Tag Archives: aircraft

KR Naidu, Civil Aviation Minister, GoI said, “India is strongly moving towards building its own plane in the coming few years with the help of industry stakeholders. Major global aerospace players are showing willingness to join hands with India in developing the aircraft.”

A350 will offer a new cabin product with full-flat beds in Business, a new Premium Economy experience along with comfortable, spacious seats in Economy Guests on this flight will experience Air India’s new soft product – Vista Verve Air India will also be introducing on board Wi-Fi soon, starting with the A350 on the Delhi-London Heathrow route Air India, India’s leading global airline, has introduced its brand-new Airbus A350-900 aircraft on the Delhi-London Heathrow route. This twice-daily service is the first deployment of the ‘new Air India’ experience on long-haul flights and represents a significant milestone in the airline’s transformation program. The Air India A350 cabin product includes a fresh three-class configuration offering full-flat beds in Business, a new Premium Economy experience and the latest generation seats in Economy.  All guests enjoy the latest-generation inflight entertainment system offering more than 3000 hours of entertainment content, which will shortly be complemented by on board Wi-Fi. Guests in Business and Premium Economy will also enjoy updated amenity kits exclusively designed by Ferragamo and TUMI, as well as Air India’s new soft product – Vista Verve – with new chinaware, tableware, glassware and bedding. Completing the experience, flight and cabin crew will don, for the first time, their new Manish Malhotra-designed uniforms. Campbell Wilson, Chief Executive Officer, Managing Director, Air India, said: “The deployment of the flagship A350s on the Delhi-London Heathrow route marks a significant milestone for Air India. It demonstrates Air India’s commitment to elevating the travel experience of our guests to truly world-class standards and to going beyond just meeting customer expectations as we continue to grow and renew our fleet.” Air India’s A350 aircraft feature 28 private suites with …

Aviation Regulator Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) on Thursday, has placed low-cost carrier SpiceJet under enhanced surveillance due to safety deficiencies uncovered during a recent audit of August 2024. This is the third time SpiceJet has faced strict supervision from the regulator, following safety incidents in 2022 and weak finances in 2023. The airline’s monetary troubles have resurfaced, as evidenced by recent incidents like the Dubai Airport halting boarding of SpiceJet flights due to unpaid dues and flights being unable to fly over Pakistan due to unpaid overflying charges. The DGCA’s decision to place SpiceJet under enhanced surveillance underlines ongoing safety concerns with the airline’s operations. The repeated regulatory scrutiny of SpiceJet can damage the reputation of India’s aviation industry and raise questions about safety standards. “Due to concerns about SpiceJet’s recent flight cancellations and financial difficulties, the DGCA conducted a special audit of the airline’s engineering facilities on 7 and 8 August, 2024. This audit uncovered certain deficiencies,” the DGCA announced on Thursday. The DGCA will conduct more spot checks and night surveillance to ensure safety of SpiceJet’s operations. The airline faces significant financial challenges, including unpaid dues to aircraft lessors, vendors, and suppliers. SpiceJet’s market share in India’s aviation sector has been declining, further impacting its financial stability. While most Indian airlines rebounded significantly from the COVID-19 pandemic, SpiceJet faced ongoing financial challenges. SpiceJet’s repeated regulatory interventions and ongoing financial struggles pose a serious challenge to the airline’s future. The DGCA’s decision to place the airline under enhanced surveillance underscores the need for immediate action to address safety concerns and ensure the well-being of passengers.

Oman Air received delivery of its latest Boeing B787 9 aircraft, the first of three scheduled for this year. Part of an existing order, which includes eight more aircraft by 2027, the newest marks the tenth Dreamliner in the airline’s fleet. As one of the world’s most modern and advanced passenger aircraft, the B787-9 is known for its innovative design and exceptional fuel efficiency, while its wide cabins and large windows offer unparalleled on-board comfort for guests. The aircraft touched down in Muscat on 23 August 2024, arriving from the Boeing facility in Seattle. “We’re excited to welcome our new Boeing B787-9 to our aircraft line-up, which aligns with our strategy to fly a modern and common Oman Air fleet. It allows us to maintain efficiency in operations, optimise maintenance costs and ensure a seamless and consistent experience for our guests,” said Con Korfiatis, Chief Executive Officer, Oman Air. “Our latest addition to the fleet is also consistent with our focus on transforming our airline towards financial sustainability, while upholding our reputation as a world-class carrier and supporting Oman’s ambitions to increase tourism and connectivity in the years to come.” The newest aircraft features a two-class configuration with 30 Business Class seats and 258 Economy Class seats and will serve across the airline’s network of destinations. Oman Air’s spacious, elegant cabin design, and exceptional service and hospitality, has garnered it a string of international awards, including most recently Best Seat Comfort in the Middle East at the APEX 2024 Awards and Best Airline Staff Middle East at the Skytrax 2024 Awards.

Over the next two decades, the global commercial aircraft fleet size is expected to grow at a CAGR of around 4 per cent. Around 45,000 new aircraft are likely to be delivered globally between 2018 and 2040, suggests a report ‘Vision 2040 for the civil aviation industry in India’ by FICCI and KPMG. The growth will be driven by socioeconomic changes in emerging economies, especially in India, China, South East Asia and the Middle East. These factors include rising incomes and aspirations, lower oil prices, fierce competition between airlines and increasing value of ‘time’. For India, Boeing raised its long-term forecast for commercial airplanes to 2,300 new jets – valued at $320 billion – over the next 20 years. Nearly 84 per cent of those are expected to be narrow bodies. According to Boeing, with more than 5 per cent of the world’s fleet expected to operate in India by 2037, commercial services like flight training, engineering and maintenance and digital analytics etc., will be the key drivers of growth. In the South Asian market, including India, Boeing forecasts a commercial services market valued at USD 430 billion over the next 20 years.