From today, govt has removed price caps on domestic airfares: Will flying be more expensive?

From today (August 31) onwards, the Government of India is set to lift the cap on domestic airfare prices after more than two years, in a move that is likely to impact all flyers. The move is designed to allow airlines more flexibility to raise fares, in an environment where fuel costs - the primary factor determining cost of air travel - are uncomfortably high.

“After review of the current status of Scheduled Domestic Operations viz-a-viz passenger demand for air travel, it has been decided to remove the fare bands notified from time to time regarding the airfares with effect from 31.08.2022," the Ministry of Civil Aviation had earlier stated in a circular released on August 10.

Caps on capacity and fares were introduced in May 2020 following the resumption of air travel after the nationwide lockdown. The government allowed 100 per cent capacity deployment in October last year, but it continued with the pricing regulation, citing an adverse cost environment.

The government regulated fares by imposing a minimum and maximum band based on the flight's duration to prevent ticket prices from spiking due to pent-up demand arising from an easing of restrictions on air travel.

Prior to this move, a cap on the fare was applicable for tickets sold in 0-15 days on a rolling basis.

While there is risk airfares could be hiked, airlines are more likely to offer deep discounts on tickets to fill up their flights and encourage more flyers during the current lean period, in order to attract more flyers.

31/08/22 Free Press Journal

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About 35% of air-passengers found their checked-in baggage damaged one or more times: Survey

Have you been one of the unfortunate air travellers, who has reached the destination only to find your checked-in luggage damaged or missing after a hectic search? 

 A survey on air-passengers said that 1 in 4 fliers either lost their baggage or found it delayed during the last three years; 35 per cent found their checked-in baggage damaged one or more times. 

 The survey has been conducted by community platform LocalCircles to understand the collective experience of people, from a delayed or damaged baggage standpoint. 

 When fliers were asked the question, “How many times in the last 3 years (2020-22) have you had a situation where the airline you or your family travelled on had an issue with delivering your bag on a timely basis (instead of having delayed baggage or lost baggage)?” it was found that 14 per cent of 10,944 respondents had gone through this experience at least once, while 11 per cent had faced this anxiety-filled experience twice. The remaining 75 per cent had always gotten it on time. 

Delays due to technical snags in conveyors or baggage logistics equipment, mishandling, failure to send luggage by the correct flight, security issues are among the many reasons cited when passengers are put to hardship at airports by airlines in India. Some fliers have also alleged airline staff occasionally engage in removing baggage tags leading to their luggage getting held up in the airport lost and found sections. 

 According to the government aviation data, missing and mishandled baggage continues to be among the top three complaints of fliers in India. To the next question, “How many times in the last three years have you had a situation where the airline you or your family travelled on damaged your checked in bag(s)?” One in 3 fliers shared that they faced this experience one or more times. Of the 35 per cent out of 10,981 respondents, 20 per cent shared that they or their family member faced this experience twice, while 5 per cent faced it twice, another 5 per cent thrice and yet another 5 per cent experienced it more than four times in the 3-year period. 

 31/08/22 IANS/ET Infra.com

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Andhra Pradesh: Tata delegation calls on CM, discusses opportunities in defence aviation sector

Amravati: A delegation of Tata Advanced Systems Limited met Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy at his camp office and discussed the investment opportunities in the State, said the officials on Tuesday.

“J Sridhar, Tata Advanced Systems Ltd Corporate Affairs and Regulatory Head, along with Masood Hussaini, Head of Tata Aerospace and Defence met the Chief Minister and discussed the investment and opportunities in State, especially in manufacturing and maintenance in the defence aviation sector,” read a statement by Chief Minister’s office.

The Chief Minister explained the transparent industrial policies that are being implemented in the state and assured to provide all the necessary support and assistance to start their business operations.

“Well-trained human resources and infrastructure facilities are available in Andhra Pradesh,” said CM Reddy.

Industries Department Special CS Karikal Valaven, APEDB CEO Javadi Subramanyam, and CMO officials participated in this meeting.

Earlier on Monday, as per an official statement released by CMO, Luxury hotel chain Oberoi Group plans to invest Rs 1,500 crore in setting up various projects in Andhra Pradesh.

Oberoi Group President and Chief Operating Officer Rajaraman Shankar called on Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy.

During the meeting Shankar expressed interest to invest about Rs 1,500 crore in Andhra Pradesh, the statement said.

On this occasion, Rajaraman Shankar explained Oberoi Group Hotels’ plans in the state and showed interest to start their hotels in Visakhapatnam, Tirupati, Gandikota, Picchukalanka and Horsley Hills along with operating a tourism centre in the Paderu region.

30/08/22 ANI/Print

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Over 60% Indian fliers unhappy with airlines’ response to baggage complaints, finds survey

New Delhi: Over 60 per cent air travellers in India were dissatisfied with customer service and responsiveness of airlines when it came to dealing with baggage-related complaints in the last three years, a survey by community social media platform LocalCircles revealed.

When it came to passengers facing issues with delayed, lost or damaged baggage, as many as 12 per cent of 11,112 people surveyed rated reponses by airlines to be ‘pathetic’, while 38 per cent said customer service was ‘poor’.

At the same time, 25 per cent fliers rated air carriers’ response as ‘good’, while 12 per cent said remedial actions were ‘excellent’.

One in three fliers also said they or their family members have found their checked-in baggage damaged.

The survey also found that one in four passengers found their baggage delayed in the last three years. Delays due to technical snags in conveyors or baggage logistics equipment, mishandling, failure to send luggage by the correct flight and security issues were among the many reasons cited by passengers.

According to the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) data, missing and mishandled baggage continues to be among the top three complaints of fliers in India.

A few fliers also alleged airline staff of occasionally removing baggage tags, leading to luggage getting held up at the lost and found sections of airports.

30/08/22 Print

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Air travel by LTC: Centre issues instructions to employees

New Delhi: The Centre has come out with fresh guidelines for air tickets for Leave Travel Concession by employees following the disinvestment of Air India.

In a missive to all Central Ministries and Departments, the government has said, the Department of Expenditure’s circular from June regarding air travel on government duty will also be applicable for air travel for LTC.

In all cases of air travel in respect of LTC, air tickets shall be purchased only from the three Authorised Travel Agents (ATAs) namely: Balmer Lawrie & Company Limited, Ashok Travels and Tours and Indian Railways Catering and Tourism Corporation.

“Government employees are to choose flight having the Best Available Fare on their entitled travel class which is the cheapest fare available, preferably for Non-stop flight in a given slot, mentioned below, at the time of booking,” said the office memorandum, adding that they are to retain the print-out of the concerned web page of the ATAs having flight and fare details for the purpose of the settlement of the LTC claims.

Employees are encouraged to book flight tickets at least 21 days prior to the intended date of travel on LTC, to avail the most competitive fares and minimise burden on the exchequer, the circular further said, adding that they should also avoid unnecessary cancellations.

“While tickets may be arranged by the office through the travel agent, employees are encouraged to make ticket booking digitally through the Self Booking Tool/online booking website/portal of these three ATAs only,” it further said.

30/08/22 Surabhi/Business Line

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This Is The Busiest Hour For Air Travel In India When You Can Expect Most Rush

The aviation sector in India has taken off. With Air India back to the Tata group, Akasa Air taking off at various routes, Indian airports and skies are busiest at the moment. However, this post is going to be about the rush hours in airports, that usually scares the bejesus out of us. Airport rush is usual at certain times of the day and in this post we will point out all the rush hours, and busiest hours at the biggest airports in India, according to an analysis by OAG Aviation.

According to the analysis, in September, the busiest hour will be around 7:55 am in the morning, wherein around 19,923 departures are scheduled in the beginning of the month. MoneyControl mentions that there are around 24 departures daily, and Indigo and SpiceJet companies run maximum of these flights. However, the article also says that as an overview of the scenario of flights and departures, the afternoon timing from 1 pm to 2 pm is the busiest of all.

This is quite obvious, as some of the biggest airports are the busiest in India. Starting from the capital, New Delhi airport is the busiest of all, followed by Mumbai airport, Bengaluru airport and then, Hyderabad airport. These airports have the maximum number of departures from across the country throughout. After Hyderabad, Kolkata and Chennai airports appear to have a high number of weekly departures. According to the report, Delhi’s departures are mostly in the mornings with over 200 flights scheduled to leave at that time. The peak timings for Delhi come early morning and early evening. On the other hand, Mumbai has three peak timings, early morning between 6 am – 7am, 11am – 12 pm & finally the busiest hour would be in the early evening time – 6pm – 7pm. The above air traffic interpretation is without including the international flights.

30/08/22 Sanmita A/Curly Tales

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Hold the applause, lifting price cap no guarantee of cheaper flights

The lifting of the price cap from domestic flight ticketing from August 31 is not essentially happy news for the air traveller. Low-density routes might see a drop in fares. The trunk routes that have a strong upload will most likely show a price rise on early morning and late evening flights because these have the highest demand. A drop in red eye options is possible, but by and large this, in aircraft parlance, is bums on seats time. Especially where the many A to B to C routes still do not have an adequate in-season subscription.

With competition comes the ability to price right, and while newbie Akasa is slicing the others at present, there will come a time soon enough when it will have to get real. IndiGo, SpiceJet, Vistara, Air Asia, GoFirst, Air India and Alliance Air, soon to be joined by Jet, are all in the fray. For the next fifty days, in what is the back-to-school post-vacation lean period, there will be the illusion of relief as the deflated pricing on less dense routes is touted as evidence of love and concern for passengers.

These will, in the run-up to Diwali, balloon dramatically, even going into the gouging category as airlines try to make their ends talk to each other if not yet meet in the profit margin.

Contrary to popular belief, the carriers, like side-by-side vegetable vendors, will tacitly agree to be on the same page while pretending to be engaged in a duel with each other. A renegade like Akasa may not get in line immediately, but no one has endlessly deep pockets.

30/08/22 Bikram Vohra/News9Live

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We are keen to promote India as a major eVTOL manufacturing hub: Scindia

After putting in place an enabling ecosystem for the local drone industry, India is keen to have the Electronic Vertical Take Off and Landing (eVTOL) aircraft manufacturers use the country as a major manufacturing base once all regulatory approvals are in and commercial production starts.

“The next technology paradigm that is going to happen not in one year, two years but once European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) and Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) approve eVTOL vehicles. That industry must also make its core base in India. And that is one of the things that I am exploring,” minister of civil aviation, Jyotiraditya Scindia noted at the recently concluded Business Today’s India@100 summit in New Delhi.

EASA and FAA are the aviation regulators of the EU and the US, respectively. As per the laid down procedures, the aircraft will be certified once the proof of concept is ready.

Like Vertical Take Off and Landing (VTOL) drones, eVTOL aircraft use electric power to hover, fly and take off and land vertically. In the last few years, growing interest in exploring new vehicles for urban air mobility and advances in electric propulsion have led them to be considered a viable option. Current prototypes are available in the six-to-eight-seater configuration.

Elaborating on how the government’s initiatives have helped in kickstarting the local drone industry, Scindia said that schemes such as Productivity Linked Incentive (PLI) had resulted in 23 selected beneficiary companies significantly increasing their base turnover from Rs 88 crore to Rs 319 crore in YoY comparison.

Furthermore, the Ministry of Civil Aviation’s efforts at creating demand for the utilisation of drones across 12-line ministries had resulted in their finding applications in diverse industries such as agriculture, power, survey and mining.

“I firmly believe that government’s role is that of a seminary in terms of promoting new technologies and industries that are coming about. So, certainly the government has a role and an extremely important role in terms of spawning new technologies and new areas in India,” said Scindia.

29/08/22 Manish Pant/Business Today

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Aviation ministry proposes using helicopter to provide rapid medical care for accident victims

In a move to augment emergency medical services (EMS), the Ministry of Civil Aviation has proposed the use of helicopters to deliver speedy medical care to accident victims.

For its pilot project, the ministry has invited expressions of interest (EoI) from air operators who can offer one single-engine or twin-engine helicopter in the role of an air ambulance with EMS capability for a period of six months based out of a helipad at All India Institute Of Medical Science (AIIMS) Rishikesh.

This helicopter will be used to provide crucial service for victims of life-threatening trauma within the golden hour, the one-hour window after an accident when access to definitive care can make all the difference between life and death.

Speaking of the project, the Ministry of Civil Aviation said, “Helicopters in the EMS role can greatly expand the EMS capability by enlarging the medical outreach in an expeditious manner. It is later envisioned to incorporate a larger HEMS network to augment the land-based ambulances to increase the accessibility of trauma care services to a wider population base across the country.”

It further added, “Once successful, this project will be a quantum leap in a healthcare facility in India, and will pave the way to rope-in other private players.”

Prospective air operators have been called to submit their responses to this call from the ministry on or before September 15. They will then be invited to participate in a subsequent conference at the ministry’s headquarters in Delhi wherein they will be asked to make a presentation on their experience, capabilities and related issues.

Respondents to the EoI can be any certified air operator who has at least one helicopter registered in its AOP (Air Operator Permit). The helicopter being offered should be one single-engine helicopter with the capacity to carry one patient on a stretcher, one medical personnel in the side cabin and one pilot with carry-on medical equipment as required.

29/08/22 Poulomi Saha/India Today

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IndiGo leading airline with 60% domestic market share; Vistara pips Air India, SpiceJet to bag 2nd spot

New Delhi: For the first time since it started operations in January 2015, Tata Sons-Singapore Airlines joint venture Vistara has become the second biggest airline by domestic market share in July. The carrier’s market share was 10.4 per cent in the month when it flew 1.01 million passengers.

Full service Vistara followed market leader IndiGo which owned a 58.8 per cent share. Vistara bagging the second spot is a big thing in itself as the the number two slot was rotating between SpiceJet, Go First and Air India for the past few months.

According to data from the aviation regulator, Vistara controlled 7.5 per cent of the market in January and was around 9 per cent in the subsequent months.

Following IndiGo and Vistara on the list were Air India, Go First, SpiceJet which were separated by just decimal points. While the Tata-owned Air India owned 8.4 per cent market share, up from 7.5 per cent in June; Go First was at 8.2 per cent and SpiceJet at 8 per cent.

SpiceJet had the highest occupancy on domestic flights at 84.7 per cent last month, followed by Vistara at 84.3 per cent. Other big airlines had load factors in seventies.

The month of July witnessed over 97 lakh domestic flyers, 7.6 per cent lower than the 1.05 crore in June, DGCA data showed.

Meanwhile, the combined domestic market share of the Tata Group airlines - AI, Vistara and AAIPL - was 23.4 per cent. This does not account for Air India Express that is essentially a regional international airline.

19/08/22 ETNow

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India airlines see a 7.6% sequential drop in domestic passengers in July, DGCA says

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) stated on Thursday that over 97 lakh domestic passengers travelled by air in July this year.

However, this number is 7.6 percent lower than the number recorded last month. The number stood at 1.05 crore in June. Overall, 6.69 crore people travelled on domestic flights in the January-July period of 2022, reported PTI citing the DGCA's monthly statement.

The rainy season is usually a lean period for the aviation sector in India.

IndiGo -- India's largest carrier -- carried 57.11 lakh passengers in July, a 58.8 per cent share of the domestic market, it mentioned.

Vistara flew 10.13 lakh passengers and Air India flew 8.14 lakh passengers in July this year, according to the data shared by the DGCA.

Go First, SpiceJet, AirAsia India and Alliance Air carried 7.95 lakh, 7.76 lakh, 4.42 lakh, 1.12 lakh passengers, respectively, in July, the data showed.

The occupancy rate or load factor for SpiceJet was 84.7 per cent in July, the DGCA noted.

The occupancy rate of Vistara, IndiGo, Go First, AirAsia India and Air India was 84.3 per cent, 77.7 per cent, 76.5 per cent, 75.2 per cent and 71.1 per cent, respectively, in July, it added.

During the last two years, the aviation sector has been significantly impacted due to travel restrictions imposed in India and other countries in view of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The DGCA data mentioned that in July this year, AirAsia India had the best on-time performance of 95.5 per cent at four metro airports -- Bengaluru, Delhi, Hyderabad and Mumbai.

Vistara and Go First were at the second and third positions at these four airports in July with 89 per cent and 84.1 per cent on-time performance respectively, the DGCA said.

18/08/22 PTI/Economic Times

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Over 97 Lakh Domestic Air Passengers In July, 7.6% Lower Than June: DGCA

More than 97 lakh domestic passengers travelled by air in July, 7.6 per cent lower than the 1.05 crore who travelled in June, aviation regulator DGCA said on Thursday.

Overall, 6.69 crore people travelled on domestic flights in the January-July period of 2022, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) stated in its monthly statement.

The rainy season is usually a lean period for the aviation sector in India.

IndiGo -- India's largest carrier -- carried 57.11 lakh passengers in July, a 58.8 per cent share of the domestic market, it mentioned.

Vistara flew 10.13 lakh passengers and Air India flew 8.14 lakh passengers in July this year, according to the data shared by the DGCA.

Go First, SpiceJet, AirAsia India and Alliance Air carried 7.95 lakh, 7.76 lakh, 4.42 lakh, 1.12 lakh passengers, respectively, in July, the data showed.

The occupancy rate or load factor for SpiceJet was 84.7 per cent in July, the DGCA noted.

The occupancy rate of Vistara, IndiGo, Go First, AirAsia India and Air India was 84.3 per cent, 77.7 per cent, 76.5 per cent, 75.2 per cent and 71.1 per cent, respectively, in July, it added.

During the last two years, the aviation sector has been significantly impacted due to travel restrictions imposed in India and other countries in view of the COVID-19 pandemic.

18/08/22 PTI/Outlook

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India’s air passenger traffic dips more than 7% in July over last month

Domestic airlines carried 97.05 lakh passengers in July, witnessing a 7.7 percent dip compared to June, as per data released on Thursday.

IndiGo’s market share continued to rise as it holds the lion's share, followed by Vistara, Air India, and GoFIRST.

GoFIRST’s market share for July stood at 8.2 percent while that of AirAsia India was 4.6 percent.

The passenger load factor (PLF) — which assesses how efficiently a transport provider fills seats and generates fare revenue — fell for IndiGo, AirAsia India, GoFIRST in July compared to the previous month. Vistara and SpiceJet on the other hand saw an uptick in PLF in July versus June.

AirAsia India was the most punctual airline in July with 95.5 percent on-time performance.

18/08/22 CNBCTV18

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Elevated ATF prices, rupee depreciation likely to pose threat to domestic carriers' recovery: Report

Elevated Aviation Turbine Fuel (ATF) prices and Rupee depreciation are likely to pose a serious threat to the recovery process for domestic carriers, credit ratings agency ICRA said on Wednesday. In India, ATF accounts for around 45 per cent of the operational cost of an airline.

Besides, as much as 35-50 per cent of the airlines' operating expenses are US dollar driven, as per ICRA.

An area of concern remains the ATF prices, which surged by around 77 per cent Y-o-Y in August, given the elevated crude oil prices due to geo-political issues arising from the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the ratings agency said.

On an aggregate basis, it said a return to normalcy will lead to recovery in passenger load factors, which, in turn, will aid revenues; however, these two factors will continue to weigh on the domestic airlines'' earnings in FY23.

This apart, the expected launch of Jet Airways and the entry of Akasa Air, are likely to intensify the competition for the domestic carriers.

"ICRA believes that the domestic air traffic yields have moved up by 25-30 per cent over pre-Covid levels on domestic routes. The industry earnings in FY2023 will continue to reel under pressure owing to the elevated jet fuel prices, coupled with the depreciation of the Indian Rupee against the US dollar," Suprio Banerjee, Vice President and Sector Head at ICRA, said.

On a month-on-month basis, domestic air passenger traffic was 7 per cent lower in July compared to the June passenger volumes of 10.05 million, given some impact of the cyclicality in passenger travel, mainly arising from the lean period during the monsoon, it said.

ICRA said the hardening of fares impacted leisure travel during the month which, in turn, also impacted the volumes.

The ratings agency also said the removal of ceiling on airfares from August 31 will help domestic airlines to bring their ticket prices in line with the supply-demand dynamics.

17/08/22 PTI/Economic Times

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Five months after restoration of overseas flights, why are Indian carriers missing on so many routes?

August is the fifth full month of overseas flights after the lifting of restrictions on international operations. International traffic has returned to near pre-COVID levels faster than domestic traffic. This return was characterised by two opposing things, first the chaos in Europe due to staff shortages and second the new flights and destinations being offered from India in light of countries looking to diversify their original source markets.

Data shared by global travel data provider OAG Aviation exclusively for this article shows that August will have 302 city pairs which will see international flight operations to/from India. A staggering 45%, or 137 of these, won’t have an Indian carrier present on it. As IndiGo talks of international expansion and Air India looks to induct additional wide-body aircraft, it shows a mix of opportunity that lies ahead and what has been missed thus far.

Interestingly, the top route where Indian carriers are absent is to Kuala Lumpur. IndiGo was the only Indian carrier to operate to Kuala Lumpur from the Indian side and the airline is yet to return to it with full force. Kuala Lumpur is home to AirAsia, which has restored flights to India significantly. There is no Indian carrier to Kuala Lumpur from Trichy, Delhi, Bengaluru, Kochi, Mumbai and Hyderabad. These are the airports from where AirAsia Bhd, AirAsia X or Batik Malaysia are offering flights.

High on the list is Colombo, which has seen a lot of airlines take the plunge as tourism was seeing a new high pre-COVID. But the current times are different. Amid economic and political instability, while SriLankan Airlines operates to India and is also taking additional technical stops at Chennai and Trivandrum for its long- haul flights due to shortage of fuel in Colombo, Indian carriers have restricted themselves to operating minimal flights from just Chennai. That has left a void to Colombo from Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru and Kochi where SriLankan Airlines operates but none of the Indian ones do.

Indian carriers are absent on routes to Abu Dhabi from Bengaluru, Ahmedabad and Hyderabad and to Dubai from Kolkata. While IndiGo launched flights to Bahrain from Mumbai recently, there is no Indian carrier flying to Bahrain from Chennai or Hyderabad.

The situation is similar on flights to the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa from Delhi and Mumbai and to Singapore from Hyderabad and Kochi. These are all sectors which have at least a daily flight operated by a foreign carrier. There are many other sectors which have less than daily flights and are without competition from Indian counterparts. When flights are daily, it signifies that there is a sizable amount of traffic airlines are carrying.

18/08/22 Ameya Joshi/Moneycontrol

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High ATF prices, weak rupee to drag aviation revival; outlook negative

Domestic aviation traffic is expected to see fast-paced growth with normalcy returning to operations and widening vaccination coverage, but this upturn will do little to aid airlines’ recovery. In its monthly sectoral update for the aviation industry, ratings agency ICRA notes that sharp escalation in aviation turbine fuel (ATF) prices and the prevalent inflationary pressures will dampen earnings recovery in the current fiscal.

Meanwhile, the upcoming relaunch of Jet Airways and the entry of budget airline Akasa Air will intensify competition in the Indian aviation market, forcing airlines to sacrifice margins for the sake of market share amid high fuel prices, ICRA says.

The agency has maintained a negative outlook on the Indian aviation industry in light of the current challenges to revival.

“Elevated ATF prices will continue to pose a major threat to earnings and liquidity profile of the airlines in the near to medium term. Also, the depreciation of the Indian rupee against the U.S. dollar (which adversely impacts lease rentals, maintenance cost and other overheads) will have a major bearing on the cost structure of airlines. This apart, likely near-term relaunch of Jet Airways and the entry of low-cost domestic carrier, Akasa Air, will further intensify the competition in the domestic aviation industry. The airlines’ effort to maintain and/or grow their market share will limit their ability to expand margins in an elevated fuel cost environment,” the agency states.

The aviation industry is expected to have reported a net loss of approximately ₹25,000-26,000 crore in FY22 on account of delayed recovery due to the third Covid-19 wave. Following this, the earnings recovery in FY23 will also be gradual due to steep rise in ATF prices. Fuel prices have been on fire since the beginning of this year as supply was hit following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and subsequent sanctions against the former nation.

ICRA notes that while the airlines have been steadily raising air fares, the same has not been adequate to offset the impact of the sharp rise in ATF prices. Going further, the agency expects a positive impact of civil aviation ministry’s decision to remove restrictions on air fare from August 31, as airlines will then be able to pass on the escalated input costs to consumers through fare hikes.

However, airlines will be wary of sharply hiking air fares in order to strike a balance between projected intense competition in the near term and efforts to maintain their market shares, it says.

In ICRA’s view, air traffic yields (as measured in passenger revenue per kilometre) have increased 25-30% over the pre-Covid levels on domestic routes. It expects the industry aggregate loss to moderate to ₹14,000-16,000 crore in FY23 with the help of expected recovery in passenger traffic and lower interest burden following the significant reduction in Air India Limited’s debt post-disinvestment. Overall, the industry will require an additional funding support of ₹20,000-22000 crore between FY22 and FY24.

17/08/22 FortuneIndia.com

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India orders airlines to take strict action against mask violators

New Delhi: In view of the rising number of COVID-19 cases, airlines have been advised again to strictly comply with COVID-19 protocols inside the aircraft.

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) on Tuesday has instructed all airlines to ensure that passengers are wearing masks properly throughout the journey and ensure proper sensitization of the passengers through various platforms.

In case a passenger does not comply with the directions, strict action will be taken by airlines against the passenger, the instruction reads.

A senior DGCA official said that COVID cases are growing in the country and it is getting serious in view of this, they reiterated their instructions to the stakeholders on Tuesday.

“We will follow it up with random checks and in case of violation, tough action will be taken against concerned stakeholders,” he said.

India on Wednesday recorded 9,062 fresh COVID-19 infections that took its tally to 4,42,86,256, while the number of active cases came down to 1,05,058, according to Union health ministry data.

17/08/22 ANI/Gulf News

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Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann gives nod for setting up 'Punjab Aviation Museum' at Patiala

Chandigarh: Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann has approved the setting up of a ‘Punjab Aviation Museum’ at civil aerodrome in Patiala, to showcase the journey of Punjab in the field of Civil Aviation.

The decision was taken by the Chief Minister on a proposal given by the Punjab State Civil Aviation Council.

The Chief Minister said that Punjab's century old history of operating in civil aviation sector, needs to be showcased for the knowledge and education of coming generations. He said that the proposed Punjab Aviation Museum will be established at Civil Aerodrome, in Patiala. Bhagwant Mann said that the upcoming museum must exhibit the history and artifacts of aviation sector in the state.

The Chief Minister underlined, that besides actual replicas of aircrafts, photographs, maps, models, diagrams, clothing and equipment used by aviators can also be displayed in this museum. Bhagwant Mann said that the upcoming museum should also have sets of periodicals, technical manuals, photographs and personal archives, which are often made available to aviation researchers for use in writing articles or books or to aircraft restoration specialists working on restoring an aircraft. He said that spread over an area of 350 acres, Patiala Aviation Complex is a heritage institution that was set up in first decade of the 20th century.

The Chief Minister said that the club already has a single engine Cessna 172 glass cockpit simulator for instrument flying and instrument procedure training, state of the art training aids, a well-equipped library and modern class rooms for imparting ground training. 

17/08/2 Tribune

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Redbird Flight Academy ties up with Airbus to provide type-rating for A320 aircraft

New Delhi: Redbird Flight Training Academy has tied up with Airbus to provide type-rating training to its students aspiring to become commercial pilots for the A320 aircraft. Airbus will deliver the Jet Orientation Course (JOC) and Multi-crew Cockpit Co-operation (MCC) - theory and Full Flight Simulator (FFS) sessions to students.

Training will be provided by Airbus-approved instructors at the Airbus India Training Centre (AITC) in Gurugram, starting August 29, 2022.

“This merged platform for quality training has been created to continue celebrating ‘Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav’ wherein Redbird empowers all future aviators to attain their full potential and ensure a strong future - it is a testament to our commitment to train "Safest and the Best Pilots" for Indian aviation,” said Redbird chairman Major Manjit Rajain.

“According to Airbus Global Market Forecast 2022, India will need additional 34,000 pilots over the next 20 years. Our training centre already offers comprehensive and highly customised training programmes for pilots, maintenance crew and engineers. This partnership with Redbird is another step forward in building resilient and skilled professionals that will help address the growing demand for pilots in the region,” said Edward Delahaye, Head of Customer Accounts, Airbus India and South Asia.

17/08/22 Saurabh Sinha/Times of India

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5 Oldest Airlines Of India That Triggers Nostalgia

We can easily tell the biggest and most successful airlines of India in recent times quite easily. On the basis of their performances, people can quickly talk about these airlines. But there have been many airlines in this country that started their journey on a successful note but had to cease operating. On the other hand, there are a few airlines that are running successfully since the earliest days. These airlines are the stories of our childhood, our parents’ young days. 

Read to know about 5 of these oldest airlines in India that you may have heard your parents and grandparents talking about >>

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Complaints over flight cancellations, denial of boarding dip in FY22

New Delhi: As air travel gathered steam in financial year 2021-22 (FY22) after being restricted the previous year, fewer passengers were affected by flight cancellations. Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) figures show that there were 40 per cent fewer flyers in FY22 than in FY20, but 60 per cent fewer passengers were impacted by cancellations, and 80 per cent fewer passengers were denied boarding.

FY20 was the last financial year when India’s booming aviation industry carried out full-scale operations before being completely grounded for a couple of months due to the Covid-19 pandemic. As many as 141 million passengers had flown domestically in India in FY20.

Airlines had to shell out over Rs 3 crore to settle claims arising from denial of boarding and cancellations in FY22. With over 130,000 such incidents, each affected passenger got just around Rs 160 as compensation on an average.

Domestic airlines are not obliged to pay any compensation for cancellations caused by “meteorological conditions, security risks, or any other causes that are beyond the control of the airline.” They usually deny boarding to passengers with confirmed tickets if they have sold more seats than are actually available on that particular flight.

While cancellations have declined more than in FY21 compared to FY20, official figures also show that IndiGo and Air India have reduced their share in the number of cancellations. In FY22, IndiGo and Air India accounted for 17 per cent and 20 per cent of total cancellations, respectively, down from 25 per cent in FY20. Meanwhile, Ajay Singh-promoted SpiceJet accounted for 41 per cent of all complaints related to cancellations, up from 32 per cent in FY20. There was no improvement in the number of complaints per 10,000 during this period.

15/08/22 Business Standard

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ATF Price Fall Would Benefit Aviation Sector: Union Minister Scindia

The dip in the air turbine fuel (ATF) price and the continuation of this trend will benefit the aviation sector, Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia said on Saturday.

He said the fall in the ATF rates will have a good impact on airlines under pressure.       

"Prices of the ATF have come down. I feel this trend will continue and the aviation sector would benefit. This will have a good impact on airlines which are under pressure. 50 per cent of their cost structure is of (based on) ATF," Scindia told reporters here in Madhya Pradesh. 

Notably, ATF prices have been coming down during the last few weeks after jumping to record levels, primarily due to the Russia-Ukraine war that began on February 24.

On August 1, the price of ATF in Delhi was Rs 1.21 lakh per kilo-litre, which was around 14 per cent lower than last month.

Scindia also said when the ATF price shot up three-fold the airfare was raised by just 20-25 per cent.        

I have removed the fare band from August 30, he said. 

The Union Aviation Ministry had earlier this week said that limits imposed on domestic airfares will be removed from August 31, after approximately 27 months.

13/08/22 Republicworld

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In airline dogfight, fares drop except on certain routes

The two-plus year hiatus on price wars in the Indian skies has come to an end. As the government announced withdrawal of fare caps which have been in place since May 2020, airfares are nosediving in many sectors. This is likely to put an end to the regime of high air fares and squeeze profitability, putting financially weak airlines in a spot.

Airfares are now touching new lows. In fact, ticket prices are so low that on certain sectors like Delhi–Lucknow, they are lower than RCS-UDAN fares of similar duration. In this acronym happy country, RCS stands for Regional Connectivity Scheme, and UDAN for Ude Desh ka Aam Nagrik. The RCS-UDAN fares are subsidised and capped, while fares on all other routes are dynamic and largely driven by demand and capacity.

Soon as the circular was out, the undercutting started. An extreme fare war is in the offing on routes where Akasa Air is launching flights. With additional capacity on the same routes, the new entrant will face an intense fight for passengers.

The capacity and fare war started when Akasa Air announced its inaugural routes. On many routes like Mumbai-Ahmedabad, Bengaluru-Kochi, and Bengaluru-Ahmedabad, fares for September 1 are less than half what they were a week prior.

The war is so intense on the Bengaluru-Kochi route that airlines seem to be competing with bus services, as the airfare is cheaper than AC sleeper bus fare on the same date.

Such severe competition could either push the weakest player out of the market, or, if everyone decides to hang around, delay their path to profitability.

In high volume, high frequency sectors like Delhi–Lucknow, seats are available for just Rs 1,099. Though a similar short flight to Chandigarh costs Rs 3,000, a slightly longer flight to Amritsar is available for just Rs 1,662.

13/08/22 Ameya Joshi/Moneycontrol

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Indian Govt Wants International Flyers’ Data – Is It a Breach of Privacy?

On 8 August this year, the Union government notified the Passenger Name Record Information Regulations, 2022 (the ‘Regulations’), which is meant to enhance the detection, interdiction and investigative capabilities of Customs authorities using non-intrusive techniques for combating offences related to smuggling of contraband such as narcotics, psychotropic substances, gold, arms & ammunition etc, which directly impacts national security. The Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC) under the Ministry of Finance, which issued the regulations, made it compulsory for all airlines operating international flights to share the Passenger Name Record (PNR) details, a six-digit letter or letters- and number-based identifying system, in advance with the respective authorities.

It also said that failing to comply with these regulations would invite a penalty. This would mean that airlines will have to share some crucial data points with the CBIC authorities, including the name of the passenger, date of intended travel, contact details, payment and billing information, confirmation and check-in status, baggage information, seat information, and travel agent details from where the ticket was purchased. Till now, the airlines were required to share only the name, nationality and passport details of the international travelling passenger.

The risk analysis that the CBIC mentioned in the circular aims to prevent repeated economic offenders from fleeing the country and check illegal activities and smuggling. Not that the CBIC is asking for something additional from the passengers than what is being collected by the airlines now, but the approach to and the timing of the data protection debate that is happening across the country is raising some concerns.

The government is going ahead with another step towards collecting sensitive data when it has withdrawn the Personal Data Protection Bill that was languishing in Parliament for a long time. Further, in most other countries, PNR is the only important detail that needs to be shared with the government. India’s new regulation aims to take a different approach as it mandates the sharing of almost all the details of the passenger along with the PNR.

Following the 11 September 2001 attacks in the US, drastic changes were made in the aviation industry. From strict regulations on aviation safety to modifying aircraft, everything was changed and made stringent. In accordance with that, the United States, under The Aviation and Transportation Security Act of 19 November 2001, made it compulsory for airlines operating passenger flights to, from or through the US to provide the US Customer and Border Protection Federal Agency, upon request, with electronic access to PNR data contained in their reservation, arrival and departure control systems.

In the United States, PNR data obtained from commercial carriers are stored in the Automated Targeting System. The European Union (EU) has signed multiple agreements with countries such as the United States, Canada and Australia on data sharing, and among them, sharing PNR details is one of the most prolific elements.

Just as in the European Union, PNRs are depersonalised after six months. In five years, records are moved to a dormant database, where they remain available for another ten years — for security purposes only. Similarly, even the United Kingdom has rules to share the PNR details with the Home Office under 27B of Schedule 2 to the Immigration Act 1971 and the Immigration and Police (Passenger, Crew and Service Information) Order 2008. The Home Office stated that the PNR data is used by the law and enforcement authorities and other government authorities in order to prevent, detect and investigate any prosecuting terrorist offences or serious crimes in the country.

More than 60 countries require airlines to collect advance passenger information (API), which includes data travellers having to reveal at the border control passport details, citizenship, place of residence, and even the address of the first night spent in the country, for travellers to the US.

12/08/22 Subimal Bhattacharjee/Quint

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Why is the aircraft maintenance sector in dire straits?

Against the backdrop of a spate of emergency landings this year, the government told the Parliament on August 1 that airlines have reported 478 technical snags between July 1, 2021 and June 30 this year.

The recent incidents also forced the Directorate General of Civil Aviation or DGCA to direct SpiceJet to reduce its flights by half for eight weeks. The airline had reported a maximum number of snags in the last few months.

So what do these rising incidents of technical snags say? Are airlines cutting corners to stay afloat and are compromising on safety? The DGCA report suggests so.

The aviation regulator found that airlines were deploying staff with Category A licence as the final authorities in certifying planes. On July 18 it issued an order that only aircraft maintenance engineers or AMEs with category B1 and B2 licenses should do that job as they are more qualified and trained.

Category A licence engineers or technicians carry out minor line maintenance tasks based on their knowledge and experience,

While category B1 and B2 licence holders get specific type-rated training by airlines. Category B AME licence holders are also approved to do major maintenance works including repair, overhauling of mechanical components of heavy aircraft. Airlines usually determine the number of type-rated engineers required at any station.

Jitendra Singh Rawat, Former Joint DG in DGCA says airlines are type-training very few engineers for commercial reasons. Airlines are looking at this only as a way to meet their requirements, but not to establish an MRO. Major flight maintenance activities are outsourced by airlines to other countries.

Experts say the aviation regulator had adopted the European Union Safety Agency model for the aircraft maintenance staff that allowed airlines to issue Category-A licence to technicians. As a convenient measure and to conserve cash, the airlines started utilising Category-A licence holders at the transit base.

Clearly, there is a need for more well-trained manpower with Category B1/B2 licences. The DGCA says it issues enough licences. Between 2014 and 2022, it has issued 7,232 AME licences.

While the aircraft maintenance engineers with DGCA-approved licences get paid relatively well in line with the industry norms, the technicians at the bottom rank of the hierarchy argue that they get very less amount when they enter the industry as freshers. The pay-scale varies from airline to airline. But it is usually in the range of Rs 14,000 to Rs 19,000 per month for technicians, they say. As they move up the ranks, the staff get paid over Rs 20,000 per month. The trainee technicians are non-certified and don't have DGCA-approved licences. IndiGo has about 2,000 non-certified technicians on its payroll.

Currently, there are over 50 AME institutes approved by the DGCA. Experts say AME institutes only equip students with basic knowledge that is needed to get licences.

Airline executives have recently told Business Standard that high jet fuel prices and nascent recovery from pandemic have been holding them back from increasing the budget towards all this.

12/08/22 Akash Podishetty & Nitin Kumar/BusinessnStandard

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Indian government asks airlines to share PNR details of international passengers

Airlines operating in India will be required to mandatorily share Passenger Name Record (PNR) details of all international passengers with customs authorities 24 hours prior to flight departures. 

India’s Central Board of Indirect Taxes & Customs (CBIC), which is under the finance ministry, published the ‘Passenger Name Record Information Regulations, 2022' on August 8, 2022. 

Calling it a “risk analysis'' of passengers, the CBIC regulation aims to prevent economic and other legal offenders from fleeing the country, as well as keep an eye on other illicit trade such as smuggling.

Under the regulation, airlines are required to share passengers’ names, nationalities, and passport details with immigration authorities 24 hours prior to departure. 

Tax evasion in India has been a worrying issue for the country. It is reported that the country is losing $10.3 billion in taxes every year due to international corporate tax abuse and private tax evasion. Local media Financial Express reported in 2020 that only 1 % of the Indian population pays income tax and declares earnings above the non-taxable income. 

India joins 60 other countries that collect PNR details of international passengers.

10/08/22 Jean Lim/Aerotime Hub

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Flight Tickets To Get expensive? DGCA To Lift Price Bands Imposed On Airlines From August 31

New Delhi: The price bands imposed on domestic airlines in 2020 during the pandemic will be removed on August 31, the country’s civil aviation ministry said on Wednesday, lifting restrictions on ticket prices. According to a notification by the DGCA, “after review of the current status of Scheduled Domestic Operations viz-a-viz passenger demand for air travel in terms of the purpose specified in the initial Order No. 02/2020 dated 21.05.2020, it has been decided to remove the fare bands notified from time to time regarding airfares with effect from 31.08.2022.”

The decision will bring relief to airlines including IndiGo, SpiceJet, Air India, and Vistara as well as new entrant Akasa Air, allowing them to price tickets freely. 

While there is risk airfares could be hiked, airlines are more likely to offer deep discounts on tickets to fill up their flights and encourage more flyers during the current lean period.

Previously, airlines could not offer discounts because of the restrictions in place and with no price-band restrictions to operate within; aviation firms can lower ticket fares and bring in the much-needed funds for cash-strapped companies.

11/09/22 India.com

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Air India to operate 24 additional domestic flights from August 20

New Delhi: Air India on Thursday said it will operate 24 additional domestic flights from August 20 onwards.

"The additional 24 flights include two new frequencies from Delhi to Mumbai, Bengaluru and Ahmedabad, and from Mumbai to Chennai and Hyderabad, as well as one new frequency on the Mumbai-Bengaluru route and Ahmedabad-Pune route," the airline said in a statement.

Air India MD and CEO Campbell Wilson said, "Over the past six months, Air India has been working closely with our partners to return aircraft to service, and we are delighted that this effort is now bearing fruit."

Air India's narrowbody aircraft fleet stands at 70, of which 54 are currently serviceable. The remaining 16 aircraft will progressively return to service by early 2023.

11/08/22 PTI/Business Standard

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DGCA issues guidelines to assess fitness of transgender persons applying for pilot licence

New Delhi: Aviation regulator DGCA on Wednesday issued guidelines for medical examiners to assess fitness of transgender persons who have applied for a commercial pilot licence.

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) had last month countered media reports that claimed that Adam Harry -- a transman from Kerala -- has been denied permission by the regulator to get a commercial pilot license.

Stating that these reports were not true, the DGCA had then said a transgender person can be issued a fit medical certificate provided that there are "no associated medical, psychiatric, or psychological conditions".

On Wednesday, the DGCA stated in its guidelines that a transgender applicant's fitness will be assessed on a case-to-case basis following the principles of assessing their functional ability and risk of incapacitation.

The transgender applicants, who have been taking hormone therapy or had a gender reassignment surgery within the last five years, will be screened for mental health status, it mentioned.

"The applicant shall submit a detailed report from the training endocrinologist containing the details -- duration, dosage, frequency of dosage, changes made, hormone assay reports, side effects, etc -- of hormone therapy the applicant has been taking," it noted.

An applicant who is on hormone replacement therapy, or undergoing gender reassignment surgery, will be declared medically unfit for at least three months, it added.

10/08/22 PTI/Mid Day

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UAE-India flights: Nearly 60% drop in air ticket fares in August

Air ticket fares to many Indian cities have dropped drastically. Prices have fallen by nearly 60 per cent compared to the peak travel season in the last month, travel executives say. They also added that the rise in airfare the previous month was because of school summer vacations, Eid holidays, and summer tourism to the UAE.

"As the summer vacation is almost nearing the end, families who have gone on vacation are scheduled to return. Ticket prices have skyrocketed for tickets from India. These flights cannot return with empty seats, so this may be the reason for the drop in ticket prices from the UAE to India," said Libin Varghese, director of sales and marketing, ROOH Travel and Tourism LLC.

"Summer tourism to the UAE also witnessed a huge demand this year, which may have been the reason for the increase in return ticket prices," said Varghese.

On average, flights from the UAE to India currently cost between Dh400 and Dh700. Last month during peak summer travel, the tickets cost between Dh1200 and Dh1700.

Currently, according to Sky Scanner, the average ticket price from Dubai to Mumbai starts at Dh271 in August, from Dubai to New Delhi starts at Dh282, and from Dubai to Hyderabad, Kozhikode, and Chennai ranges from Dh320 to Dh460 for the month of August.

Raja Mir Wasim, manager of Galadari International Travel Services, said that the demand for travel to India has significantly reduced as many families are on vacation. "The families who are on summer vacation have not yet returned, and many of them do not book return tickets in advance," said Wasim.

"At the moment, people who are looking to travel to India are couples or bachelors for a quick vacation of a week or ten days," he added.

India's flag carrier, Air India, has launched a special Independence Day offer from all GCC stations for passengers travelling to India. Flight tickets from UAE to major Indian cities, including Delhi, Mumbai, and Chennai, will cost passengers as low as Dh330. Passengers can avail of the offer from August 8 and 21, 2022.

Travel executives based in India say that the ticket prices are over Rs25,000 (Dh1145) on average to UAE from many south Indian cities. "Last month, I booked a ticket from Dubai to Mangalore for Dh2,400, and now the ticket fare on the same flight is available for Dh450," said Taha Siddique, Owner of Siddique Travels, based in coastal Karnataka.

10/08/22 SM Ayaz Zaklir/Khaleej Times

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India's aviation sector likely to employ 1 lakh more people in next two years

The Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA), on Monday, said the Indian aviation sector is likely to employ 1 lakh people directly in the next two years.

According to figures stated by MoCA, the current direct employment number stands at 2,50,000 which includes pilots, cabin crew, engineer, technicians, airport staff, ground handling, cargo, retail, security, administrative and sales staff.

"Conservative estimates show that the current direct employment in the aviation and aeronautical manufacturing sector is around 2,50,000 employees. This is expected to increase to around 3,50,000 by 2024," Reported PTI citing the MoCA.

The ministry said the ratio of indirect to direct jobs in aviation is around 4:8.

"To cater to the expected traffic growth, the fleet size of Indian carriers is expected to grow substantially which would require an additional... around 10,000 pilots during the next five years," it added.

Union Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia on Sunday said the country's aviation sector is poised for phenomenal and healthy growth in terms of passengers, aircraft and airports, with the number of air travellers projected to touch 40 crore by 2027.

08/08/22 PTI/Economic Times

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India likely to record 827 million air passenger traffic by 2032-33

Indian airports are likely to record a significant rise in the number of air-passengers in the coming years. As per an assessment made by Airports Authority of India (AAI), all India total air passenger traffic is expected to increase from 341 million during 2019- 2020 to around 827 million by the year 2032-33.

With the rise in the number of flyers, the government has been taking multiple steps for corresponding growth in the airport infrastructure in the Country.

The Ministry of Civil Aviation has accorded 'in-principle' approval for setting up of 21 Greenfield Airports across the country namely, Mopa in Goa, Navi Mumbai, Shirdi and Sindhudurg in Maharashtra, Kalaburagi, Vijayapura, Hassan and Shivamogga in Karnataka, Dabra (Gwalior) in Madhya Pradesh, Kushinagar and Noida (Jewar) in Uttar Pradesh, Dholera and Hirasar (Rajkot) in Gujarat, Karaikal in Puducherry, Dagadarthi (Nellore), Bhogapuram and Orvakal (Kurnool) in Andhra Pradesh, Durgapur in West Bengal, Pakyong in Sikkim, Kannur in Kerala and Hollongi (Itanagar) in Arunachal Pradesh.

As per the ministry, the timeline for construction of airports depends upon various factors such as land acquisition, mandatory clearances, removal of obstacles, financial closure, etc., by the respective airport developers. The responsibility of implementation of airport projects, including funding of the projects rests with the concerned airport developer and the respective state government (in case the state government is the project proponent).

However, the Greenfield Airport Projects are regularly reviewed by the government to sort out the issues coming in the way of implementation of these projects. So far, out of total 21 Greenfield airports where 'in-principle' has been accorded, eight Greenfield airports, including Durgapur, Shirdi, Sindhudurg, Pakyong, Kannur, Kalaburagi, Orvakal and Kushinagar have been operationalised.

09/08/22 IANS/Economic Times

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How does India have twice as many women airline pilots as the US?

India has the highest percentage of female pilots globally, the International Society of Women Airline Pilots estimates, with about 12.4% of all pilots women, compared with 5.5% in the US, the world’s largest aviation market, and 4.7% in the UK. The statistics raise questions about how a nation — which placed 135th among 146 countries on the World Economic Forum’s ranking of nations based on gender parity — was able to reverse the trend in this particular industry. 

Some of the answers may offer lessons for other countries and sectors striving to get more women into their ranks. Read them >>

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Aviation majors in fray to operate copter taxis in Uttar Pradesh

Lucknow: After launching expressway projects worth almost Rs 1 trillion, the Uttar Pradesh government is now betting big on the aviation sector to propel the state’s economic growth.

Air travel, comprising both business and leisure, is expected to give a fillip to the socioeconomic landscape by attracting fresh investment. It would also ramp up infrastructure and create jobs.

The Yogi Adityanath government is facilitating the development of big-ticket airports, including the international aviation hub at Jewar in Greater Noida. It is also setting up heliports at major tourist hotspots like Agra, Mathura and Lucknow.

The heliports projects, to be developed under the public-private partnership (PPP) model, will be awarded to operators after competitive bidding.

In fact, five companies have already been shortlisted by the UP tourism department to develop heliport infrastructure and operate chopper services on the Agra-Meerut route. The five companies are Fly Blade India, Rajas Adventure, Oasis, Shaurya Aeronautics and Shirisha Technologies.

Fly Blade operates air services in Shirdi (Maharashtra) and Rajas Adventure operates seaplanes in Gujarat.

“The financial bids of these companies will soon be opened before the proposal is sent to the state cabinet for approval,” a state government official said.

The heliport services are slated to be launched in all major religious and ecotourism hubs across the state.

08/08/22 Business Standard

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Indian Coast Guard's Dornier aircraft forces Pak Navy warship to return to its waters

New Delhi: A Pakistan Navy warship that crossed the maritime boundary line off the coast of Gujarat and entered Indian waters, was detected and forced to retreat by an Indian Coast Guard's Dornier maritime surveillance aircraft.

According to government sources, it happened in the high seas at the peak of the monsoon season in the first half of July, when Pakistan Navy Ship (PNS) Alamgir crossed the maritime boundary line between the two countries and went into Indian waters on its side.

Shortly after entering Indian waters, it was detected by an Indian Coast Guard's Dornier aircraft that was in the air after taking off from a nearby airport for ocean surveillance.

Indian agencies are very strict about maritime boundary laws and do not even allow their own fishermen to conduct fishing operations within five nautical miles of the border.

Dornier had informed its command centre about the presence of the Pakistani warship in Indian waters and continued to monitor it. According to sources, Dornier had issued a warning to the Pakistani warship about its location and was asked to return to its territory, but it did not respond.

Sources said Dornier kept hovering over PNS Alamgir, and also tried to establish communication with it over its radio to know its intentions, but the ship’s captain chose not to respond.

The Indian Coast Guard and the Indian Air Force are keeping a watch along the Gujarat coast to prevent any misadventures. Pakistani activities, especially in the form of narco-terrorism, have increased in recent years.

08/08/22 IANS/Tribune

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Price-Conscious Indians Make Business Difficult For Budget Carriers Like Indigo, SpiceJet

The pricing dilemma has left airlines in the lurch because if they increase their ticket fare, there is a possibility that flyers might avoid air travel or go for their competitors offering lower rates. And if they reduce the prices to meet the flyers’ demand, they stand to lose out on profits. The pricing war is playing out very differently in the sector which has now decided to set its sights on profits. Read how >>

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Is Indian aviation facing a manpower shortage?

Mumbai: In a rather surprising move, Air India on Monday said it would give contracts to pilots, post their superannuation for flying till the age of 65. While the DGCA allows pilots to fly till they are 65 years, airlines usually have their current retirement age at 58. Does extending the age limit show that there aren't enough experienced pilots out there? And does a 65-year-old pilot pose a risk to passenger safety?

While speaking to ET NOW, Jitendra Bhargava, Former Air India Exec Director said that there shouldn't be any concerns raised regarding safety as pilots have to regularly undergo medical tests only after which they are permitted to fly. "If there is a shortage of pilots and we know the training of pilots costs a lot, then the easier course is to give extension to pilots, especially for long haul flights. But we must put across that it does not impair the safety element because pilots have to undergo tests every 6 months. And even DGCA permits pilots to fly till 65 years of age."

Capt. Amit Singh, Founder, Safety Matters Foundation was quick to point out that the 58-year limit came into being at Air India mostly because it was a PSU up until now. "The 58 yrs age cap was determined for PSU employees as they would retire by 55 or 58. It has nothing to do with the flying aspect or the skill of a pilot. They(pilots) can fly till 65 as per international standards and which is followed by DGCA. Not surprised then that an airline (AI) which is embarking on an expansion drive will try to hold on to their pilots and not let them go to other airlines".

In fact, Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia in a reply to parliament mentioned that there is a 'marginal shortage of commanders of certain types of aircraft but no shortage of commercial pilots. He added that there were about 862 commercial pilot licenses issued in 2021 which was an all-time high. In fact, India has about 9000 licensed commercial pilots operating currently. So where is the shortage really and how are we to overcome it?

04/08/22 Stacy Linera Pereira/ETNow

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'Hike in ATF prices made air travel costlier': Government in Parliament

New Delhi: The cost of aviation turbine fuel (ATF) has increased by 5.3 per cent since the beginning of this year. This has added to the cost of flight tickets as airlines in India pay over 50 per cent more for ATF.

“One of the main reasons is the increase in the price of crude in the international market. The war in Ukraine and foreign exchange variations and the levy of Value Added Tax are some of the other reasons for the increase,” said Minister of State for Civil Aviation General VK Singh while responding to a question in Parliament.

One must also factor in that the ATF price has been market-driven since April 2001, this was in line with the government’s decision to deregulate the administered pricing mechanism.

“Public sector oil marketing companies (OMCs) take appropriate decisions on pricing of ATF in line with the pricing of products in the international market. The government has constantly had consultations with airlines and OMCs on the pricing of ATF,’’ General Singh added.

Taking cognizance of the high VAT on ATF being levied by States, the issue was taken up with the states/Union Territories.

As a result of this VAT on ATF has been reduced by 16 states and UTs. These include Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Uttrakhand, Jammu and Kashmir, Ladakh, Himachal Pradesh, Tripura, Madhya Pradesh, Haryana, Karnataka, Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat, Dadra and Nagar Haveli, Daman and Diu, Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Jharkhand and Mizoram.

05/08/22 New Indian Express

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Disability rights groups up in arms over DGCA amendment

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation’s (DGCA’s) recent tweaking of a key Civil Aviation Requirement (CAR) to help differently-abled travellers board flights hassle-free has not gone down well with disability rights groups, who have demanded its immediate rollback. Fifty-eight disability rights organisations have endorsed a letter written to Arun Kumar, Director General, Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), demanding that the recently amended Civil Aviation Requirements (CAR) “be withdrawn with immediate effect”.

Condemning the amended provision as “derogatory and retrograde”, the rights groups have written that the new guidelines “challenges the right to equality for persons with disabilities as guaranteed by the Constitution of India through Article14”. The letter states that the provision is “also discriminatory under Section 3 of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act 2016”. The letter concludes that the new provisions would “be a grave injustice to millions of people with disabilities who have been using air transport as a mode of travel” and “literally restrict people with disabilities from travelling for any purpose”.

According to the DGCA’s amendment, airlines can no longer deny boarding to any person on the basis of disability and/or reduced mobility without a doctor first examining the person and stating that the said passenger’s health may deteriorate during the course of the journey. Rights groups accuse the DGCA and the MoCA of functioning under the fallacious and confused belief that “anyone in a wheelchair is ill” and erroneously equating differently-abled travellers with ill health.

04/08/22 Ravi Sharma/Frontline

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'SpiceJet reduced flights helped us; Akasa quite small as of now & not competing with AI-Vistara'

New Delhi: IndiGo’s outgoing CEO Ronojoy Dutta spoke about three major developments in Indian airline industry at the moment — Tata’s mega plans for its four carriers, shrinking of SpiceJet and Akasa taking to the skies from Sunday. “The competition is increasing, adding flights. But it’s quite small at this moment (Akasa). One of our major competitors has clearly reduced capacity a lot (SpiceJet) over the last year or two and that is helping us a lot..," said Dutta. 

Read in full what he has to say on today's Indian aviation scenario >>

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India-UAE September airfares will be up 40-50% as expats return from holidays

Dubai: After dipping in August, airfares from India to the UAE will be on the rise for September, as expats returning from holidays and jobseekers generate sizeable demand for seats. Rate increases could be 40-50 per cent and more as business-related trips will also be on the rise from next month.

A flight from Delhi to Dubai will cost around Dh930, up significantly from the Dh500 plus charged now. Mumbai-Dubai flights will likely hit Dh800 next month compared to around Dh550 right now. The Kochi-Dubai route is already on the higher side, with most carriers charging more than Dh1,000 for a one-way ticket. These are seen skyrocketing to Dh3,500 in September.

For those flying in from Thiruvananthapuram, fares will nearly double to Dh1,500. “The rise in September airfares is completely due to expats returning to UAE after the first proper summer without travel restrictions,” said Suraj Ramesh, Tours Manager, Albadie Travel Agency. “Tourists have not started coming in yet because it is still too hot – we will see inflows only by October-end.”

Another travel agent said that airlines are squeezing the most out of residents, who have to return ahead of school re-openings. Air India is planning to start thrice-weekly flights from Dubai to Kolkata only by winter, said the airline’s regional manager. “We are restricted by bilaterals (and) hence have to play around with current entitlements only,” he added.

03/08/22 John Benny/Gulf News

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Global and Indian companies’ line up for a pie of the Indian skies, notwithstanding the handicaps

In mid-July, an Airbus forecast caused waves in the rarefied world of aviation. According to this projection, India is the world’s fastest-growing air travel market. There was a good reason for this prognostication. Air India – in its new Tata-led avatar – is moving towards a decision on a $50 billion jet order, arguably one of the biggest in the history of the aviation industry, which could lift this sector out of its pandemic-induced morass. There is little doubt that the size of this Air India deal, once it goes through, will reinvigorate a sagging world aviation market.

What had set off the race towards a pulsating finish was its proposed final orders – the purchase of 70 wide-body jets including Airbus A350s and Boeing 787s and 777s, and up to 300 narrowbodies, industry insiders revealed.

The new Air India owner, Tata Group, wanted this mega allocation to be split between Airbus and Boeing, the world’s two biggest airline manufacturers.

That the deal could not come in time to galvanise the recently concluded, sedate Farnborough Air show on July 22, is probably more of happenstance.

Both global majors are making a `final push’ with the order, their executives making the customary dash to India to close the deal.

With the stakes being sky high, no easy decision can be expected and the outcome at this stage – even despite the declared intent – remains unknown.

Industry experts say the deal would be worth some $50 billion at list prices, but closer to $20-25 billion after steep industry discounts, given the state of economic downturn.

Of particular interest is Boeing’s revival of its 737 MAX passenger airliner, which was grounded worldwide between March 2019 and December 2020 after 346 people died in two crashes, Lion Air Flight 610 on October 29, 2018, and Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302 on March 10, 2019.

The Boeing 737 MAX’s grounding notice was withdrawn by US’s Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), which recertified the aircraft in 2020. The change allowed Boeing to resume deliveries of its only current narrowbody product. Subsequently, more and more regulators have been giving the MAX the green light.

01/08/22 Financial Express

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Airbus ties up with GMR to train aircraft maintenance engineers in India

New Delhi: European aerospace major Airbus has signed a contract with leading Indian airport infra player GMR Group to provide aircraft maintenance training to young aviation engineers.

GMR will provide a fully integrated aircraft maintenance engineer (AME) licensing program at the GMR School of Aviation in Hyderabad. The four-year course will include two years of classroom training and a two-year training in maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) at GMR Aero Technic in Hyderabad followed by Aircraft Type Training.

Airbus will provide the necessary software and courseware in the form of trainee handbooks, examination database, online access of Airbus customised basic training modules and Airbus Competence Training (ACT) for academy media package which is the technical training material required for the courses. In addition, Airbus will also provide training to GMR instructors along with assessment of the training centre.

“The partnership with GMR represents a significant deepening of MRO capabilities in India that are required to match the tremendous future demand for such services from the domestic aviation industry. Airbus will continue to contribute to the development of India’s wider aerospace ecosystem, including enhancing its manufacturing and services capabilities through its industrial footprint,” said Mr. Rémi Maillard, President and Managing Director, Airbus India & South Asia.

Ashok Gopinath, CEO, GMR Aero Technic said, “The aviation eco-system is evolving rapidly. India is all set to become the largest aviation market by 2030. The increase in air traffic is leading to fast growth in commercial aviation fleet in the country. To cater to the emerging demand and support the industry, there is a need for skilled professionals. The GMR School of Aviation will help create a talent pool for engineering and maintenance solutions. We are glad to have Airbus as our knowledge partner in this venture, that will also further the cause of ‘Mission Skill India’”

02/08/22 Saurabh Sinha/Times of ndia

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Global and Indian companies’ line up for a pie of the Indian skies, notwithstanding the handicaps

In mid-July, an Airbus forecast caused waves in the rarefied world of aviation. According to this projection, India is the world’s fastest-growing air travel market. There was a good reason for this prognostication. Air India – in its new Tata-led avatar – is moving towards a decision on a $50 billion jet order, arguably one of the biggest in the history of the aviation industry, which could lift this sector out of its pandemic-induced morass. There is little doubt that the size of this Air India deal, once it goes through, will reinvigorate a sagging world aviation market.

What had set off the race towards a pulsating finish was its proposed final orders – the purchase of 70 wide-body jets including Airbus A350s and Boeing 787s and 777s, and up to 300 narrowbodies, industry insiders revealed.

The new Air India owner, Tata Group, wanted this mega allocation to be split between Airbus and Boeing, the world’s two biggest airline manufacturers.

That the deal could not come in time to galvanise the recently concluded, sedate Farnborough Air show on July 22, is probably more of happenstance.

Both global majors are making a `final push’ with the order, their executives making the customary dash to India to close the deal.

With the stakes being sky high, no easy decision can be expected and the outcome at this stage – even despite the declared intent – remains unknown.

Boeing CEO Dave Calhoun flew to India ahead of the Farnborough Airshow, which began on July 18, keen to showcase a revival of its 737 MAX. While officially, the companies have withheld comments, there were indications that executives from Boeing, too, had visited India recently in pursuit of a combined order for 200-300 narrowbodies and 30-70 wide-body jets. The chase is clearly ‘in the works’ and no one group is letting go of it easily, as can be expected. 

Naturally, in a Covid-stricken world, with the global market a little more than gloomy, both the American firm and the European consortium are keen on concluding deals in the depressed wide-body market section.

Industry experts say the deal would be worth some $50 billion at list prices, but closer to $20-25 billion after steep industry discounts, given the state of economic downturn.

Of particular interest is Boeing’s revival of its 737 MAX passenger airliner, which was grounded worldwide between March 2019 and December 2020 after 346 people died in two crashes, Lion Air Flight 610 on October 29, 2018, and Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302 on March 10, 2019.

The Boeing 737 MAX’s grounding notice was withdrawn by US’s Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), which recertified the aircraft in 2020. The change allowed Boeing to resume deliveries of its only current narrowbody product. Subsequently, more and more regulators have been giving the MAX the green light.

01/08/22 Financial Express

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Respite for flyers? ATF prices down over 10% from peak as international oil prices ease

The price of aviation turbine fuel (ATF) in India was revised lower w.e.f August 1 international oil prices eased. Jet fuel prices are now over 10% lower from the peak hit in June 2022.

ATF prices for domestic airlines in Delhi stood at Rs 1,21,915.57 per kl on Monday, down from Rs 138,147.93 per kl seen on July 16. In Mumbai, it stood at Rs 1,20,875.86 per kl while in Kolkata the price of ATF was Rs 1,28,425.21 per kl. Down south, the price of ATF is Rs 1,26,516.29 per kl.

Prices of jet fuel have been revised only thrice in 2022 so far. ATF prices were slashed by 2.2% on July 16. Prices had peaked to Rs 141,232.87 per kl (Rs 141.23 per litre) in June.

Readers may note that the ATF prices are revised on the 1st and 16th of every month based on rates of benchmark international oil rates in the previous fortnight. Rates were not revised on July 1. Prior to that, prices were hiked by the steepest ever 16% to catapult rates to an all-time.

International oil prices have softened since on fears of recession in major economies. Oil prices are at pre-Ukraine war levels.

Jet fuel makes up almost 40% of the operating cost of an airline, the increase in prices had resulted in a rise in the cost of flying. With the latest cut in prices, consumers may see some relief.

01/08/22 Economic Times

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DGCA eyes new policy after trans pilot denied licence

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) is working to prepare a policy for licensing of transpersons, a senior government official said, a move that is triggered by the recent controversy of the regulator denying medical approval to a Kerala-based pilot, a trans person who was on hormone therapy. Even though the policy is in its early stages, the DGCA is expected to base its regulations on norms laid out by global watchdogs such as the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).

“Currently, there are no restrictions for any trans person to get a pilot licence as long as they comply with the various provisions that include age, medical fitness, knowledge, experience, etc. However, there is no stated policy and that is something the DGCA is working on,” the official said.

In the case of the transperson who was denied medical approval, the DGCA had earlier pointed out that in absence of a specific policy for transgender personnel, the medical evaluation process, including the tests, was undertaken in line with global practices. “DGCA has followed the process as specified in FAA’s Guide for Medical Examiners. This is owing to the case being a first of its kind in India. It is pertinent to mention that world over, a methodology of handling such scenarios on a case to case basis is being followed,” the regulator had said.

The US aviation regulator had, in 2016, revamped its requirements that made it easier for transgender pilots to maintain required medical certification without being grounded. The changes to this set of regulations meant that transgender pilots were no longer required to undergo processes such as frequent submission of results of psychological testing, and standardised documentation across the board to maintain a medical certificate — that is mandatory to be able to fly.

The DGCA had said that the person in question was undertaking hormone replacement therapy, which by itself does not disqualify the pilot if the applicant has no adverse symptoms or reactions. “However, flying duties are not permitted while the dose of hormonal treatment is being stabilised or until an adequate physiological response has been achieved and the dose no longer needs changing,” as per the DGCA.

After the controversy emerged last month, it was raised in Parliament, where CPI(M)’s Rajya Sabha MP AA Rahim and Shiv Sena MP Priyanka Chaturvedi posed a question asking whether the DGCA as a policy did not provide pilot licence to transpersons.

01/08/22 Pranbav Mukul/Indian Express

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