Tag: IndiGo

Delhi DCP shares his ‘harrowing’ experience over IndiGo flight delay

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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In a nightmare scenario, an Delhi-bound IndiGo flight allegedly was forced to land at the Chandigarh airport with “fuel left for just 1-2 minutes”. Delhi Deputy Commissioner Police (Crime) Satish Kumar, who was onboard, shared his experience  on social media platform X (formerly Twitter).

In his post, Kumar said the flight (6E 2702) was swas scheduled to take off at 3.25 pm and arrive in Delhi at 4.30 pm, but that the pilot told passengers around 4.15 pm that departure was delayed due to bad weather in Delhi.

Had a harrowing experience yesterday with @IndiGo6E Flight No. 6E2702 from Ayodhya to Delhi. Scheduled departure time 3:25 p.m. and schedule arrival time 4:30 p.m.
Around 4:15 p.m. the pilot announced that there’s bad weather at @DelhiAirport. and assured that the plane has 45…

— Satish Kumar (@CopSatish499) April 14, 2024

Kumar added that by then, several passengers and a member of the flight crew started vomiting out of panic. He tagged the Directorate General of Civil Aviation and the Ministry of Civil Aviation to look into whether all the standard operating procedures were followed.

“Finally the plane managed to land at 6:10 p.m. at Chandigarh Airport after a lapse of 115 minutes since the 45 minutes Holding fuel announcement. Got to know after landing that we’ve landed in the nick of time with only 1 or 2 minutes of fuel left from the crew staff. What an ordeal it was for the passengers … Kindly enquire if all SOPs were followed or was it the narrowest escape?” Kumar added in his post.

IndiGo issued a statement on the incident.

“IndiGo flight 6E 2702 operating between Ayodhya and Delhi on April 13th was diverted to Chandigarh due to bad weather in Delhi. The captain executed a go-around which is in line with the standard operating procedure. This is an absolutely safe maneuver (sic). The aircraft had sufficient fuel at all times to divert to an alternate airport, as per regulations. Safety of our esteemed passengers is of prime importance to us. We regret any inconvenience that may have been caused due to factors beyond the airline’s control,” the airline said in the statement.

Till now the post on X has become pretty much viral as it has over 2.03 lakh views and hundreds of reposts and several replies. Reacting to this, Suman Nalwa, who is the PRO of DCP Delhi Police quote-posted this.

Glad you landed safely. @DGCA should rework rules and procedures regarding fuel holding by flights. Safety of passengers is paramount. Adequate fuel should be available on flights operating in unfavourable weather conditions.#AirTravel #Aviation https://t.co/z1NAxORfnv

— Suman Nalwa (@sumannalwa) April 15, 2024

A veteran of the Aviation Industry Captain Shakti Lumba quote posted and said, ”Straight up your street @DGCAIndia after two missed approaches a diversion is mandatory: Still holding instead of diverting and then landing allegedly on fumes is a gross safety violation @IndiGo6E must investigate this flight and amount of fuel on arrival at Chandigarh: This Captain has no business being in Command if the report is correct.”

Also read: Indigo to see $55 million boost following increase in MSCI Global Index weightage

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Indigo to see $55 million boost following increase in MSCI Global Index weightage

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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Interglobe Aviation Ltd, which operates Indigo airline, may see a $55 million boost and an increase in trading volume following the hike in its weight in MSCI index, according to analysts.

Indigo’s weightage in MSCI is set to increase on Friday with a boost of around $55 million equivalent to 1.2 million shares or a 0.8-day volume impact, according to the analysts at Nuvama Alternative Research.

Indigo shares surged to an all-time high of ₹3,839.45 per share on BSE in morning deals on Friday before paring gains due to profit taking at record levels. Indigo shares had been on a rise in the past four days.

Indigo shares fell by around 1.5% to hit a low of ₹3,731.1 apiece on BSE later amid losses in the broader market. Benchmark Sensex was trading down by 0.19% in morning deals.

The stock was trading 1.24% lower at ₹3,749.45 apiece on BSE at 9.50 AM.

Nuvama stated that the ad-hoc weight up is driven by a notable increase in float resulting from the block sale by Rakesh Gangwal a few weeks back.

Rakesh Gangwal last month divested 6.7% equity or 2.6 crore shares of Indigo in a large deal worth around ₹7,000 crore. Gangwal and his family trust had around 25% stake in InterGlobe Aviation. After stepping down in February 2022, the co-founder announced plans to bring down his family’s stake.

Indigo shares surged more than 5% to hit a record high on BSE on Wednesday, making it the third largest airline globally in terms of market capitalisation. The stock rallied around 22% in the past month to take its market cap to over ₹1,46,000 crore ($17.5 billion).

Indigo reported a 111% jump in net profit to ₹2,998.12 crore in the December quarter on the back of continued demand for air travel and a fuel surcharge introduced in October. Net profit was ₹1,422.6 crore in the year ago quarter.

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DGCA asks airlines to come up with timeline to implement new FDTL norms

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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The Directorate General of Civil Aviation on Wednesday, April 10, asked airlines to come up with a timeline for the implementation of the new rules on pilot duty and rest periods i.e., Flight Duty Time Limitations (FDTL).

In a letter to airlines, the aviation safety regulator asked to “kindly indicate the timeline required to prepare a roadmap for implementation of the new revised FDTL norms and the timeline for subsequent implementation of the same.”

#NewsFlash | #DGCA has written to all airlines seeking timeline of implementation of new #FDTL Norms

– DGCA has asked airlines about the road map of implementation of FDTL Norms pic.twitter.com/KDGXcFJLA1

— CNBC-TV18 (@CNBCTV18Live) April 10, 2024

The DGCA move comes after the Delhi High Court on April 1 asked the regulator for a tentative date for the implementation of the revised FDTL norms. The court will hear the matter now on May 8.

The rules governing pilot work hours were amended in January, with the revision including an increase in the weekly rest period from 36 to 48 hours. The original deadline for the revised rule to come into effect was June 1 but the new FDTL norms were put on hold after reservations from airlines. The airlines warned the rules would force them to cancel 20% of the flights at the peak of the summer travel season.

Last month, the Federation of Indian Pilots wrote to the civil aviation minister Jyotiraditya Scindia and the DGCA, highlighting the need to implement the revised FDTL norms considering the safety of passengers.

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IndiGo expands airbus fleet with order of 10 A320 NEO aircraft in March

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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India’s largest airline IndiGo has placed an order for an additional 10 A320 NEO aircraft, as per Airbus’ monthly order and delivery data. The order was confirmed on March 15th, adding to the airline’s extensive fleet.

Notably, the airline already has over 1000 Airbus aircraft on order. This latest acquisition underscores IndiGo’s continuous expansion efforts in the aviation industry.

Earlier, in September last year, the board of the airline approved the acquisition of an additional 10 A320 NEO aircraft from Airbus. IndiGo, in an exchange filing had said that the newly approved aircraft will be integrated into the airline’s original 2019 order for 300 aircraft, although specific delivery dates were not disclosed.

IndiGo’s history of significant aircraft orders is noteworthy. In June 2023,  IndiGo inked a massive deal for 500 aircraft with Airbus during the Paris Air Show. This purchase, comprising a mix of A320NEO, A321NEO, and A321XLR aircraft, surpassed Air India’s order of 470 aircraft, making it the largest in the history of passenger jets.

In October 2019, the airline placed an order for 300 Airbus A320neo family aircraft, marking one of the largest orders in the global aviation industry and Airbus’ largest with a single airline operator.

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KV Prasad Journo follow politics, process in Parliament and US Congress. Former Congressional APSA-Fulbright Fellow

Shares of Interglobe Aviation are less than 10% away from the consensus target

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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After a nearly 20% rally since the start of the year, shares of Interglobe Aviation, which operates the low-cost airline IndiGO, are now within sight of the consensus target of ₹3,604, according to data from Bloomberg.

 However, it’s still a significant distance away from he ₹4,200 apiece projected by Kotak Institutional Equities less than two weeks ago. Analysts at global investment bank UBS expect the shares to hit ₹4,000 in the twelve months following March 25. 

The rally got fresh fuel after the management projected its ambitious plans in a market that it already dominates with a 60% market share (2023 data).

Chief Executive Officer Peter Elbers is on record saying IndiGo airline would induct at least one new plane a week, to its current fleet of over 360, in the new financial year that has begun today.

The Gurugram-based company is planning to increase the number of international routes that it flies from the current 49. Currently, 27% of the miles covered by IndiGo flights are on international routes compared to 23% a year earlier, according to the UBS estimate.

Interglobe Aviation’s FY24 earnings are likely to show a sharp rise in profit, the second consecutive profitable year since the pandemic struck a body blow international travel.

Despite high fuel prices and a rise in pilot salaries, analysts expect a rise in yield (the money made from passengers for every mile travelled).

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KV Prasad Journo follow politics, process in Parliament and US Congress. Former Congressional APSA-Fulbright Fellow

IndiGo announces direct flights between Abu Dhabi and Kerala’s Kannur

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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Leading airline IndiGo has announced new direct flights between Abu Dhabi and north Kerala district Kannur from May 9.

Extending its international presence, the airline will operate daily non-stop flights from the coastal city of the southern state to the capital of the United Arab Emirates, the airline said in a release on Friday.

Vinay Malhotra, Head of Global Sales, IndiGo said with the addition of these flights, the airline will operate 56 weekly flights to Abu Dhabi from 8 cities in India, promoting travel, trade, and tourism between the two countries.

With these new flights to the UAE from Kannur, passengers have more travel options during the upcoming summer vacations, it said.

Furthermore, this direct connectivity also offers customers from Abu Dhabi the opportunity to explore the panoramic small city of Kannur, famous for its vibrant beaches, rich historical monuments, exquisite handloom works and the colourful Theyyam art form, the release added.

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IndiGo plane grazes AI Express aircraft while taxiing at Kolkata Airport 

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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Passengers onboard a Chennai-bound Air India Express aircraft waiting to take off from the Kolkata airport on Wednesday, March 27, were terrified when they saw an IndiGo plane grazing their aircraft while it was taxiing. 

According to Air India Express, the incident happened while its plane was awaiting the Air Traffic Controller’s (ATC) clearance to enter the runway when the tail of the IndiGo aircraft that was taxiing hit its aircraft. 

“The wingtip of a taxiing aircraft of another airline grazed one of our aircraft, which was stationary and awaiting clearance to enter the runway at Kolkata for a scheduled operation to Chennai,” Air India Express said in its statement. 

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has launched a probe into the incident and has grounded the pilots who were flying the IndiGo plane. 

IndiGo said it was a minor graze and that the aircraft that was headed for Darbhanga has returned to the bay for further inspection, adding that the flight 6E 6152 from Kolkata has been delayed.

“Refreshments have been provided to all passengers and an alternate aircraft has been arranged to minimise delay and inconvenience to the passengers,” IndiGo said in its statement. 

An incident report will be submitted to DGCA in due course, as per protocol, IndiGo added. 

Air India Express said the impacted aircraft has returned to the bay and that it is coordinating with the DGCA and airport authorities for further action.

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IndiGo to fly more international routes, aims to double size by 2030: CEO Pieter Elbers

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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IndiGo aims to double in size by 2030 with new domestic and international routes as well as destinations, its chief Pieter Elbers said as the airline pursues soaring global ambitions to match India’s economic growth potential.

The country’s largest airline with a domestic market share of little over 60% is also betting big on A321 XLR aircraft that are expected to be part of its fleet “somewhere in 2025”, to further expand its overseas presence.

Seeking to consolidate as well as expand its position on the global scale, Elbers told PTI in an interview that the next big jump for IndiGo will be to double its size by the end of the decade.

For the next financial year starting April 2024, the IndiGo chief said the capacity guidance in terms of seat capacity is “early double digits” and one plane is coming in every week.

Amid supply chain as well as Pratt & Whitney engine woes, Elbers also emphasised that the airline is taking a lot of mitigating measures that are bearing fruits and that the Aircraft on Ground (AOG) situation is “stable”.

In February, the airline said the number of AOGs was in the mid-70s. Currently, the 17-year-old carrier operates in 88 domestic and 33 international destinations. It has a fleet of more than 360 planes.

“An airline with double of today’s size, global reach and footprint by the year 2030. That is the ambitious target…,” Elbers said and added that more codeshare partnerships can be expected.

At present, IndiGo has codeshares with Turkish Airways, British Airways, Qatar Airways, American Airlines, KLM-AirFrance, Qantas, Jetstar, and Virgin Atlantic.

Codesharing allows an airline to book its passengers on its partner carriers and provide seamless travel to various destinations.

“Clearly, going forward, we will be seeing a number of new international destinations. We will have some domestic but more international… I would say. Especially, the opportunity to have more international routes, not per se destinations only,” he said and cited the example of services to Singapore that have been increased.

About a year ago, he said that IndiGo was flying to Singapore from three destinations and today, it operates to that country from seven destinations in India. “I think we have a good opportunity to not only add destinations but even more… adding more routes to our network”.

A mixture of new domestic and international routes will be a key element in the airline’s pursuit to double its size by 2030, for which the “groundwork” has been done.

In December 2023, IndiGo announced carrying 100 million passengers in a calendar year, becoming the first airline to achieve the milestone.

“We should compare IndiGo to the global aviation landscape. India (set to become the third largest economy in the world), should and will have airlines matching the ambition of the country itself. So, 100 million was our target to be part of the top ten airlines in the world and today, we are the seventh largest in terms of daily departures…,” Elbers said.

According to Elbers, IndiGo is determined to play a very strong role in India having a strong aviation ecosystem.

“If home is the world’s most populous nation and home is soon going to be the third largest economy in the world, India should have an aviation ecosystem that is matching the size, potential and ambition of the country. IndiGo is determined to play a very strong role in that,” he noted.

After being hit by the coronavirus pandemic, the carrier has got its financials back on track and has remained profitable in the last five quarters, also turning networth positive in the 2023 December quarter.

“Where do we stand today? We have actually created the groundwork for what may be called the next big mission of IndiGo. That is to double in size towards the end of the decade. You can only have that ambition if your foundations are correct.

“The foundations are important from a financial perspective, customer perspective, network perspective as also the big fleet order which we made in June last year. That gives us long-term visibility well into the next decade,” the IndiGo chief said.

To a query on whether the airline will be going for wide-body planes and also introducing new classes, Elbers said, “we keep all options open and we evaluate, we take decisions for IndiGo that are matching the needs of the market and IndiGo at the appropriate time”.

Further, he highlighted that A321 XLR aircraft, that are expected to come into its fleet “somewhere in 2025”, will help the airline in further expanding its range.

“XLRs will bring us to parts of Europe, Asia and places like Athens, Seoul, Rome… that will be a wonderful expansion of IndiGo,” he added.

The airline has more than 900 planes on order.

At the end of December 2023, the carrier had a fleet of 358 aircraft, including 31 A320 ceos (11 damp lease), 184 A320 neos, 94 A321 neos, 44 ATRs, 3 A321 freighters and 2 B777s.

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Thursday’s filing dispelled some doubts, though Musk still has work to do. He and his advisers will spend the coming days vetting potential investors for the equity portion of his offer, according to people familiar with the matter

KV Prasad Journo follow politics, process in Parliament and US Congress. Former Congressional APSA-Fulbright Fellow

IndiGo shares gain 6% to hit all-time high

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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Shares of Interglobe Aviation Ltd, the parent company of IndiGo, surged 6% to hit an all-time high of ₹3,484 apiece on the BSE on Tuesday, March 26.

During the company’s conference call with analysts on March 22, it announced that its net worth turned positive on December 31, 2023, while showcasing profitable growth for the past five quarters, with free cash increasing by a strong 133% during the period.

It gave a growth guidance of double digits in capacity and passengers, along with adding one aircraft per week to its fleet for FY25, thereby underlining its continued focus on profitable growth for enhancing stakeholder value.

Morgan Stanley has set a target price of ₹4,145 per share on the IndiGo stock, indicating an upside of over 26% from the previous close. The global firm maintained its ‘overweight’ rating on the stock.

Shares of Indigo were trading 5.6% higher at ₹3,469.65 apiece, on the BSE at 2:01 pm.

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KV Prasad Journo follow politics, process in Parliament and US Congress. Former Congressional APSA-Fulbright Fellow

IndiGo aims to add more than one aircraft per week, 6,000 employees in FY25

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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The shares of domestic carrier IndiGo’s parent firm Interglobe Aviation will be in focus on March 22 as the firm in an presentation for analyst meet has revealed that it aims to add more than one aircraft per week and nearly 6,000 employees in the 2024-25 fiscal.

With a continued focus on profitable growth to enhance stakeholder value, the airline said in the next financial year, it expects capacity as well as passenger growth in early double digits. It has given guidance of adding 10 destinations in FY25 and an increase of 5,500 to 6,000 employees during the period.

In its presentation, IndiGo also noted that it achieved the guidance it set for the 2023-24 fiscal, which includes more than mid-teens growth in capacity leading to a fleet of 350 planes, 100 million passengers, and addition of 10-15 destinations taking the total to 115. In fact, IndiGo boasts of becoming the first Indian airline to have a fleet of more than 300 aircraft (as of 2022) and 366 as of February 2024.

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In 2023, it placed an order for 500 aircraft – the largest ever single aircraft order with Airbus by any airline, it claimed. It is poised to become 600+ aircraft carrier by 2030, the airline said.

The airline also said that it has unparalleled connectivity across 88 domestic destinations and has added 10 destinations and 40 plus routes in FY24. It also connects 33 international destinations, added seven to the list this fiscal and plies to 19 routes.

However, the firm missed its guidance on the hiring front. It saw an increase of about 4,500 employees during the year as against the target of 5,000.

Also Read: Fewer flyers took domestic flights in Feb, IndiGo continues to fly most passengers

Reflecting on the employee base, the airline pointed out that almost half of its workforce (44.2%) is female. It has the highest number of women pilots globally, IndiGo said. “In FY24, we on-boarded 130+ employees with disabilities, the number of PwD hiring increased by over 2x as compared to FY23. IndiGo was awarded by ‘Employer of Diversity Award’ for fostering inclusion at workplace,” it added.

IndiGo shares ended 0.37% lower at ₹3,278 on BSE.

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3 Mins Read

Thursday’s filing dispelled some doubts, though Musk still has work to do. He and his advisers will spend the coming days vetting potential investors for the equity portion of his offer, according to people familiar with the matter

KV Prasad Journo follow politics, process in Parliament and US Congress. Former Congressional APSA-Fulbright Fellow