30 Jan 2023

India Aviation Industry Newsletter

AAI commissions New Instrument Landing System (ILS) at Birsa Munda Airport

The Airports Authority of India (AAI) has inaugurated a Facility Performance Category-I Instrument Landing System (ILS) for Runway-31 at its Birsa Munda Airport in Ranchi, Jharkhand, as part of ongoing improvements to the ANS infrastructure at its airports. The old ILS was replaced with the new one since the old one had outlived its usefulness. Passenger traffic at Ranchi's Birsa Munda Airport has been steadily rising.

Akasa Air commences daily flights from Hyderabad

Hyderabad, in the state of Telangana, became Akasa Air's thirteenth destination. Beginning on January 25, 2023, the airline will offer daily service between Hyderabad and Goa and Hyderabad and Bengaluru. The carrier will add two more frequencies between Hyderabad and Bengaluru will be added, bringing the total number of daily departures from Hyderabad to four. Akasa Air Co-Founder, and Chief Commercial Officer, Praveen Iyer said “Commencing operations from Hyderabad, our 13th destination with daily flights to Goa  and Bengaluru further strengthens our presence in southern India. A hub for major industries, the city  is not only the perfect gateway to the growing demand for business but is also a popular destination for  leisure travel. We are pleased with the pace at which we are growing and connecting cities across  India.” 

BLR Airport’s Terminal 2 (T2) commences domestic operations

On January 15, 2023, Kempegowda International Airport Bengaluru (BLR Airport) T2 began domestic operations with a Star Air Embraer 145 turnaround trip to Kalaburagi. Over the coming months, it is anticipated that additional domestic airlines will gradually begin offering services to and from T2 at BLR Airport. MD & CEO of Bangalore International Airport Ltd (BIAL) Hari Marar said, “We welcomed customers of Star Air at BLR Airport’s new terminal T2, today. The terminal will soon welcome passengers of other airlines as well. This will be done in a phased manner when the facilities and processes for the smooth transition of airlines from T1 to T2 are completed. The opening of T2 has been much awaited not just for us at BLR Airport, but also for Bangaloreans and passengers travelling from different cities. We want to make passenger journeys truly memorable by offering the best experience to them.”

IndiGo uses sensor technology to reduce equipment inspection time by 90%

The life vests on the aircraft can now be quickly and accurately scanned thanks to sensor technology supplied by IndiGo. It would typically take 90 to 120 minutes to manually inspect every vest, depending on the type of aircraft. This time has been reduced to 3–4 minutes for each aircraft thanks to the development of sensor technology. IndiGo Chief Digital and Information Officer, Neetan Chopra, said, “At IndiGo, we are constantly exploring new avenues of utilizing technology to drive innovation and enhance operational efficiency. Developed completely in-house, this sensor-based inspection process for life vests enables us to prepare aircraft faster for the next flight. We will continue to push into new digital and innovative frontiers and introduce more such solutions to enhance operational efficiency and provide on-time, hassle-free, and affordable travel experience to our customers.”

Vistara reports first-ever quarterly profit

Vistara reported that by hitting numerous significant goals in 2022, company had produced a great result. For the first time since its founding, the airline declared a net profit for the three months ended in December 2022 (net of non-operating income and unrealised foreign currency loss). The airline reached break even for the first time in the quarter ended December 2022, exceeded $1 billion revenue milestone in the current fiscal year, and maintained positive EBITDA. Vistara CEO Mr. Vinod Kannan, said: “With significant network and fleet expansion and sustained growth over the last few months, 2022 has been a phenomenal year for Vistara, in terms of our operational and financial performance. I would like to take this opportunity to thank all our customers for their consistent support and affection that make us stronger each day and inspire us to work even harder to delight them. Each member of the Vistara family is incredibly proud of our collective achievements in an extremely challenging business environment that included the 3rd wave of pandemic and escalating costs. We are now aiming for higher goals as we enter the next phase of our growth journey.”

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