Category: Aviation

The Kempegowda International Airport, Bengaluru, has won this year’s SKYTRAX Award for Best Regional Airport in India and Central Asia. In a statement, Bangalore International Airport Ltd (BIAL) has said that the airport was voted by customers as the Best Regional Airport in India & Central Asia for the third time in four years at the 2020 World Airport Awards. “For an 11-year old airport to be named Best Regional Airport in India & Central Asia for the third time is a remarkable achievement for Kempegowda International Airport, Bengaluru. This award reaffirms our commitment to provide a world-class experience for ... Read more

The international air traffic may recover in the middle of summer, official spokesperson of Russian carrier Aeroflot, Yulia Spivakova, has said. “It is difficult to indicate the exact timing of flights so far but when looking at the best-case forecasts, then the international traffic may start recovering in the middle of summer,” she said. “However, it can be definitely said that we will keep up intensive disinfection of aircraft, as long as such need remains,” Spivakova said. Particular precautions can be introduced for passengers and carriers after the coronavirus pandemic, she said. “It is not ruled out that recommendations and ... Read more

Air Arabia, the Sharjah-based low-cost airline, has opened regular passenger flight bookings on its online reservation portal with effect from June 1. The move has made the aviation sector sit up and take note, as this was not expected to happen so quickly. The airline had earlier mentioned on its website that the flights are suspended until May 30. Any passenger can now book the flight by visiting the Air Arabia website to destinations including Karachi and Peshawar in Pakistan; Mumbai, Delhi, Trivandrum in India; Dhaka in Bangladesh; Beirut, Lebanon; Cairo, Egypt; Moscow, Russia; and some other European and Eastern ... Read more

National carrier Air India has opened bookings for those passengers who meet the eligibility criteria and wish to travel from India to London, Singapore and select destinations in the United States on flights that will operate between May 8 to May 14, a statement from the airline said. “We would like to inform all those who wish to travel from India to London, Singapore and select destinations in the USA on Air India flights operating between May 8 and May 14 to click on http://www.airindia.in/r1landingpage.htm for booking. Passengers are requested to read the eligibility criteria carefully as available on the ... Read more

When the aviation sector finally gets to operate globally – though no one knows when that would be – there could be some remarkable changes in the way we fly. Here are some of the possibilities: ·     Most likely you will be wearing a mask ·     Middle seats will be empty ·     Many short haul flights may not have cabin service ·     The flight attendant will also be wearing a mask ·     Queue at immigration will take longer to clear ·     Social distancing at every stage ·     Border control will have mandatory swab tests ·     Quarantine will be a norm, even if you test negative at the airport ... Read more

The International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF) and the International Air Transport Association (IATA) have called for support from governments to the aviation industry, to protect jobs and ensure that air services can be maintained. The economic situation facing the aviation industry is severe. Air passenger demand is down 80%. Airlines are facing a liquidity crisis which threatens the viability of 25 million jobs directly and indirectly dependent upon aviation, including jobs in the tourism and hospitality sectors. In a joint statement ITF and IATA called for governments to: Ensure that the protection of health workers caring for those with COVID-19 ... Read more

The air travel industry has its first major victim. Virgin Australia has said that it has entered voluntary administration, making it Australia’s first big corporate casualty after the coronavirus outbreak. Voluntary administration as a legal concept is equivalent to filing for bankruptcy. The country’s second-largest carrier had cut almost all flights last month following wide-spread travel bans. It was already struggling with a long-term A$5bn (£2.55bn; $3.17bn) debt. The airline is now seeking new buyers and investors, after failing to get a loan from Australia’s government. Virgin Australia chief executive Paul Scurrah said: “Our decision today is about securing the ... Read more

Sharjah-based Air Arabia has announced that it will operate new repatriation flights from four cities in India to Sharjah carrying UAE nationals back home. The special flights from Mumbai and Delhi to Sharjah International Airport took off on Monday, while special flights from Cochin and Hyderabad to Sharjah International Airport will take off on April 22. The airline said, “Air Arabia remains committed to bring stranded citizens back home as well as supporting requests to operate repatriation flights and is working closely with UAE authorities in this regard. The airline announced earlier that it is operating a mix of repatriation ... Read more

Airlines will have to refund the entire fare, without imposing cancellation charges, to those who booked tickets during the first lockdown from March 25 to April 14 for travel between March 25 and May 3, the civil aviation ministry said on Thursday. The ministry has asked the Directorate General of Civil Aviation to ensure airlines comply with its directive. “Grievances were received from air travellers regarding refund for flights cancelled because of the nationwide lockdown to combat COVID19. Advisories have been issued regarding refund for both domestic & international tickets booked for the flights suspended due to lockdown,” civil aviation ... Read more

The Travel Agents Association of India (TAAI) on Wednesday said that the Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) has informed all airlines to revert back within 24 hours with solutions to refund the various amounts due. MoCA said solutions have to be found to refund agents’ money in float account as advance and provide refunds as cash to agents for the benefit of their customers/passengers. MoCA has asked the airlines to cooperate or else they will have no option but to issue a directive on the same, TAAI said. The ministry will get into a call with airlines to ensure the ... Read more

United Airlines on Wednesday said that it has cut its flight schedule by 90% for the month of May and expects similar cuts for June as a result of the coronavirus pandemic. The carrier said that travel demand is now essentially at zero showing no sign of improving in the near term. United disclosed its outlook in a memo to employees that it publicly released. The memo was from Chief Executive Oscar Munoz and President Scott Kirby. United said it flew less than 200,000 people in the first two weeks of April, a 97% drop from the more than 6 ... Read more

Indian carriers IndiGo and SpiceJet have said that the money paid by customers – for air travel before May 3 – will be kept under a credit shell. IndiGo said it is in the process of issuing the credit shell for customers, and this can be used within one year from the date of issue. SpiceJet said since flight operations have been suspended till May 3, bookings will automatically be cancelled and the amount will be kept under credit shell, which can be used to make a fresh booking for travel till February 28.

IndiGo on Tuesday announced that it will resume its operations from May 4, in a phased manner. The nationwide lockdown is scheduled to end on May 3. To begin with, it will start with domestic operations only, and international routes will be added later on. “In its endeavour to reconnect critical air corridors post the lockdown, IndiGo will resume flight operations from May 4. Initially starting with a slightly curtailed capacity, the airline will increase the operating capacity over the subsequent months, also reopening selected international flights, depending on the existing international travel guidelines,” IndiGo said Ronojoy Dutta, Chief Executive ... Read more

UAE carriers, Etihad and Flydubai, have announced additional repatriation flights to help the stranded passengers get back to their respective countries. Abu Dhabi-based Etihad Airways declared that it has opened bookings to additional special passenger flights to Brussels, Dublin, London Heathrow, Tokyo Narita and Zurich. These new special flights will operate between April 14 to April 22. The carrier said it continues to operate special passenger flights from Abu Dhabi to several destinations including Amsterdam, Jakarta, Manila, Melbourne, Seoul Incheon, and Singapore. Budget carrier Flydubai also opened bookings for repatriation flights to 13 countries. But all the flights are subject ... Read more

Thousands of Delta Air Lines employees have volunteered for unpaid time off as the carrier tries to save costs, even as the coronavirus pandemic continues to spread across the world. Some 35,000 workers have signed up for unpaid leaves of absence that the Atlanta-based carrier started offering last month, CEO Ed Bastian said. That amounts to more than a third of the roughly 91,000 full-time employees Delta had at the end of last year, according to its latest annual report. Delta is seeking even more volunteers and bolstering benefits given to workers while they’re gone, Bastian said. He said last ... Read more