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

The Main Access Road (MAR) at Bangalore Airport will be closed for two years starting on 10 June for expansion. The 1.4km road is being expanded from its current four lanes (to each way) to 10 lanes (five each way). The expansion was planned to accommodate the increase in traffic to the airport with the new terminal 2. In the …

Fancy a traditional Kaiseki gourmet meal at 35,000 feet? Or some Nalli Nihari lamb shank? How about a fancy Shahi Thali? I have always admired the variety and detail of the in-flight dining onboard Singapore Airlines. The news that has me excited is that Singapore Airlines has finally introduced its famous Book The Cook meal service on its flights originating …

The CFM56 engine family has become the first ever to cross one billion engine flight hours. CFM International (a JV of Safran and GE) ran the first CFM56 in 1974. By 1979 the engine had not received any major orders and the JV was weeks from being dissolved. However, in April of 1979 Delta Air Lines, United Airlines, and Flying …

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 …

Bangalore International Airport Limited is giving away 10,000 plants to passengers and visitors at the airport from 5 June 2019. The giveaway will begin from environment day on 5 June 2019. To get a plant you can register at this link or provide your details on site and collect your plant from ‘The Quad by BLR’. A variety of different …

I reached Changi airport at around 12.30PM, way before my flight at 8PM. After entering, I headed to the business class counters to check-in. Despite reaching so far in advance, I was quickly checked in without any issues. After getting my boarding pass, I headed to the Jewel for lunch. The Jewel at Changi Airport The Jewel is a multi-use …

Bangalore Airport has announced that it will be closing the airport lounges and transit hotel for renovations. The refurbishment will be done in two phases and will take 18 – 20 months to complete. There are currently two lounges each in the domestic and international hold areas – operated by Plaza Premium and Above Ground Level (Bird Catering and Lounges). …

Indigo Airlines reported its fourth-quarter results this Monday. As their CEO expounded – this year consisted of two halves. The 4th quarter was critical for Indigo as it pushed the airline to an overall profit. That said, the results continue to highlight the core challenges in the Indian market. Key numbers for Indigo’s fourth-quarter results: Revenue from Operations: 7883 crores …

Last week, I was invited by Singapore Airlines to visit the Airbus Asia Training Centre (AATC). The AATC is part of the Airbus Flight Training Network which is used to train pilots to fly Airbus type aircraft. The AATC is a joint venture between Airbus and Singapore Airlines, which hold 55 and 45% respectively. The operations of the company began …

Air New Zealand has signed an order for eight Boeing 787-10 Dreamliners worth $2.7 billion at list prices. The deal includes options for 12 more 787’s which could see the total order rise to 20 aircraft, as well as substitution rights which would allow the carrier to swap same 787-10s for 787-9s if required. The deal to replace Air New …

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 …

Vistara (Tata SIA Airlines Ltd)., will lease four Boeing 737-800 NG aircraft from the erstwhile Jet Airways fleet. These aircraft will join Vistara in the next week. Additionally, the airline announced they will lease two Airbus A320neo (A320-251N), which are powered by CFM LEAP 1A engines, during the second half of 2019. We suspect these aircraft are coming from the …

Update – Confirmation from KLM KLM has confirmed our report. In a statement, the airline said “From 28 October 2019, KLM will fly between Amsterdam Schiphol and Bangalore on Monday, Wednesday and Friday. The flights with the Boeing 787-9 offer 30 seats in the World Business Class, 45 seats in the Economy Comfort Class and 219 seats in the Economy …

European air-framer Airbus has delivered its 12,000th, an A220-200 to Delta Airlines. The aircraft is the 12th A220 to be delivered to Delta. Airbus delivered its first aircraft, an A300B2 to Air France in 1974. 36 years later in 2010, the company delivered its 6,000th aircraft. On 8 May, the aircraft flew a special route over the companies Mirabel facility …

British Airways has announced that Bangalore will be the first destination in India for its new Airbus A350-1000. Bangalore will be the fourth worldwide destination for the BA’s A350 – the airline’s launch destination for the type will be to Madrid. The A350 service to Bangalore will begin on 1 January 2020 and as currently scheduled will be the first …

American airframer Boeing has opened the second quarter of the year with by logging orders for four 737 MAXs for unidentified customers. However the company also removed 210 aircraft from its order book following the collapse of Jet Airways. The large cancellation will push Boeing’s net orders for the years into the negative like European rival Airbus. Deliveries As we …

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 …

European airframer Airbus opened the second quarter of 2019 with five orders. The orders were for three A350-900s from Lufthansa Technic on behalf of the German government and two A330-800neos for Uganda Airlines. The manufacturer also recorded five cancellations for A330-200s which keeps their net order deficit to 58 aircraft for 2019. Airbus has also not yet logged the cancellation …

The gate from the lounge brought me right onto the aero-bride to the aircraft. I was met at the door by a member of the crew who checked my boarding card and pointed me to my seat. Washinton Dulles (IAD) to Abu Dhabi (AUH). EY 130. STD 21.25 STA 19.00 (+1). All times local. Boeing 787-9. A6-BLD. Seat 9A. I …

I arrived at Dulles on my connecting flight just about three hours and forty minutes before my flight with Etihad. The check in desk had not yet opened and having baggage to check, I had no choice but to wait for it. About 10 minutes after I reached the desk, the desk agents manned the desks and began checking people …