Category Archives: Aviation

The SriLankan Airlines’ Mumbai team, in collaboration with the airline’s Maldives team and Canareef Resort, recently hosted a successful agents’ educational tour to the stunning Gan Island in the Maldives. Famed as a diver’s hotspot, Gan is rapidly transforming into a popular family holiday destination in the Maldives, celebrated for its eclectic mix of natural beauty, rich history, heritage and vibrant marine life – not to mention a lower departure tax than in the Male international airport. The tour welcomed tour operators from Mumbai and Pune, offering them an unforgettable stay in Canareef’s luxurious Premium Beach Villas. The itinerary included snorkelling in vibrant coral reefs, dolphin-spotting excursions, sunset cruises, rejuvenating spa treatments featuring traditional Balinese massages, yoga amidst lush greenery and the delightful flavours of Maldivian cuisine. This initiative is part of SriLankan Airlines’ strategy to boost tourism along the Mumbai–Gan Island route via Colombo. The tour’s success is expected to inspire renewed interest among Indian travellers in visiting the Maldives by choosing SriLankan Airlines’ seamless connections through Colombo. SriLankan conveniently connects Mumbai, Delhi, Chennai, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Kochi, Trivandrum, Madurai and Thiruvananthapuram to Colombo with 90 weekly flights, offering immediate connections to the Maldives.  

Looking at the travel landscape in India, Mark Meehan, GVP & MD, Global Ops, Travelport, said, “Research indicates that Indian carriers will become increasingly relevant in the future, both in India and globally. Today, Indian airlines account for around 46% of international traffic in India. That’s up from around 35% from a pre-pandemic perspective.” He said, “Over 12.7 million international passengers travel in the April to June quarter. Indian airlines carry 8 million of those 12.7 million passengers. Growth drivers include fleet expansion by Air India and Indigo, with the latter looking at long-haul markets. Projections in India for 2028 is that international outbound travel will reach 39 million, nearly an 8% pay gap from 2024.”

Operations to commence on 10 January, 2025 IndiGo, India’s preferred airline, announced the addition of IndiGoStretch on its Delhi-Bengaluru route, with operations commencing on 10 January, 2025. A tailor-made business product for India’s busiest and business routes, by March 2025, IndiGoStretch will be available on all 15 daily flights between Delhi and Bengaluru. IndiGoStretch is already operational on the Delhi-Mumbai route. By early January 2025, all 20 daily flights between Delhi and Mumbai will be on an IndiGoStretch aircraft. Promising a relaxed and comfortable journey, IndiGoStretch customers can enjoy complimentary benefits like priority check-in, anytime boarding, advance seat selection, and zero convenience fee. They will also get additional baggage allowance starting from 30 kg (two bags) in check-in and one bag of 12 kg in the cabin. Pieter Elbers, Chief Executive Officer, IndiGo, said, “In line with our announcement to serve 12 Indian routes with our business class product, IndiGoStretch, we have added Delhi-Bengaluru as our second route. This follows the successful launch and positive customer feedback of IndiGoStretch on flights between Delhi and Mumbai. This initiative is another step towards our endeavour to provide greater comfort and accessibility to our customers. Soon, we will announce IndiGoStretch on flights between Delhi and Chennai.” IndiGoStretch is available for bookings on IndiGo’s direct channels as well as aggregator websites with tickets starting at ₹ 21000. It offers two-seat wide bay, specially curated healthy meal options by the Chefs at Oberoi Flight Services, and premium seats designed by RECARO. With a spacious pitch of 38 inches and a width of 21.3 inches, the seats feature a six-way adjustable headrest with neck support, a five inch deep recline for relaxation, electronic device holder, 60-watt …

Air India on Monday (9 December) confirmed that it has placed an order to purchase 100 more Airbus aircraft, comprising 10 widebody A350 and 90 narrowbody A320 family aircraft, including A321neo. These 100 new aircraft are in addition to the company’s orders of 470 aircraft that was placed with Airbus and Boeing last year.

KR Naidu, Civil Aviation Minister, Govt of India, after passing of Bharatiya Vayuyan Vidheyak 2024 in Rajya Sabha, said, “To strengthen airfare regulations, the govt has introduced new airfare regulations, requiring airlines to notify the DGCA about their ticket prices a month before implementation. The measures aim to curb pricing irregularities and promote affordability in air travel.”

As from the start of the 2025 season, the Hahnair logo will feature on the VCARB-02 mirrors Visa Cash App RB announces that from next year, it will enjoy a multiyear agreement with Hahnair, a leading executive charter airline, that joins the team as its Official Private Aviation Partner. With another 24 Grands Prix calendar on the way in 2025, all of it squeezed into just nine months, time saved travelling across continents is an important component of a team’s state of readiness to race. With a commitment to quality and attention to detail, Hahnair will play a critical role in optimising the team’s logistics throughout the season. Hahnair is renowned for its tailored charter flights that cater to the unique needs of its passengers, running a modern fleet, with the very latest technology ensuring maximum energy efficiency. As from 2025 it will use SAF (Sustainable Aviation Fuel) to further reduce its environmental footprint, aligning with Formula 1’s own investment in SAF as part of the sport’s commitment to reach Net Zero by 2030. “We are excited to partner with Hahnair as we navigate through this extensive racing calendar,” said Laurent Mekies, Team Principal, VCARB. “Their specialised services will greatly support our logistical capabilities, ensuring that our team operates at peak efficiency throughout the season.” Peter Bayer, CEO, VCARB further adds “The partnership will enable the Team to efficiently manage travel logistics, not only between races but also addressing the challenges posed by the distance between our aero engineers based in the UK and our factory in Italy.” “As we embark on this partnership with the VCARB Team, we look forward to providing exceptional travel solutions that meet their unique logistical demands,” said Daniel …

Kinjal Shah, Senior Vice President, Co-Group Head, ICRA has estimated a rise in domestic air passenger traffic to 164-170 million in FY2025, reflecting year-on-year growth of 7-10 per cent, while the international passenger traffic for Indian carriers will reach 34-36 million for the full year, representing a YoY growth of 15-20 per cent.

Turkish Airlines, the airline that flies to more countries than any other, has launched its longest flight with the addition of Sydney flights. The flag carrier landed on Sydney soil for the first time on 29th November, marking a monumental milestone as it expands to its second destination in Australia, reaching 351 destinations across six continents within its global network. Flight between Istanbul and Sydney will be operated with the airline’s new, modern fleet of Airbus A350-900 aircraft which is designed for long haul comfort with 32 flatbed seats in business class, and 297 recliners for economy travellers. Set to be operated four times a week via Kuala Lumpur, flights will take 19 hours with its 9,300-mile flight path. The new route will not only bolster the ties between Türkiye and Australia, driving growth in tourism, trade, and cultural exchange, but also provide Australian guests the flag carrier’s robust flight network, ensuring they can explore the world with the comfort and hospitality of Turkish Airlines. Following the launch of Turkish Airlines’ first flight from Melbourne in March this year, Sydney becomes the second Australian city added to flag carrier’s ever-expanding network. The inaugural flight sets the stage for Turkish Airlines’ future plans to introduce direct, non-stop services from Sydney to Istanbul, revolutionising travel between the two iconic travel destinations. On the arrival of the first aircraft in Sydney, Bilal Ekşi, CEO, Turkish Airlines stated, “This momentous occasion marks Turkish Airlines’ longest flight path in history, as we happily add our second Australian city to our flight network. The arrival of our first flight from Istanbul to Sydney represents our ongoing commitment to connect travellers across the globe, providing a seamless …

Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (CSMIA) has woven sustainability into every aspect of its operations, driven by a deep understanding of the environmental impact of modern air travel. Through initiatives in waste reduction, energy conservation, and resource management, CSMIA is setting a new benchmark in the Indian aviation industry—leading the way towards a cleaner and greener future in air travel. Minimising waste across operations At the core of CSMIA’s sustainability efforts is a powerful waste management system that has diverted 99.6 per cent of its waste from landfills. CSMIA has streamlined various initiatives to minimise waste across the operations: Waste Segregation and Recycling: A comprehensive waste management system includes waste segregation at source and safe disposal through authorised vendors across both commercial and cargo operations. Plastic Waste Reduction: CSMIA is a proud flag bearer of green initiatives in the Indian Aviation industry, under which Reverse Vending Machines (RVM) were installed to encourage passengers and the airport community to recycle plastic bottles by safely disposing them in RVM’s Organic Waste Management: Organic waste from food and beverage outlets is processed in an on-site composting facility, producing compost for landscaping. E-Waste Management: The airport has set up e-waste collection points for the proper collection of electronic waste generated within the airport. Mumbai Airport disposes all the e-waste via authorised vendors. Tissue-less toilets: To minimise paper waste, hand dryers have been installed in washrooms, significantly cutting tissue paper consumption. Through these innovative steps, CSMIA is creating cleaner, greener, and more sustainable airport experience. Engaging passengers in sustainability efforts A key part of CSMIA’s sustainability drive is engaging passengers to create a culture of shared responsibility. To make recycling simple and intuitive, CSMIA has …

The Australian national carrier Qantas has today announced a new model for travel agents to access Qantas fares, as the airline continues to invest in its new distribution capabilities to better serve the evolving needs of agents and customers. Launching mid-next year, the new model reflects a global drive towards adoption of NDC technology, which has significant benefits for travel agents and their customers. From 1 July 2025, agents will be able to access Qantas content a number of ways, with surcharge free options as well as varying ticket surcharges, including: • Traditional indirect booking systems (also known as EDIFACT) • Standard NDC • Premium NDC