India’s second largest value carrier, SpiceJet, has been in the news over the last ten days with a variety of announcements. Maintenance contract with MAS-GMR Aerospace Engineering Company Ltd. and MAS Aerospace Engineering (MAE) SpiceJet has signed a three year maintenance support agreement with MAE for the carrier’s fleet of all Boeing 737-800 and 737-900ER aircraft. SpiceJet is the launch …
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Kingfisher, Air India, and SpiceJet best airlines to fly during the Delhi winter fog season
The dreaded winter fog season which plagues all transport services operating at the national capital, New Delhi, is fast approaching. Air travel is particularly hard hit with scores flights being delayed, diverted or outright cancelled. In our quest to help air travellers in India, to better plan and minimise the disruptive impact of fog, Bangalore Aviation sent out a questionnaire …
Read More »A string of aviation incidents in India in the last 24 hours — one extremely reckless
Over the 24 hours a string of aviation incidents have come to light across India. One is a minor mistake with major reaction, and one which can be only described as outright reckless. 1. Jet Airways. VT-JGC. On 20th October, a Jet Airways Boeing 737-900 registration VT-JGC performing flight 9W 332 from New Delhi Indira Gandhi International to Mumbai Chhatrapati …
Read More »Children under 12 fly free with SpiceJet special Children’s Day offer
Delhi based value carrier SpiceJet announced a special offer to commemorate Children’s Day. Children under 12 years of age will fly free on all bookings done on November 13 and 14, 2009. Only the statutory charges ranging between Rs 229~Rs 604 will be charged. A special bag of goodies await all children who fly any SpiceJet flight on November 14, …
Read More »India’s low fare carriers SpiceJet and IndiGo power ahead with profits
While India’s three legacy carriers Air India, Jet Airways, and Kingfisher Airlines struggle with mounting losses, the low fare carriers IndiGo and SpiceJet are making steady progress and have declared profits. (Read related SpiceJet story). Over the year the two airlines have followed similar yet distinctly different business models from each other on their path to profitability and increased market …
Read More »SpiceJet launches Privilege Pass programme in alliance with budget and upscale hotels
New Delhi based value carrier, SpiceJet announced the launch of the SpiceJet Privilege Pass Programme in partnership with Trident Hotels, Ista Hotels, Keys Hotels, Pride Hotels, Maidens Hotels, Rain Tree Hotels, JHM Interstate and The Park. Modelled after Singapore Airline’s Boarding Pass privileges programme, passengers can avail special benefits from the partner hotels on presentation of their SpiceJet boarding pass. …
Read More »SpiceJet introduces more flights into Goa
By improving its operational efficiencies, New Delhi based value carrier SpiceJet has introduced four new flights from Mumbai and Bangalore into Dabolim airport serving the state of Goa, one of the most popular tourist destinations in India. SpiceJet has taken its daily departures up from 125 to 129 to capitalise on the upcoming festival and new year season when tourist …
Read More »New age low fare carriers – great value for money and a far cry from RyanAir
About two weeks ago, Air India announced it was going to extend its low cost operation Air India Express in to the domestic market. Across Twitter, Facebook and other social networking sites I detected a snigger from many fellow aviation bloggers and enthusiasts – Air India, a national carrier going low cost ? How low can Air India fall ? …
Read More »Strike threat by private Indian airlines fizzles out – why it was doomed to fail
Within the weekend the threatened strike action by the Federation of Indian Airlines (FIA) on August 18th has fizzled out. On Friday July 31, the FIA members barring state owned Air India, took India by storm and announced they would suspend all domestic flights on August 18th in protest of the vindictive tax policies on the aviation industry specifically aviation …
Read More »SpiceJet swings to profit as passengers shift to value carriers
Last year 55% of domestic passengers in India flew by a full service carrier and 45% by value carriers. This year the number was inverted — 55% flew by value carriers. The shift has compelled the Full Service Airlines in India, to start re-thinking their business model and announcing plans to introduce ‘single-class, no-frills’ services and deploying considerable capacity to …
Read More »Indian airlines still owe $445 million to oil companies
The Minister for Petroleum and Natural Gas, Mr Murli Deora, informed the Lok Sabha (lower house of the Indian parliament) that Indian domestic airlines Kingfisher Airlines, Jet Airways, National Aviation Company of India Ltd (Air India), Paramount and SpiceJet, still owe a whopping Rs. 2,225.52 Crore ($445 million) to the stated owned oil marketing companies Indian Oil Corporation, Hindustan Petroleum …
Read More »SpiceJet, Jet Airways group launch special monsoon 5 day advance purchase fares
The monsoon season is upon India, finally, though the spectre of drought is not fully removed. This is a traditionally low season for air travel and SpiceJet has launched special five day advance purchase fares to encourage travel during this period. Tickets to all 18 SpiceJet destinations are available starting from Rs. 2,429 all inclusive. For full details visit SpiceJet …
Read More »News Brief: GoAir increases Bangalore flights; Kingfisher delays results; Air India analysis; SpiceJet appoints new CFO
Go Air increases Bangalore flights. GoAir recently inducted it’s eighth Airbus A320-214, most likely VT-WAK. (Despite follow up the airline’s media partner could not give me the information.) After a complete withdrawal from Bangalore, GoAir has re-focussed on Bangalore with two new connections to Mumbai and New Delhi, taking the airline’s total number of weekly flights to 377. With the …
Read More »SpiceJet reports fourth quarter 2009 and annual results – moves closer to break even
New Delhi based low cost carrier SpiceJet reported it’s fiscal 2009 fourth quarter (ending March 31, 2009) and annual results. Despite a 13% increase in operating income to Rs. 16.894 billion ($344.77 million) annual net losses for the year grew by 165% to Rs. 3.53 billion ($73.4 million). Operating expenses excluding interest, depreciation and taxes, grew 42.3% to Rs. 21.127 …
Read More »Domestic passenger traffic rises 20% in May
Buoyed by the summer holiday season and the continuing rise in the Indian economy, domestic passenger traffic rose by almost 20% to 3.93 million in May from 3.315 million passengers in April. There was no significant change in the market shares of the various airlines, but the low cost carriers IndiGo, SpiceJet, Go Air and JetLite have continued increasing their …
Read More »Special low fares from IndiGo, SpiceJet, JetLite and Jet Airways
The offers are just too many to list, but in short after the bonanza for international travellers courtesy Singapore Airlines, Emirates, British Airways and Lufthansa, there is now a bonanza for domestic travellers, courtesy IndiGo, Jet Airways, JetLite, and SpiceJet. I would assume that Kingfisher too would have some scheme but I have not received any information from the airline. …
Read More »Indian airlines clamp down on foreign pilot outsourcing
Following instructions from the Ministry of Civil Aviation, Indian carriers are sending a message to their foreign pilots: thanks, but it is time to pack your bags and go back home. Since 2002 when the Indian aviation sector opened up, it has grown at a phenomenal 30%+ year on year and foreign pilots were the only solution. More than 800 …
Read More »Indian domestic passenger traffic rises marginally in April
The month of April has been bringing signs of a slowing down in the economic slow down. Industrial production, railways freight loading (indicative of raw materials for the core sector of steel, cement, mining), employment, stock markets and even inflation rates have moved back in to positive territory. While it a month does not make a trend, there is a …
Read More »Spicy aircraft names — A list of SpiceJet’s Boeing 737 fleet
New Delhi based SpiceJet has a practice of naming it’s Boeing 737 aircraft after the various spices. Below is a list of the ship registrations along with their names. It appears VT-SPE is one of the only aircraft with no name given. Boeing 737-800 VT-SPD Chilli VT-SPE no name VT-SPF Coriander VT-SPH Saffron VT-SPJ Mint VT-SPK Fennel VT-SPL Cardamom VT-SPM …
Read More »Singapore Airlines drops Hyderabad Silkair takes over, SpiceJet adds six new flights
Singapore Airlines will discontinue its thrice a week service to Hyderabad/Shamshabad and hand it over to its regional subsidiary SilkAir will will increase frequency to five a week service from June 15, using an Airbus A320 aircraft. The current schedule is :MI478 Departing Singapore 21.00 arriving Hyderabad 23.05 except Tue, ThuMI477 Departing Hyderabad 00.05 arriving Singapore 07.25 except Wed, Fri …
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