Aviation

How is the Air India recruitment campaign causing 55% delays on flights

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Most employees request time off when they are ill so they can relax, but what if everyone is on sick leave when there is an interview? Thus, the incident involving indigo took place Saturday. Due to employees who took sick leave and went to an Air India interview, 55% of flights were delayed.

On Saturday, 55% of IndiGo’s domestic flights were delayed due to a large number of cabin crew workers who reportedly went to an Air India recruitment drive while apparently taking sick leave. Arun Kumar, the head of the DGCA, responded to a question about this issue on Sunday by saying, “We are looking into this.”

The majority of IndiGo’s cabin crew personnel who took sick leave participated in phase 2 of Air India’s recruiting campaign on Saturday, according to sources in the industry.

Currently, IndiGo, the biggest airline in India, has over 1,600 flights every day, both domestically and internationally. When PTI asked the airline for a comment on the situation, they didn’t react.

The website of the Ministry of Civil Aviation reports that 45,2% of IndiGo’s domestic flights took off and landed on schedule on Saturday.

Comparatively, on Saturday, the on-time rates for Air India, SpiceJet, Vistara, Go First, and AirAsia India were 77.1%, 80.4%, 86.3%, 88.8%, and 92.33%, respectively.

Following a successful offer for the airline on October 8 of last year, the Tata Group assumed ownership of the airline on January 27.

Due to its intention to purchase new aircraft, Air India has begun a recruiting drive for new cabin crew members. The DGCA has now requested clarification from Indigo regarding the flight’s delays.

Aviation

Airbus Enhances A350 Cabin with 10-Abreast Seating

Airbus has announced a new partnership with Jiatai Aircraft Equipment, a Chinese aircraft seating manufacturer, to supply upgraded economy-class seats for the A350 widebody series.

This collaboration, unveiled at the 2024 Airshow China, focuses on developing a newly designed economy seat tailored for the A350‘s New Production Standard (NPS) cabin.

One of the key features of the NPS cabin is the ability to accommodate 17-inch wide economy seats, compared to the previous 16.5-inch wide seats that airlines were limited to in the A350’s earlier configurations.

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This change is made possible by the expanded space in the NPS cabin, which is 35 inches longer and 4 inches wider than the previous version. This extra space is achieved by slightly moving the cockpit wall forward and shifting the rear pressure bulkhead back by one frame.

The wider cabin allows airlines to add up to 30 extra economy seats without compromising comfort. For airlines opting for a 3-4-3 seating layout, the 17-inch wide seats are an excellent choice for a more comfortable passenger experience. However, some airlines, such as Iberia, may choose to retain a 9-abreast layout with wider seats for added comfort.

The NPS cabin also offers enhanced flexibility for airline operators. One major advantage is the ability to easily switch between a 9-abreast and 10-abreast seating configuration without requiring significant downtime for aircraft reconfiguration. Airlines can use the same seat rails, tracks, and IFE interfaces, making the transition smoother and quicker.

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In addition, the design of the floor attachments and air-conditioning systems has been optimized for 10-abreast seating, meaning airlines can upgrade their cabins without needing to make substantial modifications to the aircraft’s structure.

Though it’s still unclear when Jiatai’s economy-class seats will be officially added to the A350’s Buyer Furnished Equipment (BFE) catalogue, the collaboration marks a significant step toward enhancing the A350’s cabin offerings.

With this partnership, Airbus is providing more seating options for airlines, ensuring that they can meet diverse customer needs while improving overall operational efficiency.