Airlines

Qantas Retains Top Spot as Most Punctual Major Domestic Airline

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Amidst storms, a shortage of air traffic control staff, and high holiday demand, Qantas emerged as the most punctual major domestic airline once again in December.

According to the most recent government data, which was made public today, Qantas (Qantas and QantasLink combined) departed on time 69.5 percent of the time in December, compared to 56.5 percent for its main domestic competitor. Although Qantas has been the most punctual major domestic airline for 16 months running, there is still a lot of room for improvement.

Overall, Qantas’ cancellation rate was about half that of its main rival, at 3.7% as opposed to 7.5%. In December, 5.5% of Jetstar’s flights were canceled, leaving just over 62% of flights to depart on schedule.

Uncontrollable factors, primarily weather and air traffic control issues, contributed 8.2 percentage points and 7.9 percentage points, respectively, to Qantas’ and Jetstar’s on-time performance in December. Roughly half of all Qantas and Jetstar cancellations for the month were caused by uncontrollable factors (1.8 and 3 percentage points, respectively).

More than 75 percent of Qantas flights have departed on time so far in January. Following a September 2023 announcement and gradual rollout, more investments in operational reliability and customer experience are beginning to enhance millions of passengers‘ travel experiences. More backup aircraft are kept on standby, catering is enhanced, baggage tracking is enabled through the Qantas app, and customer recovery procedures are modified if flights are severely disrupted, among other investments.

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.