Airlines | Business Upturn

IndiGo to launch first commercial flights from Noida International Airport on June 15

Rashmi Pandey — Thu, 07 May 2026 12:07:38 +0000

IndiGo has announced that it will become the launch carrier for Noida International Airport, beginning commercial flight operations from the newly inaugurated airport on June 15, 2026.

The move marks a significant development for the National Capital Region’s aviation infrastructure, with Noida International Airport becoming the third airport serving the NCR after Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport and Hindon Airport.

According to the airline, IndiGo will progressively introduce direct flights connecting the new airport to more than 16 destinations across India. The planned network includes major metro cities such as Bengaluru and Hyderabad, along with tier-2 and tier-3 destinations including Amritsar, Chandigarh, Dharamshala, Jaipur, Lucknow, Srinagar and Navi Mumbai among others.

The airline said bookings for the flights are being opened in phases through its website, mobile application and authorised travel partners.

Aloke Singh said the airport’s strategic location on the Yamuna Expressway would make it an important gateway for western Uttar Pradesh and the wider NCR region. He added that large metropolitan regions in India are increasingly evolving to support multiple airports, and IndiGo is proud to operate across all three airports in the NCR.

Among the country’s largest greenfield airport projects, Noida International Airport has been developed with a focus on integrated multi-modal connectivity through extensive road and rail links. The airport is expected to improve access for passengers across western Uttar Pradesh and reduce congestion pressure on Delhi’s existing aviation infrastructure.

Industry experts believe the operationalisation of the Jewar airport could significantly reshape passenger traffic patterns in northern India while supporting the government’s broader infrastructure and connectivity push.

IndiGo, currently India’s largest airline by market share, has continued aggressive domestic and international expansion as air travel demand grows rapidly across the country. The airline’s decision to become the first commercial operator at Noida International Airport is expected to strengthen the airport’s positioning as a future aviation hub for northern India.

81 foreign airlines operating to and from India : MoS Singh in RS

United News of India (UNI) — Mon, 04 Dec 2023 12:24:12 +0000

New Delhi, Dec 4 : As many as 81 foreign airlines are currently operating scheduled passenger services to and from the country, Minister of State for Civil Aviation Dr V K Singh told Rajya Sabha on Monday.

In a written reply in the Upper House, the Minister informed that 16 foreign airlines are operating cargo services to and from India.

Foreign carriers operating cargo services include China Airlines, Egypt Air, United Parcel Services (UPS) and Lufthansa cargo.

As per the written reply, 12 scheduled domestic airlines and five scheduled commuter operators together have a fleet size of 762 aircraft.

It was noted that GO Airlines (India) Ltd (Go First) is currently undergoing Corporate Insolvency Resolution Process as per Section 10 of Insolvency & Bankruptcy Code.

The airline has a fleet size of 54 aircraft, as per the reply.

Vistara aircraft father yells at man for touching his daughter “How dare you..”; Video goes viral

Avinash Ram — Mon, 03 Jul 2023 09:28:38 +0000

In a recently circulated video, a parent loses his cool as another man touches his daughter on a Vistara aircraft. The girl said “how dare you” at the beginning of the video, which was posted on Twitter. She could not be observed yelling at anyone in particular.

The girl’s father, who was occupying a separate seat, stood up after hearing her scream and yelled at the individual. Before alerting the captain of the flight, the air hostess standing close to the father made an effort to calm him down. The flight’s departure location and final destination were unknown.

The video’s description said, “Kalesh Inside the Vistara flight b/w Two man over a guy touched another man Daughter.”

According to News18, numerous Twitter users tagged the airline in comments they made about the video. Anupam Mittal of Shark Tank India criticised Vistara’s rival Indigo in June, alleging that they frequently cancel flights.

Additionally, it was reported that Vistara was having trouble getting enough uniforms for its cabin crew, so as a temporary workaround, the staff would don black uniforms.

In place of their usual aubergine uniforms, some of the airline’s cabin staff members may be spotted working in the coming days wearing black polo shirts and pants with the Vistara emblem, the company announced in a tweet.

Go First joins list of India’s grounded airlines that have gone bankrupt; Check it out

News Desk — Thu, 04 May 2023 13:18:43 +0000

Nearly half of India’s airlines have gone under in the last two decades. The most recent victim to join this list is Go First Airlines, which filed for bankruptcy and immediately grounded all of its flights for May 4 and 5.

According to Boeing India President Salil Gupte, “India, in this region, is going to be the fastest-growing (aviation) market over the forecast period of 20 years.” This prediction was made a year ago.

However, as the purple alien from Titan warned, “reality is often disappointing,” as 13 airlines in India have closed in the last decade. Jet Airways and Kingfisher Airlines are just two examples of these major players.

After only five years in business, Paramount Airways went bankrupt. Air Pegasus, located in Bangalore, ceased operations a little over a year after it first took off.

Why have Indian airlines not been able to shake this curse off?

There are many factors different to all their situational aspects. From market sensitivity to price changes and expensive operations.

In contrast to low-cost carriers (LCCs), which offer cheaper fares overall but then tack on additional fees for things like checked bags and seat assignments, full-service carriers (FSCs) include all of these extras in the price of the ticket. Recently, the split has been around 80:20.

Unlike in the United States, where low-cost carriers (LCCs) generate money by selling seats on Global Distribution Systems (GDS) and via Travel agents, the rest of the world sees LCCs as profitable only when they offer tickets directly to customers through their websites.

But things are different in India, where no city even has a secondary airport, so primary and secondary designations are moot. As a result, the pricing will remain the same.

Indians are still heavily reliant on using travel agents, and airlines are having a hard time transitioning customers to using direct booking channels like their websites or mobile apps. When a commission is paid, it is because a third party, such as an agency or an app, facilitated the booking. The airline’s already slim profit margins are likely to take a hit from this.

Faint Returns

Just one day before takeoff, plane tickets are going for pennies on the dollar. If government fees weren’t taken out of airport and airline profits, the former would get just a fraction of the latter.

However, prices on monopoly routes are increasing rapidly, and this isn’t making travelers look into other options. Obviously, something is off-kilter.

Inadequate resources and financing

Investors have been wary of the airline industry ever since the debacles of Kingfisher Airlines and Jet Airways. From the standpoint of passenger volume, the company is one of the fastest expanding, but from the perspective of profitability, it is not.

Ray of hope

Expansion of airports, subsidies for airlines flying the RCS-UDAN route, and the development of a Flight Training Organisation are just a few of the positive steps done in the recent decade.

Aviation Turbine Fuel (ATF), which is used by aircraft and is prohibitively expensive in India, consumes the vast majority of the company’s earnings. There have been no calls to include ATF in the GST system.

Where, therefore, does the answer lie? Is it ticket prices that allow airlines to make a profit? That would lead to low levels of market stimulation, expansion in the single digits, and a slight increase in passenger numbers. Nothing about this will bring India any closer to its potential as a major market. But should India sacrifice airlines to realize this lofty goal, or does the country require a framework to protect its ecosystem?

Launch of flights between Mumbai and Mauritius by Vistara is set for March 26

Sakshi Vats — Thu, 09 Feb 2023 11:34:20 +0000

The 12th country outside of India that Vistara connects to Mumbai is Mauritius.The airline has already declared that from Mumbai, flying services will start the following month to Colombo and Dammam.

“Vistara announces the inclusion of Mauritius in its ever-expanding international network. In addition to being a well-liked vacation spot, Mauritius serves as a significant business centre and is the location of numerous international financial institutions.

According to Vinod Kannan, CEO of Vistara, “This new route will further aid the growing traffic between the two countries,”

The Tata Group purchased Air India in January of last year, and Vistara, which is operated by Tata-Singapore Airlines, is in the process of integrating with it.

Additionally, the airline had earlier in January declared that it would begin operating daily direct flights between Mumbai and Dammam on March 1. For the services on this route, A320 neo aircraft would be used. The airline also announced that beginning on March 1 after an almost three-year absence, it would resume daily service between Mumbai and Colombo.

By the middle of 2024, the airline should have 70 aircraft in total, according to Kannan, who anticipates that it will continue to grow.

A321LR to its fleet, making it the first airline to do so, was just disclosed by the firm on February 6. In light of the company’s aim on growing its global network, it had previously stated that the Airbus A321LR would provide a variety of opportunities. The airline stated: “The A321LR aircraft has a total of 188 seats — 12 in business, 24 in premium economy, and 152 in economy class, and is equipped with 4-way adjustable headrests, in-seat power/USB charging points, in-flight entertainment system, as well as onboard Wi-Fi capability.

Air India, which was purchased by the Tata Group in January of last year, and Vistara, which is owned by Tata-Singapore Airlines, are currently integrating.

(With inputs from PTI)

New regulations for international arrivals in India

Aryan Jakhar — Tue, 22 Nov 2022 02:32:38 +0000

The government has announced that it would no longer be essential for incoming international passengers to complete the self-declaration papers for Covid vaccination on the Air Suvidha portal. From November 22,2022 midnight the decision will take effect.

A notice from the Civil Aviation ministry this evening read, “In the light of sustained declining COVID-19 trajectory and significant advances being made in COVID-19 vaccination coverage both globally as well as in India, Ministry of Health & Family Welfare has issued revised ‘Guidelines for International Arrivals”.

The online submission of self-declaration forms through the Air Suvidha site has been suspended in accordance with the Health Ministry’s new standards, according to the Aviation Ministry. However, it also included a legal notice that the rule might be revisited if necessary in light of the Covid scenario.

For arriving overseas passengers, the form on the Air Suvidha webpage of the aviation ministry was required. Passengers had to report their vaccination status, along with the dates and quantity of doses they had received.

This adhered to the norms of the majority of countries.

The passengers should, according to the ministry, have received all recommended vaccinations. Additionally, it was preferable to continue with all preventative measures for Covid, such as mask use and maintaining a social distance in airports.

The aviation ministry had previously stated that while wearing a mask is no longer required while flying, travellers should do so to avoid a coronavirus outbreak.

Up until that point, wearing a mask while flying was required.

The decision was made, according to the ministry, in accordance with the government’s strategy of a graduated approach to Covid-19 management.

Covid statistics have decreased over the past few weeks. According to official data released this morning, there are currently 6,402 active cases, or 0.01 percent of all infections. The countrywide recovery rate has risen to 98.8%.

Akasa Air will begin offering flights to Guwahati and Agartala from October

Aryan Jakhar — Sat, 24 Sep 2022 10:53:54 +0000

Beginning next month, Akasa Air will commence flights to Assam and Tripura as part of its northeastern India expansion. From October 21 onward, the airline anticipates beginning service to Guwahati and Agartala.

According to material on the business website, Akasa intends to connect Guwahati and Bengaluru by direct aircraft, with prices beginning at Rs 8,644 commencing on October 21. Additionally, the airline will run a direct route from Guwahati to Agartala with prices beginning at Rs 3,002.

Currently, IndiGo, AirAsia India, and Vistara offer direct flights between Guwahati and Bengaluru. IndiGo and Flybig offer direct flights between Agartala and Guwahati.

The late billionaire investor Rakesh Jhunjhunwala supported Akasa Air, which just announced Delhi as the sixth location on its network. Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Kochi, Chennai, and Mumbai are also connected by this airline.

By 10 October 2022, it intends to run more than 250 flights per week on nine routes after beginning operations on August 7. The airline will shortly expand its fleet with a fifth aircraft.

With a focus on metro to tier 2 and 3 route connectivity, Akasa seeks to develop a presence across all of India. By the end of March 2023, a fleet of 18 aircraft is the goal. 72 Boeing 737 MAX aircraft are now on its order list, and they will be delivered over the course of five years.

Ashish Kumar has been appointed as Chief Financial Officer for SpiceJet

Aryan Jakhar — Fri, 09 Sep 2022 10:38:39 +0000

SpiceJet, a low-cost airline, announced Ashish Kumar’s appointment as its Chief Financial Officer on Friday.

Mr Kumar’s selection for the role is effective from September 9, SpiceJet stated in a statement.

Sanjeev Taneja, who left the ailing airline on August 31, is succeeded by him.

Prior to joining the Gurugram-based low-cost carrier, Mr. Kumar worked at Interglobe Enterprises as vice president of corporate finance since January 2019, according to SpiceJet.

According to the statement, he previously worked at Interglobe Hotels for five years, from 2014 to 2018.

SpiceJet recorded a loss of Rs 784 crore for the quarter that ended June 30, compared to a loss of Rs 731 crore a year earlier, as a result of a liquidity crisis.

Additionally, the business disclosed a Rs 485 crore loss for the three months ending in March.

“Restructuring SpiceJet and putting it back on a path of rapid growth is the best job in the aviation industry today. Ashish’s experience and proven track record will ensure that he can successfully lead this effort,” said Ajay Singh, Chairman and Managing Director, SpiceJet.

Go First flight onbound to Male makes emergency in Coimbatore

Pranay Maniar — Fri, 12 Aug 2022 12:45:47 +0000

A Go First flight carrying 92 passengers from Bengaluru to Male made an emergency landing at Coimbatore airport after the engine overheat warning bell rang, an hour after the take-off. The airline was using the Airbus A320 Neo named VT-WGZ.

Flight G843 departed Kempagowda International Airport at 11:45 am today and was scheduled to make an arrival in Male, Maldives at 1:30 pm IST.

According to a report from The Hindu, the aircraft’s pilot sent a mayday signal while crossing Coimbatore’s airspace and the distress signal was attended by Cochin International Airport ATC (air traffic control) which directed them to divert the flight to Coimbatore.

The airline spokesperson said that all the 92 passengers onboard the aircraft had safely disembarked and the matter is being investigated by Go First’s crew of engineers

“The matter is being inspected by the Go First engineering team and rectification is underway,” added the spokesperson of the airline.

The flight will depart for Male after 5 pm after following certain procedures.

Authorities at the Coimbatore airport, where the aircraft was being inspected, checked the engines and declared that there was some fault in the alarm and declared that the aircraft was fit to fly.

Just last month Civil Aviation Minister, Jyotiraditya Scindia held a meeting with top officials of Indian carriers and urged them to take all necessary steps that are needed to ramp up safety oversight after multiple reports of technical malfunctions.

Zero carbon emission is ‘biggest challenge’ for aviation: Etihad CEO

News Desk — Tue, 24 May 2022 11:24:19 +0000

Etihad Airways CEO Tony Douglas said Tuesday that achieving net-zero carbon emissions by 2050 is the “biggest challenge” for commercial aviation. The International Air Transport Association pledged carbon neutrality by 2050 last year, a goal shared by the UAE and several other countries.

“The biggest challenge to commercial aviation is the commitment that’s been made to net-zero carbon emissions by 2050,” the Abu Dhabi-based airline’s CEO said in the Global Aerospace Summit in the UAE capital.

“As a gentleman of more mature years, it’s very easy for me and others to sign up to something like that, almost with the anticipation that it will be the next generation who has the responsibility to deliver upon that commitment.”

Fastest Growing Source of Greenhouse Gases

The aviation industry is one of the fastest-growing sources of greenhouse gases. Moreover, with air carriers considering hydrogen-powered planes to cut CO2 emissions. In October, IATA, which represents 290 airlines and accounts for 83 percent of global air traffic, made its net-zero pledge.

The UAE, one of the world’s largest oil exporters. Also announced last year a “strategic initiative” to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050. It has verbally backed the battle against climate change in recent years. But it remains one of the largest emitters of carbon dioxide per capita, along with other Gulf hydrocarbon producers.

“I imagine everybody in this room understands that. The physics of powered flight render the achievement of that objective extremely difficult anytime soon,” Douglas said.

“Our responsibility as leaders within the aerospace sector is to enable the foundations for the next generation. To deliver upon what will ultimately determine who are the winners and who are the losers in commercial aviation.”

Jet Airways appoints 4 new executives after DGCA green signal

News Desk — Mon, 23 May 2022 14:13:33 +0000

Jet Airways announced the appointment of four new top executives on Monday, just days after the DGCA gave the airline a revalidated Air Operator Certificate, allowing it to resume commercial flying operations.

Jet Airways is likely to restart flights in September, more than three years after it was grounded, after receiving an Air Operator Certificate (AOC) from the civil aviation regulator on Friday. With Jet Airways set to fly, competition among Indian carriers facing various headwinds is likely to heat up.

According to the statement, Prabh Sharan Singh has been named chief digital officer, H R Jagannath has been named vice president of engineering, Mark Turner has been named vice president of inflight product and services, and Vishesh Khanna has been named vice president of sales, distribution, and customer engagement.

The Jet Executives

Prabh Sharan Singh is currently a senior vice president at WNS Global Services. “His (Singh) rich experience spanning nearly 20 years includes stints at Etihad Airways. Where he worked as a strategy and portfolio lead within the carrier’s digital technology. And innovation division. And at Kingfisher Airlines, where he worked as general manager – commercial alliances”. The airline mentioned.

It stated that Jagannath has over 40 years of aviation experience. And was most recently the CEO of Air India Engineering Services. Turner, who also has more than 40 years of aviation experience, oversaw Jet Airways’ inflight services unit from 2008 to 2011 and has previously held top management positions at Gulf Air, Emirates, Qatar Airways, and Fiji Airways, according to the company.

Khanna joins the airline from VFS Global Ltd, where he is now Business Head e-Visa, according to the press release. “He has nearly 30 years of experience in the aviation and travel sectors. Across B2C (business-to-customer) and B2B (business-to-business) sales. Having held executive positions at various airlines in the past”. It noted.

The airline was founded by entrepreneur Naresh Goyal. And operated for almost 25 years before ceasing operations in April 2019 due to a severe cash shortage. A partnership led by UAE-based businessman Murarilal Jalan and British investor Kalrock Capital now owns the airline.

Chinese Tibet Airlines plane skids off runway, injures 40

United News of India (UNI) — Thu, 12 May 2022 06:44:55 +0000

Beijing, May 12: Over 40 people among 122 aboard the Tibet Airlines plane on Thursday injured after the plane skidded off the runway in China’s Chongqing, media reports said. “The plane, which was carrying out the TV9833 flight. From Chongqing to Nyingchi, has skidded off the runway at the Chongqing Jiangbei International Airport. The forward part of the fuselage has caught fire on the left side”. Citing the statement of the Chongqing Jiangbei International Airport, Sputnik reported. “All 113 passengers. And 9 crew members have been safely evacuated. 40 of them have sustained slight injuries and are hospitalised”. The statement read.

(Except for the headline. This story has not been edited by Business Upturn staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

India and Singapore in talks to restore commercial flights: Report

News Desk — Thu, 18 Nov 2021 05:19:33 +0000

Following the inauguration of a Vaccinated Travel Lane (VTL) for quarantine-free travel, Singapore is in talks with Indian officials over a temporary bilateral arrangement that would allow commercial flights between the two countries to resume in part. Only commercial scheduled passenger flights can be designated as VTL flights, according to sources familiar with the situation who spoke on the condition of anonymity on Tuesday. Travellers between India and Singapore will benefit from even a partial restart of commercial flights.

Singapore stated on Monday that it will establish a VTL with India as part of the country’s attempts to reopen its borders in a safe and controlled manner while also supporting people-to-people and economic linkages. Vaccinated Indian travelers with valid visas and entry clearances will be able to go to Singapore without having to go through quarantine.

Only Air India is responsible for repatriation at the moment, as part of the Vande Bharat programme. Singapore has announced that it would open its Vaccinated Travel Lanes (VTL) for India on November 29. Once the scheme is in place, vaccinated travellers will no longer require quarantine.

From both sides, there is a great unmet demand for travellers. Technically, under Singapore’s VTL agreement, which only allows for scheduled commercial flights, repatriation flights are not permissible. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar is now in Singapore, where he is meeting with top leaders, and the resumption of communication was discussed.

Jaishankar met with Singapore’s transport minister yesterday to examine ways to improve travel between the two countries.

Began my Singapore visit by meeting S. Iswaran, Minister of Transport.

Discussed enhancing travel arrangements between the two countries. pic.twitter.com/KCbLSB0TU2

— Dr. S. Jaishankar (@DrSJaishankar) November 17, 2021

Malaysia based airlines, AirAsia X suggests paying 0.5% of $8 billion of the total debt owed

Ayisha Farah — Mon, 18 Oct 2021 10:38:44 +0000

AirAsia Group Bhd.’s long-haul unit has proposed to pay creditors just 0.5% of the more than $8 billion total debt they are owed and cancel all present contracts as it seeks to restructure, a report seen by Bloomberg shows.

AirAsia X Bhd. told creditors it could not meet instant debt and other financial responsibilities based on its fiscal situation and industry outlook. The low-cost airline has hardly flown in 19 months since the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic. Half of the 36.6 billion ringgit ($8.1 billion) liability is the cost of terminating orders with Airbus SE, its largest creditor, for 78 A330neo and 30 A321neo aircraft, according to the document.

“To avoid a liquidation and to allow the airline to fly again, the only option is for AAX to undertake the proposed debt restructuring, proposed corporate restructuring and proposed fundraising and update its business model to survive and thrive in the long term,” the airline said.

An Airbus spokesperson refused to comment, referring to the continuing debt restructuring process. An AirAsia X spokesperson refused to comment.

According to an exchange filing, AirAsia X has set November 12 for creditor meetings to vote on the restructuring proposal. Reuters first published the proposed payment plan earlier Monday. The carrier posted a record quarterly net loss of 24.6 billion ringgit in the three months ended June, mainly on provisions for the amount payable to creditors. Its shares fell 5% to 9.5 sen at the close.

Samsung Galaxy A21 bursts inside an Alaska Airlines Flight: Details here

Sneha Sengupta — Wed, 25 Aug 2021 07:25:19 +0000

A Samsung Galaxy A21 smartphone model let into a sudden fire inside an Alaska Airlines plane on August 24. As per the Seattle Times report, a passenger’s smartphone of a similar model engulfed fire in the cabin of New Orleans en route to Seattle at the Tacoma International Airport. Following the incident, the flight crew initiated an emergency evacuation.

The flight crew tried to curb the fire using equipment like: fire extinguishers and a battery containment bag. Meanwhile, the smoke that entered the cabin led to the deployment of the evacuation slides.

“After much digging, I can tell you that the phone was burned beyond recognition. However, during an interview with one of our Port of Seattle Police officers, the passenger volunteered the phone was a Samsung Galaxy A21. Again, we could not confirm it by looking at the remains of the device,” Perry Cooper, a spokesperson for the Port of Seattle said.

The Port of Seattle reported that there was no news of casualty or injury of the passengers and crew members due to their vigilance and swift action to curtail the fire. They also stated that airport operations were not deterred due to this chaos. They further said that the cause of the fire couldn’t be identified yet. However, stating that the lithium-ion battery inserted in the phone could be the possible cause.

Shefali Shah wanted to become an airhostess, got rejected!

Tushna Choksey — Fri, 02 Jul 2021 07:56:49 +0000

Taking to her Instagram handle, Bollywood Actress Shefali Shah posted a throwback picture of herself from an old air-hostess application.

She dropped a photo of her younger self revealing that it was the same picture that she sent when she applied for a job of an air hostess but was rejected. Shefali captioned the image, “The picture I’d submitted for the Cathay pacific application I got rejected #FlashbackFriday.”

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Shefali Shah (@shefalishahofficial)

Divya Dutta responded to the post, saying, “Alley mere baby!! Our gain!”

Sandhya Mridul recalling her own experience, commented, “Whaaat did not know! I got accepted but didn’t and didn’t take it and well here we are.”

Bidita Bag also commented, “Yasss. Our gain.” Amruta Khanvilkar wrote, “Ohhhh godddd such a cutie.”

Her fans also took to the comment section to shower the actress with love. They seemed thankful for her getting rejected, failing which bollywood would have lost a precious gem.

One of them wrote, “Cathay be more pacific about their requirements? Coz ur looking so cute here…! Lol.” Another one wrote, “That’s great ma’am…..but you r flying high with God grace ..touchwood.” One also commented, “Thank God you got rejected! Look how you’re flying now!”

During chat show The Brand New Show, with Huma Qureshi, she revealed that during her college days, she wanted to be a doctor. She also talked about applying for the job of a air hostess and being rejected

SpiceJet posts loss of ₹57 crore in Q3, revenue stood at ₹1687 crore

Devanshu Singla — Wed, 10 Feb 2021 11:14:13 +0000

Low-cost airline SpiceJet posted a standalone loss of ₹56.95 crore for the quarter ended December 2020 amid limited operations and low demand. The company reported ₹73.2 crore profit in the corresponding period last year.

The company reduced losses in Q3 from ₹112.59 crore loss reported in the previous quarter due to the increase in operations and demand.

Standalone revenue from operations fell 53.8 per cent year-on-year to ₹1,686.6 crore in Q3 FY21 but sequentially increased by 60 per cent.

Ajay Singh, Chairman and Managing Director said “As we report Q3 numbers, I am glad that 2020 is finally behind us. The pandemic has, undoubtedly, been the biggest crisis to hit the aviation industry and we are confident that things will only get better for us from now on.”

“We have successfully managed to trim down our losses considerably with each passing quarter despite limited operations and muted demand. SpiceJet yet again recorded the industry’s highest domestic load factor and has also demonstrated market leadership in passenger RASK amongst listed Indian peers,” he added.

SpiceJet, which operates a fleet of 19 cargo planes including five wide-body aircraft, operated more than 14,000 cargo flights transporting 1,15,500 tonnes of cargo since March 25, 2020, till date.

On an EBITDA basis, SpiceJet achieved a profit of ₹451.4 crore for the December quarter 2020 as against ₹442 crore in Q2FY21 and on an EBITDAR basis, the profit was ₹518.4 crore for the reported quarter as against a profit of ₹475 crore in Q2 FY21.

SpiceJet shares closed at ₹87.85, up 1.15 percent on the BSE.

IndiGo scraps plans to issue QIP

Arnav Dogra — Fri, 29 Jan 2021 09:24:28 +0000

IndiGo, India’s biggest domestic airline, has announced that it will now be raising capital through other financing options such as ‘Sale and Lease Back (SLB) transactions, and not be carrying its previous proposal to raise capital through qualified institutional placement (QIP).

Aditya Pande, IndiGo’s chief financial officer stated during the airline’s post result call that, “There are several financing options. The ongoing deliveries of neo aircraft (A320neo/A321neo) in FY 22 will bring further liquidity,” clarifying the company’s scrapping of the QIP plan but did not reveal any more information.

The plan was formed when the board of directors of IndiGo had in August 2020 approved the proposal to raise up to ₹4,000 crore through QIP transaction.

At the end of the December quarter, IndiGo had Rs 18,365.3 crore cash, including free cash of ₹10,920.7 crore. The total debt of the airline stood at Rs 27,726.10 crore during the same period.

The airline had recently reported a net loss of Rs 620.14 crore during the Q3 results, compared to Rs 1,194.83 crore losses in the quarter to September. IndiGo’s profit during October-December 2019 was Rs 495.97 crore.

Passenger demand had also stalled during the second half of December after the news of the spread of a new, more contagious and possibly even deadlier, variant of coronavirus came in.

Aviation Ministry extends fare cap on Domestic Flights till 31 March

Devanshu Singla — Sat, 09 Jan 2021 08:14:37 +0000

The Ministry of Civil Aviation has extended the upper and lower limits on domestic airfares till March 31. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) had on May 21, 2020, announced seven bands of ticket pricing with lower and upper fare limits based on flight duration. The ministry put these limits in May 2020 till August 24. Later, they were extended till November 24, and then till February 24, 2021.

The first such band consists of flights that are of less than 40 minutes duration. The lower and the upper fare limits for this band are Rs 2,000 and Rs 6,000.

The subsequent bands are for flights with durations of 40-60 minutes, 60-90 minutes, 90-120 minutes, 120-150 minutes, 150-180 minutes and 180-210 minutes.

The lower and upper limits for these bands are: Rs 2,500-Rs 7,500; Rs 3,000-Rs 9,000; Rs 3,500-Rs 10,000; Rs 4,500-Rs 13,000; Rs 5,500-Rs 15,700 and Rs 6,500-Rs 18,600 respectively.

“The capping of fare…is hereby further extended till 23:59 hours on March 31, 2021,” the ministry said in an order.

The order also mentioned that airlines are required to sell a minimum of 20 per cent of seats on each flight below the midpoint of the upper and lower airfare. Till now, airlines were selling a minimum of 40 per cent of tickets for a flight below the midpoint.

Government may extend suspension UK flights beyond 31 December

Devanshu Singla — Tue, 29 Dec 2020 14:50:22 +0000

The Indian government is likely to extend the temporary suspension of flights to and from the UK beyond 31 December. Last week on 23 December, Government announced a suspension for flights from the UK to prevent the spread of the new strain of the coronavirus.

On Tuesday, Civil Aviation Minister Hardeep Singh Puri during a press conference said that “I foresee—I am not making an announcement—a slight extension of the temporary suspension. I don’t expect that extension to be long or indefinite.”

He also added, “Once we have the genome sequence completed, it will give us the full picture and confidence to open up flight services again.”

The statement is made after six Indians were found to be infected by the new strain of virus and all of them had returned to the UK.

The government is currently carrying out contact tracing of passengers who arrived from the UK during the past few weeks to prevent the spread of the new strain of the virus in India.

The suspension of flights has led to cancellations 37 one-way direct flights per week to the UK from India operated by four carriers – Air India, Vistara, British Airways and Virgin Atlantic.

Brand new airlines Air Taxi gets permitted to initiate operations

Akanksha Yadav — Wed, 16 Dec 2020 10:23:12 +0000

The Indian aviation industry is getting a new airline, most probably before the end of the year 2020, and Air Taxi will receive the Scheduled Commuter Airline Permit from the regulator DGCA (Directorate General of Civil Aviation).

“We got our permit on December 14. We will be applying for slots now,” Varun Suhag, Air Taxi’s co-founder mentioned to Moneycontrol’s enquiry. The operations of the airlines will be based in Chandigarh.

“We have a total of 26 routes in RCS,” Suhag said and added that it plans to start the operations in December.

The government’s Regional Connectivity Scheme also known as UDAN, provides an incentive to airlines to initiate services in tier 2 and 3 cities. One such incentive is the subsidy the government provides, per seat, to the carriers.

Air Taxi will be provided with a fleet of Tecnam P2006T aircraft, a twin-engine four-seat plane manufactured by Italian firm Costruzioni Aeronautiche Tecnam.

Airports Authority of India’s data depicted that 299 of the UDAN routes were operational by November. Air Taxi was assigned routes in the fourth phase of the scheme. Air Taxi will most likely be the first to start services on routes awarded in this round.

Star Air, a Bengaluru-based regional airline, initiated services in the same month from Kalaburagi in Karnataka to Hindon Airport in Ghaziabad. This route was awarded in the third phase.

Suhag had earlier mentioned that these aircraft are cheaper to maintain than a turboprop.

“These aircraft do not run on aviation turbine fuel, like the other traditional planes, but on aviation gas. We source it from Indian Oil Corporation, which imports it. Some of the aircraft that seat over four, also run on petrol,” Suhag had said. Another of Suhag’s firm Citrus Air is an authorised dealer for Tecnam in India.

Tata Group to submit bid for Air India today

Divya Joyce — Mon, 14 Dec 2020 09:30:18 +0000

Sixty-seven years after the Tata group gave control of its airline venture Air India to the government, Tata Sons have reportedly submitted an expression of interest for the beleaguered airline. The Air India bid will add to its two existing airline business – Vistara that it operates with Singapore Airlines and AirAsia India that it runs with AirAsia Berhad.

According to the sources, Tata Sons is submitting its Expression of Interest (EoI) through Air Asia India, where it has the majority share (51%). If the Tatas are successful in their bid for Air India, it will reportedly give the company around 23% market share in India’s domestic aviation market, higher than SpiceJet. It could also reportedly have a near-monopoly when it comes to international routes.

According to the Business Standard, Tata Sons is currently solely bidding for the state-owned airline, and Singapore Airlines, which was earlier reported to be bidding for Air India with Tatas will not be a part of the initial stages of the bid.
If Tata Sons ends up bidding for Air India, it will be the first time that the current government would have found a potential suitor for the national carrier after drawing a blank two years ago.

Singapore Airlines wasn’t reportedly keen on being part of the bid as buying a debt-laden distressed airline like Air India would add to its financial troubles and also to that of Vistara, both of which have been hit hard due to the pandemic. Singapore Airlines is currently in the process of raising around $15 billion to tide over the current financial crunch. It had posted its biggest loss in a quarter due to the pandemic, which had brought international travel to a near standstill.

However, Business Standard reports that the sale process for Air India allows for an interested bidder to bring in new partners through the bidding process, indicating that Singapore Airlines could join in the near future if the situation were to improve.

Meanwhile, AirAsia India, which was formed before Vistara, can reportedly pivot to becoming a full-service airline with Air India’s assets. It was also recently reported that Tata Sons is planning to increase its stake in AirAsia to over 76% by 2020-21. Business Standard reported that AirAsia would become a Tata airline soon even though AirAsia Berhad will continue to hold a minority stake for the time being.

Air India was founded as Tata Air Services by JRD Tata back in 1932, which was later renamed to Tata Airlines, which made its maiden domestic flight to Trivandrum from Bombay. The company went public in 1946 and was renamed Air India. In 1953, which the government passed the Air Corporations Act, it bought a majority stake in Air India, renamed it Air India International Limited and transferred its domestic services to Indian Airlines.

After failing to get a bidder for the state-owned carrier, the Union government offered 100% stake in Air India as against 76% earlier. It also relaxed several bidding criteria to generate interest for Air India. The latest among them was that interested parties can bid on the enterprise value of the airline.

Business Standard quoted government officials involved in the sale process as saying that they expect good response for the airline and expect to complete the sale process by the first half of June 2021.

AirAsia in talks with Tata Group to review their relationship

Divya Joyce — Wed, 09 Dec 2020 13:09:25 +0000

Tony Fernandes, CEO of AirAsia Group at a CAPA live said, they’re in talks with Tata Group to review their relationship.

“We have fantastic partners in the form of Tata Group. Discussing with partners on whether to put money to continue in India or expand in ASEAN”. Tata Group’s airline Vistara in November had made an indication of buying the loss-making national carrier AirIndia with Singapore Airlines. Tata Group also stated that it had the potential of buying the airline individually if SIA refused to join.

“Our businesses in Japan and India have been draining cash, causing the group much financial stress. Cost containment and reducing cash burns remain key priorities evident by the recent closure of AirAsia Japan and an ongoing review of our investment in AirAsia India,” the airline said in a statement on Tuesday.

“A detailed network and fleet optimization strategy has been implemented across the network, putting the right foundations in place for a sustainable and viable future. We continually review our network to ensure we fly the most popular and profitable routes,” AirAsia Bhd said, adding that the airline would focus on the Asean region, where its operations are the strongest.

Spokespersons at AirAsia India and Tata Sons declined to comment. Tata Sons, the holding company of the Tata group, has a 51% stake in AirAsia India. AirAsia Group owns the remaining 49%.

Credit Suisse had in June cited AirAsia Bhd chief executive officer Tony Fernandes as saying that the carrier could exit its partnership with the Tatas.

According to mint, AirAsia had in June approached the Tata group to sell its stake, as mandated by the terms of the joint venture under which Tata Sons has the right of first refusal.

The airline, which began operations in 2014, has never reported an annual net profit despite being very conservative with its growth plans. AirAsia’s losses widened to ₹332 crore in the June quarter mainly due to the lockdown and travel curbs to contain the pandemic, sharply increasing from the ₹15.11 crore loss it had reported in the same period last year.

Indian airlines have been among the worst-affected by the pandemic, which has led to muted demand amid travel restrictions, especially on international sectors.

According to industry lobby group International Air Transport Association (IATA), airlines in the Asia-Pacific region, including India and Malaysia, are the hardest hit by the pandemic with losses expected to be around $29 billion this year. This is more than a third of the $84.3 billion industry losses expected globally.

Jet Airways might resume flying by summer, shares gain 5%

Shlok Arya — Tue, 08 Dec 2020 07:44:42 +0000

As per NDTV Profit, the owners of Jet Airways announced a revival plan as the operations were stopped in April 2019 due to bankruptcy amid piles of debts. Shares of Jet Airways gained 5 percent in the upper circuit at Rs 75.60 on the BSE.

A consortium led by the Dubai-based entrepreneur Murari Lal Jalan and London-based Kalrock Capital in a statement said, “The Jet 2.0 program is aimed at reviving the past glory of jet Airways, with a fresh set of processes and system to ensure greater efficiency and productivity across all routes.”

The company is waiting for approvals from the regulators and National Company Law Tribunal, the country’s bankruptcy court. The company plans to operate all in its domestic slots and also resume international operations once they get clearances.

The group told NDTV profit, “If everything goes as per plan and the consortium receives the NCLT as well as regulatory approvals in time, Jet Airways would be back in the skies by the summer of 2021.”

The revival plan is placed at a time when several airline companies are struggling to recover from a COVID-19 economic slowdown. This has made it difficult for many airlines to operate and many had to shut their operations.

In October, the airline’s creditors nodded for the revival plan and the same was submitted by the consortium. Jet Airways has approximately 21,000 creditors who claim Rs 44,000 crore as credit.

Shares of Jet Airways have increased over five times from lows of Rs 15 in March 2020.

IndiGo’s position solidifies further post-Pandemic

Aditi Swarup — Mon, 07 Sep 2020 14:01:06 +0000

Chief Executive Officer of InterGlobe Aviation Ltd Ronojoy Dutta spoke at the company’s AGM. In the meeting, he spoke about how IndiGo would focus on increasing revenues even as Qualified Institutional Placement remains an option.

While most companies are scrambling for funding by off-loading shares due to the pandemic, IndiGo’s position has only solidified further. It also helped that the Government has allowed addition capacity.

IndiGo's plan to raise Rs 4,000 cr through QIP depends on sales revenue pick-up: CEO@IndiGo6E https://t.co/NhIT6DUEKe

— ET NOW (@ETNOWlive) September 4, 2020

Quantas airways offers taste of first class by selling online premium products from biscuits to pajamas

Muskan Jain — Fri, 14 Aug 2020 09:05:27 +0000

Times clearly are hard at Qantas Airways Ltd. Now the airline is selling its in-flight biscuits and tea bags to people at home.

With all overseas and most domestic flights halted during the pandemic, the Australian airline has thousands of premium-class pajamas, moisturizers and snacks sitting idle, it said this Friday.

For $25 ($18) apiece, frustrated travelers can buy as many as 10 packs of typical freebies that include 12 chocolate biscuits, a sleeper suit, and the kind of smoked almonds that only first-class passengers normally munch.

The packs, available for home delivery at Qantas’s online store, sold out within hours, a spokesman for the airline said on Friday.

Qantas said in June it planned to raise as much as $1.9 billion from investors and cut at least 6,000 jobs to weather the industry’s worst-ever crisis. Selling on-board amenities was more about recovering costs than making money, the spokesman said.

American Airlines supports Warren Buffett raising $3.5 Billion

Aayush Agarwal — Tue, 23 Jun 2020 17:50:32 +0000

American Airlines supports Warren Buffett raising $3.5 Billion. American Airlines is planning to raise $3.5 billion to sit out the Corona Virus Pandemic. Moreover, they are supporting Warren Buffett’s intention to sell his shares in the aviation companies. As well as in Delta Air Lines, Southwest Airlines, and United Airlines in April

The Airlines intends to sell $1.5 billion of debt in a private offering. Also issuing $750 million in common stock. Which also includes $750 million in convertible debt in a public offering. And enter into a $500 million loan facility, the company said in a press release this Sunday.

Investment In Avaiation

Furthermore, the other top revenue airlines have made similar moves. Firstly, Delta has raised over $14 billion since the beginning of 14^th March, 2020. Stated CEO Ed Bastian at the carrier’s annual meeting last week. Secondly, Southwest has raised about $16.7 billion this year, and United has raised billions as well.

However, all four airlines applied for government relief subsidiary. Under the CARES act. Although, they received a mixture of cash grants and loans. They agreed to issue warrants to the Treasury. Stating that it can buy their shares at a fixed price in the future. And sell them for a profit if their stock prices recover.

Buffett said at his Berkshire Hathaway conglomerate’s annual meeting. In May that the four companies have an aggressive fundraising. Which is factored into his decision to sell their shares. “They are each going to borrow. Perhaps an average of at least $10 or $12 billion each. ” the corporate investor said. “You have to pay that back out of earnings.”

“In some cases they’re having to sell stock or sell the right to buy a stock.” He continued. “That takes away from the upside.”

Similar reports have supported this contempt. Since, the COVID-19 Pandemic the aviation industry has been more than just quite halted. However, Governments are taking consideration of economists and independent panelists to make decisions. This has led to reopening of the major travel sector. American Airlines supports Warren. Buffet has surely played his cards right! Since, his stocks are up by 2 basis points.