India’s second largest carrier by passengers carried, Jet Airways, on Friday posted a net loss of Rs. 495.53 crore for the quarter ended March 31 from a loss of Rs. 298.12 crore during the same period a year earlier.
Abu Dhabi carrier Etihad’s Rs. 2,058-crore stake purchase in Jet Airways seems to have hit an air pocket, with regulators seeking more clarity on the deal to ensure overall competition in the aviation market is not affected and interests of public shareholders and consumers are protected.
A new cess of Rs. 40-50 could be imposed on flyers to create a Rs. 400-crore Essential Services Fund (ESF), to be used to increase connectivity to 90 small airports across India. Tushar Srivastava reports.
The aviation ministry may impose a new cess on flyers to help increase connectivity to smaller towns.
Here’s something that won’t sound like music to your ears. The cost of air tickets, already ruling at high levels, will not come down in a hurry.
Tushar Srivastava reports.
The recent 'unbundling' of some services such as seat preferences or meals on board might be helping airlines to earn a lot of ancillary revenue, but the government is considering whether it could limit the number of 'preferred seats' on sale on each flight.
Unhappy with airlines putting a large number of seats under the 'privileged' category for which they can charge the fliers separately, the civil aviation ministry has asked the carriers to limit such seats. HT reports.
Air India has sought compensation from Boeing for Dreamliners not meeting the 20% fuel efficiency claims as the airline could achieve only a tad over 17% fuel economy by its six 787s, a source said.
Passengers will continue to pay more for flights for the next six months at least, courtesy the government’s new airfare policy. The policy that came into effect a couple of weeks ago allows airlines to charge separately for specific services such as check-in baggage, seat preference and on-board meals.
Air India (AI) will restart Dreamliner operations from May 15 with the first flight from Delhi to Kolkata. The first international flight with the Boeing 787 will restart from May 22. The entire Air India board will be on the Delhi-Kolkata flight.
HT reports.
The government has approved a proposal received from the aviation ministry for the constituion of an inter-ministerial committee to suggest measures to overcome bottlenecks in the development of aviation hubs at various airports in India.
Air India is set for a major transformation. The full-service carrier will soon start charging passengers travelling economy class on domestic sectors for food.
Tushar Srivastava reports.
DGCA chief Arun Mishra said his office won’t be probing into the April 30 incident where, according to a government appointed safety panel, a chartered Jet Airways flight landed at a South African Air Force base without clearance, circled at low altitude above Pretoria city, triggering a scare among local air traffic controllers.
Within days of the national carrier reducing free check-in baggage limit by five kilograms, Jet Airways has followed suit, showing the first signs of how the government’s new unbundling airfare policy will make air travel expensive.
Soubhik Mitra reports.
India has once again refused consent to allow the A380 — the world’s-largest commercial aircraft — to fly into the country. Singapore had recently sought permission for its airlines to operate the aircraft to India.