Category Archives: Aviation

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.

Sharing thoughts on How the aviation industry is looking with much anticipation on where India will go, Gavin Eccles, Managing Partner, GE Consulting & Advisory, says, “The new orders form the two biggest carriers is a wake-up call that India is potentially on the crest of a wave on the future of aviation.  Is it time for us to look at India with more reality, and, is the dream of having the largest aviation market space in the world, getting closer?”      

Global travel marketplace Skyscanner is today launching a new Hindi language experience across its products and services as part of the company’s commitment to the India market. Hindi is the third most widely spoken language globally, and the number of internet users accessing content in Hindi is also rising. With the India travel market projected to reach US$ 125 billion by FY27 and Indians increasingly preferring to book travel online, the introduction of a new localized experience will benefit travelers and partners alike in metro cities as well as Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities across the country. India’s domestic and international air travel continues to showcase a strong recovery, surpassing pre-covid levels. This is reflective of travel demand on Skyscanner, with the company observing the highest spike in search volume in 2023 since pre-pandemic of 2019 for both domestic and international destinations. Commenting on the launch, Hugh Aitken, VP of Strategic Relations said, “The Indian travel market is one of the fastest growing in the world and we see immense potential to help connect millions of travelers with some of the most ambitious travel providers in the industry. When accessing flight options on Skyscanner travelers will now automatically be redirected to the Hindi locale on the airline or OTA site. As well as native language support, we are also investing across our entire product portfolio, not just for consumers but importantly too for our partners in areas such distribution, advertising, and data.”