Aviation

Air India Express Launches New Routes to Jammu and Port Blair

Air India Express is set to enhance its domestic operations by adding two new stations, Jammu and Sri Vijaya Puram (Port Blair), to its network.

Starting December 1, 2024, the airline will introduce direct flights from Jammu to Delhi and Srinagar, as well as new routes connecting Port Blair with Bengaluru and Kolkata. From December 1, Air India Express will launch double daily flights between Port Blair and Kolkata.

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The first flight from Port Blair will depart at 8:35 am, reaching Kolkata at 10:45 am, while the second will leave at 12:20 pm, arriving at 2:35 pm. Meanwhile, flights from Kolkata to Port Blair will start at 5:40 am and 9:20 am, arriving at 7:50 am and 11:40 am, respectively. Bookings are now open on the airline’s website, mobile app, and other major booking platforms.

The expansion includes 14 weekly flights from Jammu, offering direct connections to Delhi and Srinagar, along with one-stop connections to nine domestic destinations such as Bengaluru, Mumbai, and Surat, as well as three international destinations: Bahrain, Dammam, and Muscat.

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From Port Blair, the airline plans 21 weekly direct flights to Bengaluru and Kolkata, with extended one-stop connections to 15 domestic cities including Chennai, Kochi, and Varanasi. Port Blair will also gain new international connectivity with flights to Abu Dhabi.

These new routes underscore Air India Express’s commitment to expanding its reach both domestically and internationally, catering to growing travel demands across the country.

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.