Air India resumes non-stop flights between Delhi and Vienna

After announcing a mega aircraft order with Airbus and Boeing, full-service carrier Air India continues to spread its wings in the global network. The airline has announced the resumption of non-stop flights between Delhi and Vienna, the Music City of Austria on February 18.

ALSO READ - From A350s to B777Xs, Air India finalizes the Historic 470 Aircraft deal with Airbus & Boeing

With this service, Air India’s India-Europe frequency has now increased to 69 non-stop flights per week. Air India suspended flights on the Delhi-Vienna-Delhi route in March 2020 following the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic. This will further strengthen Air India’s footprint in Europe after the recently reinstated flight to Milan and the imminent resumption of service to Copenhagen.

“A key element of Air India’s Vihaan.AI transformation is to keep enhancing connectivity between India's major cities and leading global destinations. Adding this new service to Vienna, following the recent service to Milan reiterates our commitment to this mission.”

Nipun Aggarwal, Chief Commercial and Transformation Officer, Air India

The resumption is in line with Air India’s focused mission to enhance international connectivity between India and the rest of the world.

Air India flight AI153 now operates on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays from Delhi, taking off at 1435 hours and arriving in Vienna at 1845 hours (local time). The flight is operated by Air India’s Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner aircraft with a two-class cabin configuration, featuring 18 Business Class and 236 Economy Class seats.

This non-stop service enables travellers from India to easily access several other popular destinations around Vienna, including Hungary, The Czech Republic, Germany, Italy, Switzerland, and France.

Air India resumes non-stop flights between Delhi and Vienna

A sizeable population of the Indian diaspora in Austria as well as Europeans intending to visit various cities in the Indian sub-continent or travel onwards to other cities in South Asia, Southeast Asia, the Far East, and Australia will benefit from this non-stop service.

At the inauguration of the Delhi-Vienna flight on 18th February 2023, Air India’s Chief Customer Experience & Global Head Ground Handling, Mr Rajesh Dogra, along with other senior executives from GMR and AISATS lit the ceremonial lamp and cut the ribbon to mark the occasion.

Air India customers were offered a specially-curated menu on this inaugural flight. The flight received a warm welcome at the Vienna Airport by dignitaries, including H.E. Mr Jaideep Mazumdar, Indian Ambassador to Austria, gracing the event to commemorate the occasion. The return flight AI 154 departed Vienna on time with 255 guests, landing back at Delhi at 0805 hrs IST on 19th February 2023.

Vienna is part of Air India’s larger network resumption to Europe. It was revealed in November last year that the carrier is bringing back non-stop services from Delhi to Milan, Vienna, and Copenhagen – all three of which were suspended during COVID.

ALSO READ - Air India broadens its international footprint by launching 20 flights to US and UK

The Milan service was launched on February 1st and operates four times a week on Wednesdays, Fridays, Sundays, and Mondays. On March 1st, Air India will also resume the Delhi-Copenhagen flight.

Air India will soon start flying to London Gatwick from Ahmedabad, Amritsar, Goa, and Kochi.

India’s largest private sector aircraft maintenance, repair and overhaul company Air Works is eyeing to capture MRO services opportunities for the fleet of Boeing-manufactured P-8A Poseidon maritime patrol and reconnaissance aircraft operated by the militaries of Australia and New Zealand.

The company is currently responsible for undertaking heavy maintenance checks and services for the Indian Navy’s Boeing P-8I maritime surveillance aircraft, a variant of the same platform and version operated by the Royal Australian Air Force and Royal New Zealand Air Force.

“We are exploring…Australian, and New Zealand fleets but early days because these contracts typically take a long time. We are working on that. As a country we have everything going right for us. We (Air Works) have been able to deliver the best turnaround time at the most efficient cost price. There is no reason we can't give a good fight,” said Anand Bhaskar, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer at Air Works Group to ET Infra on the sidelines of Aero India 2023 in Bengaluru.

Air Works aims to seize MRO opportunities for the Boeing P-8A Poseidon fleet in Australia, New Zealand

The company, which has a prominent presence in undertaking MRO services for civilian aircraft, has over the years incorporated servicing of military aircraft in its portfolio wherein it provides avionics upgrades, heavy checks, and cabin modification. In the financial year 2021-22, the company’s annual revenue was about INR 350 crore.

“We are looking at other opportunities of newer editions of NATO (western) fleets, which have come into the country and also at Far East European (non-NATO) make as well. So we are trying to expand our capabilities into that and hopefully, you should hear more on this in future,” said Bhaskar.

ALSO READ - Indian Navy receives sixth P-8I from Air Works

The P-8A Poseidon and the P-8I version for the Indian Navy are manufactured by aerospace and defence major Boeing. The maritime surveillance platform is based on the civilian Boeing 737-800 airframe, sharing about 86% commonality. Air Works has had long experience with MRO services related to the Boeing 737 family of aircraft operated by Indian airlines.

ALSO READ – Indian Navy gets its 12th P-8I maritime patrol aircraft from Boeing

In February 2021, Boeing announced its strategic partnership with Air Works for the maintenance, repair and overhaul of the Indian Navy’s P-8I aircraft under its BIRDS, also known as the Boeing India Repair Development and Sustainment initiative. The BIRDS hub envisions a collaboration with key local companies and businesses to develop India into an aviation and defence repair and sustainment hub, Boeing had stated.

ALSO READ - Boeing expands MRO capability for Indian Navy’s P8I fleet

Mangesh Karyakarte, Chief Sales Officer, Airline & Defense MRO and Gaurav Sahni, Head, Marketing and Communications at Air Works outlined that efforts are being made to showcase and present Air Works as a partner for undertaking the MRO services for the respective Boeing P-8A aircraft of Australia and New Zealand.

Air Works has had long experience with MRO services related to the Boeing 737 family of aircraft operated by Indian airlines.

Currently, Boeing Defence Australia is providing local sustainment support for the P-8As for both Australia and New Zealand’s fleet for six years with a provision for an extension of another three years.

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman had earlier called for making India an MRO hub not just for civil aircraft but also for defence aircraft and for the country to aim for a civil-defence convergence in the industry, a norm which is followed by other countries in the world.

As India starts playing a key maritime role in the Indo-Pacific region and its engagement with QUAD partners - US, Japan, Australia - broadens, Indian civil and defence MRO companies such as Air Works are placed suitably to service the common aircraft platforms among the countries with their quick turnaround and low-cost proposition.

ALSO READ - Air Works MRO is now acquired by Adani Defence & Aerospace

In October, Adani Defence & Aerospace signed a definitive agreement to acquire Air Works from its erstwhile promoters for an enterprise value of INR 400 crore.

ALSO READ - Air Works to get 462 cr offer from Adani Group

(With Inputs from ET Infra)

FitsAir, Sri Lanka’s first privately-owned international airline, and a part of Aberdeen Holdings, a diversified Sri Lankan business conglomerate, inaugurated its flight on the Colombo-Chennai sector on Monday, February 20. Chennai is also its first Indian destination.

Flight 8D 831/832, operated with an all-economy 180-seat Airbus A320, landed at the airport in Meenambakkam around 10.20 a.m., close to its scheduled time. It departed around 11.15 a.m. An airline spokesperson said it was a near-full flight.

Sri Lanka's FitsAir inaugurates flights on the Colombo-Chennai sector

The spokesperson said the tri-weekly flight — in the morning on Monday and Thursday, and on Friday, arrival at 7.30 p.m. — will be made a daily service in April.

https://twitter.com/aaichnairport/status/1627616024441782272

FitsAir’s extension to Chennai is part of the company’s ongoing expansion effort and demonstrates its commitment to providing customers with increased travel options and improved connectivity. The airline operates a modern fleet of 3 Airbus aircraft and employs a team of highly skilled and experienced professionals.

“We are pleased to announce the launch of our new service into Chennai, which will provide our customers a cost-effective and comfortable way to travel to this fast-growing city. We hope to strengthen our ties with India and catalyze the growing tourism between the two countries.”

Ammar Kassim, Executive Director, FitsAir

FitsAir is the fourth carrier to fly in the sector, the other airlines being Air India, IndiGo and Sri Lankan Airlines. Alliance Air, the Government of India’s feeder airline, operates in the Chennai-Jaffna sector.

Mega aircraft deals are large-scale agreements between airlines and aircraft manufacturers for the purchase or lease of a significant number of aircraft. These deals are usually worth billions of dollars and involve the acquisition of hundreds of planes.

The recent trend of mega aircraft deals is a result of the increasing demand for air travel worldwide, and airlines are expanding their fleets to meet this demand.

Also read - Indian carrier expected to order over 1,100 planes

Mega Aircraft Deals Boost Jobs.

Air India has placed an order for 470 passenger planes worth USD 80-100 billion from Airbus and Boeing. But Air India is not alone. Other Indian airlines such as IndiGo, Akasa Air, Vistara, and Go Air together have around 1,100 planes on order — which means the aviation market and allied sectors will have numerous job openings in the near future.

US President Joe Biden has said the Air India deal would provide “over a million American jobs across 44 states”. UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak also tweeted: “With wings from Broughton and engines from Derby, this deal will support jobs around the country and help deliver one of our five priorities — growing the economy.”

Also read - Multiple Aircraft Types, Benefits Air India

The deal is not just expected to create jobs in the US and the UK but in India as well. According to agency reports, Air India will need more than 6,500 pilots to operate the 470 aircraft it is acquiring.

There would be vacancies for direct positions including pilots, cabin crew, and technical and non-technical staff. Indirect staff supporting the aircraft including airport staff, air traffic controllers, transport vendors, service providers, and others will also be needed.

Also read - Air India will require 6500+ pilots for the recently ordered 470 aircraft

The impact of these mega aircraft deals on job creation in the aviation industry cannot be overemphasized. As airlines expand their fleets, they require a corresponding increase in the number of pilots, cabin crew, and engineers.

After China and the US, India is the third-largest air passenger market in the world. 

Pilots are responsible for flying the planes, cabin crew attend to passengers, while engineers are in charge of aircraft maintenance and repairs. These three job roles are crucial to the safe and efficient operation of an airline.

Furthermore, these mega aircraft deals have also led to increased competition among airlines. With more airlines competing for passengers, airfares have become more affordable, making air travel accessible to more people. This has opened up new markets and created more opportunities for the aviation industry to grow.

Also read - Air India and Vistara begin their integration process

As Indian airlines seek to expand their fleet, former Union Civil Aviation Minister Suresh Prabhu has said the carriers should look at having a common services facility within the country for maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) works as that will help reduce costs.

With Air India placing orders for new aircraft after more than 17 years, he also said the airline should look at flying more on the profitable Gulf routes as well as restoring overseas "historical connections" which it used to operate earlier.

ALSO READ - From A350s to B777Xs, Air India finalizes the Historic 470 Aircraft deal with Airbus & Boeing

Prabhu served as the Civil Aviation Minister from March 2018 to May 2019 and during his tenure also efforts were made to turn around the loss-making Air India, which was finally taken over by the Tata Group in January 2022 under the government's disinvestment programme.

"We should work on having international aviation hubs in India as well as look at having some sort of a common aviation services facility that can be shared by all airlines. Such a facility will help in reducing costs as most of the aircraft in India goes overseas for MRO (Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul) works," he told PTI.

Common services facility for MRO should be established in India to cut costs

While noting that aviation is a challenging industry, BJP member Prabhu, who has also helmed various other Union ministries in the past, said that Air India should be operating at full scale and not at a sub-optimal level.

Earlier this week, Air India announced placing firm orders for 470 planes from Airbus and Boeing, and there is also the option to acquire another 370 aircraft.

"Ordering aircraft was a necessity for Air India… After the demise of Jet Airways, there has been a vacuum which is being filled partly by Vistara. With Air India's acquisition of a large number of aircraft, the vacuum can be filled to a large extent," he said, adding that bringing air connectivity to more Indian cities will also have a huge impact on Air India's profitability.

Jet Airways shuttered operations in April 2019 due to financial woes. India is the world's third-largest aviation market and domestic carriers are expanding their fleet as well as operations to cater to the rising air traffic demand.

"With the induction of new aircraft, Air India should also look at targeting the routes between India and Gulf countries where there is always a huge demand. The Gulf sector is also profitable. "In that segment, India always has the issue of reciprocity. Many Gulf carriers want to operate more flights to India but Indian carriers do not have enough capacity. As a result, fares on the Gulf routes have reached astronomical levels," he added.

According to him, with new aircraft, Air India should operate more flights in the Gulf sector and other routes which the airline used to fly earlier such as Cairo. "We still have reciprocal rights (with various countries)… Air India should look at restoring historical connections," Prabhu said.

For instance, Prabhu said there are a lot of Indian-origin people in East Africa but there is hardly any connectivity by Indian carriers and Air India should strategise properly for such routes. Besides, he said efforts should be made to have aircraft leasing and financing activities in India.

ALSO READ - Boeing launches Global Support Centre and new Logistics Centre in India

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has shut operations of Aman Aviation, a Mumbai-based helicopter organisation, for three months after their inspection revealed that the firm tampered with the expiry date of the ‘distress signal’, a device that helps in locating passengers in case of an air accident, according to a report published in the Hindustan Times.

A DGCA official while confirming the development said, “A show cause notice was sent in December and its reply was not found to be satisfactory. It was then that Aman Aviation’s operations were ordered to be shut for three months.”

Despite repeated attempts, the chairman and managing director of the helicopter firm R Johri did not respond to the query.

According to its website, Aman Aviation & Aerospace Solutions, which was founded in January 2006, is a DGCA CAR 145 (civil aviation requirement) maintenance repair & overhaul company which is also approved by the Department of Transportation (United States). Later in 2010, it ventured into helicopter operations too.

A helicopter operated by the firm crashed in Mumbai’s Aarey colony in 2016, where the pilot along with a couple who were on a joyride on their anniversary, were killed.

The official added, “The approval of the organization was suspended in rating ‘C’ (Class components other than complete engine or APU) for their Mumbai and Delhi facilities and the acceptance granted to the post holders were also withdrawn.”

Officials aware of the matter said that the DGCA received a complaint against Aman Aviation after which the regulator conducted an inspection.

“Based on a complaint received, DGCA conducted an inspection of Aman Aviation & Aerospace Solutions Pvt. Ltd. wherein it was found that during the last shop visit of several survival kits, the organization had tampered with the expiry date on ‘Distress Signal’ and had carried out unapproved maintenance on ‘Age Limited Module’,” the official on the condition of anonymity said.

As per senior officials close to the matter, the firm is an approved organisation by DGCA for repair, inspection and maintenance of Oxygen Cylinders, Dinghy and Distress Signaling items which assure hope of passenger’s survival in case of a crash where the helicopter crashes into the sea/river.

“This is because these survival kits help the survivors to indicate their location by firing distress flares, by using Dinghy for shelter and lamp and Oxygen Cylinder for breathing,” an industry expert who did not wish to be named, said.

“Fortunately, unlike US and Europe India did not have any air crashes in sea/river in the recent past, or else with this type of criminality, none of the survivors could have been rescued as these survival items would not have worked to indicate the location and oxygen cylinders would not have supplied oxygen to the survivors. Such a deed is criminal in nature,” the expert added.

Speaking to aviation expert Mohan Ranganathan said, “Tampering of distress signal is a serious violation and punishment for the same should have been harsher. The firm’s operations should have been shut for at least a year.”

(With Inputs from The Hindustan Times)