Is demand really that soft? Current fare seems twice the amount of US-Europe flights which seems to signal that demand is still healthy. The reduced schedules are the result of the bilateral between the two countries, not a reflection on demand. https://onemileatatime.com/news/flights-between-unite...
Jump to postSo looks like JFK-BOM has been shifted to the Etihad 77W with 8 F seats. My flight in mid December was changed to that plane (and looks like every day that aircraft type flies the route in Dec). Bummer they took off the DL 77L. I guess those will go to DFW/LAX?
Jump to post^^ The same logic applies for HYD, COK, MAA, CCU and all Indian airports except DEL and to a an extent, BOM. I think AI will morph their flight times in BOM and DEL post the UK merger given the volume of overlap AI has with UK. One good thing is AI has been pretty disciplined on when their NA fligh...
Jump to postIt shows you where UA's head is at. Its why we arent going to see routes like ORD-ICN or DEN-FCO or IAH-HKG. UA has specific roles for some of their hubs unless the O&D is so significant that it stands on its own (like SFO-CDG, IAH-AMS, or ORD-GRU). SFO handles Asia, EWR handles Europe, DEN is ...
Jump to postMy assumption is that VS / DL will aim to establish some market share of the USA-India market (which I think by all accounts is expected to grow significantly over the coming years) initially via LHR (including because their financial position limits what they can actually accomplish) and then even...
Jump to postDoes DL feed India bound passenger to VA via LHR? I saw some rumors that the additional India flight was influenced by DL. Yes they do plus with business traffic down to London from the US (see the issues UA is having), I am sure DL and VS want to maintain their US-LHR frequencies so they need pax ...
Jump to postWith Virgin announcing their second LHR-BOM flight with morning arrival and departure, I wonder where they got the slot from. That is prime NA flight times so assuming a NA flight got cut? Also where did the LHR-BLR come from. The second BOM flight will have the A350 leisure config that has the new ...
Jump to postabcx wrote:What's going on with the 3 SQ 77Ws? Are they ever coming?
I think if indigo orders wide bodies, they should pick an underserved hub like HYD and launch international flights from there. They also need to pick a partner - either AF/KL or BA. They will have leverage because I am willing to bet either would love an Indian partner even if it is Hybrid (I think...
Jump to postThe combination of historically poor maintenance and current age make it difficult to financially justify refurbishing the 77W fleet. Airbus has indicated that A35Ks will start being delivered from the end of 2024 . How financially prudent would it be for AI to refurbish 77Ws if it starts receiving...
Jump to postI really think all the negativity on here towards VS is overdone. There is a niche for VS to exist as a second long-haul airline at Heathrow, and it can be a profitable one. Traditionally the RASK has been really good, but the CASK is where the issues were. But here’s why I think VS can be profitab...
Jump to postIt's been more than 7 years since I've transited through DEL to and from CCU to NA destinations, and while I didn't face onerous requirements then, there seem to be plenty of horror stories going around both on this and the AI thread. One of India's leading English-language dailies has an article [...
Jump to postI doubt AF will leave MAA "for good". it still is an important market, but very surprised why they dropped MAA during peak Summer + Olympics season. Its either the yields or poor airport infrastructure, because the loads/OD numbers have been good for the CY 2023. Which was higher than BLR...
Jump to postI know this is a long post but I think it is an important topic and love to hear your thoughts If Air India wants to ever become India's "Flag Carrier," fixing it's product is not enough. While it is a crucial step, I think it needs to rethink a lot of it's business strategy from it's gro...
Jump to posthttps://www.aeroroutes.com/eng/240312-ains24blrlgw It appears that AI has removed BLR-LGW from the schedules. Looks like this route, which is primarily O&D may not have the demand as AI anticipated, especially with VS starting very soon. Or is it non-availability of aircraft and/or pilots. They...
Jump to postVistara's 6 (soon to be 7) Dreamliners are extremely underutilized. It's whole operation can be done with just 3 jets. 7x DEL-LHR (BOM is getting axed) 10x DEL/BOM - CDG 3x DEL - FRA This frees up another 4 jets, in addition to the two parked AI 788's, and the 2 A350s. AI's also operating it's curr...
Jump to postSo why would AI have so many 787 just lying there? Maybe people are right that these aircraft will be refurb first . If so that is one positive - meaning all the current frames can keep flying. Maybe that is why AI has been expanding with the leased aircraft. They have enough stored aircraft to do t...
Jump to postJust landed in EWR and say a AI 77W (looks like a leased plane as no frames over the windows). Does anyone know what the plane is doing parked like that. Today’s AI EWR-BOM already left. Did a plane go tech one day (couldn’t find anything) or is this a new delivery waiting to be given to AI? Did yo...
Jump to postJust landed in EWR and say a AI 77W (looks like a leased plane as no frames over the windows). Does anyone know what the plane is doing parked like that. Today’s AI EWR-BOM already left. Did a plane go tech one day (couldn’t find anything) or is this a new delivery waiting to be given to AI?
Jump to postIt appears UA has dropped its second daily flight EWR-DEL. It is now once daily, there has no announcements could be temporary. Also BOM-EWR was once a busy route, daily by UA and daily by AI. Now it is down to 3x weekly EWR-BOM by AI. EWR - DEL was always planned to be double daily only for the wi...
Jump to postLooks like Singapore CCCS gave conditional approval to Air India + Vistara merger: [ Reuters ] May AI adopt the service standards of UK. Cross-posted [ India Aviation - 2024 ] Great news. I will be waiting once approved to see how AI and UK realign their unified schedule. In BOM they literally fly ...
Jump to postI’ve said ti before and will say again - UA needs to add a late bank say 10pm departures from EWR to CDG (year round), MUC, BCN, AMS and other key EU cities that then returns from the EU at 2-3pm. The 5-6pm EWR-EU bank is too crowded and really too early when it is the only option.
Jump to postAI to annouce a new route soon via Twitter https://twitter.com/airindia/status/1763091240093094016 Could it be LGW BLR? Already been announced. If I had to guess it will be one or all three of the rumored US routes - SEA, LAX, DFW. Would fit the connecting the world. With these cities announced, AI...
Jump to postI am impressed to see CMB's increase. Only a year ago, it was tagged to MLE. I am surprised about KHI. I thought Pakistan was in a horrible mess? There still is good traffic flows from KHI to ME, EU, NA. EY is the only airline flying KHI-AUH and that too with a narrow body for a short flight. Seems...
Jump to postI think IAD-DEL is underserved. I think this could easily see one A350-900/77W daily. I agree in sheer pax volume. Given that AI has been flying the route for years and UA never launched IAD-DEL (but did ORD-DEL), my guess is yields are low. AI just increased to 5X from 3X so let’s see. I can imagi...
Jump to postI think IAD-DEL is underserved. I think this could easily see one A350-900/77W daily. I agree in sheer pax volume. Given that AI has been flying the route for years and UA never launched IAD-DEL (but did ORD-DEL), my guess is yields are low. AI just increased to 5X from 3X so let’s see. I can imagi...
Jump to postI was looking on FlightAware and it seems that AI’s JFK-BOM doesn’t fly via Russian airspace. Given that why can’t UA fly EWR-BOM? Is it because avoiding Iran and Russia makes it too hard (be it range or fuel consumption)?
Jump to postWhen you say range won't be an issue - so could the aircraft do DEL-SFO or BOM-JFK, BOM-SFO? Yes, there could be a hit on payload, but I do not expect it to be a lot. The real fun will begin when the NPS airframe starts getting delivered as they boast both a lower dry operating weight as well as a ...
Jump to postHonestly I could see BLR-SFO and BOM-SFO,EWR and JFK going to A350 first. These are AI's longest flights, and will also allow AI to consolidate 777 pilots to DEL. Doubt the A350 will be based at DEL initially since the training flights are all based on BLR. The 6 A350s AI is to get soon all have an...
Jump to postHi All - following on the lead from the QF fleet thread I have updated the Air India Group fleet summaries below. In anticipation of reconfigs, repaints, WIFI etc I have followed the formatting in the QF thread and have used Rego. I have just used plane spotters data so aircraft registered to AI gr...
Jump to postAlso I don't see PEDEW in non hub cities really driving AI new routes except for key short haul and very few long hauls (like India -LGW). For ULHs I think only DEL, BOM and BLR will see them. AI will now have a ton of incentive to over serve the FF base of these cities plus needing well timed conn...
Jump to postAlso I don't see PEDEW in non hub cities really driving AI new routes except for key short haul and very few long hauls (like India -LGW). For ULHs I think only DEL, BOM and BLR will see them. AI will now have a ton of incentive to over serve the FF base of these cities plus needing well timed conne...
Jump to postRTMAviation - sorry not for the US, I meant nonstop to the EU - other than BLR/BOM and DEL no other Indian airport has the premium demand to justify a US nonstop (PEDEW doesn't capture that). I wonder what the PDEW between HYD and LON is relative to the others. I think HYD's issue to LON is that the...
Jump to postI just think Air India just needs to just start throwing at a board and see what sticks. Most (for-profit) airlines are fast to throw themselves into new opportunities, and then keeping those that stick. As a business, they really need to pursue every opportunity for possible profit as they get. If...
Jump to postHonestly I could see BLR-SFO and BOM-SFO,EWR and JFK going to A350 first. These are AI's longest flights, and will also allow AI to consolidate 777 pilots to DEL. Doubt the A350 will be based at DEL initially since the training flights are all based on BLR. The 6 A350s AI is to get soon all have an...
Jump to postStrange, if COK/GOI works.. why didn't AI start CCU LGW? I think that could also work, esp with CCU having no non stop EU connection. They had a weekly or 2x weekly LHR connection, tht was dropped too, unfortunately for them. From my POV - all the LGW flights so far have been based on UK demand and...
Jump to postBut either way, LAX/SEA/BOS are higher priority than DFW/IAH. Honestly I could see AI launch 3x DFW, and then realize how screwed they are and either cancel the flight/move to Boston. They'll realize how hard it is to compete as DFW is ruled by oneworld. As someone said, they largest DFW market is ...
Jump to postAir India selects the Thales Avant UP Inflight Entertainment option for their IFE refurbishments starting from their 787 and 777 retrofits along with new deliveries of A350s and 787s in 2025 https://www.thalesgroup.com/en/worldwide/aerospace/press_release/air-india-selects-thales-flight-entertainme...
Jump to postAI doesnt really need the beyond trans-atlantic feed via LHR as the India p2p market is big enough. But what AI needs to do in order to retain a larger chunk of its own revenue is to aggressively promote connections to DAC KTM CMB + ASEAN region via DEL. I agree that India's p2p is a big market and...
Jump to postRMTAviation - while EK and QR have no more seats to expand, Etihad and the Indian carriers have seats to launch more AUH-India flights. EY really shrank their US network over Covid so I think they will need more time to build up their connecting network. On another note: If Goa-LGW had a 79% LF in J...
Jump to postAverage fares + PDEW - Costs = Yield. Or simply Total Revenue - Costs. DFW as a market generates more revenue to India than LAX does. This is probably due to the fact that its receiving so many new arrivals from India in a way that only NYC and the Bay Area can compare. DFW will continue to outpace...
Jump to postI already addressed the fact that the yields are going to be about the same. You gave average fares. But how are the fares spread? I suspect ex-LAX, Chinese airlines and the greater array of other indirects would be depressing yields at the bottom end of the market versus DFW, and that there is mor...
Jump to postPlus, the yield at LAX. I already addressed the fact that the yields are going to be about the same. You gave average fares. But how are the fares spread? I suspect ex-LAX, Chinese airlines and the greater array of other indirects would be depressing yields at the bottom end of the market versus DF...
Jump to postIndia allowed Indigo to partner with Qatar to feed the DOHA hub and what does Qatar do? Have Indigo add flights to obvious places like HYD (which then prevents more EU airlines for starting flights). Why should that be either Indigo or Qatar's problem? That is on the Europeans. Instead of adding fl...
Jump to postMayank - with all due respect I never said the planes were flying empty. Not even once. I said the flights are not full. That is a big difference. I think you need to ask why you chose to frame my words in that way? Anyway, I now see what your point is - this is that same old tired point BOM/DEL fav...
Jump to postI actually think for domestic flights in coach AI and IX should basically be the same - you pay for your seat and food. Airfares are so low in India, they should just go to a la carte where there is a fare class where you get a seat, bag and one free meal item (or something like that). I flew Indigo...
Jump to post1. It is quite simple. India is protecting their own self interests. ME3 have been serving as the de-facto INDIA3 for the last 20 years, and India does not want this to happen anymore, to protect their own self-interests. 2. The argument of "there is already enough seats" makes no sense. ...
Jump to post[quote="mayank28"][/quote] Reposnding to Mayank & VTORD: People are acting like granting more seats is desperately needed because of some unmet demand. The fact is there isn’t. Bilaterale being exhausted does NOT equal full planes and lack of available seats. ME and Indian airlines hav...
Jump to postI actually don’t see the GOI giving out anymore seats to any Gulf country unless it is tied to some big petro / business deal. The last new seats went to Saudi (I believe) and that was all about India-Saudi relations. If you search for flights even one week out on say BOM-DXB, you will see fares ar...
Jump to postWould GOI give UAE an additional 100,000 seats in return for 400,000 seats for the Indian side? After a certain point, the 4X becomes irrelavant, esp as X starts getting larger. I actually don’t see the GOI giving out anymore seats to any Gulf country unless it is tied to some big petro / business ...
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