Devesh Agarwal

A electronics and automotive product management, marketing and branding expert, he was awarded a silver medal at the Lockheed Martin innovation competition 2010. He is ranked 6th on Mashable's list of aviation pros on Twitter and in addition to Bangalore Aviation, he has contributed to leading publications like Aviation Week, Conde Nast Traveller India, The Economic Times, and The Mint (a Wall Street Journal content partner). He remains a frequent flier and shares the good, the bad, and the ugly about the Indian aviation industry without fear or favour.

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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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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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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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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Jet Airways’ Kerala schedules revised due to Calicut airport repairs

Jet Airways Boeing 737-800 VT-JGA.

India’s largest private airline, Jet Airways will revise schedules of some of its flights at Kozikode, Trivandrum, Cochin, Mumbai, Doha, and Dammam, due to maintenance work being conducted at Kozhikode (Calicut) airport. Effective September 1, 2015, the revised schedule is as below” Domestic Mumbai – Kohikode Flight 9W 423 will depart Mumbai at 09:05 and arrive Kozhikode at 10:50. Daily. …

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Exclusive photos: Tractor hits and damages Air India A320 aircraft

Air India Airbus A320 VT-EPJ hit and damaged by tractor

Earlier this month a push back tractor appears to have hit an Airbus A320 of the national airline Air India. The incident involving VT-EPJ occurred at Mumbai’s Chhatrapati Shivaji airport in the middle of a rain storm, earlier this month. There are some reports that the aircraft rolled forward before the towbar which is connected to the nose wheel was …

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Vistara refutes media reports on possible winter fog grounding

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 has refuted media reports that quotes Indian regulator, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation, officials, that its pilots and aircraft are not likely to be Cat IIIB certified by this winter. In a response to a detailed questionnaire seeking the airline’s responses, a Vistara spokesperson replied“Vistara has been working closely with DGCA for …

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Independent analysis of Jet Airways Q1 fiscal 2015-2016 performance

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

The below analysis has been performed by an aviation consultant and industry professional completely independently of Bangalore Aviation. The views expressed are not ours. – Editor Jet Airways reported a profit of INR 2,217 million or USD 35 million for the 1st quarter of FY16. The results are fairly interesting when one looks at RASK and CASK comparisons that show …

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Air France offers 5th edition of Manish Arora fashion contest

The official page of the Air France Manish Arora contest.

For the fifth season, Air France is offering aspiring designers the opportunity to engage with noted designer Manish Arora and learn from him, first-hand. This season which started yesterday will run till September 3, 2015, will also involve the noted Verve Magazine as an official media partner. This year’s theme is ‘Life is Beautiful’. Fashion designers can participate in the …

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The incestuous relationship between Air India and the government

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.

Air India is an enigma. It was the first airline in the world with an all jet fleet, ahead of the Americans and Europeans. From being the epitome of luxury, grace and hospitality, the palace in the skies, the airline is, today, a bottomless pit swallowing crores of tax-payer rupees. This despite having one of the most modern wide-body fleets …

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IndiGo confirms 250 A320neo order with Airbus

CGI of IndiGo A320neo with PW Pure Power 1100GTF engines. Airbus image.

India’s largest domestic airline, IndiGo, has placed a confirmed order for 250 Airbus A320neo (new engine option) with the European airframer. Signed on India’s 69th Independence Day, August 15 2015, the order is a confirmation of the agreement entered into in October last year, by the two companies. This order is the single largest order by numbers ever placed on …

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First independent airport lounge opens at London Heathrow Terminal 5

The first independent shared-use airport lounge has opened at London Heathrow’s Terminal 5 (T5). Located at the north end of the terminal, near gate A18, ‘Aspire, the Lounge and Spa at LHR T5‘ is jointly owned and operated by Collinson Group, the owners of Priority Pass, and Swissport, the world’s largest aviation services provider. The lounge is open from 05:00 …

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British Airways reduces cabin hand baggage size, still remains generous

British Airways Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner G-ZBJC. Image Copyright Devesh Agarwal.

British Airways has always had one of the most generous hand-baggage (carry-on baggage) allowances in the world. Like its American counterparts, even in economy class, it permits two carry-on bags per passenger; one main carry-on bag, and one personal hand-bag / laptop bag. Compare this to the one piece allowed on almost every other airline. However, unlike the normal 7kg …

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Star Alliance announces round-the-world (RTW) fares in premium economy class

Air India Boeing 777-300ER VT-ALJ Bihar in special Star Alliance livery being wheeled out of the hangar.

With 11 of its member airlines offering a dedicated premium economy class cabin, Star Alliance, the world largest airline grouping is now offering a Round-the-World (RTW) fare in the Premium Economy Class. The 11 Star Alliance airlines which offer a dedicated premium economy class cabin include Air Canada, Air China, Air New Zealand, ANA, EVA Air, Lufthansa, LOT Polish Airlines, …

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Qatar Airways in talks with IndiGo, denies interest in SpiceJet

Qatar Airways Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner A7-BCF.

National carrier Qatar Airways has issued a statement denying any interest in picking up a stake in Gurgaon based SpiceJet. The middle-eastern carrier says This release is to confirm that Qatar Airways is not in talks to pursue a commercial stake in SpiceJet. There is no interest from the airline to engage in a partnership with the Gurgaon-based airline. Qatar …

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