19 Feb 2018

India Aviation Industry Newsletter 19 February

Air India mulls more routes from Abu Dhabi to India Air India will soon have direct flights connecting the capital cities of the UAE and India, a top official has said. Ranjan Kumar Datta, Air India manager for Abu Dhabi and Al Ain region, said the management of the airlines is mulling flights that connect Abu Dhabi with New Delhi and other Indian cities. "The relations between two countries are on an upswing. There has been a great desire expressed by everyone that Air India should restore its full operations from Abu Dhabi to New Delhi. We are only connected to Mumbai and looking forward to having a connection to New Delhi," Datta said. Air India to add a dozen planes this year as privatization looms Air India will add a dozen aircraft this year, including 11 Airbus A320neo jets, as the carrier seeks to tap rising travel demand at home and expand overseas. The state-owned airline is charting out a plan to add more overseas routes, Chairman and Managing Director Pradeep Singh Kharola said in an interview. Air India will also take delivery of a widebody Boeing 777-300 Extended Range plane by the end of February, increasing the fleet of such aircraft to 16, he said. Air India started inducting the fuel-efficient A320neo planes on lease from early 2017 whereas the 777-300ER plane is part of an earlier order with Boeing. AirAsia India plans to add up to 70 aircraft to its fleet in 5 years AirAsia India plans to add up to 70 aircraft to its fleet over the next 4-5 years as it seeks to aggressively expand services, domestic market share, and network, a top executive at the firm said in an interview. “We are expanding aggressively and aiming to be among the top three in the low-cost carrier (LCC) segment once we have inducted 60-70 aircraft in our fleet,” AirAsia India chief executive Amar Abrol said. Aviation sector set to soar in India, says PM Narendra Modi Posting orders for over 900 aircraft during the past one year, the aviation sector in India is poised for a huge growth in the coming years, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said yesterday. At present a total of around 450 aircraft operating in the country, but that will be more than tripled with over 900 new aircraft to be deployed over the next few years in the country he said. “Aviation sector worldwide is moving very fast… we cannot afford to lag. Since 70 years, there was no aviation policy in India, which we have implemented recently to provide all-round connectivity to the remotest corners of India at affordable rates,” India's IndiGo Airlines eyes A321neo(LR), A350s IndiGo Airlines is considering converting part of its order with Airbus for 405 A320neo to A321neo (LR)s, the Financial Express has reported. The conversion will most likely cover 20-25 aircraft slated for delivery during Fiscal Year 2018-19, according to inside sources. SriLankan Airlines expands its footprint in India SriLankan Airlines has been focusing on the Indian market to strategically expand its operations in the country. During the past years, SriLankan Airlines has established a strong market presence and lasting relationship with the travel partners and industry stakeholders of India. The Delhi- Northern India and Bombay-Western India flights were increased to 11 frequencies from seven, in July 2017. Subsequently, due to the high market demand they intend to further increase these frequencies to 13 flights per week to Delhi- Northern India and 14 flights a week to Bombay-Western India by 2018. Acumen Aviation © 19 February All Rights Reserved.