Boeing India president Dr. Dinesh Keskar has announced that Boeing will deliver Air India’s first 787 Dreamliner in the fourth quarter (between October and December) 2011. The plane carries a registration VT-ANA. Pictures available here. The US airframer has been facing criticism from airlines across the world for years of delay. The launch customer, Japan’s All Nippon Airways. Air India …

From camp Aero India. It is 35 deg C in the sun and an achingly slow internet, but some initial pictures for your enjoyment. The Akash Ganga sky-jump team.The HAL built Advanced Light Helicopter leads a commando assault team.The Sepecat Jaguars deep penetration strike aircraft of the Indian Air Force.The air superiority fighter Sukhoi Su-30 MKI.The newly inducted Light Combat …

While preparations are in full swing for Aero India, I came across another gem of a piece by Ajai Shukla a noted defence analyst in India and a person who I respect for his views. Ajai, who does not mince too many words writes in today’s Business Standard newspaper, in his Broadsword column about the growing scam in the defence …

Two Eurofighter Typhoons of the Italian Air Force (tail numbers 4-5 and 36-23) arrived at the Air Force Station Yelahanka to participate in the 8th edition of the Aero India show. On the ramp at Yelahanka next to the Sukhoi Su30MKI air superiority fighter The Eurofighter is a strong contender for the $10+ billion tender for the Indian Air Force …

National carrier Air India has recorded it’s second consecutive month of operational profit. The carrier posted an operating surplus of Rs 49.48 Crores ($11.22 million) in December 2010, up from Rs 21.66 crore in November 2010. While the carrier feels this is largely due to recent efforts at improvement in efficiency parameters and adoption of better yield management strategies, most …

The Times of India newspaper published earlier today that Boeing would be bringing its 787 Dreamliner to the Aero India show due to commence next week. Sources at Boeing told Bangalore Aviation that the Times of India story was wrong. The source went on to indicate that Aero India is a defence oriented show and it did not make any …

It is official. As reported by Bangalore Aviation in June last year, Mr. Hari Marar will assume leadership of the airport operations group from Marcel Hungerbuehler, as President – Operations from March 1, 2011, at the Bengaluru International Airport Ltd. We will bring you an interview in due course with both these gentlemen. Stay tuned.

Aided by the resurgent Indian economy, improvement in global business and leisure travel, Mumbai based Jet Airways group (Jet Airways, Jet Airways Konnect, and JetLite) posted strong results for the third quarter of fiscal year 2011, which ended December 31, 2010 Profit before tax for group for the quarter increased a whopping 122% from Rs. 109.8 crore (US$ 23.6 million) …

With the addition of more aircraft in its fleet, Gurgaon based low fare carrier IndiGo, is launching seven new flights on its network taking the daily count to 221 flights across 24 domestic destinations. The airline will operate its eight daily non-stop between Delhi to Mumbai, fifth daily non-stop between Delhi to Bangalore, a second daily flight between Delhi and …

In a first for India, Miles & More, the frequent flier programme of the Lufthansa group has tied up with Nuance duty free shop at Bengaluru International Airport to offer its members earning of frequent flier miles while shopping. Miles & More cardholders can earn 2 award miles for every US$1 (approx Rs. 44) spent at Nuance’s duty free shops …

The readers of Bangalore Aviation are a well travelled, highly knowledgeable group. To make the site more interactive, I will try and bring one survey a week and seek your valuable inputs the results of which we will share the following week. Various airline executives claim most passengers only care about price. Everything is secondary or is not important. I …

For the first time in its history Aero India will host a privately owned aerobatics team The Flying Bulls Aerobatic Team. Visitors to the show will be able to enjoy some world famous dare-devilry in the sky. In an exclusive contest and thanks to this team’s owners, Red Bull, two readers of Bangalore Aviation will win tickets to visit the …

From Bangalore, the technological capital of India, the number one destination is San Francisco and the surrounding bay area, followed by Los Angeles, both in California. Good news from two behemoths of the Star Alliance, Lufthansa and Singapore Airlines both of whom operate the Airbus A380 superjumbo. Lufthansa will upgrade its current daily Boeing 747-400 service to an A380 service …

Last week, the Indian ministry of civil aviation granted Gurgaon based low fare carrier IndiGo permission to commence its international operations in August with flights to Dubai, Bangkok and Singapore ex-Mumbai and Delhi and to Muscat ex-Mumbai. The Dubai and Muscat routes are a bonanza for the airline. Mumbai and Delhi are the two largest markets in India. There is …

New Delhi’s Indira Gandhi international (IGI) airport will face flight disruptions this week due to Republic Day and Bangalore’s Bengaluru international airport (BIA) will face disruptions in early February due to the Aero India 2011 show. With India celebrating Republic Day on 26 January, flight operations in Delhi will be shut down: Between 0700-1230 hours and 1400-1830 hours on 26 …

India’s largest low fare carrier IndiGo, is known for its no-fuss service and its flight punctuality. The airline has a television advertisement boasting the punch line “On time is a wonderful thing”. Back in late November, early morning flights at Bangalore were delayed due to fog. As the fog lifted with the morning sun, there was the usual mad scramble …

Another plane spotting quiz to tickle that grey matter. This is a picture taken by Aviation Photographers India Foundation member Vedant Agarwal. (See more of his photos here). Identify the twelve airlines and if possible the aircraft from left to right via a comment. Click on the image for a larger view.

Fog is the bane of New Delhi winters haunting air travellers every year like clockwork. All this despite the New Delhi Indira Gandhi international airport being the nation’s most technically advanced airport with Cat IIIB ILS equipped runways which permits landings in as low as 50 meters visibility. It is natural for the average traveller to wonder on these delays …

Click on the image for a larger view With the closure of the main runway 09-27 for re-carpeting at Mumbai’s Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport, only the secondary runway 14-32 is available. This has caused a veritable traffic jam especially in the midday. Our flight had to wait 20 minutes just to push back, and I managed to take a wing …