Yearly Archives: 2017

Jet Airways offers ‘Biryani Festival’ on-board starting today

Jet Airways Biryani Festival.

Jet Airways starts a week-long, in-flight ‘Biryani Festival’, from today, for passengers in economy class on select domestic flights. Till September 4, the airline will showcase eight different biryanis from various states of India, as part of their lunch and dinner menus. These include: Yakhni Pulao Biryani Aloo Badi Ki Biryani Hyderabadi Chicken Dum Biryani Kabuli Biryani Kolkata Style Chicken …

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New Delhi IGI airport unveils ambitious expansion plan starting with T1

Computer generated image of the upgraded T1 at New Delhi IGI Airport

Driven by a massive 27% increase in passengers at Terminal 1 (T1), the GMR Group led Delhi International Airport Limited (DIAL) consortium, has unveiled an ambitious expansion plan to India’s largest airport, Indira Gandhi International Airport, New Delhi. The Master Plan will be implemented in three phases – 3A from 2018 to 2021, 3B from 2021 to 2025 and 4 …

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Inflight review: Etihad Airways A380: Business Studio: London to Abu Dhabi

The center seats. The forward facing rows are great for couples.

This is the first in a three part article of my trip from London to Bangalore. After exiting the lounge, I walked straight up to the gate which is right opposite the lounge entrance and immediately reached an agent, had my boarding card scanned and let through to the aerobridge. The experience of transiting the lounge to the aircraft was …

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Qatar Airways and Vistara sign interline agreement

Qatar Airways A7-BAC Boeing 777-300ER.

Flag carrier Qatar Airways entered into a new interline partnership with the Tata-Singapore Airlines Vistara effective today. The agreement allows passengers of each airline to travel seamlessly under a single ticket on the other’s network via Indian gateways where both airlines operate to. The baggage allowances of the passengers will be as per the issuing airline’s rules. Qatar Airways operates …

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Analysis: Spicejet first quarter FY2018 results. Several items of concern.

SpiceJet Bombardier Q400 Dash 8 VT-SUB lands at Kempegowda airport Bangalore. Photo by Vedant Agarwal. All rights reserved.

Spicejet’s results for the first quarter of fiscal year 2017-18 were a mixed bag, and we find several items of concern. Bangalore Aviation presents an analysis of the numbers: Results snapshot (all figures in Indian Rupees) Revenues 2,068 crores Costs 1,714 crores EBITDAR 479 crores Profit before tax 177 crores Profit after tax 178 crores Revenue per available seat kilometre …

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Lounge Review: Etihad Lounge London Heathrow

This is the first in a three part article of my trip from London to Bangalore My trip with Etihad from London began badly. Knowing that I would be traveling with two large bags and a hand carry, I had requested the Etihad call center for a minivan or something similar which could accommodate all the luggage. A day before …

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Analysis: IndiGo first quarter FY2018 results and fleet, plans, and strategy

IndiGo first A320neo VT-ITC touches down at New Delhi's IGI airport after a non-stop flight from Toulouse, France

India’s largest domestic carrier, IndiGo, reported its first quarter results of the fiscal year 2017-2018 (Q1FY18) yesterday. It was a strong result but perhaps what was different this time, were details on its fleet, international expansion plans and strategic direction, the airline shared. Bangalore Aviation is the first to report on and analyse these comprehensive issues. IndiGo Q1FY18 results snapshot …

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Lounge Review: The Lounge by Luxair Luxembourg

Panoramic view of the lounge and it's view.

My flight from Luxembourg to London was departing at 1130, by misjudging the time needed to reach the airport I had reached reasonably early. After quickly checking in at the British airways business class desk, I asked the agent if I would be able to access the lounge. I was quite surprised that she didn’t know if I could since …

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Inflight Review: Air India: Business: 787-8: Mumbai – London

Air India Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner line number 35 test registered N1015 (later became VT-ANH) at the India Aviation show, Hyderabad March 2012. Photo copyright Devesh Agarwal.

After being escorted back to the terminal by one of the transit hotel staff. With the way my luck was running this trip, I decided to double check that my bag were through checked to London. I went up to the business class counter in the check in hall which is an odd experience, because the entrance of the counter …

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Lounge Review: GVK Lounge East Mumbai Airport

After finally clearing immigration at Mumbai airport. I headed to the GVK Lounge East which is the contract lounge used by Air India. I believe there is another larger lounge on the west side of the terminal which also hosts within it a first class lounge. Mumbai airport has a system wherein the individual airlines do have their own lounges …

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Delta, Air France-KLM, Virgin Atlantic to launch combined joint venture

As India’s Jet Airways gets closer to Delta Air Lines, Air France and KLM, the core founders of the SkyTeam alliance, further news of strengthening of these airlines’ 2009 partnership over the busy trans-Atlantic airspace. Delta will invest €375 million investment to acquire a 10% equity share in the Air France-KLM Group. In addition Delta will a seat on the …

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Hotel review: Niranta Mumbai airport transit hotel at Terminal 2

The check-in hall at Mumbai CSI airport.

After getting off domestic Air India flight from Bangalore around 21:00, my onward flight was at 06:30 the next morning. The layover was not long enough to head into town and wasn’t short enough to just loiter around the terminal. I had booked a room at the airside transit hotel at Mumbai airport. Crossing Immigration – Reaching too early!! After going …

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Inflight Review: Air India: Business: A319: Bangalore – Mumbai

As soon as I mentioned to anybody, that I was considering flying Air India to the UK – the reactions I got were ‘Are you crazy?’, ‘Do you enjoy suffering?’, ‘Oh god’ and similar. Booking We had a whole bunch of Air India miles that were going to start expiring soon. So I was originally looking to book a flight …

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US Air Force’s 70th anniversary display at #RIAT2017

Two McDonnell Douglas F-15C Eagles with a McDonnell Douglas F-15E Strike Eagle.

The United States air force (USAF) is celebrating the 70th anniversary of it’s formation this year. At the recently concluded Royal International Air Tattoo (RIAT), the USAF organized a special anniversary display at the show. The USAF displayed a variety of aircraft at the show, on static display were the B-52H, B-1B, C-17A, U-2 and more. The USAF also organized …

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Emirates and flydubai announce extensive partnership agreement

Emirates and flydubai have entered a partnership which will see the two Dubai-based airlines partner in code sharing and collaborate their network with coordinated scheduling. The agreement will allow Emirates to make use of flydubai’s regional network and allow flydubai to make use of Emirates expansive global network to allow both airlines passengers more destinations. The goal of this partnership …

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Lounge Review: Above Ground Level lounge Bangalore Kempegowda airport

On my Air India trip from Bangalore to London, I finally used the Above Ground Level (AGL) lounge on the domestic side of Bangalore airport. The AGL lounge is located right beside the Plaza premium lounge just after security. The lounge is also located on the mezzanine right beside the Plaza lounge. However unlike the Plaza lounge this lounge does …

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Scoot’s Leslie Thng slated to succeed Phee Teik Yeoh as Vistara CEO

Vistara's first Airbus A320neo VT-TNB on its maiden commercial flight.

TATA SIA Airlines Limited (Vistara) have named Scoot’s Chief Commercial Officer Leslie Thng to succeed Phee Teik Yeoh as Chief Executive Officer for Vistara, from October 2017. Phee Teik Yeoh who has been with Vistara since its inception, will return to his parent, Singapore Airlines (SIA) and will be given a a senior appointment. Thng, a lifelong Singapore Airlines man, …

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Air India hurts itself by withdrawing non-veg economy meal option

A tail parade of each of Air India's Boeing aircraft as in 2011. The 747-400, 777-300ER, 777-200LR and 737-800.

In another demonstration of why Government should not be involved in the operations of national carrier Air India, Air India Chairman and Managing Director Ashwani Lohani announced the discontinuation of serving non-vegetarian meals in the economy class on all domestic flights. The disclosure made in an interview with The Hindu newspaper invited swift reaction, much of it negative, by many, …

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Unconvinced by IndiGo’s bid for Air India

Indigo Airbus A320neo VT-ITC. Copyrighted image. Re-use prohibited.

Indigo’s analyst call on 6th July was scheduled to allay investor concerns about the new direction the airline was taking after submitting the unsolicited bid for Air India. One of the founders admitted, that without numbers, it was like “going to a corporate board meeting in a swim suit” and we wholeheartedly agree. If anything it added to the confusion …

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Seven reasons why Indigo has bid for Air India

VT-ALA Air India Boeing 777-200LR at Delhi Airport.

Just as the cabinet decision for Air India was approved, the unsolicited bid by Indigo caught the entire airline industry by surprise. The surprise factor is perhaps best highlighted by the stock price which took a beating and fell on average by 8% in the two days following the announcement. However, the bid represents a very smart and planned move …

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