Monthly Archives: January 2018

Analysis: Indigo third quarter FY2018 results. A leader in every way.

IndiGo ATR72-600 VT-IYA. Photo by Vedant Agarwal. Copyright. Do not re-use.

India’s largest domestic carrier, IndiGo, reported its third quarter results of the fiscal year 2017-2018 (Q3FY18) last week. The third quarter is the strongest of the fiscal year, and it was a yet another strong result coming on the back of a previously strong quarter. IndiGo Q3FY18 results snapshot with percentage comparisons to Q3FY17 • Revenues ₹6,449 crores (₹64.49 billion) …

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Opportunity and Parity- Pilot’s licenses in India

Indigo Airbus A320neo VT-ITC. Cockpit. Copyrighted image. Re-use prohibited.

by Poonam Verma and Apoorva Saxena Foreign pilots have enjoyed the privilege to fly steel birds in India for a long time. This, to a great extent, hampered opportunities available to Indian trained pilots. This treatment of foreign pilots in India is not being reciprocated to Indian pilots by foreign jurisdictions. This article throws some light on the opportunities and …

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Emirates offers a new non-stop Dubai Newark flight. Goes daily to Florida

Emirates Boeing 777-300ER A6-ENN.

Dubai-based Emirates airline will start a new non-stop daily service between Dubai and Newark (EWR) effective June 1. 2018. The new flight will complement the existing daily flight which operates via Athens, Greece. Emirates will use a three class cabin Boeing 777-300ER, offering eight suites in first class, 42 flat-bed seats in business, and 306 bone-crunching narrow seats in economy …

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Jet Airways to commence second Bangalore Singapore flight in March

Jet Airways' Boeing 737-800 VT-JBD

India’s leading private international airline, Jet Airways, will commence a second flight on the Bangalore Singapore route effective March 25, the start of the Summer 2018 schedule. The new flight will be an overnight red-eye flight with a morning return and will complement the existing day flight on the same route. Jet will use a two class Boeing 737-800 narrow …

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Boeing’s largest Dreamliner, 787-10, cleared for commercial service

The Boeing 787-10 rolled out at Boeing South Carolina. Boeing Image.

The United States Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has awarded an amended type certificate (ATC) for Boeing’s largest variant of its next-gen Dreamliner family, the 787-10, clearing it for entering commercial service. The test program used three aircraft and accumulated over 900 flight hours. The 787-10 is a stretch of the 787-9 and trades payload capacity for range. It can fly …

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Airbus A380 rescue. Emirates orders 36 additional superjumbos for $16B

Emirates_A380-800 A6-EDF arrives at London.

The struggling Airbus A380 superjumbo program was just handed a lifeline by its largest operator, Dubai-based Emirates Airline. The Gulf behemoth has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to acquire up to 36 additional A380 aircraft. The firm commitment is for 20 A380s with options for an 16. Deliveries are scheduled to start in 2020. From the first A380 delivery …

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Aeroflot sends US citizens to India because they are “Indian”

Any frequent flyer has missed or had a connection cancelled while in the air. When it happens during an international transit, the experience can be even more frustrating. However I have found the attitude of the ground crew is the most important factor in keeping up a good passenger experience in these situations. A BA reader forwarded me a story …

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Jet Airways launches Biryani Fridays

Jet Airways Biryani Festival.

India’s largest full cost carrier Jet Airways has begin serving biryani as a standard menu option for lunch and dinner on it’s Friday flights. The airline will be serving from a selection of Yakhni Pulao Biryani Aloo Badi Ki Biryani Hyderabadi Chicken Dum Biryani Kabuli Biryani Kolkata Style Chicken Biryani Lucknawi Dum Biryani Shahi Veg Biryani Veg Mopla Biryani The …

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AirAsia India to restart operations from Chennai

First flight of AirAsia India. Plane after pushback.

Low cost carrier AirAsia India is relaunching flights to Chennai as it’s 17th destination. Chennai was one of the original destinations of the airline when it had first begun it’s India operations. The airline is also inducting it’s 15th Airbus A320. The airline will operate three daily flights between Bangalore and Chennai and 2 daily flights between Chennai and Bhubaneshwar …

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Airbus rolls out first of its next-gen super transporters – the BelugaXL

First Airbus Beluga XL rolls out of the final assembly line at Toulouse France. Airbus image.

European airframer Airbus has rolled out the first of its next-generation super transporters, the BelugaXL at its main assembly line in Toulouse, France. Named after the white whale it represents, the BelugaXL will succeed the current fleet of the A300-600ST (super transporter) Beluga, which is based on the A300 airframe. The BelugaXL programme began in 2014 and Airbus will build …

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To attract buyers Government allows 49% foreign investment in Air India

The Air India ramp at Mumbai CSMI Airport. Photo by and copyright Devesh Agarwal.

In a bid to attract more bids, the Union Cabinet of the Government of India, has allowed up to 49% Foreign Direct Investment in the national carrier Air India which is up for disinvestment. In a release the Government said “It has now been decided to do away with this restriction and allow foreign airlines to invest up to 49% …

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Boeing reports record deliveries and backlog in 2017

The MAX 8 is sporting the 100 years of Boeing Decal.

American airframer Boeing has set a new record for number of aircraft delivered in a year by surpassing it’s 2015 record of 762 deliveries by one. The company also grew it’s order backlog to a record 5,864 aircraft. The order backlog which equates to around seven years of production was spurred by a 35% increase in 737 orders from 550 …

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Airbus rolls out first A321neo ACF (Airbus Cabin Flex). Seats up to 240

European airframer Airbus has rolled out the first A321neo ACF (Airbus Cabin Flex) aircraft which can seat up to 240 passengers. The airframe powered by CFM LEAP-1A engines will now begin testing, first on the ground and then in-flight. The first delivery of the A321neo ACF is scheduled for mid-2018. The ACF concept was introduced in July 2014. It uses …

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Boeing answers questions about aviation safety via this FAQ

View of part of the ramp at Bangalore Airport at night.

I regularly get questions from novice fliers about various aspects of flying, especially with regards to safety. US airframer Boeing has published an excellent “FAQ” (frequently asked questions) page for answering questions and concerns about aviation safety. Some of the questions answered are: Are four engined aircraft safer than two engined aircraft? Are older aircraft safe to fly in? Which …

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Tata SIA Vistara to commence Chennai services

Vistara's first Airbus A320neo VT-TNB on its maiden commercial flight.

Tata Singapore Airlines branded Vistara will commence services from its New Delhi hub to Chennai from February 15. With this the airline will finally connect all the seven major metros to its hub. The carrier will start with a daily flight which will ramp up to a twice-daily service from March 1. This will allow the airline to offer morning …

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IndiGo, AirAsia India, Spicejet top on-time for 2018. Chennai airport tops.

The ramp at Rajiv Gandhi airport, Hyderabad. Photo by Devesh Agarwal. Used with permission. Do not re-use.

Three of India’s low-cost carriers, IndiGo, AirAsia India, and Spicejet feature in the OAG’s Punctuality League 2018 as India’s most punctual airlines. Chennai, Hyderabad, and New Delhi airports also feature in the annual report of airlines and airports with the best on-time performance (OTP) in the world. The best of the best As per the Punctuality League 2018, the most …

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