Category Archives: Aviation

Indian carriers can now operate 15% more domestic flights with the government raising the cap on the same from 50% of pre-Covid level to 65% from this week. During the pandemic, the aviation ministry has been regulating both domestic fares and capacity. Now that the second wave is ebbing and daily cases have fallen, the domestic capacity — which was reduced from 80% of pre-Covid to 50% on June 1 — has been increased.

Etihad Airways and EL AL Israel Airlines have launched their joint codeshare network and reciprocal loyalty agreement for frequent flyers. EL AL will add its ‘LY’ code to Etihad’s existing twice weekly service between Abu Dhabi to Tel Aviv. This new partnership is planned to include India as well from August 1 besides five other countries.

Uzbekistan Airways, the national flag carrier of the Republic of Uzbekistan has appointed Wingspan Group, the Airline Management Services Company & Specialist in Russia and CIS Countries for over two decades, as its new Passenger Sales Agent (PSA) for the Indian market. Abzal R Akramov, Uzbekistan Airway’s General Manager India stated that “We are pleased to appoint Wingspan Group to position our brand, create awareness of our products and sell our services in an important market – the Western & Southern India.” The new PSA, Wingspan Group will use its vast experience and will be the immediate liaison for the airline’s sales development in India, including ticketing and direct support services to the travel trade. “Wingspan Group is happy to be associated with Uzbekistan Airways as their Passenger Sales Agent (PSA) in India. Uzbekistan Airways is one of the fastest-growing airlines in the CIS Countries and has aggressive plans to connect India and Uzbekistan through their hub in Tashkent, Uzbekistan. We look forward to a great working association with Uzbekistan Airways and are optimistic of making their online operations a success & also resume flight ex-Mumbai once the pandemic is over,” commented Tasneem Udaipurwala, Director, Wingspan Group. About Uzbekistan Airways Uzbekistan Airways currently operates weekly flights to Delhi with increased capacity on The Dreamliner B787-800 & B757-200, a state of the art twin class 270 seater equipped with full-flat beds in business class and unmatched legroom in the economy, with in-flight entertainment and Wi-Fi onboard. From Tashkent as its hub, Uzbekistan Airways reaches out to several cities in Russia, CIS Countries, Western Europe, the Middle East and the United States of America. Uzbekistan Airways operates one of the largest fleets …

Willie Walsh, Director General, IATA, has said, “Data must drive global restart policies that manage COVID-19 risks while reviving livelihoods and boosting economies.” He adds that travel cannot be restricted only to those who are vaccinated because data suggests that testing, not quarantine, is the solution. Screening can keep COVID-19 importation at manageable levels.

McKinsey analyses that more than 17 per cent of global commercial aviation CO2 emissions could be addressed with lower-carbon technologies such as green novel propulsion, such as electricity. And while these solutions will not be available for long-haul flights nor large aircraft in the next decade or two, they are promising for smaller, shorter-range aircraft.

Qatar Airways continues to set the benchmark for innovation, safety and customer service, becoming the first airline to trial COVID-19 vaccine authentication through the IATA Travel Pass ‘Digital Passport’ Mobile App. As more travellers return to the skies, the airline remains committed to reducing paperwork and providing a more contactless, secure and seamless travel experience for its passengers. The trial will be rolled out in phases from July, beginning initially with cabin crew returning to Doha travelling from Kuwait, London, Los Angeles, New York, Paris and Sydney. Cabin crew will be able to upload their Qatar issued COVID-19 vaccination credentials along with their COVID-19 test results to the IATA Travel Pass Mobile App and verify they are eligible to travel. On arrival in Doha, crew will then be able to safely and securely share their vaccination certificate and proceed through immigration at the airport. Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive, His Excellency Akbar Al Baker said: “Despite the significant challenges the pandemic has caused international aviation, our industry has continued to be a leader in adopting new technologies and innovations to ensure a safe, secure and seamless travel experience for our passengers. Qatar Airways is proud to lead the way by becoming the first airline to trial COVID-19 vaccine authentication through the IATA Travel Pass ‘Digital Passport’ Mobile App. I want to especially thank Qatar’s Ministry of Public Health, Ministry of Interior, Primary Health Care Corporation and Hamad Medical Corporation, whom without their ongoing support, this trial would not be possible. “We know as more people begin making plans to return to their favourite holiday destinations, they will inevitably face the challenge of ensuring they have the right paperwork. Through trialling …

UK-based start-up airline Hans Airways has revealed the initial board line-up to spearhead its drive to gaining its Air Operator Certificate from the UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) later this year. The carrier plans to begin direct non-stop flights from the UK to India in Autumn 2021. The airline will soon make announcements about the structure of the senior management team.

Ajay Singh, Chairman & MD, SpiceJet said that SpiceJet has decided to raise funds of up to Rs 2,500 crore. “To ensure our long term growth and sustainable operation we have decided to raise funds, these funds will be used to significantly strengthen our balance sheet,” he said. The airline has reported a net loss of Rs 998.3 Crore in FY2021.

The COVID-19 pandemic has dealt a major blow to the aviation industry, severely impacting passenger volumes, as well as revenues. Kempegowda International Airport, Bengaluru (KIAB/ BLR Airport), which managed a record 32.3 million passengers in FY2019-20, witnessed an unprecedented 66% decline in traffic during FY2020-21. During this period, BLR Airport welcomed only 10.91 million passengers since domestic air travel resumed in India on May 25, 2020, following a two-month suspension. 10.45 million passengers flew domestic routes, recording a 63% drop, as compared to 27 million in FY2019-20. International routes witnessed 4 million passengers in 2019-20 – the passenger footfall, however, declined substantially to 0.46m in FY2020-21, a decline of 90%. This is mainly attributed to the continued suspension of international flights and COVID-19 restrictions across the globe. After showing signs of recovery during the middle of the fiscal year, the traffic dropped significantly due to the rise in the number of COVID-19 cases in India, beginning February 2021. The reduced slots for airlines at airports driven by DGCA guidelines, too, added to the lowered numbers. ATMs dropped by 50% to113,993 from 231,051 in 2019-20. While domestic movements reduced by 49% at 102,801, international traffic saw 11,192 movements, lower by 61% in the last 311 days of operations. However, the subdued environment due to the pandemic had a marginal impact on cargo operations. The cargo processed during FY2020-21 was 326,643 Metric Tonnes (MT), 12.70% short of last fiscal’s 374,181 MT. BLR Airport was the only major Airport in the Country to reach 100% of the previous year’s tonnage on a year-on-year basis from September 2020 through January 2021. In March, it regained momentum, recording 34,401 MT – the highest in the …

CAPA Advisory (India) says that while reforms are just a start, they are required to instil confidence. It has recommended some reforms to fix the core of the aviation sector, including implementing a refund protection scheme for consumers and extending the airport tariff control period in the AERA Act from five years to eight years, among others.