Recent News

Chennai, 28th October, 2024: Garuda Aerospace has secured two additional approvals from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA).The first approval granted to Garuda Aerospace is a Delta-type certification for manufacturing. This certification validates the company’s capabilities in designing, manufacturing, and maintaining drones according to stringent DGCA standards. The Delta Type certification is a crucial requirement for drone manufacturers operating in India and ensures that products coming out are of the highest level of safety. The second approval Garuda Aerospace received is a Train the Trainer approval for its Remote Pilot Training Organization (RPTO). This approval empowers Garuda to train and certify trainers, who will then be responsible for educating and certifying drone pilots. With these latest additions, Garuda Aerospace now holds a total of six DGCA approvals. These approvals include: • Delta Type certification for small drone manufacturing in (October 2024) • Train the Trainer approval for its Remote Pilot Training Organization (RPTO) in (September 2024) • Remote Pilot Training Organization (RPTO) approval for Medium Drone in (December 2023) • Type Certification for Medium drone manufacturing in (October 2023) • Type Certification for Small drone manufacturing in (December 2023) • Remote Pilot Training Organization (RPTO) approval for Small Drone in (September 2022) Agnishwar Jayaprakash, Founder and CEO of Garuda Aerospace, said, “These new DGCA approvals open up new avenues for growth and expansion, allowing us to serve a wider range of customers and contribute more significantly to the Indian drone industry. By achieving both manufacturing and training certifications, we are reaffirming our commitment to fostering a thriving and self-sufficient drone in the market. The DGCA approvals are crucial for driving innovation and empowering industries across the world and will enable us to capitalise on this growth potential and position Garuda Aerospace as a key player in the industry. By investing in research and development, training skilled personnel, and building strategic partnerships, we aim to contribute to the development of a vibrant and sustainable drone ecosystem in India.”

Jeddah, October 28, 2024: Saudia, the national carrier of Saudi Arabia, has reported significant growth in its operational performance for the third quarter of 2024, according to its latest performance report. The airline transported over nine million guests, marking a 10% increase compared to the same period in 2023. This achievement was supported by more than 49,500 flights, reflecting a 9% increase in flight operations. Additionally, Saudia logged 146,700 flight hours, representing an 11% increase over last year, with an impressive on-time performance rate of 87.8%. Internationally, Saudia carried over five million guests, reflecting a 9% growth, and on more than 21,900 flights, a 5% increase compared to last year. The airline’s international fleet logged over 102,400 flight hours. On the domestic front, Saudia served over four million guests, demonstrating a 12% increase, with more than 27,500 flights operated, marking a 13% increase. Domestic flight hours surpassed 44,200, with a commendable on-time performance rate of 91.5%. H.E. Engr. Ibrahim Al-Omar, Director General of Saudia Group, stated: “The aviation industry is uniquely defined by its skilled workforce and cutting-edge systems that ensure sustained operational excellence. We remain committed to delivering innovative services that enhance the travel experience for our valued guests, and our new strategy meticulously addresses every aspect of air travel—from security and safety to expanding seating capacity to meet growing demand.” From January to September 2024, Saudia successfully transported over 25.3 million guests across 143,800 flights. Looking ahead, the addition of 131 new aircraft to Saudia’s fleet will significantly expand flight offerings and seating capacity across its network of over 100 destinations spanning four continents. This growth will also introduce new international routes, aligning with the airline’s strategy to connect the world to the Kingdom and support the ambitious goals of Saudi Vision 2030.

GURUGRAM, 21 October 2024: Air India has launched simplified and enhanced fare families across cabins. The airline has rebranded its fare families and restructured them to align with the evolving customer preferences across markets. Air India’s fare familiesoffer differentiated bundles of products and services at each price point, which enables travellers to choose the offering that best meets their unique requirements. Rebranded fare families Effective 17 October 2024, Air India now offers a total of eight fare families across four cabin classes: Economy: Value, Classic, Flex Premium Economy: Classic, Flex Business: Classic, Flex First: First The fare families offer increasing baggage allowance and flexibility in terms of cancellation and date changes for a nominal upsell value. Air India will continue to enhance its ancillary product offerings across these bundles over time to provide more choice and convenience to travellers. Air India’s fare families are now available on all domestic and international flights. Consistent full-service flying experience Regardless of the fare family one chooses or the cabin they fly in, travellers can continue to expect a consistent full-service flying experience from their origin to destination. Air India offers all its guests complimentary hot meals, free check-in baggage allowance in addition to carry-on bag allowance, and reward points to members of Air India’s Flying Returns loyalty programme. Restructured fare families for Europe and UK markets Air India has also restructured its fare families on Europe and UK routes to better align the same with market trends and offerings. Air India now offer travellers a more affordable ‘Value’ fare option that provides one piece of checked baggage weighing 23kg with limited travel flexibility. Travellers who seek more baggage allowance and higher travel flexibility can opt for the ‘Classic’ and ‘Flex’ fares that continue to offer two pieces of checked baggage weighing 23kg each in Economy.‘Value’ fares are available only for Economy class bookings. Nipun Aggarwal, Chief Commercial Officer, Air India, said: “We have rebranded and simplified the fare families to provide a unique product and service value proposition at each price point. We have also redesigned and relaunched market-specific fare families which cater to unique customer preferences across geographies. This is a move away from the traditional one-size-fits-all offerings approach, which is becoming increasingly redundant, and it addresses the evolving preferences of today’s travellers.” Booking Air India fare families Bookings for Air India’s fare families are currently active are available on all major GDS and channels of distribution including web, mobile app, OTAs, and travel agents.

Gurugram, October 18, 2024: Post the merger of Air India and Vistara, the experience offered by Vistara will continue for customers. Vistara aircraft will be operated by Air India and will be identified by a special four-digit Air India code beginning with the digit “2”. For instance, UK 955 will become AI 2955, helping customer identify them while booking on www.airindia.com after November 12. The routes and schedule operated by Vistara aircraft will continue to be the same, alongside the Vistara in-flight experience that includes the product and service such as menu and cutlery on the Vistara aircraft. It will also be serviced by the same crew. The airline, through a multi-media campaign, also pointed out that the unified Air India opens up limitless possibilities for passengers including unparalleled connection to over 90 domestic and international destinations and over 800 more destinations through codeshare and interline partners. The existing members of Club Vistara will be seamlessly transferred to Air India’s Flying Returns program. With this merger, Flying Returns will also evolve into an all-new avatar ‘Maharaja Club’. In parallel, Air India’s narrowbody fleet continues to be upgraded with new aircraft being delivered, legacy aircraft being refitted with entirely new interiors and Vistara’s catering now also extended to Air India. Air India’s widebody fleet has also been augmented with the entry of six A350 aircraft that have started to fly between Delhi and London and will soon operate between Delhi and New York. Air India has started its retrofit program with the first A320neo narrow body aircraft going for retrofit in early September. 27 narrow body legacy aircraft will be totally refurbished and retrofitted and this retrofit is likely to be completed by the middle of 2025. The retrofitted A320neo aircraft will feature 8 luxurious seats in Business, 24 extra legroom seats in Premium Economy and 132 comfortable seats in Economy, offering wider choice to its guests. Subtle cabin lighting, spacious legroom and wider pitch, and modern features, like portable electronic device (PED) holders and USB ports with type A and C options to charge mobile phones, laptops and other gadgets, among others, will contribute significantly to offer guests an inflight experience catering to the needs of today’s discerning flyers. Carpets, curtains, upholstery, cabin panels will be refreshed with new tones and design motifs reinforcing the brand livery.

GURUGRAM, 19 October2024: Air India has announced starting of daily, non-stop services between Bengaluru and London Heathrow from 27 October 2024, thus connecting London Heathrow to all three hubs of Air India in India. The new flights will replace Air India’s currently served Bengaluru-London Gatwick route and increase the frequency between Bengaluru and London from 5x weekly to 7x weekly. The non-stop service, to be operated using a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner aircraft with 18 flat beds in Business class and 238 spacious seats in Economy, will add capacity to London Heathrow by 3,584 seats a week, inbound and outbound.Air India currently operates 31x weekly to London Heathrow from Delhi and Mumbai. Air India will continue to operate 12x weekly flights to London Gatwick from four Indian cities, namely Ahmedabad, Amritsar, Goa, and Kochi.

Delhi, October 11, 2024: Bharat Drone Association, India’s largest drone industry body with over 400 members that includes Drone Manufacturers, Service Providers, RPTOs, Industry Experts, Data Processing Centres and other AI & ML start-ups with a presence in 20 states, today announced its collaboration with the Andhra Pradesh Drones Corporation (APDC) as a ‘Technology Partner’ for the Amaravati Drone Summit 2024. The Amaravati Drone Summit 2024 scheduled to be held on October 22nd and 23rd, 2024, in Amaravati, Andhra Pradesh. An undertaking of the Government of Andhra Pradesh under the Infrastructure and Investment Department, the Amaravati Drone Summit is a national-level event organized by APDC. The platform is set to position Andhra Pradesh as a hub for Drone System Design and Manufacturing (DSDM) and Drone Enabled Technology and Services (DeTS). Bharat Drone Association is actively working with thought leaders and industry stakeholders to foster a sustainable UAV (Unmanned Aerial Vehicle) ecosystem in the country. As Technology Partners, Bharat Drone Association will contribute its expertise to build upon the summit’s success and further drive innovation in the drone industry. President of Bharat Drone Association, Retired Ex-Serviceman from Indian Army, Major Ganesan said, “We are honoured to collaborate with the Andhra Pradesh Drones Corporation for the Amaravati Drone Summit 2024. Our partnership underscores our shared commitment to advancing the UAV industry in India and leveraging drone technology to address critical societal and industrial challenges. The summit presents an excellent opportunity to showcase cutting-edge solutions and foster meaningful dialogue among industry leaders.” Bharat Drone Association held the Har Ghar Tiranga campaign with Former Civil Aviation Minister Shri Jyotiraditya Scindia on August 15th 2023. It was also instrumental in advocating for Drone policy which lead to the Government introducing several progressive government schemes & initiatives like PLI, Loan for Drones, SMAM Subsidies & Namo Drone Didi Scheme. The Amaravati Drone Summit 2024 will bring together key stakeholders from across the drone industry, including government officials, technology innovators, and industry leaders, to explore the future of drones in India. The event will highlight advancements in drone technology, industry trends, and opportunities for collaboration.

Mumbai,8th October 2024: As one of the busiest single-runway airports in the world, Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (CSMIA) prides itself for safe, secure and efficient operations, owing to carefully planned and executed runway maintenance works all through the year. As a part of CSMIA’s comprehensive post-monsoon runway maintenance plan, the cross runways – RWY 09/27 and RWY 14/32 will be temporarily non-operational on 17th October 2024, from 1100 hrs to 1700 hrs IST. This scheduled temporary closure is a part of CSMIA’s annual post-monsoon preventive maintenance plan. A Notice to Airmen (NOTAM) has also been duly issued in this regard six months in advance. The primary objective of this planned closure is to carry out essential repair and maintenance activities that ensure that the airport’s infrastructure meets global standards. This annual practice of post-monsoon runway maintenance is part of the series of activities undertaken with precision and meticulous effort, ensuring operational continuity and passenger safety, thus imbibing the safety first approach at the core of airside operations. Flight schedules have been coordinated well in advance, in collaboration with key stakeholders, to ensure seamless operations and smooth execution of the post-monsoon runway maintenance.

Kuala Lumpur, 1st October 2024: Preliminary August 2024 traffic figures released today by the Association of Asia Pacific Airlines (AAPA) revealed robust growth in international air passenger demand, even as traffic volumes approached pre-pandemic levels. On the back of the region’s resilient economic growth, Asia Pacific airlines collectively carried 32.3 million international passengers in August, reflecting a 21.7% year-on-year increase compared to the same month last year. Traffic in the region had nearly resumed to pre-pandemic levels, at 96.1% of 2019 volumes. Demand in revenue passenger kilometres (RPK) increased by 20.7% while available seat capacity expanded by 19.7% year-on-year, leading to a 0.7 percentage point increase in the average international passenger load factor to 83.2% for the month. Despite signs of moderation in the broader manufacturing sector, the surge in e-commerce demand out of the major manufacturing hubs in the region drove air cargo volumes higher. International air cargo demand, as measured in freight tonne kilometres (FTK), recorded a 12.2% year-on-year increase, outpacing the 10.4% expansion in offered freight capacity. As a result, the average international freight load factor rose by 0.9 percentage points to 59.6% for the month, marking the fourth consecutive monthly increase after more than two years in decline. Commenting on the results, Mr. Subhas Menon, AAPA Director General said, “During the first eight months of the year, the region’s carriers saw a 36% growth in the number of international passengers carried reaching a total of 240 million, boosted by increased air connectivity and less restrictive visa policies.” “During the same period, international air cargo demand surged by 15% year-on-year, driven by several key factors, including a thriving e-commerce sector. Disruptions in ocean freight logistics also encouraged modal shifts from sea to air, as businesses sought faster and more reliable transport alternatives.” Looking ahead, Mr. Menon said, “Supported by ongoing expansions in connectivity, travel demand is expected to remain healthy on routes within and across the regions. Similarly, the outlook for air cargo markets is positive, with businesses replenishing inventories in preparation for the year-end festive season.” Mr. Menon added, “Nevertheless, persistent supply chain disruptions continue to pose challenges to the region’s carriers. Delays in aircraft deliveries, shortages of spare parts and lack of skilled labour have heightened operational pressures, contributing to flight disruptions, further increasing costs. Faced with such external pressures, airlines are carefully managing flight frequencies and schedules, without compromising the industry’s excellent safety standards.”