Year 2020! Something that gives everyone a sour taste in their mouth when taking a look back today. The onset of (COVID-19) what just started as a normal virus to a pandemic has caused tables to turn and the economy to crumble badly. Aviation industry was one among the worst hit businesses. From passenger numbers crumbling to new lows, airlines shutting shop and aircrafts (such as the Boeing 747-400s, Airbus A350s etc) being phased out of the fleet, the aviation […]
Aviation industry has been substantially impacted by COVID-19 pandemic. All the industries connected to air travel have been going through a tough time. Travelling has changed since the pandemic. There is a constant fear among people and the added pressure of 14 days quarantine makes it more difficult. In order to overcome the obstacles, on 17th November, 2020, American Airlines, British Airways and One World Alliance have come up with a new COVID-19 testing strategy. So, what’s the new COVID-19 […]
The Federal Aviation Administration (F.A.A) of United States of America, certified the Boeing 737 MAX 8 “Fit-for-Operations” today, after grounding the fleet for almost two years. Back in March 2019, airline operators around the world operating the Boeing 737 MAX variants were ordered to ground the fleet. This decision followed after the two fatal crashes of Boeing 737 MAX 8 variant of Lion Air and Ethiopian Airlines, taking the lives of 346 people. When Boeing announced the 737 Max in […]
The sun has risen for Jet Airways, again. A new beginning marked yesterday, 17th October 2020, when the “Joy of Flying” found its new owners. April 2019 saw one of the worst days in the history of Indian aviation. Jet Airways ceased its operation after serving for 27 long years. As many as 20,000 people lost their jobs, it also left all the ‘Jet’ admirers heart-broken. The carrier, once known for its top-notch service started facing financial crisis, which resulted […]
Have you seen those things on the wing tip of an aircraft like the Boeing 737, Airbus A320 etc., that pops straight up or looks curved upwards? Ever wondered what they are and what’s the purpose of having them? They are called Wingtip Devices (a.k.a. Winglets/Sharklets). What are Winglets? Winglets are curved shaped metal wingtips. They are the vertical expansion of the wings. In aviation, longer the wingspan, lower the induced drag! But every aircraft cannot have a huge wingspan […]
Update: July 29, 2020 The first five Indian Air Force (IAF) Rafale aircraft have arrived at Air Force Station, Ambala. The aircraft got airborne from Dassault Aviation Facility, Merignac, France on the morning of 27 Jul 20 and reached India this afternoon with a planned stopover en-route at Al Dhafra air base in the UAE. The ferry was planned in two stages and was undertaken by IAF pilots. The aircraft covered a distance of nearly 8500 km from France to […]
On the wee hours of the morning of July 24, 2020, Vistara, a joint venture between Tata Sons and Singapore Airlines, welcomed the first Airbus A321neo aircraft to their fleet. Back in 2018, Vistara placed an order for 50 Airbus aircraft in a mix of Airbus A320/A321neo aircraft. This is the first out of six Airbus A321neo for the airline. The first aircraft registered as VT-TVA (MSN 9297) took off from Airbus facility in Hamburg (XFW) at 2100 hrs (on July 23rd) […]
As the world struggles in getting back to normal because of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, aviation industry too has seen a steep downfall. Airlines have been facing the biggest ever challenge in the history of global aviation. A sudden lockdown and the virus spreading like a wildfire across the world has led to many Indians getting stuck abroad. Government of India along with many other agencies worldwide started the “Vande Bharat Mission” mission to bring back stranded Indians from around […]
On June 20, 2020, Alitalia – the flag carrier of Italy – launched their first cargo freighter service to CSMIA, Mumbai. Alitalia plans to operate a non-scheduled weekly flight on the Mumbai – Rome – New York sector with their Boeing 777 Passenger to Cargo [P2C] converted aircraft. The flight is scheduled to operate every Sunday, till the end of July. This Rome-Mumbai flight has enhanced the connectivity between Italy and India. Alitalia is operating on this route after almost 12 […]
The COVID-19 global pandemic has grounded almost 60-70% of aircraft fleet across the world for many airlines. This challenge the aviation industry has been facing has taken a toll on air travel across the globe. With countries, including India, implementing complete lockdown in phases and restricting passenger air travel, this is the time when the actual workload has increased for airlines. Aircraft Fleet Grounding for Maintenance Globally, airlines have grounded their diverse fleet of aircraft. They have been working hard […]