Recent News

Bengaluru, 26th December 2025: Building on our commitment to continuously enhancing the passenger experience, we have been consistently taking stock of passenger and stakeholder feedback to further improve the arrival and kerbside pick-up experience at BLR Airport. As part of this effort, we have extended the free parking duration at Terminal 1 arrival pick-up areas P3 and P4 from 10 minutes to 15 minutes. This enhancement is designed to provide greater ease and flexibility for passengers and their families, while supporting smoother traffic flow and a more seamless arrival experience. • Effective From:26 December 2025 To further ease passenger movement and enhance the arrival experience, passengers can choose between a fleet of shuttles (every 7 mins), 6 cars, and 10 buggies operating to and from the P3/P4 pick-up areas. This ensures convenient, frequent, and assisted movement for passengers.

Delhi, 24 December 2025: Air India has announced the resumption of its non-stop flights between Delhi and Rome (FCO), marking Air India’s return to the Italian capital after nearly six years and further expansion of its growing European network. Air India’s services to Rome had remained suspended since the COVID-19 pandemic. Beginning 25 March 2026, Air India will operate four times a week between Delhi and Rome (Leonardo da Vinci International Airport – Fiumicino), just in time for guests travelling from India to plan their springtime travels or summer holidays in Europe. Travellers from Italy will not only have more choice for direct access to the Indian capital, but also for seamless connections to Southeast Asia through Air India’s growing global gateway at Delhi. The service to/from Rome will operate on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays on Air India’s Boeing 787-8 aircraft, featuring 18 flat beds in Business Class and 238 seats in Economy Class, combining comfort, convenience and the warmth of Indian hospitality. Nipun Aggarwal, Chief Commercial Officer, Air India, said: “Connecting India to more of the world remains one of our top priorities. India and Italy share deep-rooted commonalities in culture, business and trade, which makes Rome a natural addition to Air India’s expanding network. This non-stop service not only augments direct connectivity between the two capital cities but also offers travellers from Italy greater choice and seamless onward connections via our Delhi hub to vibrant destinations across the Indian Subcontinent and Southeast Asia.” Ivan Bassato, Chief Aviation Officer, Aeroporti di Roma, said: “The resumption of Air India’s services to Rome, with direct flights to Delhi, marks a strategically important development that reinforces expectations of continued growth in long-haul markets in 2026. This new service addresses growing demand across key traffic segments, further strengthening economic and cultural ties between Italy and India and broadening opportunities for exchange between the two countries”. Italy is one of India’s largest trading partners in Europe, and passenger traffic between the two countries continues to rise, supported by a large Indian community in Italy and growing interest among Indian travellers in Italian art, history, cuisine, and experiences. Air India’s flights to Rome are timed to offer convenient connections via Delhi to destinations such as Bangkok, Colombo, Ho Chi Minh City, Kathmandu, Kuala Lumpur, Manila, Phuket and Singapore.

Mumbai, 18 December 2025: Mumbai’s Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (CSMIA) recorded a robust passenger traffic performance in November 2025, handling over 48.88 lakh passengers during the month. The strong showing was driven by sustained festive and winter travel demand, supported by extensive domestic and international connectivity. CSMIA set its top three single-day passenger traffic records in November, surpassing previous highs on November 15, 22 and 29, 2025. The airport registered its highest-ever single-day passenger volume of 1.76 lakh passengers on November 29, reflecting continued growth across travel segments. During November 2025, CSMIA facilitated approximately 27,960 air traffic movements, carrying over 3.4 million domestic passengers, while international routes accounted for more than 1.4 million passengers. Among international destinations, Dubai emerged as the busiest route with 2,09,714 passengers, followed by London Heathrow (1,12,043) and Abu Dhabi (1,00,284). On the domestic front, Delhi remained the top sector with 6,09,646 passengers, followed by Bengaluru (4,36,301) and Chennai (2,07,692). On 29 November, of the total 1.76 lakh passengers, approximately 1.22 lakh were domestic travellers, while over 54,000 were international passengers. This milestone followed shortly after CSMIA recorded its highest-ever daily air traffic movements of 1,036 on 21 November 2025, highlighting strong operational preparedness during peak travel periods. International routes with the highest passenger volumes on November 29 included Dubai (7,200 passengers), London Heathrow (4,766), Abu Dhabi (3,213), Singapore (3,054) and Doha (2,369). On the domestic network, key destinations such as Delhi (22,703), Bengaluru (11,565), Chennai (7,578), Kolkata (6,667) and Hyderabad (6,507) recorded strong demand. As one of India’s busiest and best-connected airports, CSMIA continues to accommodate rising passenger volumes while ensuring seamless operations during high-traffic periods. The airport’s strong performance in November 2025 reaffirms Mumbai’s position as a preferred domestic and international gateway, well-equipped to meet growing travel demand in the months ahead.

Gurugram, 17 December 2025: Samtel Avionics has secured Rs 75 Crore in growth funding from True North Private Credit, the home-grown private equity firm. The funding will fuel Samtel Avionics growth and expansion plans to deliver diversified solutions across critical sectors like defence, aerospace, railways, satellites, and unmanned systems. The investment also includes a green shoe option of Rs 140 Crore, enabling additional capital infusion as the company scales. The capital will be deployed to accelerate research and development, expand manufacturing capacity, and drive adoption of advanced indigenous technologies for mission-critical applications. On the development, Puneet Kaura, MD & CEO, Samtel Avionics said, “Securing this investment from True North Private Credit marks a pivotal moment in our growth journey. It not only validates our technological capabilities but also reinforces our commitment towards building world-class, indigenous solutions for mission-critical applications across defence, aerospace, and emerging domains like satellites and unmanned systems (UAVs). This support would further strengthen our ability to scale rapidly, deepen our R&D efforts, and significantly contribute towards India’s self-reliance and technological leadership.” Kapil Singhal, MD, Private Credit of True North, said, “Samtel Avionics has established exceptional engineering capabilities in defence avionics, built on visionary leadership and disciplined management. We are excited to partner with a founder-led business well-positioned to drive India’s defence modernisation.We believe that next decade will offer significantgrowth opportunities to Samtel with GoI’s focus on indigenisation and modernisation of defence capabilities. We are also excited by Samtel’s strategic entry into Railways with huge domestic and export opportunity driven by quality and global cost competitiveness. This investment reaffirms True North’s solutions-oriented approach in partnering with quality founders and well governed businesses to support growth.” Samtel Avionics is the provider of advanced and rugged electronic systems for defence, aerospace, and railways and offers end-to-end capabilities spanning design, development, manufacturing, testing, and lifecycle support for mission-critical platforms.

New Delhi, 10th December 2025: As the winter season starts in India, SriLankan Airlines has announced that it is working closely with tourism stakeholders and continues to ensure reliable access from India. Visitors can travel and enjoy the island’s warmth, hospitality and rich diversity this season. SriLankan Airlines, together with hotels, tour operators and essential travel services, is operating steadily with strong support from tourism authorities, offering exceptional connectivity, convenience and unforgettable experiences for every traveller. The airline operates regular services from the nine Indian cities of Chennai, Mumbai, Delhi, Hyderabad, Bengaluru, Kochi, Trivandrum, Madurai and Tiruchirappalli, with nearly 90-weekly flights. This year, Indian tourists accounted for 22% of all inbound traffic to Sri Lanka, with nearly 500,000 visitors arriving between January and the first week of December. SriLankan’s overall network covers 120 destinations worldwide through online and codeshare operations, ensuring smooth onward travel from Colombo to the Maldives, the Far East, Europe, Australia and the Middle East for leisure trips, family visits, weddings, MICE travel and short-break holidays. Dimuthu Tennakoon, Head of Commercial at SriLankan Airlines, stated, “December and January are among the best months to visit Sri Lanka, with ideal weather for beach vacations and exploring the Cultural Triangle. It is also peak wildlife season, offering excellent opportunities for blue whale watching in Mirissa, alongside the colourful festive atmosphere in Colombo. Our teams are fully prepared to support travellers with consistent, convenient service, whether they are planning a short getaway or longer stay.” Asoka Hettigoda, President of The Hotels Association of Sri Lanka, added: “Sri Lanka’s tourism industry continues to welcome travellers, especially our friends from India, with its renowned warmth and hospitality. Currently, all hotels along the coastal belt from Marawila to Pasikuda, as well as those in Colombo, Kandy, the Cultural Triangle and Nuwara Eliya, are operating smoothly, with 25,000 tourists presently enjoying their stay on the island.”

New Delhi, 7th December 2025: Current Operational Status The Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) has taken rapid and decisive steps to address the disruption caused by the recent IndiGo operational crisis and to ensure that passengers do not face continued inconvenience. Air travel operations across the country are stabilising at a fast pace. All other domestic airlines are operating smoothly and at full capacity, while IndiGo’s performance has shown steady improvement today, with flight schedules moving back towards normal levels. IndiGo’s flight operations have increased from 706 on 05.12.25 to 1,565 on 06.12.25 and are likely to reach up to 1,650 by the end of today. Airfare Regulation to Prevent Overcharging In light of recent cancellations leading to a shift in demand and temporary surge in airfares, the Ministry intervened and introduced a cap on airfares with immediate effect. This measure ensures fairness and affordability for travellers. Since the implementation of this order, fare levels across affected routes have moderated to acceptable limits. All airlines have been instructed to comply strictly with the revised fare structure. Passenger Refunds and Rescheduling Support To ensure financial protection for passengers, the Ministry issued strict directives to IndiGo requiring that all refunds for cancelled or severely delayed flights be completed by 8:00 PM today. IndiGo has so far processed refunds totalling ₹610 crore. No additional fees are permitted for rescheduling travel impacted by cancellations. Dedicated support cells have been created to proactively assist passengers so that refund and rebooking issues are resolved without delay or inconvenience. Baggage Reconciliation and Delivery The Ministry has also instructed IndiGo to trace and deliver all baggage separated from passengers due to disruptions within 48 hours. Continuous communication is mandated throughout the process. With this push, IndiGo has successfully delivered 3,000 pieces of baggage to passengers across India as of yesterday. Airport Operations and On-Ground Facilitation Airport Directors from Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Chennai, Hyderabad, Ahmedabad, and Goa have confirmed normal conditions across terminals today. Passenger movement remains smooth with no crowding at check-in, security, or boarding points. On-ground support has been strengthened through enhanced monitoring and timely deployment of assistance by airport operators and CISF. Real-Time Monitoring and Control Measures The MoCA’s 24×7 Control Room continues to function as an integrated coordination hub, overseeing flight operations, airport conditions, and passenger support requirements. Passenger calls are being promptly attended to, with necessary assistance as required. Our teams remain deployed on the ground to supervise operational planning, crew rostering, and passenger handling standards, ensuring full compliance. Reassurance to Passengers The Ministry of Civil Aviation wishes to reassure the travelling public that passenger safety, convenience, and dignity remain the highest priority of the Government of India. The aviation network is moving swiftly toward full normalcy, and all corrective measures will remain in place until operations stabilize entirely. The Ministry will continue vigilant monitoring to ensure full protection of passenger rights and interests, and further updates will be shared as required. (Source: PIB/MOCA)

Panaji, 6th December 2025: In response to the challenges faced by stranded passengers who have been unable to find timely travel options in wake of the ongoing constraints in the aviation sector, regional airline FLY91 has introduced extra flights between Hyderabad and Goa over the next three days to help travellers reach their destinations. These flights are being operated to ensure continued access between the two destinations at a time when many passengers are struggling to secure seats on the sector. The additional services will operate as a daily round trip, with flight IC 7001 departing Hyderabad at 2030 hrs and arriving in Goa at 2210 hrs, followed by IC 7002 departing Goa at 2235 hrs and landing in Hyderabad shortly after midnight at 0015 hrs. With Hyderabad and Goa serving as important metro and regional access points, respectively, the enhanced frequency aims to support both leisure and business travellers who rely on consistent services between the two destinations. Manoj Chacko, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer at FLY91, said: “We understand how difficult this period has been for travellers. By operating these extra services, we are helping in our own way to ensure that people can continue their journeys with confidence. Our focus is on being there for passengers when they need options the most.”

New Delhi, 6th December 2025: MoCA invokes its regulatory powers to ensure fair and reasonable fares across all affected routes The Ministry of Civil Aviation has taken serious note of concerns regarding unusually high airfares being charged by certain airlines during the ongoing disruption. In order to protect passengers from any form of opportunistic pricing, the Ministry has invoked its regulatory powers to ensure fair and reasonable fares across all affected routes. An official directive has been issued to all airlines mandating strict adherence to the fare caps that have now been prescribed. These caps will remain in force until the situation fully stabilises. The objective of this directive is to maintain pricing discipline in the market, prevent any exploitation of passengers in distress, and ensure that citizens who urgently need to travel — including senior citizens, students, and patients — are not subjected to financial hardship during this period. The Ministry will continue to closely monitor fare levels through real-time data and active coordination with airlines and online travel platforms. Any deviation from the prescribed norms will attract immediate corrective action in the larger public interest. Courtesy: PIB/MOCA