15 Mar 2021

India Aviation Industry Newsletter 15 March

Air Seychelles to resume flights to Mumbai in April Air Seychelles will resume passenger flights from Seychelles to India’s largest city and financial centre, Mumbai after one year of absence on the route with effect from 7th April. The twice weekly flights to be operated by the airline’s A320neo aircraft of 154 Economy and 12 Business Class seats, follows the air bubble agreement between India and the Seychelles allowing the two countries to operate commercial passenger services. Bengaluru airport launches India’s first dedicated express cargo terminal The Bengaluru airport launched India’s first dedicated Express Cargo Terminal, exclusively for export and import of international couriers. The Express cargo terminal developed by Bangalore International Airport Limited (BIAL) at the 200,000 sq.ft. built-to-suit facility will house leading global express courier organisations such as DHL Express and FedEx Express. CEO & MD Hari Marar Bangalore International Airport Limited (BIAL) said “BLR Airport is well on track towards becoming a cargo hub, offering world-class infrastructure, powered by leading global logistics providers. With express courier gaining greater significance following the exponential growth of e-commerce, the Express Cargo Terminal at BLR Airport is a significant step towards supporting and driving this growth. In addition, it will facilitate trade and faster movement of goods across the world.” India Now Has 325 Operational Air Routes Under RCS-UDAN Scheme in 4 Years Since Launch India has till date operationalised 325 air routes under the regional connectivity scheme ‘Ude Desh Ka Aam Nagrik’ or RCS-UDAN. The scheme was launched in 2016. The Bareilly airport has been upgraded for commercial flight operations under the RCS-UDAN. It is the 56th airport under the scheme. More staff, planes & routes: Vistara, SpiceJet, IndiGo are slowly rebuilding their air ‘power’ India’s aviation industry is slowly bouncing back with private airlines now starting to recruit staff again, expanding their fleet and introducing new routes. Low-cost carriers SpiceJet and IndiGo, and full-service carrier Vistara have commenced hiring again. Moreover, these airlines have started new routes, particularly in smaller Indian cities, and have also increased their fleet size. Chief Commercial Officer SpiceJet Shilpa Bhatia said “We are delighted to further expand our domestic operations and add 66 new flights to our network for the start of this summer schedule. As the country's largest regional operator, the new flights further reiterate our commitment towards enhancing regional connectivity, besides offering unique connections to many leisure destinations.” SpiceJet to add 66 new flights to domestic network from 28 March SpiceJet announced it will add 66 new flights, including additional services on certain routes, in its domestic network effective from 28th March. These new flights, which will be operated with Boeing 737s and regional jet Bombardier Q400s, are aimed at augmenting connectivity between metro and non-metro cities as part of its enhanced network. UDAN 4.1 Launched bids for over 392 routes under regional air connectivity scheme The civil aviation ministry has invited bids for around 392 routes under the regional air connectivity scheme. In a statement the Ministry of Civil Aviation said "The UDAN 4.1 round is focused on connecting smaller airports, along with special helicopter and seaplane routes. In addition to these, some new routes have been proposed under the Sagaramala Seaplane Services in consultation with the Ministry of Ports, Shipping, and Waterways." Acumen Aviation © 15 March 2021 All Rights Reserved.