Boeing’s defense arm today reached a major milestone with the production of its 250,000th Joint Direct Attack Munition (JDAM) guidance kit. Find the details in the press release below. 20th August 2013   ST. CHARLES, Mo., Aug. 20, 2013 – Boeing [NYSE: BA] today marked its recent production of the 250,000th Joint Direct Attack Munition (JDAM) guidance kit, a major …

by Devesh Agarwal DBO near the top of the map. Image: Wikipedia In a significant capability demonstration move by the Indian Air Force (IAF) achieved a world record when it landed a C-130J-30 Super Hercules aircraft landed at Daulat Beg Oldie (DBO) Advanced Landing Ground (ALG), the highest airstrip in the world at 06:54 hrs today. The Commanding Officer Group …

Earlier today, European ultra-low cost carrier (ULCC) Ryanair launched a new customer verification system on the Ryanair.com website. Find the details below.  20th August 2013 Ryanair, Europe’s only ultra-low cost carrier (ULCC), today (20 Aug) launched a new consumer verification security system on the Ryanair.com website, which offers increased security when booking Ryanair’s lowest fares on Ryanair.com.Delivered through CardinalCommerce’s Centinel® …

by Vinay Bhaskara Qatar Airways Boeing 787 Dreamliner – Image Credit: Qatar Airways MEB3 carrier Qatar Airways has provided confirmation of the plans to bring its Boeing 787 Dreamliner to India via the Doha-Delhi and Doha-Bangalore sectors from September 1st. Bangalore Aviation had previously reported on the new aircraft placement via a report from Airline Route. Qatar Airways Dreamliners are …

The United States National Transportation Safety Board which is investigating the fatal crash of a UPS flight 5X-1354, an Airbus A300-600 aircraft registration N155UP at Birmingham, Alabama, USA, on August 14, 2013, held four briefings for the media. Below are the videos of the briefings all together for your continuous viewing. UPS Airbus A300-600F freighter registration N162UP approaches Boston Logan …

Earlier today, Canadian LCC Westjet announced the launch of Plus, a part of the airline’s fare bundle roll-out, offering several benefits. Find the details below. 19th August 2013 CALGARY, Aug. 19, 2013 /CNW/ – WestJet today announced the market launch of Plus, an important part of the airline’s fare bundle roll-out, offering additional flexibility, comfort and convenience to guests looking …

Ryanair has dropped legal proceedings against the Belfast Telegraph after the paper issue an apology to the carrier about a number of false claims made in an article posted on the Telegraph website on August 6th. Find the details below. 19th August 2013 RYANAIR WELCOMES BELFAST TELEGRAPH APOLOGYRyanair, Europe’s only ultra-low cost carrier (ULCC), today (19 Aug) welcomed an apology …

European LCC easyJet has launched a new IPAD app. Find the details below. 19th August 2013 easyJet, the UK’s largest airline, is now providing travellers either on a budget or in need of last minute holiday inspiration, access to easyJet’s popular and innovative ‘Inspire Me’ tool through a dedicated iPad application. The simple and free, map-based app enables customers to enter …

An Auckland based couple made history today by becoming the first same sex couple in New Zealand to marry in flight. Find the details below.  19th August 2013  An Auckland-based couple has this morning made history celebrating the legalisation of same sex marriage in New Zealand by saying “I do” in the skies. Lynley Bendall and Ally Wanikau, who have been …

by Vinay BhaskaraAccording to the Airline Route blog, private Bhutanese carrier Bhutan Airways (also known as Tashi Air) is set to begin daily Paro-Kolkata-Bangkok flights from October 2013 with its new Airbus A320 aircraft. Proposed schedules are as follow: B3700 PBH-CCU 1035 – 1110 CCU-BKK 1150 – 1550 320 Daily B3701 BKK-CCU 0630 – 0730 CCU-PBH 0810 – 0945  320 Daily Tashi Air …

Thai Airways recently won an award of excellence for its in flight magazine “Sawasdee.” Find the press release below. 18th August, 2013  THAI in-flight magazine “ Sawasdee ” wins Award of Excellence in Magazine Design Image Credit: Thai Airways Thai Airways International Public Company Limited (THAI) announces its Award for Excellence in Magazine Design for the in-flight magazine, Sawasdee. THAI’s in-flight …

by Vinay BhaskaraMiramar, Florida based LCC Spirit Airlines has announced 4 new nonstop routes out of Minneapolis St. Paul International Airport. Beginning November 7th, the low cost carrier will have daily non-stops from Minneapolis St. Paul to Tampa, Orlando, Phoenix, and Los Angeles, complementing existing flights from Chicago O’Hare, Dallas Fort Worth, Las Vegas, Fort Myers, Fort Lauderdale, and Denver. …

Dubai-based Emirates airline is a behemoth in the world of wide-body aircraft. The airline’s president, Tim Clark, is considered a world authority on wide-body aircraft and is always pushing the envelope, demanding increasingly better performance from the two wide-body airframers, Boeing and Airbus SAS. Watch below, a very informative 16 minute video of Clark talking with Bloomberg’s Christopher Jasper, on …

Indian budget carrier IndiGo, has announced the introduction of new daily flights to Ranchi from Delhi and Patna. The airline will service the three cities in a circular routing i.e. Delhi-Patna-Ranchi-Delhi and reverse from today. Flight No. Origin Destination Departure Arrival Frequency Via Fare* Effective 6E 493 Delhi Ranchi 4:20 PM 6:10 PM Daily 4011 18-Aug-13 6E 494 Delhi Ranchi …

by Devesh Agarwal The Visa on Arrival service is now operational at the Bengaluru International Airport. Visitors from 11 countries, Japan, Singapore, New Zealand, Philippines, Indonesia, Luxembourg, Finland, Laos, Vietnam, Myanmar and Cambodia are eligible for this service. The visa will be issued at the immigration desk and will be valid for a maximum period of 30 days. The airport …

by Devesh Agarwal Dubai-based Emirates, has announced the launch of its luxury private jet service using a ultra-spacious Airbus 319 aircraft. Providing a bespoke private charter service to most locations worldwide and beyond the existing Emirates network, the aircraft offers a new configuration with a high level of comfort and service for up to 19 passengers. The configuration of the …

Yet to commence low cost carrier AirAsia India, and its Malaysian long distance cousin AirAsia X, are each having an artistic design contest. AirAsia India is accepting entries for a wall mural at its Chennai head office while AirAsia X is inviting entries for painting one of its A330 aircraft. Full rules can be read here and here.

by Vinay Bhaskara JetLite continues to be a (modest) bright spot in Jet Airways’ broader operations. The low cost wing of Jet Airways, which was recently merged with the JetKonnect brand to streamline low cost operations, reported a net post-tax profit of Rs. 6.9 Crore, down from Rs. 11.7 Crore a year prior. An increased proportion of JetKonnect’s fleet was …

by Vinay Bhaskara and Devesh Agarwal Earlier this week, Mumbai based Jet Airways announced a net post-tax loss of Rs. 355.4 Crore (US $ 59.8 million) for the first quarter of Fiscal Year 2014, reversing from a Rs. 24.7 Crore net profit during the same period a year prior. Total revenues declined a whopping 12.3% to Rs. 4, 064.4 Crore …

AirlineRoute is reporting As per 10AUG13 GDS timetable/inventory display, QATAR Airways plans to operate Boeing 787 aircraft on flights to Bangalore and Delhi, during the month of September 2013. Planned operation as follow. Doha – Bangalore 01SEP13 – 29SEP13 1 daily (BLR departure 02SEP13 – 30SEP13)QR226 DOH 2020 – 0310+1 BLR 788 DailyQR227 BLR 0440 – 0625 DOH 788 Daily …