Hyderabad airport adjudged as the 'Best Airport Staff in India and South Asia’

The GMR Hyderabad International Airport Ltd (GHIAL), a GMR-led consortium, on Friday, June 17 said the Rajiv Gandhi International Airport (RGIA) was adjudged having the ‘Best Airport Staff in India and South Asia’ at the Skytrax World Airport Awards 2022.

The airport has also progressed in its overall ranking, moving from 64th position in 2021 to 63rd position in 2022 in the World’s Top 100 Airport league.

Hyderabad airport adjudged as the 'Best Airport Staff in India and South Asia’

Additionally, RGIA bagged the second rank for the Best Regional Airport in India and South Asia 2022; the third rank for Best Airport in India and South Asia 2022; the fourth rank in Cleanest Airport in India and South Asia 2022; and the sixth rank in the Best Regional Airport in Asia 2022 categories.

“We would like to dedicate this prestigious award to all our remarkable airport staff, stakeholders and partners working at Hyderabad Airport without whose support we wouldn’t have been able to achieve this during a challenging phase of the pandemic. With the motto of ‘Passenger is Prime’, our team, with its unwavering dedication and commitment, have ensured that every passenger is taken care of while traveling through our airport. All stakeholders worked collaboratively towards passenger delight with a single-minded focus. With a travel rebound now happening, we are all geared up to provide our passengers a memorable transit through the Hyderabad International Airport.”Mr. Pradeep Panicker, CEO, GMR Hyderabad International Airport Ltd (GHIAL)

The trophy was presented to RGIA officials at a ceremony at the Passenger Terminal EXPO in Paris, France, according to a press release.

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“We congratulate Hyderabad Airport for their success in winning this most important award as the Best Airport Staff in India & South Asia. The last two years has been extremely difficult for airports worldwide having to cope with the many restrictions of COVID-19 and the severe drop in travel demand. With air travel quickly returning to a more normal level, the challenge to deliver the highest standards is being well met here at Hyderabad Airport.”Edward Plaisted, CEO, Skytrax

Rajiv Gandhi International Airport is an international airport that serves Hyderabad, the capital of the Indian state of Telangana. It is located in Shamshabad, about 24 kilometres (15 mi) south of Hyderabad.

It was opened on 23 March 2008 to replace Begumpet Airport, which was the sole civilian airport serving Hyderabad. Built over an area of 5,495 acres (2,224 ha), it is the largest airport in India by area. It has also ranked in AirHelp's list of top 10 airports in the world.

Hyderabad airport is the fourth busiest airport in India by passenger traffic

The fourth busiest airport in India by passenger traffic, it handled 12.4 million passengers and 140,075 tonnes (154,406 short tons) of cargo between April 2021 and March 2022.

The airport has one passenger terminal, a cargo terminal and two runways. There are also aviation training facilities, a fuel farm, a solar power plant and two MRO facilities.

The airport serves as a hub for Alliance Air (India), Blue Dart Aviation, SpiceJet, Lufthansa Cargo, Quikjet Cargo, TruJet and IndiGo. It is also a focus city for Air India.

Vistara is in no hurry to lease B787 Dreamliner aircraft to expand international flight operations as it does not want to get stuck with a plane that cannot be used viably, its CEO Vinod Kannan said.

For more than a year, Boeing has not delivered any B787 plane as the US Aviation regulator wants it to first make rectifications in the aircraft production line. Vistara had ordered six B787 planes in 2018 but it has got delivery of only two of those aircraft to date.

Vistara is waiting to receive four aircraft from Boeing’s 787 production line, but deliveries have been frozen globally since May 2021 due to quality-control shortcomings.

Vistara had ordered six B787 planes in 2018 but it has got delivery of only two of those aircraft to date.

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Kannan was talking to reporters on the sidelines of the 78th annual general meeting of the International Air Transport Association (IATA) in Doha. The last thing we want is to hurry and get stuck with an aircraft that we cannot utilise viably, he mentioned.

"The lack of more wide-bodied B787 aircraft has hampered the airline's expansion of international flight operations. Asked by when Vistara would like to have another Boeing 787 aircraft in its fleet, I would like to have it yesterday. But the facts are that these things do take time.When you come up with an RFP (Request For Proposal) for a new aircraft, there are certain sets of considerations. When you are looking into the market for aircraft that are used, you need to be looking at different parameters what is the age of the aircraft? What are the engines' capacities?... It is a different set of considerations with which we have to go with our eyes open."Vinod Kannan, CEO, Vistara

As much as Vistara wants to get the capacity as soon as it can, it also wants to ensure that it gets a good deal, he said. He said the leases for B787 aircraft will hopefully be short-term with an option of increasing its duration as this is an interim lift as the airline waits for its aircraft.

Vistara’s aircraft fleet includes two 787-9s received before the delivery suspension and a mix of Airbus and Boeing narrow-body airliners. It plans to take 20 more aircraft by the end of 2023, mostly A320s to be used domestically and for nearby international destinations.

Airfare hikes are inevitable

An increase in airfares is "inevitable" and Vistara will also raise them if other airlines do so, its CEO Vinod Kannan also said.

"The ATF prices have been increasing and our fares have also been increasing. As part of the overall market, we do look at market fares. We don't operate in a vacuum and if other airlines increase fares and if the function of supply and demand is there, fares will increase."Vinod Kannan, CEO, Vistara

He said that the increase in ATF means that fuel costs now account for up to 40-50% of total costs for Indian airlines.

Recently, SpiceJet's Chairman and Managing Director Ajay Singh said that a minimum increase of 10-15% in airfares was "required" as ATF prices have increased by 120% since June last year.

While the airfares till June were backed by a strong travel demand, Mr. Kannan said that it remained to be seen whether an increase in ticket prices now will dent passenger sentiment during the traditionally lean travel season between July and September.

An increase in airfares is "inevitable" and Vistara will also raise them if other airlines do so - Vinod Kannan

Though the government has prescribed an airfare band with minimum and maximum airfares for travel within 15 days of booking, Mr. Kannan said more and more people were now booking more than 15 days before the date of journey as the uncertainty around travel due to restrictions and various protocols is gradually waning.

Increment of fare caps

The civil aviation ministry had imposed lower and upper limits on domestic airfares based on flight duration when services were resumed on May 25, 2020, after a two-month lockdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

For example, airlines currently cannot charge a passenger less than Rs 2,900 (excluding GST) and more than Rs 8,800 (excluding GST) on flights with a duration of fewer than 40 minutes.

Vistara's airfares are hitting the upper caps occasionally.

The lower caps are there to protect the financially weaker airlines and the upper caps are to protect the passengers from high fares.

"Our position, as well as Vistara is concerned, we have always said the best solution or the best open market is where there is absolute freedom to price. That is the ideal situation. However, Vistara knows why the fare caps are there.They (fare caps) are there for certain reasons. I believe that they are needed to protect the airlines but also the customers (passengers).We are nowhere (in a situation) where we are hitting the (upper) cap 80-90 per cent of the time because as you know demand is also the function of the day of the operation. It is also fiction of other factors as well.Yes, I will be happy if the fare cap is increased right through, not just the ceiling but also the floor. At the end of the day, our position remains that market pricing is the most optimal."Vinod Kannan, CEO, Vistara

He said Vistara's airfares are hitting the upper caps occasionally.

InterGlobe Aviation Ltd., which operates IndiGo, India’s largest airline, had operated cargo flights during the pandemic which resulted in a massive boost in their cargo operations all over India.

India's leading carrier, IndiGo, won the Indian Air cargo Covid Transport Leader of Covid Vaccine award at the recently held CarGo India Conference in Mumbai. IndiGo won the award for swiftly transporting COVID vaccines across India during the pandemic. IndiGo's actions saved innumerable lives and livelihoods and helped the country emerge from the pandemic quickly. 

Indigo Cargo awarded 'Indian Air cargo Transport Leader of Covid Vaccine'

IndiGo has won its customers’ trust with its fleet of specialized vehicles and equipment that ensure safe and secure movement of cargo, safeguard cargo in even the harshest weather, and help every delivery arrive on time.

The company is continuously expanding the size of its fleet and the number of destinations it serves. As a result, IndiGo provides customers with access to an extensive network, competitive air cargo rates, and reliable service.

At a time when the passenger flights were restricted or limited, CarGo revenue was a critical input for the business and helped maintain the cash flow. And for many airlines, cargo became a vital source of revenue when passenger flights were grounded.

IndiGo won the award for swiftly transporting COVID vaccines across India during the pandemic.

In 2020, the air cargo industry generated USD129 billion, which represented approximately a third of airlines’ overall revenues, an increase of 10–15% compared to pre-crisis levels. 

Talking about the airline's cargo business, the CCO said, "Our cargo business has been one of the successes during the pandemic. Actually, we have operated close to 8,000 cargo-in-cabin charter flights." Domestically, the carrier was currently operating in 71 cities in India and each of those points has a cargo capability.

They are planning to source four converted A321ceo planes, which can each carry 27 tonnes, for full-time cargo operations on both domestic and international routes. It said it expected to take delivery of its first freighter in the first half of 2022 and the remaining three within a year of that first delivery. 

On the topic of four cargo aircraft that have been ordered, the first aircraft has just gone to Singapore Technologies Engineering Limited as it's being converted (from passenger aircraft to freighter aircraft). It will be out sometime in the first half of next year.

Overall, IndiGo is very serious about cargo and that cargo is going to become a significant part of our business.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has consented to declare open the second terminal of Bengaluru Airport (Kempegowda International Airport) in the first week of October. 

The communication from the Prime Minister’s Office was sent to the airport operator, Bangalore International Airport Ltd (BIAL) on Wednesday, June 15.

According to airport sources, BIAL had requested Modi to do the honours for the INR 13,000-crore terminal. The exact date will be conveyed by the PMO shortly, a top source said.

Bengaluru airport is set to open T2 in the first week of October; PM Modi to inaugurate

BIAL authorities said that the second terminal will be declared open in the final quarter of 2022. BIAL had recently invited Requests for Proposals from qualified and experienced bidders for the inaugural launch event of the second terminal.

With Modi set to formally dedicate to the nation, the suburban railway project and the Sir M V Visvesvaraya Terminal on June 20, the airport terminal will be the third major infrastructure project to be declared open by him the city.

The much-delayed ‘garden terminal’ is set to boost KIA’s passenger capacity by an additional 25 million annually, which is only phase I of the expansion project.

The much-delayed ‘garden terminal’ is set to boost KIA’s passenger capacity by an additional 25 million annually, which is only phase I of the expansion project. An additional 20 million passengers per annum can travel when phase II  is completed.

KIA, the country’s third-biggest airport had recorded 33 million passengers in 2020 before Covid-19 struck. Labour shortage and flying restrictions shrank patronage. T2 It will have a total built-up area of 2.54 lakh sqm.

It will have a total built-up area of 2.54 lakh sqm.

All arrivals have been planned on the ground floor while departures will happen on the first floor. A lagoon with a big outdoor garden around it, a multi-modal transport hub, including Namma Metro, solar panels on the roof, artificial waterfalls, elevated walkways and green seating areas are among its special features.

While Larsen and Turbo are carrying out construction work, US architectural firm Skidmore, Owings & Merrill is designing T2. All International flights will be operated from T2.

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(With Inputs from The New Indian Express)

Aviation regulator DGCA on Thursday, June 16 said it has audited 30 out of a total of 32 flying training organisations (FTOs) in India since March 21 and found them violating multiple safety regulations.

Consequently, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has suspended the approval of one FTO, issued a warning letter to two accountable managers, and suspended four certified flying instructors (CFIs), three Deputy CFIs and one assistant flying instructor (AFI), its statement noted.

The regulator found in the audit that "the facilities at the airfield/training organization are not being maintained as per the requirements -- runway surface was found worn out, wind sock was found torn or nonstandard."

DGCA reviews 30 flying training organisations; suspends 2 certified flight instructors

Aircraft were being operated with faulty or unserviceable instruments such as fuel gauges, stall warning, etc, the DGCA said. The pre-flight alcohol test regulations were not followed at multiple FTOs, it stated.

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"Few of the instructors, student pilots and aircraft maintenance engineers did not undergo BA (breathalyser) test or submit undertaking before the commencement of duty/exercise of privileges," the DGCA noted.

In a few cases, the testing equipment being used was not in compliance with the requirements or calibrated as required, it added. The DGCA said it observed false logging in official documents.

DGCA has suspended four certified flying instructors (CFIs), three Deputy CFIs and one assistant flying instructor (AFI)

"In few cases, the dual flight was logged as solo flight and in few other cases, the taxi time was calculated towards the instrument flying time of the student pilot," it added. There were deficiencies in the ground training of student pilots, it said.

Student pilots were not appropriately briefed and trained on emergencies and essential exercises before being released to operate solo flights, it said.

There was "adhocism in the allocation of trainers as trainers were frequently changed and thereby affecting the learning experience of student pilot", the regulator noted.

During the last couple of months, there have been numerous incidents and accidents at FTOs across the country.

The emergency response plan was not practised and contained obsolete contact details, the DGCA said. The emergency response plan is of great importance when an incident occurs.

During the last couple of months, there have been numerous incidents and accidents at FTOs across the country.

"Based on these audit findings and findings in a recent accident, enforcement action has been issued i.e., warning letter to two Accountable Managers, suspension orders to two CFIs (certified flying instructors) for a year, two CFI for 3 months, one Deputy CFI for a year, two Deputy CFI for 3 months, one AFI (assistant flying instructor) for 3 months and one student for 3 months.In addition approval of one FTO has been suspended. Enforcement actions against other individuals/ FTOs are at various stages."Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA)

Two training aircraft were involved in separate non-fatal accidents in India on March 16, following which aviation regulator DGCA had ordered a safety audit of all flying training organisations (FTOs).

In the first accident, the pilot had allegedly forgotten to open the landing gear in Jamshedpur in Jharkhand, while the second plane crash-landed on the runway in Uttar Pradesh's Sultanpur. The audit then commenced on March 21.

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The Tata Group-owned Air India has decided to procure its maiden batch of wide-bodied A350 aircraft from Airbus and the first plane is likely to be delivered to the airline by March 2023. The A350 order would be worth more than USD 6 billion based on list prices, before traditional industry discounts.

However, it was not immediately clear how many A350 aircraft will be purchased by Air India. But Air India can place an order of up to 50 Airbus A350-900 aircraft. Additionally, the airline is also in talks to order more than 100 A321 neo aircraft- a popular version of Airbus’ single-aisle version.

Air India has not bought a single aircraft since 2006 when it had placed orders for purchasing 111 aircraft — 68 from the US-based aircraft manufacturer Boeing and 43 from European aircraft manufacturer Airbus.

Air India to add A350 aircraft to its fleet; first aircraft likely by 2023

A wide-bodied plane like Airbus A350 has a bigger fuel tank that allows it to travel long distances such as India-US routes. The Tata Group took control of Air India on January 27 after successfully winning the bid for the airline on October 8 last year.

Sources on Wednesday, June 17 said Air India has started asking its senior pilots if they will be interested in getting the "conversion training" to operate A350 aircraft.

Air India's pilots are trained to operate the wide-bodied aircraft of Boeing. Therefore, they have to undergo "conversion training" to operate the A350 aircraft of Airbus. Transition training from A320 to A350 will require only around six months as Airbus has ensured cockpit commonality in the two aircraft.

Transition training from A320 to A350 will require only around six months as Airbus has ensured cockpit commonality in the two aircraft.

According to Air India's website, the airline has a total of 49 wide-bodied aircraft — 18 Boeing B777, 4 Boeing B747 and 27 B787 — in its fleet. The carrier has 79 narrow-bodied planes in its fleet too. Sources said Air India is purchasing A350 aircraft and is likely to get its first A350 plane by March 2023.

Such an early delivery of the aircraft is possible because the airline is eyeing aircraft already built for Russian airline AeroFlot, which Airbus couldn’t deliver due to the sanctions placed by the company on Russia.

Aeroflot had a total of 22 A350-900 aircraft on order. Out of those, only one has been delivered to Aerflot while six aircraft are being taken by Turkish Airlines, which will be delivered in 2022 and 2023.

Air India has a total of 49 wide-bodied aircraft including 18 Boeing B777

The Russia-Ukraine war has led to Western nations taking swift action against Russia, imposing sanctions and airspace bans. The actions restricted plane makers like Airbus and Boeing from selling and delivering aircraft to their Russian customers.

Multiple delays by Boeing for the commercial launch of its competing product like the 777X due to regulatory issues also contributed to the order swaying in Airbus’ favour. Plans of Vistara, the group’s joint venture with Singapore, have been hit due to the delay in delivery of 787 aircraft.

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A team of top executives of Tata Sons, which includes the conglomerate’s Chief Financial Officer Saurabh Agrawal and Air India’s Chief Commercial officer Nipun Aggarwal, is in Hamburg to finalise details on the seating layout and interiors.

Airbus had earlier showcased a more advanced version of the aircraft A350-1000 to Tata Sons executives including group patriarch Ratan Tata.

Airbus had earlier showcased a more advanced version of the aircraft A350-1000 to Tata Sons executives including group patriarch Ratan Tata.

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The airline is simultaneously working to restore its grounded aircraft. Around 30 of Air India’s 113 aircraft have been grounded for varying periods due to lack of engine overhaul or non-availability of components and spares. This includes aircraft from both the Airbus and Boeing fleet such as Airbus A320, Boeing 777 and 787 aircraft.

While Air India has a fleet of 141 aircraft, a mix of narrow and wide-body Airbus and Boeing aircraft, the airline has agreed to hand over only 118 of them in fly-worthy condition to the Tatas.

Tata Sons chairman N Chandrasekaran who is also the chairman of Air India had earlier said that the group will need to order new aircraft to augment the fleet of the airline.

Since April, the airline's chairman N Chandrasekaran — who also is the chairman of the Tata Group — has rejigged the top management of the airline, bringing in senior and middle-level executives who have worked in other companies of the Tata Group such as Tata Steel and Vistara.

Tata Sons chairman N Chandrasekaran who is also the chairman of Air India had earlier said that the group will need to order new aircraft to augment the fleet of the airline.

“We will address it with utmost urgency. We’ll upgrade our fleet, we’ll bring modernity in our fleet, we’ll bring a new fleet,” he had said in a video address to employees.

Once known for its premium services and advertisements featuring Bollywood stars, the airline still has lucrative landing slots at most major airports, but it faces competition from foreign airlines with non-stop services to India and carriers that fly via hubs in the Middle East.

Tata, which now owns four airline brands, including the local affiliates of Singapore Airlines Ltd. and AirAsia Group Bhd., is widely expected to consolidate the businesses. It already got antitrust approvals for Air India to take over AirAsia India.

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