The latest generation airliner of European airframer Airbus S.A.S. the A350-900 XWB has received its ‘Type Certification’ from the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) earlier today. The certified aircraft is powered by Rolls-Royce Trent XWB engines. The other major certifying body, the United States Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) certification is expected shortly since both EASA and FAA recognise each others’ …
Read More »Devesh Agarwal
Vistara gets second Airbus A320 VT-TTC, IndiGo gets A320 VT-IAS
Less than a week after the two airlines each received new Airbus A320s, both Vistara, the Tata Singapore Airlines promoted carrier, and India’s leading domestic carrier, IndiGo took delivery of new aircraft. Coincidentally both aircraft are powered with the International Aero Engines V2500 power-plants. IndiGo received Airbus A320 MSN6289 which will be registered VT-IAS. (Read our aviation humour story on …
Read More »AirAsia reconnects Hyderabad and Kuala Lumpur
After a gap of nearly four years, Malaysia low cost carrier AirAsia returns to Hyderabad airport. The airline will commence daily services between its Kuala Lumpur hub and Hyderabad from December 8, 2014. The airline had pulled out from Hyderabad on January 11, 2011 citing high airport charges. The airline will use an ‘all night’ over-night red-eye schedule which is …
Read More »Air China receives its first Boeing 747-8i
National carrier Air China has taken delivery of the first of its seven ordered Boeing 747-8 Intercontinental (747-8i). The airline become the first carrier in Asia and second after launch customer Lufthansa to operate the passenger version of the newest variant of the venerable ‘Jumbo Jet’. The Boeing 747-8i model number 747-89L registration number B-2485 line number (MSN) 41191, is …
Read More »My view: Irresponsible HT reporting gives credibility to frivolous Air India incident report?
When it comes to airlines, Air India seems to always be at the receiving end. A fear of saying anything leaves the corporate communications department uncommunicative, making the national carrier the target of speculation. Add to this, naive at best, slip-shod at worst, reporting in the mainstream Indian media, many a time lacking the most basic of common sense, and …
Read More »Videos: Etihad unveils new livery on its first Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner
UAE national airline, Etihad Airways unveiled the new ‘Facets of Abu Dhabi’ livery on its first Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner a few hours ago. Here are four videos showing the time-lapse assembly and painting of the aircraft, and a 42 minute video of the unveiling ceremony itself. The aircraft looks a lot better in this video that in does in the …
Read More »Etihad unveils ‘Facets of Abu Dhabi’ livery on first Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner
A little over a day after it unveiled its new ‘Facets of Abu Dhabi’ livery on its first Airbus A380 super jumbo, Etihad Airways unveiled the same livery on its its first Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner. Following tradition, Boeing rolled the aircraft A6-BLA, out of the Everett, Washington plant’s paint hangar close to midnight a few hours ago. Boeing follows these …
Read More »Etihad unveils new livery ‘Facets of Abu Dhabi’ on its first Airbus A380
Abu Dhabi based Etihad Airways, the national airline of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), has unveiled its new ‘Facets of Abu Dhabi’ livery created by brand consultants Landor Associates for the airline. The new livery inspired by traditional Emirati design patterns, and the geometric style of the modern architecture of Abu Dhabi, features the colours and hues of the Arab …
Read More »Air Pegasus takes delivery of its first plane, former Kingfisher Airlines ATR72
Bangalore based Air Pegasus has reportedly taken delivery of its first aircraft, an ATR72-500 which was originally leased and operated by Vijay Mallya promoted Kingfisher Airlines. The aircraft is configured in an all-economy class with 66 seats. The aircraft returns back home in a manner of sorts. This aircraft bears airframe number MSN 699 (manufacturer’s serial number) and was first …
Read More »Singapore Airlines and Air New Zealand alliance code-share flights on sale now
Star Alliance members Singapore Airlines and Air New Zealand who announced an alliance in February, will launch their flights under the alliance from January 6, 2015. Tickets for their code-share flights are on sale now. The alliance will see the two airlines operating one daily round-trip flight each, between Singapore and Auckland, and Singapore Airlines operating a daily flight between …
Read More »Air India and Air Canada enter in to code-share agreement
While not officially announced, it appears Air India (airline code AI) and Air Canada (airline code AC) have entered in to a code-share agreement to place their airline codes on certain flights of operated by each other. Both the airlines are members of the Star alliance, and reflects for recently joined Air India, the first tangible benefits of joining the …
Read More »IndiGo getting ready to please the IAS with its next plane
As we head in to the weekend, a bit of tongue in cheek aviation humour. India’s largest domestic airline IndiGo has been inducting Airbus A320 aircraft on a regular schedule averaging about one a month. The last aircraft to join the fleet was VT-IAR, delivered on September 22. The civil servants of the Indian Administrative Service (IAS) will be pleased …
Read More »BREAKING NEWS: Vistara’s new Airbus A320 arrives at New Delhi today
The first aircraft of the Tata Singapore Airlines joint venture airline, Vistara will arrive at New Delhi this evening around 17:00 local time. The aircraft MSN6223 (manufacturer’s serial number) will be registered as VT-TTB. The aircraft took off on its first flight on July 11, and was delivered yesterday at Tolouse Blagnac airport in France. The delivery flight flew to …
Read More »Airbus achieves first flight of A320neo
European airframer Airbus, has achieved the first flight of the new fuel efficient iteration of its best selling narrow-body aircraft, the A320neo. neo means new engine option. The first A320neo to fly frame number MSN6101, test registered F-WNEO lifted off from Toulouse-Blagnac airport in France at 12:00 local time (15:30 IST). At the controls were Airbus experimental test pilots Philippe …
Read More »Air India’s loss making international operations – Analysis – Part 2 – alarming costs
Continuing our analysis in to national carrier Air India’s international operations which loses money on all but two flights, yesterday we published part 1 of the three part analysis which focussed on the numbers, today’s analysis comes from Bangalore Aviation guest analyst and former co-author Vinay Bhaskara. Vinay’s strength is finance, and he focusses on the costs of Air India. …
Read More »Air India’s loss making international operations – Analysis – Part 1
Last week we reported on the massive loses made by national carrier Air India on 57 of its 59 international flights. Over the next few days we will bring you differing points of view on Air India’s international operations. Today is from a professional analyst at one of the world’s leading aviation consulting and advisory practices. He cannot be named …
Read More »A special thanks to the hands-on COO of SpiceJet, Sanjiv Kapoor
Last evening a little before 6pm, our family received devastating news that the matriarch of our family passed away in New Delhi. Naturally the family elders, my aged mother included, had to rush from Bangalore to New Delhi. Getting anywhere in Bangalore during evening rush hour is difficult, all the way from south Bangalore (Koramangala) to the airport is a …
Read More »Air India under-serves Chennai in new non-stop to Singapore strategy
National carrier Air India will introduce an all Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, all non-stop flights strategy to Singapore from October. The airline already operates the new aircraft on the New Delhi Singapore route, and currently operates an Airbus A330-200* a Boeing 787-8 on the Mumbai Chennai Singapore return route. The new flight schedule is : AI342 will depart Mumbai at 00:05 …
Read More »Jet Airways’ network map and schedule analysis for middle east and gulf
As Jet Airways announces its fifth daily flight between Mumbai and Dubai, thanks to an exhaustive analysis by our supporter Abhijit, we have compiled a map of Jet Airways gulf and middle-east network. The map is generated courtesy of GCMap. Jet Airways will operate 280 frequencies a week between India and the middle-east and Gulf region in the Winter 2014 …
Read More »Jet Airways to commence Abu Dhabi flights from Lucknow, Goa, Ahmedabad
Starting from November 14, Jet Airways will connect three more Indian cities to Abu Dhabi the home of its 24% stake-holder Etihad Airways PJSC. The airline will commence daily non-stop flights from Lucknow, Goa and Ahmedabad to the Emirate and will use two class narrow-body Boeing 737-800s on the routes. While the Lucknow and Ahmedabad flights have been scheduled to …
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