Civil Aviation

Singapore,5th July 2024: Garuda Indonesia and Singapore Airlines (SIA) has received the Competition and Consumer Commission of Singapore’s (CCCS) approval of their commercial joint venture agreement.With this approval, the airlines will be able to deepen their strategic partnership on a wider range of commercial activities that will bring greater benefits to both airlines, as well as Indonesia and Singapore. These potentially include operating joint revenue sharing flights between the two countries, coordinating flight schedules to offer travellers more options and seamless connectivity between Singapore and Indonesia and beyond, and exploring joint sales and marketing initiatives that provide greater value to both airlines’ customers. Since Garuda Indonesia and Singapore Airlines signed an agreement to deepen their partnership in May 2023, the carriers have been working on initiatives including giving GarudaMiles and KrisFlyer members the option to earn and redeem miles on codeshare routes. They have also embarked on joint marketing initiatives to promote tourism activities. The airlines today codeshare on a wide range of flights, including between Singapore and Indonesian cities of Bali, Jakarta, Medan, and Surabaya, as well as on long-haul routes between Singapore and Johannesburg, London (Heathrow), and Mumbai. Irfan Setiaputra, President and Chief Executive Officer, Garuda Indonesia, said: “We are very pleased to receive this approval, as it marks significant progress towards our commitment to enhance service quality as well as broaden both Garuda Indonesia and Singapore Airlines’ networks through a deepening partnership. The joint venture initiative that we are preparing today has been one of the strategies to ensure extensive value creation for our loyal customers. Having regulatory approval as the first step in a commercial agreement will provide more opportunity for developing well-executed strategic ideas. “Moreover, we hope that this joint venture agreement can provide seamless services for passengers with more flight schedule options and ease in earning and redeeming mileage. Also, this collaboration may deliver concrete action to contribute to boosting Indonesian tourism activities, which will support the post-pandemic economic recovery progress,” Mr Irfanexplained. Goh Choon Phong, Chief Executive Officer, Singapore Airlines, said: “The robust strategic partnership between Garuda Indonesia and Singapore Airlines has enabled us to broaden our codeshare services over the last few years, offering our customers more choices on flights. With the CCCS’s approval, we are poised to deepen our collaboration across a wider scope of commercial activities.Along with the ongoing work to strengthen the links between our frequent flyer membership programmes, this will provide our customers with even more options and enhanced value. This partnership underscores both airlines’ commitment to improving connectivity between Indonesia and Singapore and beyond, boosting both business and leisure travel, and contributing to economic growth.”

New Delhi, 3rd July 2024: Oman’s low-cost carrier, SalamAir has announced the launch of its newest route, connecting Muscat to the vibrant capital city of India, New Delhi. Starting from 2nd July, SalamAir will operate twice-weekly flights to Delhi, with services on Tuesdays and Thursdays. This milestone signifies a new chapter in SalamAir’s commitment to providing exceptional service, unparalleled comfort, and seamless connectivity to passengers traveling between Oman and India and beyond. The introduction of flights to Delhi represents a significant step forward for SalamAir as they continue to expand their network to meet the growing demand for affordable and convenient travel options. This new route will strengthen connections between Oman and India, benefiting the expat community, leisure travelers, and business professionals alike.

CHICAGO, July 4th, 2024: United now texts customers links to local, live radar maps during weather delays, as part of its industry-leading effort to give travellers as much real-time information as possible about their trip, especially if things don’t go as planned. For the past few years, the airline has used dedicated teams to write and send text messages to customers that give near-instantaneous details about a given flight – everything from gate changes and boarding times to more specifics regarding aircraft swaps, crew rescheduling and weather events – and the teams now use generative artificial intelligence (gen AI) tools to assist in giving more travellers real-time updates during flight delays. United’s latest innovation – real-time radar maps – can help customers understand how inclement weather in one part of the country can impact a flight elsewhere. United is the first and only U.S. airline currently providing its customers these kinds of specific messages, and the airline is sending them with assistance from gen AI tools. “With more people travelling this summer than ever, we wanted to give our customers an easier way to stay connected to real-time information about their flight and texting was the simplest solution,” said Jason Birnbaum, United’s Chief Information Officer. “We know customers appreciate transparency and by combining innovative technology-enabled tools with people power, we can give more people, even more in-the-moment details about their flight.” The release of these new innovations comes as United expects its busiest Fourth of July weekend on record with more than five million passengers flying between June 28 and July 8, up more than 7% compared to last year. Here’s how it works: • Specialised customer service teams sit in the network operations centre alongside the flight operations teams and tap gen AI to review flight data and write customer messages that tells the complete story of a flight change. These messages are sent to customers through text or email in an effort to provide more helpful and relevant information about why flight plans are changing. • During weather events, messages will include links to local, live radar maps showing weather details across flight paths. This helps customers stay informed on weather-related delays, including showing how weather in one part of the country can impact a flight elsewhere. Plus, customers on all flights can access links to weather maps in the United app under flight status updates, and United displays radar maps in the gate area when a flight has been delayed due to weather. Leading with Customer Transparency For years, United has led the airline industry on implementing new technologies and policies across its operation to increase customer transparency, including: • Automatic rebooking assistance: Instead of waiting in line to talk to an agent or search for new options, United’s self-service tools automatically present travellers personalised re-booking options, bag tracking information and meal and hotel vouchers when eligible if their flight is delayed or cancelled. • Real-time flight updates: United is the first and only U.S. airline to give customers real-time access to their boarding pass, gate and seat number, and countdown clock to departure time directly on their phone screens, all without opening the United app. • Free family seating: United is the first and only airline to offer a dynamic seat map feature that makes it easier to seat children under 12-years-old next to an adult in their party for free – even travellers in Basic Economy. • No change fees: In August 2020, United got rid of change fees, offering more flexibility for travel plans, and started complimentary standby travel, becoming the only U.S. airline that lets all customers in all classes of service fly same-day standby for free.

National, 27 June 2024: Akasa Air has expanded its global presence by adding Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates, as the fourth international destination to its growing network. Starting 11th July 2024, Akasa Air will operate daily direct flights connecting Abu Dhabi with Mumbai, catering to the growing travel demand between India and the UAE, and further strengthening the air travel link between India and the Middle East. Commenting on the announcement, Neelu Khatri, Co-Founder and SVP International, Akasa Air, said “We are pleased to add Abu Dhabi as the fourth international destination to our network. With its distinct tourist attractions and promising trade prospects, Abu Dhabi has emerged as a destination of choice for Indian leisure and business travellers, and the demand for air travel between the two countries continues to flourish. The Abu Dhabi Government’s visionary roadmap under Tourism Strategy 2030 will further encourage tourism between India and UAE in the coming years.” Praveen Iyer, Co-Founder and Chief Commercial Officer further shared, “We are delighted to expand our global footprint with the addition of Abu Dhabi to our network. Abu Dhabi is known for its one-of-a-kind travel experiences while being one of the fastest-growing markets for business. Our strategically designed network connecting Abu Dhabi with Mumbai with daily direct flights will cater to a wide range of Indian travellers, and enhanced connectivity between India and Abu Dhabi will also drive inbound leisure and business travel to the country. As we rapidly expand our footprint, we remain committed to our purpose of connecting people, places and cultures with reliable operations and affordable fares.” Belson Coutinho, Co-Founder and Chief Marketing and Experience Officer, Akasa Air added “We are excited to extend the signature Akasa Experience to Abu Dhabi, our fourth international destination, known for its larger-than-life hospitality and immersive travel experiences. At Akasa Air, we have progressively introduced multiple customer-friendly offerings to ensure an inclusive, warm, and efficient flying experience. Travellers on the route can look forward to a unique culinary experience with our onboard meal service Café Akasa and a fresh in-cabin experience that offers enhanced comfort and ample legroom, backed by the signature service delivered by our crew on board and on the ground”. “Additionally, offerings like USB ports on most of our aircraft, Skyscore by Akasa and QuietFlights will further elevate the inflight experience of our passengers. Moreover, travelers can choose to plan their travel with Akasa Holidays which offers customisable and all-inclusive holiday packages at affordable prices. Our customers are at the heart of everything we do at Akasa Air, and all our service offerings are aligned to our philosophy of service excellence. We hope that passengers will appreciate the Akasa experience and we will emerge as the preferred carrier on the route.” Coutinho added.

SINGAPORE, 27 June 2024: Philippine Airlines (PAL), has appointed Singapore telco and MSSP ViewQwest, to upgrade its network and security infrastructure as it forges ahead with its digital innovation and transformation roadmap The landmark project will implement next-generation network and security technologies across Philippine-based sites and branches. It will also leverage a managed service framework to ensure optimum service levels vital to the seamless operation of the country’s largest international airline. The strategic enhancements will improve network performance and business resilience, forming a robust foundation for the airline’s digital transformation and continued innovation. The partnership was sealed at an executive briefing and project team assembly hosted at The Sheraton Manila. Senior technical and business leaders from PAL and ViewQwest, together with key stakeholders and project heads, gathered for the occasion. The partnership was formalized by Philippine Airlines’ Chief Information Officer, Aurea Patria Vidal, and Vice President of IT Operations, Angelique Tinsay, together with ViewQwest’s Chief Executive Officer, Vignesa Moorthy, and Chief Operating Officer, Jurist Francisco. PAL is poised to reap extensive advantages from the upgraded network and security infrastructure. The consolidated network and security operations will offer enhanced visibility, control, and security of the network. This will enable PAL’s IT teams to focus on core business operations and high-value strategic initiatives, while being assured of consistent threat protection. PAL projects that the integrated and simplified architecture, managed in partnership with ViewQwest, will deliver tangible cost advantages across its IT and network operations. By leveraging industry-leading managed services, it foresees benefits from aggregated cost savings, minimal downtime with carrier redundancy, and expedited issue resolution. Commenting on the partnership, ViewQwest CEO Vignesa Moorthy said, “We take great pride in supporting Philippine Airlines in their network and security transformation journey. We applaud their strategic foresight to construct a network that prioritizes security from the ground up as well as embracing managed services, freeing their teams to concentrate on driving business growth rather than managing infrastructure. This strategic multi-year partnership cements ViewQwest’s presence in the Philippines, and demonstrates our commitment to empower leading Philippine companies.” PAL’s Chief Information Officer Aurea Vidal adds, “Whenever possible, we will seek a tailored approach for PAL’s IT needs, so we are pleased to partner with ViewQwest whose proven track record of custom solutions perfectly align with our strategic principles. By embracing a cloud-based infrastructure that is secure by design, we can amplify collaboration, enable business agility, and ensure business continuity.” In the project assembly, the combined ViewQwest and Philippine Airlines teams affirmed their shared commitment to excellence and the success of this landmark project, marking PAL’s continued innovation leadership in the industry.

GURUGRAM / LONDON, 27June 2024: Air India is set to transform the onboard experience for its guests on twice-daily flights between Delhi and London Heathrow with the deployment of its brand-new Airbus A350-900 aircraft.Starting from 1 September 2024, this route will mark the long-haul international debut of Air India’s flagship product. The A350-900 will replace the currently deployed Boeing 777-300ER and Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner on 14 of 17 weekly flights. As a result, an additional 336 seats will be available on the Delhi-London Heathrow route each week. With the deployment of the A350-900 to London Heathrow in September, Air India will have upgraded 90% of all its flights to London Heathrow. From April 2024, Air Indiastarted deployingits recently inducted Boeing 777-300ERs with elevated cabin interiors on all flights across its Mumbai-London Heathrow route to provide upgraded cabin interiors and inflight entertainment systems, while bringing First class back on the London Heathrow-Mumbai route. Thismakes Air India the only carrier to offer the choice of First class travel between the two cities as well as between the UK and India. Introducing Premium Economy and an all-new Air India experience across cabins Air India will introduce its Premium Economy class experience for the first time on the Delhi-London Heathrow route with A350-900. It will offer guests the choice of 24 wide seats arranged in a 2-4-2 configuration in a dedicated, upscale cabin. Air India’s A350 flights will also featurenew soft products and award-winning guest enhancements unveiled earlier this year. These enhancements include new chinaware, new tableware and glassware, new bedding, and updated amenity kits for Business and Premium Economy guests, exclusively designed by Ferragamo and TUMI, respectively. Campbell Wilson, Chief Executive Officer & Managing Director, Air India, said: “The deployment of our flagship A350s and the B777s with upgraded cabin interiors to London Heathrow marks a significant milestone for Air India. It demonstrates our commitment to elevating the travel experience of our guests to truly world-class standards and to going beyond just meeting customer expectations as we continue to renew our fleet.” “With our industry-leading cabin products on the A350 including a new Premium Economy experienceand a host of new on board enhancements rolling out, we are confident that these daily flights between India and London Heathrow will soon be the preferred choice for travellers,” Wilson added.

Doha, Qatar, 24th June 2024: Qatar Airways has been awarded the ‘Airline of the Year’ title by Skytrax, returning to the top for an unprecedented eighth time. This distinction highlights the airline’s unwavering commitment to excellence. The 5-star carrier was also recognised with three additional awards: ‘World’s Best Business Class’, ‘World’s Best Business Class Airline Lounge’, and ‘Best Airline in the Middle East’. Recently, Qatar Airways’ home and hub, Hamad International Airport, was named ‘World’s Best Airport’ in 2024 by Skytrax for the third time. The airport also received the award for ‘Best Airport in the Middle East’ for the tenth time, and the airport’s retail, Qatar Duty Free, received ‘World’s Best Airport Shopping’ for the second consecutive year. This remarkable achievement is the first time that an airline, an airport, and the airport’s retail have been crowned as ‘World’s Best’ in all three Skytrax categories. This year is the eighth time since 2011 that Qatar Airways has been awarded Airline of the year. The Skytrax World Airline Awards, widely regarded as ‘the Oscars of the aviation industry’, represent the pinnacle of excellence in aviation. Commenting on this achievement, Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive Officer, Engr. Badr Mohammed Al-Meer, said: “This is a proud moment for Qatar Airways. I am honoured to share this award with my dedicated team. This award is a testimony to our relentless commitment to providing unparalleled service and innovation. We look forward to continuing to serve our customers with the highest level of excellence.” Skytrax Chief Executive Officer, Edward Plaisted, remarked: “Qatar Airways’ impressive achievement of winning the Airline of the Year title for the eighth time, alongside three additional top accolades, is a true testament to the airline’s high standards and dedication. Qatar Airways was and will continue to be customers’ favourite airline.” The comprehensive list of awards won by Qatar Airways at the Skytrax 2024 World Airline Awards include: – Airline of the Year – World’s Best Business Class – World’s Best Business Class Airline Lounge – Best Airline in the Middle East

GURUGRAM, June 19, 2024: Air India today unveiled a three-class configuration on its newly inducted narrowbody aircraft. Air India’s A320neo aircraft will now offer a new Business, an all-new Premium Economy and a new Economy cabin experience on domestic and short-haul international routes. Air India has refitted two new A320neo aircraft – VT-RTW and VT-RTZ – in a three-class configuration featuring 8 luxurious seats in Business, 24 extra legroom seats in Premium Economy and 132 comfortable seats in Economy, offering wider choice to its guests. With this, Air India introduces Premium Economy cabins for the first time on narrowbody aircraft. Subtle cabin mood lighting, spacious legroom and wider pitch, and modern features, like portable electronic device (PED) holders and USB ports to charge mobile phones, laptops and other gadgets, among others will contribute significantly to offer guests, in all three cabins, an inflight experience that is tailored to the needs of today’s discerning flyers. Air India has plans to introduce the three-class configuration to its entire full service narrowbody fleet over the next year. Existing aircraft are now being progressively inducted for refit, while new aircraft joining the fleet will be delivered with the new Air India experience. Campbell Wilson, Chief Executive Officer & Managing Director, Air India, said, “The introduction of a three-class cabin to Air India’s narrowbody fleet and commencement of interior refits are important steps in the journey of enhancing the flying experience. The upgrade of the narrowbody fleet, which operates on domestic and short-haul international network, complements the upgraded widebody experience now available on our A350 fleet and new B777s, and on all other widebodies as they are refitted over the next two years. This comprehensive upgradation of Air India’s physical product is an important component of transforming into a world-class airline.” Customised by leading seat manufacturer Collins Aerospace, the seats in all three cabins combine unique ergonomic contouring and a patented comfort system to offer enhanced passenger comfort. All seats are equipped with literature pockets, charging ports, tray table and coat hooks, prioritising guest comfort. A distinct feature on Air India’s A320neo aircraft is an innovative mood lighting with planned illumination settings during take-off, landing, meal service, and even to celebrate India’s national days. With Air India’s brand identity at its core, the lighting is designed to enhance the overall in-flight experience, creating a subtle and soothing environment for guests to relax. The new Business cabins offer feature-rich 40-inch ergonomic seats with deep 7-inch recline, an adjustable armrest, footrest and backrest, a tray table deployed at the push of a button that includes a PED holder and is extendable and multiple charging ports. Industry-best seat upholstery on Business will provide maximum comfort and convenience to customers. The all-new Premium Economy provides larger seats with superior upholstery, four-way headrest, wider 32-inch seat pitch with a 4-inch recline, and other amenities such as a PED holder and USB charging port. With more meal options, including delectable food and drink selection, served in upgraded crockery and cutlery, Premium Economy promises a superior travel experience.   Economy seats too are ergonomically designed with comfortable upholstery, 28-29-inch seat pitch, 4-inch recline and legroom and come with features such as a PED holder, tray table, USB charging port and a coat hook.

Abu Dhabi, 19th June 2024: Etihad Airways, the national carrier of the UAE, has started flights to Jaipur, India with four non-stop services a week. Antonoaldo Neves, CEO of Etihad Airways, said, “With the resurgence of outbound travel from India, we are thrilled to start four weekly flights to Jaipur, a significant cultural and commercial centre. By establishing this crucial air link with Rajasthan, we aim to meet the increasing demand from travellers in and around the region, providing them with convenient access to Abu Dhabi and Dubai, and seamless connectivity to our extensive global network, while delivering a remarkable flying experience.” From exploring the historic forts and palaces to indulging in the vibrant culture and culinary delights, Jaipur offers visitors a wealth of unforgettable experiences. Travellers from Northwest India will benefit from the non-stop service with seamless access to Etihad’s expanding network and frequent connections through Abu Dhabi’s global links. The new route enables more visitors to explore the emirate’s rich history and vibrant culture. Moreover, passengers will experience the exceptional facilities at Zayed International Airport’s Terminal A, Etihad’s new home, which sets new standards for travel comfort and service excellence. Travellers flying from Jaipur to the United States can take advantage of the US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) facility at Abu Dhabi, streamlining the immigration process and ensuring a hassle-free journey. The start of the Jaipur service further underlines Etihad’s deepening commitment to the Indian market where the airline has increased its capacity by a third over the past 12 months. The flights will be operated with aircraft from the Airbus A320 family, offering Etihad’s award-winning service to guests, in both Business and Economy cabins, convenient flight timings to the UAE’s capital city and seamless connections to destinations across the airline’s growing global network.

New Delhi, 10th June 2024: Pune MP and newly sworn-in Minister of State (Mos) in Union Cabinet Murlidhar Mohol has been allocated two crucial portfolios of Civil Aviation and Cooperation in the new Modi Cabinet. Mohol is the third person from Pune to join the Union cabinet, after Suresh Kalmadi of Congress and Prakash Javadekar of BJP. He is also the second Lok Sabha MP from Pune to become a union minister in nearly 30 years, following Kalmadi, since Javadekar was a Rajya Sabha member. On being assigned the new portfolio like Union Minister of State in the Ministry of Cooperation and Ministry of Civil Aviation, Mohol said “I have said earlier too that I will do every work that is allotted to me with complete seriousness. I am happier about the fact that I will be working under the leadership of Amit Shah as cabinet minister for Cooperation.”