Giving an idea of the scale of its ambitions, the four-month-old airline recently placed an order for 50 aircraft even as the sector is struggling.
The aviation regulator DGCA said on Friday that it was extending the suspension of scheduled international passenger flights in the country till July 31 but added that some international scheduled services on selected routes may be permitted on a case to case basis. Scheduled international passenger flights were suspended in India on March 23 due to the coronavirus pandemic.
"We will not let this company go down and will not tolerate this casual talk to dismantle this company piece by piece and give it as doles to airlines of your choice," an open letter said.
Indian Airlines on Tuesday announced a hike of Rs 200 on air fare with immediate effect on all international sectors and domestic routes leading to international destination in view of continuing trend of increase in fuel prices.
The sooner the airlines get their act together, the better.
Airfares on major domestic routes from Chennai surged as flight operations at the airport were disrupted due to strong winds and torrential rain that lashed the city in the wake of Cyclone Michaung on Monday. According to ixigo data, on December 5, one-way spot airfares from Chennai to cities like Mumbai, New Delhi, Hyderabad, Bengaluru, and Kolkata rose between 52 per cent and 171 per cent compared to prices three to seven days prior. The Chennai-Mumbai route, the busiest flight route from Chennai airport, saw airfares surge 68.6 per cent from Rs 3,728 to Rs 6,286 in the aforementioned period.
However, the government is still in the process of identifying which subsidiaries of Air India should be offered separately.
In a major relief for pilots in dealing with fatigue, aviation watchdog DGCA on Monday came out with revised norms that increase their weekly rest time to 48 hours and limit the number of landings to two during night operations. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has also extended the night hours for pilots and now, it covers the period from 0000-0600 hours whereas it was 0000-0500 hours earlier. Besides, all airlines have to compulsorily submit quarterly fatigue reports, which "should follow a follow a non-punitive and confidentiality policy".
Flights from Mumbai and Kerala will also have to transit through these routes due to restrictions
The market valuation of InterGlobe Aviation, the parent of IndiGo, reached Rs 1 lakh crore mark on Wednesday and became the first airline to achieve this milestone. On Wednesday, the stock rallied 3.55 per cent to settle at Rs 2,619.85 apiece on the BSE. In intra-day trade, shares of the company jumped 4.12 per cent to hit its 52-week high of Rs 2,634.25.
Making a strong case for approval of their proposed airline JV, Tatas and Singapore Airlines have said that the venture would create significant job opportunities in India and would boost the country's image as an international investment destination.
The overall domestic air travel markets expanded four per cent in 2012 compared to 2011.
Air India's home market share has fallen from 19.8% in January to 18% in July.
Indicating its intentions to fly abroad very soon, proposed airline AirAsia India on Wednesday trashed the "bizarre" policy of allowing carriers to operate international flights only after five years of domestic operations.
Refuting all the allegations, IOC has clarified that no monopolistic situation exists in supply and pricing of aviation turbine fuel (ATF) to airlines.
Deals from online travel portals, in partnership with credit cards, are good.
According to sector estimates, it takes at least six months to develop a route.
Jet Airways on Thursday said it would introduce more flights on both its domestic and international networks.
IndiGo and Jet Airways took the second and third rank, alternatively, during this period.
These vacancies are likely to emerge as Indian airlines plan to induct more than 900 aircraft into their fleets in the coming years.
Turning down a request for Rs 200 crore (Rs 2 billion) working loan by Kingfisher, the SBI-led lenders consortium on Thursday asked SBI Capitals to chalk out a fresh revival plan for the cash-strapped airline in the next 2-3 weeks.
All airports and air carriers are being informed to be ready for operations from May 25. SOPs for passenger movement are also being separately issued by the ministry of civil aviation.
The planning commission has suggested review of a policy that debars foreign carriers from investing in domestic ones, saying airline operations required expertise as much as capital.
The NACIL will operate three domestic flights on Wednesday using Air India aircraft and cabin crew in view of the ongoing agitation by a section of employees of the airline.
Airline stocks have been soaring following a steep decline in crude oil prices and sustained passenger traffic. Analysts have particularly turned bullish on the stocks of InterGlobe Aviation and SpiceJet. On December 20, shares of InterGlobe Aviation (IndiGo) hit a record high of Rs 3,009 on the BSE, having surged 43.24 per cent year-to-date (YTD).
No-frills carrier IndiGo Airlines on Friday said it will increase frequencies on the domestic and international routes this summer as it adds nine aircraft to its fleet by the year end.
Debt-ridden national carrier Air India tops a brand reputation survey.
The passengers included 10 foreigners, according to the state-run Nepal Television.
Phee Teik Yeoh, the recently anointed chief executive officer of the airline, speaks to Business Standard on his aim of changing the rule of the game in the aviation sector by redefining service and operational experience for travellers accustomed to mere functionality.
Navi Mumbai airport's construction is facing delays, and is likely to commence commercial operations in 2025 instead of 2024, aviation consultancy firm CAPA has said in a report. When asked about this matter, the Adani Group told Business Standard that the Navi Mumbai airport project is "being executed as per scheduled implementation plan and will be operational by the original target date of December, 2024, without any delay". Navi Mumbai International Airport Limited (NMIAL), responsible for both the construction and operation of the airport, is a subsidiary of the Adani Group.
India's domestic air travel market would be among the top five globally, experiencing the second highest growth rate in domestic passenger traffic after Kazakhstan but before China, IATA said.
Air India on Monday said it will lease 12 more aircraft comprising both A320 neo and Boeing 777, which are expected to be inducted in its existing fleet in the first half of 2023. The new planes will be deployed on the airline's short, medium and long-haul international routes, Air India said in a statement. Air India said it has leased 42 aircraft since its privatisation in January this year.
AirAsia is expanding its distribution network and increasing its offline travel partners.
According to the new takeover guidelines, if they buy 25 per cent or more, they will have to make an open offer for another 26 per cent.
From a surge in airfares to rattled aircraft lessors to thousands of employees staring at uncertainty, it has been a month of continued turbulence since cash-strapped Go First suspended flights from May 3. As the government and other stakeholders hope that Go First restarts operations at the earliest, plans are being worked out for the budget airline's revival. A section of Go First staff are optimistic about restarting of operations, another section are pessimistic about the airline's future course considering what had happened to erstwhile Kingfisher Airlines and Jet Airways, according to employees who spoke to PTI.
India witnessed the highest increase in airfares among the 10 top aviation markets in the Asia-Pacific and West Asia collectively across both domestic and international flights Q4 2019 and Q4 2022 in nominal terms, according to research by Hong Kong-based Airports Council International (ACI). India, where fares went up by 41 per cent, was followed by the UAE (34 per cent), Singapore (30 (per cent) and Australia (23 per cent). The study, which was undertaken in collaboration with Flare Aviation Consulting, examined around 36,000 routes in the top 10 aviation markets in Asia-Pacific and West Asia.
Domestic air traffic demand in India grew by around 14 per cent with the airlines enjoying an average load factor of almost 79 per cent in May compared to last year, even as the global traffic rose by 6.8 per cent.
West Asian carriers are up against Air India and IndiGo in the battle for seats on lucrative international routes.
