Air India introduces online check-in option

Air India has launched a new service that will allow passengers taking flights to India to check-in online.

The carrier will open check-in 48 hours before departure for domestic and international flights originating from Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, Bangalore and Hyderabad, reported Express Buzz.

Passengers will be able to print out their own boarding pass and once at the airport will be able to go directly to security checks rather than check-in.

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Air India's Dreamliners – Deployment on Short-haul Routes First

The national carrier of India, Air India is contriving to deploy its new Boeing 787 Dreamliner to operate domestic routes and short-haul international air travel starting from the second week of June. The decision has been taken by the airline to expand enough crew resources. 

Amidst the dark clouds haunting the Indian aviation sector, the news comes as music to the ears of the holiday makers planning domestic travel or taking tickets on short-haul international flights to India. 

Air India is contriving to deploy Dreamliner on one of its scheduled return flights from Delhi to Mumbai and Hyderabad which are currently operated with another aircraft. Whereas the short-haul international destinations served by the airline’s new aircraft will be Singapore and Dubai. India remains a popular holiday destination and people in such cities would definitely like to explore the charm of the country by flying on the world’s most fuel-efficient aircraft and who knows they might even land up with cheap flights to India!

Air India has become the third international airline to receive the Boeing 787 after All Nippon Airways and Japan Airlines. The aircraft has capacity to accommodate up to 210 and 250 passengers on routes of 14,200 km to 15,200 km. 

As per the news reports, the training for Air India’s crew depends upon the number of landings they undertake with the Dreamliner and it may become a long-drawn-out course if the airline decides to operate its aircraft on international long-haul routes such as Europe, Australia and the United States.

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Air India’s First Boeing-Dreamliner to Be Revealed Next Week

Online sources revealed that Boeing is all set to deliver Air India’s first 7 'Dreamliners' out of the 27 planes order. The US aircraft builder informed that 'Dreamliners' would land in Hyderabad next week during the India Aviation 2012.

However, the airline is believed to induct the dreamliners in May after the operational and technical certifications from the US Federal Aviation Administration, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation and other agencies.

Air India’s 787 dreamliners will feature its quintessential livery that includes distinctive 'red and white' colours portraying flying swan with the 'Konark Chakra'.

A Boeing spokesperson said, "The super-efficient Boeing-787 Dreamliner is set to make its debut at Hyderabad as part of Boeing's commercial products showcase at the 2012 India Aviation Airshow".

He aforesaid that the Dreamliner aircrafts were set to land at Begumpet Airport on the eve of the Hyderabad airshow and will remain on static display till March 16.

Air India, popular for offering cheap tickets for flights to India, has been expecting the delivery for almost three years and has sought a heavy compensation from Boeing.

In order to manage the anticipated financial burden after this deal, the airline has decided to sell and leaseback the first seven Boeing-787’s. The airline has also started looking for bridge financing worth USD 230 million.

However, the decision to curtail the order or leaseback all the planes or purchase some of them outright rests with the Indian government. The government also seeks to sort out the compensation issues before Air India starts inducting these dreamliners.

Air India plans to replace the B-777 aircrafts with Boeing-787s on its long-haul, non-stop flights including US and Canada. So holiday makers can now expect Boeing-787 to be best choice for netting tickets on long-haul flights to India.

Boeing 787 - Game Changer

The Boeing spokesperson while informing about Air India’s Boeing 787 said, it will feature "Beautifully designed interiors with warm colours, a luxurious business-class cabin, overhead crew rest compartments and an economy-class section,"

Details on the number of seats in both classes of travel are still unavailable due to commercial reasons.

Boeing's Senior Vice-President (Sales) Dinesh Keskar said, "The 787 Dreamliner is a game changer and we are proud to bring it to India Aviation 2012, which is a perfect place to showcase the world's most advanced commercial airplane."

Boeing claims 787s to be 20 percent more fuel-efficient as compared to other similarly-sized aircrafts. If Boeing’s claims are to be believed, then Air India might just become a more popular choice for travellers looking for tickets on cheap flights to India. But it remains to be seen if the airline would be keen on passing on the savings from greater fuel efficiency to delight travellers with cheap flight to Indiaand other destinations.

Air India's plane acquisition programme from Boeing, including the Boeing 787s has been supported by the US Exim Bank. The bank’s support amounts to USD 3.4 billion.

Reference: News Source

India’s Private Airlines will Fly Overseas Along with Air India

The government of India has decided to permit private Indian airlines to expand operations on foreign routes. While this policy will boost the private carriers’ health, it spells stiff competition for the national carrier, Air India.

In a massive push to private Indian carriers, the Indian civil aviation ministry ended Tuesday the freeze on them to expand their operations on foreign routes.

The freeze was imposed on Indian domestic carriers by the government of India in March last year so as to guard the national airline of the country, Air India, from competition on foreign routes.

The announcement made by the Indian government has brought a sigh of relief for the private operators who had been seeking for authorization to fly overseas routes, which so far were to be first offered to Air India as a part of the flag carrier’s exclusive Right of First Refusal.

While discussing the new agreement on Tuesday, the Civil Aviation Ministry of India was reported as saying: “The Government has decided to allow Indian scheduled carriers, including Air India, to utilise the allocated bilateral till such time they reach the maximum permissible limit under Air Service Agreements (ASAs)”.

In addition to encouraging codeshare agreements between Indian and foreign airlines, steps will be taken for promoting development of hubs for Indian carriers to carry Sixth Freedom traffic and attain a dominating position in the region, the ministry further said.

According to the Sixth freedom right of aviation, airlines can carry travellers or cargo from a second country to a third country by providing a stopover in their own country.

Impact of New Agreement of Air India

Air India is amongst top names that crop in mind of the holiday makers while departing India or booking flights to India. Though the state-run airline serves many destinations including Asia, Australia, Europe and North America, it has been facing several financial crises for quite long.

As per the Internet sources, the new agreement could put an unpleasant impact on Air India. The airline that at present holds over 20 per cent market share of international air travel from India will now experience tough competition from other private carriers including IngiGo, SpiceJet and Jet Airways to name a few.

On the other hand, the agreement can be really rewarding for the flyers, as with the boost in the number of flights operating on international routes, they might be able to gain cheap flight tickets. Even the international flyers seeking flights to India will also have a multiple options to choose from.

High Hopes of Private Carriers with New Agreement

The new agreement will certainly give a significant boost to the Indian domestic carriers who are willing to operate more flights on International routes.

For instance, Spicejet, a low-cost airline known for offering cheap flight tickets is presently serving flights to destinations like Colombo and Kathmandu. The airline is seeking permission to begin flights to Male, Dhaka apart from two destinations in the Commonwealth of Independent States which include Armenia, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Turkmenistan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan.

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Delhi High Court Saves the Day-Air India Strike is Off

The Delhi High Court came to the rescue of thousands of domestic as well as overseas travellers stranded in India due to the two day flash strike by Air India employees. The court issued a stay order on the stir till 13th July. A lawsuit had been filed against the striking employees in both New Delhi and Mumbai by the National Aviation Co of India Ltd. This is a state run body, which operates Air India. Although, the strike reflects badly on the carrier, but it should not put of passengers from selecting Air India as an option, while booking flights to India. The fact remains that Air India is one of the cheapest airlines among the Indian aviation players. As far as the strike is concerned, the airline came down heavily upon the culprits and there are reports that as many as 15 employees have been dismissed from services.

In addition, the Delhi High Court has also ordered that further agitations, which were to start from 31st May be deferred till 31st July. The court even authorised the government to enforce the Essential Services Maintenance Act to tackle the situation. Also the fact that the Union Government extended its full support to Air India management in quelling the strike reflects the government’s no nonsense attitude towards such matters. So, if you are looking for cheap flights to India, Air India need not be summarily dismissed.