Monthly Archives: October 2015

Vistara appoints Sanjiv Kapoor as Chief Commercial Officer

Vistara (Tata-SIA) has announced that Sanjiv Kapoor will be joining the airline as its Chief Strategy & Commercial Officer from February 2016. Mr. Kapoor was previously the Chief Operating Officer of low cost carrier Spicejet. He will be succeeding Giam Ming Toh as Chief Commercial Officer. Mr. Toh will return to Singapore Airlines on completion of his deputation with Vistara. …

Read More »

Metrojet Airbus A321 crashes over the Sinai #7K9268

A Airbus A321 of Russian carrier MetroJet (Kogalymavia) crashed about 25 minutes after takeoff over the Sinai peninsula in Egypt. The aircraft was performing flight 7K 9268 from Sharm el-Sheikh to St. Petersburg. The aircraft was carrying 224 people including 17 children and seven crew. Egyptian officials have said that most onboard are believed to be dead. The aircraft was …

Read More »

Garuda Indonesia takes delivery of 777 in SkyTeam livery

Garuda Indonesia "SkyTeam livery" Boeing 777-300ER PK-GII.

Indonesian flag carrier, Garuda Indonesia has taken delivery of a Boeing 777 in a special SkyTeam livery. The aircraft is a Boeing 777-300ER bearing the registration PK-GII and like all 300ER’s is powered by two massive General Electric GE-90-115B engines. In August 2014, Garuda became the 20th airline to become a member of SkyTeam. The airline operates a fleet of …

Read More »

Air India offers free tickets to business class fliers

A tail parade of each of Air India's Boeing aircraft as in 2011. The 747-400, 777-300ER, 777-200LR and 737-800.

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

Air India Airbus A321 VT-PPO. Seen here handing in the early morning light at Bangalore Airport.

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 »

Jet Airways increases flights to Bangalore

Jet Airways' Boeing 737-800 VT-JBD

Full service carrier, Jet Airways is incresing it’s services on it’s domestic network by introducing routes between four new city pairs and adding 19 additional frequencies in it’s winter schedule. The airline will also operate flights 9W 362 and 361 between Delhi and Mumbai with an Airbus A330-200. The airline is increasing frequencies between Bangalore and Delhi to ten daily …

Read More »

First A350-900 of Singapore Airlines 9V-SMA revealed

Singapore Airlines' first Airbus A350-900 exits Airbus paint shop. Airbus photo.

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

CGI of Singapore Airlines A350-900. Airbus image.

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

A tail parade of each of Air India's Boeing aircraft as in 2011. The 747-400, 777-300ER, 777-200LR and 737-800.

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?

Air India Boeing 787-8 VT-ANE.

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 »

Oman Air receives it’s first Dreamliner

Oman Air's first Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner at the Everett delivery center. Boeing Image.

Muscat based, Oman Air took delivery of it’s first Boeing 787 Dreamliner today. The aircraft bearing the registration A4O-SA is a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner powered by two General Electric GEnx engines. It is the first 787 out of an order for six 787-8’s placed by the airline in November 2011. Paul Gregorowitsch, Chief Executive Officer, Oman Air “We are delighted …

Read More »

Emirates bashes US airlines with new Jennifer Aniston ad

Jennifer Aniston stars in an Emirates' TV commercial

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 »

Finnair eyes Asia expansion with A350 delivery

Finnair has taken delivery of it’s first A350 XWB. The carrier is first European operator and the third worldwide after Qatar Airways and Vietnam Airlines to operate the new aircraft. The aircraft is configured in a three-class layout with 297 seats, comprising 46 Business Class, 43 Economy Comfort and 208 Economy. This is the first A350 out of a 19 …

Read More »

AirAsia Japan granted air operator’s certificate

First flight of AirAsia India. Plane after pushback.

Yoshinori Odagiri, CEO of AirAsia Japan Co Ltd. announced today that the airline has been granted it’s Air Operator’s Certificate by the Civil Aeronautics Act by Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, under the air transport business, Japanese Aviation Law Article 100. The airline is scheduled to commence operations from their base at Chubu Centrair International Airport in Aichi …

Read More »

Singapore’s premium economy seat is wider than many others’ business class

Singapore Airline's India country head David Lau demonstrates the new premium economy seat

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 »

Jet Airways announces sale on international fares

Jet Airways Airbus A330-300 VT-JWQ. Image copyright Vedant Agarwal.

Full service carrier Jet Airways has announced a sale of upto 30% on it’s base fare for Economy and Premiere fares on the airline鈥檚 international network. The sale is effective from today to the 10th of October and is valid for travel from today onwards on all Jet Airways flights and Jet Airways flights aligned with Etihad Airways. The sale …

Read More »

Infographics: India domestic airlines’ performance for August 2015

A view of the ramp at Bangalore Airport.

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 »
+OK