Category Archives: Aviation

Civil Aviation Minister Hardeep Singh Puri, in Parliament, said Air India’s only 21 routes, including nine domestic and twelve international, are profitable. Only these routes can cover the total cost of operating flights on 100 routes on which the airline operated between April 2019 and March 2020, he further added. Puri’s response indicated that Air India operates in 56 domestic and 44 international destinations and out of those 101 domestic and 10 international routes, it does not cover variable costs. “Air India continuously monitors market developments and the performance of its flights and conducts studies with the aim of withdrawing, introducing new routes or increasing / decreasing the frequency of existing routes. Air India has withdrawn flights that did not meet fixed / variable costs,” said Puri. He said that services on loss-making routes will be analyzed based on their strategic importance before deciding whether to withdraw or continue those routes.

During the Unlock 3.0, Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (CSMIA) has helped in the facilitation of over 570 charter flights during August 2020. The airport handled over 67,500 passengers by connecting to 34 international destinations operated by 26 airlines during that period.  

India’s airlines could still have 250-300 surplus aircraft by March 2021, and could therefore be headed for an unprecedented consolidated loss of USD 4-4.5 billion in FY2021. Approximately 400-450 aircraft were grounded by end of Q2 2020. This figure is expected to improve slightly with 250-300 aircraft being grounded by end of Q4.

CM of Uttar Pradesh Yogi Adityanath said that international flight operations from Kushinagar airport will commence in next two months. The government had given Kushinagar, an important Buddhist pilgrimage site, the status of the international airport in June 2020. Once this airport begins operating international flights, it will become fourth international facility in the state.

Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (CSMIA) becomes India’s first airport to introduce a QR-code based contactless check-in facility for passengers. It has added a touch-less feature to its self-check-in kiosks whereby passengers can use their phones to scan the QR code in order to remotely self-check-in, thus minimizing surface contact in the course of their journey

India’s first on-site COVID testing facility is all set to come up at the capital’s Indira Gandhi International Airport, which will provide RT-PCR test results within six hours. The facility by Genestrings Diagnostic Centre, is expected to be operational by mid-September. The which will establish the 3,500 square metre facility at the multi-level car parking of Terminal 3, said that the results of samples collected at the facility will be declared within 4-6 hours, and until then, the passengers will be isolated in the waiting lounge or may opt to stay in a hotel. If the result is positive, the passenger will be processed in line with applicable Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) protocols by the authorities while those testing negative can continue their onward air journey. Ministry of Health and Family Welfare guidelines mandate international passengers arriving in India and having RT-PCR negative certificate would be exempt from institutional quarantine by states and will be allowed onward air journey. DIAL’s CEO, Videh Kumar Jaipuriar, said: “Delhi airport continues to be a hub for international travellers even during the pandemic. The pilot initiative has been taken to ensure testing of all arriving international transfer passengers scheduled to board a domestic connecting flight post-arrival at Delhi Airport. The Covid-19 testing laboratory at Delhi Airport has been adequately equipped for testing and sample collection that will be conducted in compliance with the protocols established by the ICMR and the NABL.”

As part of its commitment to enhance the visa system experience for students, United Kingdom Visas and Immigration (UKVI) has introduced flexibility in visa rules, with health precautions throughout the visa system, to ensure a comfortable and safe environment for all customers, especially incoming international students, along with its visa services partner VFS Global.  UK Visas and Immigration has introduced greater flexibility in visa rules, allowing students to apply for visas when they are able to travel to the UK, rather than at the start of their studies, with health precautions throughout the visa system along with visa services partner VFS Global, to ensure a comfortable and safe environment throughout the visa application process. Study visa applications for the UK can be made in Ahmedabad, Bengaluru (Global Tech Park only), Chandigarh, Chennai, Jalandhar, Kochi, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Mumbai (Mahalaxmi only), New Delhi (Shivaji Metro Stadium only), and Pune. In order to ensure a safe environment for customers and employees, VFS Global has established standardised protective measures to be followed across all its UK Visa Application Centres. To ensure health and safety norms are followed, the centres have implemented a mandatory online appointment system, besides checking body temperature of all customers at the entrance, and maintaining physical distancing measures. Additionally, staff also carry out preventive measures such as disinfecting high-contact surfaces, body temperature screenings, use of hand sanitisers, regular hand washing, etc. Since 06 July 2020, UK Visa Application Centres have re-opened in 11 cities in India in a phased manner: Ahmedabad, Bengaluru (Global Tech Park only), Chandigarh, Chennai, Jalandhar, Kochi, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Mumbai (Mahalaxmi only), New Delhi (Shivaji Metro Stadium only), and Pune – and these centres are receiving Tier 4 …

An estimated USD 4.5 to 5 billion of funding will be required to overcome this crisis, mostly for airlines. Excluding IndiGo, the cash position of the industry as on 31-Mar-2020 was just USD 200 million (IndiGo had USD 1.36bn). The current low oil prices and excess liquidity, both globally and in India, would ordinarily have been positive for the sector. But the industry will not be able to fully benefit or raise funds due to structural issues.

Adani Airport, a subsidiary of Adani Enterprises, is set to become India’s biggest private airport operator after acquiring the entire 50.5% stake of GVK Airport. This takes its total to 74% controlling stake in Mumbai International Airport Limited (MIAL) as well as the proposed Navi Mumbai International Airport Limited. The remaining 26% is held by AAI.

In September alone, Lufthansa will offer 160 flights between India and Germany, more than five per day and more than four times as many as in August. The airline will operate between Frankfurt and Munich and the key Indian cities of Delhi, Mumbai, and Bengaluru. Ten weekly flights are scheduled for Delhi-Frankfurt, Delhi-Munich, Mumbai-Frankfurt and Bengaluru-Frankfurt. Lufthansa Group has also launched a free-of-charge re-booking policy for its customers regardless of the terms and conditions of their purchased tickets.