Supreme Court allows SpiceJet to approach Delhi HC over ₹144 crore deposit as airline invokes government bailout

The Supreme Court on Tuesday allowed SpiceJet and its Managing Director Ajay Singh to approach the Delhi High Court again in their long-running arbitration dispute with Kalanithi Maran and KAL Airways. 

The airline cited a recent government emergency credit line guarantee scheme for the aviation sector in view of the West Asia oil crisis.

A Bench of Justices PS Narasimha and Alok Aradhe said, “We permit the petitioners to approach the High Court on the basis of the subsequent developments, such as the governmental order dated 5/5/2026.”

The Court further noted that the subsequent development concerned a policy decision relating to emergency credit line guarantees and said that the High Court may consider the request in view of the Section 34 petition being listed for final disposal on July 18.

The matter is rooted in a dispute from 2015, involving the rescue of SpiceJet when it was facing severe financial distress and risked shutting down operations.

Kalanithi Maran and Kal Airways were the promoters and majority shareholders of the airline, holding a 58.46 per cent stake. They entered into an agreement with SpiceJet in January 2015, under which they agreed to transfer their entire shareholding to Ajay Singh for a nominal consideration of ₹2.

The transaction was coupled with a broader financial support arrangement involving the issuance of warrants, cumulative redeemable preference shares (CRPS) and an overall funding commitment of about ₹450 crore. Disputes later arose over the performance of reciprocal obligations under the agreement, leading to arbitration.

In July 2018, a three-member arbitral tribunal directed SpiceJet and Ajay Singh to refund ₹308.21 crore to Maran and KAL Airways, along with interest at 12 per cent per annum from November 2015.

Both sides filed challenges under Section 34 of the Arbitration and Conciliation Act, 1996, while enforcement proceedings were initiated before the Delhi High Court and the Supreme Court.

The High Court eventually directed SpiceJet to deposit ₹579 crore as an interim measure. This was modified in appeal to permit a ₹329 crore bank guarantee and a ₹250 crore cash deposit. In 2019, the ₹250 crore was released to the decree holders and a further ₹58.21 crore was paid from the bank guarantee.

19/05/2026 Bar and Bench

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IndiGo, Spicejet In Focus: Delhi, Maharashtra ATF Tax Cut Could Save Airlines Upto Rs 1,500 Crore, Says HSBC

 A reduction in value-added tax on aviation turbine fuel (ATF) by Maharashtra and Delhi could offer a meaningful cost reprieve to Indian airlines, according to HSBC, which said the move affects airports accounting for roughly 37% of the country's domestic air traffic.

The brokerage estimates the tax cuts could lower fuel costs by Rs 1,200 crore to Rs 1,500 crore for InterGlobe Aviation, which operates the IndiGo brand. SpiceJet could save Rs 100 crore to Rs 200 crore, while Air India may see a reduction of Rs 800 crore to Rs 1,000 crore in its fuel bill. Akasa Air could benefit by Rs 200 crore to Rs 300 crore.

Maharashtra has cut VAT on ATF from 18% to 7%, while Delhi has lowered the levy from 25% to 7%. Together, airports in Mumbai, Nagpur and Delhi account for more than a third of India's domestic aviation fuel consumption.

HSBC said the lower tax rates could reduce IndiGo's FY27 fuel bill by roughly 4% to 5%, while SpiceJet's fuel costs could decline by around 3% to 5%. The actual benefit may be even larger if airlines are able to optimise refuelling patterns and take on more fuel at lower-tax airports.

19/05/2026 Yukta Baid/NDTV

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SC declines to entertain plea over renaming Navi Mumbai International Airport

The Supreme Court on Tuesday declined to entertain a plea seeking directions to the Centre to take a time-bound decision on the Maharashtra government’s proposal to rename the Navi Mumbai International Airport.

The Maharashtra government had proposed renaming the airport as ‘Lokneta D B Patil Navi Mumbai International Airport’.

A bench comprising Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justices Joymalya Bagchi and Vipul M Pancholi said entertaining the plea would amount to judicial overreach into policymaking.

“This will amount to indulging in policy making,” the bench told counsel appearing for petitioner organisation Prakashjhot Samajik Sanstha.

The top court said it was not inclined to entertain the plea challenging a November 2025 Bombay High Court order dismissing the petition. 

19/05/2026 New Indian Express

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Airlines plead with state-run oil majors to postpone jet fuel hikes

India’s airlines have asked state-run oil refiners to hold off on hiking jet fuel prices for domestic flights until the conflict in the Middle East ends, people familiar with the matter said, in a bid to alleviate their rising cost pressures and mounting losses.

The proposal floated by airlines including Air India Ltd., IndiGo and SpiceJet Ltd. is being considered by the refiners, said the people, who asked not to be named because the discussions are private. India’s oil and gas ministry is also involved in discussions, and may intervene again as it did in April and May.

A decision is expected before June 1.

So-called aviation turbine fuel prices in India are set by the country’s oil marketing companies, which usually make any revisions on the first day of the month. The price setting has been deregulated for years, but in April — after global oil prices surged due to the Iran conflict — the government limited the most recent jet fuel price hike to 25% and required the oil majors to keep them constant in May.

The state-owned refiners, which include Indian Oil Corp., Hindustan Petroleum Corp. and Bharat Petroleum Corp., are also discussing whether to raise jet fuel prices in June by up to 25% for domestic flights, the people familiar said. They have been selling jet fuel for domestic flights at about 105,000 rupees ($1,090) per kiloliter, incurring a loss of 92,000 rupees per kiloliter, the people added.

19/05/2026  Mihir Mishra and Rakesh Sharma/Bloomberg/Economic Times

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IndiGo Vadodara-Delhi flight loses cabin power before takeoff, passengers left in darkness

Indigo 6E 657 passenger flight travelling from Vadodara to Delhi lost power in its cabin just before take off on May 17, 2026. The flight was scheduled to depart from Vadodara at 8.40 pm with around 160 people aboard the aircraft, when it lost connection to its ground power unit (GPU). The cabin was left pitch black without air conditioning for around 30 minutes.

According to an airport official, the aircraft was relying on the GPU for electrical supply at the time when the system developed a fault. The ground power unit suddenly malfunctioned. A GPU is an external electrical generator that is used to maintain the cabin's electricity, without requiring the aircraft's engine and onboard generator to run. It took engineers 12-15 minutes to fix the technical glitch and 15 more minutes to restore the power of the aircraft.

“During these 30 minutes, there was complete darkness in the cabin, and with the AC also not functioning, the passengers were sweating badly,” said an aircraft official.

The flight was delayed by nearly 1 hour and 20 minutes, according to data from flightradar.com. The flight was originally scheduled for departure at 8.40 pm, but it took off at around 10 am. An IndiGo Airlines spokesperson confirmed the delay was due to a technical snag and expressed regret for the passenger's discomfort. 

19/05/2026 WION

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Air India flights delayed at Mumbai airport due to ground staff strike

Several flights of Air India and Air India Express were delayed on Monday as employees of government-owned ground handling agency AIASL carried out a protest at the Mumbai airport for a wage hike and other demands.

 AIASL provides ground handling services to Air India Group —Air India and Air India Express — as well as international airlines at the Mumbai International Airport, along with other airports in the country. Air India, in a statement, said that an industrial action by employees of a third-party ground-handling agency at the Mumbai airport is impacting operations.

 “Our airport teams are working closely with all stakeholders to minimise inconvenience to guests and normal operations at the earliest,” the airline said.

 Air India, however, did not reveal how many flights were impacted.

 AIASL said its employees resumed work after getting an assurance from the management that their demands would be looked into. "There was a silent Morcha by a certain section of employees, and we requested them to give us in writing (their demands) for discussion. They have been kind enough to go back and join back the work,” said Rambabu, CEO at AIASL.

He said the company will go through all requests (of the agitating employees).

18/05/026 PTI/Business Standard

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Russia Commences Taxi Trials of Twin-Seat Su-57, Eyeing India with Su-30MKI-Style Customised Offer for Drone Commander Role

Recent reports and photographic evidence indicate that Russia has initiated ground taxi trials for a brand-new, twin-seat model of its fifth-generation Su-57 stealth fighter.

This modified aircraft features an elongated cockpit canopy with a tandem seating arrangement, bearing a strong visual resemblance to the well-known Su-30 platform.

With this development, the Russian Su-57 becomes only the second fifth-generation fighter jet globally to feature a two-seater design, following China's J-20S variant which first appeared in 2021.

According to prominent Russian military aviation channels, this new stealth aircraft could potentially be designated as the Su-57D, Su-57UB, or Su-57ED.

18/05/2026 Defence

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Pilot was clutching controls: Witness reveals morgue horror after Air India crash

A man who gained access to the morgue where victims of the fiery Air India AI-171 crash were kept has revealed he witnessed scenes he "can never unsee", including the body of the plane’s captain still clutching the aircraft’s steering column.

The London-bound Air India flight, a Boeing 787 Dreamliner, crashed into the hostel building of BJ Medical College in Ahmedabad within seconds of takeoff. The disaster killed 260 people, including 241 passengers and crew on board and 19 people on the ground. Only one flier miraculously survived.

Among those killed were Romin Vohra’s aunt Yashmin, his brother Parvez, who worked for Amazon in London, and his three-year-old niece.

Speaking to the Daily Mail, Vohra said he managed to gain entry into the mortuary because he had worked as a pathology lab assistant at Ahmedabad Civil Hospital during the Covid-19 pandemic and still knew people there. He hoped to identify the remains of his relatives.

Instead, he walked into a vision straight out of hell.

According to Vohra, many of the bodies had been laid side by side on the floor. He recalled seeing severed heads and limbs, a charred mother with her child still in her arms, and the skull of a little girl that he desperately tried to match with a photograph of his niece.

But one image, he said, stood apart from the rest.

Vohra claimed he saw the body of Captain Sumeet Sabharwal, the pilot in command of the ill-fated flight, placed separately in a corner of the mortuary.

"He was still in a sitting position," Vohra told the Mail. "His back was burnt, but the front of his body was absolutely perfect."

He said the captain’s white uniform shirt, complete with four gold stripes on the shoulders, dark tie and trousers, appeared intact. Even his shoes were still on.

What shocked him most, however, was what Sabharwal was allegedly still holding.

Vohra claimed the pilot remained clutching the aircraft’s double-handled yoke -- the steering column used to control the plane -- which may have broken off during impact or while rescuers removed him from the cockpit.

18/05/2026 Devika Bhattacharya/India Today

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AIASL employees' protest at Mumbai airport leads to delay in Air India, AI Express flights

Mumbai: Several flights of Air India and Air India Express were delayed on Monday as employees of government-owned ground handling agency AIASL carried out a protest at the Mumbai airport for a wage hike and other demands.

AIASL provides ground handling services to Air India Group - Air India and Air India Express - as well as international airlines at the Mumbai International Airport, along with other airports in the country.

Air India, in a statement, said that an industrial action by employees of a third-party ground-handling agency at the Mumbai airport is impacting operations.

"Our airport teams are working closely with all stakeholders to minimise inconvenience to guests and normal operations at the earliest," the airline said.

Air India, however, did not share the number of its flights that were impacted due to the AIASL employees' protest.

AIASL said its employees resumed work after getting an assurance from the management that their demands would be looked into.

18/05/2026 PTI/Economic Times

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Baggage Missing, Flyers Trapped Inside Aircraft For 90 Minutes: Air India's Mumbai Mess Explained

 Passengers on multiple Air India flights got a rude welcome at Mumbai airport on Monday — they landed on time but were then made to sit inside their aircraft for up to 90 minutes, going nowhere. The reason: employees of a third-party ground handling agency had walked off the job, triggering disruptions across both Air India and Air India Express operations at one of India’s busiest airports.

The industrial action — aviation’s term for a strike or work stoppage — meant that basic ground operations including deplaning support, baggage unloading and aircraft servicing were either severely delayed or unavailable. Passengers who eventually got off their flights then faced a second ordeal: long waits, sometimes exceeding an hour, to receive their checked-in baggage.

The human cost of the disruption came through sharply on X. Seafarer Atul Sharma, who arrived on Flight AI 2995 from Delhi, posted: “Very disappointed with Air India service at Mumbai Airport. Arrived from Delhi on Flight AI 2995 over 1 hour ago, baggage is still not delivered and no proper assistance from staff. We are seafarers and need to urgently join our ship from Mumbai. Kindly resolve this immediately."

For seafarers, missing a ship joining is not an inconvenience — it can mean job consequences and significant financial loss.

Passenger @MockingBirdY2K, on board Flight AI 2852 which landed at 12:01 PM, posted: “I am on Air India Flight AI 2852, which landed in Mumbai at 12:01 PM today. It has been over an hour, and we are still seated inside the aircraft. We have been informed that an industrial strike is causing delays due to limited ground staff."

18/05/2026 News18

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GE Aerospace commits additional investments in India facility

GE Aerospace is expanding and upgrading its manufacturing facility in Pune. The company has announced a fresh investment of Rs 100 crore in the facility. This takes the total investment in the last three years to Rs 510 crore. The facility’s expanded capabilities will help meet growing global demand across aircraft engine programmes.

GE Aerospace’s Pune manufacturing facility is a key part of the company’s global supply chain, producing critical components for commercial aircraft engines. The Pune facility supports component production for several GE Aerospace and CFM engine programs, including the GE90, GEnx, GE9X and CFM LEAP engines.

These engine programmes power a broad range of commercial aviation platforms serving airlines globally. The latest upgrades will further expand the facility’s capabilities and support component production across GE Aerospace’s engine programmes. CFM International is a 50-50 joint company between GE Aerospace and Safran Aircraft Engines.

According to GE, the investment will support new welding technologies, advanced inspection equipment, precision tools, gauges, fixtures, and additional infrastructure enhancements designed to increase production capacity, enhance process precision, and support the delivery of high-quality components for customers worldwide.

18/05/2026 Geeta Nair/Financial Express

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Young travellers experience Air India’s Cloud Chasers initiative

 The boarding gate sign flickered to life. A personalised boarding pass slid into small, eager hands. And somewhere in the cheerful corridors of Air India’s Aviation Academy at KidZania, the childrens’ eyes lit up with excitement and wonder. This was no ordinary afternoon outing. This was Air India's vision of what family travel could and should feel like. An expedition into a world full of curiosity and adventure unfolded for kids and their mothers.

In modern times where travelling with kids requires extra preparation for parents, Air India's latest experiential initiative tackled the issue head-on with imagination and plenty of creativity. In partnership with KidZania, a leading interactive city for kids, Air India curated an experiential event at its Aviation Academy, bringing together an enthusiastic group of parents and their children for an immersive, end-to-end simulation of the Air India flying experience.

The activation was meticulously designed to mirror a real Air India journey, stripping away the unfamiliarity that can make airports feel overwhelming for young travellers. Families were greeted with the warmth that truly defines Air India's service ethos.

Priority boarding, a privilege typically reserved for frequent flyers and business class passengers was extended to every child at the event, setting the tone for a day where the youngest guests were the VIPs. Each child received a customised boarding pass, with their name scribbled on it - a touch that transformed a simple paper card into a treasured keepsake. The boarding area, dressed in Air India's signature red-and-white palette and adorned with festive balloons, buzzed with the kind of excitement usually reserved for actual departures.

But the experience did not stop at the gate. Each young traveller was gifted an exclusive engagement kit, thoughtfully assembled to keep children entertained through the long-haul journeys that can test even the most seasoned parent's patience. Activity books, games, and creative tools designed specifically for young minds were part of the kits, reflecting Air India's understanding that happy children make for happier journeys for the entire family.

My daughter Kiara is a curious soul and is always excited about travel. For her, every journey is about unlocking new experiences and watching her walk through that boarding gate with her personalised boarding pass, smiling from ear to ear, I realised how fun flying can be for kids. Air India made it all so tangible and joyful. She spent the entire evening telling her father about the pilot's cap she tried on and the certificate she got signed from Captain Priya Jain. I genuinely believe this experience has changed how she feels about air travel forever. She's already asking when we can fly for real!”, said Khushhboo Aggarwal, Social Influencer and Wellness Expert.

My kids were so excited to meet the cockpit and cabin crew and flooded them with their questions. For them the highlights of the event were the customised boarding passes and the first-flyer certificates”, said Garima Arora, Social Influencer and Parenting Coach.

As a parent who flies frequently for work, I've always tried to make travel feel like an adventure for my daughter rather than a chore. Air India's event at KidZania did exactly that. What truly moved me was how the Air India team interacted with the children with such warmth, patience, and genuine enthusiasm. My daughter came home that day and announced she wants to be a pilot. I think that says everything about the kind of experience Air India delivered. This wasn't just a brand activation, it was a memory we'll carry for a very long time”, said Dr. Gunjan Jain, Social Influencer and Child Physiotherapist.

As the experience culminated and tiny hands clutched their first-flyer certificates, one thing became beautifully clear that Air India did not just host an event, it planted a seed. A seed of wonder, of ambition, and of lifelong love for the skies. In choosing to invest in the imaginations of its youngest guests, Air India reaffirmed a simple but powerful truth that the most meaningful journeys begin long before boarding, in the moments that make a child look up at the sky and dream.

18/05/2026 Air India

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FLY91 Introduces Additional Daily Flight Between Pune and Goa

 Panaji: FLY91 has added an additional daily flight between Pune and Goa, on weekdays, for the month of May. The flight is in addition to the airline’s existing daily service on the route on weekdays and has been introduced to cater to the seasonal rise in passenger movement during the peak summer travel period. The airline already operates double dailies on weekends.

The temporary increase in frequency is aimed at offering passengers greater flexibility and convenience while travelling between Pune, one of western India’s important commercial and educational centres, and Goa. The route has witnessed steady demand from leisure travellers, students, families and business passengers during the ongoing holiday season.

The additional daily flight will further strengthen connectivity between Goa and Pune while supporting smoother travel options during a period of increased passenger traffic. The enhanced frequency is part of FLY91’s continued focus on offering reliable, trustworthy, safe and convenient regional connectivity across its growing network.

Under FLY91’s unique super - discounted SmartBag91 programme, passengers can choose from structured baggage slabs ranging from 5 kg to 30 kg at the time of booking, with pricing starting from INR 1000 and going up to just INR 3000 for 30 kg of additional baggage.

FLY91 currently connects 12 destinations including Goa (GOX), Pune, Hyderabad, Bengaluru, Solapur, Jalgaon, Sindhudurg, Kochi, Agatti, Rajahmundry, Vijayawada and Hubballi.

18/05/2026 Fly91

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FLY91 Offers Special Summer Holiday Fares for Hubballi-Hyderabad, Hubballi-Bengaluru Flights Starting at ₹1999

Hubballi: FLY91 has announced special summer holiday fares starting at ₹1999 on its daily Hubballi-Hyderabad and Hubballi-Bengaluru routes. The limited-period offer is valid on bookings made up to May 31, 2026.

The fares are aimed at making frequent regional travel during the summer month of May more accessible and convenient for passengers travelling between Hubballi and the two key southern Indian cities - Hyderabad and Bengaluru. With convenient evening departures on both sectors, the services are designed to cater to business travellers, families, students and weekend travellers seeking dependable regional connectivity.

FLY91 currently operates daily flights connecting Hubballi with Hyderabad and Bengaluru as part of its growing regional network under its ‘Connecting Bharat’ vision. The airline continues to focus on offering reliable, trustworthy, safe and convenient travel options across underserved and emerging regional markets.

FLY91 also offers a super - discounted SmartBag91, a pre-book excess baggage product designed for travellers carrying additional luggage. Under the programme, passengers can choose from structured baggage slabs ranging from 5 kg to 30 kg at the time of booking, with pricing starting from INR 1000 and going up to INR 3000 for 30 kg of additional baggage. The initiative enables passengers to avoid higher airport excess baggage charges while planning their travel in advance.

Passengers can book tickets and pre-book baggage through the airline’s official website, FLY91.

18/05/2026 Fly91

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MP to urge Centre to transfer IAF land for Sambra Airport works

 BJP MP Jagadish Shettar, who is also a former Chief Minister, held a meeting of airport authorities and members of the Belagavi Aerodrome Advisory Committee in Belagavi on Sunday.

The committee members went around the Sambra Airport and reviewed ongoing expansion and infrastructure development works.

Mr. Shettar assured airport officers and the committee members of taking up the issue of transfer of around 15 acres of land from the Indian Air Force (IAF) to the Airports Authority of India (AAI).

This piece of land is required for the construction of a parallel taxiway, ensuring runway safety and also, other purposes.

The district administration has prepared a proposal for transfer of around 30 acres of additional land and forwarded it to the State government for acquisition in the surrounding villages.

Committee members inspected the ongoing Terminal 2 construction works before the meeting. Officials told them that 87% physical progress has been achieved on the second terminal and it is expected to be completed by June.

The new terminal is being built at a cost of ₹223 crore. It will be able to handle around 2,400 passengers at a time with 1,200 arrivals and 1,200 departures.

The work on the apron expansion and new taxi link are progressing simultaneously. The aircraft parking capacity will increase to 12 bays from the current three.

They will be big enough to accommodate large aircraft like the Airbus A321.

18/05/2026 The Hindu

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Air India receives tailor-made Boeing 787-9 aircraft

 Air India has received another tailor-made Boeing 787-9 aircraft, which landed in the national capital on Friday.

The loss-making airline, which is in the middle of an ambitious transformation plan, is expanding its fleet and this is the second tailor-made Boeing 787-9 aircraft taken by the carrier after privatisation in January 2022.

The second made-for-Air India Boeing 787-9, bearing registration mark VT-AWB, just touched down in Delhi after a non-stop flight from Charleston, United States.

“This brand-new aircraft sporting Air India’s new livery is a part of our effort to upgrade our wide-body fleet and deliver a world-class premium experience to our guests on long-haul routes,” the airline said in a post on X on Friday.

18/05/2026 Moneycontrol

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IndiGo flight halted at Dhaka airport after pilot spots fox near taxiway

n IndiGo Airlines flight from New Delhi was briefly halted at Dhaka’s Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in Bangladesh after the crew spotted a fox near the taxiway area. The Air Traffic Control communication and visuals of the moving animal later went viral on social media, though the incident reportedly took place on 13 May.

The pilot of IndiGo flight 6E1103 informed Dhaka Ground ATC that the aircraft could not proceed because of the animals moving nearby. The aircraft was taxiing toward the terminal when the pilot noticed an animal and stopped Airbus A320, registered as VT-IQZ.

“Sir, there is a jackal on the right of the aircraft, about 30 feet into the grass, and it is standing there only, so we are holding position. Clear it off and we will taxi,” the pilot can be heard saying in the viral video first uploaded by Royal Bengal Aviation on YouTube.

The ATC unit asked the pilot to hold position while they sent someone to check. Just then, the pilot informed them that another “jackal” had “also crossed us left to right and both (animals) are now ahead of the aircraft.” The ATC responded by saying they had dispatched “two persons with vehicle” for assistance.

The video shows a black vehicle with two people inside arriving at the scene. As the vehicle scans the area, the ATC informs the pilot that the personnel do not see any animal. A while later, one person gets down the vehicle and picks up a polythene bag. 

“The personnel said that they found a polythene on your right, otherwise nothing found,” the ATC official informs the pilot as the black vehicle drives away.

18/05/2026 Almina Khatoon/Print

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