Category Archives: Aviation

Air India Express Unveils New Brand Identity and Aircraft Livery

Plans to have 170 aircraft in the next 5 years

Air India Express and AirAsia India, both subsidiaries of the Tata-owned Air India, unveiled a common, refreshed branding as a ‘Air India Express’, on a new Boeing 737 –8 aircraft.

The airline’s new visual identity features an energetic and premium colour palette of Express Orange and Express Turquoise with Express Tangerine and Express Ice Blue as secondary colours. The dominant Express Orange symbolises Air India Express’s brand values of enthusiasm and agility while reflecting the positioning of quintessential Indian warmth. The Express Turquoise embodies the brand personality traits of style with a contemporary premium sensibility and a digital-first approach.

With a modern look and bold, bright colours and aircraft livery, the airline invited guests to “Fly As You Are,” announcing its intention to differentiate itself with a by making meaningful connections across places, people and cultures, curating frictionless and digitally enabled travel experiences to provide best-in-class value, and offering service with a sense of unique Indian warmth.

Campbell Wilson, Chairman of Air India Express, and Aloke Singh, Managing Director of Air India Express, inaugurated the refreshed brand identity, logo, and the aircraft livery on the first brand-new Boeing 737-8, the latest addition to the airline’s rapidly growing fleet of 58 aircraft.

Speaking on the occasion, Campbell Wilson, Chairman, Air India Express, said, “With the merger of Air India Express and Air Asia India now in the final stages, we are also seeing the transformation of the aviation landscape. We are proud to present the new brand of Air India Express, a vitally important part of the new Air India Group, charged with providing the best value, accessibility and domestic and regional connectivity to every Indian, and to become the airline of a new generation. The broader ambition of these efforts is to better connect India and Indians, to each other and to the world.”

Speaking of the new brand identity, Aloke Singh, Managing Director, Air India Express, said, “The integrated Air India Express-AirAsia India entity will operate as Air India Express, with a modern, refreshed branding, positioned as ‘New India’s Smart Connector’. The re-branding marks a new phase in our ambitious growth and transformation journey, starting with induction of the modern fuel-efficient Boeing 737 – 8 aircraft. With 50 aircraft set to be inducted into the fleet over the next 15 months, we double in size in a short span of time. Over the course of the next 5 years, we aim to grow to a fleet of about 170 narrow-body aircraft, with a network spanning the domestic India and short-haul international markets. Continuing with our unique tradition, the aircraft livery will feature a variable tailfin design inspired by the rich art and crafts heritage of the country, themed as ‘The patterns of India’”

MoCA amends aircraft rules; commercial pilot licenses to be now valid for 10 yrs

Commercial pilot licences will now be valid for 10 years, with the government amending rules as part of efforts to further improve ease-of-doing business in the aviation sector.

Till now, the validity of Commercial Pilot Licence (CPL) was for five years and after completion of that period, it had to be renewed.

The Ministry of Civil Aviation amended the Aircraft Rules, 1937.

Among various changes made, the validity of licences in relation to Airline Transport Pilot Licence (ATPL) and CPL holders has been increased from five years to 10.

This change is expected to reduce administrative burden on pilots and aviation authorities like DGCA, promoting a more streamlined and efficient licensing process,” the Ministry said in a statement on Monday.

Besides, rules have been amended to address concerns related to the display of lights in the vicinity of an aerodrome.

It has also been clarified that the term ‘light’ encompasses lantern lights, wish kites, and laser lights. Also, the government’s jurisdiction over those exhibiting such lights has been extended from 5 kilometres to 5 nautical miles around an aerodrome.

It is made explicit that the government possesses the authority to take action against individuals displaying lights that disrupt the safe operation of aircraft or pose hazards to the operating crew.
“Should such lights remain unattended for 24 hours, the government is empowered to enter the location and extinguish them,” the ministry said.

Simultaneously, the matter should be reported to the relevant police station for legal action under the Indian Penal Code.

When the source of the observed light is unidentifiable or if it shifts locations, the airport or airline operator is obligated to promptly report the incident to the local police station, initiating potential criminal proceedings.

Another amendment is that the requirement for validation of foreign licences has been removed. “This change signifies aligning the regulations with the evolving needs of the aviation sector,” the ministry said.

Further, the requirements related to continued competence for Air Traffic Controller (ATC) licence holders have been liberalised.

According to the Ministry, this change offers increased flexibility to accommodate situations with limited movements or watch hours.

Air India appoints Asian Aviation as GSA in Greece

Air India has appointed Asian Aviation as its General Sales Agent (GSA) in Greece.

Asian Aviation will provide a full range of sales and ticketing services to help widen Air India’s presence in Greece, while supporting the airline’s continuing growth and expansion in Europe.

The partnership will help travellers in Greece to enjoy more convenient access to Air India’s international network via key transit points in Europe and the Middle East, facilitating smooth connections between flights operated by Air India’s partner airlines and Air India’s non-stop flights to India and beyond.

Air India currently operates non-stop flights from nine points in seven countries in Europe, namely Amsterdam, Birmingham, Copenhagen, Frankfurt, London Gatwick, London Heathrow, Milan, Paris, and Vienna to major Indian cities, Delhi and Mumbai. Air India’s robust and growing route network enables travellers from Europe to take convenient, onward connections from Delhi and Mumbai to cities across India as well as to Nepal, Thailand, Singapore, Hong Kong, Japan, and Australia.

Asian Aviation carries extensive knowledge and rich experience in the Greek aviation landscape as the GSA of some of the world’s leading airlines.

A member of Star Alliance, the largest global airline consortium of leading international airlines, Air India offers seamless connectivity and facilities to passengers all over the world.

 

Virgin Atlantic appoints Shivani Singh Deo as its Country Manager for India

Virgin Atlantic has appointed Shivani Singh Deo as Country Manager – India. Shivani has represented Virgin Atlantic for the past 8 years in the role of Marketing and Communications Manager. Prior to Virgin Atlantic, Shivani’s career included international market exposure across industries including retail, media, and lifestyle.

According to the release, “Shivani has grown Virgin Atlantic’s brand presence in India considerably and has led high profile launches such as Mumbai, our second daily Delhi service and our IndiGo codeshare partnership, generating significant PR and media exposure. Shivani’s promotion recognises her strong performance in this role and demonstrates our desire to recognise talent from within the team. Shivani will lead commercial strategy in India at an exciting time, as we grow our India network further in 2024 with the launch of a daily London Heathrow to Bengaluru service from 31st March 2024,”

Commenting on her appointment, Shivani said, “I am excited to be taking on this new role at Virgin Atlantic and lead the dynamic team in India. We will continue to champion the needs of the customer and tap the incredible growth opportunities in the Indian market.”

Alex McEwan will continue as Country Manager for the region until the end of 2023, providing a handover to Shivani as she starts her new role as Country Manager from 1st January 2024. Alex will then start a new role as Senior Manager – Asia Pacific in the new year.

LATAM Airlines records more business from India post-Covid

InterGlobe Air Transport, GSA for the LATAM Airlines Group in India organised a workshop for the travel trade in Mumbai.

Speaking to TravelBiz Monitor on the sidelines of the event, Eduardo Patta, Sales Manager, Asia, LATAM Airlines Group, said that the purpose of the event is to showcase our product, route network and connectivity from India to South America. “We don’t fly directly to India. We use our interline partners for our passengers to reach our gateways from Europe and the USA. One can reach the LATAM network and fly to all the countries and destinations that we connect in Latin America,” said Patta.

Talking about India, he said that the market is growing. “Currently, we sell more inventories in this market when compared with that of the pre-Covid period. However, there are increased possibilities. We truly believe in the potential of India, and the market offers an ocean of opportunities,” he pointed out.

When asked what makes him think India as a potential market? Patta replied, “India’s economy is growing, and the local carriers have placed orders for aircraft which are significantly high. The Indian travellers now not just want to travel in one country rather they want to see an entire region. So, we feel the market will grow more and more in the days to come.”

The airline deploys its Boeing 777-300 and 787 Dreamliners for long-haul flights. “The configuration our aircraft offer is a combination of Economy and Premium Business Class with first few rows of Economy being LATAM+ seats with more leg room. For domestic and regional flights, we offer Premium Economy and Economy classes,” said Patta.

Star Alliance Opens New Lounge at Paris Charles De Gaulle Airport

Star Alliance, the world’s largest airline alliance, announced it has opened its second lounge at Paris Charles de Gaulle airport. It will welcome First and Business Class passengers and Star Alliance Gold status customers on member airline flights departing from gates 10 to 38 in Terminal 1. Eligible United Club and Air Canada Maple Leaf Club members may also access the lounge.

The new lounge is located airside after immigration and security controls in the newest part of the terminal. The sprawling space can accommodate over 300 guests across approximately 1,300 square meters. It has been designed by the leading architecture firm, Gensler, which also designed the award-winning Star Alliance Los Angeles airport lounge in 2013.

Commenting on this, Theo Panagiotoulias, CEO, Star Alliance, said, “Star Alliance stands for elevating the experience of its member airline passengers, and airport lounges play a vital role. We’re very proud to present our new Paris lounge, which is not only a delight to experience but also thoughtfully designed to meet the needs of the modern frequent traveller.”

Standout features include a Welcome Bar offering a range of beverages, an immersive Wine Bar featuring master wine maker Gerard Bertrand and their wines from the South of France, and a Tea Salon offering an assortment from around the world. For business travellers who prefer a quieter space, there are private work cabins and secluded nooks throughout the lounge.

“Our new Paris lounge expands the count of Star Alliance branded lounges to seven worldwide and takes the airport lounge experience to new heights,” said Christian Draeger, Star Alliance’s Vice President for Customer Experience. “Whether it is the design, décor or the F&B experience, we have carefully curated the lounge for a multi-sensorial experience for guests departing from the dazzling city of Paris.”

There are two Star Alliance lounges operating in Terminal 1 now. The first lounge, refurbished in 2019 and located prior to security on level 10, will now serve passengers departing on intra-Schengen flights from gates 50 to 78, as well as guests from various lounge access programs departing from all gates.

At present, 20 Star Alliance member carriers operate from Paris – CDG, offering 464 weekly departures to 34 destinations in 22 countries.