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Air India News -- Part 33
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747-237
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PostPosted: Fri Apr 19, 2019 5:46 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

https://www.thehindubusinessline.com/economy/logistics/we-can-lease-out-five-jet-airways-planes-ai-chairman-to-sbi-chief/article26876997.ece

Air India looking to take five Boing 777 of Jet Airways

April 18, 2019

Air India is looking at leasing five Boeing 777 of Jet Airways which temporarily suspended operations on Wednesday night.

While officially the airline declined to comment on the subject, sources indicated that the state-owned carrier had been in talks with Jet Airways for about 10 days for taking these five aircraft.

Ashwini Lohani, Chairman and Managing Director, Air India, is said to have written to the SBI Chairman about the possibility of leasing these five aircraft although the official spokesperson declined to confirm this development.

Air India will use the Jet aircraft to operate international flights and could look at operating them on various routes, including Mumbai-London-Mumbai, Mumbai-Dubai-Mumbai and Delhi-Singapore-Delhi. Incidentally Jet Airways operated flights on all these routes before it suspended operations.

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PostPosted: Sat Apr 20, 2019 8:49 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

AI is looking at Jet's five B777s, B737s for AI Express and may even consider the widebody Airbus A330.
In all, AI may take 10 to 12 of Jet's planes and SpiceJet may take a few more in the coming weeks.
To operate these planes, AI and SpiceJet will take aircraft with operating crew from Jet.


https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/business/india-business/jet-crisis-govt-eases-rule-to-moderate-fares/articleshow/68961225.cms


The sources said the lenders are actively considering proposals, including from Air India, for utilising the planes owned by Jet Airways.
The use of these idle planes would ensure that they remain in good condition as well as earn revenues, they added.
Jet Airways owns 16 aircraft, including 10 wide-body Boeing 777-300 ER.


https://www.businesstoday.in/sectors/aviation/jet-airways-crisis-lenders-explore-ways-to-utilise-15-jet-planes-protect-valuable-assets/story/338641.html
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PostPosted: Mon Apr 22, 2019 6:23 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Air India resumes Madrid service from late-April 2019

Air India last week resumed Delhi – Madrid service, previously scheduled to resume from 01JUL19.
From 18APR19, the Star Alliance carrier once again operates this route 3 times a week, with Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner.

AI135 DEL1245 – 2010MAD 788 246
AI136 MAD2140 – 1125+1DEL 788 246


Source: Airlineroute.net
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PostPosted: Wed Apr 24, 2019 10:47 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Long wait to land force Air India flight to declare May Day in Hong Kong

https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/business/india-business/long-wait-to-land-force-air-india-flight-to-declare-may-day-in-hong-kong/articleshow/69018978.cms

May seem to be an ignorant query but hoping the seniors here are able to answer - As per the article, "the Fuel uplift for a flight is decided by adding these factors: (1) fuel required for going from origin to destination; (2) hovering fuel at destination; (3) fuel to go to a diversion airport in case the destination is not available for some reason and (4) finally the hovering fuel at destination". If the diversion airport was not available and the aircraft ran out of points (1) and (2), didnt it still have point (3) and (4) available prior to declaring mayday?

Also, as an aside, load factor of 177 on the flight, isn't that a bit low for 787? Wonder whether the route is making money or not.

Lastly, isn't it a bit late to report this? I mean the incident occurred more than a month ago....
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PostPosted: Wed Apr 24, 2019 6:25 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

luvleen wrote:
Long wait to land force Air India flight to declare May Day in Hong Kong

https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/business/india-business/long-wait-to-land-force-air-india-flight-to-declare-may-day-in-hong-kong/articleshow/69018978.cms

May seem to be an ignorant query but hoping the seniors here are able to answer - As per the article, "the Fuel uplift for a flight is decided by adding these factors: (1) fuel required for going from origin to destination; (2) hovering fuel at destination; (3) fuel to go to a diversion airport in case the destination is not available for some reason and (4) finally the hovering fuel at destination". If the diversion airport was not available and the aircraft ran out of points (1) and (2), didnt it still have point (3) and (4) available prior to declaring mayday?

Also, as an aside, load factor of 177 on the flight, isn't that a bit low for 787? Wonder whether the route is making money or not.

Lastly, isn't it a bit late to report this? I mean the incident occurred more than a month ago....


AI may have enough fuel just for the flight to HK, since fuel is more expensive in India. They may have had enough fuel for waiting for some time based on historical records but may not have anticipated the long wait.
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PostPosted: Wed Apr 24, 2019 10:58 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

luvleen wrote:
Long wait to land force Air India flight to declare May Day in Hong Kong

https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/business/india-business/long-wait-to-land-force-air-india-flight-to-declare-may-day-in-hong-kong/articleshow/69018978.cms

May seem to be an ignorant query but hoping the seniors here are able to answer - As per the article, "the Fuel uplift for a flight is decided by adding these factors: (1) fuel required for going from origin to destination; (2) hovering fuel at destination; (3) fuel to go to a diversion airport in case the destination is not available for some reason and (4) finally the hovering fuel at destination". If the diversion airport was not available and the aircraft ran out of points (1) and (2), didnt it still have point (3) and (4) available prior to declaring mayday?

Also, as an aside, load factor of 177 on the flight, isn't that a bit low for 787? Wonder whether the route is making money or not.

Lastly, isn't it a bit late to report this? I mean the incident occurred more than a month ago....


I think it was more a 'fuel emergency' than a 'mayday'. Correct me if I'm wrong but the latter is used only when the crew is sure that they cannot prevent the plane from crashing.

Fuel emergencies are a common occurrence in all major, traffic heavy airports. I doubt this even warrants a news item.
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PostPosted: Thu Apr 25, 2019 6:25 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

The_Goat wrote:

I think it was more a 'fuel emergency' than a 'mayday'. Correct me if I'm wrong but the latter is used only when the crew is sure that they cannot prevent the plane from crashing.


Mayday = imminent danger to life or to the continued viability of the vessel itself.
Pan Pan = situation that is urgent, but for the time being, does not pose an immediate danger to anyone's life or to the vessel itself.
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PostPosted: Thu Apr 25, 2019 6:30 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

https://www.thehindubusinessline.com/economy/logistics/air-india-puts-off-launch-of-mumbai-colombo-flight/article26934319.ece

Air India puts off launch of Mumbai-Colombo flight

April 24, 2019

Air India has deferred the launch of its Mumbai-Colombo-Mumbai flight after the serial bomb blasts in the Sri Lankan capital on Sunday. The five-times a week non-stop flight was to be launched on May 1 using an Airbus aircraft.

In a communication to travel agents sent out on Wednesday, the state-owned airline said that in view of disruptions at Colombo, AI 275/276 Mumbai-Colombo Mumbai flight “stands cancelled” between May 1 and May 31.

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PostPosted: Thu Apr 25, 2019 10:04 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

https://www.financialexpress.com/industry/air-india-has-change-of-mind-may-not-take-jet-airways-grounded-aircraft/1558313/

Jet Airways’ grounded aircraft: Air India has a change of mind

April 25, 2019

Air India seems to have had a change of mind and is now understood to have decided against leasing five grounded aircraft of Jet Airways to fly on five international routes. Sources said that post the meeting between Air India chairman and managing director Ashwani Lohani and State Bank of India chairman Rajnish Kumar last week, the state-owned carrier went through the technical records of the five aircraft and found that they needed some repairs for which Air India will have to incur an expenditure.

Sources said that the preliminary view within Air India is that since the five aircraft are not technically in a condition in which they can be straightaway put in operations either through wet or dry lease, it’s best not to go ahead with the proposal which was first mooted by Lohani to the state-run bank’s chairman.

While an email query sent to SBI did not elicit response till the time of going to the press, an Air India spokesperson said, “Taking five aircraft on lease from Jet Airways is in initial phase. The process is going on. It will take another few weeks to reach any concluding position.”

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PostPosted: Thu Apr 25, 2019 10:09 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/air-india-aircraft-catches-fire-delhi-airport-watch-video-1509638-2019-04-25

Air India flight to San Francisco catches fire at Delhi airport

April 25, 2019

An Air India aircraft's engine or Auxiliary Power Unit (APU) caught fire at Delhi Airport late Wednesday night.

The aircraft, Boeing B777-200LR (VT-ALF), was bound for a flight to San Francisco. The incident took place while the aircraft was still at the bay.

Air India authorities have said that maintenance work was going on and added that there were no passenger on the plane at the time of the incident.





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PostPosted: Sat Apr 27, 2019 6:02 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

https://theprint.in/india/air-india-4-boeing-777s-grounded-doesnt-have-money-to-maintain-them/227597/

Air India now has 4 Boeing 777s grounded, because it doesn’t have money to maintain them

26 April, 2019

Air India’s dwindling Boeing 777 fleet was dealt a fresh blow Wednesday night when one of its aircraft caught fire during routine maintenance at Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport — the fourth Air India 777 to go out of service in about a month.

The auxiliary power unit (APU) of the B777-200LR aircraft, registration code VT-ALF, caught fire during maintenance work on an air conditioner when it was being prepared for the non-stop Delhi-San Francisco flight, one of the longest in the world. Air India officials termed it ‘a minor accident’.

“Yesterday night at Delhi when an engineer was doing routine technical examination of an empty aircraft (777), APU auto shut down took place. Airport fire personnel observed black fumes from the APU exhaust and believing it to be a fire hazard sprayed APU and part of the fuselage with foam spray,” a statement from the airline read.

Air India owns 18 Boeing 777s — 15 777-300ERs and three 777-200LRs. Three of them have been grounded for about a month due to lack of funds for maintenance.

“There were no funds to buy spare parts and continue operating these aircraft. However, now, we are simultaneously buying spare parts and collecting them in order to bring the grounded B777s back to the fleet in another month’s time,” an Air India source told ThePrint.

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PostPosted: Sat Apr 27, 2019 4:34 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

https://www.livemint.com/news/india/air-india-won-t-charge-any-cancellation-fee-if-done-with-in-24-hours-of-booking-1556354155721.html

Air India won't charge any cancellation fee if done with in 24 hours of booking

27 Apr 2019

Air India has decided that from May 1, if a customer wants to cancel his air ticket or make changes in it within 24 hours of booking, he will not be charged any fee, according to an airline document. However, this facility will be available only if the flight is scheduled at least seven days after the booking date.

Indian aviation regulator DGCA had issued a "passenger charter" on February 27, which specified the rights of air travellers. One of the provisions in the passenger charter has been implemented by the national carrier through the aforementioned decision that will come into effect from May 1.

A circular issued by Air India's Chairman and Managing Director (CMD) on April 24 said, "It has been decided that for sale and travel, effective May 1, 2019, all domestic tickets will have the free look-in option for change and cancellation as prescribed by the DGCA."

"The passenger has an option of cancelling or amending the ticket without any additional charges, that is cancellation or change fee is not applicable, when the same is done within 24 hours of ticketing," it added.

However, according to the circular, the normal prevailing fare and the related fare conditions on a particular flight -- for which the ticket is being sought -- will be applicable.

Moreover, the circular stated that the facility "shall not be available for a flight whose departure is scheduled less than seven days from the booking date".

"Beyond 24 hours of initial booking time, this option is not available and the passenger has to pay the relevant cancellation/change fees for amendment," it added.

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PostPosted: Mon Apr 29, 2019 8:25 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

http://www.newindianexpress.com/nation/2019/apr/29/air-india-flight-lands-at-hyderabad-with-no-additional-fuel-1970599.html

Air India's new plan to save fuel, lands NewDelhi-Hyderabad flight with no 'additional fuel'

29th April 2019

Ushering in a new era in fuel conservation and emission reduction, an Air India flight landed at the Rajiv Gandhi International Airport here from New Delhi Monday without provision for additional fuel which was hitherto necessary to carry in case of flight diversion.

"This is the first flight in the country that has flown without carrying any additional fuel. We will be implementing the same procedure for all our 15 flights that are coming to Hyderabad daily, over a period of time," an Air India official said.

According to a release issued by the national carrier, regulations require that every aircraft has to carry enough fuel to fly to the destination and also to an alternative airport in case of flight diversion. This was resulting in a lot of dead weight to be carried if there is no diversion.

"Provisions exist in the regulations to despatch flights without an alternative, without compromising on safety issues," the release said.

The 'Dispatch with no destination alternate' is a collective initiative of the Ministry of Civil Aviation, Director General of Civil Aviation, Air Traffic Control India Meteorological Department and Air India, Indigo, Spicejet and Air Asia and AI is the first implement it. This requires the destination airport to be equipped with two runways and good weather condition.

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PostPosted: Wed May 01, 2019 9:46 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Has AI suspended Kabul?
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PostPosted: Fri May 03, 2019 8:11 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

747-237 wrote:
https://www.livemint.com/news/india/air-india-won-t-charge-any-cancellation-fee-if-done-with-in-24-hours-of-booking-1556354155721.html

Air India won't charge any cancellation fee if done with in 24 hours of booking

27 Apr 2019

Air India has decided that from May 1, if a customer wants to cancel his air ticket or make changes in it within 24 hours of booking, he will not be charged any fee, according to an airline document. However, this facility will be available only if the flight is scheduled at least seven days after the booking date.

Indian aviation regulator DGCA had issued a "passenger charter" on February 27, which specified the rights of air travellers. One of the provisions in the passenger charter has been implemented by the national carrier through the aforementioned decision that will come into effect from May 1.

A circular issued by Air India's Chairman and Managing Director (CMD) on April 24 said, "It has been decided that for sale and travel, effective May 1, 2019, all domestic tickets will have the free look-in option for change and cancellation as prescribed by the DGCA."

"The passenger has an option of cancelling or amending the ticket without any additional charges, that is cancellation or change fee is not applicable, when the same is done within 24 hours of ticketing," it added.

However, according to the circular, the normal prevailing fare and the related fare conditions on a particular flight -- for which the ticket is being sought -- will be applicable.

Moreover, the circular stated that the facility "shall not be available for a flight whose departure is scheduled less than seven days from the booking date".

"Beyond 24 hours of initial booking time, this option is not available and the passenger has to pay the relevant cancellation/change fees for amendment," it added.


This is taken from their US operations and a requirement for all airlines in US. I wish that MoCA also implements a similar requirement for all airlines so that all have a level playing field.
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PostPosted: Sat May 04, 2019 11:54 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

747-237 wrote:
http://www.newindianexpress.com/nation/2019/apr/29/air-india-flight-lands-at-hyderabad-with-no-additional-fuel-1970599.html

Air India's new plan to save fuel, lands NewDelhi-Hyderabad flight with no 'additional fuel'

29th April 2019


"This is the first flight in the country that has flown without carrying any additional fuel. We will be implementing the same procedure for all our 15 flights that are coming to Hyderabad daily, over a period of time," an Air India official said.


Not related to the topic but AI does only 15 flights a day to HYD???

Wow! 6E does seven flights a day on the HYD-BOM route alone.

How does compare to say BLR or MAA? How many flights does AI do per day to these places?
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PostPosted: Mon May 06, 2019 4:42 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Air India has added a new A320NEO to the fleet as VT-EXR.
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PostPosted: Mon May 06, 2019 6:47 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

The_Goat wrote:
747-237 wrote:
http://www.newindianexpress.com/nation/2019/apr/29/air-india-flight-lands-at-hyderabad-with-no-additional-fuel-1970599.html

Air India's new plan to save fuel, lands NewDelhi-Hyderabad flight with no 'additional fuel'

29th April 2019


"This is the first flight in the country that has flown without carrying any additional fuel. We will be implementing the same procedure for all our 15 flights that are coming to Hyderabad daily, over a period of time," an Air India official said.


Not related to the topic but AI does only 15 flights a day to HYD???

Wow! 6E does seven flights a day on the HYD-BOM route alone.

How does compare to say BLR or MAA? How many flights does AI do per day to these places?


Does not include Alliance air, which is about 4 to 5 flight daily.
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PostPosted: Tue May 07, 2019 11:06 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

https://www.flightglobal.com/news/articles/air-india-eyes-streaming-ife-for-core-fleet-457973/

Air India eyes streaming IFE for core fleet

07 MAY, 2019

Air India is looking to roll out streaming in-flight entertainment across its core fleet of Boeing 787s, 777s and Airbus A320 family aircraft.

The Star Alliance carrier has issued a tender seeking a provider to supply, install and commission streaming systems on its aircraft under a revenue-sharing arrangement that would run for five years.

Although the systems sought will be primarily used for streaming content from the on board server, tender documents show that it should be upgradable to include connectivity “to meet future plans.”

The airline did not specify a timeframe for the installation but adds that it would like to have it operating “in the shortest possible time” across its fleet.

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PostPosted: Thu May 09, 2019 8:02 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

https://www.thenewsminute.com/article/air-india-falls-victim-cyber-fraud-sends-funds-nigeria-instead-us-firm-101462

Air India falls victim to cyber fraud, sends funds to Nigeria instead of US firm

May 09, 2019

Air India's New York office transferred $300,000 to a bank account in Nigeria instead of remitting the sum to a US-based firm Pratt & Whitney for supplying spare parts.

The incident is learnt to have taken place in June, 2017 but the airline has failed to get the amount retrieved from the Nigerian bank account.

"The officers involved in the lapse were never punished. They have in fact been allowed to rise in their career," said an executive.

In response to an email query, Air India said the matter is currently under investigation.

"It was a case of cyber fraud. The matter is being investigated," an airline spokesperson said.

A large number of cyber frauds worldwide have been traced to Nigeria and Air India could have also fallen victim to it.

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PostPosted: Fri May 10, 2019 6:12 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Air India closes Mumbai – New York reservation from June 2019

Air India in recent inventory update adjusted reservation for Mumbai – New York JFK route, previously scheduled to resume on 02JUN19.
Planned 3 weekly service with 777-300ER, is no longer available for reservation. This includes winter 2019/20 schedule on/after 27OCT19. Further changes remain likely.

Previously filed schedule from 02JUN19 as follow.

AI105 BOM0100 – 0655JFK 77W 357
AI106 JFK1030 – 1230+1BOM 77W 357


Source: Airlineroute.net
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PostPosted: Mon May 13, 2019 6:35 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

747-237 wrote:
Air India closes Mumbai – New York reservation from June 2019

Air India in recent inventory update adjusted reservation for Mumbai – New York JFK route, previously scheduled to resume on 02JUN19.
Planned 3 weekly service with 777-300ER, is no longer available for reservation. This includes winter 2019/20 schedule on/after 27OCT19. Further changes remain likely.

Previously filed schedule from 02JUN19 as follow.

AI105 BOM0100 – 0655JFK 77W 357
AI106 JFK1030 – 1230+1BOM 77W 357


Source: Airlineroute.net


Apparently this route is not working for them. Pak air space closure was given as a reason but flights from BOM were not affected much. And with Delta's flight on this route from Dec 2019, this route will not come back for AI.

They should consolidate on the DEL-JFK route now that Pakistan has opened a narrow corridor for flights on the western front, this should probably be just enough to ensure a non stop routing.
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PostPosted: Thu May 16, 2019 11:07 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

https://www.thehindu.com/business/Industry/air-india-aims-to-revive-19-grounded-planes-by-oct/article27141747.ece

Air India aims to revive 19 grounded planes by Oct.

May 15, 2019

Air India has prepared a revival plan to make 19 of its grounded planes airborne by October, according to a top airline official. Many of these planes, of a total fleet size of 127, have been grounded for more than a year awaiting replacement of engines and their spare parts. However, faced with a cash crunch, the airline has been unable to procure these. It is estimated that the airline will need nearly ₹1,000 crore to ensure these aircraft start flying again.

“Two Boeing 777s will be revived by May-end, four 787s by August and the remaining 13 A320s by October,” a senior official said on the condition of anonymity, adding that this plan had been shared with the Ministry of Civil Aviation too.

Another official said the airline would try to resolve most engine issues by “paying for repairs and spare parts” instead of buying new engines. Last month, the airline had also floated a tender for a loan of $45 million from banks to finance the purchase of five CFM 56-5B engines for its Airbus A320 aircraft by mortgaging three of the newer generation CFM Leap 1-A engines as it has already exhausted the ₹2,000 crore sovereign guarantee to raise loans.

The airline had to extend the May 14 deadline for bids by 15 days as it didn’t get a good response. It also has to pay interest of nearly ₹8,000 crore on total debt of ₹55,000 crore. After the Centre’s attempt to privatise Air India failed last year, the airline has been under added pressure to cut losses by reviving these aircraft, to make itself attractive to potential bidders.

But the number of planes rendered temporarily unusable have only been mounting, from 12 in August to 14 in February and 19 in May.

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PostPosted: Thu May 16, 2019 4:24 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

https://www.hindustantimes.com/mumbai-news/damaged-seats-cause-rs-3-crore-loss-for-air-india-since-february/story-iA6zoqIyeGMLepByu0UtbI.html

Damaged seats cause Rs 3 crore loss for Air India since February

May 16, 2019

Air India incurred an estimated revenue loss of ₹3 crore over the past three months owing to around 1,500 damaged and unusable seats on its international flights that were left vacant.

Data provided by the airline said most of these seats were on Boeing 777 aircraft, operating between India and the United States and were left vacant between February and April. Air India did not have data on vacant seats from earlier periods.

A senior airline official said the data was compiled using a new portal, launched on May 1, and has been passed on to their staff at Air India Engineering Services Ltd (AIESL) who will repair the damaged seats on a priority basis.

“Earlier, a list of unusable seats had to be manually compiled and emailed to our seniors for further action. It was cumbersome and time-consuming. The new portal is more convenient because the seats can be identified much faster and serviced before being given to passengers,” said another official.

Dhananjay Kumar, a spokesperson for Air India, said, “The portal, created by our Delhi-based engineers, allows us to plan better and accommodate the passenger in an alternate flight if required. It reduces the margin of error and keeps our seniors in the loop.”

The portal, according to officials, will help identify seats that are frequently damaged as well as aircraft that run into problems most often so they can be sent for maintenance as soon as possible. The portals will be handled by each of Air India’s airport managers who were trained to use it via video conferencing.

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PostPosted: Thu May 16, 2019 8:41 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

If there's any airline that needs to be shut down, it's this one.

It's a gigantic waste of tax payer money, and serves as nothing more than a giant petri dish for babus and bureaucrats to make money illicitly.

And judging by the state of its flagship aircraft plying long range routes, it's not even a vanity project anymore. Malaysian is a vanity project. Yes, it loses money hand over fist, but it doesn't have broken seats, vandalized IFE, clogged loos, etc.
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PostPosted: Fri May 17, 2019 3:48 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

LOT Polish Airlines / Air India expands codeshare partnership from May 2019

LOT Polish Airlines this week expanded codeshare partnership with Air India, covering additional routes between Delhi and Europe. Planned new codeshare routes went into effect from 15MAY19.

LOT Polish Airlines operated by Air India
Delhi – Frankfurt
Delhi – London Heathrow
Delhi – Milan Malpensa
Delhi – Vienna

Separately, Air India since mid-March 2019 expanded LOT codeshare partnership on selected routes to/from Warsaw.

Air India operated by LOT Polish Airlines
Warsaw – Milan Malpensa
Warsaw – Vienna


Source: Airlineroute.net
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PostPosted: Fri May 17, 2019 9:31 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

https://www.cnbctv18.com/aviation/air-india-to-add-two-flights-to-dubai-from-june-1-using-787-dreamliner-3372271.htm

Air India to add two flights to Dubai from June 1 using 787 Dreamliner

May 17, 2019

Taking advantage of the vacant international slots amid Jet Airways crisis, Air India will add two more flights to Dubai from June 1 using the Boeing Dreamliner 787 aircraft.

While one flight will be added from Delhi, the other will operate from Mumbai.

Currently, the national carrier operates two flights to Dubai, one from Delhi using B787 plane and the other from financial capital Mumbai using an Airbus A320 aircraft.

Earlier, Indian Airlines, which later merged with Air India, used to operate six daily flights to Dubai.

This comes after the government started the process of allocation of Jet Airways' internationally traffic rights for an interim period.

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PostPosted: Mon May 20, 2019 9:43 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Air India expands Dubai service from June 2019

Air India from June 2019 is expanding service to Dubai, where the Star Alliance carrier plans to add 2nd daily service each from Delhi and Mumbai.
Reservation for the new service opened in the last few days.

Delhi – Dubai
eff 01JUN19 Increase from 1 to 2 daily
AI915 DEL1650 – 1900DXB 788 x456
AI915 DEL1650 – 1920DXB 788 5
AI915 DEL1650 – 1930DXB 788 46
AI995 DEL1935 – 2245DXB 788 D

AI996 DXB0005 – 0500DEL 788 D
AI916 DXB2040 – 0200+1DEL 788 x456
AI916 DXB2050 – 0200+1DEL 788 45
AI916 DXB2200 – 0310+1DEL 788 6

Mumbai – Dubai
eff 01JUN19 Increase from 1 to 2 daily
AI983 BOM2000 – 2155DXB 321 D
AI911 BOM2335 – 0130+1DXB 788 D

AI984 DXB2340 – 0415+1BOM 321 D
AI912 DXB0225 – 0710BOM 788 5
AI912 DXB0250 – 0735BOM 788 123
AI912 DXB0300 – 0745BOM 788 46
AI912 DXB0320 – 0805BOM 788 7


Source: Airlineroute.net
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PostPosted: Mon May 20, 2019 9:44 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Air India moves Mumbai – Colombo launch to July 2019

Air India in April 2019 revised planned service launch on Mumbai – Colombo route, previously scheduled from 01MAY19.
The airline’s planned 5 weekly service on board Airbus A321 aircraft is now scheduled on 01JUL19.

AI275 BOM2300 – 0130+1CMB 32B x47
AI276 CMB0230 – 0455BOM 32B x15


Source: Airlineroute.net
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PostPosted: Mon May 20, 2019 4:03 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Air India schedules Boeing 747 domestic routes from Delhi in June 2019

Air India in recent schedule update once again scheduled Boeing 747-400 service on domestic routes, to/from Delhi.

From 01JUN19 to 01JUL19, 747-400 to operate following routes on daily basis.

Delhi – Kolkata 01JUN19 – 01JUL19 AI020/701
Delhi – Mumbai 01JUN19 – 01JUL19 AI867/868


Source: Airlineroute.net
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PostPosted: Wed May 22, 2019 8:49 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/business/india-business/runway-material-liberates-during-take-off-roll-severely-damages-air-india-a321-aircraft/articleshow/69444639.cms

Runway material 'liberates' during take off roll, severely damages Air India A321 aircraft

May 22, 2019

In perhaps the first instance of its kind, an Air India aircraft got damaged during take off as “runway material liberated” and severely impacted its underbelly and the rudder. The Airbus A321 (VT-PPN) was damaged while operating from Tirupati to Hyderabad this January and is since then parked at AI engineering facility in Hyderabad, awaiting repairs. The airline has sought damages from Airports Authority of India (AAI).

“While on final take off roll, the runway surface material liberated and hit the aircraft in its underbelly and rudder. (The liberated material hit the plane possibly under the impact of jet blast and being thrown up by the wheels). The A321 took off and landed safely in Hyderabad. While we were taking a round and doing a visual inspection of the aircraft before releasing it for the next flight out of Hyderabad, we saw the severe damages,” said N S Chakraborty, deputy GM of AI engineering subsidiary’s maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) facility in Hyderabad.

Immediately after observing the damages -- which Chakraborty says are possibly the first of its kind -- the aircraft was taken to the Hyderabad AI MRO at the airport and is since then parked there, awaiting repairs. A team from Airbus recently came to inspect the aircraft.

“They said it was a good fortune that the plane was able to land safely after such damages. The Airbus technical expert has carried out structural integrity tests and will send us a report,” said an MRO official.

The impact was so severe that aircraft rudder, elevator and underbelly suffered cracks. The rudder had holes.

“The crew luckily did not report any serious flight control issues after landing in Hyderabad. It was fortunate that the plane landed safely,” said officials at the MRO after seeing the damages.



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PostPosted: Wed May 22, 2019 8:51 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

A more significant, including medium and log haul, expansion of AI’s network will happen by October when the airline expects to have several of its planes currently grounded for want of spares and engines back in the air.

These include 12 Airbus A320s; three B787 Dreamliners and two B777. All these 17 aircraft have been on ground for a long time due to paucity of funds to arrange for the required parts and 34 engines for them. “We have drawn up a schedule to have these planes flying again. The B787s will be back in action by August and by mid-September all these 17 planes should be flying,” said Shailesh Ghormade, ED of AI Engineering Services Ltd.

Once the B777s are back in action, AI is planning to either add frequency of its US nonstops or have a new destination in North America on its network like Toronto or Los Angeles.

On the domestic front, AI will introduce new flights on Bhopal-Pune and Varanasi-Chennai routes from June 5. It will increase flights on sectors like Delhi-Bhopal, Delhi-Raipur, Delhi-Bangalore, Delhi-Amritsar, Chennai-Ahmedabad, Chennai-Kolkata, Delhi-Vadodara and Mumbai-Vizag.


https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/business/india-business/air-india-to-increase-dubai-flights-real-expansion-by-october/articleshow/69443367.cms
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PostPosted: Sun May 26, 2019 6:32 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

http://www.onlineindiannews.com/schedule-change-for-air-india-delhi-chicago-delhi-effective-01st-june-2019/

Schedule Change for Air India Delhi-Chicago-Delhi Effective 01st June 2019

May 26 2019

Effective 01st June 2019 up to 30th June 2019 daily NON-STOP flight AI 127/AI 126 Delhi-Chicago-Delhi will operate as Delhi – Stockholm-Chicago -Delhi.
AI 127 departs from Delhi at 22:05 hours (local time) and arrives into Chicago at 07:25 hours (local time) the following day.
AI 126 departs from Chicago at 12:00 hours (local time) and arrives into New Delhi at 14:15 hours (local time) the following day.

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PostPosted: Mon Jun 03, 2019 1:10 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Air India removes Boeing 747 service to/from Delhi in June 2019

Air India in last week’s schedule update removed planned Boeing 747-400 service to/from Delhi, scheduled from 01JUN19 to 01JUL19.
The Star Alliance carrier previously scheduled 747 service on following routes, now operated by Boeing 787-8.

Delhi – Kolkata 01JUN19 – 01JUL19 AI020/701
Delhi – Mumbai 01JUN19 – 01JUL19 AI867/868


Source: Airlineroute.net
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PostPosted: Fri Jun 07, 2019 6:46 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/business/india-business/us-alert-for-dreamliners-23-air-india-boeing-787s-need-to-be-modified-over-5-years-no-grounding/articleshow/69675106.cms

US alert for Dreamliners: 23 Air India Boeing 787s need to be modified over 5 years, no grounding

Jun 6, 2019

The alert for potential malfunction in braking and steering functions of certain models of Boeing 787 issued by the US Federal Aviation Administration applies to 23 Dreamliners (B787s) of Air India (AI). However, AI says this will not mean grounding of these planes as the required modifications do not affect safety and need to be made over five years. The airline stresses its Dreamliners — the workhorse for flights to Europe, far East and Australia — are perfectly safe to fly.

“The FAA airworthiness directive (AD) has a service bulletin (SB) which gives us a list of components that have to be replaced. This SB gives us a five-year period to comply. We will not wait for five years and we will start right now. As soon as the spares come, we will start replacing and modifying the planes,” said a senior AI official.

The airline plans to take up the job for each plane during each of the 23 B787’s next “C check” — a heavy maintenance check carried out every 1.5-2 years in a hangar during which a large number of components are checked. When the spares are taken out for checks, AI will replace the parts that need to be changed as per the FAA SB.

“We will give a complete schedule of C checks that need to be carried out for these 23 Dreamliners to Boeing and ask them to ensure that the spare parts that need to be changed are given to us in time for the same. We are now writing to Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) also on this issue,” said the AI official.

AI stresses its Dreamliners are perfectly safe to fly. “There are no safety concerns. They have been flying with us for all these years. FAA has done some investigation and found certain areas that could potentially see a snag. Accordingly, they have issued an AD but they also feel the changes mandated can be carried out over five years. We are not going to wait for that long and do it much before that,” said the official.

AI has 27 B787-8, of which three are currently grounded for want of engine and spares. A fourth Dreamliner, VT-ANU, was grounded since early March, 2019, and has returned to service a couple of days back. The other three grounded Dreamliners are expected to resume flying by July-end.

The FAA on May 2, 2019, issued an AD for B787s that became effective from Thursday. “We are adopting a new airworthiness directive (AD) for certain Boeing 787-8 and 787-9 airplanes. This was prompted by a determination that certain areas in the tire/wheel threat zones could be susceptible to damage, which could result in loss of braking on one main landing gear (MLG) truck, loss of nose wheel steering, and loss of directional control on the ground when below rudder effectiveness speed,” the AD said.

“This AD requires installing hydraulic tubing, a pressure-operated check valve, and new flight control software. We are issuing this AD to address the unsafe condition on these products. This AD is effective June 6, 2019,” the FAA directive adds.

Boeing had on Wednesday said these issues regarding the B787s have “been long since resolved with system improvements that have been incorporated into production for all 787 models. Boeing works closely with FAA to monitor the fleet for potential safety issues and take appropriate actions. This is an ongoing and continuous process.”

“Boeing issued three service bulletins in 2017 and early 2018 to install new fixes for an identified issue with certain areas in tire/wheel threat zones that may be susceptible to damage. The FAA published an airworthiness directive (AD) mandating that 787 operators install hydraulic tubing, a pressure-operated check valve, and new flight control software. The mandate aligns with Boeing’s previous recommendation in two separate service bulletins to operators. Boeing's recommendations are not binding on operators. Only a regulatory agency has the authority to require them. That is what the FAA’s rule does,” the Boeing spokesperson added.

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PostPosted: Sat Jun 15, 2019 9:58 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

https://www.livemint.com/news/india/air-india-to-start-amritsar-delhi-toronto-flight-from-september-1560511255589.html

Air India to start Amritsar-Delhi-Toronto flights from September

14 Jun 2019

Air India will start Amritsar-Delhi-Toronto flight from September, Civil Aviation Minister Hardeep Singh Puri said on Friday.

"Delighted to announce the commencement of a thrice weekly Air India flight between Sri Amritsar Sahib and Canada. The Amritsar-Delhi-Toronto flight will commence on the occasion of World Tourism Day on 27 Sept. 2019," Puri tweeted.

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PostPosted: Mon Jun 17, 2019 7:24 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

747-237 wrote:
https://www.livemint.com/news/india/air-india-to-start-amritsar-delhi-toronto-flight-from-september-1560511255589.html

Air India to start Amritsar-Delhi-Toronto flights from September

14 Jun 2019

Air India will start Amritsar-Delhi-Toronto flight from September, Civil Aviation Minister Hardeep Singh Puri said on Friday.

"Delighted to announce the commencement of a thrice weekly Air India flight between Sri Amritsar Sahib and Canada. The Amritsar-Delhi-Toronto flight will commence on the occasion of World Tourism Day on 27 Sept. 2019," Puri tweeted.


I was sure the flight was going to be DEL-BHX-YYZ but I guess with Jet's closure, a nonstop makes sense. While Jt was daily, a 3X nonstop is a good compromise for the YYZ market. Plus I assume this flight will get into DEL in the afternoon so AI can offer a ton of connections which helps smaller cities.

Now with all the expansion will AI please upgrade their J class on 77W, deep clean their aircraft, add some more new movies to IFE.
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PostPosted: Mon Jun 17, 2019 7:56 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Caliguy wrote:
I was sure the flight was going to be DEL-BHX-YYZ but I guess with Jet's closure, a nonstop makes sense. While Jt was daily, a 3X nonstop is a good compromise for the YYZ market. Plus I assume this flight will get into DEL in the afternoon so AI can offer a ton of connections which helps smaller cities.
This is a very smart move by Team Lohani. Stepping in rapidly into the space vacated by 9W to get some premium traffic to make this otherwise low-yield-high-demand route work. A non-stop from the DEL hub, albeit with an inferior aircraft type for the route cost (AC has stabilised the B789 operations after the initial hiccups with their B789s). The generous AI baggage allowance, seat pitch and F&B should sell well, with this 3x frequency.
Caliguy wrote:
Now with all the expansion will AI please upgrade their J class on 77W, deep clean their aircraft, add some more new movies to IFE.
Ha ha: all this is long due, but may still be a pipe dream.
Cheers, Sumantra.
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PostPosted: Mon Jun 17, 2019 9:40 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

https://www.news18.com/news/business/air-india-to-launch-mumbai-nairobi-flight-services-from-september-2190977.html

Air India to Launch Mumbai-Nairobi Flight Services from September 27

June 17, 2019

Air India is set to provide seamless connectivity to East Africa from the financial capital Mumbai with a direct daily flight to the Kenyan capital city Nairobi from September.

The services on the Mumbai-Nairobi route will be operated four times in a week, Minister for civil aviation (Independent charge) Hardeep Singh Puri announced in a tweet Monday.

"I am delighted to announce that on the occasion of World Tourism Day on Sept 27, @airindiain will begin a direct Mumbai-Nairobi flight (4 days a week) to improve air connectivity between India & Kenya," Puri tweeted.

According to an airline source, the new route will be serviced through the 256-seater Boeing 787-800 plane. Besides Nairobi, Air India Air India will also start flying thrice weekly to Toronto from New Delhi from September 27 as part of its international route expansion plans.

In addition, the flag carrier is also reportedly mulling to launch flight services to Indonesian tourist hub Bali from the national capital as well as to Hong Kong from Mumbai during the winter schedule.

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PostPosted: Tue Jun 18, 2019 12:48 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

747-237 wrote:
https://www.news18.com/news/business/air-india-to-launch-mumbai-nairobi-flight-services-from-september-2190977.html

Air India to Launch Mumbai-Nairobi Flight Services from September 27

June 17, 2019

Air India is set to provide seamless connectivity to East Africa from the financial capital Mumbai with a direct daily flight to the Kenyan capital city Nairobi from September.

The services on the Mumbai-Nairobi route will be operated four times in a week, Minister for civil aviation (Independent charge) Hardeep Singh Puri announced in a tweet Monday.

"I am delighted to announce that on the occasion of World Tourism Day on Sept 27, @airindiain will begin a direct Mumbai-Nairobi flight (4 days a week) to improve air connectivity between India & Kenya," Puri tweeted.

According to an airline source, the new route will be serviced through the 256-seater Boeing 787-800 plane. Besides Nairobi, Air India Air India will also start flying thrice weekly to Toronto from New Delhi from September 27 as part of its international route expansion plans.

In addition, the flag carrier is also reportedly mulling to launch flight services to Indonesian tourist hub Bali from the national capital as well as to Hong Kong from Mumbai during the winter schedule.


Fyi KQ flies the route twice daily with a 737. AI's 787 product is actually better than KQ's. Good for them. nI wish they would start 3X BOM-JNB. DAR is being served by a Tanzanian airline and I think a new airline is launching BOM-LOS. So BOM is pretty well connected to the main African-India cities.
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