Aviation

IndiGo coach window shatters from jet blast, five injured

Passengers on-board an IndiGo coach at the airport here sustained minor injuries after a window shattered, allegedly due to a jet blast from a SpiceJet plane approaching a parking bay.
The incident happened last evening when the IndiGo bus was ferrying passengers to the plane, headed to Mumbai, an IndiGo spokesperson said.

The front window of the bus broke due to a jet blast from a SpiceJet plane that was making its way to a parking bay nearby, the spokesperson added. Five passengers received minor injuries and were rushed to the airport clinic.

The matter is being probed by aviation watchdog Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), sources have confirmed.

“IndiGo Coach number 34 was parked at Bay 17 at 16:50 hours for boarding of passengers on flight 6E—191 enroute Delhi—Mumbai. At the same time, an arriving aircraft of SpiceJet SG—253 took a turn to park at the allocated bay.

The jet blast from the aircraft broke the right front window glass of the coach,” IndiGo said in a statement.

The airline added that two of the injured passengers decided to continue their journey after receiving medical aid.

SpiceJet, however, said its plane was “following ATC instructions and taxiing after landing at Delhi“.

“It is too early to say if the incident was caused by an outside object or jet blast of SpiceJet aircraft or the bus violated the vehicular movement lane or any other reason,” the statement added.

Courtesy: News 18

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.