The International Air Transport Association (IATA) Annual General Meeting recently concluded in Seoul. The event was quite anticipated given the unprecedented geo-political trends. The state of the industry and key focus areas were highlighted by the Director General Alexandre de Juniac in his speech. Key points of this speech that speak to trends were: Safety Flying continues to be one …

With the production of the Airbus A380 ending 2021, airline enthusiasts the world over are wondering if there will be a replacement aircraft that is as awe-inspiring. The end of the program is also interesting as it contradicts the fact that airports are increasingly constrained and indeed airlines will have to devise strategies to overcome this. Yet, the impacts are …

May will see the launch of SpiceBiz – SpiceJet’s business class product. It is a strategic shift for an airline that operates on the LCC business model and one that leverages the opportunity presented after the grounding of Jet Airways. The industry is abuzz with debate on whether SpiceJet can pull this off. Our contention is that SpiceBiz may redefine …

Jet Airways has suspended operations as of April 17, 2019.  It was an action that should have been taken much earlier. The debate continues on whether a consortium will successfully bid and re-start the airline or if the government will step-in. While the 16,000+ employees are still hopeful, the fact of the matter is that actions have left the airline …

The first day of release of the Expression of Interest (EOI) document for the sale of Jet Airways (download here) failed to see any formal response. Inspite of tomorrow being the deadline for submission investor interest has been tepid at best. We feel there are some key reasons for this lack of interest. No certainty on the price and value …

Fleet – with a majority of the fleet grounded, what is the way forward? The fleet of 119 aircraft is now down to 40. The flying fleet includes eight A330s, nine Boeing777s and twenty three 737s. Luckily the majority of the wide-body fleet (the A330s + B777s) is owned by Jet Airways. Thus it can be utilized at a higher …

Etihad Airways recently reported its annual results for 2018. The results highlight the continuing challenges for the airline as it addresses elements of its fleet, network and profitability. These are important for its transformation program.  While there was a 4% increase in passenger yields, the impact on overall revenue was not significant. On the cost side, the airline was able …

SpiceJet announced the launch of 8 new direct flights to Gwalior in Madhya Pradesh. This city will be connected under the UDAN III scheme. It is the airline’s 11th destination under the regional connectivity scheme (RCS). In doing so, SpiceJet continues building its network strategy of connecting smaller towns and cities while leveraging the government’s flagship policy. The UDAN scheme …

Indian aviation continues to show tremendous aviation potential with growth forecast to be in the double digits for the next few years. Consensus forecasts indicate that India will be the third largest aviation market by 2026 after the United States and China. Both India and China will propel growth in the Asian region and consequently for the world economy. The Asian …

The Airbus 380, the world’s largest passenger aircraft, entered commercial service in 2007 with launch customer Singapore Airlines. With a maximum takeoff weight of 575 tonnes (almost eight times the weight of an Airbus A320) and average seating of 575 passengers (800+ in high density configurations) Airbus built the A380 on the premise of slot-constrained airports needing a ultra-high capacity …

Flybe, Europe’s largest regional carrier which flies 53% of all fights within mainland Britain (excluding London) and also the largest scheduled airline by air traffic movements at 13 UK airports, recently announced a sale to a consortium. This in part is driven by the uncertainty emanating from Brexit and also other structural issues. Overview of Flybe Average fleet: 80 Cities: …