Cruising Heights - December 2022

In this issue

Cruising Heights’ December, 2022 issue mainly focusses on the newly inaugurated Terminal-2 of Kempegowda International Airport in Bengaluru. The edition analyses the story of the ongoing FIFA World Cup in Qatar. The issue also carries a detailed article on the planned merger of Air India with Vistara. The edition also carries comprehensive reports on boosting air connectivity to the north-eastern region of India, and various Indian airlines launching new domestic and international routes amidst a sectoral boom. A Panorama presentation on the proposed new international airport in Riyadh make the issue an impressive read. A back page story of a retired aircraft sitting atop a Brazilian high-rise building take the edition to an interesting conclusion. The December, 2022 issue of the magazine is a must-read for everybody.

Charter flights climb at HAL airport

Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd. (HAL) airport, which served as Bengaluru's primary airport for decades until it ceased commercial flight operations in 2008, has been seeing a steady increase in charter flight operations.

1 min

Navi Mumbai construction update

Construction at the upcoming Navi Mumbai International Airport is moving ahead rapidly with close to 18 per cent of civil progress according to the Maharashtra City Industrial Development Corporation (CIDCO).

1 min

AAI seeks more time for Meghalaya greenfield

AI has sought more time to obtain the pre-feasibility study report conducted at the new site offered by the state for implementing the greenfield airport project.

1 min

AAI looking at 100 per cent EVS by 2030

The Airports Authority of India aims to completely transition to electric vehicles for its airside and city-side operations by 2030.

1 min

Eol for Air India engineering subsidiary soon

The government may invite expressions of interest (Eol) for the sale of Air India's engineering subsidiary, Air India Engineering Services (AIESL) by January-February 2023.

1 min

India's First green grocery delivery via drones

Drone delivery firm, Skye Air Mobility joined hands with Vegrow in Himachal Pradesh to conduct its three-day-long drone delivery trials to carry over 100 kgs of apples from farmland to Vegrow Hub. This will help solve a wider transportation problem in present times.

1 min

Nepal's aviation faces punishment

The Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal on October 30, cancelled Nepal Airlines' flight to Delhi as punishment for defying instructions to move some of its international services to Bhairahawa's empty airport, and it seems that the regulator is in no mood to take things lightly.

1 min

1.52 million foreigners visited India in 2021

Due to restrictions linked to Covid-19, the number of foreign to 1.52 million compared to 2.74 million in 2020, dropping by 44.5 per cent, though foreign exchange earnings grew during the same period, as per the India Tourism Statistics 2022 report by the Ministry of Tourism.

1 min

787 deliveries' to the Middle East and African soon

After a very long halt, Boeing will soon resume deliveries of its 787 Dreamliner to airlines in the Middle East and Africa.

1 min

Germany takes delivery of A350 VIP aircraft

Lufthansa Technik recently handed over the first complete Airbus A350 to the German Armed Forces for use as a VIP transport aircraft.

1 min

MAS A380 phase-out begins

Malaysia Airline's belief that Airbus A380 doesn't fit the plan remains firm and the phasing out of Malaysia Airlines' Airbus A380 programme has started as the carrier completes the first delivery of its superjumbo jet to Tarbes, France from Kuala Lumpur.

1 min

Etihad participates in World Energy's net-zero programme

Etihad Airways and World Energy, a carbon-net-zero solutions provider, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to establish a long-term strategic partnership to decarbonize flights through in-sector emissions reductions.

1 min

SpiceJet's booming loss

SpiceJet in mid-November reported a net loss of 837.8 Crore for the quarter ending September 30, 2022, as compared to a net loss of ₹561.7 Crore in the quarter ending 30 September 2021, as business was hit by record high fuel prices, depreciating Rupee in the traditionally weak quarter.

1 min

Colorful Guizhou Airlines' first Chinese SAF flight

Colorful Guizhou Airlines recently conducted a domestic flight powered by jet fuel with a 10 per cent sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) blend as a part of its partnership with Airbus.

1 min

The Gulf hubs get hot

The Gulf is heating up. All the hubs are seeing tremendous footfalls and not just because of the FIFA World Cup 2022.

1 min

BLR: A 'Garden' Check-in

Phase one of Bengaluru Airport (BLR)'s Terminal 2 was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on November 11. Recognized as the best in India at the Skytrax World Airport Awards 2022, it was awarded the prestigious title of the Best Regional Airport in India and South Asia after a global survey that included air passengers, who said that it had the best service. Now with the addition of T2, it is looking to ramp up its act a notch higher. A special report.

9 mins

Air Power and India's Northeast

India's Northeast is being connected to the rest of India as never before. With the operationalisation of Hollongi Airport in Arunachal Pradesh state's capital of Itanagar, every state in the region is now connected with the rest of India. A report on the region and its aviation potential.

9 mins

Air India+Vistara= Air India

What was evident the day the Tatas took over Air India has now become a reality - the merger of four brands into one Air India. It is the first step in a long-haul to recreate the magic of the country's national carrier and give India a world-class airline.

7 mins

FAA certifies P&W Falcon 6X powerplant

The FAA has certified the PW812D T turbofan engine that will power Dassault's Falcon 6X, Pratt & Whitney Canada (P&WC) announced today. It's the third aviation regulator to approve the P&WC engine variant.

1 min

Rolls Royce's low-emission combustion system takes off

Rolls-Royce has successfully entered the final phase of testing its ALECSys (Advanced Low Emissions Combustion System) demonstrator engine, this time at altitude.

1 min

P&W working to sort out India's engine woes

Boeing has temporarily paused 777-9 test flights due to an unspecified issue with the General Electric 9X engine. Both Boeing and GE Aerospace have launched a joint investigation into the problem.

1 min

IndiGo launches second MRO at Bengaluru

Indi IndiGo, India's leading carrier inaugurated its second maintenance repair and overhaul (MRO) facility at the Kempegowda International Airport on November 17.

1 min

P&W working to sort out India's engine woes

IndiGo and Go First's engine troubles will soon see a resolution as Pratt & Whitney is reportedly aiming to clear the backlog in the next three months.

1 min

MIAL's swanky new GA terminal

Mumbai International Airport (MIAL) has launched the all-new, renovated General Aviation terminal facility, exclusively for private jets from November.

1 min

Protests against private jets

Business aviation operations faced disruptive protests in locations across Europe in November with private jet terminals in the UK, Italy, Germany, and the Netherlands targeted.

1 min

HondaJet gets a big boost

Fractional aircraft provider Volato has announced an order for the Honda Aircraft-manufactured twinjets to 40.

1 min

Falcon owners get together

The Independent The Independent Falcon Aircraft Operators Association (IFAOA) held its first annual meeting last month at the Frontiers of Flight Museum in Dallas, drawing more than 70 attendees who are owners and operators of the Dassault Falcon business jets.

1 min

DELTA PAID A DOCTOR TO DECLARE A PILOT MENTALLY ILL

Delta Air Lines just settled with one of its pilots for $500,000 plus legal fees but refused to acknowledge wrongdoing in an astonishing chain of events that might simply put you off Delta.

1 min

MAN HOLDS RAZOR BLADE TO WOMAN'S THROAT

Encountering a heavily intoxicated passenger on a flight is usually enough to keep some on their toes, but facing a razor-bladewaving drunk passenger is a whole different feeling altogether.

1 min

A DRUNK MAN BITES ATTENDANT'S FINGER

A Turkish Airlines flight from Istanbul to Jakarta in Indonesia was forced to make an emergency diversion to Malaysia's Kuala Lumpur Medan airport after a drunken passenger attacked a cabin crew member.

1 min

10-YEAR BATTLE WON

A black Air France steward won a 10-year legal battle for the right to work with braided hair on flights after a decision by France's highest appeals court.

1 min

A COUPLE FORCES THE ENTIRE FRONTIER AIRLINES FLIGHT TO DISEMBARK

A selfish couple forced an entire Frontier Airlines flight to disembark after they rushed aboard the plane without proper boarding passes - then screamed at crew members who tried to stop them.

1 min

CAT STOWED AWAY IN CHECKED BAG

The Transportation Security Administration has found some weird things in passengers' luggage -- including eels, a human skull and a cannon barrel.

1 min

Cargo coming to the rescue of airlines?

It seems that air cargo is having some of its best times in India and coming to the rescue of airlines in the country, which are fighting financial challenges as passenger's arms are struggling.

2 mins

Cathay Pacific in talks for freighters

Cathay Pacific Airways is in talks with aircraft manufacturers about orders for medium-haul aircraft and dedicated freighters.

1 min

Lufthansa Cargo resumes Hyderabad freighter service

Lufthansa Cargo has resumed its scheduled freighter services from GMR Hyderabad International Airport and will be operating a Boeing 777 freighter connecting FrankfurtMumbai-Hyderabad-Frankfurt.

1 min

Skycargo to be 18 aircraft strong by 2024

Nabil Sultan, Emirates Senior Vice President of the Cargo Department, confirmed that Emirates SkyCargo, the cargo arm of Emirates Airlines, has begun studying increasing the capacity of its cargo facilities at Al Maktoum International Airport, with plans to add new facilities.

1 min

IndiGo CarGo commences operations

IndiGo has commenced operations of its first A321 Freighter aircraft between Delhi and Mumbai, effective November 15.

1 min

India, Afghanistan Ink Deal To Reopen Air Corridor

The air corridor between India and Afghanistan has been reopened and the trade between the countries would resume, officials in the Ministry of Industry and Commerce in Kabul said, according to Bakhtar News Agency.

1 min

An aircraft on my roof!

It's World Cup time and no one celebrates football better than the Brazilians. And count on them to produce items that are sure to go 'viral' or 'instagrammable'.

1 min

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Cruising Heights Magazine Description:

CRUISING HEIGHTS is India's best known monthly aviation magazine with equal interests in air cargo, travel and tourism. In its four years of existence, Cruising Heights has received accolades from the Minister of Civil Aviation, Aviation CEOs, Airport Developers, Travel Agents Associations and others for its path-breaking stories.One of the first true aviation magazines of the country, Cruising Heights was started with the idea of supporting professionals in the airline business to make informed choices on a variety of subjects from ground handling to cargo to airport development-all of which are transforming the Indian aviation scene in mind-boggling ways. Later, due to the interest it generated and in response to demands from the travel and tourism industry stakeholders we have targeted the general reader-the educated Indian who is keen to be an informed Indian-to know what's happening in the business.