Devesh Agarwal

A electronics and automotive product management, marketing and branding expert, he was awarded a silver medal at the Lockheed Martin innovation competition 2010. He is ranked 6th on Mashable's list of aviation pros on Twitter and in addition to Bangalore Aviation, he has contributed to leading publications like Aviation Week, Conde Nast Traveller India, The Economic Times, and The Mint (a Wall Street Journal content partner). He remains a frequent flier and shares the good, the bad, and the ugly about the Indian aviation industry without fear or favour.

Chennai airport shut due to rain flooding. IndiGo suspends flights to the city.

IndiGo_A320 classic VT-INT. Photo: Devesh Agarwal.

It appears that Chennai airport has suspended operations due to flooding thanks to almost one month of incessant and unseasonal rains. India’s largest domestic airline, IndiGo, released a statement This is to notify IndiGo passengers and the local partners in Chennai – that due to severe weather conditions, Chennai airport is shut for operations. Keeping in mind the safety of …

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Qatar Airways commences Nagpur Doha flights

Qatar Airways A320 Sharklet A7-AHX First Flight to arrive at Hamad Intl Airport at QR7450. NDIA.

National carrier Qatar Airways, today commences daily non-stop flights between Nagpur and Doha. QR 588 departs Doha at 19:55 arrives Nagpur at 02:15 the next morning QR 589 departs Nagpur at 03:45 arrives Doha at 05:55 the same day The flight is estimated to be a little over four hours in duration. The schedule like most of the airline’s flights …

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A suggestion for Mr. Lohani, CMD of Air India. Experience your airline!!

Listen to your passengers Mr. Lohani

Soon after he took over as Chairman and Managing Director of national carrier Air India, Ashwani Lohani, declared he would engage the over 20,000 work force at the airline. Good idea. I have just one additional suggestion for Mr. Lohani. Learn from the TV series Undercover boss; personally experience your airline by travelling on it, anonymously. To best understand what …

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EASA and FAA certify Airbus A320neo. IndiGo will get its first soon.

Powered by Pratt & Whitney PurePower PW1100G-JM Geared Turbo Fan

The Airbus A320neo (new engine option), the newest version of the popular single aisle narrow body jet has received joint Type Certification from the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) and the United States Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) powered by Pratt & Whitney Pure Power PW1100G-JM geared turbo-fan (GTF) engines. The EASA A320neo type Certificate was signed by EASA’s Certification Director …

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Hooray!!!! Air India extends San Francisco flight to Bangalore

Air India Boeing 777-237LR VT-ALF Jharkand at New Delhi IGI airport. Photo copyright Vedant Agarwal, all rights reserved. Used with permission.

Hooray for national carrier Air India. The airline has finally connected the Silicon Valley of the San Francisco bay area with the Silicon Plateau of Bangalore via a direct flight via New Delhi. The national carrier has synchronised one of its flights between Bengaluru and New Delhi, with the non-stop New Delhi San Francisco flight. It has also changed the …

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DGCA report finds Air India operated 787 with only 4 of 47 screws installed

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.

On October 12, 2013, a little over two years ago, an Air India Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner registration VT-ANK performing flight AI803 from New Delhi to Bangalore with 147 passengers and seven crew, had its right hand side (RHS) heat exchanger access panel 196KR detach from the aircraft as it was landing at Kempegowda International Airport, Bengaluru around 09:40 (0410Z) 04:10 …

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Star Wars’ X-wing and TIE fighters featured at Singapore Changi airport

Star Wars characters with rebel X-wing Fighter. Photo courtesy Changi Airport

Till January 5th, Singapore Changi airport will feature the iconic X-wingTM fighter and TIE fighterTM in full life size. Ahead of the release of the latest edition of famous Star Wars films, The Force Awakens, the X-wing fighter will be featured at the airport’s Terminal 3 departure hall, while five life-sized Imperial StormtroopersTM guard the Galactic Empire’s TIE fighter in …

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Air India offers free tickets to business class fliers

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

National carrier Air India is offering freebies and discounts to its business class and women passengers who travel on the carrier’s domestic metro network, Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, Hyderabad and Bengaluru, between November 1 and December 31, 2015. Passengers who travel six times within Air India’s domestic metro network, excepting between Bangalore and Chennai, will get two flight coupons (a …

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Debunking Indian media’s sensationalist aviation reporting

Air India Airbus A321 VT-PPO. Seen here handing in the early morning light at Bangalore Airport.

When it comes to aviation reporting, the some papers and TV channels of the mainstream India media are world leaders in sensationalism, hype, and scare-mongering. Regardless of the situation, even for the most minor and routine aviation incident, the opening para will contain a phrase similar to “Passengers had a miraculous escape” and “cheated death”. So rampant is the frenzy …

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First A350-900 of Singapore Airlines 9V-SMA revealed

Singapore Airlines' first Airbus A350-900 exits Airbus paint shop. Airbus photo.

Singapore Airlines which just two days ago announced re-commencement of the world’s longest non-stop flights using the new generation Airbus A350-900ULR aircraft has seen its first A350-900 exit the Airbus paint-shop at Toulouse. The aircraft which will be registered as 9V-SMA is expected to be delivered in January 2016. The 9V-SMx series was given to the Boeing 747-400 Megatops that …

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Singapore Airlines to re-launch world’s longest non-stop flights

CGI of Singapore Airlines A350-900. Airbus image.

Singapore Airlines which used to operate two of the world’s longest non-stop flights, between Singapore and both Los Angeles and Newark, will re-launch these flights in 2018. The island nation’s flag carrier has signed an agreement with European airframer Airbus, to be the launch customer for the new A350-900ULR (ultra-long-range) variant of the itself new, A350 aircraft. The airline has …

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Air India faces Rs 640 crore lawsuit in US for breaching Haj contract

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

Dynamic International Airways LLC, a US air carrier head-quartered in Greensboro, North Carolina, has launched a $97.7 million (about Rs 640 crore) lawsuit against Air India alleging breach of contract in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York. The suit alleges for the years 2013 and 2014, Air India sub-contracted Dynamic to carry Haj pilgrims …

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Why are Air India’s Dreamliners giving trouble when others are not?

Air India Boeing 787-8 VT-ANE.

Last July, India’s civil aviation minister Ashok Gajapathi Raju told the Indian parliament, national carrier Air India (AI) experienced delays in 318 of its Boeing 787 Dreamliner equipped flights till June 30, 2014 due to a variety of technical snags. This translated to over three per cent of the total Dreamliner equipped flights operated by the airline. In airline jargon, …

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Emirates bashes US airlines with new Jennifer Aniston ad

Jennifer Aniston stars in an Emirates' TV commercial

In the ongoing war between the three major US airlines Delta, United and American, and the three major Gulf carriers, Emirates, Etihad, and Qatar, Dubai based Emirates airline has hit back with a new video commercial featuring Hollywood megastar Jennifer Aniston. Aniston is in a nightmare on an unknown US carrier asking for a shower and a lounge, something available …

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Singapore’s premium economy seat is wider than many others’ business class

Singapore Airline's India country head David Lau demonstrates the new premium economy seat

Singapore Airlines is known for its luxurious approach to passengers, some would call it over the top (OTT). A similar approach seems to be applied to the airline’s new Premium Economy (PEY) class which is being retrofitted on to the airline’s existing Airbus A380 fleet of 19 aircraft, and another 19 Boeing 777-300ERs (airline internal designation 77WN). The first 20 …

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Infographics: India domestic airlines’ performance for August 2015

A view of the ramp at Bangalore Airport.

We bring you another instalment of infographics showing historic performance over the last 12 months, of India’s domestic air passenger market as of August 2015. Infographics are based on data published by India’s civil aviation regulator, the DGCA. We encourage you to study all the infographics, and then help us answer “The SpiceJet Conundrum” posed at the end of page. …

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Exclusive pictures: First production A320neo, destined for IndiGo, flies

First Airbus A320neo with Pratt & Whitney PurePower PW1127G-JM Geared Turbo-Fan (GTF) engine. Photo courtesy Airbus.

Exactly one year after the first flight of the Airbus A320neo, the first production airframe MSN 6720, made its maiden flight. This particular airframe is destined for IndiGo as part of the Indian carrier’s 180 A320neo order placed at the Paris Air Show in 2011. While MSN 6720 is the first production airframe, it will not be the first to …

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Air India’s New Delhi San Francisco schedule ignores Bangalore

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

Air India has loaded the schedule of its much anticipated New Delhi San Francisco non-stop service, into the global distribution system. AI173 departs* New Delhi at 02:45 and arrives San Francisco International at 06:00 AI174 departs* San Francisco International at 10:00 and arrives New Delhi at 15:35 the next day *all departures on Wednesdays, Fridays, and Sundays Yet, inexplicably, the …

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Air India shifting to Mumbai airport T2. First to integrate operations

Air India's website banner announcing shift to T2 at Mumbai

National carrier Air India will be the first airline to integrate its operations, domestic and international, at terminal 2 better known as T2, at Mumbai CSI airport. The airline will be shifting its domestic operations from terminal 1A located just off the western express highway to the swanky new T2 located on the northern periphery of the airport. T2 has …

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