Category Archives: Aviation

SpiceJet has increased its frequencies in existing sectors and upgraded seat capacity on various routes across its domestic and international network to service additional demand from growing markets. The airline will operate a renewed winter schedule with 10 new daily frequencies added on its domestic network encompassing some popular routes such as Chennai-Kochi (fourth direct flight added), Bengaluru-Vijayawada (second direct flight added) Kochi-Chennai (fourth direct flight added) and Hyderabad-Vijayawada (second direct flight added) among others. On its international network, SpiceJet will be reinforcing its frequencies on the Delhi-Kabul route by increasing its operations from three days a week to five days a week. The enhanced flight schedule for this route would be effective from February 8, 2016. The airline has also increased seating capacity on select domestic routes by undertaking aircraft upgradation from Bombardier Q400, which has a seating capacity of 78 seats to Boeing 737 that can accommodate 186 passengers. This upgradation would be operational for six days a week on routes such as Delhi-Varanasi and Delhi-Dehradun among others. Shilpa Bhatia, Sr. VP, Commercial, SpiceJet, said, “We are always looking at ways to improve our network capacity so that we can continue to offer the best possible services to our customers while providing them with more flexibility. Our current enhanced schedule comes in time to add considerable depth to our existing network, thereby helping us better serve the increased demand in growing markets.”

The Union Cabinet has approved a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between India and Singapore in order to improve cooperation in the field of civil aviation. A recent statement released by the cabinet, said, “The Union Cabinet, headed by the Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, has given its ex-post facto approval for signing a (MoU), which was signed in November 2015 between Airports Authority of India (AAI) and Singapore Cooperation Enterprise in Civil Aviation during Modi’s visit to Singapore. The objective of this MoU is to establish mutual cooperation in the field of civil aviation, which will cover, to begin with, the airports of Jaipur and Ahmedabad. This cooperation will be extended to other airports with mutual consent.” The salient features of the MoU include collaboration in Civil Aviation Sector in the areas of Master-planning and design, traffic development, commercial development, service quality improvement, training and development, cargo handling and management, maintenance, repair and overhaul, operation and management and any other areas with mutual consent. To ensure high standards of service at Ahmedabad and Jaipur airports, AAI may enter into operation and maintenance (O&M) contracts, either with or without the responsibility of maximisation of non-aeronautical revenue in the terminal building (excluding land on city side and air side). The city side and airside will continue to be managed directly by AAI. Globally, limited O&M contract models are prevalent for the entire airport operations. AAI has no previous experience in awarding O&M contract model of terminal buildings to other entities. In order to implement the decision, it was necessary to ensure that a suitable entity be engaged for undertaking the O&M contract at Ahmedabad and Jaipur airports.

Air India has announced that it will operate a new flight from New Delhi to Gorakhpur, six days a week, starting January 15, 2016. The flight will offer connection to flyers travelling to various domestic and international destinations from Gorakhpur. This would also offer a convenient connection to Gorakhpur from Delhi to passengers arriving from the Gulf and other international destinations. This is the latest destination to be added to Air India’s network under its Connecting India programme. India’s national carrier, also launched operations between Mumbai and Gwalior with ATR-72 aircraft and also connected Durgapur to Delhi and Kolkata with an A319 flight. Air India will operate a 70 seater ATR 72-600 aircraft between Delhi and Gorakhpur. The flight AI 9809 will depart from Delhi at 1215 hrs and arrive Gorakhpur at 1415 hrs. On the return leg, flight AI 9810 will depart from Gorakhpur at 1445 hrs and reach Delhi at 1645 hrs. The flight will operate six days a week on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday.