Category Archives: Aviation

Jyotiraditya Scindia, Union Minister of Civil Aviation has said that India government plans to develop/operationalise 220 airports in the next five years. “Seventy-four airports were functional in the country till 2014. At present there are 141 operational airports including 8 heliports and 2 water aerodromes,” he informed.

Arun Kumar, Director General, DGCA, has said technical snags faced by domestic carriers in recent weeks did not have the potential to cause havoc and that even foreign airlines that came to India reported 15 technical snags in the last 16 days. “The country’s civil aviation space is absolutely safe and all the protocols laid down by the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) are followed,” he said.

To satisfy the current and projected rise in demand for commercial air travel, Indian airlines have placed large orders for aircraft. The nation’s airplane fleet is projected to quadruple in size to approximately 2500 airplanes by 2038 and India to become the third largest aviation market in the world by 2024. 

Jyotiraditya Scindia met Roger Cook, Deputy Premier of Western Australia & Minister of Trade, State Development & Tourism, along with the Australian delegation. “We discussed furthering direct flight connectivity btw the two countries. Also, glad to learn about our shared interest in infusing environmental sustainability in the aviation & steel production sectors,” he shared in a tweet.

The International Air Transport Association (IATA) expressed concern that a premature return to pre-pandemic slot use rules in the EU this winter risks continuing disruption to passengers. The European Commission has announced it intends to return to the longstanding 80-20 slot use rule, which requires airlines to operate at least 80% of every planned slot sequence. Global slot rules are an effective system for managing access to and the use of scarce capacity at airports. The system has stood the test of time and while airlines are keen to restart services, the failure of several key airports to accommodate demand, coupled with increasing air traffic control delays, means a premature return to the 80-20 rule could lead to further passenger disruption. The evidence so far this summer has not been encouraging. Airports had the 2022 summer season schedules and final slot holdings in January and didn’t evaluate how to manage this in time. Airports declaring that full capacity is available and then requiring airlines to make cuts this summer shows the system is not ready for reviving “normal” slot use this winter season (which begins at end of October). “The chaos we have seen at certain airports this summer has occurred with a slot use threshold of 64%. We are worried that airports will not be ready in time to service an 80% threshold by the end of October. It is essential the Member States and Parliament adjust the Commission’s proposal to a realistic level and permit flexibility to the slot use rules. Airports are equal partners in the slot process, let them demonstrate their ability to declare and manage their capacity accurately and competently and then restore the slot …

Air India has issued an advisory saying that passengers arriving from International destinations and connecting to a domestic destination are requested to recheck-in their bags at first port of entry. This is as per the regulatory requirement regardless of through check-in done till final destination.

Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia on Tuesday announced that Jharkhand is set to get three more airports. He also said that 14 new air routes will be made available in the state to increase connectivity. “Jharkhand will soon have five airports. After Ranchi and Deoghar, we will set up airports in Bokaro, Jamshedpur and Dumka. Also, 14 new air routes will be introduced in the state to increase connectivity,” Scindia said.

Addressing the various stakeholders present at the 7th National Tourism Investors Meet 2022, Usha Padhee, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Civil Aviation, stressed on collaboration between tour operators and airlines for marketing Indian destinations. She said, “The government is working to increase the number of airports in the country to 200 by 2024 from 140 airports. Aviation and tourism are complimenting sectors. Air connectivity needs to be in tandem with what the tourism sector is doing.”

Ministry of Tourism has been supporting 46 identified tourism routes under the Regional Connectivity Scheme 3.0 through the Viability Gap Funding (VGF) to the Airport Authority of India, to improve connectivity and boost tourism in the country.

Usha Padhee, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Civil Aviation, Govt of India stated that the government is working to increase the number of airports in the country to 200 by 2024 from the current 140 airports. She further stated that aviation and tourism are complimenting sectors. “Air connectivity needs to be in tandem with what the tourism sector is doing,” she added.