Vistara plans to add 8 routes and 14 aircraft in FY23

Vistara plans to expand its routes as international operations open up, according to a top official. International markets account for 25% of Vistara's profits. In the coming fiscal year, the Tata SIA-owned airline plans to add at least 7-8 new routes. By the end of FY23, it plans to add 13-14 aircraft to its fleet.

Vinod Kannan, who recently took over as CEO of Vistara, told BusinessLine that the airline will now focus on expanding to international markets "in a big way." "Today, our international market accounts for 25% of our revenue. As a result, everything points in the right direction," he said.

Currently, it operates flights to at least 9 international destinations and 30 domestic destinations. He said it plans to connect at least 7 to 8 destinations across international and domestic markets. 

Vistara plans to add 8 routes and 14 aircraft in FY23. (Image Courtesy - Live from a Lounge)

During the pandemic, Vistara had operated to multiple destinations including Doha, Male, Sharjah, London, Frankfurt, Bangkok and Paris under air bubbles. Of these, it had flying rights to London, Frankfurt, Bangkok and Paris.

“The priority would be to ramp up daily to these destinations. We will be looking at new routes in Europe. We have also been talking about the US which is on the cards,” he said.

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Air bubbles are temporary arrangements between two countries aimed at restarting commercial passenger services when regular international flights are suspended as a result of Covid-19. The airline has applied for flying rights to Doha, Male and Sharjah. 

The airline has applied for flying rights to Doha, Male and Sharjah. (Image Courtesy - AirlineGeeks.com)

When asked the rationale behind adding these routes, he explained that though it wasn’t a completely open market where commercial flights were operating and capacity was restrained, the airline couldn’t gauge the complete potential or have a clear picture.

However, “since we have been there, established ourselves, and shown our product, we’ve asked for traffic rights to these points, and we’re waiting to see what happens.”

ALSO READ - Vistara wins the best domestic airline award for the second year in a row

While the industry is opening up, the rising fuel cost, US dollar rates and the indirect impact of the Russia-Ukraine war could be a dampener, he said.

To ramp up international operations, Vistara plans to add 13-14 aircraft by the end of FY23 (Image Courtesy - Victor Tango Aviation)

To ramp up international operations, the airline plans to add 13-14 aircraft by the end of FY23, Kannan said. The airline recently added four aircraft, taking its fleet size to 50. 

Speaking about the domestic market, Kannan said the airline has established itself well in the domestic market. and he does see a scope to increase the frequency of flights. 

According to the Directorate General of Civil Aviation numbers, Vistara’s domestic market share in February was up at a record 9.7%. 

(With Inputs from Hindu BusinessLine)

While India has resumed international flights, red tape left roughly 50 passengers stranded for nearly 48 hours at Yangon airport, Myanmar as the baton to allow chartered flights passed on from the DGCA’s hands to the Ministry of Civil Aviation.

Nearly 50 Indians, including workers, businessmen and CEOs arrived at the Yangon International Airport for a chartered flight booked with Myanmar National Airlines on Sunday, March 27 at 4 AM for their flight to Kolkata at 8 AM.

However, the flight didn’t take off in the absence of a green flag from India’s Ministry of Civil Aviation. The permission was granted only late on Monday, March 28. 

Nearly 50 Indians arrived at the Yangon International Airport for a chartered flight booked with Myanmar National Airlines. (Image Courtesy - Retail News Asia)

“Many passengers left and came to the airport again at 4 a.m. on Monday and waited till 3.30 p.m. but there was no sign of the flight. Many others, who had nowhere to go to and had travelled from far away cities to reach the only international airport in the country, spent Sunday night at the airport without food or water as shopkeepers have abandoned their shops in protest against the military junta,” said Kavita Kumar from Bangalore, whose relatives were among the stranded passengers.

A government official in the know explained the reason for the delay and said that until Sunday, March 27 when international flights resumed for India, DGCA used to grant permission for relief and repatriation flights but won’t be doing so anymore and the authority for giving clearance for such charter flights now rests with the Ministry of Civil Aviation. 

The plane was a Myanmar National Airlines' 48-seater ATR aircraft. (Image Courtesy - Pinterest)

Myanmar is yet to permit commercial flights. Ms. Kumar said passengers were issued tickets nearly three weeks back and the airline had more charters planned to India in the days to come. The plane was a 48-seater ATR aircraft. 

It is learnt that the Ministry of Civil Aviation granted the permission late on Monday, March 28 evening, but it was not clear when the flight was scheduled for take-off. 

(With Inputs from The Hindu)

(Cover Image - Wikipedia)

The Taliban have ordered airlines in Afghanistan to stop women from boarding flights unless accompanied by a male relative, aviation officials told AFP.

The latest restriction on women follows shutdown of all girls' secondary schools just hours after they were allowed to reopen for the first time since the hardline Islamists seized power in August.

Two officials from Afghanistan's Ariana Afghan airline and Kam Air said late on Sunday, March 27 that the Taliban had ordered them to stop boarding women if they were travelling alone.

Officials from Ariana Afghan airline said that Taliban had ordered them to stop boarding women if they were travelling alone. (Image Courtesy - Aviation Nepal)

The decision was taken after a meeting between representatives of the Taliban, the two airlines and airport immigration authorities, the officials told AFP, asking not to be named.

Since the Taliban's return to power, many curbs on women's freedoms have been reintroduced -- often implemented locally at the whim of regional officials from the Ministry for Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice.

The ministry said it had not issued any directive banning women from taking flights alone. But a letter issued by a senior official of Ariana Afghan to the airline's staff after the meeting with the Taliban, a copy of which was obtained by AFP, confirmed the new measure. 

Taliban ban Afghan women flying alone in latest setback on rights. (Image Courtesy - Arab News)

"No women are allowed to fly on any domestic or international flights without a male relative," the letter said. Two travel agents AFP contacted also confirmed they had stopped issuing tickets to solo women travellers.

"Some women who were travelling without a male relative were not allowed to board a Kam Air flight from Kabul to Islamabad on Friday," a passenger who was on that flight told AFP.

An Afghan woman with a US passport was also not allowed to board a flight to Dubai on Friday, another source said. The Taliban have already banned inter-city road trips for women travelling alone, but until now they were free to take flights.

The Taliban have promised a softer version of the harsh Islamist rule that characterised their first stint in power from 1996 to 2001. (Image Courtesy - Global Village Space)

The Taliban have promised a softer version of the harsh Islamist rule that characterised their first stint in power from 1996 to 2001. But since August, they have rolled back two decades of gains made by Afghanistan's women. 

Women have been squeezed out of most government jobs and secondary school education, as well as ordered to dress according to a strict interpretation of the Koran.

Tens of thousands of girls flocked back to class on Wednesday after schools reopened, but officials ordered them home just hours into the day, triggering international outrage. Authorities have still not given a clear reason for the policy reversal.

(Cover Image - AFP)

The Air France-KLM Group on Monday, March 28 said it will increase its regular India flights from 20 per week in April to 30 per week in May. Regular international flights resumed on Sunday, March 27 after a coronavirus pandemic-induced hiatus of approximately two years.

During the last two years, limited international passenger flights were operating between India and selected countries — including France and the Netherlands — under bilateral air bubble arrangements.

Air France - KLM to boost flights to India starting May 2022 (Image Courtesy - Financial Times)

"Following the resumption, Air France and KLM will progressively increase flight operations from India, starting with 20 weekly flights in April and expand frequency to 30 weekly flights in May,” the group’s press release stated.

Air France will operate from four gateways — Bengaluru, Chennai, Delhi and Mumbai — and KLM from Delhi and Mumbai, it said.

”India is a strategic market for Air France and KLM, thanks to a strong VFR (visiting friends and relatives) segment and incoming tourism we anticipate a rapid recovery that should help the industry.We will carefully monitor the market situation as we intend to reach our pre-pandemic activity over the summer of 2022."Jean-Noel Rault, General Manager Indian Subcontinent, Air France- KLM

Air France–KLM S.A., also known as Air France–KLM Group, is a Franco-Dutch airline holding company incorporated under French law with its headquarters at Charles de Gaulle Airport in Tremblay-en-France, near Paris.

Both Air France and KLM are members of the SkyTeam airline alliance. (Image Courtesy - Flight Waves)

The group has offices in Montreuil, Seine-Saint-Denis, Paris, and Amstelveen, Netherlands. Air France–KLM is the result of the merger in 2004 Air France and KLM airlines. Both Air France and KLM are members of the SkyTeam airline alliance.

The company's namesake airlines rely on two major hubs, Paris–Charles de Gaulle Airport and Amsterdam Airport Schiphol respectively. Air France–KLM Airlines transported 87.3 million passengers in 2014.

(Cover Image - FL360aero)

US-based aerospace company Boeing on Monday, March 28 said it is exploring strategic collaboration opportunities with Indira Gandhi Rashtriya Uran Akademi (IGRUA) to enhance safety and quality in early career flight training. IGRUA is a premier flight training organisation under the Ministry of Civil Aviation.

“Our strategic collaboration with IGRUA will look at ways to further emphasize safety and quality to aspiring airline cadets in training and throughout their careers,” said Salil Gupte, president, of Boeing India.

"The collaboration with Boeing will help the academy set the bar even higher to achieve global standards.The collaboration will not just benefit the next generation of Indian pilots, but the entire aviation ecosystem of the country will benefit from Boeing’s experience in safety and quality."Krishnendu Gupta, Director, Indira Gandhi Rashtriya Uran Akademi (IGRUA)

Boeing has been a strong partner of India’s aerospace sector for almost eight decades, both as the mainstay of India’s commercial aviation sector as well as an important partner in the mission readiness and modernization of India’s defence forces.

Boeing explores strategic collaboration opportunities with IGRUA to enhance flight training

Boeing’s relationship with India goes back to the 1940s when the Indian Air Force enlisted two Boeing aircraft - the T-6 Texan, or Harvard Advanced Trainer, made by North American Aviation, and the C-47 Skytrain military transport, a military variant of the DC-3, made by McDonnell Douglas. Today, Boeing continues to play a key role in India’s evolving commercial and armed forces aviation.

Headquartered in Delhi, Boeing’s India operations include field service offices in Mumbai, Hindan, Rajali and New Delhi, and a rapidly growing Boeing India Engineering & Technology Center (BIETC) in Bengaluru and Chennai.

Today, Boeing continues to play a key role in India’s evolving commercial and armed forces aviation.

Indira Gandhi Rashtriya Udaan Academy (IGRUA) is a pilot training institute located at Fursatganj Airfield, in Amethi district (formerly in Raebareli) of Uttar Pradesh, India. Established in 1985, it was the first such institute in India. 

It is an autonomous institution and comes under the Ministry of Civil Aviation, Government of India. In August 2013, the Ministry of Civil Aviation announced that a National Aviation University would be established on the IGRUA site.

Indian airports saw a significant increase in bird and animal strike incidents in 2021, notwithstanding the limited number of flights operating in the country in 2021 due to coronavirus-induced travel restrictions. Bird and animal strike incidents are considered one of the most potent threats to flight operations.

In August 2019, a flock of seagulls struck the engines of Ural Airlines' Moscow-Simferopol flight, following which the plane crash-landed in a cornfield, injuring 74 passengers.

There were 1,466 bird strike incidents (27.25% increase) and 29 animal strike incidents (93.33% increase) in 2021 across Indian airports as compared to 2020, according to aviation regulator DGCA's data that has been accessed by PTI.

Significant increase in bird and animal strike incidents in 2021 at Indian airports

When figures for 2021 are compared with figures for the pre-pandemic year 2019, the increase in bird and animal strike incidents at the Indian airports stand at 19.47 per cent and 123 per cent, respectively.

According to government officials, one of the major factors behind the increase in the number of bird and animal strike incidents in India during 2021 could be that the airports were quieter than usual due to a limited number of flights amid the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Quieter airports attract more birds and animals, they noted. The second COVID-19 wave had hit India hard in the April-June period of 2021. The number of monthly domestic passengers dropped to just 21.15 lakh in May 2021 and only around 10% of international flights were operating in India during April-June 2021 period, the officials stated.

There were 1,466 bird strike incidents (27.25% increase) and 29 animal strike incidents (93.33% increase) in 2021 across Indian airports as compared to 2020

According to the data of the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), in 2020, there were 1,152 bird strikes and 15 animal strike incidents at Indian airports. In 2019, there were 1,227 bird strikes and 13 animal strike incidents, and in 2018, there were 1,214 bird strikes and 19 animal strike incidents at the Indian airports, the data stated.

The DGCA, in 2018 circular, had said that the presence of wildlife in and in the vicinity of an airport poses a "serious threat" to aircraft operational safety.

When PTI asked the Centre-run Airports Authority of India (AAI) reasons for the significant increase in such incidents during 2021, it replied that the "main reason" for these incidents is "urbanisation around the airport, improper waste management, butcheries near the airport, open drains in surrounding areas etc. which are the main source of attraction of food or water for birds or animals".

At the AAI-run airports, during the year 2019-20, the bird strike incidents were 276 and animal strikes were 12 whereas during the year 2020-21 the bird strike incidents were 225 and animal strike incidents were five, it said.

"It can be seen that during these years there is no increase in the bird strike and animal strike incidents at the AAI-run airports," it added. The AAI runs more than 100 airports across the country.

However, major airports such as Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Delhi, Mumbai, Ahmedabad, Guwahati, Jaipur, Lucknow, Mangaluru and Thiruvananthapuram are run by private operators. The AAI said it has taken multiple steps to reduce bird and animal strike incidents at its airports.

The DGCA, in 2018 circular, had said that the presence of wildlife in and in the vicinity of an airport poses a "serious threat" to aircraft operational safety.

To reduce or control these incidents within AAI-run airports, bird scaring devices such as zone guns, laser torches, sound repellent devices, reflective tapes etc. are being used, it mentioned.

In addition to this, the operational area is levelled and graded, grass and bushes are regularly cut, insecticide is regularly sprayed, rodent control measures are undertaken, garbage is disposed off in a properly covered area and is not exposed to birds, and the drains are covered with nets, it stated.

Workshops are organised for ornithology and natural history to sensitise airport officials who have to take measures to control bird and animal strike incidents, it noted.

The birds are relocated at least 50 km away from the airport because pigeons are known for their strong homing

Based on ecological studies conducted, the AAI has started doing "netting, trapping and relocation" for urban birds such as the Blue Rock pigeon. "The birds are relocated at least 50 km away from the airport because pigeons are known for their strong homing," the AAI noted.

Insecticides are being used to reduce insect activity levels which is the main source of food for birds, it mentioned. Open soil patches -- which are most suitable for the breeding of ground-nesting birds such as lapwings -- have been removed, it said.

Further, the growth of grass at the airside is maintained at an average height of 15-20 cm within the airport, it mentioned. "Periodic removal of eggs and nests from the airport can disturb the birds. Hence, eggs and nests are being collected regularly until breeding efforts of birds are abandoned," it said.

Spikes have been installed over signages and poles near the runway to avoid the perching of birds

Holes in the airports' perimeter walls have been covered to stop the entry of jungle cats, jackals, snakes, amphibians and small mammals, it noted. Spikes have been installed over signages and poles near the runway to avoid the perching of birds, it said.

Airfield Environment Management Committee (AEMC) meetings chaired by senior officials of state authorities are being conducted to adopt measures for controlling the presence of birds and animals in or in the vicinity of the airport, it mentioned.

Regular inspection is carried out with local municipal authorities in the vicinity of the airport to take measures to reduce the bird and animal strike incidents, it said.