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Air India News -- Part 32
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sumantra
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PostPosted: Mon Aug 07, 2017 10:32 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Jaysit wrote:
Excuses, shmexcuses. The FAA has no reason to single AI out for harassment. The airline needs to shape up instead of pointing excuses and whining...
Seemingly yes, Sanjay, even if it is clearly one-sided. In this incident however, there is possibly more to what meets the eye. On the other hand, that Air India needs to shape up is something irrefutable. Their upward curve does provide some satisfaction, though.
Cheers, Sumantra.
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Caliguy
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PostPosted: Tue Aug 08, 2017 7:05 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

sumantra wrote:
Jaysit wrote:
Excuses, shmexcuses. The FAA has no reason to single AI out for harassment. The airline needs to shape up instead of pointing excuses and whining...
Seemingly yes, Sanjay, even if it is clearly one-sided. In this incident however, there is possibly more to what meets the eye. On the other hand, that Air India needs to shape up is something irrefutable. Their upward curve does provide some satisfaction, though.
Cheers, Sumantra.


Does anyone want an airline that doesn't follow safety rules? These tags ensure approved seat belts were used and not some crap from some bazaar. I really don't understand people defending this. And even if AI was singled out for this inspection, no one is denying the FAA checks for these tags. AI employees probably pissed the FAA off with their press leaks about ghosts in hotels and wanting to stop the AI sale. And to the Air China comment - yeah that's air china, I would never fly them. If AI wants to be in the company of Air China and former Soviet airlines, then great. Otherwise AI employees need to shape up and do their jobs!
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PostPosted: Wed Aug 09, 2017 5:07 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

http://www.hindustantimes.com/delhi-news/close-shave-at-delhi-airport-as-wings-of-ai-ethiopian-airlines-planes-collide/story-TDozo3AtStxcphnhYx8JdI.html

Close shave at Delhi airport as wings of AI, Ethiopian Airlines planes collide

Aug 09, 2017

An Ethiopian airline plane hit the parked Air India plane at 2.25am on Wednesday. The Ethiopian Airlines plane was parked at bay No. 87 and was being pushed back by tractor when the incident took place.

Luckily engine of both the aircraft were closed which minimised the damage. The Air India flight was parked at Bay No 86.

Ethiopian flight ET 687 was bound to Addis Ababa and scheduled to depart at 2.20am.

Due to collision of wings, Flight ET- 687 was cancelled and 196 passengers were de-boarded.



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PostPosted: Thu Aug 10, 2017 3:30 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

http://www.hindustantimes.com/mumbai-news/air-india-to-looks-to-earn-by-repairing-spicejet-aircraft/story-HTHfLqtVejYMFkJgk5braM.html

Air India to looks to earn by repairing SpiceJet aircraft

10 Aug 2017

Air India will be receiving its third-party order to conduct a C1 check — one of the major checks — from SpiceJet for its aircraft. This check is mandatory. The aircraft will be handed over to SpiceJet in six days.

This comes as a result of an MoU signed between the national carrier and SpiceJet in August last year. This order will not only generate income for India but also aim to decrease its loan.

Air India Engineering Services Limited (AIESL) conducted a C check for the first time for Jet Airways, followed by GoAir’s Airbus A320 in November.

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PostPosted: Thu Aug 10, 2017 9:14 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

http://www.hindustantimes.com/business-news/air-india-s-los-angeles-flight-likely-by-oct-nov/story-ncpvH1kAIc08yYYAKHJouL.html

Air India’s Los Angeles flight likely by Oct-Nov

Aug 10, 2017

Air India is all set to launch its sixth destination in the United States with three-times-a-week services to Los Angeles from New Delhi from the forthcoming winters.

The new flight, AI-105/AI-106, will be operated with a Boeing 777-300 ER aircraft, the dates for which are expected to be announced soon, a senior Air India official said.

“Almost all regulatory approvals for the proposed air services to Los Angeles from New Delhi are in place. The new flight is a part of the winter schedule and it may take off any time between late October and early November,” the official said.

The official said the new services will be operated three times-a-week- Wednesday, Friday and Sunday - and the airline will deploy a 342-seater B777-300 (extended range) plane on the route.

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sumantra
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PostPosted: Thu Aug 10, 2017 10:36 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Caliguy wrote:
Does anyone want an airline that doesn't follow safety rules? These tags ensure approved seat belts were used and not some crap from some bazaar. I really don't understand people defending this.
I have said this above, and will repeat it, in this particular case, there may be more to this than meets the eye. The FAA's action ostensibly is from a safety point of view, and in that sense, they are quite justified. My point is that in this particular case, there may have been more to it.
A few years back, a United B77E had gone tech at Delhi, and the aircraft flew back after 5 days. The Indian side went according to the rule book, including all safety norms and engineering audits. It was not a mere coincidence that the period represented one of the troughs in UA-AI low relations.
Such cases have also happened with the French. Let me quote here,
``However, it is a documented fact that "tit for tat" does stop frivolous, facetious and flippant instances. In 2007-2008 AI aircraft were similarly targeted by "Bureau Veritas" of France and many flights were grounded/delayed at CDG Paris. I was part of a team to inspect BOM-CDG flights to ensure no groundings at CDG. I spent many nights at Sahar but no amount of pre-flight inspection can ensure that a committed BV inspector would not find a fault on B747 a/c. Needless to say that despite our sincere efforts the situation persisted. I then met JDG-DGCA in DEL and discussed the matter. It was agreed that DGCA would depute Airworthiness officers to inspect Air France a/c on ground in DEL. Within a week of DGCA inspections the french got the message and inspections of AI a/c at CDG stopped.''
You can either take my word that in this case, there may be a story behind the scenes. Or you can go with your point of view. I'm afraid I cannot speak more on this without compromising my sources.
Cheers, Sumantra.
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Caliguy
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PostPosted: Fri Aug 11, 2017 9:25 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

sumantra wrote:
Caliguy wrote:
Does anyone want an airline that doesn't follow safety rules? These tags ensure approved seat belts were used and not some crap from some bazaar. I really don't understand people defending this.
I have said this above, and will repeat it, in this particular case, there may be more to this than meets the eye. The FAA's action ostensibly is from a safety point of view, and in that sense, they are quite justified. My point is that in this particular case, there may have been more to it.
A few years back, a United B77E had gone tech at Delhi, and the aircraft flew back after 5 days. The Indian side went according to the rule book, including all safety norms and engineering audits. It was not a mere coincidence that the period represented one of the troughs in UA-AI low relations.
Such cases have also happened with the French. Let me quote here,
``However, it is a documented fact that "tit for tat" does stop frivolous, facetious and flippant instances. In 2007-2008 AI aircraft were similarly targeted by "Bureau Veritas" of France and many flights were grounded/delayed at CDG Paris. I was part of a team to inspect BOM-CDG flights to ensure no groundings at CDG. I spent many nights at Sahar but no amount of pre-flight inspection can ensure that a committed BV inspector would not find a fault on B747 a/c. Needless to say that despite our sincere efforts the situation persisted. I then met JDG-DGCA in DEL and discussed the matter. It was agreed that DGCA would depute Airworthiness officers to inspect Air France a/c on ground in DEL. Within a week of DGCA inspections the french got the message and inspections of AI a/c at CDG stopped.''
You can either take my word that in this case, there may be a story behind the scenes. Or you can go with your point of view. I'm afraid I cannot speak more on this without compromising my sources.
Cheers, Sumantra.


With all do respect there is still NO excuse to not have the tags correct. I don't get modern day India where poeple are so used to corruption that they think that when rules are broken and you get caught its only because of a tit for tat things. Rules are rules FOLLOW them. Stop making crazy excuses. You do india tons of harm. AI's employees have proven that they think rules dont apply top them. For gods sake they steal things - liquor, plates. Its an embarrassing joke. The fact that non AI employees from India think this is OK says a lot about modern day india. You will get NO sympathy from me.
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iah87
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PostPosted: Fri Aug 11, 2017 7:05 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

It is common knowledge that AI's DEL-SFO has been a success and the previously existing flights (BOM-EWR and DEL-ORD) are doing ok, not too sure about DEL-JFK. But now I am wondering how the new DEL-IAD is performing and they announced DEL-LAX. Also don't have any information on AMD-LHR-EWR either.

Is AI bit too enthusiastic about these newer flights ? Would'nt it be better to see how the IAD flights are doing, before launching LAX.
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Caliguy
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PostPosted: Fri Aug 11, 2017 7:26 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

iah87 wrote:
It is common knowledge that AI's DEL-SFO has been a success and the previously existing flights (BOM-EWR and DEL-ORD) are doing ok, not too sure about DEL-JFK. But now I am wondering how the new DEL-IAD is performing and they announced DEL-LAX. Also don't have any information on AMD-LHR-EWR either.

Is AI bit too enthusiastic about these newer flights ? Would'nt it be better to see how the IAD flights are doing, before launching LAX.


Have no real proof on how they are doing other than they tend to not be the cheapest on the nonstop flights. There was a time when they were always the cheapest. Does this mean they are making money - No.
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Jaysit
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PostPosted: Sat Aug 12, 2017 1:04 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

As long as there are folks like my parents willing to pay extra for the convenience of flying nonstop to the US, AI will do fine. They just took the BOM-EWR nonstop (at $3600 not the cheapest, but not the most expensive). BOM-DEL-IAD was cheaper at about $2990, but for old folks, changing planes is a no-no.

Btw, they gushed over the service. Said AI's inflight service and curb to AC service couldn't be faulted.
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PostPosted: Sat Aug 12, 2017 4:37 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Alliance Air has added a new ATR72-600 to the fleet today, as VT-RKF.
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The_Goat
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PostPosted: Sun Aug 13, 2017 3:29 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

The first thing this circus of an airline should do is to maintain a reliable booking engine.

I select my route, enter all my credit card details and click the icon to book, only to have a bloody white 'Service temporarily unavailable' slap me on the face.

Idiots.
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zubin
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PostPosted: Mon Aug 14, 2017 2:50 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

The_Goat wrote:
The first thing this circus of an airline should do is to maintain a reliable booking engine.

I select my route, enter all my credit card details and click the icon to book, only to have a bloody white 'Service temporarily unavailable' slap me on the face.

Idiots.


Absolutely. It's the worst booking engine I've seen yet. Even the website needs a makeover.
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PostPosted: Tue Aug 15, 2017 10:58 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

http://www.hindustantimes.com/cities/after-regular-fliers-exploit-scheme-ai-stops-online-booking-facility-for-defence-personnel/story-mPXf3vQnqxnhic428J0IQN.html

After regular fliers exploit scheme, AI stops online booking facility for defence personnel

Aug 15, 2017

To prevent regular fliers from exploiting 50% discounts on airfare meant for defence personnel and their family members by submitting fake documents, the national carrier Air India has discontinued the online booking facility extended to the defence personnel.

Air India spokesperson Dhananjay Kumar confirmed the move. He said, “We have stopped the online concession scheme for the armed forces. Before the online service was introduced, defence personnel used to avail the facility only at the airline’s booking centres.”

Sources said the decision was taken after cases came to fore about regular fliers availing the discounts by submitting forged documents while booking tickets online. Tickets for defence personnel and their family members will now be available at Air India’s city offices and airport ticketing offices only.

“Whenever officials found someone travelling with fake documents, the passenger was asked to de-board. In most cases, such passengers created ruckus at the airport.So the airline stopped online booking service to ensure that only eligible passengers are able to avail
the scheme,” said an airport official.

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PostPosted: Tue Aug 15, 2017 1:19 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

http://www.indiatimes.com/news/india/from-this-independence-day-air-india-to-allow-members-of-armed-forces-to-board-first-on-flight-327860.html

From This Independence Day, Air India To Allow Members Of Armed Forces To Board First On Flight

August 15, 2017

Air India has decided to salute the Indian Soldiers by inviting them to board first on all their flights, before any other passengers. Even before First Class and Business Class passengers.

In a mail to top officials, Air India executive director Sarabjot Singh Uberoi wrote that the carrier has decided that the serving members of the armed forces from Army, Air Force and Navy would be invited to board flights first.

Uberoi wrote that the order has to be implemented from August 15 onwards on all Air India flights.

"Serving soldiers will be invited to board all Air India flights even before First Class and Business class travellers. The country is grateful to them for their services and this is our way of honouring the soldiers for their contribution," Uberoi was quoted as saying.

From Tuesday onwards, the carrier was instructed to add one line at the time of the announcement of boarding, which states that Air India would like to invite serving members of our esteemed armed forces from Army, Air Force and Navy to board first.

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PostPosted: Tue Aug 15, 2017 8:26 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Now all thats left is for AI to codeshare with SAS for their northern European destinations and do likewise for Scandinavian passengers flying into India.
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PostPosted: Wed Aug 16, 2017 7:04 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/mumbai/air-india-airhostess-slips-up-deploys-evacuation-chute-upon-landing/articleshow/60078358.cms?

Air India airhostess slips up, deploys evacuation chute upon landing

Aug 16, 2017

Air India on Tuesday grounded an airhostess for accidentally deploying the evacuation chute of a Boeing 777 after the plane landed and reached its parking bay in Mumbai. The incident happened when AI 102 operated on Delhi-Mumbai sector on Tuesday. The chute got deployed in a way that it went inflating inside a catering van that was near the aircraft with meals to be loaded for the next flight.

"We are investigating. A cabin crew member admitted to deploying the chute by mistake. Her statement will be recorded on Wednesday," said a senior AI official.

The official said it seems the B-777 had landed and reached its parking bay when the airhostess accidentally opened the "R2 door escape slide" in auto mode. "The aircraft had to operate another flight and we arranged for a replacement cabin crew for the personnel grounded," the official said. The return flight this aircraft as to operate to the US was delayed due to this.

Inflatable evacuation slides, used for evacuating an aircraft quickly in an emergency, are packed within the door structure. In new generation aircraft, these slides deploy automatically when a door is opened in 'armed' condition to reduce evacuation time. Inadvertent slide deployment leads to delays as the aircraft cannot take off for another flight till all doors have a packed chute.

"The airhostess is likely to get a refresher in operating aircraft doors before being allowed to fly. These type of silly mistakes mean delays which in turn mean losses for any airline," said a senior B-777 pilot.



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PostPosted: Wed Aug 16, 2017 1:52 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Would it make sense for Alliance Air and AIX to merge?
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sumantra
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PostPosted: Wed Aug 16, 2017 7:19 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

zubin wrote:
The_Goat wrote:
The first thing this circus of an airline should do is to maintain a reliable booking engine. I select my route, enter all my credit card details and click the icon to book, only to have a bloody white 'Service temporarily unavailable' slap me on the face. Idiots.

Absolutely. It's the worst booking engine I've seen yet. Even the website needs a makeover.
The AI booking engine is via the SITA one, which is antiquated and a bit of a patch. However, for one who uses this engine about once a week (and flies more regularly on AI than possibly anyone else on this forum), I have can attest to the fact that such experiences are very rare, and few and far in between. The site is quite reliable, in my by now extremely long (and very regular) experience with the airline.
Cheers, Sumantra.
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PostPosted: Wed Aug 16, 2017 8:40 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

sumantra wrote:
zubin wrote:
The_Goat wrote:
The first thing this circus of an airline should do is to maintain a reliable booking engine. I select my route, enter all my credit card details and click the icon to book, only to have a bloody white 'Service temporarily unavailable' slap me on the face. Idiots.

Absolutely. It's the worst booking engine I've seen yet. Even the website needs a makeover.
The AI booking engine is via the SITA one, which is antiquated and a bit of a patch. However, for one who uses this engine about once a week (and flies more regularly on AI than possibly anyone else on this forum), I have can attest to the fact that such experiences are very rare, and few and far in between. The site is quite reliable, in my by now extremely long (and very regular) experience with the airline.
Cheers, Sumantra.


It doesn't matter if it's "quite reliable." It needs to be reliable all the time.

It's better than it used to be, but it crashed twice while accepting a credit card. So, I had to go to Kayak to get tix for my folks. And please don't say that it may have happened because it was a non-Indian card. That's just unacceptable.
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PostPosted: Thu Aug 17, 2017 8:05 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

http://www.livemint.com/Companies/eg5XcMDVlwxdblvZrpQ3rJ/Air-India-flies-maiden-direct-flight-to-Stockholm-with-an-al.html

Air India flies maiden direct flight to Stockholm with an all women crew

Aug 16 2017

Air India on Wednesday launched direct flights from here to Stockholm, making the Swedish capital its tenth destination in Europe.

The airline operated a Dreamliner Boeing 787 with an all-woman crew. Air India will be offering thrice-a-week service from Delhi to Stockholm with flights every Wednesday, Friday and Sunday.

The launch event included lighting of lamp and cake and ribbon cutting ceremonies at the Indira Gandhi International Airport in the presence of Air India Chairman Ashwani Lohani and Chargé d’Affaires of Embassy of Sweden, Gautam Bhattacharyya.

“With an increase in passenger volume between India and Sweden by 50% in three years, the direct flight is likely to further bolster the growing relationship between India and Sweden,” according to a press statement issued by the Embassy of Sweden.

The national carrier is also expected to add another destination in Europe next month with flights to Danish capital Copenhagen.

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PostPosted: Thu Aug 17, 2017 8:08 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

http://www.thehindu.com/business/Industry/ai-shows-interest-in-overhauling-defence-planes/article19504287.ece

Air India shows interest in overhauling defence planes

AUGUST 17, 2017

The Civil Aviation Ministry has written to the Defence Ministry asking them to facilitate the servicing of defence aircraft at Air India’s Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO) facilities.

“Suitable measures may kindly be initiated to negotiate with OEMs [original equipment manufacturer] of defence aircraft to give training and maintenance manuals so that we can maintain the defence aircraft at much cheaper cost and better turnaround time, as compared to giving the maintenance to OEMs abroad,” Civil Aviation Secretary R.N. Choubey wrote to Defence Secretary Sanjay Mitra recently.

Air India’s MRO unit — Air India Engineering Services Limited (AIESL) — currently carries out MRO activities for commercial aircraft of various Boeing and Airbus fleet type at its facilities based in Delhi, Mumbai, Hyderabad, Thiruvananthapuram , Nagpur and Kolkata.

In a bid to expand its business to defence aircraft, AIESL had even applied for a bid to service Indian Air Force’s IL-78 mid-air refueller aircraft and four Embraer-135 aircraft used to transport VIPs earlier this year. However, the bids were rejected as AIESL does not have the mandatory authorisation certification required to be obtained for servicing these planes from the Russian-based OEMs.

“There is a clause of OEM certification. OEM is not willing to transfer the knowledge or skill nor is allowing AIESL to certify,” AIESL chief executive officer H.R. Jagannath had said in a meeting on January 25, adding that the IL-78 aircraft was being sent to Russia for maintenance at present.

“Under the Make in India scheme, these aircraft should be maintained in India and by doing so, India can save a lot of foreign exchange,” the AIESL CEO added.

The Aviation Secretary wrote in his letter to the Defence Secretary that getting the maintenance manual details from OEMs was essential for maintaining any aircraft. “AIESL is capable of maintaining narrow-body as well as wide-body aircraft of any manufacturer. Defence establishments can make use of our facilities, including hangars, which are spread all over the country,” he said.

The Aviation Ministry will also request the External Affairs Ministry to take up the matter with Russia.

The Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG), in its report in July this year, had pointed out to “several deficiencies in infrastructure facilities and maintenance and repair of the existing IL fleet.”

The audit said that India had only one hangar for 14 IL-76 aircraft and one for six IL-78 planes, which are due for overhaul in 2018-19.

“Due to non-availability of hangars, the costly air assets remained in the open which adversely affected their serviceability and life,” the CAG report had said.

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PostPosted: Thu Aug 17, 2017 8:20 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/business/india-business/air-india-sale-process-to-be-completed-before-year-end/articleshow/60095637.cms

Air India sale process to be completed before year-end

Aug 17, 2017

The government plans to wrap up the disinvestment in state-run carrier Air India before end of the year and the preference is veering towards a "domestic buyer" for the debt-laden airline.

The Union Cabinet gave an in-principle approval for strategic disinvestment in Air India in June and a panel of ministers headed by finance minister Arun Jaitley is now devising the strategy for executing the sale.

"We will complete the process before the year-end. There is no choice but to privatise it," a government source told TOI. While no final decision has been taken, the source said the preference so far is for a "domestic buyer." Some foreign companies including airlines have informally expressed interest in buying Air India.

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PostPosted: Thu Aug 17, 2017 1:51 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Air India Express adds Madurai – Singapore from Sep 2017

Air India Express in September 2017 is launching new South East Asia service from Madurai, with the offering of Madurai – Singapore service.

From 15SEP17, the airline’s 737-800 aircraft will operate this route 4 times a week.

IX684 IXM2315 – 0615+1SIN 738 x246
IX683 SIN1040 – 1225IXM 738 x357

Service operates 3 weekly (Day 357 from IXM, Day 146 from SIN) from 27SEP17 to 08OCT17.


Source: Airlineroute.net
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PostPosted: Fri Aug 18, 2017 11:07 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Alliance Air to start MAA-TRZ/VGA/IXM/CJB from Aug 30

9I9557 MAA 0735 - 0835 TRZ
9I9558 TRZ 0905 - 1020 MAA

9I9559 MAA 1055 - 1215 VGA
9I9560 VGA 1235 - 1355 MAA

9I9551 MAA 1445 - 1610 IXM
9I9552 IXM 1635 - 1800 MAA

9I9553 MAA 1850 - 2015 CJB
9I9554 CJB 2045 - 2205 MAA
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PostPosted: Sun Aug 20, 2017 6:44 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Jaysit wrote:
It doesn't matter if it's "quite reliable." It needs to be reliable all the time.
Correct, Sanjay. I was just stating facts, and my experiences, not supporting anything, here.
Jaysit wrote:
It's better than it used to be, but it crashed twice while accepting a credit card. So, I had to go to Kayak to get tix for my folks. And please don't say that it may have happened because it was a non-Indian card. That's just unacceptable.
True, unacceptable!
Cheers, Sumantra.
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PostPosted: Sun Aug 20, 2017 10:51 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/economy/logistics/alliance-air-to-operate-4-new-services-from-august-30/article9824180.ece

Alliance Air to operate 4 new services from August 30

Aug 20

Alliance Air, the regional arm of Air India, is starting four daily return flights from Chennai to Tiruchi, Vijaywada, Madurai and Coimbatore. The new services will start from August 30.

These flights have become possible because the airline’s management decided to base one ATR 72-600 aircraft in Chennai, a senior airline official said.

The four new flights have been put into the reservation system and passengers can now make bookings for flying these routes, officials said.

9I-557 will leave Chennai at 7.35 a.m. and arrive in Tiruchi at 8.35 a.m. After a 30 minute halt at Tiruchi, the aircraft will leave at 9.05 a.m.and reach Chennai at 10.20 a.m.

Similarly, the Chennai-Vijaywada flight will depart at 10.55 a.m. and reach Vijaywada at 12.15 p.m. The same aircraft will begin the return journey to Chennai at 12.35 p.m. reaching its destination at 13.55 p.m.

The Chennai-Madurai flight will depart at 14.45 p.m. reaching its destination at 16.10 p.m. The same aircraft will leave Madurai at 16.35 reaching Chennai at 18.00 p.m.

The Chennai-Coimbatore flight will leave at 6.50 p.m. and reach its destination at 8.15 p.m. After a halt of 30 minutes, the aircraft will depart for Chennai where it will land at 10.05 p.m.

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indopaki
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PostPosted: Sun Aug 20, 2017 3:45 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

indopaki wrote:
Would it make sense for Alliance Air and AIX to merge?
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luvleen
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PostPosted: Mon Aug 21, 2017 7:40 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Airline review: Air India economy class, Sydney to New Delhi

Not really a detailed trip report as such, but some +ve reviews for the non-stop service to Oz for our beleaguered flag carrier

http://www.traveller.com.au/the-flight-air-india-economy-class-sydney-to-new-delhi-gxtd1q

Quote:
THE ROUTE
Sydney to New Delhi

THE PLANE
Boeing's 787-8 Dreamliner. Air India expects to have 27 Dreamliners in its fleet by October 2017. The aircraft's 256 seats are split into two classes – 18 business-class flat-bed seats and 238 economy seats.

THE LOYALTY SCHEME
Flying Returns; Air India is also part of Star Alliance, allowing passengers to earn points towards other member airlines' programs.

CLASS
Economy, window seat 26J

DURATION
Usually 13 hours and 10 minutes; we land half an hour late after circling east of Delhi.

THE FREQUENCY
Air India flies non-stop from Sydney to New Delhi four times a week; on other days, a non-stop service operates between Melbourne and New Delhi.

THE SEAT
The economy cabin features a 3-3-3 configuration. The vibrant red and saffron fabric seats, which channel India's colourful nature, feature a 33-inch pitch (more generous than the 32 inches Qantas offers economy passengers on its Dreamliner), a 17-inch width and six inches of recline.

BAGGAGE
Eight kilos of carry-on baggage; 30kg of checked baggage.

COMFORT
It's the much-lauded Dreamliner so, as expected, the flight is quiet and smooth – at least until we hit turbulence descending through rain-bearing clouds into New Delhi. The lurches prompt a collective gasp. There's a blanket and pillow but no other amenities for the daytime direct flight. The Dreamliner's oversized windows are electronically dimmable, removing the need for manual shades. I dim my window straight away to keep glare off my entertainment screen. Later in the flight, the crew dims all windows. The Dreamliner is also noted for minimising odours with its air purification system but, on top of that, the cabin is perfumed with a zesty scent before meals are served.

ENTERTAINMENT
Economy-class headphones aren't usually known for comfort but thumbs up to the padded ones provided here. English-speaking movie buffs can probably (just) entertain themselves throughout a return flight, with the seatback touchscreen offering 10 recent-release Hollywood movies and more than 40 older releases.

FOOD
No printed menus are provided – flight attendants simply ask if you want a vegetarian or non-vegetarian meal. On this flight (and the return), meals follow a distinct pattern: a substantial meal, a medium-sized meal then a snack. Drinks service accompanies only the first meal (although attendants provide more drinks to those who ask). My main meal is an enjoyable chicken and potato curry and rice served with flat bread kept warm in foil, pickle, popped rice and a chickpea salad.

SERVICE
After asking the flight attendant about our first dessert (kesar phirni is a rice custard), he remembers me while serving the next meal and – unprompted – tells me that dessert is gajar ka halwa (a sweet carrot pudding). It's a small thing but to be remembered is quite delightful.

ONE MORE THING
I adore the way flight attendants press their palms together to greet us upon boarding. Namaste to you, too.

LAST WORD
While Air India might not offer the wide entertainment options of other airlines and could be more informative about meals, it's hard to go past the legroom and convenience of a direct Australia-India flight aboard the comfy Dreamliner.

OUR RATING
4 out of 5
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747-237
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PostPosted: Mon Aug 21, 2017 5:42 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Air India Express adds Delhi – Madurai service from Sep 2017

Air India Express from next month is adding new domestic sector, operating nonstop Delhi – Madurai service.
This 4 weekly flights will commence on 15SEP17, on board Boeing 737-800 aircraft.

IX163 DEL1900 – 2215IXM 738 x246
IX164 IXM1350 – 1705DEL 738 x357

Service operates 3 weekly (Day 357 from DEL, Day 146 from IXM) from 27SEP17 to 08OCT17.


Source: Airlineroute.net
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sumantra
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PostPosted: Mon Aug 21, 2017 6:12 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

indopaki wrote:
Would it make sense for Alliance Air and AIX to merge?
It may not. They follow entirely different models and work cultures, and cater to entirely different markets. As of now, the Kerala base for IX was a great move, and after quite a trough, IX continues to be a reasonably well-managed airline. 9I on the other hand, has lots of potential, and while it has seen a lot of political interference, it continues to be a bit of a lagger (though now they have an increasing fleet size, and are doing quite good routes, in addition to essential ones). This is also a bit surprising, given that 9I is directly under AI, and Team Lohani has made a decent name for itself, otherwise.
Cheers, Sumantra.
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The_Goat
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PostPosted: Mon Aug 21, 2017 8:00 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

luvleen wrote:
Airline review: Air India economy class, Sydney to New Delhi

Not really a detailed trip report as such, but some +ve reviews for the non-stop service to Oz for our beleaguered flag carrier

http://www.traveller.com.au/the-flight-air-india-economy-class-sydney-to-new-delhi-gxtd1q


Nice to see a good TR about AI, that too from an Aussie.

She did not mention how the toilets were, and how they became towards the end of the journey. But since it was a 13 hour flight, I assume she must have used the loo at least once. Since she has not complained about it, I reckon it must have been ok.
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sumantra
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PostPosted: Mon Aug 21, 2017 11:33 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

The_Goat wrote:
She did not mention how the toilets were, and how they became towards the end of the journey. But since it was a 13 hour flight, I assume she must have used the loo at least once. Since she has not complained about it, I reckon it must have been ok.
She would have been busy watching not a Hollywood `latest' (in AI's lingo Razz), but the Akshay Kumar grosser, `Toilet: Ek Prem Katha' Razz
Cheers, Sumantra.
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indopaki
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PostPosted: Tue Aug 22, 2017 4:20 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

sumantra wrote:
indopaki wrote:
Would it make sense for Alliance Air and AIX to merge?
It may not. They follow entirely different models and work cultures, and cater to entirely different markets. As of now, the Kerala base for IX was a great move, and after quite a trough, IX continues to be a reasonably well-managed airline. 9I on the other hand, has lots of potential, and while it has seen a lot of political interference, it continues to be a bit of a lagger (though now they have an increasing fleet size, and are doing quite good routes, in addition to essential ones). This is also a bit surprising, given that 9I is directly under AI, and Team Lohani has made a decent name for itself, otherwise.
Cheers, Sumantra.

thank you, I feel it would create a stronger brand but seems not possible.
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747-237
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PostPosted: Wed Aug 23, 2017 9:00 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

http://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/rajiv-bansal-named-air-india-chief-after-ashwani-lohani-moved-to-railway-board/story-o4LJcAnAkQzfU2FzJvcMhL.html

Rajiv Bansal named Air India chief after Ashwani Lohani moved to Railway Board

Aug 23, 2017

In a day of dramatic developments, Rajiv Bansal replaced Ashwini Lohani as the chairman of Air India after Lohani was appointed chairman of the Railway Board.

The tenure is for three months and is likely to be extended.

Rajiv Bansal, a 1988 batch IAS officer of the Nagaland cadre, is currently the additional secretary and financial advisor in the ministry of petroleum and natural gas.


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747-237
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PostPosted: Fri Aug 25, 2017 7:35 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Air India has added a new 787-8 to the fleet today, as VT-ANZ.
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The_Goat
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PostPosted: Fri Aug 25, 2017 5:21 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

747-237 wrote:
http://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/rajiv-bansal-named-air-india-chief-after-ashwani-lohani-moved-to-railway-board/story-o4LJcAnAkQzfU2FzJvcMhL.html

Rajiv Bansal named Air India chief after Ashwani Lohani moved to Railway Board

Aug 23, 2017

In a day of dramatic developments, Rajiv Bansal replaced Ashwini Lohani as the chairman of Air India after Lohani was appointed chairman of the Railway Board.

The tenure is for three months and is likely to be extended.

Rajiv Bansal, a 1988 batch IAS officer of the Nagaland cadre, is currently the additional secretary and financial advisor in the ministry of petroleum and natural gas.



Why did they have to remove Lohani when he was starting to do a decent job, by most accounts?

And how much does Mr 'petroleum and natural gas' Bansal know about aviation? Possibly zilch.

Why don't they let good people stay on and do their work?
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sumantra
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PostPosted: Mon Aug 28, 2017 7:10 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

The_Goat wrote:
Why did they have to remove Lohani when he was starting to do a decent job, by most accounts?
While this was on the cards for quite a while, I never believed the rumours. Things at AI were just getting better and better: Team Nandan, when the latter took a task which no one (save Sunil Arora) would volunteer for. Then Team Lohani, which turned the airline around like nothing else. My guess is that the Railways possibly needs the `turnaround man' more. I fervently hope that Team Bansal continues the good work of his predecessor(s), and keep the airline on track to better times, even during his interim position till the final disinvestment.
Cheers, Sumantra.
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zubin
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PostPosted: Thu Aug 31, 2017 10:43 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Air India will soon get a ‘regular’ CMD, says Choubey

NEW DELHI, AUG 30:
The Government will certainly be taking up steps to post "a regular person” as Chairman and Managing Director of Air India, RN Choubey, Secretary Civil Aviation said on Wednesday.

Late last week the Government appointed Rajiv Bansal, Additional Secretary and Financial Advisor in the petroleum ministry as Chairman and Managing Director for a period of three months. Bansal has been given additional charge of Air India.

The decision to appoint an interim CMD for Air India and for a period of three months only raised eyebrows in many quarters.

"It was an interim arrangement and the Government will certainly be taking steps to post a regular person as CMD Air India,” Choubey said on the sidelines of an aviation seminar organised by Assocham.

He explained that the circumstances required that some one immediately be posted as Chairman Railway Board which saw the Government decide on Ashwani Lohani being posted there.

"So he (Lohani) was posted immediately. Within the short time available it is a litte difficult to immediately locate another person for Air India,” he added.

In the last few months there have been a spate of accidents in which passengers have lost their lives which promopted the Government to shift Lohani as the new Chairman Railway Board. Lohani was shifted from AI to the post of Chairman Railway Board within 24 hours of a train derailing last week.

Bansal has been appointed CMD AI at a time when the Government is already started the process of divesting its stake in the state owned airline. The Union Cabinet gave its approval for the divestment of Air India on June 28 and the Government is keen to complete the entire process at the earliest.


http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/economy/logistics/govt-working-to-identify-cmd-for-air-india/article9836762.ece
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PostPosted: Sat Sep 02, 2017 8:08 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Alliance Air has added a new ATR72-600 to the fleet today, as VT-RKC.
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