Category Archives: Aviation

IndiGo becomes first airline to have over 2,000 daily scheduled flights

IndiGo has achieved a historic landmark by surpassing the milestone of over 2000 planned flights a day. This makes IndiGo, the first airline in the country and marks a significant leap in operational capacity. According to the latest OAG Data for October’23, IndiGo is among the top 10 airlines globally in both frequency and by seat capacity, further validating this achievement and showcasing the airline’s continued growth trajectory on both domestic and international stages.

IndiGo now has 2000+ scheduled daily flights which include cargo operations, as well as CAPF & Army charters. The airline has achieved this figure in just 17 years since starting operations back in 2006, setting new benchmarks in operational efficiency, reliability, and customer orientation.

Commenting on this, Pieter Elbers, Chief Executive Officer, IndiGo, said, “As we celebrate this remarkable milestone of surpassing 2000 scheduled daily flights, we reflect on IndiGo’s journey of reshaping the Indian aviation landscape. This milestone is more than a numerical feat; it’s a strategic leap positioning us for enhanced connectivity and a redefined passenger experience. Our commitment to giving wings to the nation is palpable in our mission to connect people and aspirations across India. We extend our heartfelt gratitude to our valued customers and partners for their continuous support, as we look forward to soaring to new heights together.”

IndiGo’s strategic expansion in the last six months includes over 20 new international routes, reinforcing our commitment to broadening global connectivity. With an extensive network covering 85 domestic destinations and 32 international destinations, the airline aims to redefine the passenger experience and connect people and aspirations across India.

India’s domestic air traffic grows 11% in October

Domestic air passenger traffic in the country recorded an annual growth of nearly 11% to 1.26 crore in October, according to official data released on Thursday.

The traffic stood at 1.14 crore passengers in October 2022 and at 1.22 crore passengers in September this year, reports PTI.

The data released by Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) showed that IndiGo carried 79.07 lakh passengers, garnering a domestic market share of 62.6% in October. The market share was lower compared to 63.4% registered in September.

Last month, Air India’s domestic market share climbed to 10.5% from 9.8% in September while that of Vistara and AirAsia India (renamed as AIX Connect) declined to 9.7% and 6.6%, respectively, in October.

SpiceJet’s market share grew to 5% in October from 4.4% in September while that of Akasa Air remained unchanged at 4.2 per cent.

“Passengers carried by domestic airlines during January-October 2023 were 1,254.98 lakhs as against 988.31 lakhs during the corresponding period of previous year thereby registering annual growth of 26.98 per cent and monthly growth of 10.78 per cent,” the DGCA said.

As many as 587 passengers were denied boarding by scheduled airlines in October, according to the data.

A total of 30,307 passengers were affected by flight cancellations and 1,78,227 passengers were impacted due to flight delays last month.

 

CSMIA sets new record with 1,032 Air Traffic Movements on Nov 11

Mumbai’s Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (CSMIA) soared to new heights over the Diwali weekend, witnessing a substantial surge in passenger traffic.

From November 11 to 13, the airport recorded a remarkable 516,562 passenger movements, setting a festive record.

On November 11, CSMIA also achieved a new single-day record by handling 1,032 Air Traffic Movements (ATMs).

“The festive period saw a surge in travel, and CSMIA managed a total of 516,562 passenger movements from November 11th to 13th. Among these, 354,541 passengers travelled on domestic routes, while 162,021 embarked on international journeys,” CSMIA authorities said in a statement.
“The extended Diwali holiday contributed to the increased passenger traffic, reflecting the airport’s significance as a key travel hub,” they said.

According to officials, CSMIA played host to a total of 2,894 ATMs during the Diwali weekend (from November 11 to 13), comprising 2,137 domestic flights and 757 international flights. The top domestic destinations included Delhi, Bengaluru, and Chennai, while internationally, Dubai, London, Abu Dhabi, and Singapore were among the preferred choices for travellers.

The record-breaking day on November 11th saw CSMIA catering to a total of 161,419 passengers, with 107,765 on domestic flights and 53,680 on international flights. This influx highlights CSMIA’s capability to manage increased air traffic with precision, all while maintaining high standards of safety, security, and passenger service,” authorities said in a statement.

Oman Air Awarded APEX Five Star Major Airline for the fourth year in a row

Oman Air has been awarded the 2024 Five-Star Major Airline rating by the Airline Passenger
Experience Association (APEX) for the fourth consecutive year. The APEX Five Star and Four
Star Airline Awards, formerly APEX Official Airline Ratings, were created based on neutral, third-party passenger feedback and insights gathered through APEX’s partnership with TripIt from Concur, a travel-organising app.

Nearly one million flights were rated by passengers across more than 600 airlines from around the world using a five-star scale, and are independently certified by a professional external auditing company.

The award is the latest in a string of accolades Oman Air has received from APEX, including the 2022 Passenger Choice Award for Best Seat Comfort in the Middle East, as well as the Five-Star Major Airline rankings for 2023, 2022 and 2021. The airline was also recently named ‘Best Airline Staff in the Middle East’ at the Skytrax 2023 World Airline Awards.

AirAsia bullish on Indian market with extensive route network and new flights

AirAsia remains committed to connecting India to the world as the airline continues its robust presence in the Indian aviation landscape, linking millions of Indian travellers to an extensive network of 130 destinations across Asia and the Asia Pacific.

AirAsia now operates a strong network servicing 10 routes directly from India to Malaysia and Thailand with 104 flights weekly from short-haul airlines AirAsia Malaysia (flight code AK) and AirAsia Thailand (flight code FD). Medium haul affiliate airline AirAsia X Malaysia (flight code D7) also provides two direct routes from New Delhi and Amritsar to Kuala Lumpur with 08 flights weekly. The continued growth in AirAsia services to India ensures a comprehensive and seamless travel experience for AirAsia’s guests across India to the widest low-cost network in Asia.

Leveraging its Fly-Thru connectivity, where AirAsia guests can fly from India to Southeast Asia, Australia, New Zealand, and other destinations with one seamless booking, the airline is transforming the way its guests experience international travel, making overseas exploration more accessible and affordable.

Bo Lingam, Group CEO, AirAsia Aviation Group Limited, said: “India has always been a key market for AirAsia and following recent changes to our operations in the country, we remain committed to serving the market. We have flown a remarkable 1,601,601 guests from India between January and November this year, showcasing the enduring strength of our great value fares and connectivity.

As we continue to strengthen our presence in India, we are excited to announce our expansion plans, including the launch of a new route to Thiruvananthapuram soon. We are dedicated to making international travel from India not only accessible but also affordable for everyone.”

Manoj Dharmani, Head of Regional Commercial (India), AirAsia added, “AirAsia remains deeply committed to India, and our guests should rest assured that India remains at the core of our operations. Over the years, we have witnessed tremendous growth, connecting countless cities and regions in India to the world, and we are proud to share that AirAsia now serves 11 destinations in India. Our expansion in India has resulted in 104 weekly flights, making us a vital and reliable link between India and the globe. We look forward to serving the Indian market with the commitment to further enhancing connectivity and accessibility for our guests across the country.”

Discover the world with AirAsia to Kuala Lumpur, Bangkok, Bali, Phuket, Sydney and more from INR6,999 all-in one-way for the travel period from now till 30 September 2024. The promotional fares are now available for booking on the website and airasia Superapp starting today until 26 November 2023.

Malaysia Airlines starts Trivandrum – Kuala Lumpur Direct Flight

Following the successful launch of a direct service from Kuala Lumpur to Amritsar on November 8, 2023, Malaysia Airlines expanded connectivity between Malaysia and India by introducing a new direct flight connecting Trivandrum and Kuala Lumpur.

The inaugural flight from Kuala Lumpur, bearing the flight number MH0116, received a warm welcome with a water salute upon its arrival at Thiruvananthapuram International Airport (TRV) at 11:00am local time. Subsequently, the flight departed TRV at 12:01am on 10 November 2023 en route to Kuala Lumpur.

With this development, the airline becomes the first full-service premium carrier to offer flights to South Asia and the Pacific from Amritsar and Trivandrum. This expansion has strengthened the airline’s Indian network to eight (8) key hubs, including New Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Chennai, Hyderabad, Kochi and Amritsar.

Announcing the commencement of direct flights from Trivandrum, Dersenish Aresandiran, Chief Commercial Officer of Airlines from Malaysia Aviation Group (MAG), said, “We are delighted to commence operations from Trivandrum, providing travellers with enhanced options for seamless travel to and from Malaysia. The launch of three new routes within a span of one month is a testament to our steadfast commitment towards India, our leading international market. Further, we have also expanded the scope of our hyper-personalised offerings and would encourage our Indian customers to take advantage of the same.”

The airline is scheduled to commence operations to another Indian route, Ahmedabad, starting from 1 December 2023. With these additions, the airline will be operating 65 weekly flights to India, raising the count of its services in the country to nine (9) key hubs.