90% passengers feel air travel to be safe among other modes, finds BIAL survey

After the resumption of interstate travel in the country following nearly two months of lockdown, an overwhelming majority of people felt air travel is much safer compared to other modes of transport, according to a survey conducted by the Bangalore International Airport Limited (BIAL). ‘Voice of Pax’, a survey conducted by BIAL to understand passenger […]

692 domestic flights flew on Monday, operations picking up pace: Aviation Minister

Domestic air travel in the country is picking up the pace as 692 flights carrying 64,651 passengers operated on June 1 against 501 flights with 44,593 flyers the day before, Civil Aviation Minister Hardeep Singh Puri said on Tuesday. Domestic services in India were suspended in March due to the coronavirus lockdown and resumed on […]

IndiGo parent posts Rs 870.8 crore loss as costs rise, pandemic hits biz

TRAVEL RESTRICTIONS and a subsequent lockdown on domestic and international air travel in the January-March period pulled the bottomline of InterGlobe Aviation, which runs India’s largest airline IndiGo, in to the red. The company posted a net loss of Rs 870.8 crore for the March-quarter, compared with a Rs 595.8-crore profit after tax same period […]

DGCA to airlines: Keep middle seats vacant or provide ‘wrap-around gowns’

Following an order by the Supreme Court that the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) should consider norms based on the health of passengers rather than that of commercial airlines, the regulator has asked carriers to try to keep middle seats on flights vacant and provide “wrap-around gowns” to passengers who are allowed such seats. […]

Delhi-Moscow Air India flight returns midway after pilot found positive

Around two-and-a-half hours after taking off from Delhi early Saturday, an Air India plane headed for Moscow for repatriation mission was asked to turn back to the capital. The reason: The national carrier’s ground team realised that one of its pilots onboard the aircraft had tested positive for coronavirus. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation […]

Lockdown 5.0: Here’s what MHA guidelines say about resuming international flights

Issuing guidelines for the fifth phase of the lockdown, the Centre on Saturday extended the lockdown in containment zones till June 30 and released the roadmap for the reopening of prohibited activities in a phased manner in areas outside containment zones. According to the Ministry of Home Affairs guidelines, the resumption of international air travel […]

COVID-19 Watch: Hotels, airlines look for new revenue streams, hold on to cash to tide over liquidity crunch

The hotel and airline segments of the tourism industry, which are typically high fixed-cost sectors and have forgone revenue for almost a full quarter due to the impact of COVID-19 and the subsequent lockdown, are now accessing future revenues to tide over the short-term working capital deficit. While all airlines, which had to cancel flights […]

DGCA says locusts are a threat to aircraft, issues guidelines for safe flight

Recognising the highest ever locust activity in the last 20 years, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) issued a circular Friday “strongly advising” flights to avoid flying through any known locust swarms. According to the circular, flying through a swarm can cause problems for aircraft at the time of landing and takeoff with all […]

DGCA says locust swarms pose threat to aircraft during landing and takeoff phase, issues guidelines

As fast-spreading locust swarms enter urban areas of India, Aviation regulator DGCA Friday issued guidelines for stakeholders like pilots and engineers on how to deal with the issue as they pose a threat to aircraft in the critical landing and takeoff phase of a flight. India is battling the worst desert locust outbreak in decades […]

ED attaches Rs 385-cr asset of VVIP choppers case middleman Rajiv Saxena

The Enforcement Directorate on Friday said it has attached assets, including five Swiss bank accounts, worth Rs 385.44 crore of Rajiv Saxena, a middleman in the AgustaWestland VVIP choppers money laundering case. It said the value of the properties attached is USD 50.90 million (Rs 385.44 crore) and a provisional order under the Prevention of […]