Aviation

Air India boosts services to destinations in East Asia

Air India adds more flights to Dubai from Delhi and Mumbai

Air India, India’s leading carrier and a Star Alliance member, has added frequency on popular eastbound routes in its 2023 Summer Schedule, bringing more options for travelers to fly to and from Bangkok(Thailand), Hong Kong, and Seoul (South Korea).

Air India will launch a total of eight new weekly flights on March 26, 2023: six to Bangkok (three each from Delhi and Mumbai), plus extra flights every week from Delhi to Seoul (Incheon) and Hong Kong. The Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner aircraft, which has a two-class cabin layout with 18 Business Class and 236 Economy Class seats, will fly all of the routes.

Air India resumes its most popular Bengaluru & San Francisco non-stop service(Opens in a new browser tab)

With these additions, Air India and Air India Express will collectively offer 67 weekly services to Bangkok, Hong Kong, Seoul, Singapore and Tokyo from Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Trichy and Madurai.

Air India’s route network also includes non-stop flights from Delhi to Sydney and Melbourne in Australia. The increase in flights to these East Asian destinations will further strengthen Air India’s foothold in the East as well as globally, especially after the recently resumed non-stop flights to Vienna (Austria), Milan (Italy), and Copenhagen (Denmark).

Singapore Airlines will expand its Airbus A380 service to Australia while concentrating on its Asian network.(Opens in a new browser tab)

Passengers can now conveniently and comfortably fly to these destinations that are a popular choice not only for tourism but also as hubs of business, trade, and education. With Air India’s renewed focus and vigour on expanding its international network, the airline is well-positioned to capture a larger share of the global aviation market.
The newly added Air India flights are now available for booking on the Air India website, mobile apps, as well as through travel agents and other booking channels.

Aviation

COMAC Unveils Plans for the C929 to Rival Airbus and Boeing

After the success of China’s first C919 aircraft, the country is setting its sights on developing a larger plane. COMAC (Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China) has officially confirmed plans to build a widebody aircraft, marking a significant step in its aircraft lineup.

Traditionally, Airbus and Boeing dominate the widebody aircraft market, with decades of expertise in developing planes and engines capable of carrying heavy payloads. China, which currently relies on imported engines, is now aiming to challenge these giants with its own widebody jet, the C929, designed to compete with the Airbus A350 and Boeing 777.

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The C929 will be China’s first independently developed long-range widebody aircraft. It adheres to international airworthiness standards and boasts independent intellectual property rights. The baseline version is designed to seat 280 passengers and offers a range of 12,000 kilometers, catering to global demand for both regional and international air travel.

Russia, which also needs reliable narrowbody and widebody aircraft, could become a key customer for the C929. Additionally, China plans to target the broader Asian market as it continues to expand its aviation capabilities.

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China’s aviation progress includes the ARJ21 (now called C909), a regional jet with 100 seats for shorter routes, and the C919, a narrowbody jet with 180 seats designed to rival the Boeing 737 MAX and Airbus A320. Both models have found increasing demand in the domestic market.

At China’s largest air show in Zhuhai, COMAC announced that Air China will be the launch customer for the C929 widebody jet, though details about order size and delivery timelines were not disclosed.

Other major deals announced by COMAC include:

Hainan Airlines: Firm orders for 60 C919 and 40 C909 regional jets.
Colorful Guizhou Airlines: 30 C909 jets, with 20 firm orders and 10 provisional agreements.

The C929, renamed from the CR929 after Russia withdrew from the joint development project in 2023, is expected to carry 280–400 passengers with a range of 12,000 kilometers, competing directly with Boeing’s 787 Dreamliner.

According to COMAC’s deputy general manager, Tong Yu, the first fuselage section of the C929 is expected by September 2027, with prototype test flights anticipated soon after.