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2026

Delhi Airport retains ‘Best Airport in India and South Asia’ title for the 8th consecutive year at Skytrax Awards

New Delhi, March 20, 2026: Delhi Airport has received the Best Airport in India and South Asia at the 2026 World Airport Awards by Skytrax. Operated and managed by Delhi International Airport Limited (DIAL), a GMR Airports Limited (GAL)-led consortium, the airport has also improved its overall global ranking to 28th in 2026 from 32nd in 2025, reflecting its continued focus on excellence and service delivery. It is the only Indian airport among the world’s top 30 airports. Additionally, Delhi Airport has also improved its ranking among the world’s top 10 airports in the 70+ million-passenger category. It has secured the 3rd position in 2026, up from 8th in 2025. This recognition marks the eighth consecutive year (2019–2026) that Delhi Airport has reinforced its standing as a world-class aviation hub, driven by continuous innovation, adoption of advanced technologies, and future-ready initiatives. Delhi Airport was also recognised as the 2nd Best Airport Staff in India & South Asia and ranked the 7th Best Layover Airport in the world. It has emerged as a global transit hub, connecting South East Asia with Europe and North America. The awards are based on the World Airport Survey conducted by Skytrax, which captures feedback from passengers across more than 100 nationalities over a seven-month evaluation period. The survey assesses key parameters such as airport facilities, service quality, and overall passenger experience. The awards were presented at the Passenger Terminal EXPO in London, UK. Expressing his gratitude,Videh Kumar Jaipuriar, CEO of DIAL, said, “We are honoured to be recognised as the Best Airport in India and South Asia for the eight consecutive year. This accolade reaffirms our commitment to delivering a world-class passenger experience and motivates us to continuously enhance our services and infrastructure. We dedicate this achievement to our passengers, partners, and employees, whose unwavering support and dedication enable us to set new benchmarks in aviation excellence.” Delhi Airport continues to invest in infrastructure expansion, sustainability initiatives, and cutting-edge technologies to ensure a seamless and efficient travel experience. With a strong focus on innovation and passenger-centricity, Delhi Airport remains a key gateway connecting India to the world.

Top Stories

FLY91 marks two years of operations, flies over 4.8 Lakh passengers

Panaji,19th March 2026: Goa-headquartered regional airline FLY91 has completed two years of commercial operations, flying 4,81,802 passengers across India’s emerging regional air destinations since its inaugural flight in March 2024, underlining the steady rise of regional aviation and the growing demand for direct connectivity between India’s smaller cities. Over the past two years, the airline has operated 9,569 flights and logged 12,896 flying hours, building a network that connects underserved destinations with regional aviation hubs. FLY91 commenced commercial services on March 18, 2024, when its first flight departed from Goa’s Manohar International Airport for Bengaluru, marking the entry of a new carrier focused on strengthening regional connectivity in India. Headquartered in Goa FLY91 operates from its home base at Manohar International Airport, Mopa and a second hub in Hyderabad which was added recently. The airline currently connects nine destinations including Goa, Pune, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Kochi, Sindhudurg, Solapur, Agatti and Jalgaon, and aims to scale up to 15 stations. Built as a pure-play regional airline, the carrier operates ATR 72-600 aircraft suited to short-haul sectors and efficient regional operations. Manoj Chacko, Founder, Managing Director and CEO of FLY91, said the two-year milestone reflects the growing importance of regional aviation in connecting India’s smaller cities. “Completing two years of operations is a meaningful milestone for our team and partners. When we launched, the objective was clear: to connect underserved cities and enable easier, faster travel for people who often had limited options. The response from passengers across our network has been extremely encouraging. As we grow, our focus will remain on measured growth, disciplined expansion, operational reliability and building a regional airline that communities can depend on,” he said. The airline’s network has seen particularly strong demand on routes linking emerging industrial centres with larger economic hubs. Among the busiest sectors has been the Jalgaon–Pune corridor, which accounts for a large share of repeat travellers on the network.

2026

Airline operations under strain from escalating global conflicts :AAPA

Kuala Lumpur,18th March 2026: Amid the ongoing disruption of air services in the Middle East, the Association of Asia Pacific Airlines (AAPA) has released a statement mentioning the rising global conflicts in recent years have reduced the availability of safe airspace for airline operations, increasing potential safety risks to civil aircraft operating in or near conflict-affected airspace and, in some cases, contributing to interference with satellite navigation systems. The escalation in hostilities since 28 February 2026 has further increased operational risks and costs for airlines. Safe pathways along the Asia–Europe air corridor are further constrained by conflicts not only in the Middle East but also over Russia, Ukraine, Afghanistan and Pakistan. Higher jet fuel prices and insurance premiums, together with increased operating costs from longer flight routings, are placing additional strain on the airline industry. Flight crews and operators rely on timely intelligence, robust risk assessments and clear, state-issued airspace information when operating near conflict-affected regions. If the hostilities persist, governments should consider measures to support the industry in mitigating operational challenges and maintaining global air connectivity, which remains vital to economic activity and social wellbeing. Governments can support airlines by providing timely threat information, maintaining clear and responsive airspace restrictions, facilitating coordinated repatriation arrangements, and considering measures to alleviate extraordinary operational costs if the situation is prolonged. Government–industry collaboration and mutual support were crucial in managing airline operations during previous crises, such as the September 11 attacks and the COVID-19 pandemic. Asia Pacific airlines remain committed to maintaining the highest levels of safety and operational resilience, and will continue working closely with governments and industry partners to sustain global air connectivity during this challenging period.

People

Chapman Freeborn appoints Adnan Rahal as Sr VP-Business Aviation

Europe, 17th March 2026: Chapman Freeborn has appointed Adnan Rahal as Senior Vice President of Business Aviation, strengthening the company’s global leadership in private aviation charter services. In his new role, Rahal will oversee the continued development of Chapman Freeborn’s business aviation division, supporting the company’s global strategy and expanding its capabilities in private jet charter solutions. He will work closely with regional teams to further enhance service delivery and strengthen relationships with clients and industry partners. “Adnan has played an important role in the development of our business aviation activities in the Americas and has consistently demonstrated strong leadership and deep industry expertise,” said Aniko Mersek, President – Americas at Chapman Freeborn. “In his new role as Senior Vice President of Business Aviation, he will continue to support the growth of our global private aviation offering and strengthen collaboration across our regional teams.” Prior to his promotion, Rahal served as Vice President of Business Aviation – Americas, where he was responsible for developing the company’s business aviation activities across the region and strengthening its presence in key markets. During this time, he contributed to the growth of Chapman Freeborn’s private aviation services and supported the delivery of complex charter operations for clients across the Americas. “I am very pleased to take on this new role and continue contributing to the development of Chapman Freeborn’s global business aviation services,” said Adnan Rahal, Senior Vice President of Business Aviation at Chapman Freeborn. “Our team remains focused on delivering flexible, high-quality charter solutions to clients worldwide, and I look forward to working closely with our colleagues and partners to further expand our capabilities in the private aviation sector.”

2026

Gulf Air adds Chennai,Cairo and Casablanca in its temporary operations from Dammam

Muharraq, Kingdom of Bahrain, 18 March 2026: Gulf Air has announced the addition of three more international destinations – Cairo (CAI), Casablanca (CMN) and Chennai (MAA) – to its temporary commercial network via King Fahad International Airport in Dammam (DMM), with more additions expected in the coming days. Services to these new destinations complement the airline’s existing operations to London Heathrow (LHR), Mumbai (BOM), Bangkok (BKK), Frankfurt (FRA), and Nairobi (NBO), and will be available for travel until 28 March 2026. Amid the temporary closure of Bahrain’s airspace, this initiative is in continuation of the airline’s ongoing efforts to maintain international connectivity to and from the Kingdom of Bahrain. To facilitate travel, Gulf Air will provide transportation between the Kingdom of Bahrain and King Fahad International Airport in Dammam for passengers holding confirmed bookings on these flights. Gulf Air will assist with Saudi transit visas exclusively to passengers travelling to and from the Kingdom of Bahrain using Gulf Air–arranged land transportation. Passengers whose final destination is the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia must hold a valid visa arranged independently. Flights to and from Bahrain International Airport remain temporarily suspended, and Gulf Air will resume regular scheduled services once the Bahrain Civil Aviation Affairs confirms the safe reopening of the Kingdom’s airspace.

2026

Air Astana increases frequencies from Almaty to mark Nauryz holliday

Astana, 18th March 2026: Air Astana is adding extra services from Almaty to popular destinations during the Nauryz holiday period in March. Nine extra frequencies have been added on the Almaty to Phuket route, whilst services to Phu Quoc in Vietnam have been upgraded from single aisle Airbus aircraft to widebody Boeing 767s, resulting in a 35% increase in seating capacity “To mark the Nauryz celebrations, we are increasing flight frequencies to both regional and long-haul destinations, giving more passengers the opportunity to travel, visit family and friends, or spend the holiday abroad. These additional services will enhance schedule flexibility and convenience, enabling our passengers to plan their journeys with greater ease,” – says Ibrahim Canliel, Air Astana’s CFO/CEO-elect. Frequencies have also been increased on other popular routes. In particular, 13 flights were added on the Almaty–Delhi service, while frequencies to London, Male, Istanbul, Tbilisi, and Tashkent have also been enhanced. The expansion of the flight schedule will continue in April. The Astana-Frankfurt route will gradually increase from four weekly flights to a daily service by the end of the month. Additional frequencies will also be introduced on the Almaty to Phuket and Almaty to Bangkok routes.

2026

Air India to operate 36 additional flights to Europe and Canada from 19-28 March

New Delhi, 18th March 2026: Air India has issued a fresh operational schedule where it will continue to operate additional 36 lights to key destinations in Europe and North America through 19- 28 March 2026.This is due to the continued high demand for international travel due to the ongoing situation in the West Asia region. Between 19 and 28 March 2026, Air India will operate 36 extra flights on the following routes: 1. Delhi-London (Heathrow) 2. Mumbai-London (Heathrow) 3. Delhi-Frankfurt 4. Delhi-Zurich 5. Delhi-Toronto Together, these flights will add 10,012 seats on the five routes, further boosting capacity and providing more choice to travellers when travel options remain limited.These services follow Air India’s recently announced capacity augmentation between 10 and 18 March with 78 additional flights on nine routes.

Top Stories

Air India restores VT ALL- its final grounded aircraft

New Delhi, 17th March 2026: When Air India returned to the Tata Group in 2022, one of the airline’s biggest priorities was rebuilding its fleet and restoring world‑class operational capability. Among the inherited legacy fleet of 113 aircraft were 30 widebody and narrowbody aircraft that had remained long‑grounded and untouched for years. Post-privatisation, Air India committed significant resources to revive each of them. With the return of VT‑ALL, the last of the 30 grounded aircraft, a Boeing 777‑300ER, the final chapter of this massive revival effort is now complete. In the next phase, VT-ALL and the other B777 aircraft in our fleet will undergo a full retrofit, starting 2027. With the retrofit, the aircraft will offer the new Air India experience with new seats and modern amenities while sporting our new livery. A comeback six years in the making VT‑ALL had been grounded since February 2020 due to multiple unserviceable systems and aging components. In April 2025, Air India initiated efforts to bring it back to full operational life to support long‑haul expansion. The aircraft entered the AIESL Nagpur MRO facility in May 2025, beginning an intensive, nose‑to‑tail restoration programme. The scale of the task was exceptional: 3,000+ new key components installed – an undertaking rarely seen outside of deep structural overhauls 4,000+ maintenance tasks completed, including 80 mandated modifications such as the complex Longeron Modification, a crucial structural reinforcement Replacement of major assemblies including engines, APU, inlet & fan cowls, and thrust reverser cowls A full systems rebuild – covering air-conditioning, landing gear, hydraulics, oxygen, avionics, and engine systems – essentially reconstructing the aircraft’s functional backbone Each part replacement, system restoration, and structural repair underwent stringent testing, documentation, and regulatory oversight by DGCA, with technical guidance from Boeing. Skilled engineering teams worked nearly round the clock to bring the aircraft back to life. A collaborative engineering triumph The revival of VT‑ALL was driven by seamless coordination across Air India’s base maintenance, planning, technical services, procurement and supply chain, Project Management Office (PMO) powerplant, Continuing Airworthiness Management Organisation (CAMO), and quality assurance teams. Their combined effort ensured the aircraft was restored in record time and to the highest safety and performance standards.

Civil Aviation

Air Astana announces results for the Q4 and full year ended 31 December 2025

Almaty,16th March 2026: Air Astana JSC, the airline group of Central Asia and the Caucasus regions had announced its results for the fourth quarter and full year ended 31 December 2025. On this occasion, the CEO of the Airline group Peter Foster shared his views on the various aspects of the airlines growth strategy: On 2025 Performance 2025 marks Air Astana Group’s second year as a public company and my 20th year as CEO. Amid industry-wide challenges, the Group has shown resilience with revenue growth of 11.4 per cent [1] to USD1,453.9 million and EBITDAR stability at USD321.2m (+0.8 per cent* increase). Through our continued commitment to dynamically managing capacity allocation, ASKs are up 14.0 per cent to 22.0bn, from 19.3bn in FY24. In Q4 specifically, the Group has seen strong demand with total revenue growth of 15.8 per cent.” Overall Journey More broadly, the Group has made significant progress in a number of areas, as we position both of our brands for long-term success. This includes investment in our fleet (including the largest aircraft order in our history), expansion of our route network (25 new routes), improvements in customer experience and enhanced operational efficiency – a central aspect being advancing our digital capabilities. Our Aviation Technical Centre serves as a primary asset in the resilience of the business, with the in-house MRO expertise being margin protective in the context of our ongoing management of the Pratt & Whitney issue.” Pratt & Whitney prompted Unscheduled Engine Removals are an industry-wide issue. UERs have impacted profitability by limiting our growth opportunities and thereby increasing unit costs, driven primarily by lost capacity, compressing the margin between RASK and CASK across the year. Our mitigation actions, however, have placed us in a strong position to minimise the forward-looking impact. We see the impact from UERs as diminishing over time. We have addressed the RASK challenge with improvements towards the end of Q3 and a particularly visible recovery in Q4 with an increase of 9.8 per cent. That gives us further confidence in our business with focus on CASK. As we start growing and spreading costs over a bigger capacity, we will achieve the margins we aspire to. While concluding his comment, Peter Foster said, ” With this being my final set of results, I would like to end by expressing the huge confidence I have in Air Astana and its leadership. We have a strong, diverse and motivated management team, many of whom I have worked with for my entire tenure. Others have joined very recently and will bring an external perspective to our strategy, such as Gonçalo Pires as our new CFO and Johan Eidhagen as the new FlyArystan President. From April, they will be led by Ibrahim Canliel who is uniquely positioned to drive Air Astana’s next phase of development. Ibrahim was a commercial leader within the group for 15 years before becoming CFO. In his roles he has been integral to much of the success we have enjoyed and as CFO also took responsibility for the entire IPO process. It has been my pleasure to work with him for over two decades and I leave the airline in very effective hands. We are due to take delivery of three new Boeing 787-9 aircraft in the next 15 months with other aircraft deliveries scheduled. We carried almost 10 million passengers, despite external challenges, with international network expansion a key factor in our success. I am enormously proud of what we have achieved together and I look forward to remaining involved in the company as a senior advisor to the Board.” FY 2025 Highlight: Solid revenue and capacity growth with stable EBITDAR performance despite margin pressure. • Total revenue and other income increased 11.4 per cent to USD 1,453.9 million (FY 2024: USD 1,304.9 million). • EBITDAR increased 0.8 per cent to USD 321.2 million (FY 2024: USD 318.7 million). EBITDAR margin 2.3 pp lower to 22.1 per cent (FY 2024: 24.4 per cent). • PAT decreased USD 35.9m to USD 13.6 million (FY 2024: USD 49.4 million). • ASK up 14.0 per cent to 22.0 billion (FY 2024: 19.3 billion). • RPK increased 13.0 per cent to 18.2 billion (FY 2024: 16.1 billion). • RASK-CASK differential reflected margin decrease in a challenging operating environment partially mitigated through dynamic capacity management, fares adjustment and operational efficiency. o RASK decreased 2.3 per cent to USD 6.60¢ (FY 2024: 6.75¢). o CASK increased 1.6 per cent to USD 6.20¢ (FY 2024: 6.10¢). • Group passengers carried increased 7.9 per cent to 9.7 million (FY 2024: 9.0 million) with a stable average load factor of 82.7 per cent (FY 2024: 83.5 per cent). • Group fleet expanded to 62 aircraft. Q4 Highlights Revenue and traffic growth, with earnings impacted by Pratt & Whitney Unscheduled Engine Removals (UER) but RASK growth turning positive in the fourth quarter. • Total revenue and other income increased 15.8 per cent to USD 357.0 million (Q4 2024: USD 308.4 million). • EBITDAR decreased 9.7 per cent  to USD 59.1 million (Q4 2024: USD 65.4 million). EBITDAR margin 4.7pp lower to 16.5 per cent (Q4 2024: 21.2 per cent). • PAT decreased USD 15.3m to USD -17.7 million (Q4 2024: USD -2.4 million). • ASK up 5.5 per cent to 5.0 billion (Q4 2024: 4.7 billion). • RPK increased 5.4 per cent to 4.1 billion (Q4 2024: 3.9 billion). • RASK-CASK differential impacted by Pratt & Whitney UERs, curtailing capacity growth and grounding more of the fleet than planned during Q4. o RASK increased 9.8 per cent to USD 7.18¢ (Q4 2024: 6.54¢) due to the allocation of capacity to higher margin international routes and fare adjustments initiated earlier this year with the full financial effect reflected in Q4. o CASK increased 17.3 per cent to USD 7.23¢ (Q4 2024: 6.16¢) due to lost capacity caused by UERs, with resources geared for peak season and higher engine maintenance costs. • Group passengers carried remain stable at 2.2 million (Q4 2024:

2026

Air India and AIX to commence operations at the new T2 of Guwahati Airport

Gurugram,16th March 2026: Air India and Air India Express will be operating all their flights to and from the newly inaugurated Terminal 2 of Lokpriya Gopinath Bordoloi International Airport in Guwahati from 16 March. The first Air India flight to land at the new terminal will be AI879 from Delhi and the return flight AI880 will be Air India’s first departure from T2 Guwahati Airport to Delhi. Air India Express flight IX1517 from Kolkatawill be its first flight to touch down at the new terminal and the same flight’s onward journey to Imphal will be the Air India Express’s first flight to depart from T2, Guwahati Airport. Air India currently operates two daily return flightsbetween Delhi and Guwahati, while Air India Express connects Guwahati with 17 daily flights to Bengaluru, Chennai, Delhi, Dibrugarh, Dimapur, Hyderabad, Imphal, Jaipur, and Kolkata. The ground teams of Air India and Air India Express will extend all support and assistance to the guests at the new terminal.

FOREWORD

Dear Reader’s,

 

The current edition of Aviation World has covered many areas of Aerospace & Defence based on the latest development in the sector. The front cover highlights three different images, first for the Union Civil Aviation Minister ….. who is leading from the front to steer Indian Civil Aviation sector to witness one of the most interesting phases. He is also facing most tumultuous timing due to the ongoing financial stress in the Aviation sector due to ATF rising cost and long airspace restrictions resulting in mounting losses for Indian carriers. Despite of all the ground level challenges,the minister is addressing new things on regular basis which keeps the sector motivated. We have featured many such developmental works in this edition done under his guidance which will be interesting to read.

Our lead story on “ The West War” is another important feature which covers the ground level reality of the challenges faced by the Aviation sector. Its though time ahead and we believe it will pass soon .

There are features on Regional connectivity and MoCA revised rules on the UDAN 2.0 and how its going to transform the flying experience within India.

In this edition, we have covered topics on MRO,Various Policy changes,Sea Plane Operations by SkyHop Aviation, TATA-Airbus joint project on C295 military aircraft under Make In India which is expected to roll out soon and many other interesting contents which will be good to read.

We are covering Farnborough International Airshow 2026 from 20-24July 2026 in London and our next edition will be based on the same event.For features, you may contact our team on priority basis.

 

Happy Reading!

NEWSLETTER

Aviation World Magazine is India’s premier aviation magazine and has been actively supporting the development of the Indian and global civil aviation sector. We started our journey in year 2015 and its been 12 years now and the response and acceptance is really encouraging. Thanks to all our associates and writers who remained with us in our progressive journey.

We have started 2026 on a very positive note and we look forward to increase our footprints to more locations and induct many more new companies in our campaign.. Do write to us at : editor@aviationworld.in

Disclaimer

The contents published in this website are news covering Aviation, Aerospace and Defence sector. The objective is to provide news in informative form to keep our readers updated of the latest development. We also publish content featured in our print publication Aviation World.We try our best to avoid any factual errors or image displayed here but we ensure immediate corrections to any such thing brought to our notice that might have been published inadvertently. All images and contents are sourced from the relevant organisations media team.

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