Category Archives: Aviation

The AAI’s draft of National Airports Development Plan has scribed its agenda to expand the airport count to 300 by 2047. As per the plan, around 70 airstrips can be developed into full-fledged airports that can handle narrow-body aircraft such as A320 or B737, and nearly 40 airstrips can be developed to handle smaller aircraft.

Mayur Patel, Head of Asia, OAG Aviation, said, “India has made remarkable progress in its aviation industry, positioning itself as the third largest domestic aviation market in the world. India has witnessed substantial growth in its domestic aviation sector, showcasing the country’s expanding middle class and their rising disposable income.”

Oman Air has been named Best Airline Staff is the Middle East at the Skytrax 2024 World Airline Award. The prestigious accolade was accepted by Con Korfiatis, the airline’s Chief Executive Officer, during the award’s 25th anniversary in Windsor, UK. It’s the seventh time Oman Air has claimed the title. “Oman Air’s consistent success in this category underscores our unwavering, dedication to fostering a service-oriented culture that is deeply rooted in the rich traditions of Omani hospitality. I am extremely proud of the Oman Air family, both onboard and on the ground for providing time and again their dedication to service excellence and commitment to deliver an unmatched quality experience at every touchpoint,” said Korfiatis. The Skytrax World Airline Awards are considered one of the most prestigious in the industry, with travellers across the globe taking part each year in the world’s largest airline passenger satisfaction survey.

Travelport and Emirates have announced that NDC content from Emirates and enhanced NDC servicing capabilities are now available in the Travelport+ platform. With this, Travelport’s agency customers will be able to compare dynamic NDC offers and ancillaries from Emirates and create a more streamlined, personalized experience for travellers. Travelport’s complete NDC solution for Emirates also provides agents the ability to service NDC bookings, which includes modifications and cancellations.

IndiGo has announced the launch of additional daily, non-stop flights between Mumbai and Jeddah, effective August 15, 2024. This strategic expansion caters to the growing demand for travel between India and the Middle East. The Mumbai-Jeddah route connects two vibrant cultural and economic hubs. Jeddah, the gateway to the holy cities of Mecca and Medina, welcomes travellers seeking both spiritual fulfilment and rich cultural experiences. Mumbai, renowned for its iconic landmarks, offers a taste of India’s diverse heritage. This increased connectivity provides unparalleled convenience and flexibility for travellers. Vinay Malhotra, Head of Global Sales, IndiGo, said, “We are pleased to announce additional daily flights connecting Mumbai and Jeddah. With these, we will now operate 42 weekly flights to Jeddah from 5 cities in India. These flights will not only enhance trade and tourism opportunities between India and the Middle East but also provide customers with even more options to travel to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. As India’s leading airline, we remain steadfast in our commitment to deliver an affordable, punctual, courteous, and hassle-free travel experience across an unparalleled network.”

Traffic data submitted by various domestic airlines to the DGCA has been analysed for the month of May 2024. It reveals that Akasa Air reflected a market share of 4.8% with 6.64 lakh pax, as against 4% of SpiceJet. Leading them all is IndiGo with a market share of 61.6% carrying a total of 85.04 lakh passengers in total during the month.

The newly appointed Civil Aviation Minister, Kinjarapu Ram Mohan Naidu, said, “We want to make airfare affordable and want to make airways the new railways of India. Our agenda is clear.” He also announced that they will create a 100-day action plan to lead to a long-term vision for the sector aligned with the ‘Viksit Bharat’ plan.

To underscore its commitment to the distribution landscape of the future and to strengthen and expand its product portfolio, Hahnair appoints Rachel Pascall as Vice President New Distribution. In this capacity, she spearheads an international team of developers, IT specialists and account managers. Her responsibilities encompass steering the development of Hahnair’s new distribution channels, from both a commercial and technical perspective, and fostering seamless collaboration between the Hahnair teams and the connected partners. In addition, she supports the acquisition of new partners and oversees their implementation. “Moving forward, New Distribution will be a crucial pillar of Hahnair’s future strategy, next to the GDS distribution”, comments Hahnair’s CEO Kirsten Rehmann. “Rachel Pascall brings extensive experience in strategic programme management as well as travel retail and a broad network of relevant relationships in various fields of distribution technologies and in travel management. With her in-depth expertise in API-based technologies and NDC solutions and her proven track record from similar roles at Travelport and British Airways, we are confident that she will drive the development of new distribution technologies and successfully onboard new solutions and all related processes.” Rachel Pascall comments: “Hahnair has been a leading player within the travel industry over the past 25 years and had a pivotal role in transforming and shaping airline distribution. I look forward to working with my team to build upon the company’s success, add to their distribution capabilities and increase the revenue potential for all partners.” With its New Distribution products, Hahnair will give partner airlines access to additional distribution channels as well as the world of NDC without having to develop their own solutions. At the same time, travel agents benefit from access to …

Oman Air has unveiled a significant enhancement to its distribution capabilities, ushering in a new era of convenience and choice. Partnering with Accelya, a global leader in software and technology solutions, the airline has introduced cutting-edge functionality that will enable its trade partners to seamlessly manage their customers’ travel needs. Part of the airline’s ambitious retail transformation programme, it leverages the latest IATA New Distribution Capability (NDC) technology, representing a substantial advancement from the previous booking tools available to travel agents. “NDC stands as a pivotal tool, empowering us with enhanced flexibility and control over our distribution channels. Oman Air’s NDC journey has yielded significant growth in recent years and our partnership with Accelya marks an important milestone in this journey” commented Con Korfiatis, Chief Executive Officer of Oman Air. “Not only does the new upgrade support us to streamline our customer experience and enable us to scale up and provide more robust services, it also represents a significant reduction in our distribution costs, paving the way for more efficient operations and revenue diversification.” Sam Gilliland, Chick Executive Officer at Accelya, added “We are delighted that Oman Air has chosen Accelya to take control of their retailing future and help them on the journey to Offer & Order transformation. More and more airlines, covering a range of scale and operating models, are choosing Accelya’s FI X Platform due to our track record of delivering fast, impactful results. Our partnership with Oman Air is an example of how Accelya is leading the market in modem wtail solutions and bringing the benefits of our technology to customers.” In addition to enhancing its distribution capabilities, Oman Air is bolstering its loyalty system, also …

Oman Air and SalamAir leadership met recently to mark the launch of the airlines latest codeshare partnership, which offers passengers an expanded range of travel options within the Sultanate of Oman and beyond. During the meeting, the airlines discussed their future prospects as national carriers and their common commitment to supporting the country’s tourism goals as part of Oman’s 2040 Vison. Con Korfiatis, Chief Executive Officer of Oman Air, said, “We are excited about this expanded codeshare partnership between Oman Air and SalamAir and the strengthening of our collaboration. This latest development enables us to jointly offer even more choice and schedule options, which both benefits our customers and serves the broader tourism ambitions of the country.” “We are thrilled to further strengthen our partnership with Oman Air,” said Adrian Hamilton-Manns, Chief Executive Officer of SalamAir. “This extended codeshare agreement reflects our shared commitment to providing passengers with unparalleled travel options and superior service. Together, we eagerly antici[1]pate aligning ourselves with the Ministry of Transport, Communication and Information Technology’s sentiments and the overarching vision of Oman 2040, thus, reinforcing our commitment to driving excel[1]lence in the aviation sector and promoting Omati as a premier travel destination” During the first phase, effective 4 July 2024, passengers can book their travel on a selection of SalamAir’s routes connecting to Oman Air’s network, with more destinations to be added post successful implementation.