Category Archives: Aviation

FLY91, a pure play regional airline in India, is thrilled to announce the addition of Agatti and Jalgaon to its domestic network. The Goa based carrier will commence operations between Goa-Agatti-Goa, Goa-Jalgaon-Goa and Hyderabad-Jalgaon-Hyderabad, starting April 18, 2024. The new routes will establish direct connectivity between these vibrant destinations, offering travelers enhanced accessibility, increased flight options. With fares starting at Rs 4391, the Goa-Agatti flights will reinforce connectivity to and from the Lakshadweep Islands. The regional carrier will fly to Agatti on Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Sunday. FLY91 will operate the Goa – Jalgaon – Goa and Hyderabad-Jalgaon-Hyderabad flights on Monday, Thursday and Saturday with fares starting at Rs 1991 onwards. Commenting on the addition of the airline’s fifth and sixth domestic destinations, Manoj Chacko, MD and CEO at FLY91 said “We are delighted to introduce Lakshadweep, India’s enchanting Union Territory, as FLY91’s newest domestic destination. The breathtaking natural landscapes, pristine sandy beaches, and rich biodiversity are certain to captivate travelers, inviting them to explore the untouched beauty of the island chain. The launch of these new flights underscores FLY91’s commitment to expanding air travel accessibility and promoting tourism. As a leading regional carrier, we are dedicated to delivering affordable and seamless travel experiences.” The addition of Agatti and Jalgaon as domestic sectors in FLY91’s network coincides with the domestic summer holiday season. Agatti Island, one of Lakshadweep’s most sought-after destinations, boasts a 6 km stretch of stunning land blessed with diverse marine life. Agatti attracts enthusiasts of deep-sea fishing, scuba diving, sailing, water skiing, and kayaking. Additionally, the island serves as an ideal starting point for exploring the tranquil isles of Bangaram, Pitti, Thinnakara, Parali-I, and Parali-II, Karavati islands …

According to RBI, “40 scheduled banks have cumulatively doubled their lending to the aviation sector in January at ₹45,076 crore, as against ₹23,407 crore three years ago. Investments from other sources stood at ₹27,824 crore in January 2023, up 62% year-on-year, and continued to rise gradually during FY24. Industry analysts attribute this surge in investments to the following factors, among others.”

After facing significant flight disruptions recently, Vistara CEO Vinod Kannan, said, “Vistara has cut 10% of its flights until May 24 to stabilise operations with its on-time performance increasing to 89% on April 9, 2024.” He added that things could have been planned better but it has been a learning experience.

Indian aviation industry is set to scale new heights. According to a recent report by ICRA, 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.

With age no barrier, Chinese women are spreading their wings and spending big on travel. They are now taking the driver’s seat in making travel decisions and seeking personalised experiences. We look at some of their travel behaviours and the segments that are taking a lead on this.   Women overtake men According to a 2024 Women’s Travel Consumer Insight Report released by the online travel agency Trip.com Group, average annual per capita travel expenditure for women exceeded that of men by nearly 8% in the past year. The report was based on the analysis of data recorded between Feb 20, 2023 and Feb 20, 2024. The spending power of Chinese women for travel is evident, with significant growth momentum seen in lower-tier markets.   Travelling for festivals Many women are booking flights to celebrate festivals in various parts of the world for that immersive cultural experience and to soak in the local folk customs and festival atmosphere. For example, they are travelling to Nepal for Holi festival, also known as the festival of colors, and Chiangmai in Thailand to join a lantern celebration. This new wave of Chinese women travellers are now travelling to a dozen destinations at home and abroad every year on an average.   Non-business travel They also travel for non-business reasons. The report said that middle-aged women born in the 1970s and 1980s accounted for 62.2% of the female travelers and were by far the main force when it comes to consumption, the report showed. Young women born in the 1990s and 2000s accounted for 28.5% of tourism spending, indicating their emerging potential as consumers. While the older generation born in the 1950s and 1960s …

Sharing his perspective on the significant shift in airline strategy worldwide, Gavin Eccles, Managing Partner, GE Consulting & Advisory, said, “Pre-Covid, airlines’ strategic vision was managing costs. Now, it is all about personalisation. It is clear, the industry has become very much commoditized, or, as marketers might say, the industry suffers from parity – no real differences. Well of course, if you spent most of the time between 2015 and 2019, reducing costs, by default, you are taking out the difference.”

Air India partners with Bangalore International Airport (BIAL) to develop Bengaluru as a premier aviation hub for Southern India. The MoU will generate over 1,200 new job opportunities for highly skilled individuals in the state. Bengaluru is highly attractive as a destination market as well as a connecting hub.

Talking about the lack of direct flight connectivity from Kolkata to European countries, Manoj Saraf, Managing Director, Gainwell Travel & Leisure, said, “TAAI and TAFI along with the State Govt are trying to get direct flights into Europe and UK. There is some hope that Air India may start Kolkata-London nonstop flights later this year.”

Recently, Nishant Kashikar, Country Manager – India & Gulf, Tourism Australia, shared, “We have 3 times more direct aviation capacity on India-Australia route as compared to pre-COVID. So, from 8 flights per week from 2019 we have almost 28 flights per week between India and Australia with Qantas, Air India and Singapore Airlines.”

With FY2024 closing, CAPA India has released preliminary figures for actual full-year traffic. Domestic traffic reached an estimated 153.4mn pax, compared with our projection of 160mn at the start of the year, and 155mn in our mid-year update. International traffic reached an estimated 69.7mn pax, compared with our projection of 72-74mn at the start of the year, and 70mn in our mid-year update. Both domestic and international traffic volumes exceeded their pre-COVID highs (which were actually set in FY2019) for the first time.