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 …
Read More »Devesh Agarwal
Qatar Airways commences Nagpur Doha flights
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 …
Read More »A suggestion for Mr. Lohani, CMD of Air India. Experience your airline!!
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 …
Read More »EASA and FAA certify Airbus A320neo. IndiGo will get its first soon.
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 …
Read More »Hooray!!!! Air India extends San Francisco flight to Bangalore
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 …
Read More »DGCA report finds Air India operated 787 with only 4 of 47 screws installed
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 …
Read More »Star Wars’ X-wing and TIE fighters featured at Singapore 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 …
Read More »Air India’s new London flight, fixed price tickets, drops Bangalore Dreamliners
National carrier Air India will commence its fourth daily flight from India to London Heathrow, the third daily flight between New Delhi and London effective November 1, 2015. The carrier flies one non-stop from Mumbai to London too. The schedule of the new flight is: AI 161 departs New Delhi at 02:15 arrives London Heathrow at 06:30 AI 162 departs …
Read More »Air India offers free tickets to business class fliers
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 …
Read More »Debunking Indian media’s sensationalist aviation reporting
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 …
Read More »First A350-900 of Singapore Airlines 9V-SMA revealed
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 …
Read More »Singapore Airlines to re-launch world’s longest non-stop flights
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 …
Read More »Air India faces Rs 640 crore lawsuit in US for breaching Haj contract
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 …
Read More »Why are Air India’s Dreamliners giving trouble when others are not?
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, …
Read More »Emirates bashes US airlines with new Jennifer Aniston ad
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 …
Read More »Singapore’s premium economy seat is wider than many others’ business class
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 …
Read More »Infographics: India domestic airlines’ performance for August 2015
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. …
Read More »Exclusive pictures: First production A320neo, destined for IndiGo, flies
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 …
Read More »Air India’s New Delhi San Francisco schedule ignores Bangalore
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 …
Read More »Air India shifting to Mumbai airport T2. First to integrate operations
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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