Latest news with #StarAlliance
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Business Standard
3 days ago
- Business
- Business Standard
IndiGo to start non-stop flights to 10 int'l destinations in FY26: CEO
IndiGo plans to launch non-stop flights to 10 new international destinations in 2025–26 (FY26), including Manchester and London in the UK, Amsterdam in the Netherlands, Copenhagen in Denmark, Siem Reap in Cambodia, Athens in Greece, and four cities in Central Asia, its Chief Executive Officer Pieter Elbers said on Friday. 'IndiGo currently serves 40 international destinations. By the end of FY26, we aim to expand this to 50,' Elbers said at a press conference. He added that the expansion will be supported by the recently leased Boeing 787 aircraft and the Airbus A321XLR planes, which are expected to join the fleet in the latter part of FY26. The A321XLR is a new long-range narrow-body aircraft developed by Airbus. It is slated to enter commercial service globally in the second half of FY26. Elbers did not mention the names of the Central Asian cities that would be connected via IndiGo flights in FY26. Responding to a question on whether IndiGo might consider joining one of the three major global airline alliances — Star Alliance, oneworld, or SkyTeam — Elbers said the airline currently sees more value in building bilateral codeshare partnerships rather than joining a formal global grouping. 'We're having partnerships with different airlines from different parts of the world. If it makes sense for the two parties, we can do the partnership... We have no short-term ambitions — or no ambitions, actually — at this point in time to move into an alliance,' he said. He explained that while Indian carriers currently account for about 45 per cent of India's international passenger traffic, the figure is significantly lower on certain routes, particularly to Europe. 'In some parts of the world, it's a 50-50 share, but for Europe, for example, it's more like 70 per cent of traffic on European operators and just 30 per cent on Indian operators... So the opportunity to expand in that region is just very obvious for us," he added. There are three major global airline alliances in the world: Star Alliance (featuring Lufthansa, Singapore Airlines, United Airlines, Air India, among others), SkyTeam (which includes Air France-KLM, Delta Air Lines, and Korean Air), and oneworld (featuring British Airways, Qatar Airways, and American Airlines). These alliances allow member airlines to coordinate schedules, share airport lounges, offer reciprocal frequent flyer benefits, and simplify global ticketing and connections. A year ago, IndiGo — for the first time — placed an order for wide-body aircraft, ordering 30 Airbus A350 planes. These are scheduled to join IndiGo's fleet from 2027 onwards. Elbers ruled out the possibility of advancing the delivery schedule for the A350s, saying the production and allocation of such aircraft follow a rigid timeline. 'Wide-bodies have a very different structure compared to narrow-bodies,' Elbers said, when asked whether the A350 deliveries could be brought forward to accelerate IndiGo's international expansion. 'I wish I could just pick up the phone and say, 'You know what, switch a few — I won't take these (narrow-bodies), I'll take those (wide-bodies).' But it doesn't work like that,' he added. Using a culinary metaphor, he stated, 'It's not like switching from a samosa to a paneer tikka — you can't just do it instantly. There's a lead time involved, and the production schedule is already very tight and optimised.' Elbers noted that the decision to place the wide-body order in 2024 was a timely move. 'I'm very glad we made the A350 order last year, which will allow us to induct those aircraft from 2027. But yes, you're right — India is in a hurry, and so is IndiGo.'
Travel Daily News
4 days ago
- Business
- Travel Daily News
Munich Airport: 15 years of partnership with three airlines
Munich Airport marks 15 years of partnership with United, Singapore Airlines, and ANA, reinforcing its position as a global aviation hub. This year, Munich Airport is celebrating a special anniversary together with Continental Airlines, now part of United Airlines, Singapore Airlines, and All Nippon Airways (ANA): For 15 years, a continuous partnership has existed with these three Star Alliance carriers. This collaboration reinforces Munich's position as a premium hub in international aviation. The route between Munich and New York-Newark was initially launched in March 2010 by Continental Airlines, which later merged with United Airlines. Since then, the airline has operated around 10,800 flights on this route, carrying nearly two million passengers and 41,500 tons of cargo. United now operates a Boeing 767-400 with 235 seats on the Newark (EWR) route. Over the past 15 years, the airline has expanded its network from Munich and added flights to Washington, Houston, Denver, Chicago, and San Francisco. Singapore Airlines also launched passenger flights in Munich in the 2010 summer schedule, after freighters had already connected the region with Singapore, India, and the United States. Initially, the airline used a Boeing 777 with an extension to Manchester before serving the route nonstop from October 2016 onward. Since then, Singapore Airlines has operated nearly 10,000 flights with approximately 1.7 million passengers and around 96,000 tons of air freight. During the pandemic, Munich was the first European destination, alongside Frankfurt, that the airline reconnected with the Southeast Asian city-state. This underscores the mutual trust and strategic importance of the Munich hub. Currently, an Airbus A350-900 is used for this route. In July 2010, All Nippon Airways became the third intercontinental airline to launch a route at the Bavarian airport. ANA initially flew daily to Tokyo-Narita but switched to the more centrally located Tokyo-Haneda Airport after four years. Since then, the airline has recorded around 8,200 flight movements and carried approximately 1.4 million travelers. At the same time, the airline has handled more than 128,000 tons of air freight. The flights are operated by modern Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner. Its 15-year partnership with United Airlines, Singapore Airlines and All Nippon Airways impressively demonstrates Munich's role as an international hub. The airport's comprehensive route network, modern infrastructure, and attractive location make it a reliable partner in global air traffic. This triple anniversary proves the lasting success of these partnerships, benefiting passengers and the freight and logistics industry alike.
Reuters
5 days ago
- Business
- Reuters
Aegean Airlines reports record Q1 core profit as passenger traffic rises
May 28 (Reuters) - Greece's largest carrier, Aegean Airlines ( opens new tab, reported record first-quarter core profit on Wednesday, boosted by a rise of 8% in passenger traffic. A member of the Star Alliance airlines group, Aegean reported earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization (EBITDA) of 43.8 million euros ($49.56 million) in the first quarter, up from 33.2 million a year ago. First-quarter revenues surged 14% on the year to stand at 306 million euros. "The continued recovery in local demand, along with the gradual extension of the tourist season, particularly in Athens and Thessaloniki, enable us to operate with improved intensity over a gradually expanding period," Chief Executive Dimitris Gerogiannis said in a statement. Tourism is a key economic driver for Greece as it accounts for more than a quarter of its economic output. Looking ahead, the Greek carrier said it aimed to offer 21.2 million seats in 2025, up 1.5 million from the previous year. ($1=0.8837 euros)
Mint
14-05-2025
- Business
- Mint
Turkey, facing backlash over Pakistan support, has deep ties with Indian aviation
Over the last few weeks, the success of Operation Sindoor saw a fallout on social media, which was beyond the war of perception which was being fought. The trend to boycott Turkey, on the lines of Boycott Maldives, took over social media. This is not the first time that such trends have taken over social media in recent history. In response, Cox & Kings and Ixigo decided to suspend bookings to Turkey (along with a few other countries) from their platform. As lists of brands which are Turkish and available in India started doing rounds on social media and WhatsApp, the partnership of IndiGo and Turkish Airlines also became the centre of discussion. As reports of Turkish drones used by Pakistan against India, open support by Turkey to Pakistan and the flight path of military planes flying between Turkey and Pakistan, speculated to carry military equipment or drones, became public, there were renewed calls for boycotting Turkey. Turkey has been selling military hardware to Pakistan, among other countries. Interestingly, Turkey is a member of NATO. While the boycott calls may be new, Turkey has a history of supporting Pakistan, and this is often cited as a reason for the airline not being able to add flights to India, as the bilateral air services agreement has not been revised for a while. IndiGo, the largest airline in India, has had a codeshare arrangement with Turkish Airlines since late 2018. In May 2023, IndiGo inducted the first damp-leased widebody from Turkish Airlines. The airline also has a few damp-leased Turkish-registered planes that come in from Corendon Airlines to tide over the capacity shortage. Air India, a Star Alliance member like Turkish Airlines, has had an interline with Turkish Airlines for an even longer time, with flights available for sale on Turkish Airlines' website and other channels. SpiceJet has in the past utilised the services of airlines from Turkey to operate on damp lease in times of capacity shortages. Turkish Technic has tie-ups with both Air India and IndiGo. Recently, Air India's B777 aircraft was in Turkey as part of an agreement covering nose-to-tail base maintenance operations. In February this year, Turkish Airlines signed a deal with Air India Express covering the component support and solution needs of 190 Boeing aircraft. The same month, Turkish Technic and IndiGo signed an agreement to cover the delivery checks of IndiGo's 10+ Airbus A320neo aircraft. Turkish Technic had then mentioned that the two entities are in advanced stages of discussions for another agreement covering the Landing Gear Overhaul of IndiGo's A320neo fleet. This was following a similar agreement in October 2024 for redelivery checks. Celebi is a large name in ground handling in India. The company entered India in 2008 and has since expanded rapidly. It is present in Mumbai, Delhi, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Ahmedabad, Kochi, Goa, Chennai, and Kannur. The agency has handled high-profile events like the G20 in Delhi, where it provided ground handling services for the VIPS. The boycott calls on social media are not new. There were similar calls against China, post Galwan clash in 2020 and with the Maldives after the heated election campaign there, with one of the slogans used being 'India Out'. Only 130,805 Indians visited the Maldives in 2024, as compared to 209,193 Indians in 2023. This followed the 'Boycott Maldives' trend on social media in early 2024 and Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Lakshadweep in January 2024. This is a drop of 37 per cent, which also shows in terms of air traffic and flight capacity between India and the Maldives. The Indian government's Department of Commerce data shows that in 2024, India exported $15,141.01 million of goods and services to China, while India imported $109,359.28 million worth from China. The numbers stood at $17,122.02 million of exports and $68,350 million of imports in 2019, the last full year pre-COVID and pre-Galwan clashes, indicating that. India's total imports have increased from $485,949.14 million in 2019 to $718,163.07 million in 2024, a growth of nearly 1.5 times. Its imports from China have surged 1.6 times during the same period, showing that the growth has been in line with overall trade. What is more important to note is that with a market share of over 90 per cent as IndiGo and Air India group combine, a passenger in India cannot avoid the two airlines and thus the airlines will not be commercially impacted for any such decisions that individuals may take. In the end, what drives companies to make decisions is commerce, and it seems amply clear that the airlines will not have to face it in domestic skies. IndiGo would definitely be monitoring the future bookings to see the impact on its two flights a day to Turkey from India. Like in the case of the Maldives, flights are pulled out only if there is a commercial impact. Will it be in this case? Time will tell.
Yahoo
13-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Mr Lufthansa: Airline mourns loss of former boss Jürgen Weber
Former Lufthansa chief Jürgen Weber passed away Monday at the age of 83, the German aviation group said on Tuesday. Weber first started working for Lufthansa in 1967 as an engineer, before ascending the ranks and leading the company from 1991 to 2003. After his stint as chairman, he led the supervisory board until 2013. He has been credited with restructuring the former state-owned company and also founded the global Star Alliance network. "Lufthansa as we know it today would be unthinkable without Jürgen Weber," said chairman of the supervisory board Karl-Ludwig Kley in a statement. "During his years as Chairman of the Executive Board and Supervisory Board, he shaped and molded the company. He understood the unifying power of air travel." "Jürgen Weber was called Mr Lufthansa – and rightly so," said chariman of the executive board Carsten Spohr. "He dedicated his entire professional life to our company and shaped it. Like no other, Jürgen Weber embodied the renewal of Lufthansa during its restructuring and privatization in the 1990s. Crucial decisions and developments at Deutsche Lufthansa AG are – and will remain – inextricably linked to his name."
