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NEW DELHI/PARIS, June 20 (Reuters) - Record plane orders by India's top two carriers show the country's untapped potential for air travel and its rise as an aviation superpower, but recent airline failures and rows over regulations suggest progress may not be smooth. A day later, rival Air India firmed up an order for 470 Airbus and Boeing (BA.N) aircraft that, until Monday, had been the industry leading plane deal. LEASING CONCERNSBut while the opportunity in India is big, so are the risks, says Ameya Joshi, an independent aviation analyst. Leasing companies warn that restrictions on repossessing their assets in case of defaults will drive up costs for all Indian airlines - even for IndiGo and Air India. It will eventually help Indian airlines by lowering risk and moderating lease rental costs," said Joshi.

Persons: India's, Jyotiraditya Scindia, planemakers, Ameya Joshi, Joshi, Aditi Shah, Tim Hepher, Joanna Plucinska, Mark Potter Organizations: NEW, Paris, Airbus, Air India, Boeing, Air, CAPA India, planemakers, IndiGo, lessors, Thomson Locations: NEW DELHI, PARIS, Air India, India, New Delhi, outdoing U.S, Paris

Air freight flies in the bellies of passenger planes and dedicated freighters, most of which are converted planes. A Boeing 777 that is being converted into a cargo plane in Fort Worth, Texas, March 7, 2023. An old first-class suite on a former Nordwind Boeing 777 slated to be converted to a freighter, March 7, 2023. Aircraft technicians work on a Boeing 777 that is being converted into a cargo plane in Fort Worth, Texas, March 7, 2023. An aircraft technician works on a Boeing 777 that is being converted into a cargo plane in Fort Worth, Texas, March 7, 2023.

Persons: Leslie Josephs Organizations: Air, Baltic Air, Boeing, CNBC, CNBC Technicians, Aircraft, Companies, CNBC CNBC, Aspire, Mammoth, Fort Worth , Texas — Locations: Fort Worth , Texas, Texas, Singapore

NEW DELHI, May 30 (Reuters) - India's aviation watchdog has put on hold requests from lessors to repossess planes from Go First, as the airline's bankruptcy process imposes a freeze on assets which supersedes such requests, the regulator said in a court filing seen by Reuters. Lessors of Go First have locked horns with Go First and India's Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) to reclaim its planes for missed payments, filing as many as 40 requests with the watchdog to allow repossession. Go First's lessors include Standard Chartered's Pembroke Aircraft Leasing, SMBC, CDB Aviation's GY Aviation Leasing and BOC Aviation. India has ratified the treaty but the DGCA argued there was no local legislation enforcing it, rendering it ineffective. The DGCA filing said local laws "prevail over provisions of any international treaty that India is a signatory to".

☆ China's travel recovery gets more attention, but India's outbound market is 'booming' even faster
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-26 | by ( Charmaine Jacob | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Company data showed that while outbound travel searches from most Asia-Pacific countries increased between 30% and 60% from 2019, searches from travelers in India jumped by 225%. Thailand, Singapore and Indonesia are top picks for Indian travelers. "Vietnam is within the top five destinations and it was never there in 2019," Morgenshtern said. "There's this perception that the Indian traveler's economic power is very low. It may be true domestically, but when it comes to outbound, I actually think it's on par with the Chinese when they visit other Asian countries," Agoda's Morgenshtern said.

☆ Strikes, Delays and Lost Luggage: How to Survive Air Travel This Summer
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-25 | by ( Elaine Glusac | The New York Times | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +27 min

Illustration by Yukai Du Strikes, Delays and Lost Luggage: How to Survive Air Travel This Summer With the travel season in full swing, we compiled a guide to help you navigate the year’s most hectic time in the skies. If you don’t care which beach, shop around.” If you haven’t booked summer flights, do it now. For one, avoiding the airports with the highest levels of delays and cancellations last summer may be a good idea. They’re also getting longer inside airport lounges, longtime havens from the masses clogging the terminals at peak times. Standard membership in Priority Pass, a network of 1,300 airport lounges, starts at $99 a year, with each visit costing $35 at that level.

Persons: Yukai Du, we’ve, haven’t, Hopper, What’s, ”, Laura Lindsay, Ted Rossman, Priceline, Mr, Rossman, Charlotte Douglas, Toronto Pearson, it’s, “, Carter Langston, Rhonda Lawson, C.B.P, you’ve, you’re, You’ll, Lawson, Emmanuel Macron, Tomasz Pawliszyn, Jamie Larounis, Larounis, they’re, SITA —, They’re, Eric Goldmann of Atlanta Organizations: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Google, Miami, JetBlue, Heathrow Airport, Amsterdam Schiphol, Gatwick, Air Canada, Labor, Newark Liberty International, La Guardia Airport, Kennedy Airport, Reagan, Miami International, Orlando International, Boston Logan International, Charlotte Douglas International, Toronto Pearson, Federal Aviation Administration, Washington , D.C, Customs, Western, Gulf, Phoenix, Transportation Security Administration, Global, Border Protection, Clear, PreCheck, Heathrow, Air, SNCF, U.S . State Department, Smart, Union, Travelers, New Tech, Airlines, Lufthansa, Siemens, Alaska Airlines, KLM, U.S . Bureau of Transportation Statistics, Apple, The Department of Transportation, American, Venture, Dallas Fort Worth International, JPMorgan Chase, Club, Chase Sapphire Reserve, Americas Locations: Europe, United States, Asia, San Francisco, Jacksonville, Fla, Miami, London, Amsterdam, U.S, La, New York, Washington, Charlotte, N.C, Newark, Orlando, Toronto, Sydney, Jakarta, Frankfurt, Munich, Heathrow, Washington ,, States, Denver, Seattle, Reno, Nev, Gulf Coast, Atlantic, Houston , New Orleans, Atlanta, Luton, T.S.A, ’, noncitizens, France, Britain, Italy, Germany, Berlin, Dutch, Swiss, Delta, United, Hong Kong, Dallas, Boston, North, Central, South America, Dallas , Newark

☆ It’s Not Your Imagination: First Class Is Getting Bigger
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-18 | by ( Julie Weed | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

Premium seat prices fell during the pandemic because business travelers weren’t flying, said Mr. Slotnick, giving leisure travelers a chance to experience life at the front of the plane in first, business and premium economy seats. Aircraft are being upgraded with more premium seating to increase revenue per flight, Mr. Lopinto said. United, for example, has increased the capacity of domestic premium seating — which includes Economy Plus and first class — by 25 percent overall compared with the beginning of 2019. In North America, there will be more than 53 premium seats per flight by 2026, about 75 percent more than there were in 2019. On some planes that fly internationally, United expanded the number of business class seats to 46 from 30 by removing some of the economy seats.

☆ Russian airlines have received millions of US-made aircraft parts since the invasion of Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-17 | by ( Taylor Rains | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Over $14.4 million worth of US-made aircraft parts illegally entered Russia in 2022. Millions of dollars worth of aircraft parts entered Russia in 2022 despite Western sanctions preventing exports — suggesting the strategy isn't as bulletproof as governments had hoped. The aviation sector was expected to take a big hit as Russian carriers — including Rossiya Airlines, Aeroflot, Ural Airlines, S7 Airlines, Utair Aviation, and Pobeda Airlines — mostly fly Boeing and Airbus planes. With the influx of parts, Russian carriers have been able to better maintain their fleets — a reality that was not initially anticipated by experts, Bloomberg reported. Even so, Russian airlines have scheduled over 10,000 flights between Russia and Central Asia in May, per the NYT.

☆ Why Alaska is getting rid of several dozen jets in high demand by airlines after only flying them for roughly 5 years
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-13 | by ( Taylor Rains | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Alaska Airlines is retiring its 10 remaining Airbus A321neo aircraft on September 30. Alaska Airlines is on track to be an all-Boeing operator by year's end. In a recent earnings call, the Seattle-based carrier said the remaining 10 planes in its Airbus A321neo fleet will be retired by fall 2023. Alaska once had 72 Airbus aircraft after merging with Virgin America in 2018 and has already gotten rid of its A319 and A320ceo aircraft as of January 2023. With all of the Airbus planes gone, Alaska will only operate Boeing 737 jets in its mainline fleet.

☆ Airlines are offering more U.S.-Europe service than ever — but don't expect bargains
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-13 | by ( Leslie Josephs | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Airlines scheduled a near-record 51,000 flights from June through August from the U.S. to Europe, according to airline data firm Cirium. The number of scheduled seats is the highest since 2018. Despite that increase in capacity across the Atlantic, fares are up sharply as airlines test travelers' appetites for trips abroad. JetBlue is flying to London's two largest airports from New York and Boston, and plans to launch service to Paris from New York in June. Delta plans to offer a record number of seats from the U.S. to Europe, up 20% from last summer.

☆ North America’s best bar for 2023 serves pizza cocktails
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-06 | by ( Maureen O'Hare | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

CNN —This week in travel news: Crowns are handed out to pizza joints, bars and an English king. And we reveal why going on a hiking trip might be one of the best ways to find love. Award-winning bars and restaurantsDouble Chicken Please, a cocktail bar-slash-chicken joint on New York’s Lower East Side, took the No.1 spot in North America’s 50 Best Bars 2023. A newly published Italian list names the Best Pizza in Europe 2023, all outside the home country. King Charles gets his crownThis is what you can expect to see at King Charles III's coronation 04:04 - Source: CNNLondon airports were expected to greet more than 2 million arrivals this week, according to aviation analytics firm Cirium, as the country prepares for the coronation of King Charles III on Saturday.

HONG KONG, May 3 (Reuters Breakingviews) - Chinese travellers are opening their suitcases again, but not their wallets. Domestic travel bookings during the holiday surged eightfold from a year earlier, surpassing pre-pandemic levels, according to online travel agency Trip.com (9961.HK). The return of Chinese holiday-goers should be a huge relief at home and abroad. Before the pandemic, domestic tourism contributed a whopping 11% of GDP and 10% of national employment, according to Fitch. The country's Big 3 carriers - Air China (601111.SS), China Southern (600029.SS), and China Eastern (600115.SS) - are grappling with high oil prices, a weak yuan and geopolitical tensions.

In February, the first full month since China's border reopened, Australia recorded 40,430 short-term visitors from China, government data showed. Government marketing body Tourism Australia declined to comment. Trade promotion office Austrade said Tourism Australia's managing director visited China in March to meet strategic partners such as airlines and the body would "continue to work closely with its key distribution partners in the market to realise tourism opportunities between Australia and China". China was Australia's biggest source of foreign students until 2019, but students of other nationalities have filled its foreign student ranks since Australia reopened its border in 2021. "When Chinese tourists return en masse, I'm worried that the supply will not catch up with demand," he said.

☆ Old planes get stripped for parts while airlines wait on new jets
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-13 | by ( Leslie Josephs | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

COOLIDGE, Arizona – From engines to landing gear, the hunt is on for aircraft parts as airlines prepare their jets for swarms of summer travelers, with new planes from Boeing and Airbus still in short supply. The search for parts leads some aircraft owners here, where older, retired planes are stripped for parts that will be prepared to fly on other planes or repurposed altogether. The current demand for aircraft parts is the result of the industry's deep demand swings resulting from the Covid pandemic. With deliveries of new jets behind schedule, airlines are holding onto planes longer, repairing or overhauling them, adding to demand for parts and labor. Airbus A320 landing gear in a repair shop in Marana, Arizona.

☆ Delta bets on premium travel as 'shock absorber' for economic downturn
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-12 | by ( Rajesh Kumar Singh | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

[1/5] Delta Airlines passenger jets are pictured outside the newly completed 1.3 million-square foot $4 billion Delta Airlines Terminal C at LaGuardia Airport in the Queens borough of New York City, New York, U.S., June 1, 2022. REUTERS/Mike SegarCHICAGO, April 12 (Reuters) - Delta Air Lines (DAL.N) is doubling down on more profitable premium travel as it looks to shore up its defenses against an economic downturn. Chief Executive Ed Bastian told Reuters the U.S. carrier will have premium seats on every plane it flies starting this summer. Rivals United Airlines (UAL.O) and American Airlines (AAL.O) are also chasing premium revenue. CHANGING TRAVEL PATTERNSThe quest for premium revenue has its underpinnings in the post-pandemic travel patterns.

☆ Pilot shortages and increasing travel demand are causing backups at major airports. The solution may be as simple as using bigger planes.
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-08 | by ( Aidan Pollard | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Airlines are putting passengers on bigger planes, as a pilot shortage and congestion at major airports continues. But there may be a simple solution — flying bigger planes. Still, a United spokesperson told CNBC the airline would fly about 3,600 domestic flights with large or wide-body aircraft. "Not every gate is equal," Cox told CNBC. Even as airlines like United put bigger planes at their gates when possible, passengers and congestion are still piling up.

☆ Airlines' answer for congested airports and rising costs: Bigger planes
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-06 | by ( Leslie Josephs | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

NEWARK, New Jersey — Faced with congested airports, rising costs, a pilot shortage and a resurgence in travel demand, airlines are increasingly turning to the same remedy: bigger planes that fit more passengers. In April, U.S. carriers have 0.6% more seats in their domestic schedules compared with the same month of 2019, despite operating 10.6% fewer flights. For example, United Airlines said its flights have 20 more seats per departure in its full network than in 2019. Early in the Covid pandemic, U.S. airlines reassigned their largest jets for domestic routes when international travel was hobbled by the crisis and travel restrictions. And, Cox noted, there are limits to how many flights the airline can upgauge, especially with its largest planes.

Strikes have rolled through France, Portugal, Britain and Germany in recent weeks and could cause air travel disruption in parts of Europe through the Easter holidays, officials at airlines, airports and air traffic authorities told Reuters. There's no doubt about it," said Steven Moore, who is in charge of air traffic management operations at Eurocontrol. Airlines say they have to pay compensation without themselves getting compensated for air traffic delays. Consumer groups say air traffic control strikes are not new and airlines should be quicker to react and pay compensation. He called last week on the European Commission to do more to stop such strikes hitting overflights, by introducing minimum service rules, though industry experts say strikes are a national issue.

☆ American, Delta, and United have collectively dropped 74 US airports since the pandemic — see the full list
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-05 | by ( Taylor Rains | Bianca Giacobone | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, and United Airlines have exited 74 airports since 2020. Some of the airports are in the Essential Air Service program and are now served by a new airline. In September 2022, the company's research revealed American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, and United Airlines had exited 59 airports. In total, American has left 19 airports, Delta has exited 17, and United has departed 38. American, Delta, and United have all cut routes in recent years, citing poor performance and the pilot shortage as contributing factors.

☆ India's travel industry may not overtake China soon but there are still 'massive' opportunities
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-24 | by ( Charmaine Jacob | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

Nurphoto | Nurphoto | Getty ImagesIndia's airline industry may be on a strong growth trajectory — but don't expect India's outbound travel to overtake China's soon, aviation analysts say. "The gap between China and India is huge," Lalitya Dhavala, valuations consultant at travel analytics firm Cirium told CNBC. India's robust growth trajectoryThe analysts agree there's potential for growth in India's domestic and international travel market. In comparison to China, India has a larger share of young adults, with 40% of its population under 25 years old, Dhavala said. Late last year, Indian conglomerate Tata Group announced that Vistara will merge with national carrier Air India by March 2024.

Online searches by Americans for flights to Europe trips are surging despite soaring air fares, a worsening economic outlook and risks of gridlock at some of the airports in Europe. The travel boom is promising record profit margins at some U.S. carriers, which are ramping up transatlantic capacity to cash in on Americans' thirst for travel to Europe. Travel website Kayak said searches for travel to Europe this summer are up 77% from last year. There is still untapped travel demand for Europe even after a busy summer last year, said Hayley Berg, lead economist at Hopper. Average fare for a round-trip flight to Europe, meanwhile, has risen 31% from last year, Hopper data shows.

☆ Boeing Halts 787 Dreamliner Jet Deliveries Due to Documentation Issue
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-23 | by ( Andrew Tangel | Doug Cameron | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

A Boeing 787 Dreamliner in production late last year. Boeing Co. has halted deliveries of 787 Dreamliner jets because of a documentation issue, according to the Federal Aviation Administration and industry officials. The plane maker hasn’t handed over a Dreamliner since Jan. 26 from the production line or from the dozens stored awaiting delivery, said aviation data provider Ascend by Cirium. Boeing last week said it had paused assembly of new jets.

For airlines, sale-and-leasebacks have been a popular way to generate liquidity and ease balance sheets. They then aim to sell them at a profit to lessors at the expense of agreeing to pay a rent. "It's a cheap and often tax-efficient way for the airline to raise finance," said an aircraft finance source. "Lessors are already queuing up to do business with Air India. Some lessors say it is not worth it after new money poured into aviation looking for returns when interest rates were low.

[1/10] A Boeing E-4B "Doomsday Plane" military aircraft takes off at Joint Base Andrews, in Maryland, U.S., May 11, 2022. But it was in the seemingly endless rows at the back of the new jumbo that the 747 transformed travel. "This was THE airplane that introduced flying for the middle class in the U.S.," said Air France-KLM CEO Ben Smith. "Prior to the 747 your average family couldn't fly from the U.S. to Europe affordably," Smith told Reuters. Now, two previously delivered 747s are being fitted to replace U.S. presidential jets known globally as Air Force One.

☆ Airline passengers endured a 13-hour flight to nowhere after their plane to New Zealand was forced to turn back mid-flight
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-28 | by ( Stephanie Stacey | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

An Emirates flight from Dubai to Auckland had to turn back halfway through its 8,824-mile journey. The aircraft couldn't land at Auckland International Airport due to major flooding and heavy rains. Auckland International Airport shut its domestic and international terminals on Friday after heavy rain caused widespread chaos and triggered a local state of emergency. Emirates flight EK448 is scheduled to attempt its journey to Auckland again on Sunday. More than 2,000 people stayed overnight within the terminals due to the flooding, Auckland Airport said.

☆ Davos 2023: Trip.com hopes China overseas travel capacity back to normal by Q3
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-17 | by ( Brenda Goh | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

DAVOS, Switzerland, Jan 17 (Reuters) - Travel website operator Trip.com Group Ltd (9961.HK) is working with airlines and airports to encourage recovery in China's cross-border travel capacity and hopes levels will return to normal by the third quarter, its CEO Jane Sun said on Tuesday. "Domestic travel for Chinese people travelling within China has already recovered to 2019 levels very rapidly," Sun told Reuters on the sidelines of the forum in the ski resort of Davos. At least one study has also pointed to some hesitancy over outbound travel among Chinese residents. The pandemic had reshaped demands from Chinese travellers, Sun said. Trip.com is one of the world's largest online travel agencies with over 400 million users, most of them in China.

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