30 Oct 2019

India Aviation Industry Newsletter 30 October

Air India paints Ik Onkar on tail of plane to mark 550th birthday of Guru Nanak Air India has painted "Ik Onkar" on one of its Boeing 787 Dreamliner to mark the 550th birthday of Guru Nanak. Punjab CM Captain Amarinder Singh on Monday tweeted photos of the aircraft and appreciated Air India's move. Ek Onkar means "God is One". The symbol is an emblem of the Sikh religion and is found on Gurdwaras (Sikh temples) around the world. Air India CMD Ashwani Lohani said that there was a demand to launch a direct flight from Amritsar to London and it was a good opportunity to launch it on the 550th Guru Purab. AirAsia India to increase fleet size to 29 by year-end, says COO Sanjay Kumar AirAsia India will increase its fleet size to 29 aircraft by December-end, as it aims to increase frequencies to metro cities and prune unprofitable routes in the upcoming winter schedule, said Sanjay Kumar, chief operating officer of the airline. The directorate general of civil aviation (DGCA) has approved the operation of 1,345 departures every week by AirAsia India in the upcoming winter schedule between 27 October 2019 and 28 March 2020. DGCA orders carriers Airbus A320Neo engines India's civil aviation regulator has ordered domestic carriers IndiGo and GoAir to modify some of their Airbus A320neo aircraft fitted with Pratt & Whitney engines, linked to in-flight shutdowns, within 15 days to avoid their grounding. IndiGo planes fitted with Pratt & Whitney 1100 series engines that have clocked more than 2,900 hours must have at least one modified engine, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) said in a statement. Ethiopian Expands its Service in India Adding Bengaluru in Its Network Ethiopian Airlines has launched a new four times week service to Bengaluru from 27 October. The capital of the Indian state of Karnataka, Bengaluru is dubbed ‘Silicon Valley of India’ and serves as the centre of technology and innovation. Group CEO of Ethiopian Airlines, Mr Tewolde GebreMariam said “Ethiopian Airlines is a significant player in connecting India and Africa and beyond. The new four weekly flights will connect the important ICT hub city of Bengaluru to the ever-expanding Ethiopian network in addition to our twice-daily flights each to the commercial city of Mumbai and the Capital New Delhi. The flights will also complement our existing dedicated freighter flights to/from Bengaluru.” Government needs to lower taxes on Indian aviation sector, make it more competitive: Ajay Singh, SpiceJet chief Emphasizing the need for a holistic approach, SpiceJet chief Ajay Singh has called for lowering of taxes on the aviation sector to make it more competitive as well as ensure that the costs are in line with the peers. The Chairman and Managing Director of the budget carrier, which is expanding rapidly, also said that MRO (Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul) is an area where India can be doing exceedingly well. IndiGo signs for 300 A320neo Family aircraft IndiGo has placed a firm order for 300 A320neo Family aircraft, making it one of Airbus’ largest aircraft orders ever with a single airline operator. This latest IndiGo order comprises a mix of A320neo, A321neo and A321XLR aircraft. This will take IndiGo’s total number of A320neo Family aircraft orders to 730. “This order is an important milestone, as it reiterates our mission of strengthening air connectivity in India, which will in turn boost economic growth and mobility. India is expected to continue with its strong aviation growth and we are well on our way to build the world’s best air transportation system, to serve more customers and deliver on our promise of providing low fares and a courteous, hassle free experience to them," said Ronojoy Dutta, Chief Executive Officer of IndiGo. SpiceJet to set up hub in Ras Al Khaimah SpiceJet will begin flights to Ras Al-Khaimah this December after striking a deal on plans to create an "aviation hub" at the UAE airport. In a brief stock market market announcement, SpiceJet says it has entered an MoU with the airport operator to "co-operate, develop and promote tourism" in Ras Al-Khaimah in the UAE. The SpiceJet aircraft based in the UAE will temporarily be serviced by Boeing’s 737 Next Generation jets, though the airline plans to later deploy Boeing 737 Max aircraft once they are allowed to operate again. It says it will work towards creating an aviation hub at the airport reported FlightGlobal 25 October. Acumen Aviation © 30 October 2019 All Rights Reserved.