vadodara wrote:

pune wrote:

edealinfo wrote:

Really sad state of MH affairs where the long term policy is viewed from the lens of Bombay Taximens Association.

Actually, this is more to do with land mafias/politician nexus than anything else. All the land slotted for new PNQ is mostly in the areas controlled/dominated by NCP. Earlier it was supposed to be Chakan/Ranjangoan area which was deemed non-viable for new airport due to traffic patterns etc. However, even before AAI/Air Force made that determination all land was acquired by NCP goons/politicians in the anticipation of the new airport. When BJP came into power, it was changed to Purandar area which got clearance from AAI/Air Force authorities and everything was on track. But for one reason of the other, BJP fearing recent election delayed the land acquisition with hope of starting it soon after but as luck would have it even before the land acquisition started, MH government changed hands again and now NCP again is trying to change Purandar back to original Chakan/Rajgurunagar area due to their vested interests. This is the real tragedy and its Pune and its economy which is suffering due to lack of sufficient air connectivity where demand exists but couldnt be fulfilled.

vadodara wrote:

Really sad state of MH affairs where the long term policy is viewed from the lens of Bombay Taximens Association.

Earlier I wrote a very long reply but somehow it disappeared but the bottom line is, this is nothing to do with the Taximen and their clout. Issues at PNQ are more to do with Politics and who owns the land in and around proposed new airport. Earlier new airport was supposed to be in Chakan/Ranjangoan area when NCP/Congress was in government. Naturally, they all acquired land in and around the new airport with the anticipation of making profits but AAI/Air Force objected to the site due to prevailing traffic patterns and the site was deemed non-viable. While this was going on BJP came into power and started finding new location which they narrowed to be in Purandar area. However, for one reason or the other Fadanavis government delayed the land acquisition at this new site which was approved by AAI/Air Force etc. and elections took place. As luck would have it, MH again got NCP in the government which didnt want the new airport at Purandar due to their vested interests so Ajit Pawar/Amol Kolhe (MLA from Chakan/Ranjangoan area) just couple of weeks back again opened the can of worms by suggesting new airport shall take place in Chakan only. This will inevitably delay the start of land acquisition and further cause strain at existing PNQ and the misery will continue for Punekars.

vadodara wrote:

pune wrote:

edealinfo wrote:

This is true as well as the fact that was mentioned in last month's thread as well. The fact is both PNQ and BOM are slot-constrained with PNQ being more. I have talked to numerous drivers who just do the PNQ - BOM and vice-versa and most of them have said that 80% of the time it's the westerners who frequent this trip..

Really sad state of MH affairs where the long term policy is viewed from the lens of Bombay Taximens Association.

For life of me I can’t understand why a 2nd parallel runway can’t be built. The separation of the two at several constrained airports such as EWR, SJC etc is not that much.

One is used for landing while the other for take-offs.

The slums and Vote bank. There is a strong rule in India which Bombay politicians follow to the letter. Slums can be redeveloped but must be resettled WITHIN the boundaries of the district. MH drives SO much money form Bombay but they would rather keep the slums in that district rather than expand the airport. Go figure...

>>>>>>>>Any long haul flight not ending at a SkyTeam partner hub ain’t happening unless it is from Atlanta.[/quote]

If this is the case, how come JFK to BOM with Delta happened?

vadodara wrote:

pune wrote:

edealinfo wrote:

This is true as well as the fact that was mentioned in last month's thread as well. The fact is both PNQ and BOM are slot-constrained with PNQ being more. I have talked to numerous drivers who just do the PNQ - BOM and vice-versa and most of them have said that 80% of the time it's the westerners who frequent this trip..

Really sad state of MH affairs where the long term policy is viewed from the lens of Bombay Taximens Association.

For life of me I can’t understand why a 2nd parallel runway can’t be built. The separation of the two at several constrained airports such as EWR, SJC etc is not that much.

One is used for landing while the other for take-offs.

If you are talking about PNQ it isn't possible because it is an active airforce base as well (Lohegaon air base) although it has to be pointed out that there has been lot more land given to the civilian airport. Even then it will be constrained as it can't run as a 24x7 civilian airport. The air force does do it sorties at which time civilian aircraft do not have permissions to fly. PNQ does need its own 24x7 airport but when we will have it depends on the politicans and the bureaucracy.

SABAJE wrote:

edealinfo wrote:

From Business Standard - Vistara refuses to pay for LHR slots and instead will leave its fate to LHR’s worse chances than being struck by lightening lottery system

“Unavailability of slots at Heathrow has forced Vistara to plan its London flight into Gatwick Airport- the city’s secondary airport which isn’t popular among full service airlines. “Anyone who operates to London ideally wants Heathrow Airport. We tried a lot but finding a slot in Heathrow is quite impossible at this point of time. No one wants to give up. We may start with Gatwick and shift to Heathrow whenever slots are available,” a Vistara executive said.

Full service airlines that fly to LGW:
Aegean Airline
Aer Lingus
Air Baltic
Air Europa
Air Malta
Air China
Austrian Airlines
British Airways
Cathay Pacific
China Airlines
China Eastern
China Southern
Delta
Egypt Air
Emirates
Finnair
Qatar Airways
Rossiya
Rwandair
Swiss
TAP Air Portugal
Turkish Airlines
Ukraine International
Virgin Atlantic

Not popular among full service carriers? Don’t think so!

did it occur to you that :
1) that if you compared this list to the list of full service airlines servicing LHR , it would be 10,000% smaller?

2) that most on your list are there only because they couldn’t get slots, or additional slots, at LHR.

3) that several on your list aren’t full service carriers - certainly Not Air Europa as an example. Just because it has a European sounding name, doesn’t make it full service.

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.livemi ... 66796.html

1. Vistara gives Japan the boot over caronavirus (which means the Haneda slot is now curtains)

2. US flights to start only next year.

3. Vistara, having given up on its idea of free slots via lottery, is now also considering buying a LHR slot from South African Airways or leasing It even if it is for a short period of time.

4. London, Frankfurt and Paris will compete as destinations for Vistara’s 4 787s with London as the favored destination.

I just read news over the wire that UAE is closing schools for A month to deal with the coronovirus. So, looks like travel, even Westwards is now going to be an issue.
https://www.thenational.ae/uae/educatio ... h-1.987668

edealinfo wrote:

>>>>>>>>Any long haul flight not ending at a SkyTeam partner hub ain’t happening unless it is from Atlanta.

If this is the case, how come JFK to BOM with Delta happened?[/quote]

You can go on your rant but please find how many such exceptions you can find.

DL is starting out of MIA but guess what they have a LATAM partnership.

vadodara wrote:

DL is starting out of MIA but guess what they have a LATAM partnership.

And what partnership does DL have out of BOM?

Go Air to bet big on Surat
From the Times of India....

“Sources said the airline company has submitted a proposal to airport authorities for connecting Surat with Jaipur, Amritsar and Mumbai during summer. Three more destinations are under consideration by GoAir authorities from Surat.“

Kuwait won’t allow entry of Indians unless they provide a caronavirus virus free certificate
https://www.google.com/amp/s/gulfnews.c ... 1.70127688

Aviation fuel price dips by 10 percent this month compared to that of the previous month

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.newind ... 111321.amp

pune wrote:

edealinfo wrote:

JOYA380B747 wrote:

PNQ can sustain multiple international flights on its own without being any competition at all to slot constrained BOM until Navi Mumbai comes online.

PNQ is a slot constrained as well. International carriers need to get a slot of airport’s choice as opposed to the airlines own choice, which means it ain’t great for financial viability.

This is true as well as the fact that was mentioned in last month's thread as well. The fact is both PNQ and BOM are slot-constrained with PNQ being more. I have talked to numerous drivers who just do the PNQ - BOM and vice-versa and most of them have said that 80% of the time it's the westerners who frequent this trip. While this is welcome being a Puneite, I am non-plussed why is it so ? Apart from Osho, Iyengar Yoga school and perhaps a somewhat milder climate than Mumbai has, don't really see the difference. Because as convention centers go, we are in no way a match to BOM to the number of convention centers there as well as modes of funding for conferences etc.

VTORD wrote:

As someone who was educated in Pune and has considerable network of family and friends (not to mention a wistful nostalgia) in that city I know countless such folks in my social circle who use the BOM - PNQ taxi services at least once a year.

Pune is home to Tata Motors, Bajaj Auto, Finolex Group, Kirloskar Group, Force Motors, Firodiya Industries (Kinetic Group), Mercedes Benz India, Cummins (I know their US offices are packed with Punekars), Themax, VW, John Deere India to name a few. Plus the ever burgeoning IT scene in Hinjewadi and Magarpatta. I very much doubt 80% of the BOM-PNQ taxi services are being driven by a few orange robes headed to Koregaon Park.

I think I will have to agree about the slot constraints at PNQ due to IAF.

Part of my job as a doctor in Pune, requires me to attend workshops and seminars in DEL and MAA which are usually 24 hr trips. In such cases, I nowadays find last minute fares (especially on Vistara) ex-BOM to be nearly half that of ex-PNQ, including much more favourable dep and arrivals.

This is why I drive to BOM directly from my hospital in Pune (a 2.5-3 hr trip), park at T2, fly to DEL/MAA, return to BOM next day, pay approx 1500-2000 Rs in T2 parking, fill petrol at Khalapur toll, return home and end up spending much less time on the trip (and only marginally more money) than I would have had I done it from PNQ.

At the end of the day however, I'm way more tired and not at all happy doing this. I just curse the MH government and the sad state of affairs of this state.

JOYA380B747 wrote:

-- snipped --

I think I will have to agree about the slot constraints at PNQ due to IAF.

Part of my job as a doctor in Pune, requires me to attend workshops and seminars in DEL and MAA which are usually 24 hr trips. In such cases, I nowadays find last minute fares (especially on Vistara) ex-BOM to be nearly half that of ex-PNQ, including much more favourable dep and arrivals.

This is why I drive to BOM directly from my hospital in Pune (a 2.5-3 hr trip), park at T2, fly to DEL/MAA, return to BOM next day, pay approx 1500-2000 Rs in T2 parking, fill petrol at Khalapur toll, return home and end up spending much less time on the trip (and only marginally more money) than I would have had I done it from PNQ.

At the end of the day however, I'm way more tired and not at all happy doing this. I just curse the MH government and the sad state of affairs of this state.

Would have been nice if you had shared some details of the kind of the deals you got from BOM - DEL or BOM - MAA vis-a-vis PNQ to those destinations. That would have provided a clearer picture as well as the arrival and departure times both at BOM as well as in PNQ . From what I know and can recall most flights from Pune are red-eye flights.

pune wrote:

vadodara wrote:

pune wrote:

Really sad state of MH affairs where the long term policy is viewed from the lens of Bombay Taximens Association.

For life of me I can’t understand why a 2nd parallel runway can’t be built. The separation of the two at several constrained airports such as EWR, SJC etc is not that much.

One is used for landing while the other for take-offs.

If you are talking about PNQ it isn't possible because it is an active airforce base as well (Lohegaon air base) although it has to be pointed out that there has been lot more land given to the civilian airport. Even then it will be constrained as it can't run as a 24x7 civilian airport. The air force does do it sorties at which time civilian aircraft do not have permissions to fly. PNQ does need its own 24x7 airport but when we will have it depends on the politicans and the bureaucracy.

Regarding the military having the final say at PNQ, another recent case of a demand for a second airport being delayed is GOI. It too is a civil enclave. Yet it is able to handle widebody flights (especially charters from Russia) unlike PNQ. Mopa Airport in Goa will not be ready before 2022 at the earliest, but GOI does not seem to have problems.

pune wrote:

Would have been nice if you had shared some details of the kind of the deals you got from BOM - DEL or BOM - MAA vis-a-vis PNQ to those destinations. That would have provided a clearer picture as well as the arrival and departure times both at BOM as well as in PNQ . From what I know and can recall most flights from Pune are red-eye flights.

For me flight timings are extremely specific: departure from Pune has to be between 6pm-11pm, so that I can manage a minimum of 4 hr rest before work at DEL/MAA next morning. Same for return leg.

With PNQ, the cheapest flights (either/both outbound/inbound) are almost always after 11:30 PM, which is a dealbreaker for me. Not to mention the fact that ex-BOM I have plenty of FSC flights to choose from at favourable times (8pm-11pm).

For life of me I can’t understand why a 2nd parallel runway can’t be built.

Perhaps because its basically a major Air Force Station and they want the civilian traffic to have their own seperate facilities. And getting so much land is a huge project in itself.

IXC and GAO also need to move from their military hosts. Land acquisition is a huge stumbling block.

freqflyer wrote:

For life of me I can’t understand why a 2nd parallel runway can’t be built.

Perhaps because its basically a major Air Force Station and they want the civilian traffic to have their own seperate facilities. And getting so much land is a huge project in itself.

IXC and GAO also need to move from their military hosts. Land acquisition is a huge stumbling block.

The Royal Airforce Station Santa Cruz has been inoperational for a while.

I wasn’t referring to Lohegaon airport but the lack of solution has the same culprit.

freqflyer wrote:

For life of me I can’t understand why a 2nd parallel runway can’t be built.

Perhaps because its basically a major Air Force Station and they want the civilian traffic to have their own seperate facilities. And getting so much land is a huge project in itself.

IXC and GAO also need to move from their military hosts. Land acquisition is a huge stumbling block.

Land acquisition is a state subject.

edealinfo wrote:

vadodara wrote:

DL is starting out of MIA but guess what they have a LATAM partnership.

And what partnership does DL have out of BOM?

How many other exceptions have you been able to find?

How long has the JFK-BOM service been operational? 30 yrs?

edealinfo wrote:

Swanee goes into full frontal attack of Tata’s potential bid for Air India

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.thewee ... y.amp.html

One of the forum users here, dtw2hyd was 100 percent correct on his assessment

Regardless of Swanee’s shenanigans, I think Tata should stay clear of Air India unless it wants to get caught up with litigation and FUTHER Get in the Xcross hairs of Swanee.

I think Swanee also timed his aggressive tweet as Tata Sons is meeting this week to decide on whether to put in an Expression of Interest (EOI) for Air India.

Bottomline: the Swamys and Yogis can always be a Perennial pain in the rear end. These wannabe God-men think they can actually act like God and have things their-way.

Who the hell is Swanee? For the love of God, please stop this nonsense. This is extremely childish and stupid. Please do not post if you are going to change names because it suits the drama and hype you try to create around here. It is not funny.

edealinfo wrote:

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.livemint.com/companies/news/vistara-weighs-london-frankfurt-paris-for-its-first-long-haul-flight/amp-11583255866796.html

1. Vistara gives Japan the boot over caronavirus (which means the Haneda slot is now curtains)

2. US flights to start only next year.

3. Vistara, having given up on its idea of free slots via lottery, is now also considering buying a LHR slot from South African Airways or leasing It even if it is for a short period of time.

4. London, Frankfurt and Paris will compete as destinations for Vistara’s 4 787s with London as the favored destination.

Curtains? Are we sure about this. I mean air travel is seriously being cut back. Surely the Japanese govt will give an extension. Vistara should announce the flight and then immediately delay launch because of the virus. Happens in the US all the time (meaning take slot and then ask for a delay). Alsoairline after airline will be cutting flights to Japan. I really doubt they will lose slots over this (same at LHR for Chinese airlines). But I could be wrong.

CaliguyNYC wrote:

edealinfo wrote:

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.livemint.com/companies/news/vistara-weighs-london-frankfurt-paris-for-its-first-long-haul-flight/amp-11583255866796.html

1. Vistara gives Japan the boot over caronavirus (which means the Haneda slot is now curtains)

2. US flights to start only next year.

3. Vistara, having given up on its idea of free slots via lottery, is now also considering buying a LHR slot from South African Airways or leasing It even if it is for a short period of time.

4. London, Frankfurt and Paris will compete as destinations for Vistara’s 4 787s with London as the favored destination.

Curtains? Are we sure about this. I mean air travel is seriously being cut back. Surely the Japanese govt will give an extension. Vistara should announce the flight and then immediately delay launch because of the virus. Happens in the US all the time (meaning take slot and then ask for a delay). Alsoairline after airline will be cutting flights to Japan. I really doubt they will lose slots over this (same at LHR for Chinese airlines). But I could be wrong.

I read a SEPARATE report in Live Mint (I think) that Japan was definitely out. I was surprised myself. But that’s not to say it won’t come back once they have all the 4 787s and nowhere to fly.

I don’t have any idea on the slot rules. I do recall seeing an IATA or other industry association release requesting that slot rules should be relaxed as a result of caronavirus but it won’t apply to Vistara if they haven’t even applied for a slot. Heck, they should apply for it and once allotted then seek a delay, maybe even without starting a single flight (what do they have to lose, anyway?) It’s not like other airlines are flocking to start services right now. Accordingly to Reuters, the Lufthansa airline group is cutting its capacity by 150 planes, representing 20 percent of its group capacity (again because of the caronavirus)

edealinfo wrote:

CaliguyNYC wrote:

edealinfo wrote:

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.livemint.com/companies/news/vistara-weighs-london-frankfurt-paris-for-its-first-long-haul-flight/amp-11583255866796.html

1. Vistara gives Japan the boot over caronavirus (which means the Haneda slot is now curtains)

2. US flights to start only next year.

3. Vistara, having given up on its idea of free slots via lottery, is now also considering buying a LHR slot from South African Airways or leasing It even if it is for a short period of time.

4. London, Frankfurt and Paris will compete as destinations for Vistara’s 4 787s with London as the favored destination.

Curtains? Are we sure about this. I mean air travel is seriously being cut back. Surely the Japanese govt will give an extension. Vistara should announce the flight and then immediately delay launch because of the virus. Happens in the US all the time (meaning take slot and then ask for a delay). Alsoairline after airline will be cutting flights to Japan. I really doubt they will lose slots over this (same at LHR for Chinese airlines). But I could be wrong.

I read a SEPARATE report in Live Mint (I think) that Japan was definitely out. I was surprised myself. But that’s not to say it won’t come back once they have all the 4 787s and nowhere to fly.

I don’t have any idea on the slot rules. I do recall seeing an IATA or other industry association release requesting that slot rules should be relaxed as a result of caronavirus but it won’t apply to Vistara if they haven’t even applied for a slot. Heck, they should apply for it and once allotted then seek a delay, maybe even without starting a single flight (what do they have to lose, anyway?) It’s not like other airlines are flocking to start services right now. Accordingly to Reuters, the Lufthansa airline group is cutting its capacity by 150 planes, representing 20 percent of its group capacity (again because of the caronavirus)

I think it will all work out and India will still have a shot at the slot later. India is strategic for Japan. Good connectivity is good for business. Plus with JAL and Vistara partnering you would think HND would be flow to DEL & BOM (one city to each airline). Then the partnership becomes very strong India-Japan. Btw I think India-EU travel is going to take a big hit. Business travel will slow down a lot (inbound to India will be even lower than outbound to EU). My company has already said trips to EU should be avoided (even London)

Vistara engages Deloitte for due diligence consulting in potential bid on Air India
https://www.google.com/amp/s/m.economic ... 468347.cms

Slightly off-topic but since it's been quite the flavor of this thread for some time now, here is a link from the horse's mouth that could throw some light on the handling of slots at Haneda (and some other interesting information). My interpretation of this is that once the slot is awarded to a country, it is the individual airline that is responsible for following the 80/20 rule once it files a route to avoid forfeiture. So it seems that at this point in time, Indian airlines can file for HND slots but service can only begin W20. Again I may be reading this wrong.

http://www.schedule-coordination.jp/hnd/index.html

FWIW I looked and could not find any source that explicitly states that the slot will lapse on March 29.

JOYA380B747 wrote:

This is why I drive to BOM directly from my hospital in Pune (a 2.5-3 hr trip), park at T2, fly to DEL/MAA, return to BOM next day, pay approx 1500-2000 Rs in T2 parking, fill petrol at Khalapur toll, return home and end up spending much less time on the trip (and only marginally more money) than I would have had I done it from PNQ.

At the end of the day however, I'm way more tired and not at all happy doing this. I just curse the MH government and the sad state of affairs of this state.

That's rough!!
And I wonder how many such people are there, like you. MH government is truly pathetic! But hey it was important to add the word "Maharaj" the name of the airport.

VTORD wrote:

Slightly off-topic but since it's been quite the flavor of this thread for some time now, here is a link from the horse's mouth that could throw some light on the handling of slots at Haneda (and some other interesting information). My interpretation of this is that once the slot is awarded to a country, it is the individual airline that is responsible for following the 80/20 rule once it files a route to avoid forfeiture. So it seems that at this point in time, Indian airlines can file for HND slots but service can only begin W20. Again I may be reading this wrong.

http://www.schedule-coordination.jp/hnd/index.html

FWIW I looked and could not find any source that explicitly states that the slot will lapse on March 29.

Haneda allotted 50 new slot pairs and 49 are scheduled to start of March 29. The 50th slot is for India. Why do you think India would only be able to start for Winter 2020, when the other 49 are allowed to start as of Summer 2020 which begins March 29?

I am not saying it is mandatory to start on March 29. I am questioning as to why for India, the airline has to wait until Winter 2020. Is it because Vistara has taken its own sweet time to file and missed the advance notice/lead time needed to theoretically start as early as March 29

If the debate of Haneda and Narita hasn’t already driven you crazy here is more info:
The codeshare from Tokyo to 4 other Japanese cities are identical for both Narita And Haneda, which means that it won’t give you a clue as to whether Vistara, if it starts flights to Japan, has an existing preference for either Haneda or Narita.

https://press.jal.co.jp/en/release/202002/005507.html

According to this link from the same page: http://www.schedule-coordination.jp/calendar/index.html
Deadline for Submission of Initial Slot Request by Airlines is 15 May 2020 for W20 and 04 Oct 2019 for S20

Please note: Even in the case of US airlines, the USDOT did the final allocation to the airlines. For eg., DL and UA requested 6 but were awarded 5 and 4 respectively. So Vistara for eg., can request for a slot when they are ready if AI hasn't done so already and vice versa. IIRC there is something called "right of first refusal" privilege for AI.

VTORD wrote:

According to this link from the same page: http://www.schedule-coordination.jp/calendar/index.html
Deadline for Submission of Initial Slot Request by Airlines is 15 May 2020 for W20 and 04 Oct 2019 for S20

Please note: Even in the case of US airlines, the USDOT did the final allocation to the airlines. For eg., DL and UA requested 6 but were awarded 5 and 4 respectively. So Vistara for eg., can request for a slot when they are ready if AI hasn't done so already and vice versa. IIRC there is something called "right of first refusal" privilege for AI.

Good stuff. Thanks

A few points:
1. Will Air India lose the right of first refusal once it is privatized or will it have a grandfathered right for a period of time, say 3 years to make it even more attractive for bidders?
2. While you have provided details on initial slot request for Winter 2020, how do we know that there is no deadline for India to exercise its Haneda slot right. Was that right, evergreen?
3. Vistara is getting the 4 787s at a really bad time for travel when most Indians are paranoid, perhaps rightly, of flying east, and wary of flying West. To make matters , Vistara that had a year to plan our destinations, seems ruder less in their choice of destinations even when it is taking deliveries. They are going to bleed financially for the next several months as lease and other payments fall due on the 787 and they won’t be able to deploy them profitably in this travel environment.

4. I have always held that instead of going after Air India and the mess that it could involve, politically, legally, and financially, Vistara should instead take over Air Asia by buying it at a price that would equal the owners entire investment plus a small premium of say 10 percent for them to get out of the way. Given that the Air Asia group is already bleeding, has a case against its Founder in India, India’s bad relations with Malaysia, and zero chance of Air Asia to fly abroad, there is a good chance that all parties could agree.

Over a period of a year, Vistara could gradually take over Air Asia, route by route, after bringing it to Vistara’s standards. Heck, they can even keep The Air Asia’s planes In an all economy seating and operate it on Air Asia’s existing routes after the makeover. Vistara will then Even have a hub at Bangalore With little constraints on expanding further with all the available slots for BLR’s 2 runways. Further, post merger, Tatas and Singapore Airlines can continue to hold 51 percent/ 49 percent. This is a win win for alll.

Hey Folks !!

Im back after a long time..Hope everyone is doing well amidst this corona ish thats goin on around the globe.

Good news that UK finally got its first 789 btw Im curious if their Dliners have them crew bunks for ULH or not ?

Also can anyone lemme know wether AI has got'm bunks in their 788s cause apparently I have been following their 788 on NON STOP DEL - IAD which to me is the longest 788 route I've ever seen...So really curious to know how they are managing it !

Thank ya folks
God Bless ya'll !!

VTORD wrote:

JOYA380B747 wrote:

This is why I drive to BOM directly from my hospital in Pune (a 2.5-3 hr trip), park at T2, fly to DEL/MAA, return to BOM next day, pay approx 1500-2000 Rs in T2 parking, fill petrol at Khalapur toll, return home and end up spending much less time on the trip (and only marginally more money) than I would have had I done it from PNQ.

At the end of the day however, I'm way more tired and not at all happy doing this. I just curse the MH government and the sad state of affairs of this state.

That's rough!!
And I wonder how many such people are there, like you. MH government is truly pathetic! But hey it was important to add the word "Maharaj" the name of the airport.

It's a touchy subject. The problem is most of the land that was demanded and is being demanded even in the new locations are prime agricultural lands. Also the Government processes are usually unfair and lopsided especially when big land acquisition processes happen. This is what happened in Gujarat, this is the PM's pet project and in this you can see the issues -

https://www.downtoearth.org.in/news/gov ... fair-67205

https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/ne ... 332249.cms

With the Government's attitudes towards farmers un-friendly (could give lot of links and most have also come in business papers) is it unwise for farmers to be unwilling to part with their land, irrespective of whoever is in the Govt. either at the State or the Center.

FligtReporter wrote:

Hey Folks !!

Good news that UK finally got its first 789 btw Im curious if their Dliners have them crew bunks for ULH or not ?

Also can anyone lemme know wether AI has got'm bunks in their 788s cause apparently I have been following their 788 on NON STOP DEL - IAD which to me is the longest 788 route I've ever seen...So really curious to know how they are managing it !

Thank ya folks
God Bless ya'll !!

For UK, the first few, I think 4 will not have crew rest but the others probably will. It is not confirmed yet from what I know. The first few ones will be for LH flying and the others will be for ULH.

AI on the other hand has crew bunks on VT-ANY and later, ie ANZ, NAA, NAC. The other 23 do not, based on the info I have.

pune wrote:

VTORD wrote:

JOYA380B747 wrote:

This is why I drive to BOM directly from my hospital in Pune (a 2.5-3 hr trip), park at T2, fly to DEL/MAA, return to BOM next day, pay approx 1500-2000 Rs in T2 parking, fill petrol at Khalapur toll, return home and end up spending much less time on the trip (and only marginally more money) than I would have had I done it from PNQ.

At the end of the day however, I'm way more tired and not at all happy doing this. I just curse the MH government and the sad state of affairs of this state.

That's rough!!
And I wonder how many such people are there, like you. MH government is truly pathetic! But hey it was important to add the word "Maharaj" the name of the airport.

It's a touchy subject. The problem is most of the land that was demanded and is being demanded even in the new locations are prime agricultural lands. Also the Government processes are usually unfair and lopsided especially when big land acquisition processes happen. This is what happened in Gujarat, this is the PM's pet project and in this you can see the issues -

https://www.downtoearth.org.in/news/gov ... fair-67205

https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/ne ... 332249.cms

With the Government's attitudes towards farmers un-friendly (could give lot of links and most have also come in business papers) is it unwise for farmers to be unwilling to part with their land, irrespective of whoever is in the Govt. either at the State or the Center.

Not sure how you are drawing any conclusions but Dholera airport is mainly over the wasteland.

Opposition is coming from AMD users who now will have to commute over longer distances. But AMD is growing at over 20% YoY and will soon run out of capacity during peak hrs. Even expanding the taxi way will require land acquisition by destroying people’s homes.

Not sure what you will describe as a ‘friendly’ way to develop infrastructure.

airboss787 wrote:

FligtReporter wrote:

Hey Folks !!

Good news that UK finally got its first 789 btw Im curious if their Dliners have them crew bunks for ULH or not ?

Also can anyone lemme know wether AI has got'm bunks in their 788s cause apparently I have been following their 788 on NON STOP DEL - IAD which to me is the longest 788 route I've ever seen...So really curious to know how they are managing it !

Thank ya folks
God Bless ya'll !!

For UK, the first few, I think 4 will not have crew rest but the others probably will. It is not confirmed yet from what I know. The first few ones will be for LH flying and the others will be for ULH.

AI on the other hand has crew bunks on VT-ANY and later, ie ANZ, NAA, NAC. The other 23 do not, based on the info I have.

Thanks for the valuable info..I wonder if Airbus A330-900Neo or even A333s would have been a better option for these Long Hauls but its their decision and as long as the product is solid and comforts the passengers its good for their business and thats what eventually matters !

Thanks again Bruh !

Vistara delivery video
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=OcXG5bfKXb0

American Airlines 787 flight from Seattle to BLR will originate in LAX (Los Angeles) such that it will also have the same flight number all the way from LAX to BLR and back (via Seattle). fares to BLR on this flight are roughly 50 percent if originating from LAX than from Seattle. Windfall for LAX originating passengers.
https://onemileatatime.com/american-air ... re-flight/

FligtReporter wrote:

airboss787 wrote:

FligtReporter wrote:

Hey Folks !!

Good news that UK finally got its first 789 btw Im curious if their Dliners have them crew bunks for ULH or not ?

Also can anyone lemme know wether AI has got'm bunks in their 788s cause apparently I have been following their 788 on NON STOP DEL - IAD which to me is the longest 788 route I've ever seen...So really curious to know how they are managing it !

Thank ya folks
God Bless ya'll !!

For UK, the first few, I think 4 will not have crew rest but the others probably will. It is not confirmed yet from what I know. The first few ones will be for LH flying and the others will be for ULH.

AI on the other hand has crew bunks on VT-ANY and later, ie ANZ, NAA, NAC. The other 23 do not, based on the info I have.

Thanks for the valuable info..I wonder if Airbus A330-900Neo or even A333s would have been a better option for these Long Hauls but its their decision and as long as the product is solid and comforts the passengers its good for their business and thats what eventually matters !

Thanks again Bruh !

No problem at all. Good to have you back again! I think the problem with the 330neo is that it has very little sales and the resale is not very good. The most important is that the 787 provides a family of aircraft at the same operating cost but with different capacities to cater to different demand structures. That is probably a big plus when Vistara hopefully decides to order the -10 later for high density routes. The 330-800 is quite dead and the only viable option is 330-900.

I won't be surprised if IndiGo maybe orders the 787 down the road in a few years for that same flexibility if they are looking for that.

airboss787 wrote:

FligtReporter wrote:

airboss787 wrote:

For UK, the first few, I think 4 will not have crew rest but the others probably will. It is not confirmed yet from what I know. The first few ones will be for LH flying and the others will be for ULH.

AI on the other hand has crew bunks on VT-ANY and later, ie ANZ, NAA, NAC. The other 23 do not, based on the info I have.

Thanks for the valuable info..I wonder if Airbus A330-900Neo or even A333s would have been a better option for these Long Hauls but its their decision and as long as the product is solid and comforts the passengers its good for their business and thats what eventually matters !

Thanks again Bruh !

No problem at all. Good to have you back again! I think the problem with the 330neo is that it has very little sales and the resale is not very good. The most important is that the 787 provides a family of aircraft at the same operating cost but with different capacities to cater to different demand structures. That is probably a big plus when Vistara hopefully decides to order the -10 later for high density routes. The 330-800 is quite dead and the only viable option is 330-900.

I won't be surprised if IndiGo maybe orders the 787 down the road in a few years for that same flexibility if they are looking for that.

I agree,I think its better if IndiGo too gets a few 788s on order cause usually all the airports IN INDIA can accomodate them and that can fulfill their wish of connecting more cities in India to the World.

Here at my base LKO the biggest daily aircraft is 333 of SAUDIA but I have seen an AI 747 also 787 in here So I guess if 6E does get 788s it may get more pax at cost effective range to even EU and FAR EAST ASIAn destinations from Cities like LKO,JAI,IXC,CNN etc.

edealinfo wrote:

American Airlines 787 flight from Seattle to BLR will originate in LAX (Los Angeles) such that it will also have the same flight number all the way from LAX to BLR and back (via Seattle). fares to BLR on this flight are roughly 50 percent if originating from LAX than from Seattle. Windfall for LAX originating passengers.
https://onemileatatime.com/american-air ... re-flight/

hey bruh..hope your doing great !

Thats a great news for BLR residents and those lookin forward to visitin the States from Karnataka.I think the Route of this flight will either be over CCU,VTZ,HYD and then BLR or Straight from north DEL,BHO, and straight down..I hope sometime it flies over my base (LKO) so I get to Spot it but definitely lucky for BLR Spotters and Avgeeks and overall City.

Btw isnt it the right time for BLR to have its own US CONSULATE as well ? I mean its weird that BLR and surrounding areas' residents have to apply at MAA or HYD whereas BLR itself is the only and FIRST SOUTH INDAN City to be connected NON STOP with the US.

I think Its high time BLR gets its own US CONSULATE !

vadodara wrote:

pune wrote:

VTORD wrote:

That's rough!!
And I wonder how many such people are there, like you. MH government is truly pathetic! But hey it was important to add the word "Maharaj" the name of the airport.

It's a touchy subject. The problem is most of the land that was demanded and is being demanded even in the new locations are prime agricultural lands. Also the Government processes are usually unfair and lopsided especially when big land acquisition processes happen. This is what happened in Gujarat, this is the PM's pet project and in this you can see the issues -

https://www.downtoearth.org.in/news/gov ... fair-67205

https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/ne ... 332249.cms

With the Government's attitudes towards farmers un-friendly (could give lot of links and most have also come in business papers) is it unwise for farmers to be unwilling to part with their land, irrespective of whoever is in the Govt. either at the State or the Center.

Not sure how you are drawing any conclusions but Dholera airport is mainly over the wasteland.

Opposition is coming from AMD users who now will have to commute over longer distances. But AMD is growing at over 20% YoY and will soon run out of capacity during peak hrs. Even expanding the taxi way will require land acquisition by destroying people’s homes.

Not sure what you will describe as a ‘friendly’ way to develop infrastructure.

I am only sharing what was agreed by the Govt. and then backed out. When the talks had started, they had said we would pay market rates and have one person employed in Indian Railways (could have been cleaner, people in maintainance, driver, signal men etc. the list is endless especially in Indian Railways) but they turned their backs on the promises made. The same is true for civil aviation. When people give away land, they want just compensation + jobs as you are taking their only source of livelihood. On top of that if you put them somewhere which doesn't have any facilities, you are condeming them. This is not Govt. is supposed to help people. It is supposed to give livelihood, not take it away, if it's the latter then why do we need Govt. at all, at least on local level.

FligtReporter wrote:

airboss787 wrote:

FligtReporter wrote:

Hey Folks !!

Good news that UK finally got its first 789 btw Im curious if their Dliners have them crew bunks for ULH or not ?

Also can anyone lemme know wether AI has got'm bunks in their 788s cause apparently I have been following their 788 on NON STOP DEL - IAD which to me is the longest 788 route I've ever seen...So really curious to know how they are managing it !

Thank ya folks
God Bless ya'll !!

For UK, the first few, I think 4 will not have crew rest but the others probably will. It is not confirmed yet from what I know. The first few ones will be for LH flying and the others will be for ULH.

AI on the other hand has crew bunks on VT-ANY and later, ie ANZ, NAA, NAC. The other 23 do not, based on the info I have.

Thanks for the valuable info..I wonder if Airbus A330-900Neo or even A333s would have been a better option for these Long Hauls but its their decision and as long as the product is solid and comforts the passengers its good for their business and thats what eventually matters !

Thanks again Bruh !

Nice to see you and your positive infectious attitude again! Methinks if ever 6E orders widebodies in the 2020s (even though it has declined for now), it will buy either the A330neo or the A350.

Whether they will have crew rests or not is anyone’s guess, but it is highly unlikely that 6E cabin crew will rest anywhere other than jumpseats, where they have for over a decade.

VTCIE wrote:

FligtReporter wrote:

airboss787 wrote:

For UK, the first few, I think 4 will not have crew rest but the others probably will. It is not confirmed yet from what I know. The first few ones will be for LH flying and the others will be for ULH.

AI on the other hand has crew bunks on VT-ANY and later, ie ANZ, NAA, NAC. The other 23 do not, based on the info I have.

Thanks for the valuable info..I wonder if Airbus A330-900Neo or even A333s would have been a better option for these Long Hauls but its their decision and as long as the product is solid and comforts the passengers its good for their business and thats what eventually matters !

Thanks again Bruh !

Nice to see you and your positive infectious attitude again! Methinks if ever 6E orders widebodies in the 2020s (even though it has declined for now), it will buy either the A330neo or the A350.

Whether they will have crew rests or not is anyone’s guess, but it is highly unlikely that 6E cabin crew will rest anywhere other than jumpseats, where they have for over a decade.

Thanks bruh...Yeah Seems 6E will stick to their 320s 321s I think before buying any widebody they will do their best "JUGAAD" to get their A321s to UK and if not UK at least Switzerland,Kenya,Japan,Korea etc nd if that means making their crew rest in the landing gears area lolz

Getting WBs in the current environment would be the stupidest move. A load controlled A321XLR is best suited for Indian carriers. If Int long haul doesn't work, the frame can be used for domestic use.

Let's see how Vistara survives with additional WB drag on the already loss-making operation.

One can only hope UK is not going through a typical euphoria-disdain cycle, Now woo, hah and later every pretends to be surprised why so much debt.

dtw2hyd wrote:

Getting WBs in the current environment would be the stupidest move. A load controlled A321XLR is best suited for Indian carriers. If Int long haul doesn't work, the frame can be used for domestic use.

Let's see how Vistara survives with additional WB drag on the already loss-making operation.

One can only hope UK is not going through a typical euphoria-disdain cycle, Now woo, hah and later every pretends to be surprised why so much debt.

1. Indigo has already stated that they will avoid wide body and go with the A 320xlr so you are right.

2. Sometime back, I listened to a recording of the earnings call, and one of the founders, who is based in The USA totally dominated the call and answered all the questions from the reporters including stuff such as strategy, etc, heck even IndiGo’s CEO seemed pale in comparison and sort of let the USA based founder answer all questions some of which should technically be in the domain of the ceo. I have to say this founder is exceptionally sharp and knows the airline business inside out. Surprisingly, the India based founder was silent for most part other than answering the mundane stuff.

3. The USA based founder was totally against wide body aircraft and I suspect if he wasn’t around, indigo may have gone for long haul aircraft.

4. Poor Vistara. The timing of taking delivery of 787 couldn’t be any worse. I wonder if they will lose more money if they fly the aircraft than if they let it sit on the ground. Regardless, their route planning department must be faulted for having a year to plan and then bing totally clueless, as to where they intend to fly these planes once they took delivery. In the video link that I posted above, I was not impressed with Vistara’s ceo. Too bad Tata can’t hire Tim Clarke when he retires from Emirates in a few months.

FlightReporter,
Welcome back!

I know you would probably want the Tatas to win the bid for air India but they have a major headwind. The potent Mr. Swamy. I think the government structured the sale so as to favor the Tatas but don’t rule out what damage the Swamy can do. As someone else on this forum rightly pointed out, Swamy’s tussle with air Asia India , is only a ruse to go after a bigger fish - Vistara and their plans to have a large presence in the skies with air India. The question is which master does Swamy serve on aviation matters? Or is he just getting back at the Tatas because they don’t pay him homage? Frankly, it could be either one or both. If the former, it would be interesting to know whose interests he serves. It certainly is not Air India employees, which is just another clever ruse.

The irony of the whole thing is if Vistara takes over air India it could actually lead to Vistara’s collapse which presumably is the dream of the Swamy.

Great News for my base (LKO)

IndiGo is commencing its ATR flights from my base to AGR ( EF. 29.03.2020 ) and I have become possibly the first passenger to have booked that flight

Last time I flew to Agra was Via DEL and then took AI flight to Khajuraho via VNS and that gave me an outstanding view of the Taj and Agra Fort whilst departing out of AGR enroute HJR.

Finally my wish of visiting the Taj Mahal will be fulfilled by IndiGo.I hope 6E starts a flight from LKO to VNS as well as LKO to HJR that would be just a dream come true for me as a monthly Getaway flight

Thank you 6E !!

edealinfo wrote:

FlightReporter,
Welcome back!

I know you would probably want the Tatas to win the bid for air India but they have a major headwind. The potent Mr. Swamy. I think the government structured the sale so as to favor the Tatas but don’t rule out what damage the Swamy can do. As someone else on this forum rightly pointed out, Swamy’s tussle with air Asia India , is only a ruse to go after a bigger fish - Vistara and their plans to have a large presence in the skies with air India. The question is which master does Swamy serve on aviation matters? Or is he just getting back at the Tatas because they don’t pay him homage? Frankly, it could be either one or both. If the former, it would be interesting to know whose interests he serves. It certainly is not Air India employees, which is just another clever ruse.

Thanks bruh,I hope this post finds you in the best of your health and mood !

honestly,Im already over with AI and dont really care about what the future holds for them because it looks all messy beyond comprehension.

And about UK then I guess as long as they do things right and keep their planes filled with enough pax to stay profitable then they would be flying for long and if not then its Kingfisher Part 2 lolz.

You know i have been so depressed lately and then adding to my missery I lost so much of my money on my trip to Thailand which I had to cancel due to corona ish cause it was all booked back in December while China was busy hiding this Ish from the world...Finally flying to HYD via DEL this month and then also to AGR so a little hope of happiness.