India & UK Aviation Analysis. Aircraft Brokerage, Airline Consultancy, London Airport Slot Reform Advocate. India Analysis. Available for Media Appearances.
Brighton UK & India
Joined September 2020
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“If KLM in Netherlands is flying 28 flights a week into India because of the [size of] the Indian market, and on the other hand the Indian operators such as Air India only get like seven flights, and [there is] nothing or just a handful of slots for IndiGo at Amsterdam’s Schipol, then there should be some balance,” Pieter Elbers
Well said, Pieter Elbers. I totally agree, and I'd extend it to other areas and include the Middle East.
thehindu.com/business/indigo…
Note there is precedent for this, the 2007 Air India Malaysian Airlines London Heathrow slot deal.
airliners.net/forum/viewtopi…
If a foreign airline or its home airport is prohibiting Indian airlines/carriers from effectively competing, then:
"Indian airlines/carriers must stand up for themselves, and be creative with their demands; asking for things in return, once they said airline/carrier or country exceeds a basic number of flights"
Slot hoarding at foreign airports like London Heathrow or hogging new aircraft could also count.
Otherwise, Indian airlines/carriers will not become global supercarriers.
Note: This is the 21st Century, and world dynamics are changing. Particular countries don't yield the power they once did.
For the IATA NS27 Season, Air India was unsuccessful in its requests for additional slots at London Heathrow
Air India wanted to operate four additional daily flights.
Therefore, in my view, unless an Indian carrier is permanently allocated 14 extra slots at London Heathrow LHR, British Airways should be restricted to no more than 2 flights a day at Mumbai BOM until the T1 rebuild is complete.
UK carriers wanting to operate additional flights can do so from Navi Mumbai Airport NMI.
India needs to stand up for itself.
#airindia #heathrow #londonheathrow @airindia
Rishi Jain retweeted
Summer slot reports out: key news
Gatwick- Rwandair, vietjet, air Asia, egyptair (announced), GOL, Fly Dubai, Riyadh Air, aeroitalia,
Manchester airport- Rwandair, China southern, air China, LOT, rwandair, Norse
Birmingham- royal air moroc
London city- icelandair, condor
Singapore Airlines presentation revealing more of Air India's plans (37-39):
Rebalancing services between Mumbai and Delhi, and establishing a third hub in Bengaluru, to mitigate impact of Pakistani airspace restrictions
Diversifying traffic profile and increasing sales contributions from global markets to mitigate exposure to Indian Rupee depreciation
Growing cargo business, including plans to convert passenger aircraft into dedicated freighters.
singaporeair.com/content/dam…
CM Devendra Fadnavis says: No flights will shift from Mumbai to Navi Mumbai airport
He's proposed an alternative sequence for Terminal 1 (T1) redevelopment that would allow the existing terminal to remain operational until its replacement is ready.
Hopefully, his alternative is viable & can be implemented.
timesofindia.indiatimes.com/…
Rishi Jain retweeted
As the UK's only hub airport, Heathrow plays a unique role, connecting businesses and passengers to the global economy. Learn more here ⬇️
Rishi Jain retweeted
This is Very Very Interesting. Chennai Based Cargo Operator, AFCOM Cargo, is Hiring Captains and First Officers Rated for the Boeing 777! 🇮🇳👀
AFCOM has Signed an LOI with Boring for 4 777-8 Freighters, but Deliveries of those Begin Much Later. So, this could be something else!
Delta clearly does not understand the issues Heathrow is facing.
These terminal moves are for the best and in consumers' interests.
ch-aviation.com/news/173612-…
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An interesting development regarding Mumbai Airport.
Just in
"@CSMIA_Official allocates slots to 38 of 50 int'l airlines for summer 2027 schedule
12, operating @ 16 daily 🛫 to 14 destinations, not given CSMIA slots
They can operate affected services from @navimumairport
@ 91% of CSMIA’s existing capacity unaffected:" Sources
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827
Rishi Jain retweeted
✈️ Air India's full transformation could take over 15–20 years, says CEO Tewolde Gebremariam.
📉 Profitability, high fuel costs and operational challenges remain key hurdles. The airline is also exploring Bengaluru as a third hub.
✍️ @shivanibazaz looks at Air India's long-term turnaround plans.
cnbctv18.com/business/aviati…
#AirIndia #Aviation #TataGroup #AirlineIndustry #CNBCTV18
Rishi Jain retweeted
#WATCH | Delhi | On his journey to joining Air India, Air India’s new CEO & MD Tewolde Gebremariam says, "The discussion was focused on building on the transformation and taking Air India to the next stage. They believe that I can do it... I have served in Ethiopia for about 37 years. So I grew up there right from the age of 18... 11 years as CEO, 4 years as COO... When we started the growth, it started when I was COO with Vision 2010... We manage the airline business from quarter to quarter because it is a very dynamic business.... But I convinced myself and my team that we have to really plan for a longer period of time. This business, while it looks like a short-term business because of volatility and also dynamism, is, by its nature, a long-term business."
Air India running more Europe North America flights from Mumbai untill Pakistan airspace reopens is a very sensible idea.
I'd like to see Mumbai Frankfurt go daily to start with.
Additionally Air India should consider Bengaluru Frankfurt.
thehindubusinessline.com/eco…
Rishi Jain retweeted
Of two minds on the Heathrow Delta move controversy.
On one hand, co-locating is JV 101 and, for Virgin, DL *is* its partner. No wonder they're pissed.
On the other, only a few VS routes provide unique connxs for DL. How many travelers actually connect? thetimes.com/business/compan…
Rishi Jain retweeted
One person’s take :)
I support Heathrow Airport's plan to move five airlines between terminals, as it must make the best use of current terminal capacity.
I understand Virgin Atlantic's frustration with Delta's forced move; however, until Heathrow rebuilds Terminals 1 and 3 as planned, there's no choice.
Additionally, until the 3rd runway is operational, the UK government & Heathrow should:
Temporarily relocate several airlines from Heathrow that don't need to be there.
Ban all dedicated cargo flights.
Lift the flight cap on Heathrow so it can max out its current runway capacity.
Heathrow is the UK's hub airport
#heathrow @HeathrowAirport
A very sensible move.
The bulk of Air India Express flights to/from Mumbai should operate to/from Navi Mumbai.
Air India Group will commence a phased transition of some of its scheduled West Asia services from Chhatrapati Shivaji Mumbai International Airport (CSMIA) to Navi Mumbai International Airport (NMIA), with Air India Express operating four daily domestic flights from December 2026, and planned services to Kuwait and existing services to Oman transitioning from January 2027.
Further, Air India Group will progressively transition Air India Express services to Jeddah, Riyadh, Dammam, Doha, Muscat, and Sharjah, to NMIA, with the process expected to be completed by the IATA Northern Summer 2027 season.
Read more: airindia.com/in/en/newsroom/…
Very good news.
This is infustruture Air India desperately needs at Delhi Airport.
It will reduce the requirement for positioning flights to/from Mumbai.
Erstwhile Air India has originally proposed this idea way back in 1996, as part of its plans to make Delhi a hub UK and European flights.
A major step towards a more self-reliant aviation ecosystem in India.
Air India has broken ground on a state-of-the-art Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO) hangar at Delhi's Indira Gandhi International Airport. Spanning nine acres, the facility will strengthen in-house maintenance capabilities, reduce dependence on overseas MRO services, improve fleet availability, and enhance operational efficiency.
✈️ Accommodates 1 widebody and 1 narrowbody aircraft simultaneously
⚙️ Faster maintenance and cabin repairs
🔧 Quicker return of aircraft to service
Supporting the vision of Atmanirbhar Bharat while building stronger foundations for every journey.
Read more: airindia.com/in/en/newsroom/…
