Category Archives: Aviation

Noor Ahmad Hamid, CEO, PATA highlights India’s unparalleled aircraft acquisition spree, with the country poised to witness the delivery of nearly three new aircraft per week over the next four years. This surge, coupled with initiatives like Air India’s restructuring, will enhance India’s competitiveness in the region.

Manta Air announced the commencement of its first international flight between Dhaalu Airport in Maldives and Kempegowda International Airport in Bengaluru on 1 March, 2024. This new route will save 4-5 hours of tourists’ time as they can avoid the overtly crowded Velana International Airport of Maldives.

CRISIL Ratings estimate a rise of more than 20 per cent in the profit of the domestic airline industry in the next fiscal year. The subsequent increase in profit is being accredited to the surge in passenger traffic, the ability to pass on volatile fuel prices to flyers, and reduced fluctuation in foreign exchange rates.

Minister of State, MoCA, Gen. (Dr) V. K. Singh (Retd) said, “Before Covid-19 pandemic, India was one of the fastest growing aviation market in the world. During the six-year period i.e. 2014-15 to 2019-20, Indian airports witnessed robust double-digit Compound Annual Growth Rate of 12.4% in terms of total passenger traffic. Post-Covid, Indian aviation industry is again on the growth trajectory and the total passenger traffic has recovered to the tune of 96% during 2022-23, as compared to pre-covid.”

Minister of Civil Aviation, Jyotiraditya M. Scindia chaired an advisory committee meeting with airport operators, and key stakeholders to discuss transformative changes in airport interior design and technologies to expedite immigration and security check processes for international travellers. The meeting emphasized the common goal of positioning India at the forefront of air travel.

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman stated that aviation sector has been galvanized in the past ten years. Number of airports have doubled to 149. “Roll out of air connectivity to tier-two and tier-three cities under UDAN scheme has been widespread. Five hundred and seventeen new routes are carrying 1.3 crore passengers. Indian carriers have pro-actively placed orders for over 1000 new aircrafts. Expansion of existing airports and development of new airports will continue expeditiously,” she added. This development will result into better connectivity, and more flight routes, which will eventually escalate the aviation industry and will significantly increase the number of tourist arrivals.

While unveiling the Interim Budget 2024,  Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman stated that the government aims to fortify the Electric Vehicle (EV) ecosystem by investing in the manufacturing and charging infrastructure. Additionally, she introduced that govt is going to launch new bio-manufacturing scheme to foster green growth. Consequently, the aviation sector will get a boost in green initiatives as they plan to introduce more strategies for responsible travelling.

Due to political strike by employee unions against Finnish Govt. on 1-2 February, Finnair will start cancelling flights from 30 January due to no connections from Helsinki. Customers will be offered alternative routes, long-haul flights to be routed directly to their destination.

Touted as a game-changer, the newly-launched UDAN 5.3 aims to revitalise point-to-point air connectivity. The new round will focus on connecting unserved, underserved cities of India. Scindia says, “In addition to aviation infrastructure we are addressing issues of capacity building across the value chain including human resources. We have liberalized policies so as to ensure adequate availability of pilots, cabin crew, engineers, etc. in the country.”

Noida International Airport today entered a strategic collaboration with Akasa Air, to support each other in their growth journeys. Akasa Air will base aircraft at the airport to operate domestic and international flights from Noida International Airport, to support the growing air travel demand in the region. India has witnessed a surge in passenger traffic in recent times, and this is poised to grow further in the years ahead. Noida International Airport and Akasa Air share a commitment to supporting this growth by deepening air connectivity from Delhi NCR and Western Uttar Pradesh to India and the world. Mr. Christoph Schnellmann, Chief Executive Officer, Noida International Airport, said, “We are excited to welcome Akasa Air as our airline partner, marking a significant step forward as we progress towards airport opening. This partnership highlights our commitment to strengthen air connectivity in the Delhi NCR region and Western Uttar Pradesh. Akasa Air is one of the fastest-growing airlines in the country, and we are thrilled to have them join us on our mission to establish a comprehensive air network, connecting major metros as well as Tier 2 and 3 cities across the country. Our goal remains to offer passengers unmatched connectivity and an exceptional travel experience.” Commenting on the occasion, Vinay Dube, Founder and CEO, Akasa Air said,” “Noida International airport exemplifies our government’s focus on developing aviation infrastructure as the country moves towards becoming an international aviation hub. Akasa Air’s proposed partnership with the airport is in line with our endeavour to build a holistic network that connects the length and breadth of the nation. We are confident that the synergy will enable us to further fortify connectivity to and from …