Vistara Receives 50th Airbus A320 Family Aircraft

Vistara, one of India's fastest-growing airlines, has achieved a significant milestone by taking delivery of its 50th Airbus A320 family aircraft. The delivery of the aircraft, an Airbus A320neo, marks another step in the airline's ambitious expansion plans and its commitment to providing world-class service to its passengers.

Vistara, a joint venture between Tata Sons and Singapore Airlines, has been rapidly expanding its fleet since it launched operations in 2015. The airline currently operates a fleet of Airbus A320 family aircraft, including A320s and A320neos, and Boeing 737-800NGs.

The delivery of the 50th Airbus A320 family aircraft is a testament to the airline's rapid growth and its commitment to providing a premium travel experience to its passengers.

The latest aircraft has taken Vistara's fleet to a total of 55 aircraft.

The Airbus A320 family of aircraft is known for its efficiency, reliability, and comfort, making it a popular choice for airlines around the world. The A320neo, in particular, is equipped with the latest technology, including new-generation engines and advanced aerodynamics, which significantly reduce fuel consumption and emissions.

Vistara's new A320neo is also fitted with the latest in-flight entertainment system and cabin interiors, providing passengers with an unparalleled travel experience.

The delivery of the 50th Airbus A320 family aircraft is a significant milestone for Vistara and its partners. The airline has been expanding rapidly in recent years, launching new domestic and international routes and enhancing its customer service offerings.

The addition of the new A320neo will enable the airline to further expand its route network and provide more travel options to its passengers.

Also read - Air India and Vistara begin their integration process

Vistara has also been investing heavily in technology and innovation to enhance its operations and customer experience.

Vistara brand to discontinue after merger with Air India.

In January, Vistara announced that it would not be ordering any new aircraft ahead of its proposed merger with Air India. The airline did clarify that it will continue to honor its existing aircraft orders, the bulk of which will be put towards further international expansion.

The airline still has close to 10 Airbus A320s to be delivered and four more Boeing 787-9 airplanes, the deliveries of which should be completed by the end of 2024. By then, however, Vistara's brand will most likely cease to exist following its merger with Air India, and all the new aircraft will contribute to the merged entity's business operations.

Also read - Vistara brand to be dropped by Air India following the merger

Two American citizens have been arrested on suspicion of exporting aviation technology to Russia in violation of sanctions over the war in Ukraine, United States authorities have announced.

Cyril Gregory Buyanovsky, 59, and Douglas Robertson, 55, are alleged to have supplied aviation-related electronics to Russian companies, the US Department of Justice said in a press release on Thursday. Buyanovsky and Robertson, who are both residents of Kansas, are also accused of providing repair services for equipment used in Russian-manufactured aircraft.

The men are alleged to have received avionics equipment, including a computer processor, from a Russian company for repair and attempted to conceal the true destination with a fraudulent invoice between November 2020 and February 2021. They are also alleged to have shipped electronics to Russia between May and July 2022.

US prosecutors allege the two men conspired to evade US export laws via their firm KanRus Trading Company starting in 2020.

Buyanovsky and Robertson are charged with conspiracy, exporting controlled goods without a licence, falsifying and failing to file electronic export information, and smuggling goods contrary to US law.

The two men face a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison for each count of exporting controlled goods without a licence, up to 10 years for each count of smuggling, and up to five years for each count of conspiracy and falsifying export information.

The US has announced multiple rounds of sanctions against Russia since Moscow launched its invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

Washington last month unveiled sanctions on Russia’s metals and mining sector and financial institutions alongside a USD 2bn military aid package to Ukraine, to coincide with the anniversary of the invasion.

With inputs from aljazeera

IndiGo, one of India's largest airlines, is aiming to expand its reach in the international market by forging a codeshare agreement with Turkish Airlines. The deal, which was announced in November 2021, will allow IndiGo to offer flights to various destinations in the US via Istanbul, Turkey.

The codeshare agreement is expected to provide several benefits to both IndiGo and Turkish Airlines. For IndiGo, the deal will help it expand its international footprint and tap into the lucrative US market.

Meanwhile, Turkish Airlines will benefit from the agreement by gaining access to IndiGo's vast domestic network in India. As part of the deal, Turkish Airlines will be able to sell tickets on IndiGo's flights within India, allowing it to tap into India's growing middle class and business travel segments.

IndiGo targets US market via codeshare agreement with Turkish Airlines.

The codeshare agreement will also benefit passengers of both airlines, who will be able to enjoy greater connectivity and seamless travel options. Passengers traveling on IndiGo's flights to Istanbul will be able to connect to Turkish Airlines' flights to various destinations in the US, including New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, and San Francisco.

The codeshare agreement with Turkish Airlines is a significant step for IndiGo, which has been focusing on expanding its international operations in recent years. The airline has been investing in modernizing its fleet and enhancing its customer experience to attract more international passengers.

It has also been working to expand its network of codeshare partners to provide its customers with greater connectivity and convenience.

Similarly, passengers traveling on Turkish Airlines' flights to Istanbul will be able to connect to IndiGo's flights to several domestic destinations in India.

The US market is a particularly attractive destination for IndiGo, given the large Indian diaspora and growing business ties between the two countries. The codeshare agreement with Turkish Airlines will allow IndiGo to tap into this market without having to invest in new aircraft or routes.

Overall, the codeshare agreement between IndiGo and Turkish Airlines is a win-win for both airlines and their passengers. It will provide IndiGo with greater access to the US market and allow Turkish Airlines to expand its reach in India.

At the same time, passengers of both airlines will benefit from increased connectivity and seamless travel options. The deal is a testament to the growing importance of codeshare agreements in the global aviation industry and the potential benefits they can provide to airlines and passengers alike.

The GMR Group which is in the process of developing an international airport at Bhogapuram near here will be investing Rs 5,000 crore in the aerodrome in the first phase.

Speaking at the inaugural session of the Global Investors Summit 2023 being held here, GM Rao, chairman of GMR Group said the first phase of the airport will be developed to serve six million passengers per annum.

"We will be developing Bhogapuram Airport with the first phase serving six million passengers and an ultimate capacity of 40 million passengers (per annum). The first phase investment will be to the tune of INR 5,000 crore," Rao said.

ALSO READ - Andhra Pradesh’s Bhogapuram Airport to have an investment of over INR 2,500 crore

GMR Group to give INR 5000 crore funding to Bhogapuram Airport in Andhra Pradesh

The airport will have state-of-the-art cargo facilities that will cater to exports and an aerotropolis and airport city around the airport that will consist of an industrial zone, airspace zone and education and healthcare zones, he said.

Rao further said the airport would replicate the success of Hyderabad aerodrome which will help in the transformation of Visakhapatnam city and also place the state on the global map as the most preferred investment destination.

The airport is expected to play a significant role in the region’s economic growth, with the potential to create numerous job opportunities. It will also improve connectivity between Visakhapatnam and other parts of India and attract more tourists to the region.

The GMR Group is the concessioner for developing Bhogapuram Airport near Visakhapatnam. The land acquisition for the new airport has been completed and work is likely to be commenced soon.

In September 2022, Indian Navy officials have agreed to move the Visakhapatnam Airport to Bhogapuram. Regarding this, Indian Navy and Andhra Pradesh Airports Development Corporation Limited (APADCL) officials have signed an MOU in New Delhi.

ALSO READ – New Visakhapatnam International Airport project to take off soon

The airport's construction was expected to start by the end of 2022 and is expected to be completed by December 2024. Upon completion of Phase 1, the terminal handling capacity is expected to be 6.3 million passengers per year and will rise to 18 million passengers per year upon completion of Phase 2.

India is seeking to collaborate with international aircraft manufacturers, such as Embraer and Russia's Sukhoi, to produce small planes locally to boost connectivity in remote and small towns, according to a report by Bloomberg.

According to the report, sources who asked not to be named because the discussions are still in their early stages, the government will maintain a 51% equity stake in an Indian company while asking the foreign partner to share technology. The planes, which normally hold less than 100 passengers, are most likely to be made in Gujarat, the home state of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Although airports with limited capacity and short runways are ill-equipped to handle the narrow-body planes of Airbus and Boeing that dominate the Indian sky, the world's fastest-growing aviation industry is attempting to expand its small-plane fleet. This would aid the government in promoting tourism and facilitating quicker access to isolated regions in the 1.4 billion-strong South Asian nation, whose population is recently thought to have surpassed that of China.

India in talks to produce small aircraft domestically with Embraer & Sukhoi

Smaller planes may be more cost-effective for airlines since they may fill a greater proportion of all seats, as required by India, which demands that airlines fly at least 10% of their capacity on remote routes, such as Kashmir and the Northeast bordering China.

ALSO READ - De Havilland aims to win 80% of India’s small-plane market

According to Airbus, India would require 2,210 aircraft by 2040, with smaller jets accounting for 80% of those needed. The nation has attracted the attention of international turboprop manufacturers, and De Havilland Aircraft intends to take 80% of the market for tiny aircraft with fewer than 20 passengers.

According to the sources talking to Bloomberg, Sukhoi has shown interest in producing regional jets locally while India has finished preliminary negotiations with Embraer. The nation has also contacted ATR, an Italian joint venture between Airbus and Leonardo SpA, to produce in India, they claimed.

Embraer said India has "huge opportunities" for regional planes and the manufacturer "continuously looks for ways to partner with India to develop win-win solutions".

The mainstay of regional flights in India is the ATR small plane, of which 39 are flown by IndiGo, the leading airline in the country. SpiceJet operates rival De Havilland's Dash-8 Q400 turboprops, which have 78 to 90 seats. The 19-seater Dornier 228 aircraft used by the armed forces and Alliance Air are already produced by state-owned Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd.

The strategy is crucial to Modi's efforts to encourage manufacturing, increase economic productivity, and generate employment. By providing subsidies to airlines, the government is enhancing last-mile connectivity and lowering the cost of air travel.

India has set aside 45 billion rupees (USD 545 million) as part of a regional connectivity programme to build 100 underserved airports, heliports, and water aerodromes as well as to establish 1,000 new routes by the end of the year.

(With Inputs from Bloomberg)

Indian budget carrier IndiGo is in talks with both Boeing and its current supplier Airbus to order more than 500 passenger jets, potentially smashing an industry record set by domestic rival Air India a few weeks ago, industry sources said.

India's largest airline has until now been an exclusive buyer of narrow-body jets from Airbus and French Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire said last month that IndiGo was close to ordering several hundred planes from the European planemaker.

But negotiations to keep renewing the budget carrier's fleet from the end of the decade have also broadened to include mid-sized wide-body jets, sparking a contest between Boeing's B787 Dreamliner and the upgraded Airbus A330neo, the sources said.

IndiGo reportedly in talks with both Boeing & Airbus for around 500 aircraft

IndiGo, owned by InterGlobe Aviation Ltd, is also comparing the A320neo with the Boeing 737 MAX as it weighs a major new order for narrow-body jets, they added. The split between wide- and narrow-body jets was not immediately clear.

An IndiGo representative told Reuters the airline is constantly in talks with manufacturers as it plans its next phase of growth. "However, we haven't finalised anything till now." Airbus declined to comment on any talks, saying it is "always in contact with existing and potential customers". Boeing had no immediate comment.

IndiGo, which counts a 55% share of the domestic market, is widely expected to maintain Airbus as its supplier of narrow-body jets to squeeze out further economies of scale. It is already one of Airbus's largest customers and has so far ordered a total of 830 Airbus A320-family jets of which 488 are still to be delivered.

But Indian analysts say Airbus will face a tougher fight for the wide-body order. In a departure from its single-aisle strategy, IndiGo last month began international operations with a Boeing 777, its first wide-body aircraft, taken from codeshare partner Turkish Airlines, which provides the pilots.

Efforts by Indian carriers to keep pace with the world's fastest-growing aviation market, serving what is soon to become the largest population, have sent industry records tumbling even though manufacturers are struggling to meet output goals.

Tata-owned Air India last month sealed deals for a record 470 jets from Airbus and Boeing and plans to lease another 25 for immediate needs, bringing the acquisition to 495 aircraft.

The head of the budget airline Akasa Air told Reuters last month it would place a "substantially" large order for new narrowbody jets this year on top of an existing Boeing 737 MAX order.

Industry publication CAPA reported last month that IndiGo was looking at around 500 jets as Air India closed its own deal.

Indian aviation has been hobbled in the past by airline failures, weak infrastructure and questions over the rights of foreign leasing companies that step in to finance the sales.

While analysts have warned the market could overheat again, Dublin-based Avolon, one of the largest lessors, has said consolidation and airport upgrades have improved the outlook and India is set to remain a major source of growth.

IndiGo began operations in 2006 and flies to more than 75 Indian cities including remote destinations in the country's northeast. It also flies internationally to nearby places including Dubai, Singapore, Hanoi and Maldives and is expanding into Europe through its partnership with Turkish Airlines.

(With Inputs from Reuters)