Airlines

India’s new regional airline ‘Fly19’ backed by former Kingfisher executive to begin soon

A former Kingfisher Airlines executive and the former India head of Prem Watsa’s Fairfax Financial are teaming up to create a new regional airline at a time when demand for air travel is rising in India.

Harsha Raghavan, current managing partner at Convergent Finance LLP, will lead the new airline, Fly91. He will be the planned airline’s Chairman. Manoj Chacko, formerly of the now-defunct Kingfisher Airlines, will be the CEO. Fly91 plans to begin operations in December 2023, with a base in Goa.

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Fly91 will be active in the short-haul sector, where flights typically run 45 to 90 minutes. About 30% of domestic passengers in India fly into regional airports, which the airline would serve. As a solely focused passenger airline, it will operate a conventional fleet of ATR 72-600 aircraft, each of which can seat between 72 and 78 passengers.

In view of the fact that countless airlines, both big and small, have previously failed to sustain operations, both Chacko and Raghavan are aware of how challenging it is to establish and maintain an airline in the competitive Indian industry.

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However, they think that keeping things straightforward and focusing on the fundamentals is the key. Chacko declared, “We must keep in mind two essential factors. The first is that, at our core, we are in the transportation business, and getting people from point A to point B safely, comfortably, and economically is our primary goal.”

The second is to make things incredibly simple, concentrate to the fundamentals, execute them flawlessly, and avoid trying to reinvent the wheel when it is not required.

Source:

Airlines

Air India Express Aircraft Engine Part Falls Outside Delhi Airport; DGCA Orders Probe

Air India Express flight skids off runway while landing at Kochi airport

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has launched an inquiry following reports that metal fragments were discovered at Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport after an Air India Express flight made an emergency landing on Monday evening.

The emergency landing was prompted by a detected engine fault, but fortunately, the landing was executed safely without any injuries to the passengers.

The situation began when crew members of the Air India Express flight reported an engine issue, leading to the emergency landing. The DGCA has confirmed that a thorough investigation is underway and has directed that the aircraft undergo a comprehensive safety inspection.

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The discovery of metal debris outside the airport has raised concerns, prompting the DGCA to probe whether these fragments are linked to the aircraft involved in the emergency landing. Authorities are particularly focused on whether the metal pieces, which were found near the airport, originated from the same Air India Express flight that experienced engine trouble.

While preliminary assessments suggest that the debris could be a broken blade from an aircraft engine, the exact source remains unconfirmed. The airline has yet to verify if the metal fragments are from their aircraft.

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The Delhi Police, working in conjunction with the DGCA, have initiated their own investigation to determine the origin of the metal pieces. A technical team is set to analyze whether the fragments are associated with the aircraft in question. As the investigation continues, a case has been filed with the airport authority to address the matter.