Air India suspends Delhi-Moscow flight over flight insurance concerns

Radhika Bansal

07 Apr 2022

Air India on Thursday, April 7 cancelled its Delhi-Moscow service over the fear that its flight insurance may not be valid in Russian skies amid the ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine, sources said. Flight insurance is generally provided by companies based out of western countries.

Western countries banned all Russian airlines from their airspace after Russia started a war against Ukraine on February 24. However, Air India has been operating Delhi-Moscow flights twice a week. India has not banned Russian airlines from its airspace.

The Air India's Delhi-Moscow flight that was scheduled to operate on Thursday, April 7 stands cancelled, the sources said. They stated that the flight was cancelled as it was feared that the insurance may not be valid in Russian skies.

Air India suspends Delhi-Moscow flight over flight insurance concerns

Air India operates Delhi-Moscow-Delhi flights twice a week and in absence of an Air India direct flight, passengers flying to Moscow will have to use transit routes through Tashkent, Istanbul, Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Doha.

Air India renews the insurance for its flights and aircraft every financial year beginning April 1. It typically buys insurance cover from Indian reinsurers such as New India Assurance, National Insurance Company, Oriental Insurance Company and the United India Insurance Company, and the covers are underwritten by international companies, including some UK-based firms.

Airlines buy insurance covers to protect themselves against windfall losses in case of any untoward incident or accident involving their aircraft. Every insurance cover is tailor-made for a particular airline and is generally provided by a consortium of reinsurers and underwriters.

Airlines buy insurance covers to protect themselves against windfall losses in case of any untoward incident or accident involving their aircraft

ALSO READ - Russia plans to resume international flights to 52 “friendly” countries

Earlier, Russia said it plans to end COVID-19 restrictions on flights to and from 52 "friendly countries" after Saturday. These include those that have not joined the latest wave of Western sanctions on Moscow over its invasion of Ukraine.

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Following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the country’s aviation was sanctioned by the West, leading to the suspension of services operated by European and American carriers. Russia’s airlines were also barred from using foreign airspace. After these sanctions, Air India was among the only few airlines, in addition to some Chinese carriers, that were still flying to Russia.

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Jet Airways returning with a hybrid premium and no-frills model, first flight likely by October 2022

Radhika Bansal

07 Apr 2022

Jet Airways India Ltd., which is undergoing a court-monitored restructuring, plans to return with a hybrid of premium and no-frills services that would allow the former top local airline to claw back market share while managing costs in the fiercely competitive Indian aviation market.

The bankrupt airline, now helmed by a new set of owners, will have a two-class configuration where business class passengers will be offered services including free meals, its new chief executive officer Sanjiv Kapoor said in an interview near New Delhi on Wednesday, April 6.

ALSO READ - Sanjiv Kapoor named as the CEO of Jet Airways

The economy class will, however, be modelled similar to low-cost carriers where flyers pay for meals and other services, he said.

Jet Airways will have a two-class configuration where business class passengers will be offered services including free meals

“It’s very difficult in the domestic Indian market to take on the cost of the food and everything else in economy class, where the customer in India chooses primarily based on fares,” said Kapoor, an aviation veteran who took charge of the defunct airline this week. “Let’s just accept that and let’s not burden ourselves with extra cost.”

A successful revival of Jet Airways, which collapsed under a pile of debt in 2019 and became the first airline to enter a reformed insolvency resolution process, will be a landmark moment for India’s bankruptcy laws.

ALSO READ - Jalan-Kalrock consortium committed to bringing Jet Airways back to life

The new owners -- Dubai-based, Indian-origin businessman Murari Lal Jalan and Florian Fritsch, the chairman of London-based financial advisory and alternative asset manager Kalrock Capital Management Ltd. -- have pledged to make investments of as much as USD 120 million, Kapoor said.

Jet 2.0 will use Boeing 737 Next Generation (737NG), a narrow-body type aircraft powered by two jet engines, to prove flight

Kapoor himself is not new to navigating carriers through turbulent skies. He spearheaded SpiceJet Ltd. as its chief operating officer in 2014, helming it through a time when the low-cost carrier was severely cash strapped. He was also the chief strategy and commercial officer for Tata Group-led airline, Vistara.

Flying permit

Jet Airways will operate a so-called proving-flight -- one or more test flights with no passengers to assess safety -- as early as this month, using a leased Boeing Co. 737, Kapoor said, adding that this will immediately make the airline eligible for a flying permit.

This permit allows the new owners to bring in investments and enables the airline to negotiate landing and parking slots with airports.

Jet Airways will return to Indian skies which are expected to get more crowded and competitive

“We are confident that we are very close to a proving flight,” Kapoor said. “Proving flight is the last step. If you pass the last step nothing is preventing you from getting the AOP,” he said, referring to an air operator permit which is a license to start commercial operations.

Jet Airways will return to Indian skies which are expected to get more crowded and competitive as billionaire Rakesh Jhunjhunwala-owned Akasa Air gears up to fly later this year. The unprofitable and former flag carrier Air India was recently acquired by the Tata Group, which is looking to turn it around.

Even though air travel is rebounding strongly after two years of the Covid-19 pandemic, India is a tough place to make money in aviation and several carriers have failed amid bruising fare wars and high costs.

Founded by ticketing agent-turned-entrepreneur Naresh Goyal after India ended a state monopoly on aviation in the early 1990s, Jet Airways became popular among fliers as an attractive alternative to formerly state-run Air India Ltd., offering full-service flights to cities including London and Singapore, before a bunch of low-cost airlines ushered in cheap fares for no-frills services.

The Jalan-Kalrock consortium is currently in court seeking another extension of 90 days to implement the rescue plan it proposed for the bankrupt airline. The successful bidder had proposed to make payments worth INR 13.75 billion (USD 180 million), out of which INR 3.5 billion would be paid in the first 180 days, failing which the plan could be scrapped, according to court documents.

The consortium infused INR 500 million into Jet Airways 2.0 -- as it is dubbed by the new owners -- in January, and lenders have said they don’t object to an extension of 60 days. A court decision on the deadline extension request is awaited.

Jet Airways is also evaluating aircraft from Boeing, Airbus and Embraer, and has yet to decide on a model

Leasing Aircrafts

The delay in implementing the resolution plan is in part hampered by the lack of a flying permit, Kapoor said. While the plan initially envisaged renewing the old permit of Jet Airways, that license is no longer valid, which forced the carrier to apply afresh, he said.

Jet Airways is also evaluating aircraft from Boeing, Airbus SE and Embraer SA, and has yet to decide on a model, Kapoor said. Due to a heavy backlog with manufacturers of the most-popular planes, Jet Airways will initially start with leased aircraft.

ALSO READ - Jet Airways in negotiation with Boeing and Airbus for a $12 billion order

The insolvent carrier, in which creditors were forced to take a 95% haircut, was in talks with Airbus and Boeing to induct at least 100 narrowbody jets, Ankit Jalan, a representative for the consortium, said in December 2021.

In Jet 2.0, priority will be given to old employees.

The airline doesn’t want to be pushed into an aircraft only because it is available now, according to Kapoor. “We’d rather take a longer-term view and do the analysis, and evaluate the entire syllabus and pick what we think is best,” he said. “We don’t want the tail to wag the dog.”

First Flight

Jet Airways CEO Sanjiv Kapoor said he expects the airline to restart operations by October 2022, a few months after it clears the process for revalidation of the Air Operator Permit (AOP). He said that AOP approval will come by the end of April.

Jet Airways CEO Sanjiv Kapoor said he expects the airline to restart operations by October 2022

It is a very complicated, lengthy and stringent process and we’re in the final stages now. We want to make sure that all the pieces are in place. We expect a few more months after the Air Operator Permit (AOP) to be ready to restart operations. We plan to take off by October, potentially a bit earlier, but it's going take us a few months for us to be able to fly again,” he added.

He further added we have a staff of 200 working exclusively on getting Jet flying again, he added. Kapoor further said that Jet 2.0 will use Boeing 737 Next Generation (737NG), a narrow-body type aircraft powered by two jet engines, to prove flight.

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India's first domestic-to-domestic passenger transfer service now functional at Mumbai airport

Radhika Bansal

07 Apr 2022

Travellers with a domestic layover at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (CSMIA) can now easily transfer with reduced congestion and transit time, its officials said on Monday, April 4.

With this new development, CSMIA is now the first airport in the country to create and begin operations from a dedicated domestic to domestic passenger and crew member transfer facility within Terminal-2 (T2).

This dedicated space has requisite security screening infrastructure along with pre-embarkation security checks conducted by the CISF.

India's first domestic-to-domestic passenger transfer service now functional at Mumbai airport

This transit area will considerably cut down the minimum connection time (MCT) for transfer passengers and crew members, thereby enabling passengers with a shorter time gap between connecting flights to board.

Besides, it will add flexibility to the airline operators in planning their flight schedule and rostering of crew members as they will now be able to accommodate passengers with a lesser time interval between their connecting flights.

This enhancement will, in turn, help decongest the airport, like the passengers who otherwise would earlier exit & re-enter the terminal and further wait for their onward flight will now be able to board without undergoing the process of re-entering the terminal building.

CSMIA is now the first airport in the country to create and begin operations from a dedicated domestic to domestic passenger and crew member transfer facility within T2

With domestic travel on the rise and summer travel booking seeing a surge, this dedicated space would benefit passengers to travel faster, smoother and more conveniently than ever before, officials claimed.

The international terminal at Mumbai airport has become much busier. Mumbai saw 109 international arrivals and departures on March 27th, the day the Indian government lifted the ban on scheduled international flights.

It operated nearly 238 commercial international flights the next day, the majority of which had been cancelled due to the COVID pandemic.

Mumbai saw 109 international arrivals and departures on March 27th

Mumbai has also resurfaced on the radar of many international carriers, who are either increasing frequency or resuming previously halted services. Emirates will reintroduce the A380 to the city, bringing the total number of weekly flights to 35. In fact, after London-Heathrow (42 weekly flights) and Male (38 weekly flights), Mumbai is Emirates' third-largest international destination.

ALSO READ - Finnair to launch a direct flight between Mumbai and Helsinki

LOT Polish is also set to return to Mumbai with a Dreamliner service, while Finnair’s eight destinations from its Helsinki base also feature the city.

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Russia plans to resume international flights to 52 "friendly" countries

Radhika Bansal

06 Apr 2022

Russia plans to end restrictions on flights to and from 52 countries after April 9, part of its plans to reduce measures taken to slow the spread of COVID-19, Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin said on Monday, April 4.

Russia plans to resume flights to and from Argentina, South Africa and other "friendly countries", Mishustin said, meaning those that have not joined the latest wave of Western sanctions on Moscow over its invasion of Ukraine, which Moscow calls a "special operation" to demilitarise its neighbour.

Russia imposed broad travel restrictions at the start of the coronavirus pandemic in March 2020, many of which remain in force, but has gradually expanded the list of countries deemed safe for air travel.

Russia plans to resume international flights to 52 "friendly" countries

Other countries with which Russia will resume flights after April 9 include Algeria, China, Lebanon, Peru and Pakistan, Russia's coronavirus task force said.

Mishustin added that earlier, it was possible to fly to 15 countries without restrictions, including some states of the EAEU (the Eurasian Economic Union), Qatar, Mexico, and others. Russia would also be lifting restrictions on travel across the land border between Russia and China.

Russia has closed its airspace to airlines from 36 countries, including all 27 members of the European Union, in response to Ukraine-related sanctions targeting its aviation sector.

Punitive measures imposed by Western powers have also forced Western firms to terminate leasing contracts with Russian airlines for over 500 aircraft.

Russia has closed its airspace to airlines from 36 countries, including all 27 members of the European Union, in response to Ukraine-related sanctions targeting its aviation sector

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The sanctions also prevent Russian airlines from buying aircraft parts or maintenance services from Europe or the United States, adding to the pressure on the world's 11th largest aviation market from a ban on using North American and European airspace.

While Russia is now the world's most sanctioned country, ahead of Iran, Syria, and North Korea, it is not facing sanctions from countries in Central and South America, Africa, the Commonwealth of Independent States, and Asia, apart from Japan.

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Hyderabad airport's remodelled passenger terminal set to open soon

Radhika Bansal

06 Apr 2022

The Rajiv Gandhi International Airport, Hyderabad is geared up for making the newly expanded terminal operational soon. 

This marks the completion of the first phase of the major expansions it undertook to cater to the rising demand in passenger traffic and augment the passenger handling capacity beyond 34 million passengers from 21 million passengers in 2019.

“The new, better, and bigger Hyderabad International airport will include the construction of additional built-up area that would be integrated with the existing Integrated Terminal Building (at concourse & piers) with additional infrastructure at Airside and landside area.”GMR Hyderabad International Airport Limited (GHIAL)

Apart from the new East Pier (straight) portion area spread across 15,742 sq. metres in three levels, the airport has now added a first of its kind 264-meter long tunnel for movement of Ground Staff Equipment (GSE) to 42 aircraft stands.

ALSO READ - GMR plans to invest INR 6300 crore to expand Hyderabad airport

As part of the first phase of the expansion, the East Pier (straight) portion area, integrated with the present terminal, will be inaugurated for the passengers soon. To accelerate passenger boarding and disembarking from the aircraft, three aerobridges will be operational.

The East Pier (straight) portion will have six domestic arrival bus gates. It will have three Travelators or automated passenger walkways on two levels and the passengers walking through the East Pier can now avoid the long walks to board their flights. In addition, airport authorities have arranged for two baby-care rooms and two family rooms.

The East Pier (straight) portion will have six domestic arrival bus gates

The GSE tunnel connects the 42 remote aircraft stands—24 new and 18 existing—on the east side of the airport and the Head of Stand Road, also leading to the remote gates area of the expanding passenger terminal. The tunnel will minimise the time lost during the crisscross movement of Airlines and Ground support operations vehicles, equipment, and passenger coaches, the note said.

The revamped integrated passenger terminal will have 149 check-in counters, 26 security screening machines with ATRS, 44 emigration counters and 44 immigration counters. The expanded domestic and international pier buildings will have more lounges, retail, and F&B outlets.

The GSE tunnel connects the 42 remote aircraft stands

According to an official release, the revamped integrated passenger terminal will increase the area to 379,370 square metres. With additional infrastructure added to the east and west pier buildings, there will be 44 contact gates, 28 remote departure gates and nine remote arrival gates available for smooth operations.

As many as four new Rapid Exit Taxiways (RETs) have been added to enhance runway capacity and improve operational efficiency. These RETs are designed to allow aircraft to taxi off the runaway at relatively shorter distances and hence reduce runway occupancy time, thereby increasing runway capacity. Also, a new Parallel Taxiway has been built for effective operation during secondary runway utilisation.

The annual savings of the carbon emissions with this tunnel would be approximately 7,000 tonnes.

The expansion works include the Ground Service Equipment tunnel, a first of its kind in the country, which will minimise the time lost during the crisscross movement of airlines and ground support operations vehicles, equipment, and passenger coaches required for the turnaround of flights. The annual savings of the carbon emissions with this tunnel would be approximately 7,000 tonnes.

As one of the fastest-growing airports in India, Hyderabad International Airport catered to 21 million passengers in FY’19. The airport recorded robust growth in passenger traffic, with a 4-year CAGR of - 20% during FY’15-FY’19.

(Pictures - Telangana Today)

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Former aviation secretary named as Principal Adviser to MD of IndiGo

Radhika Bansal

05 Apr 2022

InterGlobe Aviation Ltd, owner of IndiGo airlines announced on April 4 that it has appointed former IAS officer RK Singh as the principal adviser to the managing director of the budget carrier with immediate effect. As the principal adviser, RK Singh will be a part of IndiGo’s leadership team.

The fast-growing low-cost carrier that boasts of a fleet of 275+ aircraft and operates over 1,500 flights daily said in a release that RK Singh has over 36 years of experience working in different capacities in the Government of India as an IAS officer starting 1985 (to 2009) and as an aviation law specialist then onwards.

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“We are delighted to welcome RK to the Leadership Team of IndiGo. With his vast administrative and aviation experience he brings tremendous value at a time when the company is undertaking major expansion initiatives. RK would be working closely with me on key strategic initiatives.”Rahul Bhatia, Managing Director, IndiGo

In the past, RK Singh has served as joint secretary in the Ministry of Civil Aviation and has served on the boards of Air India, Indian Airlines, Alliance Air, Air India Charters Limited (Air India Express), and has been the CMD of Pawan Hans Helicopters Limited.

“Indian aviation has a long way to go and I foresee IndiGo continuing to play a significant role in this growth story. IndiGo's quest to expand its footprint both domestically and internationally will take Indian aviation to newer heights and I am extremely excited to be a part of this journey.”RK Singh, Principal Adviser to the Managing Director, IndiGo

Presently, he serves on the Board of CAE Simulation Training Private Limited (pilot training organisation). He is an MBA from Southern Cross University, Australia, and holder of an LL.M degree in Aviation Law from Leiden University, The Netherlands.

He is currently also serving on the international Board of Governors of the Institute of Aviation and Space Law, Leiden University. This means, he not only has experience in administrative and managerial work but also has deep knowledge of aviation.

Former aviation secretary named as Principal Adviser to MD of IndiGo

IndiGo’s Chief Commercial Officer Willy Boulter said he will resign in four months. The announcement came just a day after Chief Financial Officer Jiten Chopra quit the biggest budget airline in Asia by market value.

ALSO READ - IndiGo’s Chief Commercial Officer follows CFO in resigning

IndiGo on March 30 appointed Gaurav Negi as the Chief Financial Officer (CFO) in place of Jiten Chopra who has put in his resignation.

ALSO READ – Gaurav Negi succeeds Jiten Chopra as CFO of IndiGo

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