Civil Aviation

Delhi,7th Sept.2023: Air India has entered an interline partnership with Bangkok Airways. The partnership enables Air India guests to take convenient connections via Air India’s Bangkok, Hong Kong, and Singapore gateways to and from 10 destinations in Thailand, Laos, and Cambodiaon Bangkok Airways’ route network. The scope of the agreement between the two airlines includes Inter Airline Through Check-In (IATCI) implementation, which enables guests to receive their boarding passes at the first point of departure for all the travel sectors on a single ticket, and have their baggage checked-in through to their final destinations. Air India guests taking connecting flights on Bangkok Airways will also receive complimentary access to Bangkok Airways’ Boutique Lounges and Courtesy Corners at available airports, regardless of the cabin class they fly. Air India and Bangkok Airways have also entered a Special Prorate Agreement, which allows both carriers to file ‘through fares’ on routes covering each other’s networks. Nipun Aggarwal,Chief Commercial & Transformation Office, Air India,said, “One of our strategic priorities at Air India is to offer our guests the choice of flying to more places through our own as well as an augmented global network. We are happy to join hands with Bangkok Airways as part of that effort to provide our guestsgreater connectivity within Thailand and other countriesin Southeast Asia.” ChulinKocharoen, Vice President – Network and Product Development of Bangkok Airways PLC, said,“Air India is a leading global airline with a major presence in India and across the world. We are pleased to enter an interline partnership with Air India to strengthen our respective route networks and offer business and leisure travellers with unprecedented and convenient access to new gateways. Moreover, Air India passengers traveling on Bangkok Airways flights will enjoy the boutique airline’s unparalleled services such as lounge access at available airports, in-flight meal and much more.” Air India guests can connect to the following points in Thailand through Bangkok Airways: Chiang Mai, Lampang, Sukhothai, Trat, Koh Samui, Phuket, and Krabi. The points outside of Thailand include Luang Prabang in Laos;and Phnom Penh, Siem Reap in Cambodia.

New Delhi,1st Sept.2023: Malaysia Airlines announces its plan for expansion in India with the commencement of three new services between Kuala Lumpur (KUL) to Amritsar (ATQ), Thiruvananthapuram (TRV) and Ahmedabad (AMD) effective 8 November, 9 November and 1 December 2023 respectively. The expansion will bring Malaysia Airlines’ point-to-point connectivity from Kuala Lumpur to India to nine (9) key hubs, thereby providing passengers with enhanced options and flexibility for travel between the two countries. The airline currently operates direct flights to New Delhi, Bengaluru, Mumbai, Chennai, Hyderabad and Kochi. The new routes will be operated by the Boeing 737-800NG aircraft, equipped with 160 seats, comprising 16 seats in Business Class and 144 seats in Economy Class. As part of this endeavour, Malaysia Airlines is offering introductory fares with all-in return tickets starting from INR 16,899 on Economy Class and from INR 59,099 on Business Class, available for purchase from today until 15 September 2023, for travel beginning 8 November 2023 to 31 March 2024. Additionally, customers who book during this period will enjoy up to 50% Bonus Enrich Points. Datuk Captain Izham Ismail, Group Managing Director of Malaysia Aviation Group (MAG) said, “India remains a key market for Malaysia Airlines, hence we are delighted to introduce three new routes into our Indian network, which will provide added convenience for travellers, strengthen our presence in this core market and extend our Malaysian Hospitality service even further. Currently, our average load factor on this route is at 81% YTD July 2023 signifying the growth and confidence for travel between the two markets. We are looking at restoring our pre-COVID-19 capacity back in the Indian market by the end of this year and will also look to increase flight frequencies to other destinations as we support seamless travels in Malaysia and beyond.”

New Delhi, 1st Sept. 2023: As the tenure of Rajiv Bansal, Secretary, MoCA completes on 31st August , Government has appointed Vumlunmang Vualnam, 1992 Batch IAS from Manipur Cadre as Secretary, MoCA. Vualnam is an Indian Administrative Service Officer of 1992 batch, from Manipur cadre. He has held many important positions in the Union Government, including Additional Secretary, Ministry of Finance, Jt. Secretary, M/o Home Affairs, and Deputy Secretary, M/o Finance & Company Affairs. He has also held several key positions in the Government of Manipur including, Commissioner, D/o Health & Family Welfare, and Director, Transport. He has also served as advisor to the Executive Director in the World Bank.

Gurugram, 10 August 2023: Air India unveiled a modern new brand identity and new aircraft livery that capture the essence of a bold new India, marking a milestone in its Vihaan.AI transformation of the national institution into a national inspiration. The new look reimagines the iconic Indian window shape, historically used by Air India, into a gold window frame that becomes central to the new brand design system – symbolising a ‘Window of Possibilities’. Air India’s new logo symbol – ‘The Vista’ – is inspired by the peak of the gold window frame,signifying limitless possibilities, progressiveness, and the airline’s bold, confident outlook for the future. Air India’s brand-new aircraft livery and design features a palette of deep red, aubergine, and gold highlights, as well as a chakra-inspired pattern. It also boasts a striking new custom-made ‘Air India Sans’ font, marrying confidence with warmth to position Air India as premium, inclusive, and accessible. Campbell Wilson, Air India CEO & MD, said, “Our transformative new brand reflects an ambition to make Air India a world class airline serving guests from around the globe, and that represents a new India proudly on the global stage. The new Air India is bold, confident, and vibrant, but also warm and deeply rooted to its rich history and traditions that make Indian hospitality a global benchmark for standards in service.” Designed in partnership with the brand transformation company, FutureBrand, the iconic new brand identity combines Air India’s glorious past with its drive to aim for excellence and innovate for the future, creating a standout brand design for a premium global airline with an Indian heart. Travellers will begin to see the new logo throughout their journey starting December 2023, when Air India’s first Airbus A350 enters the fleet in the new livery. “Colours, patterns, shapes and how they come together and what they represent matter, but our actions speak so much louder. We are in the midst of a total transformation to reimagine the role of India’s flagship airline”, Wilson said. Air India is making significant investments throughout the guest experience to elevate its service and to strengthening its position as the preferred airline for travellers flying to, from, and within India. • Air India has confirmed historic purchase agreements to acquire 470 aircraft from Airbus and Boeing at US$70 billion (based on published list prices), with deliveries of the new aircraft starting November this year. • The transformation of Air India’s fleet has already begun with the airline leasing and buying 20 widebody aircraft this year. A US$400 million programme to completely refurbish the interiors of its legacy fleet of 43 widebody aircraft commences mid-2024, which will lead to the installation of brand-new seats in every cabin, new inflight entertainment systems, and inflight Wi-Fi internet connectivity. By March 2024, 33% of the airline’s widebody fleet will be upgraded, and over the next two-and-a-half years, its entire long-haul fleet will be reborn. • Air India has launched a new website and mobile app, offering a significantly improved web experience with new digital tools and features. • The carrier will also launch a new “open all hours, every day” customer contact centre in nine Indian and foreign languages by the end of this year, as well as a completely redesigned loyalty program in early 2024 that will enable thousands of new redemption possibilities. • The airline is investing in building completely new lounges at Delhi and New York JFK airports, having recently announced a global lounge network expansion, achieving 100% lounge access coverage for premium customers at all destinations in its international route network. • Air India has now welcomed more than 5,000 new staff, including 3,200 Cabin Crew and nearly 1,000 Cockpit Crew, who are helping to drive the cultural transformation taking place at the heart of Air India. It is also heavily investing in building one of the world’s largest aviation training academies in India that will upskill a massive number of aviation professionals.

Delhi, 07.08.2023: Akasa Air today completes one year of commercial operations in the Indian skies. The airline operated its first commercial flight on 07 August 2022 from Mumbai to Ahmedabad.With an initial fleet induction plan of adding one brand new aircraft every 15 days, Akasa Air achieved the fleet size of 20 new aircraft within 12 months of commercial operations. Further, the delivery of its 20th aircraft on 1 August 2023, makes Akasa Air the first airline in Asia to add the 737-8-200 variant of the Boeing 737 MAX aircraft. Akasa Air’s order book comprises 76 jets which include 23 737-8s and 53 737-8-200 airplanes. In addition, the airline plans to place three-digit aircraft order by the end of 2023. With the addition of its 20th aircraft, Akasa Air can now foray into the international skies and as reported it will prepare to commence international operations by December 2023.Akasa Air has grown its market share from 0% to 4.9%, having registered a passenger load factor of over 84% since the start of operations, with a steadily growing record of close to 90% in the current financial year. While developing its operations, the airline has maintained a steadfast commitment to becoming India’s most dependable airline, evidenced with industry leading on time performance for several consecutive months of operations in 2023. In its first year of commercial operations, Akasa Air served 4.3 million passengers and crossed the milestone of operating over 900 weekly flights with a published network of 35 unique routes across 16 destinations.

Bangladesh, 19th July 2023: Biman Bangladesh Airlines Ltd. (BG) has partnered with SITA to adopt a suite of state-of-the-art connectivity solutions that will increase network speeds, optimize the airline’s operations, and reduce expansion costs. SITA Connect Go is a new Secure SD-WAN (Software-Defined Wide Area Network) solution designed specifically for the air transport industry. The solution was developed in partnership with Versa Networks, the recognized secure access service edge (SASE) leader. It offers a software-based solution that allows multiple airlines, ground handlers, and other tenants to digitally transform at whatever pace they choose. Secure access is provided to virtualized applications and infrastructure at airports and in the cloud, delivering more scalable and agile performance. The deployment will improve the airline’s performance by giving the IT operations team a granular view and full visibility into their network usage and application performance. This will enable better decision-making and critical business application performance. It is all managed through a centralized platform that simplifies network management and orchestration. SITA Connect solutions will empower BG with an increased bandwidth of up to 600%, enabling unrivaled speed, flexibility, and agility to connect quickly and securely to applications and systems at their town and airport offices. These enhancements have been extended to BG at no additional cost demonstrating a reduction in total cost ownership as BG expands its network. The deal comes as SITA and BG celebrate 50 years of partnership and will future-proof the airline’s operations for planned growth, ensuring BG is ready to embrace a hybrid cloud environment in the future and add new applications as and when they need to. Sumesh Patel, President, Asia Pacific, SITA, said: “We’re thrilled to commemorate a 50-year partnership with Biman Bangladesh Airlines Ltd. and provide the latest cutting-edge connectivity solutions that will be the foundations for their next growth chapter. Connectivity is the backbone of our industry, and smart, efficient, and agile technology operations will be the defining factor for success in this next era of air transport. We’re excited to support BG in their ambitious plans and look forward to many more years of powerful collaboration.” MD & CEO, Shafiul Azim of Biman Bangladesh Airlines Ltd said: “SITA has proven itself an effective and trusted technology partner over the last half-century. Ensuring our airline’s applications and systems are optimized is critical. With SITA Connect, we can infuse our entire operation with lightning-fast and secure connections that can be adapted over time as we scale. We’re delighted about the planned growth from 21 aircraft to 45 by 2030 and look forward to ensuring smooth and reliable air travel for passengers in the coming years.”

Cairo, 5th July 2023: EGYPTAIR shall be commencing 4x Weekly Flights from New Delhi (DEL) to Cairo (CAI) eff 04 August 2023. EGYPTAIR, the national flag carrier of Egypt, was established in 1932 as the first airline in the Middle East and Africa, and the 7th in the world to join IATA. EGYPTAIR network reaches more than 70 destinations to about 60 countries, including Middle East, Africa, Europe, and North America. EGYPTAIR is a Star Alliance member since July 2008. The Delhi – Cairo route will be operated by the latest generation A320 neo aircraft, which offers 16 Business Class & 126 Economy Class seats.

Paris, 21.06.2023: Akasa Air has announced an order for four additional Boeing 737-8 jets at the ongoing Paris Air Show, a follow-up to the already placed order of 72 aircraft taking it to a total of 76 aircraft which include 23 737-8s and 53 high-capacity 737-8-200 aircraft. The airline is also on course to announce another significant three-digit aircraft order by the end of 2023. Akasa Air targets to commence international operations by the end of 2023, the additional order of four 737-8s will fortify the airline’s plans to strengthen its expansion strategy. Since launching operations in August 2022, Akasa Air had quickly added up fleet up to 19 aircraft which has carried over 3 million revenue passengers and crossed the milestone of operating over 900 weekly flights with a published network of 36 unique routes connecting 16 cities. Elaborating on the order, Vinay Dube, Founder and CEO, Akasa Air said, “Akasa Air set a benchmark in the 120-year history of global aviation by becoming the first airline to reach a fleet size of 19 aircraft in less than a year of operations. While we are extremely happy with this achievement, we want to keep ourselves focused on our commitment to contribute to the air transportation ecosystem and support the nation’s economic growth engine. We are excited to add four more Boeing 737-8 to support our international expansion, taking our initial order of 72 aircraft to 76 to be delivered in the next four years. In addition to supporting our rapid domestic expansion, these airplanes allow us to take full advantage of the category leading 737-8 aircraft with its unparalleled range, as we prepare our foray into international routes”. “We are also on track to finalize another significant three-digit aircraft order and will be ready to announce it before the end of the calendar year”, he added. The order for the Boeing 737-8 is in line with Akasa Air’s commitment to be a sustainable and environmentally progressive airline. The brand-new fleets are equipped with the latest technology engines that reduces fuel use and CO2 emissions by an additional 14% and incorporate the quiet engine technology to reduce the operational noise footprint of the airplane by up to 40%.

Paris Air Show, 21.06.2023: Tata Group-owned Air India firmed up orders for 470 Airbus and Boeing aircraft worth $70 billion at list prices at the Paris Air Show on Tuesday, as it forges ahead with a transformation plan under its new owners. The airline finalised a purchase agreement for 250 Airbus aircraft. This entails a firm order of 140 A320neo and 70 A321neo single-aisle aircraft, as well as 34 A350-1000 and six A350-900 wide-body jets, Airbus said in a statement. Air India also confirmed the purchase of 220 Boeing aircraft. This includes 190 of the company’s 737 Max aircraft, 20 of its 787 Dreamliners and 10 of its 777X jets. It also signed options to buy another 50 737 Max jets and 20 787 Dreamliners, Boeing said in a statement. “Our ambitious fleet renewal and expansion programme will see Air India operate the most advanced and fuel-efficient aircraft across our route network within five years,” Campbell Wilson, chief executive and managing director of Air India, said. N Chandrasekaran, chairman of Tata Sons and Air India, said: “This landmark step further positions Air India for long-term growth and success that, we have every hope, will come together to represent the best of modern aviation to the world.” The deals by the New Delhi-based flag carrier on Tuesday finalise the preliminary agreements outlined in February with both manufacturers.This move is part of Air India’s plans to invest in fleet renewal, upgrade its services and grow its domestic and international route network. These orders will also help the carrier offer long-haul flights directly from India, bypassing other regional centres, to serve India’s expanding base of air travellers and massive diaspora, analysts said. Air India’s order marks the first entry into service of the Airbus A350 wide-body in India. Deliveries are set to start with the first A350-900 before the end of the year.