Category Archives: Aviation

Campbell Wilson, CEO, Air India, has said that Air India will reduce the frequency of flights on certain US routes due to crew shortage issues for a temporary period. He was speaking at the CAPA India Summit in New Delhi. “There is a lot happening. Air India is shrinking and growing again,” he added.

Speaking at the CAPA India Aviation Summit, Jyotiraditya Scindia, Union Minister of Civil Aviation, has said that the average daily domestic aviation passenger is set to surpass the earlier peak of 4,56,000 by October 2023. “Currently, India experiencing daily domestic aviation passengers of around 420,000 – 440,000”, he said.

Join Etihad’s senior management team in India for an exclusive trade webinar on Thursday March 23, 2023 at 4pm IST. Etihad is celebrating flying again from the city of Kolkata, West Bengal. To register, contact jaspreet.kaur@ddppl.com or +919650196532.

Etihad Airways, the national airline of the UAE, has appointed Salil Nath as General Manager of the Indian Subcontinent. Based in New Delhi, he will be responsible for all commercial activities across a key cluster for the Etihad network within the central region – India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Maldives & Seychelles. Since joining Etihad in 2012, Nath has served as the Regional Sales Manager of key sectors starting with Bangalore-Hyderabad, followed by the North and East India. During the COVID-19 restructuring, he took on the additional responsibility of managing Central India as well as Bangladesh & Seychelles. Prior to joining Etihad, Nath has worked with Kingfisher Airlines, part of the United Breweries Group, and a brief stint at renowned multinational travel management company Amex GBT, overlooking corporate sales and client servicing respectively. Amer Khan, Vice President Middle East, Africa, & The Sub-Continent, Etihad Airways, said: “India plays a crucial role in Etihad Airways’ growth strategy, contributing significantly to the airline’s global operations, and we are honoured to support demand in one of the fastest-growing aviation markets in the world. As we look to expand our operations, we are delighted to have Salil take up the new role, leading Etihad’s commercial activities in the region.” Nath holds a degree in Hotel Management from Welcomgroup Graduate School of Hotel Administration in Manipal, specializing in Sales and Marketing. “With a strong and growing network, Etihad is one of the world’s most recognised and trusted airlines, operating for almost 20 years. As I step into this new role, I look forward to working together, enabling growth, and delivering value as we take our positioning to new and greater heights,” said Nath. He will succeed Neerja …

Suprio Banerjee, Vice President & Sector Head – Corporate Ratings, ICRA said, The pace of recovery in industry earnings will be gradual owing to the high fixed cost nature of the business. The industry is estimated to report a net loss of around INR 110-130 billion in FY2023 due to elevated ATF prices twined with the depreciation of the INR against the USD.” 

The recent decision by Saudi Arabia and Oman to allow Israeli civilian overflights is a significant regional development that is already having a positive impact on the Israeli airline industry. Flights from Israel to the Far East will be much shorter as a result of the new air corridor, allowing airlines to offer more direct and efficient routes. El Al’s decision to fly over Saudi Arabia and Oman en route to Thailand is a historic moment for the Israeli national carrier, cutting the flight time from Tel Aviv to Bangkok from about ten and a half hours to just eight. This is expected to open up new opportunities for the airline in the region. El Al is expected to re-launch its route to India, which was closed during the pandemic. Arkia also announced plans to re-launch its routes to Goa and Cochin, which were closed in 2019, and is considering expanding its service to India and Sri Lanka. Israir has also announced its interest in opening a route of just five hours flight time to India. Overall, the new air corridor over Saudi Arabia and Oman is a boon to the Israeli airline industry, and it is expected to spur growth and innovation in the region’s aviation sector. The two-and-a-half-hour reduction in flight times from Israel to the Far East will also shorten flights on Israeli carriers to India, Sri Lanka, and Australia, among other destinations. This will almost certainly increase tourism and business travel to and from Israel. According to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, “Israel has, in effect, become the main transit point between Asia and Europe. Israel is opening up to the East on an unprecedented scale.” Commenting …

Under a deal, Singapore Airlines will inject further SGD 360 million (USD 267 million) into Air India. It will give SIA a 25.1% stake in the group following its takeover by Tata and merger with Vistara Airlines.

Continuing its ambitious and dynamic strategy of fleet and network expansion, Oman Air, the national airline of the Sultanate of Oman, has unveiled its summer schedule for 2023. The schedule specifies significant frequency increases on existing routes, and the addition of four destinations—representing a 60% increase in the number of flights from its hub in Muscat compared to the previous year. This will provide the market with approximately 60,000 more seats weekly across its network and provide greater convenience and connectivity for Oman Air guests. The four additional destinations being introduced for the summer schedule are: four-weekly flights from Muscat to Chittagong (from March end); four-weekly flights from Muscat to Maldives (from June end); twelve-weekly flights from Muscat to Lucknow and five-weekly flights between Muscat and Thiruvananthapuram (from August). Due to popular demand, the new summer schedule will see frequency increases to the following regions:   Far East Indian Sub-Continent Europe GCC Daily flights to Phuket (from March end, wide- body) Double-daily flights to Mumbai (from March end, wide-body) Daily flights to Moscow (from March end, wide- body) Double-daily flights to Kuwait (from June) Ten-weekly flights to Kuala Lumpur (from June) Double-daily flights to Chennai (from March end) Six-weekly flights to Paris (from March end) Five-daily flights to Salalah (from July)   Double-daily flights to Cochin (from March end) Daily flights to Trabzon (from March end)     Double-daily flights to Kozhikode (from March end) Double-daily flights to Istanbul (from June)     Double-daily flights to Hyderabad (from March end)       Daily flights to Dhaka (from March end, wide- body)     The expanded network and schedule for 2023 demonstrates Oman Air’s ongoing efforts to contribute to the …

Nok Air has unveiled its maiden flight service to Don Mueang International Airport, Bangkok. Hyderabad is the first and only Indian destination from where Nok Air has started direct flights to Bangkok. The new route will be operated by Nok Air’s Boeing 737 MAX 8.

Despite having a natural geographical advantage, Indian airports have, to date, not been able to realise the opportunity that exists, according to CAPA India. According to its research, for years India has ceded traffic to offshore hubs. In fact, over the last couple of decades, there has been a structural evolution from hubs to mega-hubs, particularly in the Middle East, supported by world class airlines with large widebody fleets. It will discuss this and more at its research briefing on ‘Prospects for airport hubs in India’ at 4pm IST today.