Bangalore Aviation News, Reviews, Analysis and opinions of Indian Aviation

Courtesy of Aspire Aviation, the following table provides a breakdown of announced orders on Day 1 of the Farnborough Air Show. Airbus Date Customer Quantity Model Remarks 9th July Arkia Israel Airlines 4 A321neo Agreement Boeing Date Customer Quantity Model Remarks 9th July Air Lease Corp (ALC) 60 737 MAX 8 Reconfirmation rights for 25 more 9th July Air Lease …

India’s largest airline Jet Airways has announced the tentative schedule for delivery of its 10 Boeing 787-8 Dreamliners. The all-new aircraft, which has yet to enter into service (EIS) with Indian launch customer Air India, offers double digit fuel efficiency gains over Jet Airways’ current widebody fleet while also offering improved passenger comfort. Jet Airways has 10 787-8s on order …

In late May, the news broke that Atlanta-based Delta Air Lines would be leasing 88 Boeing 717-200s from its newly minted rival in Atlanta, Southwest Airlines. The Dallas based airline, which acquired the fleet of 717s from its merger with AirTran Airways (through which it also inherited a hub in Atlanta), had previously utilized only  a single fleet type (the …

The first day of the Farnborough Air Show has been relatively quiet on the orders front. But Pratt & Whitney has announced a slew of engine deals for Airbus’ A320neo, and included in the deal was a firming of the contract between P&W and India’s largest low cost carrier (LCC) IndiGo Airlines to provide PW1100G-JM (otherwise known as the Geared …

Image courtesy BEA France’s Bureau of Investigations and Analysis’ (BEA) submitted its final report on the crash of Air France flight AF-447 flying from Rio de Janeiro to Paris, killing all 228 passengers and crew on-board. The final report essentially re-states what has already been released till date. The crash commenced with ice crystals blocking the pitot tubes, sending false …

As domestic full service carriers like Air India and Jet Airways are cutting back on their commissions, travel agents in India have decided to charge a service charge of Rs 225 from July 16 on tickets of full service carriers, issued by them. In this age of skyrocketing expenses, airlines are desperately trying to curtail costs. Ticket distribution and sales …

Air India and members of the striking Indian Pilots Guild (IPG) appear to have reached an “agreement”. For more than 58 days, the pilots have defied the courts and struck work. After causing hundred of crores (billions) worth of additional losses to the national carrier, that is already on life support with taxpayer money, the pilots decided to call off …

Australian national carrier Qantas has released a new video advertisement and with it a very subtle change in its slogan. We are used to seeing “Spirit of Australia” emblazoned on the side of every Qantas aircraft. Qantas A330-300 at Mumbai. Photo copyright Devesh Agarwal. All rights reserved. In an effort to reach out to its passenger base, the new slogan …

Boeing has achieved some peace of mind, by making the first flight of Qatar Airways’ first 787 Dreamliner, just ahead of the upcoming Farnborough air show. The airline’s capricious CEO, Mr. Akbar Al Baker, is known for his non-diplomatic criticism, often seen as tantrums, of airframe manufacturers, especially at air shows. Boeing’s competitor Airbus, was at the receiving end of …

Following fellow ASEAN national carriers, Singapore Airlines and Malaysia Airlines, Thai Airways International will become the ninth operator of the Airbus A380 superjumbo when it receives the first of its six ordered A380 aircraft later this year. Enjoy the three photos from Airbus, of the Thai A380 leaving the paint shop in Hamburg resplendent in its beautiful “smooth as silk” …

Malaysia Airlines (MAS) and Airbus revealed a special celebration livery on the national carrier’s first A380 ahead of the aircraft’s entry-into-service next week on the Kuala Lumpur-London Heathrow route. The livery was designed by MAS specifically for it its new A380 flagship and was applied post-delivery by Airbus in Toulouse. MAS has ordered six A380s with a seating for 494 …

The congested Air Traffic Control (ATC) system at Mumbai airport is under-going a major leap forward with trials of the SITA Departure Clearance System (DCL) through Data Link Communication (DLC). The Datalink Control and Display Unit (DCDU) the pilot interface for CPDLC messages. Image courtesy Wikipedia. The Airports Authority of India (AAI) which manages civilian ATC operations across most of …

Less than a year after it commenced international operations, India’ s largest low cost carrier (LCC) IndiGo, is planning a massive expansion of its Dubai operations, adding four new flights to its current two daily flights (one each from Mumbai and Delhi). Additionally, the carrier will add a second daily flight between Delhi and Bangkok. The carrier, which operates 57 …

British national carrier is supporting the 2012 London Olympic games encouraging the citizens of the island nation not to fly during the games. Enjoy the advertisement, and then see the video where the creators explain the idea behind the ad. We think its an innovative ad, but would like to ask British Airways if they paid the congestion charge for …

Richard Branson promoted, British carrier, Virgin Atlantic will introduce a new Airbus A330 aircraft equipped with a re-designed and upgraded Upper Class (business class) Cabin National, on its London Heathrow New Delhi service starting July 11, 2012. The state of art cabin boasts of the longest bed in business class in a modified herringbone layout, a 2.7 meters long bar …

The following was posted as a guest post over at The Wandering Aramean, a great travel blog written by Seth Miller which also doubles as a travel tool site. Be sure to check his site out, and stay tuned, as we will have some guest content from him this week. When India’s Jet Airways, Kingfisher Airlines, and SpiceJet all recently …

Japan’s largest airline, All Nippon Airways (ANA), has announced that it will be launching flights between Tokyo Narita and New Delhi later this fall as part of a broader plan to increase its international capacity by 22% by the beginning of fiscal year 2014. The expansion will be enabled by a growth in ANA’s long haul fleet, as it will …

A revamp of taxi operations at the Bengaluru International Airport has taken place, with the airport operating company BIAL launching an all new fleet of taxis under a new unified service brand called “The Airport Taxi”. Bangalore becomes the first airport in India to develop and offer a taxi service with a unique identity. The all white taxi fleet will …

Source  Even as chief rival Emirates Airlines reported a sharp 72% decline in net profit to $408 million in fiscal 2012, fellow Middle Eastern juggernaut Qatar Airways is continuing with its exuberant pace of expansion. Earlier this year, the airline, which serves 116 destinations on a fleet of 108 aircraft, announced plans for 65-77 new weekly flights to 13 new …

Will SriLankan Airline’s entry into oneworld force a change in the carrier’s network strategy? Image courtesy Wikimedia Early Monday, SriLankan Airlines, the flag carrier of India’s southernmost neighbor, is set to be announced as the newest member of the oneworld, the global alliance of airlines. The carrier, which serves 60 destinations on a fleet of 21 aircraft, will add Kochi, …