the concessions would benefit AirAsia alone.
Painting a gloomy picture, the International Air Transport Association (IATA) on Friday said the Indian aviation industry is estimated to suffer a collective loss of $1.5 billion in 2009, with Air India accounting for most of it.
New airline Akasa Air on Thursday took delivery of the first 737 Max aircraft from Boeing in Seattle, USA, a statement said.
The expansion of existing airports and development of new airports will continue expeditiously, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said on Thursday and emphasised that the country's aviation sector has been galvanised in the past 10 years.
To tap Indian civil aviation market's growth potential, the government on Saturday announced a modified regional air connectivity scheme UDAN (Ude Desh ka Aam Naagrik) to connect 120 new destinations, airport projects in Bihar and upgradation of infrastructure for air cargo in the Union Budget.
From being a low-fare, low frills airline, GoAir has out of the blue announced the launch of something called 'GoComfort'.
Airlines in the UAE are expecting a huge rush since nearly a million amnesty seekers, including many Indians, are likely to leave the country before the September two deadline.
West Asian carriers are up against Air India and IndiGo in the battle for seats on lucrative international routes.
Domestic airlines witnessed 10 per cent rise in sales in 2014.
The Delhi High Court on Tuesday said it would pronounce on Friday the verdict on the plea of a pilots' body of erstwhile domestic carrier Indian Airlines seeking parity with their counterparts in Air India.
The AFI official said that Air India refused to carry three poles measuring 5m each to be used by the two athletes, on the ground of some "technical issues" concerning prescribed length of the items.
In the season of aviation action, Rakesh Jhunjhunwala-backed Akasa Air has secured the crucial no-objection certificate (NoC) from the civil aviation ministry. It expects to start operations next summer. The airline will now have to apply for the Directorate General of Civil Aviation for operations permit. Aviation sector has been in the limelight with the Tata Group winning the Air India bid last week.
Except GoAir, all other Indian airlines have opened bookings for their domestic flights that will start operating from May 25. GoAir will open bookings on domestic flights from June 1 onwards.
Even as the government is aiming at creating an airline behemoth to take on Asian tigers such as Singapore Airlines and Thai Airways, the merged Air-India and Indian Airlines entity will not dominate even the Indian skies.
Say goodbye to train journeys as a surprisingly large number of low-cost airlines prepare to slug it out. Take the Rediff Business Quiz and find out how much you know about the new battle in the Indian skies.
Federation of Indian Airlines has appealed to DGCA to extend notice period of flyers from 6 months to a year
Travels to Gulf accounted for 40% of India's international air traffic in 2016.
The Pakistan army's Bahawalpur Corps has always had a special significance for India as it keeps an eye on the Jaish e Mohammed, explains Rana Banerji, who headed the Pakistan desk at RA&W.
