Category Archives: Aviation

On 1 May, German taxes on flying increased by 19% to between EUR 15.53 and EUR 70.83 per passenger, depending on the route. The tax will make Germany less competitive in key economic areas such as exports, tourism, and jobs. It will further affect Germany’s air transport recovery from the pandemic, which is one of the slowest in the EU. Germany’s international passenger numbers, for example, are still 20% below pre-pandemic levels.

According to CAPA India, Delhi Airport is the largest airport in India and one of the ten-largest in the world, handling 74mn passengers in FY2024. The airport has the potential to become a major hub given its extensive terminal and runway infrastructure, well-developed airport hotel capacity, and favourable geographic location. Delhi is an asset of GMR Airports, the longest established and largest private operator in the country by passengers handled, whose portfolio includes four operating airports and one under development in India, as well as overseas projects in Greece, Indonesia and the Philippines.

As per CAPA India, almost 250 narrowbody aircraft are likely to be deployed on routes up to 5 to 7 hours range from India. This would be 2.5 times the current deployment of aircraft. This expansion will create significant network deployment and strategic challenges for airlines to be able to find sufficient markets for such capacity.

Ankit Hakhu, Director, CRISIL Ratings, said, “Taking off from the strong base of last fiscal, passenger traffic growth will continue its momentum in fiscal 2025 and rise more than 10% to over 415 million. Continuing economic growth, opening of more airports and improving regional connectivity are providing the tailwinds necessary for domestic traffic growth.”

Kapil Kaul, CEO & Director, CAPA India, speaking at the webinar titled ‘Outlook for Widebody Aircraft in India’ has said that India will need approximately an additional 60 widebody aircraft, targeting a 30% market share. “By FY2032, the long and ultra-long haul market is projected to require the deployment of around 300 widebodies,” he added.

According to CAPA India, the combination of India’s outbound potential, supplemented by other South Asian countries as extension markets and the opportunity to capture intercontinental transfer traffic via Indian hubs, makes this arguably one of the most exciting long-haul markets in the world. Indian carriers currently only have around 65 widebodies (of which some are not operational). In contrast, the ME carriers have close to 500 widebodies, of which more than 250 are with Emirates alone. As a result, 6th freedom carriers accounted for the dominant share of long-haul traffic (64%) and ultra-long-haul traffic (80%) to/from India prior to the pandemic.

Domestic aviation in India is witnessing an unprecedented growth of 4,71,751 passengers and 6,128 flights  on 21 April, 2024 as compared to 21 April last year, which was 4,28,389 and 5,899, respectively. As more people gain access to air travel, the sector is expected to continue its upward trajectory, revealed DGCA.

• Flights to Oradea, a precious hidden gem for city trippers, commence on 3 June • Athens returns to the network of LOT Polish Airlines LOT Polish Airlines, a member of Star Alliance and a leading airline in Central and Eastern Europe, continues its strategy of sustainable growth and adds two more European destinations to its global network. Flights to Oradea in Romania start on 3 June, while LOT Polish Airlines has now celebrated its comeback in Athens. Oradea is a Romanian city near the border to Hungary which can be described as a hidden gem for city trippers. It is steeped in history with roots reaching back to the ancient Romans and with fantastic architecture from the epochs of baroque and Art Nouveau. LOT Polish Airlines operates four times per week from its global hub in Warsaw to Oradea effective 3 June 2024. This service will be operated by Embraer E170 and E175 aircraft. From Delhi to Oradea in less than 12 hours  Travellers from India, who want to explore an amazing destination, which has not yet been discovered by many tourists, and therefore plan to include Oradea in their European itinerary, can even start their adventure there – thanks to the convenient flight service from LOT Polish Airlines from Delhi via Warsaw: Every Monday and Saturday, departure from Delhi at 8:00h, arrival in Oradea at 17:00h local time the same day; 11:30 hours total travel time including 100 minutes stopover in Warsaw Daily service between Warsaw and Athens A destination not be missed on a roundtrip through Europe is Athens and LOT Polish Airlines has now returned to the Greek capital. The Polish carrier is flying daily between …

As per ICRA’s latest report, the domestic air passenger traffic is estimated at ~154 million for FY2024, which represents a YoY growth of ~13%, in line with ICRA’s estimates. Further, the domestic air passenger traffic in FY2024 has surpassed the pre-Covid levels of ~142 million in FY2020 as well. Data also shows that the domestic aviation industry operated at a passenger load factor of ~90% in March 2024, against ~88% in March 2023 and ~89% in February 2024.

Finnair, the national airline of Finland, is pleased to announce the appointment of Anupam Vig as the new General Manager for India, effective January 1, 2024. Anupam Vig is a dynamic professional with over two decades of experience in the airline industry. His expertise lies in developing and implementing innovative sales strategies that drive growth and expand market presence. Throughout his career, Anupam has demonstrated a deep understanding of industry dynamics and consumer behavior, consistently delivering results by identifying business opportunities. His leadership will help further Finnair’s goal of providing top-notch service and connectivity to customers traveling from India to Finland and Nordic destinations. “I am delighted to have Anupam Vig lead our team in India. India continues to be an important market for Finnair,” says Jenni Suomela, Vice President, Global Sales and Channel Management, Finnair. “I am honored and excited to take on the role of General Manager for Finnair in India. Finnair, as a 100-year-old airline, has a rich legacy of providing exceptional service, and I am committed to contributing to its continued success and strengthening Finnair’s position as a preferred choice for travellers across India”, says Anupam Vig. Finnair India’s outgoing General Manager, Sakari Romu, has been instrumental in Finnair’s success in the region. As he takes on the role of General Manager for Japan, Finnair expresses gratitude for his contributions and welcomes Anupam Vig to lead the airline in India.