Cleared To Approach: The Aviation Blog

  MiG-21 Retirement: The Indian Air Force retired the MiG-21 on Friday. The MiG-21 Bison aircraft with callsign Badal 3 was decommissioned at Chandigarh Airbase. Defense Minister Rajnath Singh explained the deep attachment to the aircraft and notable members of the IAF were present on the occasion. DGCA Wins ICAO Award: The Directorate General of Civil Aviation has received the prestigious International Civil Aviation Organisation Council President Certificate. The award was presented to the president of India's aviation regulator, Faiz Ahmed Kidwai on Tuesday, at the opening of the ICAO Assembly in Montreal. This has pushed India into the top 50 countries in ICAO's audit. Russian Military Aircraft Intercepted: Over the past month, a plethora of Russian fighters and defence aircraft have been spotted and intercepted, mainly over Europe. On Wednesday, US fighter jets intercepted 4 Russian military aircraft near Alaska, according to the North American Aerospace Defence Command (N...

  Noida Jewar Airport to Open Soon: Noida's Jewar Airport (NIA / VIND) is set to be inaugurated on the 30th of October; and operations should begin about 45 days thereafter.  In its first phase, it will have 1 runway and 1 terminal, with the capacity to handle 12 million passengers annually. Upon completion, it will be India's largest airport with the capacity to handle 70 million passengers annually. It will reduce congestion at Indira Gandhi International Airport (DEL / VIDP), and augment economic growth in Noida and Uttar Pradesh. Apart from improving connectivity, it is being built with modern technology to focus on sustainability.  Routes Expansion: Indigo is to inaugurate their use of the A321-XLR aircraft with flights to Athens. This comes after Aegean Airlines have expanded to India from Athens of A321-XLRs. Indigo is also flying directly from Mumbai to Copenhagen, Denmark.  Etihad is expected to resume flights to Damascus, Syria by 2026. Cyberattack Affects ...

The new tax reforms (GST 2.0) will be implemented from the 22nd of September 2025 in India. They focus on simplification and rationalization of tax rates, by removing certain redundant GST slabs. After 8 years of GST, the Indian government have removed the 12% and 28% tax slabs. Only the 5% and 18% slabs remain. Additionally, 0% (exempt) and 40% (for luxury items or harmful items (like tobacco)) have been introduced. Ticket Prices: For economy class travel, tickets remain at 5% GST. For premium cabins (premium economy, business and first class), tax rate increases from 12% to 18%. Note that if you book before September 22, the 12% GST still applies. Tax rates on luxury aviation (private jets and charters) increase to 40%, from the previous rate of ~31%. Aircraft Components: Since July 2024, aircraft parts and maintenance services attract a 5% GST, improving MRO (maintenance, repair and overhaul) industry's efficiency. Aviation Fuel As of now, Aviation Turbine Fuel (ATF) still remai...