Clash inside Dubai-Kochi Air India Express flight; Kerala police take two into custody

Kochi:  Nedumbassery police on Sunday took two persons into custody for fighting inside Air India Express flight. Police registered a case against Rinson Thomas, 33, of Porathyssery, Thrissur and Krishad, 33, of Alamkodu, Malappuram.

The incident took place in Dubai-Kochi Air India Express which started from Dubai on Saturday night and reached Nedumbassery airport in the wee hours of Sunday. According to police, the accused clashed inside the flight, creating havoc. 

The duo did not pacify even after the intervention of the flight crew. After deboarding the flight at the Nedumbassery airport, Air India Express ground staff reported the matter to the police on receiving information from the pilot of the flight.

31/05/2023 New Indian Express

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IndiGo And Tata Group Airlines Now Control More Than 80% Of Indian Market

The early 2000s marked the beginning of a significant churn in Indian aviation. The dominance of a handful of full-service carriers (out of reach for most Indians) was about to be challenged by budget air travel.

Airlines, such as IndiGo, SpiceJet, and Go First (it was called GoAir back then), burst onto the scene, opening the floodgates for millions of first-time flyers nationwide. Even Jet Airways and Kingfisher Airlines were forced to launch low-cost brands such as Kingfisher Red and Jet Konnect.

The overwhelming sense prevailing in that era in India was that of democratization of air travel (to a great extent, if not entirely), where no single airline dominated the market, and airfares were kept competitive for passengers. But the latest data by the Indian regulator, the DGCA, suggests new dominant forces in an ever-evolving sector.

By now, the DGCA figures every month follow a predictable pattern, at least as far as airlines’ market share is concerned. Nobody is surprised by IndiGo commanding a presence of more than 50%, while other airlines remain primarily in the single digits.

But a close examination of these figures reveals an interesting trend. IndiGo is now in the region of the late 50s and inching towards the 60% mark, with a 57.5% market share in April. On the other hand, Air India, Vistara, and AirAsia India individually come nowhere close to IndiGo but collectively command a quarter of the Indian domestic market.

Currently, India’s domestic aviation is controlled by two forces – IndiGo on one side and the Tata Group airlines on the other. Together, they have a grasp over an eye-watering 82.4% of the Indian market.

Many are now wondering whether the aviation sector in the country is headed towards a duopoly. The term is being loosely thrown around for now because Vistara and Air India are technically still different airlines until their merger, and AirAsia India will eventually merge with Air India Express. But there’s little doubt that two power blocks dominate the Indian aviation space currently.

24/05/2023 Gaurav Joshi/Simple Flying

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Dubai-Mangaluru flight delayed by over 10 hours, passengers face tough time

Mangaluru: Passengers of Mangaluru-bound Air India Express flight IX 814, which was scheduled to take off from Dubai at 2.25 am on Sunday, had a harrowing experience as the flight was delayed by more than 10 hours. The airline officials cited technical reasons for the inordinate delay. However, the passengers complained that they were not informed about the delay in departure by the airline, which caused them much inconvenience.

A tweet posted by @pritham_1974 read: “Flight from mangalore Dxb IX 814 delayed by 9.30 hours, No SMS nor a call from Airlines. Airport staff informed passengers after one hour waiting for check in, Poor coordination from the airline staff at the airport .. not expected from TATA group #AirIndia #ratantata #dgca.”

A tweet from handle @Nenmeli said, “@ DrSJaishankar @PMOIndia Around 185 Airindia express IX814 passengers to IXE are stuck and suffering in DXB terminal 2 since last night due to flight delay. Now at 6.10AM at DXB, we don’t know when the flight will depart. Please do the needful urgently.”

In another tweet, @Nenmeli replied to TOI that after more than 10 hours of delay, passengers were allowed to check in around 9.30 am on Sunday. “Also, the airlines arranged food for all of us,” the tweet said.

An AIE official at Mangaluru International Airport said that the flight was delayed in Dubai due to technical reasons and is expected to land at MIA around 6.45pm.

Sources said that the major rehabilitation/recarpeting work under way at Mangaluru Airport runway 06/24, is another cause for the delay since flights cannot land here anytime between 9.30am to 6pm, except Sunday and national holidays. The works which started on January 27 will continue till the end of this month.

22/05/2023 Times of India

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13 years since Mangaluru air crash: A tragic day in aviation history

Mangaluru: Thirteen years ago, on a fateful day in May, the city of Mangaluru, was struck by a tragedy that would leave a lasting impact on the nation.

A tragedy that shook the aviation industry and left a lasting impact on the community.

On May 22, 2010, an aircraft operated by Air India Express crashed while attempting to land at Mangaluru International Airport, claiming the lives of 158 people on board.

The ill-fated flight, carrying 160 passengers and six crew members, was en route from Dubai, United Arab Emirates to Mangaluru. As the aircraft approached the runway, it overshot its landing and plunged down a steep hill, bursting into flames upon impact.

The accident sent shockwaves through the nation, as families, friends, and the local community mourned the loss of their loved ones. Rescue teams, including firefighters, police personnel, and medical professionals, rushed to the scene, but the intense fire and difficult terrain made their efforts incredibly challenging.

In the aftermath of the crash, investigations were launched to determine the cause of the tragedy. The inquiry revealed that several factors contributed to the accident, including. The airport’s tabletop runway design, which has a steep gradient at the end, also played a significant role in the disaster.

Today, on this solemn occasion, families and friends of the victims gather to pay their respects at the memorial erected near the crash site. The memorial serves as a poignant reminder of the precious lives lost and the ongoing need for aviation safety improvements.

22/05/23 PTI/Udayavani

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Around 3,900 people, including pilots, hired for Air India, Air India Express, says Campbell Wilson

In an effort to expand their fleet and smoothen services, Air India and Air India Express have increased headcounts since the start of this year. Air India Express and the airline recruited more than 3,900 people including 500 pilots and 2,400 cabin crew members, said Campbell Wilson, CEO and Managing Director of Air India.

In a bid to revamp the airline group, Tata Group’s Air India is hiring more people as it expands the fleet as well as operations.

“Since the start of the year more than 500 pilots, 2,400 cabin crew and 1,000 other staff have been recruited across AI and AIX. We also saw our 1,000th new cabin crew of the year commence operational duties,” Wilson said, reported PTI. 

He also appreciated saying the teams have done a good job in training capabilities, ramping up the recruitment, and grooming the new Air Indians. Air India Express has about 1,900 people while Air India has around 11,000 employees, including third party staff, reported PTI.

The airline is undergoing a five-year transformation that includes the expansion of routes, flights and increase of market share in both domestic and international flights. Orders have been placed for 470 aircrafts that include narrow-body and wide-body planes with Boeing and Airbus. 

19/05/2023 Financial Express

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Air India Express Soars to New Heights with Remarkable Pilot Recruitment Roadshow in Mumbai

In a resounding success, Air India Express Limited (AIXL), the low-cost carrier subsidiary of Air India, successfully concluded its roadshow in Mumbai aimed at recruiting pilots. Held on 15th May 2023, the event witnessed an impressive turnout of pilots, surpassing expectations and bolstering the airline’s efforts to meet the surging demands of its operations.

Building on the success of similar roadshows in Delhi on May 10th and 11th, 2023, and Bangalore on May 12th and 13th, 2023, AIXL saw approximately 300 pilots actively participate in the rigorous selection process during these events.

With a relentless focus on strengthening its workforce since October last year, AIXL has been targeting vacancies for pilots and cabin crew members. In an impressively short span of time, the airline has successfully recruited over 280 pilots and 250 cabin crew members, solidifying its commitment to excellence.

Expanding its reach beyond the major metropolises of Delhi, Bangalore, Mumbai, and Chennai, AIXL has been conducting walk-in recruitment drives in other cities and towns, including Imphal, Guwahati, Surat, Ahmedabad, Bhopal, Kochi, Kozhikode, and Mangalore, to cater to aspiring cabin crew candidates.

16/05/2023 News18

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Air India Express to hire crew for B737 NG/MAX aircraft

Air India Express has invited applications from individuals for multiple opportunities at different bases in the network.

In a tweet, the Tata Group company has announced that it is hiring Pilots, Captains, and First Officers to join the team flying B737 NG/MAX aircraft.

Air India Express' job openings advertisement comes at a time when the Tata Group-owned carrier Air India and some of its pilots have been at loggerheads after the airline failed to address any of the pilots’ concerns surrounding the recently announced work conditions and pay structure.

Air India on April 17 announced a new salary structure for pilots and cabin crew of Air India, Air India Express and AIX Connect. The airline has given time till the end of this week for pilots to decide on signing the new contracts. The initial deadline for accepting the revised compensation structure ended on April 30.

As part of consolidating its airline business, the Tata Group is in the process of merging Air India Express and AIX Connect, as well as Vistara with Air India. Vistara is a joint venture between Air India and Singapore Airlines.

10/05/2023 Moneycontrol.com

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