Bangalore Aviation News, Reviews, Analysis and opinions of Indian Aviation
Jet Airways is offering a special discount on domestic airfares to attendees of the Rotary South Asia Literacy Summit to be held in New Delhi on December 14 and 15. The airline will extend a 5% discount on the base fare and fuel surcharge. Use the discount code “JETRSA2013” when making the booking on the Jet Airways website. Other terms …
Read More »IndiGo adds Bagdogra as a destination. New Ahmedabad Mumbai Guwahati flight.
India’s largest domestic airline is adding Bagdogra as its 30th domestic destination from December 1, 2013. With its 71st A320 joining the fleet, IndiGo will operate 448 daily flights to 30 domestic and five international destinations. Flight 6E-434 commences an almost 12 hour duty cycle at 05:45 starting at Ahmedabad to Mumbai to Guwahati to Bagdogra to Kolkata to Bangalore. …
Read More »Etihad orders 87 Airbus aircraft
Etihad Airways, of the United Arab Emirates, has announced a firm order on European airframer Airbus S.A.S. for 50 A350 XWBs, 36 A320neo aircraft and one A330-200F freighter worth $26.9 billion at list prices. The contract was signed yesterday at the 2013 Dubai Airshow by James Hogan, Etihad Airways CEO and Fabrice Brégier, Airbus President and CEO. The Airbus A350 …
Read More »Pegasus Airlines seals $4.3 billion engine deal with CFM
By BA Staff Pegasus Airlines has finalized its order for CFM International’s advanced LEAP-1A engine to power its 100 Airbus A320neo and A321neo aircraft on order. The agreement is valued at approximately $4.3 billion U.S. at list price, including a long-term service agreement. Under the terms of the 20-year Rate per Flight Hour (RPFH) maintenance agreement, CFM will guarantee maintenance …
Read More »In-flight review: Air France business class: A330-200: Bangalore Paris Mumbai
Until recently, like many others, I was under the opinion Air France was a stuffy airline, an uncaring crew, and one I was not likely to fly any time soon. Recently, I was a guest of Air France to attend the launch of their new “Best and Beyond” campaign in Paris, and had the opportunity to fly the airline in …
Read More »Lufthansa $19 billion order launches Boeing 777-9X. Carrier also orders 25 Airbus A350-900
German carrier also orders 25 Airbus A350-900 XWBs by Devesh Agarwal The Supervisory Board of Deutsche Lufthansa AG, at its meeting yesterday, has approved the purchase of 59 ultra-modern aircraft for the Group, comprising of 34 Boeing 777-9Xs and 25 Airbus A350-900s worth EUR 14 billion (approx $19 billion) at list prices, the largest ever jet order. Computer generated image …
Read More »Bangalore airport shut down as IndiGo flight veers off runway
by Devesh Agarwal IndiGo Airbus A320 VT-IGV at Bengaluru International Airport. Photo copyright Vedant Agarwal. Used with permission. At approximately 20:10 (14:40Z), an IndiGo Airbus A320-232 registration VT-IGV performing flight 6E-125 from New Delhi to Bangalore, with 110 passengers and six crew (two pilots, four cabin crew), veered off the runway 27 while attempting to land at Bengaluru International Airport …
Read More »Japan ‘bans’ Air India’s Dreamliners
Japanese government irritated by Air India’s inefficiency About three weeks ago I wrote debunking the myth being created by the Air India management and their political bosses about the fuel efficient Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft being the saviour of the beleaguered national carrier. Read the Op-Ed piece here. In June no less than the Indian civil aviation minister, Ajit Singh, …
Read More »787 Dreamliners alone cannot save an inefficient Air India
Recent media reports blare the headline The Boeing 787 Dreamliner, the latest acquisition of Air India, is likely to shore up the fortune of India’s national carrier. This is backed by the many advertisements portraying some of the top Indian CEOs, giving big thumbs up after travelling in the next generation flying machine of India’s national carrier. Various media reports …
Read More »Photos: Lufthansa Boeing 747-8i First Class
By Devesh Agarwal In late April, on a business trip, I flew from Bangalore to Frankfurt aboard Lufthansa’s newest Boeing 747-8i D-ABYH. She is named Thüringen after the state located in central Germany with its capital at Erfurt. While the business class was packed, the First Class was strangely empty. As we were flying over Europe, a kind and cooperative …
Read More »Jet Airways request slots at Amsterdam for Winter 2013 season; no flights to Newark
As Bangalore Aviation reported last month, Indian full service carrier Jet Airways is likely to move its long standing trans-Atlantic scissors hub to Amsterdam in conjunction with its new part-owner Etihad Airways. Late last week, Jet applied for the following slots at Amsterdam for the IATA Winter 2013/14 season. 9W 224 – DEL – AMS –> arr: 09.40 333 daily …
Read More »Flight review: Iberia domestic business class: A320: Barcelona Madrid Lisbon
Last week, I reviewed Iberia’s domestic Business Lounge in Barcelona. Today, I focus on my first flight with Iberia from Barcelona to Lisbon, via Madrid. This was also my first flight in business class. Barcelona El Prat – Madrid Barajas Flight IB2713. Airbus A320. Seat 5F. Business Class Departure – 18:50, on-time For intra-Europe and many north African flight, most …
Read More »In-flight review: Air Canada Executive First: Boeing 777-300ER and 767: Frankfurt to Toronto & Ottawa to London
On a recent trip from Bangalore to Dallas-Fort Worth via Frankfurt I flew Air Canada international for the first time in my life. The first trip was from Frankfurt to Toronto Pearson on their Boeing 777-300ER and thanks to mother nature, and two very efficient and caring customer service executives at United and Air Canada in Boston, from Ottawa to …
Read More »Three-way analysis: How does Emirates respond to Jetihad?
By Oussama Salah, Vinay Bhaskara, and Devesh Agarwal Photo copyright Devesh Agarwal The Indian government often makes curious decisions in setting aviation policy. For example, it encouraged Air India to lower prices to gain market share, causing mayhem in the market place and increasing Air India’s losses. It also recently allowed Air Asia to expand in India by approving a …
Read More »Jetihad is born. Etihad buys 24% stake in Jet Airways for $379 million. To inject additional $220 million.
Etihad Airways to inject additional $220 million in to Jet Airways by Devesh Agarwal We are reproducing the official release. Our analysis of this transaction will follow next week. Jet Airways and Etihad Airways at a glance Highlights Strategic investment under FDI policy of the Government of India will deliver wide-ranging revenue growth and cost synergy opportunities for both …
Read More »AirAsia India commences recruiting flight attendants
AirAsia India will be hiring cabin crew for its flight operations in India which is planned to be based in Chennai, Tamil Nadu. The airline is inviting aspiring flight attendants to attend its walk-in interviews to be held on Saturday 13 April 2013 at Chinmaya Heritage Centre, 2, 13th Avenue, Harrington Road, Chetpet in Chennai, from 9am to 3pm. Successful …
Read More »Jet Airways to lease three Boeing 777-300ERs to Turkish Airlines
by Devesh Agarwal Sources within Mumbai based Jet Airways indicate the airline has entered into an agreement with Turkish Airlines to dry-lease three of its Boeing 777-300ER (77W) aircraft for one year. The Indian carrier has a total of ten 77Ws in its fleet. Since 2008, the carrier has found it difficult to effectively utilise these highly popular aircraft. It …
Read More »Air India Boeing 777 collides into JetBlue A320 at New York JFK airport
An arriving Boeing 777-300ER (B77W) of Air India VT-ALK “Chattisgarh” bumped in to a JetBlue Airbus A320 aircraft, N603JB, at New York’s John F. Kennedy (JFK) airport early on Saturday morning. There are no injuries reported to passengers of either aircraft. Both aircraft have sustained damage and are grounded. The U.S. Federal Aviation Authority indicates around 0615 local (1115Z) the …
Read More »Air India’s Emperor Class. How the Indian aristocracy abuses its “NetJets”
Officially India gained independence from monarchy on August 15, 1947. Fast forward these 66 years and the current breed of India’s aristocracy is very much alive and kicking. The British colonists may have left India, but the “Raj” continues, if only by a different name. Welcome to Air India’s Emperor Class. Not the earlier Boeing 747s, the carrier named after …
Read More »Opinion: Approving AirAsia-Tata airline will derail goals of FDI in aviation policy
The announcement that AirAsia is joining hands with the Tatas and Bhatias with the intention to start a new airline in India will put the a significant policy dilemma in front of the Government of India related to foreign direct investment (FDI) in civil aviation by foreign airlines, and might just land-up derailing the goals of the fledging policy. While …
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