Kingfisher regains No.2 spot...IndiGo ahead of AI

Indigo Airlines has gone ahead of Air India by carrying 1.71 lakh more domestic passengers than the national carrier in January this year.

Vijay Mallya-controlled Kingfisher Airlines has regained the no 2 position as compared to its competitors IndiGo Airlines and Air India. Jet Airways along with its budget arm Jetlite continues to be at the top

Indigo Airlines has gone ahead of Air India by carrying 1.71 lakh more domestic passengers than the national carrier in January this year.

The total domestic passengers carried by the Scheduled Airlines of India in January, 2011 were 49.36 lakhs. It may be recalled that the total domestic passengers carried by the Scheduled Airlines of India in December, 2010 were 52.13 lakhs.

The break-up for the month of January, 2011 is as follows:

Air India (Domestic) – 7.79 lakhs, Jet Airways –8.54 lakhs, Jet Lite – 3.72 lakhs, Kingfisher – 9.61 lakhs, Spice Jet – 7.05 lakhs, Go Air – 3.15 lakhs, IndiGo – 9.50 lakhs.

The percentage share of the carriers in the month of January, 2011 is as follows:

Air India (Domestic) – 15.8%, Jet Airways – 17.3%, Jet Lite – 7.5%, Kingfisher – 19.5%, Spice Jet–14.3%, Go Air – 6.4 % and IndiGo – 19.2%.

The seat factor of the domestic airlines in the month of January, 2011 was:

Air India (Domestic) – 69.3%, Jet Airways – 73.9%, JetLite – 74.6%, Kingfisher Airlines – 86.5%, Spice Jet – 82.6%, Go Air –83.3% and IndiGo – 88.6%.

Airlines set to take off after turbulence

The year 2010 was each a year that saw a silver lining in addition to dark clouds within the aviation industry. Except Air India, which continues to face difficult times, other airlines started a steady march on the recovery right after the slowdown many years of 2008 and 2009.

What ought to be a huge relief on the Indian aviation authorities could be the fact how the US did not downgrade the Indian safety regulator, Directorate General of Civil Aviation, to sub-Saharan Africa levels. The final nod for the second airport in Mumbai right after a delay of three many years and the opening of new T3 terminal in New Delhi were a large plus for travellers.

But just as very good news was flowing in thick and fast right after 2 many years of gloom, the worst fears of aviation came real with India witnessing 1 of its worst ever air crashes on May possibly 22. Air India Express's flight 812 crashed at Mangalore airport, killing 158 from the 166 men and women on board.

The crash, coming amid fears which started within the troubled 2008-09 that some crises-ridden airlines may perhaps not have even adequate income to maintain their fleet airworthy, led to intense financial surveillance from the carriers. The scrutiny once more revealed that except Air India, most other critical airlines' fortunes were showing changes—thanks to a double-digit growth in domestic air travel.

This is borne by the fact that 2009 saw 445.1 lakh men and women flying inside India. But the January-November 2010 period itself saw that figure getting left behind with 468 lakh men and women flying in India. Considering about 50 lakh men and women fly in December, 2010 may perhaps witness a 16% rise more than 2009. "This growth is likely to be even more pronounced, next year, from the economy searching up. So the large upside for the year 2011 is that most airlines, barring —of course—Air India, could come to be profitable again. But simultaneously the large worry is rising oil prices with crude touching $90 a barrel. This may perhaps force fare hikes and affect air travel growth," mentioned a senior ministry official.

That worry apart, financially airlines are searching to fly to the black. Financially-strained Kingfisher got approval to restructure its mounting debts. The country's second largest low-cost carrier (LCC), SpiceJet, was finally bought more than by a south-based group with deep pockets, signalling the end of income crunch, and it, subsequently, also began overseas flights. Similarly, the largest LCC, IndiGo, is all set to launch an IPO and start international flights next year. In fact, the aviation market came a full circle this year. The sacking of 450-odd Jet Airways cabin crew staffers had signalled the beginning from the global meltdown-induced crisis for Indian airlines in 2008. This year, Jet contacted all its sacked staffers and about half of them have joined back within the past few months.

Jet Airways Announces to Launch Daily Non-Stop Flight From Milano Malpensa To New Delhi

Jet Airways, India’s premier international airline, today announced that it will commence daily non-stop flights from Milano Malpensa to New Delhi from December 5th, 2010 in code share with Alitalia, producing Milan the twenty-fourth international destination on Jet Airways’ network.

Naresh Goyal, Chairman, Jet Airways, said: “We consider Milan a strategic destination, getting the company and commercial center of Italy. India, an emerging marketplace with a booming economy is a youthful and vibrant marketplace that holds beneficial potential. Jet Airways and I consume pride in bringing a taste of Modern India to Italy. Based on our experience in Europe, with a direct flight we expect the marketplace to grow by 30%. During the very first month we already have 89% occupancy on the new flight from Milan. We are therefore incredibly optimistic about this flight. Our product and our service inside air and on ground are anything incredibly special, warm and distinctive and we’re certain that the Italian marketplace will enjoy this”.

Rocco Sabelli, Managing Director of Alitalia, said: “We are incredibly happy to jobs with Jet Airways. This agreement represents a incredibly essential development for Alitalia. Connecting Italy from the principal worldwide destinations, reinforcing our leadership position inside Italian marketplace and our offer of intercontinental flights from Milan is a further step in our strategy. Alitalia stands out as the very first SkyTeam airline for getting signed an agreement with Jet Airways”.

“I am particularly happy from the new daily direct flight to Milano Malpensa – New Delhi operated by the largest Indian airline. This link will support to strengthen the relationships in between our market, wherever only the North West recorded 50% of exports to India, and a single from the major globe powers with powerful economic growth” – mentioned Giuseppe Bonomi, Chairman, SEA Milan Airports – “Malpensa confirms its leadership inside relationship with East Asia thanks also to this new flight activated inside a short time thanks our trade policy that has brought sure results: today Malpensa connects 168 destinations, reaching 86 cities outside Europe and 110 airlines”.

Jet Airways’ new flight, the only a single to offer a daily direct link in between Italy and India will connect Milan, the fashion and type capital from the world, to historic New Delhi, the capital of India.

Effective 5th December the flights will operate towards the right after schedule:

9W 141 / AZ 7082 Milano Malpensa/New Delhi: 21.25-09.55*

9W 142 / AZ 7083 New Delhi/Milano Malpensa: 13.20-18.00 (*the next day)

The airline will likely be utilizing its contemporary Airbus 330-200 aircraft configured in a couple of classes, with 30 seats in Première (Business Class seats that can be converted to 180° lie-flat beds) and 190 seats in Economy (ergonomically created seats for much more space and comfort).

Jet Airways’ and Alitalia’s guests will likely be able to experience the new state-of-the-art Terminal 3 of New Delhi Airport and achieve over 42 destinations on Jet Airways network in India. New Delhi, thanks to its strategic geographical location in between Italy and Asia, is an ideal gateway for guests from Italy to travel beyond India to other Jet Airways destinations just like Colombo, Bangkok, Kathmandu, and Dhaka. The airline will thus provide its guests a seamless travel experience as soon as transiting at New Delhi Airport.
Jet Airways Konnect

Jet Airways on a hiring mode

Mumbai: A controversy pops up among the two leading airline industries which include Jet Airways and Kingfisher Airlines wherein the latter has blamed the former of recruiting 50 Kingfisher benched pilots as co-pilots. Jet Airways denied the recruitment and commented that Kingfisher has voluntarily enable individuals pilots off due to no immediate requirement.

The Naresh Goyal controlled India's largest personalized carrier by marketplace share also plans to hire some experienced pilots as commanders within the competitor. The very first batch in the 29 benched pilots has already joined them. The airline has also confirmed the amount of pilots sent.

Due for the assumption of facing an opposition within the management, the airline has planned to maintain a meeting on 30th of November, so as to discuss the new recruitments. "How can we permit pilots to arrive and fly with us once our personal pilots aren't given their due, aren't promoted and the salaries have not been reinstated post the revival," stated a disgruntled pilot, who did not would like to be called due to the sensitivity in the matter.

Due to this kind of reactions, a huge opposition is expected within the serving pilots to your newly recruited pilots.
With the growing demand for air travel, Jet nevertheless has hiring plans as based on the marketplace estimates, Air travel is set to grow by 20-25% within the year ending March 31, 2011.

Although Jet leads with a marketplace share of 26.2% followed by Kingfisher of 19%, Jet Airways has had no choice but to hop pilots from its rivals Air India and Kingfisher since the manpower resources have not kept pace with its growth in aviation industries. Pilots must be trained with an experience of a few flying hours before their recruitment.

For the newly recruited pilots from Kingfisher, just a week's long training is adequate to your transition to fly Jet's A330 from Kingfisher's Airbus A320. As informed by the marketplace executives, Jet's management is looking forward to hiring around 300 much more commanders more than the next three years who have more than 3000 hours of flying experience,although the airline entirely declined to give the definite figure.
Source: Silicon India

Air India sacks COO with unsafe track record

Pawan Arora has been sacked as the chief operating officer of Air India Express, the low cost international arm of Air India. The decision was taken by the full AI board, which met the following on Thursday. Sources mentioned AI COO Gustav Baldauf has protested for the civil aviation ministry against Arora's removal.

"Baldauf selected Arora and is unhappy in the decision to sack him. We have told him it's up to him to decide what he wants to do," a top ministry official said.

Another high-profile appointment — of Stefan Sukumar as chief of training — is also under the scanner, having a two-member committee getting formed to glimpse into the "process of recruitment" and submit a report for the board within a fortnight.

In an action-packed day, AI CMD Arvind Jadhav and three independent directors — Air Chief Marshal (retd) Fali H Major, FICCI secretary general Amit Mitra and Ambuja Realty chairman Harsh Neotia — met civil aviation minister Praful Patel just before proceeding for the board meeting.

Thereafter, the Board unanimously decided to sack Arora, over a grounds that a number of issues about him weren't known at the time of his appointment — as reported very first by HT.

Arora joined AI on October 11. On October 22, HT exposed the truth how the Director General of Civil Aviation had removed him from four key flight-safety posts just before he joined the national carrier.

On November 1, AI's independent directors met the PM's main secretary TKA Nair to tell him they have been "misguided" and "kept from the dark" about Arora's record.

It also emerged that Arora was the chief reference for Baldauf, inside a report by a headhunting agency hired to short-list candidates to your AI COO's post.

Within months of Baldauf taking over, Arora was produced AI Express COO. Each earlier worked together in Jet Airways Konnect.

Jet Air's India passenger traffic in Sept up 37%

Jet Airways Ltd, India's largest private carrier by sales, mentioned its domestic passenger targeted traffic in September grew 37.1 percent on the year ago, whilst its international targeted traffic rose 36.4 percent.

Jet Airways has now posted 11 consecutive months of growth in passenger traffic, it said.

The group, which includes low-cost carrier JetLite, includes a marketplace share of 26.9 percent inside the country's aviation sector, it added.

Source: Sify

Airlines cancel flights to Kolkata due to bandh

NEW DELHI: Airlines have cancelled their flights to and from Kolkata tomorrow in the wake of 24-hour long bandh call given by central trade unions to protest against price rise.

Kingfisher has cancelled 29 flights, including one international, while Jet Airways and its low cost arm JetLite have cancelled a total of 70 flights to and from the city.

Central trade unions and workers and employees federations have called the strike on September 7 protesting the rise in prices of essential commodities and petroleum products.

Both the airlines have cancelled their flights to and from Mumbai, New Delhi, Silchar, Bagdogra, Aizwal, Ranchi, Agartala, Bhubaneshwar, Guwahati, Patna, Chennai, Imphal, Vishakhapatnam, Bangalore and Port Blair.

Kingfisher has cancelled their Dhaka flight while Jet their flight to Bangkok.

Jet has preponed their Kolkata-Dhaka flight (9W-274) which would depart Kolkata at 5.30 am, while the Dhaka-Kolkata flight (9W-273) would remain postponed for tomorrow and will operate on Wednesday.

The flight would take-off from Dhaka at 0530 hrs and arrive in Kolkata at 0545 hrs (local time).

Apart from it, Jet has rescheduled their Delhi- Bagdogra-Guwahati-Delhi flight (9W-2285) which would depart Delhi at 11:15 am and arrive Guwahati at 01:45 pm.

Kingfisher has also rescheduled two of its flights, one from Bangalore and other to Hyderabad tomorrow.

The airlines has preponed the departure of its Kolkata-Hyderabad flight (IT 3434) which usually departs the West Bengal capital at 6:50 am would depart at 05:35 am.

Also its Bangalore-Kolkata flight (IT-3419), which originally departs Bangalore at 8.40 pm, will now take-off from there at 4.00 am on Wednesday and arrive Kolkata at 6:15 am.

"Guests are requested to note that there would be no transportation available to and from Kolkata airport while the bandh is in force," a Kingfisher spokesperson said in a statement.

The airlines have requested the passengers to contact their call centers to know about the status of their flights.

Source: http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/news-by-industry/transportation/airlines-/-aviation/Airlines-cancel-flights-to-Kolkata-due-to-bandh-/articleshow/6507900.cms