The briefing on India’s aviation market

The news, views and numbers you need to know this month

The briefing on connected aviation

The news, views and numbers you need to know this month

News in numbers

429 million

The Indian aviation market will need to accommodate 429 million passengers per year by 2021

122

The government-owned Airports Authority of India operates 122 airports and civil enclaves out of a total of 449 across India

4.4 million

India is forecast to handle 4.4 million tonnes of cargo per year, making it the seventh largest cargo aviation market in the world

3rd

The Airports Council International expects India to become the third largest passenger aviation market by 2021

550

As of March 2018, there are nearly 550 commercial aircraft in operation in India

$15bn

India’s aviation industry is expected to witness $15.52bn worth of investments in the next five years

In quotes

Angela Gittens, director general at ACI World:

As India prepares to become the third largest aviation market in the world, airports, airlines, and other aviation partners must continue to work together to accommodate this accelerating growth.

Alexandre de Juniac, director general and CEO at IATA:

While it is easy to find Indian passengers who want to fly, it’s very difficult for airlines to make money in this market. India’s social and economic development needs airlines to be able to profitably accommodate growing demand.

Suresh Prabhu, India’s Civil Aviation Minister:

India can be the hub for the training of manpower which can cater to the growing needs of the aviation industry globally. We invite global players to work with us to set up world class training centres which will benefit the industry.

Top stories

India’s Directorate General of Civil Aviation has granted permission for the use of semi-robotic vehicles, known as taxibots, which will be able to pull aircraft from the parking bay to the runway point. The aviation watchdog believes the use of taxibots will curb CO2 emissions across airports in India.

Source: Airport Technology

Aviation consulting firm CAPA India has warned that Indian airlines are expected to post combined losses of up to $1.9bn this financial year, led by full-service carriers including Air India and driven by rising costs and lower air fares. The depreciation of the rupee and a rise in oil prices has also impacted the sector.

Source: Defence Aviation Post

India plans to construct 100 airports at an estimated cost of $60bn in the next 10-15 years, according to Civil Aviation Minister Suresh Prabhu. The country’s aviation sector is one of the fastest-growing in the world, and has recorded 50 months of double-digital traffic growth, Prabhu said.

Source: Indian Express

The Airports Authority of India has begun its $59.3m upgrade and expansion of Jabalpur Airport in the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh. The increasing volume of passenger traffic has made it essential to expand the airport and upgrade the terminal with modern facilities to accommodate larger aircraft and improve passenger experience.

Source: Airport Technology

In its latest report, CAPA India said that Delhi’s IGI Airport, which handled 65.7 million passengers in 2017-18, could overtake London Heathrow in traffic volumes by 2020. The airport, which handles over 1,200 flight operations a day, is the largest in India, and one of the top 20 busiest airports in the world.

Source: Business World

Budget carrier IndiGo has offered Rs999 (less than $14) tickets each for travel between September 2018 and March 2019 in a flash sale. The tickets will be valid for flights “across its network of 59 destinations” during the specified time period, IndiGo said in a statement.

Source: Financial Express

20

February

2018

Emirates to introduce service between Auckland and Bali

Dubai-based airline Emirates is planning to launch a new daily service from Dubai to Auckland, New Zealand, through the island of Bali in Indonesia.

Starting from June 2018, the new service complements Emirates’ existing non-stop daily service between Dubai and Auckland and its daily A380 service between Dubai and Christchurch through Sydney. Emirates will offer a total of three daily services to New Zealand to global travellers.

The airline’s two existing daily services are currently operated by a Boeing 777 300-ER in a two-class configuration.

Emirates Airline president Sir Tim Clark said: “We are confident that our year-round service between Auckland and Bali will be well-received by our customers, not only in New Zealand and Indonesia, but also from our global network particularly from markets like the UK, Europe, and the Middle East.”

The new service is expected to provide better connections for London and other major European cities.

Welcoming Emirates’ announcement, Auckland Airport aeronautical commercial general manager Scott Tasker said that the new service will add more than 250,000 seats to the route.

Tasker added: “Bali continues to grow as a popular holiday destination for Kiwis, who can now fly there non-stop, year-round. Additionally, this new service provides an option for European travellers to stopover in Bali when flying to and from New Zealand.”

The new service is also set to provide 20t of cargo capacity between New Zealand, Bali and Dubai.

Share this article