The event not only celebrated the chapter's annual gathering but also marked a significant milestone as the chapter commemorated its 10th anniversary
kt network1 hour ago
Air passengers face the grim prospects of high air fares and fewer flight choices as several airlines cancel operations due to a number of reasons including the grounding of 737-MAX aircraft.
According to industry insiders, some sectors have shown a rise of more than 100 per cent in last minute bookings.
"With an unprecedented number of planes now grounded due to various factors, reduction in seat capacity has led to an increase in fares overnight. Last minute airfares on Wednesday increased to more than 100 per cent on some key routes like Delhi-Mumbai, Mumbai-Chennai, Mumbai-Kolkata and Mumbai-Bengaluru as compared to same time last year," said Aloke Bajapi, CEO and Co-founder, ixigo.
"Spot fares for Mumbai-Chennai are touching Rs 26,073 as opposed to Rs 5,369 the same time last year. High airfare patterns are expected to continue in the short term with Holi and summer school holidays round the corner, resulting in an increased demand."
Operations of airlines like SpiceJet and Jet Airways have been hit due to the government's Wednesday decision to join a global grounding of 737-Max aircraft following a crash in Ethiopia.
In India, SpiceJet and Jet Airways operate 17 Boeing 737-800 Max aircraft - Spice (12) and Jet (5). A part of Jet fleet has already been grounded due to other reasons.
The grounding led SpiceJet to cancel 14 flights on Wednesday. This number is expected to touch 32 on Thursday.
Apart from SpiceJet, Jet Airways, which faces financial challenges, has already grounded four more aircraft over non-repayment of dues to lessors, taking the total to 32.
The company in BSE filings has said that its 19 aircraft were grounded in February over non-repayment of dues to lessors, while 13 aircraft were grounded this month, taking the total to 32. The Jet Airways Group operates a fle et of 123 aircraft.
However, around 50 planes are said to be non-operational due to a host of reasons, including lack of spare parts.
IndiGo faces massive turbulence of pilot shortage, leading to truncated flight schedule.
Earlier, the airline said that 30 of its flights which have been affected represent only 2 per cent of its network. It has decided to curtail its schedule till March 31, by about 30 flights a day.
"As a proactive measure, IndiGo has decided to continue its curtailment until the end of March. This measure has already been implemented and passengers informed," the airline said in a statement.
"These medium term cancellations have been made to minimise the impact on passengers as alternative travel options have been offered well in advance. The operations will be normalised by the start of the summer schedule."
For sometime now, Air India has grounded 17 aircraft due to technical reasons.
On Wednesday, the government had advised domestic airlines not to go in for predatory air fare pricing as several 737-Max aircraft were grounded due to safety reasons.
Civil Aviation Secretary Pradeep Singh Kharola said: "We have advised the airlines... that they should not use it (grounding) as a reason to jack up their fares."
"They have promised they will go as per normal routine. DGCA has just said that it will be monitoring all the sectors very closely."
The event not only celebrated the chapter's annual gathering but also marked a significant milestone as the chapter commemorated its 10th anniversary
kt network1 hour ago
The event will be a deep dive into the latest trends, opportunities, and challenges confronting the banking and fintech sectors
uae1 hour ago
Tournament will start on June 1 and will be played in different venues in the USA and the Caribbean
cricket2 hours ago
Starliner will remain at the International Space Station for a little over a week
aviation2 hours ago
The Australian airline is accused of illegally selling thousands of tickets for flights that had already been cancelled
world2 hours ago
The flight, if it succeeds, will become the second private firm to provide crew transport to and from the International Space Station
world3 hours ago
The musical evening, 'Romancing Tagore', will celebrate the Bard’s poetic words and music and explore his diverse influences
entertainment3 hours ago
In latest feat, Pakistan's Naila Kiani climbed world’s fifth highest peak Makalu on Sunday
uae3 hours ago