The Tata-Singapore Airlines joint-venture Vistara will commence flights on the Mumbai Dubai sector from August 21, 2019. This flight will operate on a schedule very similar to that operated by Jet Airways which suspended operations in April. Dubai will be the second destination for Vistara. The airline will commence flights to its first international destination, Singapore, from New Delhi and …
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Feature: Lessons in customer service from Jet Airways and Vistara
Flying has captured the imagination of the human mind for centuries. Way before the Wright Brothers gave us wings. What was once considered a luxury is now the means to an end for over 8 million people everyday. The advent of Low Cost airlines has stripped flying of its frills and made it even more accessible. Yet, boarding an aircraft …
Read More »Analysis: The battle for control at Indigo
Indigo seems to have encountered severe turbulence as the fight between the co-founders has now become very public. There have been accusations, counters and name-calling. The issues highlighted range from related party transactions (RPTs) to those of governance. And for an airline that now flies one in every two passengers in the Indian skies, is on a solid financial footing, …
Read More »Vistara to begin international flights to Singapore
Full service carrier Vistara (Tata-SIA) has announced that it will begin its first international routes to Singapore from Mumbai and New Delhi. The airline will operate a daily flight from Delhi and Mumbai starting 6 and 7 August 2019 respectively. Vistara will operate these flights with Boeing 737-800s in a two-class cabin configuration. Flights between Delhi (DEL) and Singapore (SIN) …
Read More »What if Air India does not attract any buyers? What then?
Military aviator and strategist John Boyd famously said, “If you want to understand something, take it to the extremes or examine its opposites.” Applied in the context of Air India, this becomes particularly interesting. That is, at a point of time where everyone seems to be convinced that the airline will be sold off, to understand the situation fully one …
Read More »Airbus orders and deliveries – June 2019. Paris delivers an order boost.
Airbus closed the first half of 2019 by adding 145 orders to its order book in June. As expected the slew of orders from the Paris Air Show pushed the European manufacturers net orders for the year into the black, with a net positive of 88 aircraft. The Paris Air Show saw Airbus launch the A321XLR for which the manufacturer …
Read More »Analysis: Indian Aviation Budget 2019
For the aviation stakeholders, the budget was heavy on prose and lacking in numbers. A government that came in with a decisive mandate was expected to deliver on bold reforms. Yet, given that the tax revenues are declining and ambitious social sector schemes continuing, aviation once again saw token allocations and scant consideration. 5 key areas were highlighted: 1. Air …
Read More »Technical issue forces British Airways Bangalore flight to return to London
A British Airways Boeing 777-200ER registration G-YMMU, operating flight BA119 from London Heathrow to Bangalore Kempegowda airport returned to London Heathrow airport soon after take-off due to a technical issue. The cause of the issue is being investigated by the engineers, and no determination on what caused the issue has been made as of the time of this report. The …
Read More »Indigo hikes cancellation and change fees across the board
In a surprise move, Indigo announced an increase in cancellation and change fees. These will be effective as of June 27th. The airline added that for domestic bookings, customers can make any changes or cancellations free of charge within 24 hours of booking, if booked at least 7 days before the travel dates. This is largely to comply with the …
Read More »Mitsubishi to acquire CRJ program from Bombardier
Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI), the parent company of Mitsubishi Aircraft Corporation has entered an agreement to acquire Bombardier’s Canadair Regional Jet program. The agreement will see Mitsubishi pay Bombardier $550 million USD and assume liabilities of approximately $200 million USD. Mitsubishi will accuire the Canadian manufacturer’s maintenance, support, refurbishment, marketing, and sales activities for the CRJ Series aircraft – which …
Read More »PARIS 2019: Airbus launches the A321XLR – its longest range single aisle aircraft
European airframer has opened its 2019 Paris Air Show by launching the A321XLR. The A321XLR is the newest entry to the A321 lineup and will deliver a range of 4,700nm as compared to the currently longest range A321 – the A321LR which has a specified range of 4,000nm. The aircraft will be able to serve transcontinental routes in the US …
Read More »Mitsubishi renames the MRJ as SpaceJet with focus on the US market
Mitsubishi Aircraft Corporation has renamed the Mitsubishi Regional Jet as the Mitsubishi SpaceJet family. The two aircraft in the family will be the SpaceJet M90 (the current MRJ90 which is in flight testing) and a new model the SpaceJet M100 which has specifically been improved for the US market. The M100 will replace the older MRJ70 which could only carry …
Read More »Inflight review: Singapore Airlines Business Class: Airbus A350-900 Regional: Singapore to Bangalore
I left the Silverkris lounge at Singapore Changi airport (read our lounge review) at 7:05 PM, one hour before the scheduled departure of my flight at 8:05 PM. The gate was close to the lounge and the agents told me that I would reach in about five minutes. Boarding was scheduled to commence at 7:35 PM. When I got to the …
Read More »Airbus orders and deliveries – April 2019. Orders continue to slow as deliveries rise.
European airframer Airbus logged only a single order for an ACJ320neo for an undisclosed customer. The order barely made a dent in the companies order deficit for the year which stands at negative 57 aircraft. However expect to see Airbus announce orders at the Paris airshow which starts in 10 days time. The company usually makes some large announcements during …
Read More »Now “Book The Cook” on Singapore Airlines flights from Mumbai and Delhi
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 …
Read More »Lounge Review: Singapore Airlines SilverKris Business Lounge Singapore Changi
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 …
Read More »Bangalore airport to close lounges and transit hotel for renovation
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). …
Read More »Indigo fourth quarter FY2018-19 results analysis: Massive increase in Q4 profits, but a sharp annual decline
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 …
Read More »Visiting the Airbus Asia Training Centre – the largest Airbus simulator centre in the world
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 …
Read More »Emirates and the impacts of the A380 phase-out
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 …
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