Air India rescue flight forced to return as Ukraine closes airspace to civilian flights

An Air India aircraft flying to Ukraine to bring home Indians turned back for Delhi after Ukraine said it has closed its airspace amid Russian military operations in its eastern breakaway areas. Thousands of Indians are waiting to fly back home from Ukraine amid a conflict with Russia.

However, the Ukrainian authorities on Thursday, February 24 morning closed the country's airspace for civil aircraft operations.

The Air India flight decided to turn back to Delhi after a NOTAM, or notice to airmen was sent to all flights heading to Ukraine. The government said alternate evacuation routes are being activated.

Air India rescue flight was forced to return as Ukraine closes airspace to civilian flights

The Air India flight AI 1947 started from the Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA) here at around 7:30 AM for Boryspil International Airport in Kyiv. Meanwhile, a Ukraine International Airlines flight from Kyiv landed at the Delhi airport at around 7:45 AM on Thursday, February 24.

Russian President Vladimir Putin this morning allowed Russian special forces to operate in two separatist areas in Ukraine, which Russia on Monday, February 21 recognised as independent nations.

With large-scale military operations unfolding in eastern Ukraine, commercial flights would be at very high risk due to the chaotic nature of the airspace, which would likely be crowded with military anti-aircraft activity.

NOTAM or notice to airmen was sent to all flights heading to Ukraine.

On its website, Ukraine State Air Traffic Services Enterprise said the country's airspace was closed to civilian flights starting from 0045 GMT on Thursday, February 24 with air traffic services suspended.

The European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) said airspace in Russia and Belarus within 100 nautical miles of their borders with Ukraine could also pose safety risks.

"In particular, there is a risk of both intentional targeting and misidentification of civil aircraft," the agency said in a conflict zone bulletin. "The presence and possible use of a wide range of ground and airborne warfare systems pose a high risk for civil flights operating at all altitudes and flight levels."

Ukraine State Air Traffic Services Enterprise said the country's airspace was closed to civilian flights

The aviation industry has taken heightened notice of the risks conflicts to pose to civil aviation since Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 was shot down over eastern Ukraine in 2014.

EASA said Russia's defence ministry had sent Ukraine an urgent message warning of high risk to flight safety, due to the use of weapons and military equipment from 0045 GMT, and asked Ukraine's air traffic control to stop flights.

Websites that had shown intelligence-gathering flights over or near Ukraine as the West deliberately showcased support by transmitting detectable signals in recent weeks showed space as aircraft left and Ukraine was declared a conflict zone.

Early morning airline traffic skirted the whole country in crowded corridors to the north and west.

Hours earlier, Safe Airspace, which was set up to provide safety and conflict zone information after the downing of MH17, said it had increased its risk level over Ukraine to "do not fly". It also warned of the potential for a cyberattack on Ukraine's air traffic control.

Russia said on Thursday, February 24 it had suspended domestic flights to and from several airports near its border with Ukraine, including Rostov-on-Don, Krasnodar and Stavropol, until March 2.

Russia has also closed some airspace in the Rostov sector "to provide safety" for civil aviation flights, a notice to airmen showed.

Before Ukraine advised of the airspace curbs, Britain, Canada, France, Italy and the United States had told their airlines to avoid certain airspace above eastern Ukraine and Crimea, but stopped short of a total ban.

Last week, two Ukrainian airlines disclosed problems in securing insurance for some flights while foreign carriers began avoiding the country's airspace as Russia massed a huge military force on its border.

(With Inputs from Reuters)

Mumbai airport is expected to handle more than 1,000 aircraft movements per day once regular international flight services resume, according to the ATC Guild.

Currently, the traffic at the Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport — the country's second-largest airport — remains around 25% lower compared to the pre-COVID period. On June 7, 2018, the airport handled 1,003 aircraft movements in 24 hours.

Mumbai airport to handle over 1000 aircraft after the resumption of regular international flights

Saifullah, Regional Secretary of the ATC Guild (India), on Tuesday, February 22 said that from an average of 950 aircraft movements per day before the pandemic in March 2020, the airport currently handles over 700 arrivals and departures daily. He is also the Regional Vice President-South-West Asia, International Federation of Air Traffic Controllers' Association (IFATCA).

"We have around 700 plus movements per day, both arrival and departures, at present, which is still 25 per cent short of the aircraft movements we handled in the pre-pandemic times. A major chunk of this coming from the domestic sector as (a limited number of) international flights are taking place under the air bubble agreements.In the last 23 months, air traffic has seen ups and downs due to the coronavirus pandemic. But the recovery in traffic we have seen this time, it appears to us that it has crossed all those peaks (of the earlier COVID impact)."Saifullah, Regional Secretary of the ATC Guild (India), Regional Vice President-South-West Asia, International Federation of Air Traffic Controllers' Association (IFATCA)

India has the third-largest airspace in the world. Over 60% comprises oceanic airspace over the Arabian Sea, the Bay of Bengal and the Indian Ocean, Saifullah said while briefing reporters on the occasion of 100 years of Air Traffic Control (ATC) operations.

Stating that regular overseas flights are expected to resume soon, he said, "obviously, we may then handle over 1,000 movements regularly".

In the wake of the pandemic, domestic passenger flights were suspended for two months from March 25, 2020, while international commercial flights continue to remain suspended since March 23, 2020. Currently, overseas flights are being operated to and from India under bilateral air bubble arrangements.

The Indian Air Force (IAF) will participate in a three-week multilateral air exercise at Waddington in the UK from March 6 with a fleet of five Tejas light combat aircraft (LCA).

The IAF said on Wednesday, February 23 that the 'Cobra Warrior 22' exercise is aimed at providing operational exposure and sharing best practices amongst the participating air forces.

https://twitter.com/IAF_MCC/status/1496392542342230018

It said the exercise from March 6 to 27 will be a platform for the indigenously developed Tejas aircraft to demonstrate their manoeuvrability and operational capability.

The IAF said five Tejas aircraft will fly to the UK and the C-17 aircraft will provide the fleet necessary transport support.

"The IAF Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Tejas will participate in the exercise along with fighter aircraft of the UK and other leading air forces.The exercise is aimed at providing operational exposure and sharing best practices amongst the participating air forces, thereby enhancing combat capability and forging bonds of friendship."Indian Air Force

Last week, the IAF showcased Tejas jets at the Singapore Air Show with an eye on the possible export potential of the jet to friendly countries in years to come.

Three Tejas fighter jets and a 44-member contingent of the Indian Air Force (IAF) had participated in the Air Show from February 15 to 18.

The IAF showcased Tejas jets at the Singapore Air Show 2022.

Manufactured by state-run aerospace behemoth Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd, the Tejas aircraft is a potent platform for air combat and offensive air support missions while reconnaissance and anti-ship operations are its secondary roles. It is the smallest and lightest in its class of contemporary supersonic combat aircraft.

After almost a gap of two years, students are returning to schools and universities and as per India's biggest online travel platform MakeMyTrip, there has been a 60% increase in searches and bookings from and for students in the first two weeks of February over previous weeks.

The company said nearly 80% of these searches are for travel within the next fortnight signalling a gradual increase in bookings for immediate travel.

MakeMyTrip sees a surge in student bookings as educational institutions open

In the coming days, as more institutes across the country announce the resumption of offline classes, the booking window is expected to shorten further - with many students booking tickets within a few days from the date of travel, the company said.

MakeMyTrip said it has observed a significant surge in air travel from non-metros to metros, with students migrating back to their educational base. Flight bookings by students between non-metros to metros, on the platform, have seen a 2X increase from February 1-15 this year.

Air routes including Guwahati to Delhi, Kolkata to Bengaluru, Kochi to Delhi, Lucknow to Bengaluru, Bhubaneswar to Delhi, Kolkata to Chennai, Guwahati to Bengaluru, and Lucknow to Delhi have seen around 100% growth in bookings in February.

It has observed a significant surge in air travel from non-metros to metros, with students migrating back to their educational base.

The company is also running a ‘Reward Young Minds referral program’ for students to earn credit and to avail extra discounts on their next flight booking through the platform.

Research firm Technavio in a report it put out in December 2020 said the travel services market will grow by $56 billion during 2020-2024, progressing at a CAGR of about 19% during the forecast period. The largest growth contributor to this (82%) will be online bookings.

Vistara plans to significantly ramp up its staff strength to a total of 5,000 by the end of this year as the full-service carrier focuses on increasing capacity utilisation, expanding fleet and further improving overall services.

Currently, the airline has around 4,000 people. After being significantly hit by the coronavirus pandemic, including the third wave that negatively impacted air traffic which was on the recovery path in late 2021, the airline industry is again seeing an improvement in traffic numbers.

Against this backdrop, Vistara CEO Vinod Kannan, in a not-so-common move, last week, admitted that the airline did not live up to customers' expectations and assured that steps are being taken to address the "gaps on a war footing".

Vistara CEO Vinod Kannan admitted that the airline did not live up to customers' expectations

"We wanted to make sure that we explain our side of the story... In February what we have seen is that demand has come back and people have started to travel and I think with cases going down, this, touch wood, will be the trend for the future," Kannan told PTI in an interview on Tuesday, February 22.

While emphasising that the airline is working on a multi-pronged strategy, he said that currently, it operates more flights compared to that in the pre-COVID period.

''We have about 220 to 250 departures a day. Since we have hit that momentum, (we have to look at) how do we continue to grow and how to make sure that the commitments we have made remain as we scale up. It also involves engaging our staff, partners...,'' he noted.

Vistara plans to hire 5,000 people in 2022 as air traffic improves

The airline, which currently has 50 planes, aims to have 70 planes by the end of 2023 after taking into account some aircraft that will be returned to lessors. Vistara carried 4.79 lakh, domestic passengers, in January and had a market share of 7.5%, according to data available with aviation regulator DGCA.

Vistara, a joint venture between Tatas and Singapore Airlines, started hiring for operational roles sometime in October 2021 before the third coronavirus wave.

''Our current staff strength is about 4,000... so, we expect to go up to 5,000 as we ramp up through the year. As we take new aircraft, deliveries and as we increase capacity utilisation, I think we will look at that number towards the end of this year.This will include everyone on Vistara's payroll but that will not include outsourced third party partners such as call centres or ground handling agencies.There is a requirement since we are utilising the aircraft better. Last two years, even though the fleet count increased, the utilisation of aircraft was lower... so there was no need to scale up. That process has now commenced and is in full swing.I have taken stock of things as they stood, and I want to assure you that we are addressing some of the gaps on a war footing."Vinod Kannan, CEO, Vistara

Before the pandemic, the airline, which started international operations in August 2019, had a fleet of around 40 aircraft and the number has increased to 50. He added that people are also being hired for back-office work.

In his message to customers last week, Kannan promised that many changes and enhancements are in the works, including fast-tracking of initiatives across its IT infrastructure to make the digital experience more convenient.

The airline, which currently has 50 planes, aims to have 70 planes by the end of 2023

''We are actively working with our partners to significantly reduce the length of time it takes for you to connect with us over a phone call and to ensure a consistent airport and on-ground experience,'' he had said in the message.

The airline has restored some of its onboard services to pre-pandemic standards, including restarting non-vegetarian meals in Economy Class on all domestic flights.

Dubai on Tuesday, February 22 removed the requirements for Indian travellers to undergo rapid RTPCR at Indian airports before departing to UAE. An advisory issued by the Dubai Airport updated the travel requirements for passengers from India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Pakistan.

The fresh advisory requires Indian nationals to produce a negative COVID-19 test certificate taken up to 48 hours before the scheduled departure of the flight, from an approved health service provider. The passengers will require to undergo a PCR test upon their arrival in Dubai.

The responsibility of ensuring that conditions of travel are met will lie with airline operators.

For transit passengers, the rules governing entry at the final destination will be applicable. The responsibility of ensuring that the conditions of travel are met will lie with the airline operators.

The revision in travel requirements will ease the situation for a large number of Indians who either reside in or travel frequently to the city.

The relief is two-fold for passengers — one not shelling out INR 3,000 for the test at the airport and relief from the anxiety of testing positive just before boarding the flight and having to deal with the trauma of planning the trip again amidst all the confusion.

Dubai removed requirements for travellers to undergo RTPCR at Indian airports before departing to UAE.

India retained its position as the top destination country for Dubai by passenger volume, with traffic for 2021 totalling 4.2 million, followed by Pakistan with 1.8m, Saudi Arabia with 1.5m and the United Kingdom with 1.2m passengers, according to Dubai Airports Company that owns and manages the operation and development of both Dubai International Airport and Dubai World Central Airport.