The Win-Win JV?

The much-hyped Boeing-Embraer deal is still a “work in progress” and faces a lot of hurdles before it receives the final nod. Life after the deal will not be easy for the likes of China’s Comac, Russia’s Sukhoi and Japan’s Mitsubishi. Perhaps, more important, it could set the ball rolling for Boeing’s Midmarket Aircraft – unofficially, the 797. A report.

Done Deal?

The Airbus-Bombardier deal – it has yet to be cleared by antitrust bodies — promises to give the European air framer a significant advantage in the single-aisle front. And, now that the unions have given the tie-up a thumbs-up, the world of aviation will wait to see if Airbus has an ace in its hands. A report

No Problems With The US – Yet!

Donald Trump’s ‘Only America’ move has not had any effect yet on exports from India but air cargo stakeholders maintain that pharma products could feel the heat in the future. A report from TIRTHANKAR GHOSH.

november nod to numbers

“allaying clocked record growth of 22.4 per cent yoy (year-on-year) in the demonetisation month of november ’16,” tweeted union civil aviation minister ashok gajapathi raju.

All Set for the Connected Traveller

India aviation has been lagging behind its global counterparts as far as adoption and introduction of new technology. But all that is set to change with most airlines and airports increasing IT spending in 2017 to meet rapid passenger growth. A report

Ready for the Delhi-Kabul AIRBRIDGE

While the recent Heart of Asia conference sent out a strong message to the world community about Pakistan’s involvement in harbouring and fostering terrorists, it also saw the first steps by India and Pakistan to create an air cargo service that would be an important enabler of twoway trade between India and Afghanistan. Such a service comes on the back of the establishment of the Iranian port of Chabahar port.

‘Ease Operational and Regulatory Aspects to Spur General Aviation Growth'

Abdullah-Al-Sayed, Founder and Chairman of NEXUS Group, has been associated with general aviation in India for more than 20 years. Though 2016 was a good year for NEXUS in India, Al-Sayed while speaking to CRUISING HEIGHTS, said that the future looked good — now that the country was poised to witness regional services. NEXUS is the very first and only licensed company in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, to set up independent Flight Operations Service. Today, NEXUS has Flight Operations Centers in Kigali, Rwanda; Mumbai, India, and Manila, The Philippines in addition to Jeddah and Dammam in KSA

High On Expectations, Low On Delivery

This year, the Ministry of Civil Aviation and FICCI-organised Wings India 2018 left much to be desired. While there were a limited number of aircraft on show, there were few exhibitors, fewer celebrities and a host of disappointed visitors. This, at a time, when the country is all set to leap into the big league of aviation nations

Dangerous Flying!

Pratt & Whitney may have found a solution to the unending woes for its engines powering the A320 new engine option (neo) aircraft, however, the fact remains that the grounding of the planes and Airbus' decision to stop delivery of planes with PW engines has dealt a severe blow to IndiGo and GoAir's growth plans. IndiGo is one the biggest buyers of the aircraft, with more than 350 aircraft yet to be delivered, while GoAir is the next in line with orders for 131 neos

Who Will Be India's JetBlue?

JetBlue was a dark horse when it began operations in the USA but rapidly moved up the ladder from being a low-cost carrier to a value carrier. Ameya Joshi lists out the similarities and dissimilarities between the US carrier and Indian LCCs, IndiGo and SpiceJet, that have been travelling on the path to becoming the JetBlue of the Indian skies.

Spicejet Makes King's Move

SpiceJet has left no stone unturned to expand its reach in the aviation sector — whether it is taking the slots of Jet Airways at airports or leasing the grounded planes of Jet Airways. Ameya Joshi questions SpiceJet’s moves.

Dubai Airshow 2017: Future Of Travel Is Evolving!

The biennial Dubai Airshow 2017 was an important event this time around, reports AJAY AWTANEY. The aviation industry was coming off a dry Dubai Airshow 2015, and the region’s airlines were coming through with a rough patch with geopolitical and economic issues of their own. But Dubai Airshow 2017 promised to unveil the Future of Travel, and it was par for the course indeed!

KC-390 Tests The Winds

A serious contender in the military tactical airlifter market, the KC-390 is the largest aircraft developed by Embraer. The aircraft is undergoing tests and has arrived in US. Also, is targeting Initial Operational Capability by end of 2017.

Helicopters To Reach Far Flung Places

While helicopter operations were not part of the first round of Regional Connectivity Scheme (RCS) at all, for UDAN II, the government received 141 initial proposals for air services, including 33 for helicopter operations, on 502 routes.

Watch Out, But Back In

Watch Out, But Back In

Oman Air's Serious About Cargo

Long considered the little brother of the Middle East’s ‘Big Three’, Oman Air is focusing on India to boost its cargo operations

Ease Of Doing Cargo

Among the 190 countries surveyed in The World Bank’s Doing Business 2018 report has seen India shooting up from its 130th position in 2017 to 100th in 2018 – a massive leap indeed. What does this mean to the air cargo community?

Brand India @ FWC-2018

Preparations are on for the mega FIATA World Congress 2018 to be held in Delhi and the Federation of Freight Forwarders' Associations in India has started the process at the recent international meet in Malaysia.

E-tail's Massive Boost To Domestic Cargo

Intra-India air cargo has a huge potential but challenges to growth exist. Till infrastructure is ramped up or created in Tier-2 or Tier-3 cities, the e-commerce business will continue to use surface transport.

BIAL Innovates For Engaging Pax Experience

To transform the passenger experience and create a future-ready airport, Bangalore International Airport Limited (BIAL) and Accenture recently tiedup for a co-innovation centre at the Kempegowda International Airport in Bengaluru.

Creating Smarter Airports And Airlines

A whopping $33 billion will be invested by airports and airlines for IT in 2017, according to SITA’s latest Air Transport IT Trends Insights. Although a major share will go to boost cyber security, ways to provide extra self-service options to passengers will also be a part of the investments.

Easy Fly-Ins, Easy Fly-Outs

A very promising and lucrative market, business aviation in India, claim industry experts and watchers as well as stakeholders, has not been able to take off the way it should.

AAI Looks To Begin Afresh

It took quite a while for the Airports Authority of India to cancel the controversial Ground Handling tender. This, despite the fact that thrice, over the last six months, Cruising HeigHts had highlighted that everything was not above board in the tender process. In this, perhaps, the last chapter of the AAI tender saga, TIRTHANKAR GHOSH pieces together the moves that brought about the end to the tender process and the way forward.

Falling Numbers

Jet Airways’ closure has meant a decline in the earnings of the country’s top airports, especially Delhi and Mumbai. Taking a look at the diminishing numbers at most airports, AMEYA JOSHI points out that while it will take some time to get back to the growth path that existed for the last five years, every airport operator will have to bear up with lower passenger service fee (PSF) and User Development Fee (UDF).

New Head, Old Challenges

The country has a new government and a new Minister for Civil Aviation in Hardeep Singh Puri. He has a whole lot of challenges to tackle, beginning with Air India. AMEYA JOSHI lists out the challenges the new government faces in civil aviation.

A Diplomat In The Cockpit!

Hardeep Puri is the man in command as the country's new Civil Aviation Minister. A profile.

November '17 Sees Healthy Air Cargo Demand

Underpinned by the improving global economic conditions and world trade with increasing import and export orders, air cargo demonstrated a strong rebound in 2017, according to preliminary figures released recently by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO).

Big Bird Lives To Tell The Tale

With no orders in 2017, Airbus' A380 line was ready to shut down. Emirates came like the chivalrous knight and performed the rescue act...

Air Deccan 2.0: Smaller And Wiser

The pioneer of low cost air travel in the country, Capt G R Gopinath, is on his second innings with Air Deccan 2.0. AJAY AWTANEY, who flew from Mumbai to Nashik recently, finds out how different the new Air Deccan is.

Positions That Fliers Love

Dramatic advances in aircraft seating technology are allowing airlines to offer more comfortable aircraft cabins than ever before