Indian aviation discussion

There will be an improvement in 5-6 years if TATAs are given a free hand.

Hindutvadis are useless though, can’t believe they are dictating in matters they have no clue about, foolish idiots.

Tatas Should had threatened to cut off their funding from electoral bonds, Tatas can sometimes learn to arm twist from Adanis Ambanis
 
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Lol, how could sanghis allow anything good happening to India! They tried to tarnish image of this guy due to him being advisor of Erdogan and he quit the race due to these very reasons.

I thought he was appointed. Has he already quit?

However I am not a fan of Erdogan. He is very much like Modi. Infact, the similarities between them is striking, they have the same playbook. Use religion for power. All my Turkish friends despise the man.
 
However I am not a fan of Erdogan. He is very much like Modi. Infact, the similarities between them is striking, they have the same playbook. Use religion for power. All my Turkish friends despise the man.
Whatever Erdogan's credentials are, it's extremely idiotic to stall Ilker Ayci's appointment as AI MD especially when the guy had such credentials as Turkish Air MD.

Good that he refused to join AI or his life would have been made hell by sanghis.
 
India is investigating three separate incidents in the past two months where airline pilots had to shut down plane engines mid-flight made by a joint venture of General Electric Co., according to people familiar with the matter.
The so-called commanded in-flight shutdowns -- when pilots intentionally turn off one of the two engines after encountering problems -- may have stemmed from different issues. Modern commercial jetliners are equipped to fly and land safely with a single engine.

All three incidents, the people said, involved engines made by CFM, a joint venture between GE and France's Safran SA. All the planes landed safely. The incidents involved two Airbus SE A320neo jets, operated by Air India Ltd., and a Boeing Co. 737 Max aircraft, operated by Indian carrier SpiceJet Ltd., according to the people.

India has seen a number of mid-flight shutdowns, and regulators have responded strongly in the past, once ordering IndiGo, the nation's biggest airline, to ground some of its A320neo planes after engines manufactured by Pratt & Whitney experienced repeated glitches.

The issues come as CFM -- which is the sole supplier of engines for Boeing's 737 family of jets, and one of two suppliers for the A320neo -- prepares to supply engines for the next batch of planes at IndiGo, the world's biggest customer for the best-selling Airbus plane. Safran, which is working with GE on a new technology in which the engine's blades operate without a traditional casing, is also considering setting up a repair facility in India after CFM won its biggest-ever order from IndiGo. The recent issues may also raise warranty costs for CFM.

Representatives for CFM, Airbus and Boeing had no immediate comment. A spokesman for India's civil aviation ministry, which oversees the DGCA, didn't respond to a request for comments.

In one of the latest incidents, an Air India A320neo flying from Mumbai to Bengaluru on Thursday was forced to return to its origin before reaching cruising altitude, data from flight-tracking website Flightradar24.com showed. On May 3, a SpiceJet 737 Max returned to Chennai just minutes into a scheduled flight.

A representative for Air India said in an email that the carrier was looking into the issue, saying it "accords top priority to safety and our crew are well adept and trained at handling such a situation." A SpiceJet representative said its aircraft returned to Chennai after take-off "due to a technical issue" and that the aircraft landed safely.


https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/ind...mid-flight-3001429#pfrom=home-ndtv_topstories
 
Air India's Etiquette Rules: Use Deo, Dye Grey Hair, Only One Inch Of Midriff

New Delhi:

Tata-owned Air India has updated its grooming rules for its cabin crew. One of the points in the refreshed guidelines says male cabin crew with deep receding hairline and balding patches should switch to a clean shaved or bald look.

The airline has asked its cabin crew to follow the guidelines almost immediately. Hundreds of cabin crew members, however, will take time to adjust to the new rules, news agency ANI reported quoting unnamed Air India sources.

"Air India is the only airline in the country which has been serving the world for many decades. Representations and images of the crew are not as per international standards. The new management wants to change the perception of flyers," ANI reported, quoting one of the sources.

"Bald look is allowed for crew with male balding patterns. Crew with U and V shape hairline on crown, visible scalp and large bald patches must keep a full bald look. Head must be shaved daily for a clean look. Crew cut is not permitted," the cabin crew handbook says.

The guidelines published under the name "Cabin Crew Handbook" also says, "Unbecoming lounging while in group should be avoided and decorum whilst in uniform should be always maintained. Quiet conversation is always appreciated."

https://www.scribd.com/document/609956036/Air-India-Cabin-Crew-Handbook

Tata Sons in October last year regained control of Air India nearly 70 years after its nationalisation. The government picked the salt-to-software conglomerate as the winning bidder for the airline.

Air India will progressively induct 30 new aircraft, including five wide-body Boeing planes, from December this year as the airline looks to boost its domestic and international services.

NDTV
 
"Business As Usual": Vistara CEO On Integration Process With Air India

New Delhi: Soon after Tata group announced the merger of Vistara and Air India, Vistara CEO (Chief Executive Officer) Vinod Kannan on today said it will be business as usual for all its stakeholders during the integration process, which will take some time.

Vistara is 51 per cent owned by Tata group and the remaining 49 per cent shareholding is with Singapore Airlines (SIA).

In a statement, Vinod Kannan said that Vistara is a fine manifestation of its parent brands Tata Sons and Singapore Airlines, and "we are delighted that we will continue to be guided by their legacies as we merge with Air India".

"The integration process will take some time, and during this phase, it will be business as usual for all our stakeholders, including customers. We will continue to share relevant information with all of them, as appropriate," he said.

A full-service carrier, Vistara was the country's second-largest domestic carrier with a market share of 9.2 per cent in October. Currently, the airline connects 43 domestic and overseas destinations and operates more than 260 flights daily with a fleet of 54 aircraft. It has around 4,700 employees.

"There is enormous potential for an airline group with the scale and network of the combined entity. We look forward to providing more opportunities for our customers, employees, and partners while putting a spotlight on Indian aviation on the global stage," Vinod Kannan said.

NDTV
 
Facial Recognition For Entry To Indian Airports Begins Today

New Delhi: For a seamless and hassle-free air travel experience, India is set to launch a mechanism called Digi Yatra today. Digi Yatra is conceived to achieve contactless and seamless processing of passengers at airports based on Facial Recognition Technology (FRT).

The project basically envisages that travellers may pass through various checkpoints at the airports through paperless and contactless processing using facial features to establish their identity which could be linked to the boarding pass.

In the first phase, it will be launched at seven airports and for domestic flight passengers only.

Today, it will be initially launched at three airports -- Delhi, Bengaluru, and Varanasi -- followed by four airports -- Hyderabad, Kolkata, Pune, and Vijayawada -- by March 2023. Subsequently, the technology would be implemented across the country.

To use this facility, a one-time registration on the Digi Yatra app is required using Aadhaar-based validation and a self-image capture.

There is no central storage of Personally Identifiable Information (PII). The passenger's ID and travel credentials are stored in a secure wallet on the passenger's smartphone itself.

NDTV
 
India Jumps To 48th Rank In Global Aviation Safety Ranking

New Delhi: India has jumped to the 48th position in the global aviation safety ranking by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), according to DGCA officials.

Four years ago, the country was ranked at the 102nd position.

In the ranking, Singapore is at the top, followed by the UAE and South Korea at the second and third positions, respectively, the officials said.

China is at the 49th place, they added.

Under its Universal Safety Oversight Audit Programme (USOAP) Continuous Monitoring Approach, an ICAO Coordinated Validation Mission (ICVM) was undertaken from November 9 to 16.

On Saturday, DGCA chief Arun Kumar told PTI that the regulator has worked tirelessly to upgrade India's safety ranking and the results are there. "Hopefully, we continue to remain vigilant and improve further".

The country's score in terms of effective implementation of key safety elements has improved to 85.49 per cent, the officials said.

On November 16, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) said the audit was conducted in the areas of legislation, organisation, personal licensing, operations, airworthiness and aerodromes.

"As per the initial reports, the mission was highly successful. India has done extremely well and our scores will see a substantial improvement putting us in the company of nations with best safety standards and oversight systems," it had said in a release.

NDTV
 
Others Learning From India's Contactless Process At Airports: Aviation Body

The International Air Transport Association (IATA) is learning from the experience of India, which has just rolled out DigiYatra, and other countries, as the global grouping works on preparing the standards for contactless biometric processes at airports.

A senior executive of IATA said that it has "standards for digitalisation of admissibility but for contactless (processes at airports), we will have it in a couple of months".

"One ID (for contactless biometric-enabled processes) has been working... at Bangalore airport. I am quite excited about what is happening in India as it is in line with the standards we have developed, we are developing... It is quite positive and exciting," Louise Cole, Head Customer Experience and Facilitation at IATA, told PTI here.

IATA is a grouping of around 300 airlines, including various Indian carriers, and its members account for about 83 per cent of the global air traffic.

"We are looking for one single standard... India is one of the parties from which we are learning," she said.

Louise Cole said the grouping is learning from the experience of mainly Bangalore airport growth and the implementation of DigiYatra in order to determine the standards.

Under the one ID initiative airlines are working with IATA to digitalise the passenger experience at airports with contactless biometric-enabled processes.

The airlines' grouping has released Recommended Practice on Digitalisation of Admissibility, which will enable travellers to digitally prove admissibility to an international destination, avoiding a stop at the check-in desk or boarding gate for document checks.

According to IATA, programmes are being implemented in various airports enabling travellers to move through airport processes, such as boarding without producing paper documentation because their boarding pass is linked to a biometric identifier.

The new standards have been developed to protect passengers' data. Passengers remain in control of their data and only credentials (verified approvals, not the data behind them) are shared peer-to-peer (with no intermediating party).

This is interoperable with the International Civil Aviation Organization's (ICAO) standards, including those for the Digital Travel Credential. Manual processing options will be retained so that travellers will have the ability to opt-out of digital admissibility processing, a release said.

Meanwhile, in response to a query about privacy concerns over the use of biometrics at airports, Louise Cole cited the example of India, saying the country has one of the largest biometric databases with Aadhaar and that the population is also comfortable with biometrics.

A facial recognition system is not going to be used for surveillance of air passengers as the data is not retained, she added.

On December 1, the Indian government launched DigiYatra, which allows entry of air passengers based on a facial recognition system at three airports -- Delhi, Bangalore and Varanasi.

With DigiYatra, it will be a paperless entry for passengers at airports and the passenger data can be automatically processed based on a facial recognition system at various checkpoints, including at security check areas.

For availing the service, a passenger has to register their details on the DigiYatra app using Aadhaar-based validation and a self-image capture. PTI RAM (This correspondent is in Geneva at the invitation of IATA).

NDTV
 
In Historic Order, Air India May Buy 500 Aircraft Worth Billions: Report

Air India is close to placing historic orders for as many as 500 jetliners worth tens of billions of dollars from both Airbus and Boeing as it carves out an ambitious revival under the Tata Group conglomerate, industry sources told Reuters on Sunday.

The orders include as many as 400 narrow-body jets and 100 or more wide-bodies including Airbus A350s and Boeing 787s and 777s, they said, speaking on condition of anonymity as finishing touches are placed on the mammoth deal in coming days.

Airbus and Boeing declined to comment. Tata Group did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

NDTV
 
Air India's History As Tata Pours In Money To Revive The Airline

Air India is carving out an ambitious renaissance under the Tata Group conglomerate, which regained control earlier this year after the airline was nationalised nearly seven decades ago.

The airline is close to placing landmark orders for as many as 500 jetliners potentially worth over $100 billion at list prices from both Airbus and Boeing, Reuters reported over the weekend, citing industry sources.

The report came days after Tata announced the merger of Air India with Vistara, a joint venture with Singapore Airlines, to cement itself as the country's largest international carrier and second largest in the domestic market after IndiGo.

The merged Air India entity will have 218 planes and fly to 52 domestic and 38 international destinations.

Here is Air India's timeline that includes financial troubles, reputation drop and Tata's plans to restore it.

Year Event

1932: Entrepreneur J.R.D Tata, the first Indian to receive a commercial pilot's license, forms the airline, India's first.

1946: Tata Airlines is converted into a public entity and renamed Air-India. The Maharajah mascot also makes his first appearance.

1953: Air India is nationalised and splits into a domestic airline and an international carrier.

April 2005: Air India launches low-cost carrier Air India Express.

April 2007: National carriers Air India and Indian Airlines are merged into a single airline.

July 2009: The airline appoints State Bank of India to prepare a roadmap for recovery after years of losses under state control and emergence of new players.

April 2012: India approves a $5.8 billion bailout for Air India, which was to be received by 2020.

March 2018: India plans to sell a controlling stake, along with roughly $5.1 billion of the carrier's debt.

June 2018: India shelves a plan to sell a 76% stake due to lack of interest from bidders.

December 2019: India decides to sell 100% of its stake after failing to find takers for its offer of 76% and full debt.

October 2020: The government gets two bids after extending the deadline several times.

September 2021: India's finance ministry says Air India has received financial bids from Tata Sons and Ajay Singh, promoter of budget airline SpiceJet.

October 2021: India government announces Tata Sons as the winning bidder for its 100% stake in Air India, after the conglomerate bid 180 billion Indian rupees ($2.18 billion).

January 2022: Tata regains control of Air India.

April 2022: Air India proposes to buy the entire equity share capital of low cost carrier AirAsia India, which Tata has a majority stake in and operates with Malaysia's AirAsia X Bhd.

May 2022: Tata announces appointment of Campbell Wilson, the head of Singapore Airlines' budget carrier Scoot, as Air India's CEO, weeks after appointing N.Chandrasekaran as chairman.

October 2022: Singapore Airlines says it is in talks with Tata about a potential merger of Vistara, their joint venture airline, with Air India.

November 2022: AirAsia sells its stake in AirAsia India to Air India.

November 2022: Tata says it is merging Air India with Vistara, its joint venture with Singapore Airlines, with Tata holding 74.9% of the combined entity and the latter owning the rest.
 
"Reach Delhi Airport At Least...": IndiGo's Advice Amid Crowd Chaos

Due to increasing congestion at the Delhi's Indira Gandhi International Airport, low-budget carrier IndiGo on Tuesday advised passengers to reach the airport at least 3.5 hours prior to domestic departures and carry only one piece of hand baggage weighing 7 kg for a smooth security check.

The airline said the Delhi airport is experiencing high footfalls, and check-in and boarding time is expected to be longer than usual. It also advised passengers to use gate numbers 5 and 6 for entry at Delhi Airport, Terminal 3, as these are nearest to the IndiGo check-in counters.

On Saturday, the Ministry of Civil Aviation ordered various decongestion measures at the IGIA, officials said. The move came in the wake of numerous complaints, including on social media that stressed on the massive congestion and even sought surprise check by the union minister at the airport in the national capital.

Traffic marshals were posted at the departure forecourt to avoid vehicular congestion, officials said. The officials said there were 16 entry gates at T3 (14 for passengers and two for crew). Two additional gates have been opened up and now there are total 18 gates (16 for passengers + 2 for crew).

Officials said an analysis of the manpower requirements at immigration counters will be undertaken immediately, and if need be, additional manpower will be deployed.

Union Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia on Monday paid a surprise visit to the airport and inspected all the suspected congested areas and interacted with the airport staff.

Scindia in an exclusive interview with ANI noted that steps were being taken to ensure ease of travel for air passengers.

"Today we've increased the number of entry gates from 14 to 16. There was a meeting with officials inside the airport where we've decided that a signboard should be placed at every entry gate displaying the waiting time before entry," Jyotiraditya Scindia told ANI.

NDTV
 
"No One Anticipated Such A Rush": Jyotiraditya Scindia On Congestion At Airports

Civil aviation minister Jyotiraditya Scindia today said that all agencies have swung into action to ease the congestion at all major airports. In an exclusive interview to NDTV, Mr Scindia said that the civil aviation sector has seen a V-shaped recovery after the Covid pandemic. "There has been a surge after the decline during Covid. But it brings with it problems of logistics and operations," he said.

Here are the highlights from Jyotiraditya Scindia's interview:

- The civil aviation sector has seen a V-shaped recovery. From planes sitting on the tarmac, to all planes flying today. There has been a surge after the decline of Covid. But it brings with it problems of logistics and operations.

- Between the demand of passengers wanting to travel and the supply by airlines sits the airport, which have to provide a seamless and efficient service.

- I is the airport operators resposibility to provide that service.

- No one had anticipated such a rush for the winter festival vacations.

- I held a meeting with all the airport operators about this.

- Now, there is also a section of airport security check. But let me clarify that the delays are not because of the CISF staff.

- (On Delhi Airport): We currently have 11 lines for this. but we need 16 such lines. I have had a discussion with the airport operator and this is being provided for. There is a problem with entry gates too. If there is a 20-minute wait time at gate number 6 and only a 2-minute wait at gate number 11, then immediately it must be switched. That must also be put up on a display screen. That is something that is being done now after my discussion with the airport operator.

- Now, at the security check, we have 17 security line as of today. We have gone from 11+2 a few days ago, to 17 now... and in another few days, we hope to increase it to 20 security lines. We have also removed all unnecessary barricades.

- Let me clarify this again - this is not a CISF issue - there is no shortfall of CISF personnel. The DG-CISF was with me in the 3-hour meeting and I asked DIAL as well if there is a CISF issue. I was told that there is no problem from CISF side. They are in fact cooperating fully with the airport requirements.

- The customers and flyers have faced a harrowing time in the last 4-5 days. We have taken urgent measures and this will only improve immediately and will continue to do so over the next few days.

- Mumbai and Bangalore have also been given the same instructions and are mirroring operational amendments in tune with the Delhi airport - which is the country's busiest. The Mumbai and Bengaluru airports are yet nowhere in comparison in terms of passenger-handling with that of Delhi. Delhi is at about 70-8o million and at 100 million with T1 being in operations. Mumbai is at 60 million and that is why we are building a Navi Mumbai Airport. Bengaluru T2 has also just opened. In Delhi too, by 2024-25 we will have the Noida Airport phase-1 opened for 12 million flyers.

- Things will improve in the next 7-10 days as these new measures are also implemented fully. We need to do this in coordination with all airlines too and hence the implementation will take few days.

NDTV
 
"Aim To Fix By December-End": Delhi Airport Official On Congestion

The congestion at the Delhi airport will be sorted by the end of this month, a top official has told NDTV. Narayan Rao, Deputy Managing Director of Delhi International Airport Ltd, told NDTV that post-Covid, the number of in each aircraft has gone up and bags. "That's why this sudden congestion," he added.

Yesterday, Civil Aviation minister Jyotiraditya Scindia told NDTV that the winter rush of passengers at the Delhi airport was "unexpected" and it would take seven to ten days for the situation to normalise.

The airport has asked passengers to arrive early and carry only one piece of hand baggage for a smooth security check. In the morning, the rush as less, sources said, indicating that passengers are having to wait only one to dour minutes at the entrance.

Mr Scindia has said they are CCTV cameras at the gates and a control centre to direct passengers to the entrances with the least rush.

The number of security checkpoints inside the airport will be increased from 11 to 20. As of today, there are 17 points. "We have also removed all unnecessary barricades," he said.

"Things will improve in the next 7-10 days as these new measures are also implemented fully. We need to do this in coordination with all airlines too and hence the implementation will take few days," he added.

The Delhi airport sees about 0-80 million footfalls on an average and 100 million with T1 being in operations. "By 2024-25, we will have the Noida Airport phase-1 opened for 12 million flyers," the minister said.

NDTV
 
25 Airports Earmarked For Leasing Over 2022 To 2025: Government

As per National Monetization Pipeline (NMP), 25 airports of the Airports Authority of India (AAI) have been earmarked for leasing over the years 2022 to 2025, said the Ministry of Civil Aviation on Monday.

Minister of State for Civil Aviation VK Singh, in reply to a question in Rajya Sabha on Monday, said AAI airports are leased out in the public interest for their better management utilizing private sector efficiency and investment.

States and passengers are the ultimate beneficiaries of enhanced airport infrastructure and facilities created by a private partner, who operates, manages and develops the leased airport under Public Private Partnership (PPP), he said.

The Minister further said airports have emerged as a nucleus of economic activities and have a multiplier effect on the economy of the State. The revenue received by AAI from the leased airports is also utilized in the development of airport infrastructure across the country.

According to the Ministry of Civil Aviation, the airports namely Bhubaneshwar, Varanasi, Amritsar, Trichy, Indore, Raipur, Calicut, Coimbatore, Nagpur, Patna, Madurai, Surat, Ranchi, Jodhpur, Chennai, Vijayawada, Vadodara, Bhopal, Tirupati, Hubli, Imphal, Agartala, Udaipur, Dehradun and Rajahmundry have been earmarked for leasing over the years 2022 to 2025.

Further, AAI has leased out eight of its airports under PPP for operation, management and development on long-term lease basis.

The airports along with the concessionaires include Indira Gandhi International Airport, Delhi, Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport, Mumbai, Chaudhary Charan Singh International Airport, Lucknow, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport, Ahmedabad, Mangaluru International Airport, Jaipur International Airport, Lokpriya Gopinath Bordoloi International Airport, Guwahati and Thiruvananthapuram International Airport.

NDTV
 
Hoax Social Media Bomb Threat At Delhi Airport Leads To Counter-Terror Security Drills

A counter-terrorist security drill was initiated at Delhi's IGI Airport early this morning after agencies were informed about a social media chat threatening to "bomb and eliminate" the country's largest civil aviation facility, official sources said.

The threat was categorised as "non specific" or hoax around 6:30 am even as normal passenger traffic continued at the facility, they told Press Trust of India.

Airport security officials, sources told Press Trust of India, were informed about a social media post, in reply to an another message, that the Indira Gandhi International Airport should be bombed.

The chat posts, whose creators are being traced by police authorities, also talked about "eliminating" the airport, the sources said.

The bomb threat assessment committee (BTAC) procedure was triggered into action at the IGI at around 5:15 am.

The threat was declared a "hoax" and "not serious" after anti-sabotage checks of the three IGI terminals were carried out by the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF), the Delhi Police and other airport authorities, they said.

The IGI airport in the national capital is a designated "hypersensitive" from the security point of view.

Scores of passengers transit through its terminals everyday for domestic and international departures and arrivals.

NDTV
 
Another Mid-Air Peeing Incident, Now On Paris-Delhi Air India Flight

Ten days after the shocking November 26 incident on a New York-Delhi Air India flight, another episode of a "drunk" male passenger allegedly "urinating" on a blanket of a female passenger was reported on the Paris-Delhi sector but penal action was not pressed after the passenger gave a written apology, officials said today.

This incident happened on December 6 on Air India flight 142 and the pilot of the aircraft reported the matter to the Air Traffic Control (ATC) at the Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport about it, following which the male passenger was apprehended.

It was not known which class the passengers were travelling.

The flight landed around 9:40 am at Delhi and the airport security was informed that the male passenger was "under the influence of alcohol and he was not following the instructions of the cabin crew and he later peed on a blanket of an onboard lady passenger", airport officials told news agency PTI.

The male passenger was apprehended by the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) as soon as he deboarded the plane but was later allowed to leave after the two passengers had a "mutual compromise" and the accused tendered a "written apology", they said.

The lady passenger, who had initially made a written complaint, refused to file a police case and hence the passenger was allowed to go by the airport security after he cleared immigration and customs formalities, they said.

The incident came just over a week after the November 26 episode where a man allegedly urinated on a female co-passenger onboard a New York-Delhi Air India flight.

The Delhi Police has now registered an FIR in the November incident, based on a complaint by the victim to Air India, and has formed several teams to nab the accused.

NDTV
 
"Devoid Of Empathy": Air India Pulled Up By Regulator Over 'Pee-Gate'

Strongly disapproving of Air India's handling of a Mumbai man urinating on a woman passenger on a flight last year and walking away without facing action, the aviation regulator today said the airline's conduct was "unprofessional" and led to "systemic failure".

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has issued notice to some officials of the Tata Group-owned airline, the pilot of the flight and the crew, asking them to reply within two weeks.

On November 26, Mumbai businessman Shankar Mishra allegedly unzipped and urinated on an elderly woman in the business class of an Air India flight from New York to Delhi. Shockingly, when the flight landed, Shankar Mishra was allowed to leave without any repercussions. Air India didn't complain to the police until this week, only after the woman's letter to the group chairman of Air India, N Chandrasekaran, surfaced.

"... it emerges that provisions related to handling of an unruly passenger on-board have not been complied with," the DGCA said in a statement.

"The conduct of the concerned airline appears to be unprofessional and has led to a systemic failure."

"Prima facie it lacks appreciation of regulatory obligations as described in applicable Aircraft Rules 1937, Civil Aviation Requirements on 'Handling of Unruly Passengers', Cabin Safety Circular, Air India Operations Manual, Air India Safety and Emergency Procedure Manual and Air India Quick Reference Handbook and is devoid of empathy," the statement added.

The aviation watchdog said it has issued notice to the airline's accountable manager, director in-flight services, all the pilots and cabin crew members of that flight asking them to explain within two weeks why action should not be taken against them.

In 2017, the government had issued new rules barring unruly passengers from flying for a minimum of three months to more than two years.

Air India has told the regulator that its staff didn't pursue any action against the businessman as the "aggrieved lady had rescinded her initial request for action" after the two "appeared to have sorted out the issue".

The offender has been banned from flying on Air India for 30 days, pending a report of its Internal Committee.

The airline said as there was "no further flare-up or confrontation", and "respecting the perceived wishes of the female passenger, the crew elected not to summon law enforcement upon landing".

NDTV
 
What is this new thing - pee gate business? Is this something which has been happening for a while?
 
US banking giant Wells Fargo on Friday sacked a top Indian executive now being pursued by police for allegedly urinating on a fellow passenger aboard an Air India flight.

Shankar Mishra, who local media reports said was the vice president of the bank’s India operations, was terminated after a 72-year-old woman wrote to Air India’s management to complain about the November incident.

“Wells Fargo holds employees to the highest standards of professional and personal behavior and we find these allegations deeply disturbing,” the company said in a statement.

“This individual has been terminated from Wells Fargo,” it added, without naming Mishra or specifying his position.

AFP
 
Air India seals record order for almost 500 Airbus, Boeing jets

Air India's 470-plane deal is single largest by an airline
Airline to lease another 25 jets bringing total close to 500
U.S., European leaders hail "historic" deal
Air India aims to compete with Gulf carriers
BENGALURU/PARIS, Feb 14 (Reuters) - Air India unveiled deals on Tuesday for a record 470 jets from Airbus and Boeing, accelerating the rebirth of a national emblem under new owners Tata Group as Europe and the United States hailed deepening economic and political ties with New Delhi.

The provisional deals include 220 planes from Boeing (BA.N) and 250 from Airbus (AIR.PA) and eclipse previous records for a single airline as Air India vies with domestic giant IndiGo to serve what will soon be the world's largest population.

...
https://www.reuters.com/business/ae...ndia-agrees-buy-250-planes-airbus-2023-02-14/
 
470 jets is massive. Bonanza for Airbus and Rolls Royce. Even in US it will create a million jobs, if you believe Joe Biden.
 
470 jets is massive. Bonanza for Airbus and Rolls Royce. Even in US it will create a million jobs, if you believe Joe Biden.

Actually the biggest winner in this deal is GE. They will be supplying more than 800 engines to Air India.
 
Actually the biggest winner in this deal is GE. They will be supplying more than 800 engines to Air India.

GE have a different model to RR, I believe they make most their $ on the sale. If Air India got a total care package from RR, then they are also paid by the flying hour and for support including maintenance, repairs and events management, this is why the pandemic was most catastrophic for them in the CLE market which they control.
 
Thats a good point. Thats where million jobs in US comes from. But here is another interesting stat that I came across. India is 70 % short of its fleet requirements. So, one can imagine huge requirements that are coming up.
 
Nehru snatched Air India from JRD Tata, nationalized it and both his grandsons Rajiv Nehru & Sanjay Nehru used the airlines for private joyrides to become a pilot. :))

The end result is Air India ended up having a debt 61K crore...Visionary Nehru :))

JRD opposed it on several platforms but wasn’t invited by the government to present his views.

Finally, Air India retunes to Tata's home.
 
Nehru snatched Air India from JRD Tata, nationalized it and both his grandsons Rajiv Nehru & Sanjay Nehru used the airlines for private joyrides to become a pilot. :))

The end result is Air India ended up having a debt 61K crore...Visionary Nehru :))

JRD opposed it on several platforms but wasn’t invited by the government to present his views.

Finally, Air India retunes to Tata's home.

While Nehru did start the process he didn’t fire JRD who still managed it and kept it reputable, it was BJP’s phase-1 that actually fired him under Moraji Desai.


JRD’s Words to Moraji:
“ “I hope you will not consider it presumptuous of me to have expected that when the government decided to terminate my services and my forty-five years’ association with Indian civil aviation, I would be informed of their decision directly, and if possible, in advance of the public...”
 
I have to say one thing BJP just follows Congress ideas:
When congress on nationalism drive jan Sangh took it ever further and sent out MNCs.

When 1991 Congress Liberalized economy BJP then opposed it but now is on board taking it further.
 
While Nehru did start the process he didn’t fire JRD who still managed it and kept it reputable, it was BJP’s phase-1 that actually fired him under Moraji Desai.


JRD’s Words to Moraji:
“ “I hope you will not consider it presumptuous of me to have expected that when the government decided to terminate my services and my forty-five years’ association with Indian civil aviation, I would be informed of their decision directly, and if possible, in advance of the public...”


The Indian government nationalized the private airline in 1953, ran it with taxpayer money, repeatedly underwrote losses after 2007.

Morarji in office 2 years (77-79).
1. He was inducted as finance Minister in the cabinet of Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru.
2. Contested for Congress Party Leadership and was defeated by Indira.
3. Desai served as Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister of India in the Indira Gandhi government.

Yeahh..he is BJP guy who spend more time in Congress.
 
The Indian government nationalized the private airline in 1953, ran it with taxpayer money, repeatedly underwrote losses after 2007.

Morarji in office 2 years (77-79).
1. He was inducted as finance Minister in the cabinet of Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru.
2. Contested for Congress Party Leadership and was defeated by Indira.
3. Desai served as Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister of India in the Indira Gandhi government.

Yeahh..he is BJP guy who spend more time in Congress.

Let me guess you think Nishane-e Pakistan winner was a pawn from Congress into Bjp-1 and BJP intial made him the PM?
 
New Delhi: India's largest airline IndiGo has announced a 500-aircraft deal with Airbus, a record in aviation history. The agreement has topped the 470-aircraft deal recently signed by Air India and sparks a race to capitalise on India' growing base of fliers and vast expat population.
The deal was signed on June 19 at the Paris Air Show in the presence of Chairman of the Board of IndiGo V Sumantran, CEO of IndiGo Pieter Elbers, CEO of Airbus Guillaume Faury, and, Airbus' Chief Commercial Officer and Head of International Christian Scherer.

The order for 500 A320 Family aircraft sets the "record for the biggest single purchase agreement in the history of commercial aviation," Airbus said in a statement.

"The latest agreement takes the total number of Airbus aircraft on order by IndiGo to 1,330, establishing its position as the world's biggest A320 Family customer," added the statement from Airbus.

"It is difficult to overstate the significance of IndiGo's new historic order for 500 Airbus A320 Family aircraft. An order book now of almost 1000 aircraft well into the next decade, enables IndiGo to fulfill its mission to continue to boost economic growth, social cohesion and mobility in India," Airbus quoted IndiGo chief Pieter Elbers as saying.

"This will provide IndiGo a further steady stream of deliveries between 2030 and 2035. This 500 aircraft order is not only IndiGo's largest order but also the largest-ever single aircraft purchase by any airline with Airbus," a statement from IndiGo said.

In February, after its acquisition by the Tata Group, Air India had signed a 470-aircraft deal with Boeing at a price of $70 billion. At the time, its chief Campbell Wilson had said it was a move meant to "transform the fleet and power significant network and capacity expansion".

With its fleet of over 300 aircraft, IndiGo is currently operating over 1.800 flights a day and connects 78 domestic destinations and over 20 international destinations. It also has orders that are yet to be delivered, taking up the current strength of its fleet to 480.

NDTV
 
India Becomes World's 3rd Largest Domestic Airline Market: Report

Driven by robust growth in the aviation sector in the last decade, India is now the third-largest domestic airline market in the world, up from 5th position 10 years ago.

Ten years ago, India was the smallest market with around 8 million seats, followed by Indonesia at 4th and Brazil at 3rd place, and the US and China occupying the top two positions.

Today, the US and China remain the largest domestic aviation markets.

"However, India is surpassing the Brazilian and Indonesian domestic markets to become the third-largest domestic market with airline capacity of 15.6 million seats in April 2024," according to OAG data.

India's capacity growth rate of seats over a 10-year average is the highest, growing at 6.9 per cent annually.

"India is the fastest growing market across all five domestic markets we considered. China was close behind with annual growth of 6.3 per cent between 2014 and 2024, and there is a much smaller growth rate in the US and Indonesia," according to the data.

According to the OAG report, another interesting metric to consider across these large domestic markets is low-cost carrier (LCC) capacity share.

In April 2024, LCCs accounted for 78.4 per cent of domestic airline capacity in India, the highest LCC share of any of these five domestic markets.

In the last 10 years, IndiGo has almost doubled their market share, from 32 per cent of capacity in 2014 to 62 per cent today. While the rest of the market has barely grown, averaging just 0.7 per cent a year, IndiGo has a domestic capacity growth rate of 13.9 per cent annually," the report mentioned.

The country has seen robust growth under Prime Minister Narendra Modi, paving the way for shaping the future of the aviation industry for the next 25 years.

On November 19 last year, airlines in India flew 4,56,910 domestic passengers. This was the highest single-day air traffic since the pandemic hit, marking a remarkable 7.4 per cent surge above pre-Covid averages, as per the Civil Aviation Ministry's data.

According to the government, the number of airports in the country has increased to 157 from 74 in the last 10 years.

More than 91 lakh passengers availed the facility of Digi Yatra, and over 35 lakh users downloaded the app in 2023.

 
Indian airlines hit by nearly 1,000 hoax bomb threats

India's airlines and airports received 999 hoax bomb threats this year as of 14 November, the country's deputy civil aviation minister told its parliament.

This was nearly 10 times more than the threats received in 2023, Mr Murlidhar Mohol said.

More than 500 of the year's threats were received just in the last two weeks of October.

The dramatic surge in hoax threats had wreaked havoc on flight schedules, causing widespread disruption in services.

The recent threats were all hoaxes, Mr Mohol said, with "no actual threat detected at any of the airports/aircraft in India".

Police have registered 256 complaints and 12 people have been arrested in connection with these threats, the minister said.

But the cases mark an unprecedented spike in such hoaxes.

Between 2014 and 2017, authorities had recorded just 120 bomb hoax alerts at airports, with nearly half directed at Delhi and Mumbai, the country’s largest airports.

The flurry of hoax threats this October had delayed several affected flights while others were diverted.

Hoax threats against flights heading for other countries also lead to international agencies getting involved.

In October, Singapore's Air Force sent two fighter jets to escort an Air India Express plane following a bomb threat.

The same month, another Air India flight from New Delhi to Chicago was forced to land in a remote airport in Canada.

Passengers on the flight were later airlifted to Chicago on an Air Force plane deployed by Canadian officials.

India's civil aviation ministry had then said it was making "every possible effort" to safeguard flight operations.

India's airports have a Bomb Threat Assessment Committee which assesses the gravity of the threat and takes action accordingly. A threat can lead to the involvement of the bomb disposal squad, sniffer dogs, ambulances, police and doctors.

Passengers are off-loaded from the plane along with cabin baggage, check-in baggage and cargo, and they are all screened again. Engineering and security teams also search the plane before it is cleared for flying again.

The resultant delay can cost thousands of dollars in damages to airlines and security agencies.

More than 150 million passengers flew domestically in India last year, according to the civil aviation ministry.

More than 3,000 flights arrive and depart every day in the country from more than 150 operational airports, including 33 international airports.

BBC
 
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