COMPANIES
IndiGo gears up to fly wider skies with global routes like no other
IndiGo might be the biggest carrier in the country and carrying the maximum passengers on both domestic and international flights, but the carrier has not ventured outside its sweet spot relying heavily on the tried and tested gulf routes
BUSINESS
May was historic for Indian aviation, closing with highest passenger traffic
While the number of flights has gone down with each passing month since March, passenger numbers have gone up.
BUSINESS
Go First and beyond: Is Indian aviation going the telecom way?
Historically, any airline that has suspended operations in India has never restarted.
BUSINESS
Indian carriers not even carrying half the international traffic from India
IndiGo continues to be the largest carrier with a 15.79 percent share in international traffic in Q1 of 2023. It was followed by Air India with 12.6 percent. Emirates, which has been at the forefront of lobbying for more seats to India, was third and carried 9.21 percent of all traffic.
BUSINESS
A quarter of many firsts? IndiGo gears up to announce Q4 and FY23 results
The airline needs to post a net profit of Rs 1,225 crore in the fourth quarter to end FY23 on a profitable note.
INDIA
Star Air: A regional airline scaling up is a new thing in India
For a market which is growing, but has seen marquee failures in the aviation space, a regional carrier’s expansion is great news, especially when it comes close on the heels of Go FIRST voluntarily declaring bankruptcy.
BUSINESS
Star Air: A regional air scaling up is a new thing in India
As the maiden S5-151 flight skimmed over the clouds this morning en route from Bengaluru to Hyderabad, it created a history of sorts in India. A regional carrier has never grown in India, but Star Air — the Bengaluru-based regional carrier with five E145s and two E175s in its fleet — became the first carrier to expand its offering.
BUSINESS
Go First planes, slots, bilateral rights at stake; NCLT ruling to be key factor
The fate of the airline’s assets – physical and intangible – hinges on what the bankruptcy court says on May 10.
COMPANIES
Was going all in on P&W engines the mistake Go First made?
IndiGo has a mix of P&W and CFM engines. The diversification has kept the airline flying even as its P&W-powered planes still remain grounded. Go First hasn't had that elbow room.
BUSINESS
As GoFirst blame game continues, lid blows off Pratt & Whitney engine fiascos beyond India
While the engines deliver on the savings guaranteed, they end up spending less time on the wings than promised
BUSINESS
Where GoFirst planes are parked and how airport operators deal in such times
Even as the airline awaits directions on the next steps, it will have to spend money to ensure that rodents are kept out of critical areas of the grounded aircraft to avoid damage and allow ease in reactivation.
BUSINESS
Will GoFirst defy history and be able to resume operations on May 16?
Not a single airline that remained suspended for 24 hours in India has been able to make a comeback. From Kingfisher Airlines to Jet Airways, Paramount, Air Costa and Air Pegasus to Air Carnival and Trujet, they all talked about making a comeback. But none of them did.
BUSINESS
GoFirst files for bankruptcy: What it means for Indian aviation
No airline in India has been able to start operations after grounding. The prolonged efforts to revive Jet Airways, a first under IBC, have not borne any results yet.
BUSINESS
Scheduled to fly GoFirst? Here's what you should do now
The airline had earlier stopped the sale of all flights on May 3 and 4, a decision that will impact 55,000-60,000 passengers. The subsequent insolvency filing with the NCLT is expected to impact a far higher number of passengers.
BUSINESS
For Indian aviation, best-ever April clears the runway for a bumper summer
However, airline companies in India continue to face headwinds in the form of high cost of fuel (due to Russia-Ukraine war), shortage of engines and crew, and dollar-denominated lease costs rising on falling rupee.
TRENDS
India's secondary airports outperform metros in post-Covid international traffic but on a small base
One year after the lifting of pandemic restrictions, international air traffic at major airports has still not returned to the levels seen in FY20. Eight airports did not record even a single international passenger.
BUSINESS
All about CUTE, ASF, PSF and other charges airlines collect
Airlines collect many charges, like aviation security fee, from passengers for the sake of convenience. Otherwise, passengers will be required to pay them during departure, making travel stressful. Many of these charges are passed on to other agencies and airlines do not profit from them.
BUSINESS
Seven airports will have to install CT X-Ray machines by end of this year
Airports with over 50 lakh passengers will have to install the new X-ray machines. Airports have been at the receiving end, especially on social media, for the slow passage at the security check and other bottlenecks. Sadly, these bottlenecks are not under the control of airport operators.
INDIA
Top 10 Airports of India: Goa, Bengaluru, Delhi cross pre-Covid footfalls; Kolkata and Chennai lag
Among the major airports outside the top 10, Srinagar and Chandigarh have performed the best. Srinagar saw a 57 percent growth in footfalls, while Chandigarh grew 52 percent.
BUSINESS
Indian aviation records a bumper first quarter with 128.93 lakh domestic fliers
The quarter is just short of the best ever (Q4CY19), when 381 lakh passengers caught domestic flights. This comes in the wake of multiple challenges faced by airlines, including the grounding of planes.
INDIA
Delhi is already an aviation hub; how does one make it stronger?
At the end of 2022, Delhi, India’s busiest airport, was connected to 79 domestic destinations and 62 international ones, cementing its claim to the status of an aviation hub. Yet, more needs to be done to reinforce the status.
BUSINESS
Clouds on the boil: The top 10 air routes set for some intense competition
Post merger, the combined might of the Tata group airlines will trump IndiGo’s market share by a mile. But the current market leader isn’t going to take things lying down.
BUSINESS
Alliance Air disruption: Small airlines can cause big problems when they’re down
The state-owned airline is the monopoly operator on many routes. The disruption has meant that many airports in the country are without flights. That means people can be stranded, on an island like Agatti for instance, with no other options.
INDIA
With Delhi among 10 busiest airports, dream of Indian aviation hub gets a boost
Once Delhi airport’s expansion is complete, capacity will increase to 100 million passengers annually. Yet, peak-time challenges will remain.
