https://www.scmp.com/rss/521910/feed Air India: A major Indian airline, headquartered in Gurugram, Haryana, and owned by Tata Group, specialises in domestic and international passenger air transport services. Serving a diverse market of business and leisure travellers, families, and corporate clients, it operates from primary hubs in New Delhi and Mumbai. Air India is India’s second-largest airline by passenger volume and holds the largest market share for international flights. Its strategic focus under Tata Group involves... en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Biman Mukherji Biman Mukherji Airspace closures across the Middle East have left tens of thousands of travellers stranded and forced airlines to divert routes, threatening to derail the fragile recovery in Asia’s tourism and aviation sectors, as the conflict involving the US and Israel against Iran continues to escalate. Major transit hubs, including Dubai and Doha, remain shut or are operating at reduced capacity for a third straight day, upending Europe–Asia connections that depend heavily on Gulf airspace. Airlines are... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3345150/asias-travel-sector-rattled-iran-attacks-fears-domino-effect-slowdown?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3345150/asias-travel-sector-rattled-iran-attacks-fears-domino-effect-slowdown?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 02 Mar 2026 09:53:17 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Flights across the Middle East were being cancelled on Saturday as several countries slammed their airspace shut after the United States and Israel launched strikes on Iran. Iran, Iraq, Israel, Syria, Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates all announced at least partial closures of their skies in the hours after smoke began rising over Tehran and Iran began retaliatory attacks in the region. Iranian missiles hit capital cities around the wealthy Gulf region, killing at least one, as witnesses... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3344995/us-iran-conflict-flares-thousands-middle-east-flights-cancelled-airspace-closed?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3344995/us-iran-conflict-flares-thousands-middle-east-flights-cancelled-airspace-closed?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 28 Feb 2026 15:04:19 +0000 Khushboo Razdan Khushboo Razdan Senior diplomats from China and India met in New Delhi on Tuesday for what Beijing described as a new round of strategic dialogue, emphasising the need to view each other as partners rather than competitors amid shifting global dynamics. India’s Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri hosted China’s Executive Vice Foreign Minister Ma Zhaoxu, who was in the country for the Brics Sherpa Meeting from February 8 to 10. The two sides’ readouts of the meeting, however, revealed a persistent gap in how the... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3343113/china-and-india-seek-reset-talks-old-fault-lines-remain?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3343113/china-and-india-seek-reset-talks-old-fault-lines-remain?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 10 Feb 2026 18:16:30 +0000 Reuters Reuters Canada’s transport regulator has asked Air India to investigate an ‍incident of a pilot reporting for duty under the influence of alcohol and failing two breathalyser tests, a person familiar with the matter said. The tests were conducted by Canadian police at Vancouver International Airport after the pilot was asked ⁠to leave the aircraft, the person said. The incident was labelled as a “serious matter” by Transport Canada in a letter to Air India and authorities are likely to pursue... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/3338500/air-india-pilot-taken-duty-over-intoxication-allegations-canada?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/3338500/air-india-pilot-taken-duty-over-intoxication-allegations-canada?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 02 Jan 2026 07:33:57 +0000 Biman Mukherji Biman Mukherji India’s aviation sector is poised to become more competitive after authorities granted initial approval to two new airlines to start operations in the country, in a move that will further challenge the duopoly of IndiGo and Air India. The expansion comes as the sector was rattled by a series of setbacks this year, including IndiGo’s massive flight cancellations earlier this month and the crash of an Air India plane in Ahmedabad in June. On Tuesday, Civil Aviation Minister Kinjarapu Ram Mohan... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3337720/duopoly-air-india-indigo-face-competition-2-new-airlines?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3337720/duopoly-air-india-indigo-face-competition-2-new-airlines?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 25 Dec 2025 09:43:33 +0000 Biman Mukherji Biman Mukherji India’s largest airline is experiencing its toughest crisis in years after cancelling thousands of flights amid a severe pilot shortage – a result of its failure to hire enough staff to meet new government rules designed to combat pilot fatigue. Analysts say the turmoil at IndiGo highlights the structural challenges faced by a fast-growing aviation market currently dominated by just two carriers. About 3,000 IndiGo flights were cancelled last week, including more than 1,000 on Friday, accounting... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3335742/indigo-flight-chaos-exposes-risks-indias-aviation-duopoly?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3335742/indigo-flight-chaos-exposes-risks-indias-aviation-duopoly?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 10 Dec 2025 04:00:09 +0000 Reuters Reuters India’s aviation regulator said on Tuesday it was investigating Air India after the airline operated an aircraft eight times without a valid airworthiness review certificate, a document issued annually that ensures compliance with safety standards. The regulator did not name the aircraft type but its news release’s title referenced the registration code of an Airbus A320, and a person with direct knowledge of the matter confirmed the case in fact concerned the single-aisle jet. Airbus did not... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/3334954/air-india-probed-flying-airbus-a320-without-valid-safety-certificate-amid-crash-fallout?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/3334954/air-india-probed-flying-airbus-a320-without-valid-safety-certificate-amid-crash-fallout?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 02 Dec 2025 13:58:41 +0000 Reuters Reuters Singapore Airlines on Thursday reported a sharp fall in first-half profit, hit by losses at its Indian associate Air India, higher costs and intensifying competition. The airline’s profit slid steeply in the second quarter to S$52 million (US$40.18 million) from S$186 million in the first quarter, highlighting Air India’s drag on performance. Singapore Airlines began accounting for Air India’s earnings in December 2024 after the integration of joint venture Vistara into Air India. The Singapore... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3332839/singapore-airlines-profit-drops-68-amid-air-india-losses-and-rising-costs?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3332839/singapore-airlines-profit-drops-68-amid-air-india-losses-and-rising-costs?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 14 Nov 2025 10:50:19 +0000 Reuters Reuters India’s civil aviation minister denied on Tuesday there was any “manipulation” in an official investigation into the crash of an Air India Dreamliner in June, after the father of the flight’s captain complained about the actions of investigators. It was the first official reaction to a complaint by Pushkar Raj Sabharwal sent to a pilots’ union last month, in which he said investigators had visited his home and implied that his son had cut the fuel to the plane’s engines after... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/3328156/air-india-crash-probe-denies-manipulation-amid-captains-fathers-plea?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/3328156/air-india-crash-probe-denies-manipulation-amid-captains-fathers-plea?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 07 Oct 2025 13:47:18 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press India’s leading body of pilots has asked the civil aviation regulator to inspect all Boeing 787 Dreamliners operating in the country for electrical issues after one of the planes abruptly deployed an emergency power system mid-air over the weekend. The device, a small propeller that acts as a backup generator and is known as the ram air turbine, or RAT, normally would be activated when an aircraft’s engines lose power, its hydraulic systems register critically low pressure or its electrical... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/3328065/indian-pilots-demand-answers-after-boeing-787-mid-air-power-scare?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/3328065/indian-pilots-demand-answers-after-boeing-787-mid-air-power-scare?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 07 Oct 2025 01:22:53 +0000 Alyssa Chen Alyssa Chen China and India have finalised a schedule to resume direct flights, with the first trips set to restart later this month as both countries cautiously ease bilateral tensions amid increasingly turbulent geopolitical headwinds. The flights will be subject to the approvals of the designated carriers based on commercial demand and “operational criteria”, according to the Indian Ministry of External Affairs. India’s largest airline, IndiGo, said on Thursday that it would resume flights to China on... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3327782/china-india-direct-flights-resume-both-sides-move-cautiously-repair-ties?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3327782/china-india-direct-flights-resume-both-sides-move-cautiously-repair-ties?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 03 Oct 2025 09:13:55 +0000 Reuters Reuters The father of the crashed Air India flight’s captain said officials from India’s accident investigation bureau visited him last month and implied his son cut the fuel to the plane’s engines after take-off, correspondence obtained by Reuters showed. Pushkar Raj Sabharwal, 91, emailed the Federation of Indian Pilots (FIP) last week to say that Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) officials had visited him at home on August 30 “under the pretext of offering condolences”, and implied his... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3326877/air-india-crash-grieving-father-captain-says-son-blamed-fuel-cut?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3326877/air-india-crash-grieving-father-captain-says-son-blamed-fuel-cut?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 25 Sep 2025 12:01:21 +0000 dpa dpa The sole survivor of the Air India crash is still in India recovering from his injuries while British families of victims have told the Foreign Secretary they are still facing “silence and indifference” from authorities, according to reports. Briton Vishwash Kumar Ramesh, 40, survived the disaster on June 12 that killed 241 people on board, and his wife has said he is grieving his brother Ajay, who had been sitting across the aisle. Two families who received other victims’ remains in their... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/3325446/air-india-crash-families-report-silence-indifference-authorities?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/3325446/air-india-crash-families-report-silence-indifference-authorities?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 13 Sep 2025 12:43:35 +0000 Biman Mukherji Biman Mukherji India and China’s planned resumption of direct flights after five years is expected to revive tourism and business travel between the two regional powers and potentially boost neighbouring economies, raising hopes of a thaw in relations after years of economic and security friction. Flights between the two countries were halted during the pandemic in 2020 and, except for a few repatriation flights, never resumed even after New Delhi and Beijing lifted Covid-19 travel restrictions. Bilateral... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3323400/direct-india-china-flights-take-again-opening-door-travel-boom?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3323400/direct-india-china-flights-take-again-opening-door-travel-boom?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 28 Aug 2025 04:00:13 +0000 Wasi Mirza Wasi Mirza With the rise of social media and generative AI, how much of what we see online is true? In this new series, SCMP Fact-Check, the Post investigates claims circulating online and debunks viral misinformation impacting the daily lives of Hongkongers. “Air India flight AI-315 from Hong Kong sparked panic after a fire broke out in its auxiliary power unit,” a Facebook post’s caption reads in part. The 20-second clip, which shows a photo of smoke billowing from a plane, has garnered more than 132,000... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3321054/photo-2022-shared-online-depicting-july-fire-air-india-plane-leaving-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3321054/photo-2022-shared-online-depicting-july-fire-air-india-plane-leaving-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 07 Aug 2025 06:33:47 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press A preliminary finding into last month’s Air India plane crash has suggested the aircraft’s fuel control switches were turned off, starving the engines of fuel and causing a loss of engine thrust shortly after take-off. The report, issued by India’s Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau on Saturday, also found that one pilot was heard on the cockpit voice recorder asking the other why he cut off the fuel in the flight’s final moments. The other pilot replied that he did not do so. The Air India... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/3317982/air-india-crash-what-black-boxes-can-tell-investigators-about-plane-accidents?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/3317982/air-india-crash-what-black-boxes-can-tell-investigators-about-plane-accidents?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 12 Jul 2025 08:43:42 +0000 Biman Mukherji Biman Mukherji When nearly 300 lives were lost in a fiery crash outside Ahmedabad earlier this month, the future of Air India – and faith in Indian aviation itself – was thrown into turmoil. Now, Tata Group’s chairman has assumed direct command of the embattled airline’s day-to-day operations, determined to chart a path out of the crisis following one of modern aviation’s deadliest disasters. On June 17, just five days after the crash, Natarajan Chandrasekaran stood before 700 sombre Air India employees in New... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3316135/tata-takes-helm-air-indias-fight-rebuild-trust-after-deadly-crash?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3316135/tata-takes-helm-air-indias-fight-rebuild-trust-after-deadly-crash?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 29 Jun 2025 07:30:08 +0000 Reuters Reuters Retired air force officer Dinesh K. has seen a surge in demand for his US$500 therapy course to help people overcome their fear of flying since Air India flight 171 crashed moments after take-off from Ahmedabad two weeks ago. Dinesh uses a combination of flight simulation and counselling at his Cockpit Vista centre for “fear of flying solutions” in Bengaluru, the only one in India. The centre has received more than 100 inquiries since the disaster, compared to a previous average of about ten a... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/3315862/us500-therapy-avoiding-boeing-indians-cope-flight-anxiety-after-ahmedabad-crash?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/3315862/us500-therapy-avoiding-boeing-indians-cope-flight-anxiety-after-ahmedabad-crash?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 26 Jun 2025 03:07:43 +0000