Category Archives: Aviation

Hardeep Singh Puri, Minister of Civil Aviation, has said that the ministry, with all its divisions, including the Airports Authority of India and DGCA, is ready to resume domestic operations for the last one week, but they are still waiting for approval from some of the states for the same. He added that once they get approval, they will start operations in 2-3 days after that, and it could happen before the lockdown gets over. In a tweet, Puri said, “It is not up to MoCA or centre alone to decide to resume domestic flights. In the spirit of cooperative federalism, the govt of states where these flights will take off & land should be ready to allow civil aviation operations.”  

In its June flight schedule, Lufthansa Group has announced services to 106 destinations across the world. In India, Mumbai will be the first destination served by the German carrier and will connect Frankfurt with the business capital of India. George Ettiyil, Senior Director Sales, South Asia, Lufthansa Group, says, “I am quite proud of our decision to have Mumbai as one of the first destinations for increasing our long-haul services. It reflects the robust demand for flights to and from India, even in these unprecedented times. While we fully understand and respect the Indian Government’s final call as to when this can take place, resuming flights to Mumbai, underlines our confidence in how the Indian Government is handling the pandemic crisis. With Germany and Switzerland also leading the way by flattening the “curve” in Europe, reopening this route will increase economic cooperation between our countries again.”

According to the new analysis by International Air Transport Association (IATA), in 2021 it is expected that global passenger demand (measured in revenue passenger kilometres, RPKs) will be 24% below 2019 levels and 32% lower than IATA’s October 2019 Air Passenger forecast for 2021. This forecast is modelled on the baseline scenario of domestic markets opening in Q3, with a much slower phased opening of international markets. This would limit the air travel recovery, despite most forecasts pointing toward a strong economic rebound late this year and during 2021.

The Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) has come up with a draft Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for commercial flights as preparations are underway to start domestic air travel in India. The ministry said that passengers might have to fill a detailed questionnaire, carry no cabin baggage and use Aarogya Setu app mandatorily. Passengers might also have to reach the airports at least two hours before departure, according to the ministry’s suggestions. The draft does not address the issue of keeping the middle seat vacant. The final SOPs are yet to be issued by the ministry. Till now, the suggestions have been sought on a draft discussion paper from airlines and airports. The draft SOP proposes that passengers would need a green status on Aarogya Setu app and would have to do web check-in as well as undergo temperature checks. A questionnaire to be circulated to the passenger and filled up by them in advance about their past history related to COVID-19 and quarantine, if any, in the last one month. Any passenger who has undergone quarantine in the last one month to be sent for security at the isolated security check unit only. The ministry has also suggested airlines maintain the same set of cabin and cockpit crew in the roster for as long as possible to prevent cross-contamination. Further, the ministry has suggested that passengers denied travel due to high temperature or age should be permitted to change their date of travel without penalty and airlines would have to maintain their records. Airports should have an isolation zone in the terminal building. State governments should provide requisite help with medical infrastructure if the airport does not have an APHO …

In a free-wheeling webinar interview organised by CAPA – Centre for Aviation recently, József Váradi, Chief Executive Officer, Wizz Air, said that his airline is doing well in terms of stimulating demand in the market. “Of course, the level of demand is not the same as before Covid-19. But if I were to look at our numbers, we are operating quite a few flights. We are performing at 10 per cent of our capacity as we speak and we are achieving a load factor of 70 to 75 per cent – an average of 200 seats per aircraft. I think we are doing quite well with regard to stimulating demand. However, we are seeing significant no-shows although it is improving. Also, while we are operational in 45 countries, no two countries have the same restrictions in place. So there are a lot of complexities out there.” He added that Wizz Air currently has an operating fleet of 121 aircraft which will go up to 135 within a year. In that period, it will be taking 22 new aircraft deliveries and retiring eight older aircraft.    

In conversation with TravTalk, Kanika Tekriwal, CEO & Founder, JetSetGo Aviation Services recounts how the private aviation sector is affected due to COVID-19 and how the industry will reshape after the pandemic. “As the aviation industry has been hit extremely hard by the COVID 19 crisis, and when flying through such turbulence, it’s critical to focus on the horizon. One of the important points is consolidation. It is usually perceived that; private aviation sector is not consolidated, and few players are still working on solo mode which will make the survival difficult,” comments Tekriwal while briefing about the survival, revival and resurgence strategy in the private aviation sector which includes the operation of charter flights. Explaining further about the need of the hour in the sector, she says,” Another important step is to have a data-driven, action-oriented plan to help us emerge stronger from the COVID 19 crisis. All this needs to take into accounts the demands of flying private, safety and security of all our customers which is our utmost priority and the market structure scenarios.” According to Tekriwal, there was nine-fold raise the number of international inquiries they were receiving for charter flights but the lockdown and travel ban came as a major setback. Whether it is health risk concerns or just getting where you need to be, people and companies that have the means to fly privately, but had previously eschewed it, are now looking at the options. The industry as a whole is working on a requirement basis to help people reach their destinations. No two days will be same again in private aviation and we need to stay braced for some turbulence,” she said. Explaining …

A survey conducted by International Air Transport Association (IATA) at the beginning of April reveals that as many as 47% of air passengers surveyed wished to begin travelling within a month or two (by May or June). The survey, conducted across 11 countries (including India), also revealed that at least 4 per cent still continued being sceptical and did not wish to travel for the foreseeable future. Respondents for the survey were from Australia, Canada, Chile, France, Germany, India, Japan, Singapore, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom and the Unites States.

`In its latest analysis on the impact of COVID-19 on the aviation industry, CAPA India has said that the government and industry will need to collaborate to rethink and redesign aviation sector to emerge from the crisis and move towards a sustainable future. The report explains, “The current crisis should be used to initiate structural changes for the long-term viability of the sector. The industry will need to make some hard choices. Airlines will need to restructure their businesses to become leaner and reduce costs, whilst also increasing the strategic deployment of technology and analytics to enhance revenue and improve efficiency.”

With more than two decades of experience in aviation industry, Sanjay Kumar, Chief Strategy & Revenue Officer, IndiGo, has a different take on what luxury would mean in terms of air travel. “We believe that any product which is safe, reliable, on time, and affordable is luxury. If we can scratch even a two to three per cent of the total domestic market, and make air travel a part of their journey that would be great. Right now, these travellers are taking their own transportation, or trains, or buses. But if we can create an ecosystem for them which is cost-effective and efficient, that can help them travel the way they want to travel, then I think that can be called luxury too. Traveling by air itself is luxury. They have graduated from ground to air and if you have a network aligned to that in every state or tourist point, it makes for a great opportunity,” Kumar says, adding that Indigo has 63 destinations across the network of which 25-30 destinations have been launched in the last two years.

Turkey’s national flag carrier performed one of the most significant flights on April 23, the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Grand National Assembly, and National Sovereignty and Children’s Day. The TC-JJF registered Boeing 777-300 (ER) type aircraft, which arrived in Ankara in the morning for this special flight, took off from Esenboğa Airport on April 23 at 09:40, local time. Representing the date 23 April 1920, flight TK1920 lasted approximately two hours and followed a route in which the crescent and star symbols in the Turkish flag were drawn. After the flight, which was followed by many through the live air traffic site Flightradar24 that provides flight tracking data, a crescent-star route emerged and passed into Turkish aviation history. Captain Öner Samyel and First Officer Murat Gülkanat, who made this meaningful flight that left its mark in the heavens, made a special announcement in the sky above the Assembly building itself, which was opened 100 years ago. In the announcement referring to the statement of Gazi Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, “Sovereignty unconditionally belongs to the nation“, it was emphasized that Turkish Airlines ensured that his legacy lived on in the skies. Turkish Airlines Chairman of the Board and the Executive Committee, M. İlker Aycı said “The inauguration day of the Grand National Assembly of Turkey, founded a hundred years ago to represent the will of a nation which went its founder Ghazi Mustafa Kemal Atatürk as “April 23, National Sovereignty and Children’s Day”, reflecting the confidence in the next generation in the safekeeping of these sacred values. As our country’s national flag carrier, we dedicate today’s exclusive flight to our children, the guardians of our future.”