Cleared To Approach: The Aviation Blog

Centre Orders Termination of Indigo-Turkish Airlines Damp Lease: Amid ongoing backlash and calls to boycott Türkiye, the DGCA has instructed Indigo to suspend its damp lease of two wide body aircraft (B777-300 ERs). It gave a final extension of 3 months in order to cause minimal disruption to operations and denied the request of a 6-month extension.  IATA's 81st Annual General Meeting to be Held in New Delhi: The International Air Transport Association (IATA) is holding its 81st Annual General Meeting (AGM) and World Air Transport Summit (WATS) in New Delhi, after a 42-year gap. Indigo, India's leading airline is the host airline of the event. It will take place between June 1-3, and our Prime Minister is expected to deliver a keynote. Approximately 1700 participants are said to attend, including industry leaders, analysts, and media. India's growth since the last time an AGM was held in the country has been profound, with record aircraft orders just recently by Air India, ...

 Cockpit Left Without a Conscious Pilot: Recently, Spain's Air Incident Investigation Agency, CIAIAC, brought to light and declassified an incident which took place on a Lufthansa A321 flight on February 17, 2024, on a Frankfurt to Seville route. While the Captain had gone to use the lavatory, the First Officer fell unconscious and could not approve the Captain's entry.  The Captain used his emergency code to enter the cockpit, but this only opens the door after a short delay. The plane was on autopilot for ten minutes until the First Officer partially regained consciousness and allowed the Captain to enter.  While all 205 souls on board made it back safely, this raises the question- Should the rule which states that 2 people must be in the cockpit at all times resurface? A lot could have happened in those ten minutes, and it's no harm letting a cabin crew member stay in the cockpit with a pilot until the other returns. Indigo Flight Makes an Emergency Landing After an In...

 India's entry into the elite club of countries with fifth-generation aircraft may be on the horizon with the introduction of HAL AMCA (Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft) at Aero India 2025. Designed by the Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA) and to be manufactured by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), the aircraft aims to compete with the likes of the F35 Lightning-II, the Su-57 and Chengdu J20. The AMCA is envisioned as a multi-role stealth fighter featuring cutting-edge technology, super-cruise capability, and a low radar cross-section. At a time when India faces complex security challenges on two fronts- from China and Pakistan, the need for a more advanced air force could never be more urgent, especially since the rising Indo-Pak tensions including drone and missile strikes, cross-border firing and shelling as well as diplomatic measures. The Indian Air Force currently includes the 4.5th Gen French Dassault Rafale, the 4th-Gen Mig29s, Su30 MKIs, and Mirage 2000s, and more. T...

  NEWS HEADLINES: Qatar Airways' Historic Boeing Order: During Donald Trump's visit to the Middle East, Boeing was able to secure a monumental order of 210 wide-body aircraft amid declining business due to delays of the 777X as well as safety concerns. The deal includes 130 787 Dreamliners and 30 777X aircraft, with the option of an additional 50. This order of ~96,000,000,000 USD marks the largest order in Boeing history. Indo-Pak Tensions Affect International Air Travel: After a dastardly terror attack which killed 26 in Kashmir, India retaliated with Operation Sindoor, a non-escalatory operation aimed at destroying terror infrastructure. Tensions escalated, including diplomatic tit-for-tat as well as drone and missile strikes. Pakistan shut off its airspace for all Indian registered (VT-XXX) aircraft and now India has done the same, in effect until May 23. During the short-lived war, most airlines refrained from flying over Pakistani airspace, adding hours to certain routes ...

Ever since the TATA takeover in 2022, Air India has undergone a plethora of changes. From fleet upgrades to mergers, will the airline be able to regain its lost glory? A Brief History: Air India was founded by Industrialist JRD Tata in 1932 as Tata Air Services. He was the first licensed commercial pilot of the nation and had a deep passion for aviation. It was renamed Air India in 1946 and became India's flag carrier. It was once one of the world's greatest airlines, symbolizing luxury in the skies until it was nationalized in 1953. After the government takeover, quality of service began deteriorating and its international reputation crumbled, after decades of mismanagement, financial losses, and aging infrastructure. Now, it has been rapidly improving after it was bought by the TATA Group again in 2022. Air India Before the TATA Takeover: The airline was government run, under heavy bureaucracy. It maintained a fleet of aging aircraft, without much refurbishment. Quality of se...

  NEWS HEADLINES THIS WEEK: Etihad Unveils New Airbus A321-LR Product: Etihad has unveiled its new A321LR which will begin service in August 2025. The cabin includes a 3-class configuration, with 2 first-class suites as well as 14 business-class seats in a 1-1 herringbone configuration, and 144 economy-class seats in a standard 3-3 configuration. It aims to bring a long-haul premium experience to these narrow-body aircraft.  Virgin Atlantic's New Route to Seoul: As a result of the Korean Air - Asiana merger, a pair of slots at LHR has been given up to its SkyTeam partner, Virgin Atlantic on condition that it launches a flight to Seoul. A slot at LHR was sold to Oman Air for upwards of an astounding 70 million USD in 2016. Virgin Atlantic's New Route to Seoul: As a result of the Korean Air - Asiana merger, a pair of slots at LHR has been given up to its SkyTeam partner, Virgin Atlantic on condition that it launches a flight to Seoul. A slot at LHR was sold to Oman Air for upwar...