Airlines

Air India resumes non-stop service on the Delhi-Vienna route

Air India Resumes Non-Stop Delhi-Zurich Route After 25 Years

Air India, India’s leading airline and a Star Alliance member, continues to spread its wings in the global network, having resumed non-stop flights between Delhi and Vienna, the Music City of Austria, on 18th February, 2023.

Air India Flight AI153 now operates on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays from Delhi, taking off at 1435 Hrs and arriving in Vienna at 1845 Hrs (local time). The flight is operated by Air India’s Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner aircraft with a two-class cabin configuration, featuring 18 Business Class and 236 Economy Class seats. With this service, Air India’s India-Europe frequency has now increased to 69 non-stop flights per week.

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

Air India had suspended flights on the Delhi-Vienna-Delhi route in March 2020 following the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic.

This non-stop service enables travelers from India to easily access several other popular destinations around Vienna, including Hungary, The Czech Republic, Germany, Italy, Switzerland, and France. A sizeable population of the Indian diaspora in Austria as well as Europeans intending to visit various cities in the Indian sub-continent or travel onwards to other cities in South Asia, Southeast Asia, Far East, and Australia will benefit from this non-stop service.

Air India customers were offered a specially-curated menu on this inaugural flight. The flight had received a warm welcome at the Vienna Airport by dignitaries, including H.E. Mr Jaideep Mazumdar, Indian Ambassador to Austria, gracing the event to commemorate the occasion. The return flight AI 154 departed Vienna on time with 255 guests, landing back at Delhi at 0805 hrs IST on 19th February 2023.

Airlines

Federal Court Imposes $100M Fine on Qantas for “Ghost Flights” Scandal

In a major ruling, the Federal Court has confirmed a hefty A$100 million penalty against Qantas for its involvement in the “ghost flights” scandal. As reported by FlightGlobal.

The court found that Qantas misled consumers by offering and selling tickets for flights that the airline had already decided to cancel. Adding to the controversy, Qantas failed to promptly notify ticket holders about these cancellations.

The penalty follows Qantas’ admission of violating the Australian Consumer Law (ACL). The airline agreed with the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) on the penalty amount, aiming to deter Qantas and other businesses from similar breaches in the future.

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The ACCC emphasized that this substantial fine sends a clear message: misleading customers will lead to serious consequences, regardless of a company’s size. In addition to the penalty, Qantas has committed to paying approximately A$20 million to affected passengers who unknowingly purchased tickets for canceled flights.

This compensation comes on top of any refunds or alternative flight arrangements already provided. ACCC Chair Gina Cass-Gottlieb praised the penalty, underscoring the importance of robust compliance programs red energy qantas in large corporations like Qantas.

She pointed out that Qantas has since made changes to its operating and scheduling procedures to prevent similar issues in the future.