Hurricane Ian forces airlines to cancel over 2,000 flights around the US

As Hurricane Ian approaches the United States, many airlines are forced to cancel over 2,000 flights. It has led to disrupting travel plans for many people and caused a lot of inconveniences. The hurricane has caused major disruptions for airlines, with over 2,000 flights being cancelled.

About 1,800 flights within, into or out of the United States were delayed on Tuesday, Flightaware.com data showed. Airlines had scrapped 367 flights on Tuesday and 1,748 on Wednesday across the United States. This has left many passengers stranded and has caused a significant amount of inconvenience.

American Airlines, which operates about 250 daily departures out of Miami, its fourth-largest hub, had cancelled about 500 flights by 8 p.m. Wednesday, including mainline and regional service.

American Airlines, which operates about 250 daily departures out of Miami, its fourth-largest hub, had cancelled about 500 flights including mainline and regional services.

United said on Wednesday that it had proactively cancelled 345 flights since Tuesday, swapping some outbound flights with larger airplanes to help customers who were evacuated from the storm's path.

By 8 p.m. Wednesday, Southwest Airlines had cancelled 525 US flights, according to FlightAware data. And Delta Air Lines had cancelled just over 200 flights.

Multiple airlines are moving aircraft out of harm's way and note it will take time to reestablish service after the storm. First, officials and the airlines must determine when and where it is safe to resume flights, and then they must have crews on the ground available.

Hurricane Ian disrupts US travel plans, forcing airlines to cancel over 2,000 flights.

Hurricane Ian entered the U.S. Gulf of Mexico on Tuesday and is forecast to become a dangerous storm over the warm waters of the Gulf, according to National Hurricane Center forecaster Eric Blake.

It is expected to bring hurricane-force winds of up to 130 mph (209 kph) and as much as 2 feet (0.6 meters) of rain to the Tampa area starting early on Wednesday through Thursday evening.

Airlines cancelled about 40% of flights at Miami International Airport on Wednesday. Florida is a major part of U.S. aviation and some airlines like JetBlue Airways and Southwest Airlines typically expect 40% or more of their daily flights to touch a Florida airport.

The Federal Aviation Administration said it was "closely monitoring" Hurricane Ian and its path. Major U.S. carriers also halted some operations

Hurricane lan is a Category One storm and is expected to make landfall in the U.S., according to CNN meteorologist Chad Myers. The storm is moving west at about 10 mph and has wind speeds of 115 miles per hour with some areas seeing gusts up around 140 mph

In the sub-category of low-cost mega hubs, Delhi and Mumbai airports secured the top two positions globally in the OAG 2022 survey. Delhi was also named the largest mega hub in the Asia Pacific region, followed by Haneda Airport in Japan.

It takes a mega airline to create a mega hub. Delhi, followed by Mumbai, has climbed several spots this year to become the world’s top two low-cost mega hubs, in terms of providing international connectivity by budget airlines, according to UK-based air consultancy firm OAG.

As we've seen, Delhi and Mumbai are among the lowest-cost mega hubs in the world. This is because they have a large number of airlines flying routes between them, with IndiGo leading the way over other airlines.

The dominant carrier for the two airports remains low-cost airline IndiGo with a 34% share of flight connections from Delhi airport, a 37% share in Mumbai.

The OAG report, which was released on March 17, analyzes the top 20 airports in terms of passenger traffic. It also looks at how much an airport costs to fly from one city to another and what routes are most popular.

The dominant carrier for all three airports remains low-cost airline IndiGo with a 34% share of flights connections from Delhi airport, 37% share at Mumbai, and 54% at the Bengaluru airport.

Delhi's Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGI) is the seventh-largest airport in the world by passengers served and the third-largest by cargo handled. It has more than 60 airlines operating it.

Bengaluru and Hyderabad airports also leapfrogged to make it to this list of top 25, which now comprises four Indian metros. This is thanks to the staggering number of flights domestic market leader IndiGo operates daily, close to 1,600, of which 150 are international.

Bengaluru and Hyderabad airports also leapfrogged to make it to this list of top 25, which now comprises four Indian metros.

ALSO READ - Delhi’s IGI airport busier than Dubai International in November – OAG

Mumbai's Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (CSMIA) also ranks among the world’s top 10 busiest airports overall with around 70 million passengers per annum passing through its terminals annually.

"The global market has yet to fully recover post-pandemic. While the US currently dominates due to its strong domestic market, we could see Europe and other global hubs catch up in the next 12 months as the industry works towards a full recovery."John Grant, Chief Analyst at OAG.

To determine these rankings, OAG measured several parameters such as total capacity from September 2021 to August 2022 and the total number of all possible flight connections between inbound and outbound flights within a six-hour window on August 12, 2022 — the busiest day for global aviation between September 2021 and August 2022. It applied the same methods for calculating the list of both international and low-cost Mega hubs.

The low-cost airline market is growing rapidly and it's projected to continue doing so.

The carrier that catapulted both DEL and BOM to the top of the list is India’s largest airline, IndiGo. The budget carrier dominates the schedule of both airports with 34% and 37% share in Delhi and Mumbai, respectively.

The hub status of these two airports could get a further push after the Tata Group consolidates its airline business by combining operations of carriers such as Air India, Vistara, and AirAsia India and forming another strong airline.

The largest international mega hub as per the survey was Chicago O’Hare International Airport, US, with the dominant airline being United Airlines at 46% share of flight connections from the airport. It was ranked third in 2019. London’s Heathrow Airport, which was ranked first in the 2019 survey, slipped to 22nd position this year.

The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the International Solar Alliance (ISA). Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia gave this information on Tuesday, September 27. Significantly, the purpose of this agreement is to check the increase in carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions in the international aviation sector.

Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia tweeted about this. He wrote "This is a proud moment for India. International Aviation Group has signed an MoU with International Solar Alliance. This is an initiative proposed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The event, jointly organized by India and France, marks a new dawn for the use of solar energy in the global civil aviation sector."

https://twitter.com/JM_Scindia/status/1574663467084443649

“Jointly hosted by India and France, the event marks a new dawn for the use of solar energy in the global civil aviation sector,” union civil aviation minister Jyotiraditya Scindia said. Addressing the audience he said, “...means of transport that was once understood as egalitarian but is now considered as ubiquitous across the world as a means of ferrying human to human across the global divide.”

“Today indeed is a landmark day wherein we pursue the goals as outlined by ICAO to all of us; one of ensuring lowering of carbon emissions, one of ensuring that we, in our respective capacities, act as fiduciary responsible holders for the next generation, creating an environment that is sustainable for generations to come.When I arrived in May this year, I requested the president of ICAO that we must forge a partnership along with this international solar alliance that extends from tropic of cancer to tropic of Capricorn, almost 121 countries that are a part of this alliance want to build a better and a safer better tomorrow. I thank the president of ICAO for taking this historic step and I look forward to our deliberations in the days to come."Jyotiraditya Scindia, Union Minister of Civil Aviation

It is worth mentioning that at the COP-26 United Nations Climate Conference held in Glasgow city of Scotland, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced India’s Panchamrita strategy with ambitious goals of action on climate change.

He said initiatives such as the International Solar Alliance (ISA) and the Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (CDRI) reflect India’s global leadership in ensuring affordable, reliable energy for all and protecting critical infrastructure for sustainable development.

At the COP-26 United Nations Climate Conference held in Glasgow city of Scotland, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced India’s Panchamrita strategy with ambitious goals of action on climate change.

The International Civil Aviation Organization tweeted after the signing of the MoU. He wrote that the heads of delegations from six Southeast Asian countries to the ICAO Council participated in a conference to strengthen cooperation on civil aviation issues. During this, everyone was invited to the APAC Ministerial Conference to be organized by India early next year.

ALSO READ - Juan Carlos Salazar of Colombia officially assumes the office of ICAO Secretary-General, succeeding Dr Fang Liu of China

At this conference, ICAO Secretary-General Juan Carlos Salazar formally signed a new Memorandum of Understanding between ICAO and ISA on harnessing solar energy for aircraft, airports and other aviation-related applications.

https://twitter.com/icao/status/1574514496923582464

ICAO Secretary General, Juan Carlos Salazar also tweeted in this regard. ICAO calls on all innovators and regulators to continue their efforts for greater diversity, inclusivity and collaboration for aviation solutions in the future, he wrote in the appeal.

Demonstrating how emerging technologies can deliver a sustainable and resilient recovery for the international air transport system, the 2022 ICAO Innovation Fair was held on September 24-26, helping set the stage for the opening of the ICAO 41st Assembly on Tuesday.

Taking place in Montreal, this special three-day event attracted more than 1,400 attendees and featured traditional and new players who are delivering a technological revolution in aviation worldwide. An exhibition included prototypes of cutting-edge aircraft types and other latest air transport technologies and solutions.

The ICAO is a United Nations specialised agency that works with its 193 member states

The panels focused on different facets of innovation and their deployment for international civil aviation, addressing regulatory challenges, urban air mobility integration, aviation sustainability, incubator programmes, artificial intelligence, behavioural science, implementation support and capacity building.

The ICAO is a United Nations specialised agency that works with its 193 member states to set and audit safety, security, emissions, navigation, and facilitation standards to shape and improve international air operations.

The ICAO Assembly, meeting once every three years, will hold its 41st session from September 27 to October 7, during which member states and representatives from international organisations will establish the ICAO's priorities, supporting the increased sustainability and digitalisation of 21st-century air transport.

Afcom Holdings Private Limited, an international cargo airline headquartered in Chennai, announced it was reiterating its commitment to the ASEAN region by taking delivery of its first Boeing 737 freighter. Afcom has been operational since September 2021 through its strategic alliance with its commercial carrier partners.

The addition of this aircraft will support Afcom’s current capacity with its airfreight partners, thus enabling a faster and more reliable delivery service. The company plans to add two more freighter aircraft to its fleet by the end of this year.

Afcom receives its first Boeing 737 freighter; eyes to increase air cargo business capacity

With the air freight charges stabilising to some extent after rising phenomenally during the Covid pandemic, Parasuraman hopes to garner nearly 15 to 16% of the business in the southern region. 

“Afcom is committed to provide efficient, secure and quality services to our customers. We strongly believe in working closely with our customers by providing them Tailor-made logistic solutions. We see ourselves not just as a cargo airline but an end-to-end cargo solutions provider. Air cargo is today a key enabler of flexibility and speed in global supply chains. We foresee good and rising demand for air cargo going forward, and we are fully geared up to infuse the required capacity in the market.” Deepak Parasuraman, Chairman, Afcom Holdings Private Limited

Afcom presently serves India, Singapore, Indonesia and Brunei. In addition, it will commence services to Hanoi (Vietnam) and Bangkok (Thailand) sectors in its endeavour to service destinations across ASEAN countries. More new services are also in the pipeline, to provide faster delivery options to support the industry requirements.

ALSO READ - Pradhaan Air Express receives its first converted A320 freighter aircraft

Afcom is not the only niche Indian forwarder gearing up to build an all-cargo airline presence. Delhi-based Pradhaan Air Express recently firmed up its entry into the diversified market, securing government approvals and snapping up an A320 converted freighter.

Delhi-based Pradhaan Air Express recently firmed up its entry into the diversified market, securing government approvals and snapping up an A320 converted freighter. (Image Courtesy - Shrey Chopra)

ALSO READ - Bangalore Airport gets a newly expanded facility of DHL Express

Global express logistics leaders like UPS and DHL are also constantly beefing up services at Indian airports, including second-tier locations, to keep pace with growing airfreight volumes.

ALSO READ - UPS opens a new airport gateway facility at Bengaluru airport

And, as online shopping expands, consumer purchases are increasingly based on the speed of parcel delivery – a factor that signifies greater airline network reach. This year, the Indian e-commerce market is forecast to grow by 21.5%, to reach a value of USD 74.8 billion, according to industry estimates.

Additionally, Covid-induced widespread dysfunction on the ocean supply side has converted many traditional sea freight shippers/forwarders to airfreight, which industry stakeholders believe could become a permanent change in some cases.

Eve Air Mobility ("Eve") and FlyBlade India ("BLADE India"), a joint venture between Hunch Ventures and Blade Air Mobility, announced today a strategic alliance that includes a non-binding order for up to 200 electric vertical take-offs and landings ("eVTOL" or Electric Vertical Aircraft, "EVA") vehicles, service and support, and Eve's software for urban air traffic management ("UATM"). Additionally, the companies intend to work together on a three-month pilot project that will connect passengers utilizing helicopters.

India is a distinct market due to its size, issues with accessibility, traffic, and regulations. BLADE India, which established short-haul air mobility in India, will serve as Eve's local knowledge partner to develop the Urban Air Mobility (UAM) ecosystem.

To further enhance Eve's eVTOL, service and support solutions, and its UATM software, the information gathered from BLADE India's customer experience and operations will be put to use. In the beginning, BLADE India would finance 50,000 hours annually of flight time in the nation utilizing Eve's eVTOL.

BLADE India | Representative | Grazia India

India’s traffic congestion woes are only expected to get worse. This partnership allows us to leverage Eve’s deep expertise in not just EVA design but also in the infrastructure required to support UAMsaid Amit Dutta, managing director, BLADE India

Amit Dutta | Source

With the introduction of electric aviation and eVTOL vehicles, flying is anticipated to become much more affordable for the general public by drastically reducing its environmental impact, noise, and cost.

We are thrilled about partnering with BLADE India and pioneering the urban air mobility market in the country, which has the potential to be one of the largest markets globally. This initial order will allow us to enter into service in India and further develop the ecosystem according to the community’s needs. We look forward to offering the people of India a zero-emission UAM solution in the future that will be quiet, efficient, and accessiblesaid André Stein, co-CEO of Eve

André Stein | eveairmobility

BLADE India

Forbes India

With flights from Mumbai, Shirdi, Pune, and Bangalore, BLADE India launched in 2019 and provides affordable air transportation alternatives to some of the most crowded ground routes in India. Privately held investment company Hunch Ventures is based in New Delhi, India, and has made investments in a variety of industries, including education, healthcare, immersive media, hospitality, food and beverage, logistics, and other areas that may have interesting connections between them.

ALSO READ - BLADE India plans a chopper shuttle service between Bengaluru city and the airport

Eve Air Mobility

Representative | eVTOL.news

Eve is committed to speeding up the ecology of urban air mobility. With a start-up mentality, the support of Embraer S.A.'s more than 50 years of aerospace expertise, and a single goal in mind, Eve is moving the UAM ecosystem forward holistically with an advanced eVTOL project, extensive global services and support network, and a cutting-edge air traffic management solution.

SOURCE: eve air mobility

COVER: eveairmobility

The government launched the indigenously-developed AVGAS 100 LL, a special aviation fuel meant for piston engine aircraft and unmanned ariel vehicles. It has been developed by Indian Oil Corporation. This is a great step towards reducing import dependence and promoting local manufacturing capacity.

“AV GAS 100 LL produced by Indian Oil’s flagship refinery at Vadodara has been tested and certified by Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA). It is a higher-octane Aviation fuel meeting the product specifications with superior performance quality standards, as compared to imported grades."The Ministry of Petroleum & Natural Gas, said in a statement.

The minister said the launch of indigenous AV GAS 100 LL is important to serve the needs of the thriving aviation industry with an increase in footfall in airports, a rise in the number of aircraft and Flying Training Organisations (FTOs) in trainee aircraft for pilot training in future.

IndianOil launches indigenous production of aviation fuel AVGAS 100LL.

As demand for air transport in India is expected to increase in manifolds in the future, there is going to be a huge demand for trained pilots also. And for this, the number of FTOs is also expected to increase significantly, he added.

ALSO READ - Aviation gasoline ‘Av gas’ to be made in India

At present AVGAS 100 LL is a completely imported product. The domestic production of AVGAS 100 LL produced by Indian Oil at its Gujarat Refinery will make flying training more affordable in India. This product which fuels the aircraft operated by FTOs and Defense forces is being imported for decades by India. Indian Oil’s R&D, Refineries, and Marketing teams have achieved this feat of indigenous production and have offered a price advantage to the industry.

The indigenous fuel is superior compared to imported grades.

At present, only two companies in the world are manufacturing AVGAS 100LL and India has become the first non-OECD country to produce and use such SAF. This is a great achievement for India as it will help us reduce our dependence on foreign oil products like aviation fuel, which is a highly polluting source of energy.

However, this achievement needs to be recognized by the international community at large as well as those who are working towards building an independent India so that we can achieve self-sufficiency in terms of fuel production without having to depend on other countries for its supply. This is a great step towards reducing import dependence.