Monthly Archives: January 2015

EU regulator warns airlines not to fly low in Pakistan airspace due to terror threat

Easa Logo

The EU regulator European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) has issued a Safety Information Bulletin (SIB) No. 2015-02 warning all national aviation authorities and aircraft operators of “an increased risk to flight operation safety due to potential terrorist attacks in Pakistan” The bulletin goes on to state “The European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) recommends all operators to exercise extreme caution if …

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USAF chooses 747-8i platform for next Air Force One

The US Air force has announced that the Boeing 747-8i will serve as the next presidential aircraft, commonly known as Air Force One. The decision, made official through a Determinations and Findings document, authorizes the commercial aircraft purchase by other than full and open competition. The Air Force intends to purchase three numbers of the aircraft platform as well as …

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TigerAir terminates SpiceJet agreement due to latter’s network changes

SpiceJet and TigerAir announcing their interline partnership in December 2013 which has now been terminated.

A SpiceJet spokesperson has confirmed that its year old passenger inter-line agreement with Singapore based low cost carrier TigerAir has been “terminated based on mutual decision [since SpiceJet’s] network changes made it no longer commercially worth doing.” As per reports in The Business Standard and The Economic Times, Tiger had terminated the agreement due to SpiceJet’s “non-performance”. The financially troubled …

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Vistara and Singapore Airlines launch Frequent Flyer Programme partnership

It was inevitable. Singapore Airlines and Vistara (Tata-SIA) have announced a partnership between their KrisFlyer and Club Vistara frequent flyer programmes. The partnership enables KrisFlyer members to earn and redeem miles on Vistara flights and Club Vistara members can earn and redeem points on Singapore Airlines and SilkAir flights. The accrual of miles and points for members of both frequent …

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Exclusive picture: Air India Dreamliner grounded for 9 months, finally restored

Air India Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner VT-ANI LN46 at Mumbai airport after being grounded for nine months for a "reliability retrofit".

It appears that Air India’s troublesome Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner VT-ANI has finally completed its repairs and retrofits and is getting ready for flight. From a supporter of Bangalore Aviation comes this photo taken at Mumbai airport on India’s Republic Day, January 26, 2015. A hat-tip to the boss. Readers will recall, since April 2014, nine months ago, Air India’s Boeing …

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It’s official. Dubai replaces Heathrow as world’s busiest international airport

Dubai airport at dawn

Dubai International airport (IATA: DXB) has officially become the world’s busiest international airport dethroning long time leader London’s Heathrow airport. As the the year-end traffic report released by airport operator Dubai Airports, in 2014 Dubai handled 70,475,636 passengers up 6.1 from the 66,431,533 passengers recorded a year earlier. In December, which sees significant holiday traffic, the airport saw 6,498,573 passengers …

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Malaysia Airlines says website intact after hacker attack

Malaysia Airlines Boeing 737-400 9M-MMD Penang Bayan Lepas Int'l Airport.

National carrier Malaysia Airlines suffered a DNS poisoning attack where visitors who typed in the airline’s website address www.malaysiaairlines.com were re-directed to a hacker site. However the carrier said all the passenger data remains secure. In a statement the airline said At this stage, Malaysia Airlines’ web servers are intact. The airline has resolved the issue with its service provider …

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Exclusive photos: Air Force One arrives at New Delhi IGI airport

President Obama is on a visit to India. Our photographer Uday Krishna caught the two VC-25A that transported the President, tail numbers 28000 and 29000 more commonly known as Air Force One on their approach to New Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International airport. The President is on one aircraft and the other serves as a back-up. The two aircraft are maintained …

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Vistara to begin operations to Goa and Hyderabad

Vistara VT-TTB welcomed at Mumbai CSI airport with the traditional water cannon salute.

Vistara (Tata-SIA) has announced that it will begin operations on two new routes, the first to Goa from 20th February and then to Hyderabad from 1st March, 2015. The airline began it’s operations in India earlier this month on 9th January. Vistara currently has a fleet of three Airbus A320s and aims to have a fleet size of five by March. Read our …

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Air India faces a jumbo fleet problem

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 finds itself in a jumbo-sized problem. It has a huge excess of wide-body ‘jumbo’ and ‘mini-jumbo’ aircraft used for international flights, while facing a severe shortage of narrow body aircraft leaving it unable to capitalise on the increased winter demand and the additional demand shying away from SpiceJet due to the latter’s financial troubles. The current …

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Someone please explain Air India’s reported fuel hedging plan?

Air India Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner line number 35 test registered N1015 (later became VT-ANH) at the India Aviation show, Hyderabad March 2012. Photo copyright Devesh Agarwal.

On January 19th, Bloomberg reported that national carrier Air India will commence large scale fuel hedging for the first time. The story was promptly picked up and reported by many leading Indian newspapers the next morning, including The Business Standard and The Mint. As per the story, “Air India is hedging 2 million barrels of aviation turbine fuel annually at …

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Graphical analysis of India’s domestic air traffic in 2014

The nightly aircraft line-up tail parade at the apron of Kempegowda International Airport Bangalore

Keeping in line with the weak economic growth in India, domestic air passenger traffic grew a tepid 9.7% during 2014. In 2013 61.426 million passengers travelled, which grew to 67.383 million. Monthly data and info-graphics December is the peak month for travel in India, both international and domestic. As the stacked monthly graph shows, in December 6.44 million (64.4 lakhs) …

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Jet Airways to allow penalty free cancellation of bookings within 24 hours

Jet Airways Boeing 777-300ER VT-JEG performing flight 9W117 from London approaches Mumbai airport

India’s largest private airline, Jet Airways, has taken a leaf out of the playbook of many international carriers and introduced a new initiative to waive penalty fees for cancellations made within 24 hours of bookings made on their website. A very smart and passenger friendly move which deserves congratulations. The new initiative is limited to bookings made on the airline’s …

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Air Europa orders 14 Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners

Air Europa 787-9

Boeing has announced an order for 14 787-9 Dreamliners from Spanish carrier Air Europa. The order valued at $3.6 billion at list prices, is the largest ever Boeing widebody order from a Spanish carrier. The order was booked in December 2014 and was previously attributed to an unidentified customer on the Boeing Orders & Deliveries website. Air Europa now has …

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It is official. Marans to transfer SpiceJet ownership to Ajay Singh

SpiceJet Boeing 737-800 VT-SPJ. Photo copyright Devesh Agarwal.

The announcement at the Bombay stock exchange by SpiceJet Ltd. says it all. Spicejet Ltd has informed BSE that the Board of Directors of the Company at its meeting held on January 15, 2015, inter-alia, has taken on record the proposal of the principal shareholder and Promoter, Mr. Kalanithi Maran and KAL Airways Private Limited to transfer the ownership, management …

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Airbus launches high MTOW A321 with full transatlantic range

CGI of Airbus A321neo 97 tonnes MTOW with full transatlantic range. Airbus image.

European airframer Airbus has scored a coup of sorts by officially launching a new variant of the A321neo with 97 tonnes Maximum Take Off Weight (MTOW). Airbus is targeting a 2019 first delivery date. At 4,000nm, the ‘A321neo 97t’ as it is being referred to, will have the highest range of any single aisle airliner, giving it full transatlantic capability, …

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Air India commences direct New Delhi Vijayawada flights

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 will introduce a daily direct daily service between New Delhi and Vijayawada from tomorrow, January 15, 2015 which will be the second service on the route. Presently the carrier flies on a one-stop flight via Hyderabad. The new flight AI459 departs New Delhi at 06:20 and arrives Vijayawada at 08:25 The return flight AI460 departs Vijayawada …

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Air India flies grounded Boeing 777 after 31 months, ahead of delivery to Etihad

Air India Boeing 777-237LR VT-ALF Jharkand at New Delhi IGI airport. Photo copyright Vedant Agarwal, all rights reserved. Used with permission.

Air India’s newest Boeing 777-200LR VT-ALH Maharashtra has finally flown after a gap of over 31 months after it was in storage since March 29, 2012. The test flight AI555 took off from Mumbai’s Chhatrapathi Shivaji airport around 13:20 on Friday, January 9, 2015 and performed a series of race track circuits for about 100 minutes (1h40m) before returning at …

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Inflight review: Tata-SIA Vistara premium economy: A320: New Delhi – Mumbai

Vistara A320-200 Business Class Cabin

Today morning, I flew the inaugural flight of India’s newest full service airline, Vistara, the brand name for Tata-SIA Airlines, the joint venture between India’s most respected conglomerate the Tatas, and Singapore Airlines. Indira Gandhi international (DEL) to Chhatrapati Shivaji international (BOM). UK890. Depart 12:30 Arrive 14:45. All times local. Airbus A320-200. VT-TTB. Seat 7D. 09-January-2015. Check In – New …

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Vistara airlines: Cabin pictures – business, premium economy, economy

Tata-SIA Airlines Vistara A320 premium economy class cabin.

Our ace photographer Vedant was on board UK890, the inaugural flight of Vistara, Tata SIA Airlines earlier this afternoon. While his official trip report will follow, here are the first high resolution pictures of the three cabins on board the airline’s A320-200 VT-TTB. Please share this article with your friends using the social media buttons at the end. Read our …

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