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747-237 · Posted: Mon Oct 27, 2014 3:33 pm Post subject:

Air India Oct/Nov 2014 Moscow Service Increase

Air India from 27OCT14 to 15NOV14 is temporary increasing Delhi – Moscow Domodedovo operation, where it’ll operate daily flight, instead of 4 weekly. Boeing 787-8 aircraft operates this route.

AI155 DEL1940 – 2320DME 788 D
AI156 DME0100 – 0900DEL 788 D

AI156 operates daily from 28OCT14 to 16NOV14.

Source: Airlineroute.net
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747-237 · Posted: Mon Oct 27, 2014 3:42 pm Post subject:

Air India has been facing serious issues with GE Engines which power its Airbus 320 fleet for domestic and short haul international operations.

Another source said that this has meant at least seven aircraft have been on ground, creating severe capacity shortage.

The source quoted earlier said GE engines were taken on the premise that they will work for 20,000 hours but many have conked off after working for just 8,000-12,000 hours.

It seems trouble begins when the narrow body fleet is operating in the Gulf region - dust and general weather conditions there harm engines which then fail in less than half the mandated time, leading to present troubles of Air India.

Now, engine repairs are in full swing and by October 31, three engines are expected back after repairs. This means AI will have 48 aircraft for operations by October 31 against just 45 now when its narrow body fleet size is 52. All 52 should be back in operations by February next year.

http://firstbiz.firstpost.com/corporate/flight-delays-plague-air-india-furious-passengers-take-to-twitter-fb-106134.html
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jbalonso777 · Posted: Mon Oct 27, 2014 5:52 pm Post subject:

For those of you not on the WhatsApp group: AI273, the MAA-CMB flight operated by VT-PPB (A321) was on approach to CMB before being diverted back to TRV (yes, all the way) she was at 1000 feet for quite a while before disappearing off FR24, but that site says it landed.
Any insider know what happened?

Regards
Jish

EDIT - she took off from TRV as AI273R and is headed for CMB now. I wonder what happened though....
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lavence7 · Posted: Mon Oct 27, 2014 10:09 pm Post subject:

luvleen · Member Joined: 02 Jul 2012 Posts: 179 Location: Bombay

Airline review: Air India Dreamliner business class

http://www.traveller.com.au/airline-review-air-india-dreamliner-business-class-118je3

A recent flight review. Posting it here as I am unsure whether it qualifies to be a full blown trip report.

A few comments -
1) Entertainment content on AI/9W has been long complained about by the international travellers. So it comes as no surprise in this review

2) Are AI biz class seats on 787 that much of a problem?

3) An amenity kit without tooth brush/tooth paste on a 12hr+ flight? Not sure whether I came across that in any of my previous travels.

4) Patchy service is unfortunate as I have personally experienced excellent service in air by both AI and 9W crews. On ground experience are in stark contrast though Sad

5) Food, as usual, tops the experience in this report (barring no bloody mary)

747-237 · Posted: Tue Oct 28, 2014 9:07 pm Post subject:

http://www.business-standard.com/article/pti-stories/ai-signs-code-share-pact-with-kazakhstan-s-air-astana-114102801371_1.html

AI signs code-share pact with Kazakhstan's Air Astana

October 28, 2014

Air India, which is a part of the Star Alliance, officially announced here today that it has entered into a 'free flow' code-share pact with Kazakhstan's national carrier Air Astana to expand its presence in the fast growing CIS aviation market.

A 'free flow' code-share arrangement gives marketing access to the operating carrier's inventory and allows it to market seats independently of the operating carrier.

The agreement, which is subject to regulatory approvals, was signed by Air India Chairman and Managing Director Rohit Nandan and Air Astana Vice President for Sales Worldwide Richard Ledgerin New Delhi yesterday, according to an Air India release issued here today.

"As a state-run airline and Star Alliance member carrier Air India feels honoured to enter into this code-share agreement with Air Astana. This agreement has enabled Air India to reach out to the CIS and eastern European market," the release quoted Air India CMD as saying about the tie-up.

The pact would benefit passengers across Air India's network as well as Star Alliance carriers to travel seamlessly between India and Kazakhstan, he said, adding that Air India looks forward to expand its relationship with the Kazakh national carrier.

Air India already has code-share partnerships with 14 other airlines across the globe and Air Astana would be its 15th such partnership, the release said.

Under the free-flow codeshare pact, Air India would code-share as a marketing carrier on flights operated daily by Air Astana (KC) on the Delhi-Almaty-Delhi route, the release said.
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747-237 · Posted: Thu Oct 30, 2014 4:11 pm Post subject:

Air India Adds Delhi – Goa Service in W14

Air India on 26OCT14 launched a new domestic route, which sees daily operation on Delhi – Goa route. This route operates with Airbus A319 aircraft.

AI156 DEL1100 – 1335GOI 319 D
AI155 GOI1415 – 1645DEL 319 D

Source: Airlineroute.net
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ameya · Posted: Thu Oct 30, 2014 5:28 pm Post subject:

sumantra · Member Joined: 28 Oct 2007 Posts: 4685 Location: New Delhi

ameya · Posted: Thu Oct 30, 2014 5:42 pm Post subject:

sumantra · Member Joined: 28 Oct 2007 Posts: 4685 Location: New Delhi

ameya · Posted: Fri Oct 31, 2014 10:26 am Post subject:

747-237 · Posted: Mon Nov 03, 2014 6:20 am Post subject:

Air India Ltd has decided to pull out of the industry lobby Federation of Indian Airlines (FIA) that it helped found, leaving the group in trouble and reflecting differences over the re-organization of the country’s aviation space.

Air India chairman and managing director Rohit Nandan has written to FIA associate director Ujjwal Dey saying the airline wishes to withdraw.

http://www.livemint.com/Companies/r2zL8DCXQZiompnZgZHf3L/Air-India-exit-leaves-lobby-FIA-in-jeopardy.html
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747-237 · Posted: Mon Nov 03, 2014 4:53 pm Post subject:

http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/industry/transportation/airlines-/-aviation/alliance-air-to-induct-8-atr-aircraft-by-end-of-2015/articleshow/45020465.cms

Alliance Air to induct 8 ATR aircraft by end of 2015

3 Nov, 2014

Alliance Air plans to expand its fleet by the end of next year by inducting eight ATR aircraft. The carrier, which currently operates four ATR aircraft and four CRJs, will induct the first of the aircraft by next month, an official said.

"The first four aircraft will be used to replace the existing four 42-seater ATRs and the rest four will be added to our fleet. The new 72-seater ATRs will not just have more capacity, but also will be much more efficient than the current ones," said the official, requesting anonymity.

The new aircraft will be acquired on lease for 10 years, the official said, adding that delivery of the first five aircraft will conclude in July next. Second aircraft will join the fleet in January.
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ameya · Posted: Mon Nov 03, 2014 5:16 pm Post subject:

Read a report in TOI about flight diversions at PGH. The report quotes that minima is 5000 for PGH, I am sure that is difficult in winters thus leading to diversions all the time !

Sad to see this
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sumantra · Member Joined: 28 Oct 2007 Posts: 4685 Location: New Delhi

747-237 · Posted: Tue Nov 04, 2014 7:12 am Post subject:

http://www.dnaindia.com/india/report-loss-making-air-india-to-shell-50000-for-extending-flight-hours-of-an-old-plane-2031868

Loss making Air India to shell $50000 for extending flight hours of an old plane

4 November 2014

Air India has to shell out another $50000 as the airline asked for the extension of flight hours of Airbus A-320-231 by 1000 flight hours from the permitted 60000 flight hours. The Director General of Civil Aviation approved the extension in October this year.

However, according to sources Air India scrapped a plane last year, which had just completed 45,000 flight hours and could have been operated further. The aircraft would have been utilised without the need for seeking permission for another 15000 hours at least.

"The problem is nobody cares about the bad financial and administrative health of the airline. It must be investigated as why is the cash starved airline ready to pay at least $50000 for this extension," said an Air India insider.
When contacted Air India's executive director for public relations, Anil Mehta referred the query to another airline official, who did not respond to dna's queries regarding the matter.

DGCA in its letter on October 7 granted the permission for extension, while referring to the two request letters from Air India on September 2 and September 19.

"Approval of the competent authority is hereby conveyed to the proposal for the grant of extension of Design Service Goal by 1000 Hrs, beyond 60000FH for operating Airbus A-320-231 aircraft VT-EPH...belonging to Air India," read the DGCA signed by the deputy director of Airworthiness, Arvind Mohan.

DGCA has further asked the airline to report any abnormality to them during this period. Also the airline has to submit a report regarding the safe flight of the aircraft after every100 hours.

Earlier in August, two unions of the All India Service Engineering Association and Air India Employees' Union had approached prime minister Narendra Modi seeking CBI probe in to the losses airlines incurs. Another allegation against the airline was leveled by Indian Commercial Pilots Association (ICPA) in October this year claiming that the airline is getting grounded aircrafts insured at a cost of $6 million in a year for last three years.

The national carries is currently under huge debt and is surviving on the Rs 30,000crore government bailout.

The union civil aviation minister Ashok Gajapathy Raju recently stated that the ministry would ask the national carrier to explain its financial decisions, which according to him do not make any commercial sense. Raju was referring to the sale of eight brand new Boeing 777-LRs by Air India at a throwaway price.

The government is soon coming out with the new civil aviation policy and is currently formulating the policy and holding consultations with different stake holders.

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ameya · Posted: Tue Nov 04, 2014 11:16 am Post subject:

AI 853/854 DEL PNQ DEL reduced from daily to 2x weekly. Flight will operate only on Sun & Mon

If the 787 had not been used on the domestic routes, I wonder how bad the situation would have been
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ameya · Posted: Tue Nov 04, 2014 11:30 am Post subject:

sumantra · Member Joined: 28 Oct 2007 Posts: 4685 Location: New Delhi

ameya · Posted: Tue Nov 04, 2014 11:40 am Post subject:

sumantra · Member Joined: 28 Oct 2007 Posts: 4685 Location: New Delhi

747-237 · Posted: Tue Nov 04, 2014 11:50 pm Post subject:

Officials also said that the “deliberate callousness” of the airline’s engineers had grounded at least eight Airbus A320 planes, AI's primary domestic aircraft fleet, adding to the woes.

As a result, jumbo aircraft such as the Boeing 777-300ER normally used on the Jeddah and London route was deployed on busy domestic routes such as Mumbai-Delhi to accommodate travellers. “We have issued a stern warning to the airline’s engineering unit to pull up their socks. If the situation continues, sackings could happen,” said a senior ministry official, requesting anonymity.

http://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/civil-aviation-ministry-raps-ai-over-fliers-plight/article1-1282567.aspx
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ranjanmehta · Member Joined: 29 Jun 2007 Posts: 108 Location: Dilli

A senior Andhra politician has been accused by cabin crew of allegedly misbehaving on an Air India flight from Hyderabad to Vijayawada on Wednesday after his friend who was travelling in the economy class but sitting next to the politician in the executive class was told by the cabin crew to move back to his seat in the economy class.
http://www.asianage.com/india/andhra-politician-misbehaves-crew-air-india-plane-561

Apparently, he 'scolded' the crew and wants to teach them a lesson:
http://www.deccanchronicle.com/141107/nation-current-affairs/article/ap-speaker-kodela-crew-behaved-badly-i-scolded-them

Just another day in the crazy little aviation world in India. Very Happy

The_Goat · Posted: Fri Nov 07, 2014 5:52 pm Post subject:

iah87 · Member Joined: 17 Apr 2007 Posts: 2566

747-237 · Posted: Fri Nov 07, 2014 9:00 pm Post subject:

http://www.ptinews.com/news/5323769_AI-to-have-more-flights-for-Goa-for-Russian-tourists.html

AI to have more flights for Goa for Russian tourists

Nov 7

To cater to a growing number of Russian tourists heading for Goa during the busy holiday season, Air India today announced connecting the popular tourist destination with Moscow through Delhi with four flights a week on the sector.

The flight (AI-155) operates on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays on the route Goa-Delhi-Moscow, while the return flight AI-156 operates on Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays, an Air India spokesman said.
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sumantra · Member Joined: 28 Oct 2007 Posts: 4685 Location: New Delhi

sumantra · Member Joined: 28 Oct 2007 Posts: 4685 Location: New Delhi

Few important changes in AI schedules
Here are two major changes I noticed:
- Nov 16 onwards DEL-BHO and BHO-DEL get more symmetrical, with double daily ops, with timings similar to 9W's. 9W now has severe competition on the route with its AT7s, versus AI's A321 and A319 ops.
- DEL-BOM and BOM-DEL are not completely symmetrical now. The last flight of the day on BOM-DEL is now the JFK flight AI 101, 9:30pm. The last flight of the day on DEL-BOM is now the HKG connector at 10:50pm.
Cheers, Sumantra.

luvleen · Member Joined: 02 Jul 2012 Posts: 179 Location: Bombay

Air India sets 2021 target for turnaround

http://www.livemint.com/Companies/7ebFJ4BLqMVTZB1ZCo8MNN/Air-India-sets-2021-target-for-turnaround.html

So we have 2017 as the target for 9W and 2021 for AI

The_Goat · Posted: Tue Nov 11, 2014 3:29 am Post subject:

avbuff · Member Joined: 22 Dec 2006 Posts: 5031

star*gold · Member Joined: 29 Jan 2009 Posts: 187

With the Russian rouble tumbling, their economy not doing so well, can we still expect them to come for the winter vacation?

Caliguy · Posted: Tue Nov 11, 2014 7:40 pm Post subject:

747-237 · Posted: Wed Nov 12, 2014 4:44 am Post subject:

http://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/mumbai/ai-crew-on-australia-bound-flights-suffer-from-fatigue/article1-1285102.aspx

‘AI crew on Australia-bound flights suffer from fatigue’?

November 12, 2014

An in-house risk assessment study on Air India’s (AI) Australia-bound flights had found that the flight attendants were at a fatigue risk of four on a scale of five. A tired crew will be unable to handle an emergency such as fire evacuation, said air safety experts.
The airline’s In-flight Service Training and Development Centre (IFSTDC) submitted the report in May but the airline management made no changes in cabin crew duty schedules and rest rules as recommended in the report. On the risk severity scale, five stood for catastrophic while four referred to hazardous consequences. On May 12, Poonam Sareen, manager of the IFDTDC, sent the report to the airline management advising them to conduct scientific studies before continuing flight operations. HT has a copy of the email.
The report directed the airline to appoint a ‘more competent board’ such as the Fatigue Safety Action Group to study work hours of AI flight attendants posted on operations bound to Australia. It added that such a study would show a clearer picture on the extent of flight fatigue on a crew’s work ability and its overall impact on passengers’ safety.
The report concluded that if the airline continued to use the same set of crew for consecutively on Australia-bound flights the ‘crew’s ability to pro-actively react to mid-air emergencies will be compromised leading to hazardous consequences’.
The AI chairman and managing director Rohit Nandan and the airline spokesperson did not respond to HT’s calls and a query on the alleged ‘cover-up’ sent over email.
The alleged cover-up by the national carrier has come to light in less than two weeks after its cabin union claimed that the airline has been tweaking flight duty rules on the long distance route by faking a waiver from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA). The union had claimed so by producing Right to Information responses by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) wherein it denied giving any dispensations.

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747-237 · Posted: Wed Nov 12, 2014 4:46 am Post subject:

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/delhi/AI-Dreamliner-awaits-nod-to-fly-in-thick-fog/articleshow/45116852.cms

AI Dreamliner awaits nod to fly in thick fog

Nov 12, 2014

Uncertainty hangs over Air India's Dreamliner flying in thick fog this winter. The airline is still awaiting the Directorate General of Civil Aviation's nod to operate the aircraft using category III instrument landing system (ILS Cat III) that allows planes to land in thick fog when visibility is below 100 metres.

This year, say sources, the airline trained most of its Dreamliner pilots in time for Cat III B operations but DGCA is yet to certify the aircraft for landing in dense fog. "In Delhi, dense fog is expected after a month but the Boeing 787 flies to London, Paris, Birmingham and Frankfurt and these places are already reporting low visibility. If an AI Dreamliner flies to these places and finds foggy conditions, the aircraft will have to look for an alternative airport that can have a category 1 landing, which means the visibility should be over 550 metres," said a source.

Unlike last year when the airline wasn't prepared, this time the regulator is being blamed for keeping the state-of-the-art plane in the category of small turboprops that can't operate in fog. Sources say the regulator wants some papers from Boeing on the aircraft's equipment for operating in fog which it hasn't received so far.

"There are some issues which we are examining before permitting the B 787 for Cat III operations," DGCA chief Prabhat Kumar said. AI chief Rohit Nandan expressed hope that the regulator will give its nod before fog hits Delhi.

If DGCA clearance doesn't come soon, AI may be forced to rework the schedule.

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sri_bom · Member Joined: 22 Dec 2006 Posts: 2365 Location: Singapore

Air India to lease five A320s from China Aviation Leasing Group
News
11-Nov-2014 11:00 AM
Air India plans to lease five A320 aircraft from China Aviation Leasing Group Holdings for 10-12 years (financialexpress.com, 11-Nov-2014). The carrier will reportedly take delivery of the aircraft by Feb-2015, with the carrier to reportedly pay around USD300,000 per aircraft per month in leasing fees. The aircraft will reportedly be used on the domestic routes on the all-economy configuration. Air India board member Ravindra Dholakia noted: “At present we have very few new aircraft (with new engine). While the old aircraft are causing us some problems, we are gradually overcoming them".

747-237 · Posted: Mon Aug 04, 2014 7:02 am

747-237 · Posted: Wed Nov 12, 2014 1:55 pm Post subject:

Air India will start operating flights on Delhi-Gorakhpur and Delhi-Shimla routes and resume the third direct Delhi-Kochi flight from December 16, 2014 onwards. These flights will operate thrice a week.

http://www.travelbizmonitor.com/air-india-to-start-flights-from-delhi-to-gorakhpur--shimla-on-dec-16-2014-25774
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sumantra · Member Joined: 28 Oct 2007 Posts: 4685 Location: New Delhi

AI A332s withdrawn from service yesterday, to be returned to the lessors

From one of my sources: both VT-IWA and VT-IWB were withdrawn from service yesterday, almost a month after they were supposed to be returned, owing to AI's aircraft shortage. I am personally sad to see them go back. They were perhaps the most beautiful planes in AI's `Flying Swan' livery, and more often than not, maintained very well, in spite of some tight flying schedules at times. They were used for fire-fighting the Dream)liner issues, during the IPG strike, and on the longer domestic routes on high-volume days. They have been to many places: from memory, CDG, NRT, SIN, PVG, they have done many Haj runs, and I have had some extremely memorable experiences on them.
16. To Chennai, Mar'12 with a Celebrity Captain!
http://airlinersindia.s4.bizhat.com/airlinersindia-ftopic12196.html
52. Duronto Debut,Dreamliner Despair,Double-Decker Desire:Jan13
http://www.airlinersindia.s4.bizhat.com/airlinersindia-ftopic13354.html
55. Jumpy & Overjoyed to the Core, on a Hampi Encore! Mar'13
http://www.airlinersindia.s4.bizhat.com/airlinersindia-ftopic13499.html
and one more this year...in Business class.
I have enjoyed spotting it at airports, and the sheer joy of seeing the AI A332s flare out before landing was a real joy to behold. I will also miss the unique underfloor lav complex.
Cheers, Sumantra.