Yearly Archives: 2018

After Southwest accident, CFM orders inspections for Boeing 737 engines

Jet Airways' Boeing 737-800 VT-JBD

CFM International, the sole supplier of engines powering the Boeing 737 Next-Generation aircraft (the 737-600, 737-700, 737-800, 737-900 and 737-900ER) has issued a new service bulletin in the wake of the Southwest Airlines accident in which a passenger perished. The service bulletin calls for operators of CFM56-7B engines to inspect the fan blades on long-service engines. The Southwest Airlines tragedy, …

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SWISS unveils #SWISSJazzContest

SWISS ramp at Zurich airport. Photo by and copyright Devesh Agarwal.

Swiss International Air Lines unveils #SWISSJazzContest campaign in association with Switzerland Tourism and Montreux Jazz Festival Through the campaign SWISS provides Jazz enthusiasts and students from different music schools/colleges a chance to showcase their talent by registering on www.flyswiss.co.in and uploading a 2-minute musical audio or video and win tickets to attend the Montreux Jazz Festival in Switzerland. The contest …

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Why are suitors backing out of Air India bidding?

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

Two weeks ago, the Government of India released its preliminary information memorandum (PIM) inviting expressions of interest on their strategic divestment of national carrier Air India. The last week has seen, three of the most likely suitors indicating their lack of interest in bidding for the beleaguered airline. Download a copy of the PIM at the end of the article …

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Spicejet to relaunch flights to Hubli

SpiceJet Bombardier Q400 Dash 8 VT-SUB lands at Kempegowda airport Bangalore. Photo by Vedant Agarwal. All rights reserved.

Low cost carrier Spicejet has announced that it will restart operations to Hubli. The airline will operate flights to Hubli from Bangalore, Mumbai, Chennai and Hyderabad. The flights from Chennai and Hyderabad will be under the UDAN regional connectivity scheme and will make Hubli Spicejet’s fifth destination under the scheme. The airline stopped it’s operations to Hubli after a crash …

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Qatar invests in private jet company JetSuite

JetSuite Phenom 100. JetSuite Image.

Middle eastern carrier Qatar Airways has announced an investment for a minority stake American private aviation company JetSuite and indirectly into JetSuite X the companies scheduled regional service. Qatar is the second airline to invest in the company after JetBlue. Qatar has been investing in foreign airlines over the past few years, they have a 20% stake in IAG (British …

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Vistara receives 20th A320. Qualifies for international operations

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

Vistra airlines has recieved its 20th aircraft. The aircraft is an Airbus A320neo – the seventh of the type in the airline’s fleet. With this delivery, the airline now qualifies to begin international operations. The airline is expected to begin short-haul international operations in the second half of this year and will most likely operate it’s first international flight to …

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Boeing delivers the first 787-10 to Singapore airlines

American airframer Boeing has delivered the first 787-10 to launch customer Singapore airlines at a special ceremony over the weekend. Around 3000 people marked the milestone delivery at the company’s North Charleston, South Carolina facility which is the exclusive assembly site for the 787-10 unlike her smaller siblings which are also assembled at Paine Field at Everett, Washington. Singapore airlines …

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Nagpur airport to implement SITA common use systems

The Multi-modal International Cargo Hub and Airport at Nagpur (MIHAN) will implement common use passenger processing solutions for check-in and boarding and baggage tracking from SITA. The Common Use Terminal Equipment (CUTE) and Common Use Self Service (CUSS) allows any check in desk, kiosk or gate position to be utilized by agents of any airline – leading to a more …

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Boeing delivers it’s first 737 MAX 9

American airframer Boeing delivered the it’s first 737 MAX 9 to Lion Air Group. The airplane will go into service with Thai Lion Air. Lion air group was also the first operator to put the MAX 8. The group also has another 200 737 MAXs on order and is one of the largest operators of the 737 family. Capt. Darsito …

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Indigo and Spicejet move to Delhi T2 on 25 March

Jet Airways A330 fleet at New Delhi IGI airport Terminal 2

Low cost carriers Indigo and Spicejet have announced that they will move certain flights to Delhi airport’s terminal 2 on 25 March 2018. For those unfamiliar with the history, in mid 2017 Delhi airport announced plans to expand terminal 1. To facilitate this expansion the airport needed some of the terminal’s existing traffic to move to terminal 2. The airport …

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AirAsia to add flights to Imphal and Pune

First flight of AirAsia India. Plane at the gate.

Low cost carrier AirAsia India will begin operating a new route from New Delhi to Imphal beginning 7th April 2018. The airline will also new flights between Bangalore and Pune and Bangalore and Delhi. The airline has also inducted it’s 17th Airbus A320 into it’s fleet with which it will operate these flights.

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Video: Time-lapse of Fanhansa 747 turn-around

Lufthansa Boeing 747-8i D-ABYI 'Fanhansa Livery'.

Last time I was airside at Bangalore airport, I tried to shoot some video along with the pictures you usually see on BangaloreAviation. I tried a time-lapse of the turn-around of Lufthansa’s Boeing 747-8i D-ABYI service between Frankfurt and Bengaluru Kempegowda airport. On a time-lapse certain movements which are very slow in real life get magnified. Enjoy watching how the …

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DGCA directive grounds several IndiGo and Go Air A320neos

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

The Indian civil aviation regulator, Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), has issued a directive which effectively grounds several Airbus A320neo aircraft of IndiGo and Go Airlines. The directive is the latest development resulting from last month’s emergency airworthiness directive (EAD) issued by the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) which affects the Airbus A320neo and A321neo powered by the Pratt …

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Analysis: Why is Indigo choosing the A330neo?

Airbus A330-900neo MSN 1813 on its first flight. Airbus image.

News reports indicate India’s largest domestic airline, Indigo, is in talks with European airframer Airbus, to procure upto 50 A330neo (new engine option) long-haul wide-body aircraft. These aircraft is for Indigo’s much awaited foray into international flying where they are hoping to introduce the low-cost long-haul model. This represents another step in the airline’s strategy towards expanding the airline and …

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US-Bangla Q400 crashes at Kathmandu airport

A Bombardier Q400 of Bangladeshi carrier US-Bangla has crashed at Tribhuvan International Airport in Kathmandu Nepal. The aircraft reportedly veered off the runway on landing at the airport. The aircraft has been identified in local media as S2-AGU operating flight BS211. However this has not been officially confirmed. #BREAKING #Nepal: A US-Bangla airlines aircraft has crashed in the eastern side …

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CFM adds LEAP-1A/B capability to Hyderabad training center

The CFM Leap 1B on the MAX 8.

Engine manufacturer CFM has expanded the capability of it’s Hyderabad training center to include both the LEAP-1A and LEAP-1B engines. The training center provides courses in line maintenance and borescope inspection. The LEAP-1A entered service in India with Air India in February 2017. The engine now powers 15 Air India and five Vistara A320neos. The LEAP-1B will enter service in …

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Indigo introduces seven new ATR flights

IndiGo Airlines ATR 72-600 VT-IYA.

Low cost carrier Indigo is launching seven new flights with it’s ATR 72 fleet. The airline will begin operates flights to Mangalore and Nagpur from Hyderabad and to Mangalore from Chennai. Read our review of Indigo’s ATR 72-600. Wolfgang Prock-Schauer, spokesperson, Indigo “At IndiGo, we are continuously striving to expand deeper into the heartland with our new ATR fleet operations. …

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AirAsia to begin flights from Indore and Nagpur

First flight of AirAsia India. Takeoff roll.

AirAsia India will begin operations from Indore and Nagpur from 17th March. The airline will operate flights from Nagpur to Bangalore and Kolkata and from Indore to Bangalore and Goa. The airline is has also added it’s 16th Airbus A320 to it’s fleet. Amar Abrol, MD & CEO, AirAsia India “2018 is already proving to be a great year for …

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Airbus delivers first A350-1000 to Qatar Airways

Middle eastern carrier Qatar airways has taken delivery of it’s first Airbus A350-1000. The airline which was the launch customer of the A350 is also the first to operate the new type. The aircraft’s first flight will be to London Heathrow this weekend. The -1000’s will soon be deployed to the US east coast. The aircraft MSN 88 will be …

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Boeing 737 MAX 9 receives FAA certification

Boeing has received an amended type certificate (ATC) from the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) for the 737 MAX 9 which certifies the type for commercial service. The airframer is now preparing for the first delivery of the type to Lion Air group. The flight test program of the 737 MAX 9 began in March 2017 and was conducted with …

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