INDIAN FLIERS
IndiGo, Air India upgrade playbooks to keep up with India's rising middle class
India's rising affluence is driving a significant shift in the lifestyle of the middle class, with a growing preference for premium products and experiences, both on the ground and in the sky. Airlines are capitalizing on this trend by offering luxurious amenities to cater to the surging demand, such as roomier seats, gourmet meals served on designer tableware, and lavish vanity kits.
IndiGo to add 10 new destinations in FY25
India’s largest airline, IndiGo, plans to start 10 new destinations in FY25, including Mauritius and another destination in Thailand. The airline focuses on fast international expansion and is entering the long haul market with business class in their aircraft.
Visa time for Europe-bound travellers unlikely to fly soon
The European Union announced Monday that, according to the new "cascade" regime, Indians can now be issued long-term, multi-entry Schengen visas valid for two years after having obtained and lawfully used two visas within the previous three years. The Schengen visa is an entry permit valid for 29 European countries, including France, Germany, Spain and Italy.
Dubai Airport under water: Fliers in a soup as these Indian airlines halt operations
Air India and IndiGo halted Dubai Airport operations due to historic rainfall, causing delays. Passengers advised to monitor flight status and contact staff for help. Emirates Airlines also affected by adverse weather, impacting flight operations.
Vistara: Why flyers face turbulence when aviation sector is growing
While India's aviation sector is growing, more and more people are flying, airlines are adding more aircraft and airports are being built even in far corners, flyers are complaining about delays, cancellations, low quality of service and fares jumping to new highs.
India has incredibly affordable airfares, says Akasa Air CEO Vinay Dube
Vinay Dube of Akasa Air lauded India's affordable airfares, while planning international expansion and ensuring no pilot shortage. While acknowledging that aviation competition has always been intense, Dube said that as long as the focus is on fundamentals, there is enough room not just for Akasa Air to thrive in the future but for others as well.
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A $2 billion airport will test Modi’s mission, Adani’s ambitions
In many ways, the Adani Group-helmed $2.1 billion project in the satellite city of Navi Mumbai is a microcosm of the massive infrastructure overhaul underway in India as its Prime Minister Narendra Modi seeks to outrun China. For Gautam Adani, it’s a test of whether he can put India on the global aviation map.
Bharat gets another airline. Will Fly91 defy the scary aviation history?
Prime Minister Narendra Modi's UDAN scheme has paved the way for regional airline Fly91, owned by Just Udo Aviation Pvt Ltd. Fly91 aims to connect underserved airports in Bharat and provide last-mile connectivity. Inspired by successful airlines, Fly91 plans to stay small, basic, and form alliances with big carriers.
Government focuses on 13 high-flier states for apprentice training
"Top officials of the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship held the first meeting with industrial clusters in Gujarat, Delhi and Haryana to nudge micro, small and medium enterprises to engage more apprentices as the country aims to fast-track creation of a skilled workforce," said the official, who did not wish to be identified.
Final call for all summer flyers: Book tickets now
India's largest airline, IndiGo, has 74 aircraft grounded till December. While it is ramping up capacity by extending its lease on existing aircraft and leasing new planes for the short term, chief financial officer Gaurav Negi said he expects airline yields to stay strong for this quarter due to a capacity constraint, which will persist at least for the first six months of 2024.
Alliance Air gets funding of Rs 11,158 crore from government
The country's government-owned airline, Alliance Air, received a vote of confidence in the interim budget with an infusion of ₹1,158 crore proposed by the finance minister. This funding will be used for working capital and to reduce debt. The airline, currently under a privatization process, is unable to secure external borrowings, making government funding crucial. The budget also allocated ₹502 crore to India's regional air connectivity scheme, UDAN. The finance minister highlighted the expansion of airports, air routes, and the increase in fliers as factors boosting the civil aviation sector.
517 new air routes, 1.5 crore fliers push Indian aviation: FM Nirmala Sitharaman in Budget 2024
Finance Minister Sitharaman said airlines have placed record orders for more than 1,000 aircraft and added that the aviation sector has been “galvanised” in the last decade.
Airlines to ramp up tech, training to handle customers during flight disruption
Airlines are also calling for changes in security rules which mandate a passenger to undergo airport security checks again if they are disembarked in case of a delay. Thick fog and a non-operational runway in India’s busiest airport at Delhi severely disrupted flight schedules this winter as airline crews struggled to deal with passengers upset with delayed or cancelled flights.
Consumer not the king: Why airlines have so many disgruntled passengers
A passenger assault on an IndiGo pilot during a flight delay caused by fog has added to incidents of the already frustrated Indian flyers. The incident highlights the ongoing challenges faced by the Indian aviation industry, including delays, cancellations, poor service, and harassment. The sector is dominated by a near-duopoly, with IndiGo and Tata-owned airlines controlling a significant market share. However, struggling smaller airlines may find respite as market conditions change. Despite these issues, the industry plans to add more aircraft in 2024, though a fare war is not expected due to the grounded planes.
Indian fliers flag dual MRP for packaged water onboard flights despite govt ban
A survey by Local Circles revealed that several Indian fliers reported that airlines sold packaged food and water with higher published Maximum Retail Price (MRP) than the market or store price. Despite government guidelines banning identical pre-packaged products with different MRPs at different locations, this situation persists.
Survey reveals dissatisfaction among air passengers in India over compromised comfort and service cutbacks
A survey conducted by LocalCircles, a community social media platform, revealed that nine out of ten respondents, consisting of about 13,000 air passengers, believe that Indian airlines have compromised on comfort and cut corners in the last 24 months. The survey highlighted a surge in complaints about excessive fares, flight cancellations, delays, boarding denials, damaged or misplaced luggage, steep hikes in onboard food prices, silent gate changes, and rude behavior from staff.
Fliers enjoy spoils of dogfight; carriers are unable to raise fares beyond a point
IndiGo, the largest airline in India with over 60% market share, may have to reduce its base fare in order to compete with other airlines. This reflects the struggle of Indian airlines to increase ticket prices, which have remained almost the same for the past 10 years despite a doubling of operating costs. The competition in the industry and the preference of passengers for cheaper alternatives like trains are some of the factors limiting the ability to raise fares.
Air India, IndiGo's expanding wings are making Indians' finances weak as airfare discounts fly out
Ticket prices in India's airline market are on the rise as the industry transitions into a duopoly dominated by IndiGo and Air India. Airfares on popular routes have increased, and smaller airlines are struggling to compete. This consolidation is expected to leave consumers with fewer choices and higher prices. However, higher prices can help sustain airlines' profits in the post-pandemic recovery, as low fares have previously led to the collapse of several carriers.
Woman "forced to urinate" on plane's floor after being denied to use restroom by crew members
A woman on a Spirit Airlines flight in the US claimed she was forced to urinate on the airplane floor after being denied access to the lavatory for hours. A cabin crew member recorded the incident, which sparked outrage on social media. This is not the first incident of unruly behaviour on planes, with passengers often assaulting crew members or opening emergency exit doors.
Akasa Air launches new menu for fliers across network
Indian airline, Akasa Air, has introduced a new menu with 60 food and beverage options for in-flight meals. The menu was curated by chefs from across India and has non-vegetarian, vegan, and healthy options. The new menu will be available through its inflight meal service Café Akasa.
India is flying high again: Domestic numbers touching pre-pandemic levels
In terms of passenger revenue kilometres, the domestic aviation market was a mere 2.2 per cent shy of reaching pre-pandemic levels, shows a report by an industry body. Revenue Passenger Kilometers (RPK) is a key metric in the aviation industry that measures the demand for air transport. ICRA estimated domestic passenger traffic growth at 8-13 per cent next fiscal, post the 55-60 per cent expansion in FY2023, to reach 145-150 million, which is much higher than the pre-Covid levels.
High flier! This BSE500 stock turns Rs 10,000 to Rs 9 lakh in 10 years
Navin Fluorine International has seen its shares rise by 9,200% over the past ten years, delivering a Rs 9 lakh ($12,564) return on a Rs 10,000 investment, according to ET Markets. The speciality fluorochemicals manufacturer has also seen sales grow from Rs 486 crore in FY13 to Rs 1,453 crore in FY22. The company is majority-owned by public shareholders at 71%, with promoters holding a 28.81% stake. Technical analysts have suggested the stock will continue its upward momentum, targeting a price of Rs 5,100-5,250 ($71-$73) within a couple of weeks.
Don't make captain, crew scapegoat in urinating incident: Veteran pilots to Air India
A section of serving and retired pilots have strongly criticised the de-rostering of the captain and the crew of a New York-Delhi flight in which a male flier urinated on a female co-passenger in a drunken state. On Saturday, Air India's CEO and Managing Director Campbell Wilson issued a statement in which he said that four cabin crew and one pilot have been issued show cause notices and de-rostered pending investigation.
Airlines platter gets bigger with vegan, keto & gluten-free meals
Going vocal for local is also a new trend for the global citizen. "With the pandemic heavily impacting availability of produce and a recent increase in raw ingredient material costs, we have looked to ensure ample use of locally sourced sustainable ingredients.
One in four fliers have lost checked-in baggage in the last three years
Indian fliers' top three complaints continue to contain reports of missing and/or mishandled baggage. On the flip side, airports say delays due to technical snags in conveyor belts or baggage logistics equipment, mishandling and security issues are among the many reasons for baggage confusion.
Hyderabad airport to roll out digital processing of fliers
Hyderabad International Airport will roll out the Digital processing of passengers as a proof of concept through the DigiYatra platform from August 18 for three months. DigiYatra will facilitate paperless travel and avoid multiple identity checks at the airport enabling seamless and hassle-free travel.
Jhunjhunwala-backed Akasa Air unveils airline's 'Rising A' brand logo
“Translating our purpose to serve every traveller with an innovative yet simple alternative required a modern and confident symbol. The Akasa Air brand identity encapsulates the collective spirit of flying and the individual pursuit of dreams for each of us,” said Vinay Dube, Akasa Air Founder, MD and CEO.
Different travel guidelines from Centre and states leave fliers, airline officials stranded
Given rising concerns about the new highly infectious Omicron variant of coronavirus, the Centre has come up with new rules for international flyers coming into India.
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