Airlines

Indigo to add Boeing 777 wide body aircraft in its fleet.

This aircraft will operate flights to and from the United States and Europe.

IndiGo inducts second Boeing 777 aircraft, to operate on Mumbai-Istanbul route

After the previous receipt of in-principle approval for inducting B777 aircraft on a wet lease basis from MOCA, IndiGo has now applied for final DGCA approval for these operations as per the prescribed procedure. In coordination with the process of these approvals, IndiGo will soon make this 777-capacity available for sale on the Delhi – Istanbul – Delhi route, subject to regulatory approvals.

We are working closely with the authorities to ensure all the required steps to obtain the approvals are completed well in time and will consider the earliest go-live date for these aircraft in line with the expected receipt of requisite approvals.

This wet lease solution will also enable us to better utilize our A321 narrowbody fleet to continue our network deployment in light of the global supply chain issues.

As part of its ongoing attempts to turn India into a significant international air traffic center, the civil aviation ministry has permitted Indian airlines to take wide-body aircraft on wet lease for up to one year.

Indigo’s New B777 wide-body Fleet

Till now, wet leasing of wide-body planes was allowed only for up to six months. In a statement on Sunday, the nation’s largest airline, IndiGo, said it had contacted the government and been given permission to wet/damp lease aircraft for a six-month period that may be extended by another six months.

IndiGo to operate widebody aircraft this winter(Opens in a new browser tab)

According to a statement, all Indian carriers may request this relaxation, and the government would take their request into account based on the overseas destinations the airline plans to operate.

The airline stated that it has plans to introduce B777 aircraft on a wet/damp lease basis during the current winter schedule and that it is now working to finalize the contract for the wet/damp lease.

The aviation authority’s DGCA gave IndiGo permission last month to wet lease wide-body Boeing aircraft from Turkish Airlines for a maximum of six months. Wet lease contracts involve the leasing of aircraft along with the engineers and flight attendants.

Air India is leasing six Boeing 777s for North American operations.(Opens in a new browser tab)

According to a representative of the ministry, Indian airlines that want to operate aircraft on wet lease to destinations in the United States and Europe will be granted approval to do so for up to a year. A representative from the ministry claimed that the proposal of permitting wet leasing of aircraft for a longer duration will allow Indian carriers to fly additional wide-body aircraft.

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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.