Monthly Archives: September 2015

Exclusive pictures: First production A320neo, destined for IndiGo, flies

First Airbus A320neo with Pratt & Whitney PurePower PW1127G-JM Geared Turbo-Fan (GTF) engine. Photo courtesy Airbus.

Exactly one year after the first flight of the Airbus A320neo, the first production airframe MSN 6720, made its maiden flight. This particular airframe is destined for IndiGo as part of the Indian carrier’s 180 A320neo order placed at the Paris Air Show in 2011. While MSN 6720 is the first production airframe, it will not be the first to …

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India orders 22 Apache and 15 Chinook Helicopters

The Indian Ministry of Defence has finalized an order with Boeing for 22 AH-64E Apache attack helicopters and 15 CH-47F Chinook heavy-lift helicopters. The order includes production, training and support of both the helicopters. The order which is worth around 2.5 billion US dollars, was cleared by the cabinet committee on security on the 22nd of this month just before …

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Air India’s New Delhi San Francisco schedule ignores Bangalore

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

Air India has loaded the schedule of its much anticipated New Delhi San Francisco non-stop service, into the global distribution system. AI173 departs* New Delhi at 02:45 and arrives San Francisco International at 06:00 AI174 departs* San Francisco International at 10:00 and arrives New Delhi at 15:35 the next day *all departures on Wednesdays, Fridays, and Sundays Yet, inexplicably, the …

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Air India shifting to Mumbai airport T2. First to integrate operations

Air India's website banner announcing shift to T2 at Mumbai

National carrier Air India will be the first airline to integrate its operations, domestic and international, at terminal 2 better known as T2, at Mumbai CSI airport. The airline will be shifting its domestic operations from terminal 1A located just off the western express highway to the swanky new T2 located on the northern periphery of the airport. T2 has …

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GoAir shifts departure terminal at Mumbai, but arrivals remain same

GoAir Airbus A320 VT-GOJ takes off from New Delhi. Photo by Devesh Agarwal.

GoAir has relocated its departures at Mumbai CSI airport from terminal 1A to terminal 1B from Friday, September 25, 2015. Terminal 1B is the same terminal where other private operators IndiGo, Jet Airways, and SpiceJet operate from. Entrance to the GoAir check-in counters is from gate 2. However all GoAir arrivals will continue at terminal 1A till further notice from …

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Air India to commence thrice a week New Delhi San Francisco non-stop

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

At an event in the Indian capital, New Delhi, Air India Chairman and Managing Director Ashwani Lohani announced the launch of a non-stop flight between New Delhi and San Francisco. San Francisco will be Air India’s fourth destination in the United States after New York (JFK), Newark, and Chicago O’Hare. The flights will be operated three times a week on …

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Boeing KC-46A tanker completes successful first flight

The KC-46A takes off on it's maiden flight. Boeing Image.

American airframer Boeing successfully completed the first flight of the KC-46A tanker aircraft last friday. The aircraft took off from Paine Field at 1:24 p.m. (PST) and landed four hours later at Boeing Field in Seattle. The KC-46A is based on the 767-200 passenger aircraft, which is also being used by many air forces as a tanker in the form …

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flydubai and Mindtree enter into strategic partnership

flydubai Boeing 737-800 A6-FEO. Photo copyright Vedant Agarwal.

Emirates’ narrow-body sister airline flydubai has selected India’s technology service company Mindtree [NSE: MINDTREE] as a strategic technology partner to help the airline shape the digital experience it is envisaging for its passengers. Mindtree will focus on transforming flydubai’s information technology to support passenger sales and service systems, including services such as electronic ticketing and real-time baggage tracking. The agreement …

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Breaking news: Krishnan Balakrishnan leaves Jet joins GoAir as CFO

GoAir Airbus A320 VT-GOJ takes off from New Delhi. Photo by Devesh Agarwal.

Another senior level departure has hit Jet Airways. Krishnan Balakrishnan, Vice President fleet management and controls is joining the Wadia promoted GoAir as Chief Financial Officer. An internal announcement at GoAir says “We are pleased to announce the appointment of Mr. Krishnan Balakrishnan as CFO with effect from Sept 16.” Balakrishnan is a chartered and cost accountant with 22 years …

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Final assembly begins on first 737MAX

1st 737 Max on line. Boeing Image.

American airframer Boeing has started final assembly of the first 737 MAX 8, in Renton, Washington. Keith Leverkuhn, vice president and general manager, 737 MAX program, Boeing Commercial Airplanes “We continue to meet our plan on the 737 MAX program thanks to the dedication of our employee team and our suppliers, We have a lot more work still ahead of …

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Airbus inaugurates US manufacturing facility

Airbus U.S. Manufacturing Facility. Airbus image.

European airframer Airbus S.A.S. inaugurated operations at its U.S. assembly line located in Mobile, Alabama. This is the fourth assembly line for Airbus after Toulouse in France, Hamburg in Germany, and Tianjin in China. The line will assembly the high volume narrow body A320 family aircraft A319, A320, A321, and employs about 250 persons. Airbus President and CEO, Fabrice Brégier, …

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Air India readies 787 Dreamliner grounded for nine months

Air India Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner VT-AND grounded for nine months in a maintenance hangar at Mumbai

National carrier Air India is preparing its second Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner VT-AND for flight after grounding the aircraft in the maintenance hangars for over nine months. The aircraft is recorded to have last flown on new year’s day 2015. Bangalore Aviation has received these exclusive photos. This is the second case of an Air India Dreamliner being grounded for over …

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Through the lens: Leased Spicejets, Air India Sharklet and more

Air India Boeing 787-8 VT-ANE.

First up in this Through the lens is VT-EXC. EXC is the latest Airbus A320 in Air India’s fleet and sports the new ‘Sharklet’ wingtips, it has been leased from China Aircraft Leasing Group Holdings Limited (CALC). It is the third out of five aircrafts that will be leased from CALC by the airline. The aircraft is powered by two …

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British Airways Las Vegas engine fire: Report suggests compressor failure

British Airways Boeing 777-200ER G-VIIA

The United States National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has released a preliminary report on the engine fire that occurred during takeoff of British Airways flight BA 2276, a Boeing 777-200ER, registration G-VIIO, at Las Vegas McCarran International Airport (IATA: LAS). The report’s initial factual findings suggest a failure in the high pressure compressor (HPC) area. The engine case showed multiple …

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Vistara to re-configure aircraft? Revisiting strategy due to 60 crore loss?

Vistara Airbus A320 VT-TTC arrives at Bengaluru performing the airline's inaugural flight UK889 from New Delhi.

The Tata Singapore Airlines joint venture airline Vistara will be re-configuring its Airbus A320 aircraft going forward in an effort to stem losses. The re-configuration could happen as early as this month when the airline’s seventh A320 is delivered. The airline’s chief commercial officer Gian Ming Toh appears to confirm this development. In response to a query by Bangalore Aviation, …

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Why incumbent airlines should accept 5/20 rule removal

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

In a sea of ill-conceived rules governing Indian commercial airlines, the 5/20 rule, which requires Indian carriers to wait five years and have a fleet of 20 aircraft before they can fly the lucrative and profitable international routes is one of the worst. No such restriction applies to the foreign airlines flying IN to India. The newcomers Tata-SIA Vistara and …

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Emirates celebrates it’s 150th 777 delivery

American airframer Boeing and Emirates Airline today celebrated the airlines 150th Boeing 777 delivery. The airline took simultaneous delivery of three 777s – two 777-300ERs and one 777 Freighter which marked the entry of the 150th 777 into Emirates’ fleet. The two 777-300ER’s are registered A6-EPA and A6-EPB while the 777F is A6-EFS. The delivery marks the first time in …

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Nepal Airlines, Thai AirAsia and Kuwait Airways begin Bangalore service

Kuwait Airways Airbus A300B4-605R 9K-AMA at Frankfurt Main airport. Kuwait Airways Airbus A300B4-605R 9K-AMA at Frankfurt Main airport. Photo by Devesh Agarwal.

Three new foreign carriers are beining services to Bangalore today. The first Nepal Airlines RA-225 was operated by an Airbus A320 (9N-AKX), the service will operate thrice a week on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. Flight Number Origin Destination STD STA RA-225 Kathmandu Bangalore 12:40 15:35 RA-226 Bangalore Kathmandu 16:25 19:40 The second airline to commence service today is Thai Air …

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