Category Archives: Aviation

Adedayo Olawuyi, CCO, Uganda Airlines, announced that the airline is all set to revive the Mumbai-Entebbe route from october 7, 2023 after 40 years. This route was earlier serviced by Air India. Uganda Airlines will start a three weekly direct flight between the two cities targeting VFR traffic, business travellers and medical tourists, but also mice and leisure tourists.

Vinod Kannan, CEO of Vistara, announced, “The airlines has launched several new routes from Mumbai, especially connecting to Middle East, aiming to align with the airline’s strategy to position Mumbai as vital hub for international travel”.     

The domestic aviation industry has experienced a surge in passenger traffic during the first eight months of 2023. MoCA data reveals that the number of pax carried by domestic airlines reached 1190.62 lakhs from January to August 2023, marking huge growth of 38.27% compared to the same period last year. 

As travelers take to the skies once again, digital travel platform Agoda offers the most popular domestic and international flight destinations so far in 2023.  In India, the most popular international destination is Dubai, followed by Bangkok, Bali, Singapore and Hanoi. The ranking shows a clear preference for Southeast Asia, with four of the destinations falling in that category. Domestically, Indians are taking off for New Delhi and NCR, Bangalore, Mumbai, Hyderabad and Pune, rounding out the top five. Based on Agoda’s booking data, four of the five most popular international flight destinations are nestled in Southeast Asia, with Bangkok in first place. Singapore in second, Vietnam’s Ho Chi Minh City in fourth, and Malaysia’s capital Kuala Lumpur in fifth also represent Southeast Asia. Seoul, South Korea splits the top five, coming in as third most popular international flight destination. “Many factors contribute to the popularity of Southeast Asian cities”, said Andrew Smith, Senior Vice President of Supply, Agoda. “These cities represent five bustling metropolises, with rich culture and history, an exquisite culinary scene, and unique nightlife. Even with airlines expanding their routes and fleets, I wouldn’t be surprised if we’ll see these amazing destinations ranking high for years to come.” Agoda has built a global reputation as an online platform for booking hotels and holiday homes, but has seen an increase in flight bookings since the platform launched in 2019. Currently, more than 1,30,000 flight routes can be booked on Agoda.  

Datuk Musa, DDG of Promotion for Malaysia said, “Incentives are offered to travel agents to organize charter flights from India to Malaysia, targeting MICE segments. With an aim to attract more tourists, not only via commercial flights but also specially arranged charters.”

Fly Bharathi Aviations and Aeronautics is ready to kickstart its aviation journey in the Indian skies. The company has signed an MoU with UK- based SRAM and MRAM Group for an investment worth $1.8 billion. The fund will be utilised for the expansion of both domestic and international aviation business. 

Virgin Atlantic is pleased to announce its first-year anniversary of the codeshare agreement with IndiGo, marking a significant milestone in the partnership. The collaboration has not only facilitated seamless travel experiences but has also opened new horizons for frequent flyers seeking enhanced connectivity and travel options.  The partnership will help customers to connect between Virgin Atlantic and IndiGo’s networks with a single ticket. The partnership has grown from strength to strength, initially launched with 8 destinations in September 2022, growing to 34 destinations across the country now. In one year more than 30,000 customers have connected between Virgin Atlantic and IndiGo’s network, with the most popular destinations being Goa, Hyderabad, Ahmedabad, Bengaluru and Amritsar.   Alex McEwan, Country Manager, South Asia, Virgin Atlantic, commented, “We are thrilled to celebrate the first anniversary of our codeshare partnership with IndiGo, which is offering more choice for our customers across India. Our performance in India continues to go from strength to strength and we are excited to launch flights to Bengaluru from London Heathrow in March 2024 which will offer more connecting options for customers in the South of India.”    

IATA, in its quarterly air transport chartbook for 2nd Quarter 2023, reported that the global airline industry is expected to generate a net profit of USD9.8 billion in 2023, with a modest 1.2% net profit margin. This translates to an expected profit of USD2.25 per passenger. 

An Air Services Agreement was signed between New Zealand and India in Auckland which is expected to boost bilateral ties in civil aviation between the two countries. According to the MoU, designated airline(s) of New Zealand may operate any number of services with any type of aircraft, with third and fourth freedom traffic rights to/from six points: New Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Chennai, Hyderabad, and Kolkata.  

LCC FlyArysta has announced the launch of the newest route, Delhi-Almaty, from September with fares starting from USD 68. Kazakhstan is a visa-free destination for India citizens. It will currently operate three times a week but plans to increase service to Delhi and other cities in India in the coming months.