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Time of India
13-05-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Air India starts using Mongolian airspace for few North America flights to cut operational costs
Air India has started using Mongolian airspace for a few of its North America flights from the national capital as an alternative route for reducing operational costs that have jumped due to the Pakistan airspace closure last month, sources said on Tuesday. Besides, the carrier is having a technical stop in Kolkata for some of the North America flights from Delhi, they added. The Tata Group-owned airline has been exploring alternatives for the services from the national capital to North America in order to reduce the flying time as well as operational expenses. At present, Air India operates 71 flights a week to North American destinations and out of them, 54 services are from the national capital. The airline flies to Chicago, New York, Washington, San Francisco, and Newark in the US, and to Toronto and Vancouver in Canada. Mostly, the Mongolian airspace is used by some of Air India's flights from San Francisco and Vancouver. The flights from Delhi to these two cities are mostly using the Pacific route, according to the sources. The flights AI186 from Vancouver to Delhi and AI174 from San Francisco to Delhi have been using the Mongolian airspace for the past few days, as per information from flight tracking website Live Events For some of the flights connecting North America cities and Delhi, the utilisation of the Mongolian airspace and a technical stop at Kolkata are among the alternatives that have been chosen by Air India, the sources said. With such an arrangement in place, the airline does not have to make a stop in a European city while operating certain long haul and ultra long haul flights from Delhi to North America. Having a stop in a European city means higher expenses, including landing charges and fuel costs, according to the sources. The alternative also helps in addressing the challenges of higher fuel burn, operational expenses and Flying Duty Time Limitation (FDTL) for the crew. Under the norms of aviation regulator DGCA, flight crew can work continuously only for eight hours and with normal flight time getting longer, the crew will be in breach of the Flying Duty Time Limitation (FDTL) rules. When there is a landing enroute, the airline can seek permission for the crew to do their duty for additional hours. In the case of long haul and ultra long haul flights -- those above 14 hours duration -- airlines will have two sets of crew. Air India MD and CEO Campbell Wilson, in a message to staff on May 2, said there have been a number of network-related developments and the airline has temporarily adjusted some of its Europe and US routes in response to recent airspace restrictions, as well as adding a few technical stops. "We have made good progress in identifying other alternatives so aim to reduce the number of overseas tech-stops, and restore more non-stop operations, soon," he had said, without disclosing specific details. On May 2, sources said the airline was looking at various alternatives for its North America flights from the national capital, including operating the services with a technical stop in a city within India. In the wake of retaliatory measures taken by India after the Pahalgam terror attack on April 22 that killed 26 people, Pakistan closed its airspace for Indian airlines on April 24. The airspace closure has resulted in longer flying hours, higher fuel consumption, payload and aircraft availability issues as well as crew flying duty time limitation challenges for airlines operating international flights to the West. India also closed its airspace for Pakistan airlines on April 30. On Saturday, India and Pakistan reached an understanding to stop all firings and military actions on land, air and sea with immediate effect.
Time of India
02-05-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Air India explores alternative routes for North America flights amid airspace curbs
Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Popular in NRI Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Air India is looking at various alternatives for its North America flights from the national capital, including operating the services with a technical stop in a city within India, to reduce operational costs that have shot up due to the Pakistan airspace closure , sources said on Friday. Currently, Tata Group-owned Air India operates 71 flights a week to North American destinations and out of them, 54 services are from the national airline flies to Chicago, New York, Washington, San Francisco, and Newark in the US, and to Toronto and Vancouver in his message to the staff on Friday, Air India MD and CEO Campbell Wilson said there have been a number of network-related developments and the airline has temporarily adjusted some of its Europe and US routes in response to recent airspace restrictions, as well as adding a few technical stops."We have made good progress in identifying other alternatives so aim to reduce the number of overseas tech-stops, and restore more non-stop operations, soon," he said, without disclosing specific retaliatory measures taken by India against Pakistan in the wake of the Pahalgam terror attack, the neighbouring country, on April 24, barred Indian airlines from using its airspace closure has resulted in longer flying hours, higher fuel consumption, payload and aircraft availability issues as well as crew flying duty time limitation challenges for airlines. All west-bound flights flying from north Indian cities, including Delhi, are now taking alternative longer routes over the Arabian this backdrop, Air India, the only Indian carrier having direct flights to North America, is looking at various options that will help reduce the airspace closure, Air India's flights from Delhi to North America are taking longer routes and are also having a technical stop in a European city on the way. The technical stops generally at Vienna (Austria) or Copenhagen (Denmark) mostly to refuel the sources said the airline is exploring the possibility of having a stop within India, possibly Mumbai or Ahmedabad, for its flights from Delhi to North America so that these flights might not have to make a stop in a European an arrangement will help the airline in addressing the challenges of higher fuel burn, operational expenses and Flying Duty Time Limitation (FDTL) for the crew, the sources a stop in a European city means higher expenses, including landing charges and fuel the norms of aviation regulator DGCA, flight crew can work continuously only for eight hours and with normal flight time getting longer, the crew will be in breach of the Flying Duty Time Limitation (FDTL) there is a landing enroute, the airline can seek permission for the crew to do their duty for additional the case of long haul and ultra long haul flights -- those above 14 hours duration -- airlines will have two sets of this week, a senior airline industry official, who has extensive experience in the commercial side, told PTI that the additional time for a 16-hour flight to North America will be around 1.5 1.5 additional hours, the cost will be about Rs 29 lakh, including landing and parking charges on account of a technical halt in an airport enroute, the official had April 28, Civil Aviation Minister K Rammohan Naidu said the civil aviation ministry was assessing the situation arising out of the Pakistan airspace closure and that it was working with airlines for related to airlines as well as passengers, including possible increase in airfares due to higher operational costs, against the backdrop of the airspace closure are being assessed by the Thursday, sources said Indian airlines, including Air India and IndiGo, have submitted their inputs on the impact of the Pakistan airspace closure to the sources had also said Air India has estimated that the additional expenses in case the airspace closure is in place for a year would be around USD 600 million and has suggested about some kind of financial assistance to tackle the analysis of the number of overseas flights and back of the envelope calculations based on increased flight time as well as approximate expenses by PTI showed that the additional monthly operational costs for the Indian airlines could be over Rs 306 crore due to the Pakistan airspace on April 30, India also barred Pakistan airlines from using its airspace as part of retaliatory measures in the wake of the Pahalgam terror attack on April 22 that killed at least 26 people, mostly tourists.
New Indian Express
26-04-2025
- Health
- New Indian Express
Food safety takes a hit in Puducherry as all officer posts lying vacant
PUDUCHERRY: The food safety department in Puducherry has come to a standstill due to a severe staff shortage, raising concerns about the hygiene of food served across the Union Territory. The department currently has no Food Safety Officers (FSOs) or support staff. The only person handling operations is Dr Balakrishnan, the Designated Officer (DO), who is serving on deputation from the Food and Drugs Testing Laboratory (FDTL). Of the eight sanctioned FSO posts, all are vacant. The last two FSOs, Dhanaraj and Ravichandran, retired in 2021 and 2024 respectively, and have not been replaced. Without manpower, the department is unable to issue registration certificates and licences, conduct regular inspections or monitor street food vendors and hotels in all four regions of the UT. 'We conduct inspections only when there are complaints and staff from the FDTL assist during those occasions,' said Dr Balakrishnan. The situation is especially worrying given the rise in unlicensed food stalls across Puducherry. Many roadside vendors operate without mandatory registration or licences under the Food Safety and Standards Act. Vendors with annual sales below Rs 12 lakh must register, and those above need a licence. With no staff to enforce the rules, these norms are routinely flouted, said a retired official. Inspections carried out before the retirement of the two FSOs found several violations. A prominent hotel on Beach Road was among the establishments penalised for storing non-vegetarian food in unhygienic conditions and failing to maintain proper refrigeration. A retired food safety inspector revealed that several vendors reuse cooking oil multiple times and even purchase used oil from big hotels to cut costs. 'Food is often left uncovered, prepared in unsanitary conditions and exposed to flies and dust. Fruits and vegetables sold in markets were also found to be chemically adulterated," he said. 'We urgently need proper staff and basic infrastructure. The DO alone cannot manage everything across the four regions,' said a senior official on condition of anonymity. Sources in the department said the process to recruit new FSOs has been initiated and the file has been sent to the government for approval.
Mint
25-04-2025
- Business
- Mint
Pakistan airspace closure: Why Copenhagen and Vienna emerge as Air India's new en route points
As Pakistan closed its airspace for Indian airlines effective 1800 hours from April 24 for a month, a spate of diversions started. While the first flights diverted to the nearest point where refuelling and quick turnaround were possible, a pattern formed later in the day. IndiGo's flight from Sharjah to Amritsar, which had to change its course midway, diverted to Ahmedabad before continuing its journey onwards. Air India saw diversions of flights from London and Paris to Abu Dhabi, while flights from North America diverted to Vienna and Copenhagen. As things became clear, the airline seemed to have put a plan in place to utilise Copenhagen and Vienna as the points for en route technical stops for flights to or from North America. This has led to significant delays in the network, with some flights being delayed by three to six hours. A technical stop involves refuelling in this case, but each landing comes with its set of procedures, which includes transit checks even when passengers have not deplaned and ensuring the minimum turnaround time needed for cooling of brakes and other equipment. This has multiple impacts, one of which is increased cycles. Aircraft parts are up for checks and maintenance based on the number of cycles and hours. The increased number of landings would increase the cycle count, potentially throwing a spanner in Air India's plans. Copenhagen and Vienna are airports where Air India currently operates and some of the cheaper ones to operate in Europe. Additionally, they are not as congested as London Heathrow, Paris or Frankfurt where getting a slot is difficult and turning around a plane will take longer. They also fall mid-way in terms of block time, which would help to have a crew base on a temporary basis and change the crew, ensuring adequate rest as per the Flight Duty Time Limitations (FDTL). Air India has so far not cancelled any sectors, but it may be forced to reduce frequency to some as it does not have spare aircraft to operate and use as a buffer in case of delays and their cascading effect. Interglobe Aviation, the parent of IndiGo, saw a drop of 3.8 per cent in its share price, even as the benchmark index was down 0.8 per cent on Friday. IndiGo, which was the first to cancel flights yesterday, has stopped sale of flights to Almaty and Tashkent until May 7, 2025, potentially stranding tourists who are already booked. Its flights to Istanbul from Delhi would not need a tech stop since they are operated by the widebody B777 aircraft leased from Turkish Airways, but saw an incremental flying time of 30 minutes. Flights to the Middle East from Delhi and other northern airports were delayed due to increased flying time. IndiGo intends to start thrice-a-week operations to Manchester and Amsterdam from Delhi this July, where it will use a Norse Atlantic Dreamliner on damp lease. The bookings are not yet open, but the closure of airspace could potentially jeopardise the operations since the profitability calculations now need to be revisited if the closure extends beyond the one-month NOTAM (Notice to Airmen). Delhi overtook Mumbai as the largest airport in India in 2008-9 and there has been no looking back since then. Will this closure, the second since 2019, lead to airlines revisiting Delhi as the primary hub and look at moving back to Mumbai? The congestion and single runway operations at Mumbai airport have always been a challenge, which could ease a bit with the start of Navi Mumbai airport later this year. Will IndiGo and Air India shift to Mumbai or have future plans centred around Mumbai? It will be a big win for Mumbai in this case.
Mint
25-04-2025
- Business
- Mint
Pakistan airspace closure: Why Copenhagen and Vienna emerge as new en route points for Air India
As Pakistan closed its airspace for Indian airlines effective 1800 hours from April 24 for a month, a spate of diversions started. While the first flights diverted to the nearest point where refuelling and quick turnaround were possible, a pattern formed later in the day. IndiGo's flight from Sharjah to Amritsar, which had to change its course midway, diverted to Ahmedabad before continuing its journey onwards. Air India saw diversions of flights from London and Paris to Abu Dhabi, while flights from North America diverted to Vienna and Copenhagen. As things became clear, the airline seemed to have put a plan in place to utilise Copenhagen and Vienna as the points for enroute technical stops for flights to or from North America. This has led to significant delays in the network with some flights being delayed by three to six hours. A technical stop involves refuelling in this case, but each landing comes with its set of procedures, which includes transit checks even when passengers have not deplaned and ensuring the minimum turnaround time needed for cooling of brakes and other equipment. This has multiple impacts, one of which is increased cycles. Aircraft parts are up for checks and maintenance based on the number of cycles and hours. The increased number of landings would increase the cycle count, potentially throwing a spanner in Air India's plans. Copenhagen and Vienna are airports where Air India currently operates and some of the cheaper ones to operate in Europe. Additionally, they are not as congested as London Heathrow, Paris or Frankfurt where getting a slot is difficult and turning around a plane will take longer. They also fall mid-way in terms of block time, which would help to have a crew base on a temporary basis and change the crew, ensuring adequate rest as per the Flight Duty Time Limitations (FDTL). Air India has so far not cancelled any sectors, but it may be forced to reduce frequency to some as it does not have spare aircraft to operate and use as buffer in case of delays and their cascading effect. Interglobe Aviation, the parent of IndiGo, saw a drop of 3.8 per cent in its share price, even as the benchmark index was down 0.8 per cent on Friday. IndiGo, which was the first to cancel flights yesterday, has stopped sale of flights to Almaty and Tashkent until May 7, 2025, potentially stranding tourists who are already booked. Its flights to Istanbul from Delhi would not need a tech stop since they are operated by the widebody B777 aircraft leased from Turkish Airways, but saw an incremental flying time of 30 minutes. Flights to the Middle East from Delhi and other northern airports were delayed due to increased flying time. IndiGo intends to start thrice-a-week operations to Manchester and Amsterdam from Delhi this July, where it will use a Norse Atlantic Dreamliner on damp lease. The bookings are not yet open, but the closure of airspace could potentially jeopardise the operations since the profitability calculations now need to be revisited, if the closure extends beyond the one-month NOTAM (Notice to Airmen). Delhi overtook Mumbai as the largest airport in India in 2008-9 and there has been no looking back since then. Will this closure, the second since 2019, lead to airlines revisiting Delhi as the primary hub and look at moving back to Mumbai? The congestion and single runway operations at Mumbai airport have always been a challenge, which could ease a bit with the start of Navi Mumbai airport later this year. Will IndiGo and Air India shift to Mumbai or have future plans centred around Mumbai? It will be a big win for Mumbai in this case. The government has made it clear that a response is on the way. The initial response has been largely political. It remains to be seen if there will be a military response that will follow, and if it does, how long it lasts and the objectives it covers. Will it be beneficial for aviation in the longer run, or do airlines need to have a backup at all times to manage such eventualities needs to be tracked for a market which has been growing at breakneck speed but can be caught on the wrong side of geopolitics. First Published: 25 Apr 2025, 08:56 PM IST
