Civil Aviation

Gurugram, 29 September 2023: Air India has successfully acquired India’s first Airbus A350-900 aircraft through a finance lease transaction with HSBC. This is Air India’s first financing transaction from its orders for 470 aircraft. The transaction makes Air India the first scheduled carrier to have acquired an aircraft from an entity registered in Gujarat International Finance Tec-City (GIFT City). Air India’s first A350-900 is also the first widebody aircraft to have been leased through India’s first International Financial Services Centre (IFSC). The transaction was facilitated by AI Fleet Services Limited (AIFS), a 100% subsidiary of Air India, and a GIFT IFSC-registered finance company. “This landmark transaction marks the beginning of our aircraft leasing business from GIFT IFSC, as AIFS will be the primary Air India Group entity for widebody aircraft financing, playing a pivotal role in the future aircraft financing strategy for us and our subsidiaries. It is also a shot in the arm for the development of a robust aviation ecosystem in India. As a flag-bearer of the country, Air India is happy to support the Government of India’s efforts to develop an aircraft leasing hub in GIFT IFSC,” said Nipun Aggarwal, Chief Commercial & Transformation Officer, Air India. “Govt. of India has taken several initiatives to develop the aircraft leasing ecosystem at IFSC in India. IFSCA has been working with the stakeholders to develop regulatory enablers for aircraft leasing and financing. The steps taken by Air India by establishing a finance company for the purpose of aircraft leasing and financing at IFSC will go long way in developing IFSC as a preferred destination for aircraft leasing and financing in India as well as globally,” mentioned Dr. Dipesh Shah, Executive Director, IFSCA. The first of Air India’s six Airbus A350-900 is expected to arrive in India by the end of this year, with the remainder aircraft scheduled for deliveries through March 2024. In addition to the six Airbus A350-900 aircraft, Air India’s firm orders for 470 new aircraft include 34 A350-1000, 20 Boeing 787 Dreamliners, 10 Boeing 777X widebody aircraft, as well as 140 Airbus A320neo, 70 Airbus A321neo and 190 Boeing 737MAX narrowbody aircraft. Air India had signed purchase agreements to acquire these aircraft with Airbus and Boeing on the sidelines of Paris Air Show held in June 2023.

New Delhi, 18th September, 2023: To meet the flying requirement for Flight Calibration of the increased number of Ground Navigational/landing aids installed at airports in India and PBN Procedures validation, Airports Authority of India (AAI) has added two new B-360 type of aircraft equipped with advanced state-of -the -art Flight Inspection system into the AAI Flight Inspection Fleet. With the induction of these new aircraft in its fleet, AAI will be able to accomplish the timely flight calibration of the Ground Radio Navigational/visual aids at all airports in the country. AAI will also provide necessary support by undertaking flight calibrations in the neighboring countries, which will also lead to generation of revenue. The induction of two new aircraft into active flight calibration service was flagged off by Jyotiraditya Scindia, Union Minister of Civil Aviation and Steel;General (Dr.) Vijay Kumar Singh, Union Minister of State for Road Transport & Highways and Civil Aviation & Vumlunmang Vualnam, Secretary, Civil Aviation, Sanjeev Kumar, Chairman, AAI in a Poojan Ceremony held at Safdarjung Airport, New Delhi. The Flight Inspection Unit of Airports Authority of India is a very critical component in the safety chain of Air Navigation Service provided by Airports Authority of India throughout the Indian airspace. Considering the importance of aviation infrastructures and expanding network of airports in the country, navigational aids are also being set up at all airports for safe flight movements. On this occasion HMCA said, AAI has inducted two new B-360 type of aircraft equipped with advanced technology into the AAI Flight Inspection Unit’s Fleet. Flight calibration services ensure efficient and safe operation of aircraft by validating various Air Navigation Services Procedures. These aircraft will be used in Calibrating the Category I, II and III Instrument Landing Systems, DVORs, DME, NDB, Radar, GBAS, PAPI, TACAN etc. They will also be validating the RNP and LPV procedures as also the Instrument Approach Letdown procedures for DVOR/DME and ILS. Flight Inspection being critical in ensuring the best international standards as set by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), needs to keep pace to ensure Indian aviation gets this equipment to function to the strictest parameters. Presently, The FIU of AAI operates One Dornier-228 and One B-350 aircraft for Flight Calibration /Inspection purposes and calibrates the Navigational aids like, Doppler VOR, DME, NDB, Landing aids like Instrument Landing Systems and Precision Approach Path Indicator installed at the numerous airports around the country. Established in 1959 at Bamrauli, Allahabad known as Prayagraj, FIU was shifted to Safdarjung Airport in 1986. Starting with Dakota aircraft, FIU then moved on to HS748 AVRO and then on to Dornier DO-228 and Beechcraft King Air B350.

Almaty, 7th Sept.2023 Air Astana, Kazakhstan’s flag carrier, launched a new direct air services from Almaty to Tel Aviv, today. The new flight is scheduled to operate twice weekly on Thursdays and Sundays using Airbus A321LR aircraft. The outbound service from Almaty has a flight time of 6 hours 45 minutes, with the return flight from Tel Aviv taking 5 hours and 50 minutes. The cost of a round-trip Economy ticket starts from US$603 and Business Class ticket starts from US$1438. Israeli citizens can stay in Kazakhstan visa-free for up to 30 days. This new route is destined to strengthen business, trade, cultural and tourism links between the two countries.

Abu Dhabi,7th Sept 2023: Air France-KLM Group and Etihad Airways today signed a MoU aiming at enhancing their collaboration opportunities across passenger operations, loyalty programmes, talent development, and maintenance.The signing ceremony took place at the Air France-KLM Group’s headquarters in Paris, France in the presence of Angus Clarke, Chief Commercial Officer, Air France-KLM, and Arik De, Chief Revenue Officer, Etihad Airways. Through this partnership, and subject to any necessary regulatory approvals, Air France-KLM and Etihad contemplate expanding their codeshare and interline agreements initiated in 2012. As a first step, more than 40 new routes covering destinations across Europe, the Middle East, Asia Pacific and Australia have been made available for booking as of today, for travel as early as the winter 2023 season. The MoU also proposes the ability for frequent flyers of both Flying Blue and Etihad Guest to earn and redeem miles with Air France, KLM, and Etihad. The airlines will also explore terminal co-location, reciprocal lounge access and ground handling, among other initiatives. Etihad currently operates daily flights to both Paris-Charles de Gaulle and Amsterdam Schiphol from Abu Dhabi international airport. Air France will start operating daily flights between Paris-Charles de Gaulle and Abu Dhabi International Airport from October 29, 2023. Angus Clarke, Executive Vice President and Chief Commercial Officer Air France-KLM, said: “I’m delighted to further develop our partnership with Etihad Airways. This 11-year collaboration is now expanding even further, as we aim to explore opportunities in maintenance and loyalty, in addition to enhancing our route network for the benefit of our customers from all around the world. The attractiveness of Abu Dhabi as a destination and a hub, powered by Etihad’s large footprint spanning South and Southeast Asia, as well as Australia, brings significant richness to this partnership. This moment marks our shared commitment to providing seamless, premium, customer-centric travel experiences to our shared global customer base.” Arik De, Chief Revenue Officer at Etihad, said: “We are excited to expand our collaboration with Air France-KLM, with this MoU serving as a testament to our shared vision of creating premium journeys for our guests. This MoU builds on our existing partnership by exploring deeper network enhancements as we offer improved connectivity between Abu Dhabi and Paris, and leveraging the extensive AF-KL network to Europe and beyond. It reaffirms Etihad’s intent to bolster Abu Dhabi’s cultural and economic growth as we look forward to welcoming more guests to our home enjoying better travel benefits and enhanced customer experiences along the way.” Earlier this year, Air France-KLM announced it had signed a MoU with Abu Dhabi’s Department of Culture and Tourism with the aim of reinforcing connectivity between Europe and Abu Dhabi.

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.