On a recent trip from Bangalore to Dallas-Fort Worth via Frankfurt I flew Air Canada international for the first time in my life. The first trip was from Frankfurt to Toronto Pearson on their Boeing 777-300ER and thanks to mother nature, and two very efficient and caring customer service executives at United and Air Canada in Boston, from Ottawa to …
Read More »As 787 Dreamliners return, passengers face economy class discomfort
As its much vaunted state of the art jetliner, the 787 Dreamliner returns to the skies, US airframer Boeing faces a dilemma. On the one hand Boeing has incorporated many improvements in the composite fuselage aircraft, which was meant to improve passenger comfort. These include Windows that are about 30% bigger, allowing more natural light. Windows also feature an electronic …
Read More »Three-way analysis: How does Emirates respond to Jetihad?
By Oussama Salah, Vinay Bhaskara, and Devesh Agarwal Photo copyright Devesh Agarwal The Indian government often makes curious decisions in setting aviation policy. For example, it encouraged Air India to lower prices to gain market share, causing mayhem in the market place and increasing Air India鈥檚 losses. It also recently 聽allowed Air Asia to expand in India by approving a …
Read More »Video: The making of Terminal 2 at Mumbai airport
While Delhi’s IGI airport is India’s biggest, arguably the busiest is Mumbai’s Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport (CSIA). The $2 billion Mumbai Airport Expansion project is one of India’s most ambitious undertakings ever and uses some extremely innovative construction techniques to overcome problems, bottlenecks, and even local sentiments. From Discovery Channel’s Build It Bigger programme, watch the making of CSIA’s Terminal …
Read More »Analysis: India and UAE sign MoU on bilateral air services agreement
The official version of the press release from the Press Information Bureau of the Government of India. India and United Arab Emirates (UAE) signed an MoU on Air Services, following the two-day bilateral negotiation at Abu Dhabi today. The UAE had urged India to allocate additional 40,000 seats per week, grant Goa, Pune, Amritsar and Lucknow as additional points of …
Read More »University of Applied Sciences Frankfurt launches MBA in Aviation Management course in India
The Fachhochschule Frankfurt am Main (FH FFM) in collaboration with the University of Petroleum and Energy Studies (UPES), head-quartered in Dehradun has launched a course offering an MBA in aviation management. 28 students have taken up their studies in programme launched in Indian aviation鈥檚 metro hubs Delhi and Mumbai. EU to India ambassador – Mr. Joa虄o Cravinho lighting the inaugural …
Read More »Jetihad is born. Etihad buys 24% stake in Jet Airways for $379 million. To inject additional $220 million.
Etihad Airways to inject additional $220 million in to Jet Airways by Devesh Agarwal We are reproducing the official release. Our analysis of this transaction will follow next week. Jet Airways and Etihad Airways at a glance Highlights Strategic investment under FDI policy of the Government of India will deliver wide-ranging revenue growth and cost synergy opportunities for both …
Read More »Video: How Boeing responded to the Indian Navy’s P-8I additional flight and weapons’ testing needs
In 2012, the P-8I being built for the Indian Navy was transitioned in to flight testing by Boeing. With a committed delivery date set, the program was suddenly required to do additional flight testing, including weapons separation testing; and all this without adding any additional time to the schedule. Boeing was required to drop simulated weapons from the wing of …
Read More »INFOGRAPHIC: Airline-wise share of international passenger traffic, to and from India, 2011 to 2012
Based on a report in The Economic Times we have prepared this infographic showing the airlines’ market share of international passenger traffic to and from India during fiscal 2011~2012. The chart throws up some surprises. SriLankan Airlines and Oman Air feature on this list, but Singapore Airlines does not. Hard to accept? and where is AirAsia? Share your thoughts via …
Read More »AirAsia India commences recruiting flight attendants
AirAsia India will be hiring cabin crew for its flight operations in India which is planned to be based in Chennai, Tamil Nadu. The airline is inviting aspiring flight attendants to attend its walk-in interviews to be held on Saturday 13 April 2013 at Chinmaya Heritage Centre, 2, 13th Avenue, Harrington Road, Chetpet in Chennai, from 9am to 3pm. Successful …
Read More »Photos: New Delhi airport – aerial views of the ramp, Jet’s A330 fleet, Blue Dart and Kenya Airways freighters
by Devesh Agarwal Once again the kind friends at Delhi International Airport (P) Ltd. (DIAL), the company which operates the Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA), supported the Aviation Photographers India Foundation by giving access to the airside, after they had received permission from the DGCA. Yours truly, got on to a Rosenbauer turn-table ladder (TTL) of the airport fire-fighting team, …
Read More »EXCLUSIVE PHOTOS: Italian Air Force Boeing KC-767A bringing back the two marines arrives at New Delhi airport
Last Friday, the two Italian marines accused of killing two Indian fisherman off the coast of Kerala, were finally returned to India. They have been at the centre of the diplomatic showdown between the two countries, when Italy refused to let them return, dishonouring an personal undertaking given by Italy’s ambassador to India, to the Supreme Court of India. The …
Read More »Jet Airways to lease three Boeing 777-300ERs to Turkish Airlines
by Devesh Agarwal Sources within Mumbai based Jet Airways indicate the airline has entered into an agreement with Turkish Airlines to dry-lease three of its Boeing 777-300ER (77W) aircraft for one year. The Indian carrier has a total of ten 77Ws in its fleet. Since 2008, the carrier has found it difficult to effectively utilise these highly popular aircraft. It …
Read More »Video: Pilot asked to hold for “VIP movement” responds “We’re more important than they are”
A humorous way to start the week. All of us in India has experienced a disruption in our lives due to “VIP movement”. This video from Jenf777 on a humorous exchange between the air traffic controller at Boston’s Logan airport and the pilot of American Airlines 573. After hearing the exchange, all I could think, we need to get some …
Read More »Air India Boeing 777 collides into JetBlue A320 at New York JFK airport
An arriving Boeing 777-300ER (B77W) of Air India VT-ALK “Chattisgarh” bumped in to a JetBlue Airbus A320 aircraft, N603JB, at New York’s John F. Kennedy (JFK) airport early on Saturday morning. There are no injuries reported to passengers of either aircraft. Both aircraft have sustained damage and are grounded. The U.S. Federal Aviation Authority indicates around 0615 local (1115Z) the …
Read More »Air India’s Emperor Class. How the Indian aristocracy abuses its “NetJets”
Officially India gained independence from monarchy on August 15, 1947. Fast forward these 66 years and the current breed of India’s aristocracy is very much alive and kicking. The British colonists may have left India, but the “Raj” continues, if only by a different name. Welcome to Air India’s Emperor Class. Not the earlier Boeing 747s, the carrier named after …
Read More »Complete and unedited video of Indian Air Force chief NAK Browne’s press interaction at Aero India 2013
The interaction with the Chief of Staff of the Indian Air Force, Air Chief Marshal NAK Browne, at the biennial Aero India 2013 air show, is always attended in force by members of the Indian and foreign media. During his hour long interaction the chief addressed a wide variety of issues on various programmes, budgets, strategies, needs, achievements, including operations …
Read More »Opinion: Approving AirAsia-Tata airline will derail goals of FDI in aviation policy
The announcement that AirAsia is joining hands with the Tatas and Bhatias with the intention to start a new airline in India will put the a significant policy dilemma in front of the Government of India related to foreign direct investment (FDI) in civil aviation by foreign airlines, and might just land-up derailing the goals of the fledging policy. While …
Read More »AirAsia, Tatas and Amit Bhatia seek approval to start airline in India. Is SpiceJet the target?
by Devesh Agarwal Malaysian low cost carrier AirAsia Berhad (Ltd.) through its investment arm, AirAsia Investment Ltd. (AAIL) has submitted an application to the Indian Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) seeking approval for AAIL to invest 49% into a proposed Indian joint venture together with Tata Sons Limited and Mr. Arun Bhatia of Telestra Tradeplace Pvt. Ltd. The expected holding …
Read More »Japan Airlines wants to start Tokyo Bangalore service, but not in the near future.
Japan Airlines (JAL) wants to start a Bangalore Tokyo service, but does not have any plans to do so in the near future, Masaru Onishi, Chairman of the airline, told Bangalore Aviation on the sidelines of the Oneworld event to mark the entry of Malaysia Airlines in to the alliance. Onishi went on to say, with the growing investment of …
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