Category Archives: Aviation

The divestment process for national carrier Air India could be delayed by a few months due to the ongoing pandemic and due to processes like physical inspection of assets by potential bidders, Tuhin Kanta Pandey, secretary of the department of investment and public asset management (DIPAM), said. Due diligence process is currently on. The government was targeting to complete disinvestment by September this year.

The Centre has extended the validity period of current airfare cap as well as the capacity utilisation of airlines till May 31. In one of the two separate orders, the Ministry of Civil Aviation extended the time period of airfare cap till May 31 from April 30. Till recently, the Centre had expanded the airfare cap by increasing the lower and upper limit. These fare bands came into force with effect from May 21, 2020.

SP Dutt, a retired official of Air India, passed away after battling with the coronavirus disease. Known as Speedy to friends, Dutt served as the Communication and PR head for Air India. He was on ventilator since April 24. Dutt had completed an MS in applied science from New York University and was also a member of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics.

Union Minister of Civil Aviation Hardeep Singh Puri has hailed the ‘Corona Warriors’ of the civil aviation sector saying that “They have been diligently performing their duties despite great personal risks to ensure that we can continue to reach out to our people in their hour of need.” He called the civil aviation essential staff members ‘relentless and undaunted’.

Amid hospitals across the country scrambling for medical oxygen due to rising number of Covid-19 cases, an Air India flight brought 318 Philips oxygen concentrators from New York JFK Airport to New Delhi on Monday.  

Arun Kumar, Director General of Civil Aviation, has released an order that states that operation of B-737 Max aircraft will not take place from/to Indian airports and transit or enter into Indian airspace for the purpose of securing safety of aircraft operations till further notice. Special flight permits will be issued.

With effect from April 21, Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (CSMIA) will be conducting all international as well as domestic flight operations through its Terminal 2. All passengers of GoAir, Star Air, Air Asia, TruJet and IndiGo are requested to get in touch with the respective airlines for further queries.

Kushok Bakula Rimpochee (KBR) Airport Leh has announced that it is offering free-of-cost COVID-19 test facilities for both RAPID testing as well as RT-PCR testing for incoming passengers. The airport authorities, however, do advise passengers to carry their RT-PCR test reports not older than 96 hours to avoid testing at the airport.

GMR’s Delhi and Hyderabad airports have opted for the HOI App – a passenger engagement platform – to address the travel needs of passengers through their journey. The App, which enable airports to run digitally, helps extend a contactless experience to flyers, ensuring their journey is safe.

The government has directed airlines to serve or sell in-flight meals from April 15 only on those domestic flights that have a duration of over two hours, in wake of the sharp surge in Covid-19 cases. However, there are no restrictions on inflight meals on international flights as of now. The move is aimed at preventing the passengers from taking off their masks while on the aircraft.