Last Sunday, June 15th, The Economic Times newspaper carried my opinion piece on the excessive meddling of the Indian civil aviation regulator the Directorate General of Civil Aviation or DGCA in short, in the day-to-day operations of airlines in India. Using the example of how the DGCA, in direct contradiction of its own policies (read DGCA ATC 3 of 2013 …
Read More »Following the example set by fellow aviation regulators the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), India’s civil aviation regulator, The Directorate General Civil Aviation (DGCA) has amended its CAR (Civil Aviation Requirement) Section 5 Series X Part I permitting the usage of Portable Electronic Devices (PEDs) including cellular telephones. During a meeting with the DGCA …
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Holi is a major festival in much of India, especially the north where Gurgaon based low-fare carrier SpiceJet is based. Holi is a festival of colour, fun, frolic and love, celebrating the arrival of spring. Last Monday, March 17, SpiceJet carried extra cabin crew on eight selected flights who performed a short two and a half to three minute program …
Read More »by Vinay Bhaskara Earlier this month, the United States Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) announced a major downgrade of India’s aviation safety rating, citing a lack of safety oversight on the part of India’s Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA). The downgrade to Category 2 is a significant national embarrassment, and comes after months, if not years, of FAA warnings to …
Read More »That Indian politicians and their cohorts make unreasonable demands of the national carrier Air India is a well known fact. But now, it appears this disease is afflicting the common passenger as well. Last week some of the 50 passengers on board Air India’s flight AI-433, a 250km 20 minute hop from Gaya to Varanasi, went on a rampage clashing …
Read More »In June last year, India’s civil aviation regulator the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) allowed for unbundling of value added services by airlines, which allowed, amongst other things, airlines to charge for advance booking of preferred seating. [bsu_pullquote]“Seat offered on opt-in charge basis shall not exceed 25% of the total seat configuration of the aircraft” – DGCA, Air Traffic …
Read More »By BA Staff The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) fined US Airways $1.2 million for failing to provide adequate wheelchair assistance to passengers in Philadelphia and Charlotte, N.C. The fine is one of the largest ever assessed by DOT in a disability case. U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx said: “All air travelers deserve to be treated equally and with respect, …
Read More »by Devesh Agarwal Photo © Devesh Agarwal The joint venture of Singapore Airlines (SIA) and Tata Sons, Tata SIA Airlines Ltd., to set up a full service airline, has won approval from India’s Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB). The company has an initial capital outlay of $100 million with Tatas holding 51% and Singapore Airlines holding 49%. Tata-SIA will now …
Read More »by Devesh Agarwal IndiGo Airbus A320 VT-IGV at Bengaluru International Airport. Photo copyright Vedant Agarwal. Used with permission. At approximately 20:10 (14:40Z), an IndiGo Airbus A320-232 registration VT-IGV performing flight 6E-125 from New Delhi to Bangalore, with 110 passengers and six crew (two pilots, four cabin crew), veered off the runway 27 while attempting to land at Bengaluru International Airport …
Read More »by BA Staff The Press Information Bureau, Government of India reports, The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) validation team submitted its report and recommendations to ICAO headquarters for the review by the ICAO SSC Validation Committee. ICAO has conveyed that corrective action taken by India have successfully addressed and resolved two Significant Safety Concerns (SSC) relating to airworthiness and operations. …
Read More »by Vinay Bhaskara According to several reports, Mumbai-based full service carrier Jet Airways is planning on pulling out from Bhubaneswar from the Winter 2013/14 season. Inventory has been zeroed out from 27th October onwards and flights to and from Bhubaneswar are no longer bookable on jetairways.com. Additionally, sources are saying that Jet Airways has not requested slots at Bhubaneswar for …
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The recent crash of Asiana Airlines flight OZ-214 at San Francisco International airport showcased the quick and heroic efforts of both the airport’s emergency fire and rescue services and the cabin crew. Praise has flowed to both of these sets of people for their actions which resulted in minimal loss of life and injuries. Prompted by this crash, Bangalore Aviation …
Read More »by Vinay BhaskaraLast Friday, a pair of incidents occurred with the Boeing 787 Dreamliner. Smoke was observed billowing from an Ethiopian Airlines Boeing 787 parked on the ground at London Heathrow International Airport with no passengers on board, while a Thomson Airways Dreamliner operating between Manchester and Sanford, Florida (SFB) was forced to return to Manchester due to a routine …
Read More »Boeing image Today’s approval of battery system improvements for the 787 Dreamliner by the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) clears the way for Boeing and its customers to install the approved modifications and will lead to a return to service and resumption of new production deliveries. The FAA’s action will permit the return to service of 787s in the United …
Read More »by Ashwin Jadhav The aircraft acquisition process for airlines in India The Indian government has scrapped its aircraft acquisition committee (AAC), meaning domestic airlines will find it easier to import aircraft. After allowing 49% FDI (foreign direct investment) by foreign airlines, in the Indian airline sector, the government last week moved a step closer to liberalizing the civil aviation space …
Read More »by Devesh Agarwal India’s Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) today gace an in-principle approval to the Joint Venture (JV) company proposal of AirAsia, the Tatas and the Bhatias. The stated goal of this JV company is to form and operate an airline most likely AirAsia India, based out of Chennai. As per a report, the JV will initially invest about …
Read More »by Devesh Agarwal The fleet of six Boeing 787-8 Dreamliners of state-owned national carrier Air India has been grounded by the country’s aviation regulator the DGCA, which took this decision following the issue of an Emergency Airworthiness Directive (EAD) by the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) the regulator in the country of manufacture, and also the certifying body of the …
Read More »by Devesh Agarwal National carrier Air India has stood by the six Boeing 787 Dreamliners in its fleet, even as safety concerns grounded the 787 fleet at the first two operators of the aircraft, both from Japan, All Nippon Airways (ANA) and Japan Airlines (JAL). Between the two of them, ANA and JAL operate almost 50% of the global 787 …
Read More »Earlier this month, now shutdown Kingfisher Airlines, once India’s largest private domestic carrier, reported a huge net pre-tax loss of Rs. 1115.5 Crore for the second quarter of Fiscal Year 2012-13. The performance was by far and away the poorest quarterly financial performance out of any Indian airline in the last few years, though that is to be expected given …
Read More »Continuing our photo essay (see part two) on the night photography at Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA), thanks to the support of the kind friends at Delhi International Airport (P) Ltd. (DIAL) and the DGCA, today is the Airbus collection. Unlike Bangalore where the mid-sized Airbus (since the A380 is not permitted) is the dominant aircraft type, Delhi with its …
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Bangalore Aviation News, Reviews, Analysis and opinions of Indian Aviation