The Civil Aviation Ministry and the DGCA are actively discussing to make psychoactive substance testing standards for all commercial pilots.
In the wake of repeated faults in planes carrying Haj pilgrims from Srinagar, the Union home ministry on Monday summoned civil aviation officials following a strong protest by Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad.
Talks between senior officials of civil aviation ministry and the Indian Pilots Guild began in Mumbai on Saturday shortly after noon to resolve the issue of operating in SARS-affected regions by the unions.
The pilot-in-command of an Air India Phuket-Delhi flight that experienced a sudden 300-foot altitude drop last week has tested positive for a psychoactive substance, identified by sources as marijuana, in a confirmatory test. This development comes as Civil Aviation Minister K Rammohan Naidu met with Air India executives to discuss the serious incident, which left 24 people injured.
Adani Group-operated Mumbai International Airport (MIAL) is set to begin demolishing a section of its nearly 80-year-old Terminal 1 from January 15, 2027, as part of a major redevelopment plan. This initiative involves redistributing air traffic from T1 to Terminal 2 and the Navi Mumbai International Airport, with significant shifts planned for international and domestic flights starting October 1 and October 25, respectively.
The Airports Authority of India has received a request for a waiver from contractual restrictions that prevent airport concessionaires and their group entities from holding equity in scheduled airlines, Minister of State for Civil Aviation Murlidhar Mohol confirmed in the Rajya Sabha. This comes amid reports of the Adani group's interest in the airline business, despite their denial.
The decision came a day after the resignation of Telugu Desam Party's Ashok Gajapathi Raju was accepted by President Ram Nath Kovind
Rashtriya Lok Dal chief Ajit Singh on Monday took charge of the civil aviation ministry, saying it was a 'sensitive' portfolio.
Ahead of the passage of the Finance Bill in Parliament, Civil Aviation Minister Ajit Singh is understood to have shot off a letter to the Finance Ministry protesting the proposal on the grounds that the move would not only hit passengers but spell more trouble for the airlines which were already reeling under severe financial stress.
Rashtriya Janata Dal leader Ajit Singh was sworn in as the 33rd member of the Union Cabinet, and 77th in the Union council of ministers on Sunday morning. Singh is widely expected to be allotted the civil aviation portfolio. This is the fourth time Singh has been inducted into the Union Cabinet.
An Air India flight from Phuket to Delhi experienced a sudden loss of altitude, leading to injuries and prompting a psychoactive substance screening for the pilot-in-command, with confirmatory test results now awaited.
=The investigation is examining the circumstances surrounding the aircraft's sudden altitude variation and the actions of the flight crew.
The civil aviation ministry is considering three proposals to set up privately-owned, or merchant, airports in Gwalior (Madhya Pradesh), Durgapur (West Bengal) and Jhhajjar (Haryana).
The pilots testing positive have been removed from duty, with their samples sent for confirmatory testing.
A fire broke out on Tuesday in the first floor of the Rajiv Gandhi Bhawan in New Delhi, which houses office of the Union civil aviation ministry, but no one was injured and no files or records were damaged.
An accidental firing incident occurred at Varanasi's Lal Bahadur Shastri International Airport when a passenger's licensed pistol discharged during security screening, injuring a female security personnel and another individual. Both injured parties have been hospitalised, and legal action is being initiated.
Indian carriers have cancelled over 10,000 flights since the onset of the West Asia conflict, as escalating tensions and airspace restrictions disrupted international operations, a senior government official said.
An Air India A320 flight from Phuket to Delhi experienced a sudden 300-foot altitude drop due to multiple technical glitches, including triple hydraulic failures and autopilot disconnection, injuring 17 people. An investigation by AAIB, with assistance from French agency BEA and Airbus, is underway, while the pilot-in-command is undergoing confirmatory psychoactive substance testing.
The ICMR has been permitted to use drones up to a height of 3,000 metre to deliver vaccines, the ministry's statement added.
The Cabinet on Wednesday cleared the proposal to hike foreign direct investment limit in civil aviation sector from 40 to 49 per cent, official sources said.
Jet Airways chairman Naresh Goyal on Tuesday met civil aviation secretary Madhavan Nambiar on Tuesday against the backdrop of pilots of the private carrier refusing to report to work to protest against the sacking of two of their senior colleagues.
Air Chief Marshal A P Singh, the IAF chief, has strongly advocated for India to achieve greater self-reliance in unmanned aerial systems and other critical defence technologies, stating, "Technology delayed is technology denied." He stressed the importance of indigenous development to avoid dependency on other countries for components.
The budget has increased the outlay for the Ministry of Civil Aviation by 21% at Rs 12165 crore from Rs 10031 crore for FY2008-09. However, the revised estimate for FY2008-09 was at Rs 7490 crore against the outlay of Rs 10031 crore.
Out of the total Plan outlay of Rs12164.76 crore (Rs 121.65 billion) for the Ministry of Civil Aviation, Rs 190 crore (Rs 1.9 billion) is the budgetary support.
The ministry is considering as many as 15 options to replace the controversial rule.
The civil aviation ministry is likely to get an allocation of Rs 3,046.93 cror
Civil Aviation Minister K Rammohan Naidu announced that public sector oil marketing companies will implement a partial and staggered increase in jet fuel prices for domestic airlines, aiming to protect passengers from steep fare hikes.
Govt to introduce new aviation policy on May 15.
The preliminary report on the plane crash that killed NCP leader Ajit Pawar is expected to be released by February 28, according to Union Minister Murlidhar Mohol. The incident has sparked speculation and calls for investigation into potential irregularities.
The Supreme Court has directed the Centre to rationalise airfares and provide relief to flyers, highlighting discrepancies in pricing for the same routes and airlines. The court is addressing a plea seeking a robust regulator to ensure transparency and passenger protection in the civil aviation sector.
Indian airlines are now required to offer 60% of seats for free and ensure families sit together, as the government strengthens passenger rights and addresses concerns about high seat selection fees.
Civil Aviation ministry has cancelled approval to the controversial private airport project at Aranmula in the Pathanamthitta district of Kerala.
The government has suspended its directive requiring airlines to offer at least 60% of seats on flights without additional charges, following industry concerns about the impact on fares and pricing structures.
IndiGo has the lowest pilots-to-aircraft ratio among domestic airlines in India, according to data presented in Parliament. SpiceJet and Akasa Air have the highest ratios. Air India Express employs the most expat pilots.
Air India, IndiGo and SpiceJet have told the government that the country's airline industry is under extreme stress and on the verge of "stopping operations", as they sought revision in ATF pricing and financial support.
Airports across the country have been placed on operational alert to manage potential flight diversions, unscheduled landings and passenger facilitation requirements.
Pilots' grouping FIP has suggested that the AAIB should investigate whether a 'pre-lift off electrical disturbance' could have led to the Air India Dreamliner crash in June last year, which resulted in 260 fatalities.
'It has got to be the biggest error in aviation. If it is the biggest error, then all those individuals in positions of power should be removed because they have caused the biggest meltdown in Indian aviation history.'
The support will be provided to oil-marketing companies (OMCs) in the form of interest-free advances through the ministry of petroleum and natural gas. The OMCs, in turn, will use the fund to provide ATF price stabilisation support to Indian carriers operating domestic and international flights.
Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu said the reduction in airport charges is aimed at containing airfare increases and supporting both airlines and passengers.
