Budget 2018-19

  Occupancy in airlines is down to 60 per cent as number of cases rises and states impose travel curbs Last Sunday as Prime Minister Narendra Modi was meeting top bureaucrats over rising Covid cases, chief executive of a private airline asked his head of operations to prepare for a sudden grounding of operations. Just a month ago, the CEO had met investors and the talk revolved around a total recovery and bright future of Indian aviation. He’s back to plugging daily cash burn. Within two weeks of many airlines deciding to roll back salary cuts encouraged by a steady increase in traffic flow, a second wave of coronavirus along with rules of compulsory RT-PCR test has hit forward bookings. The fears of last summer, when the pandemic had overturned all the wisdom of airline boardrooms, have returned to haunt the aviation industry. According to an official in the Ministry of Civil Aviation, flight occupancy is down to 60 per cent from 70 per cent in the first week of March. Airline lob...

  The airline currently operates 37 of its total fleet of 53 Airbus A320 aircraft GoAir  is planning to add new routes as it prepares for an initial public offering (IPO). While the IPO size could not be ascertained, a media report on Thursday pegged it at around Rs 4,000 crore. The airline currently operates 37 of its total fleet of 53 Airbus A320 aircraft. A senior executive said new routes were under evaluation but the airline was already selling tickets for flights to new destinations, such as Amritsar, Dehradun, and Surat, on online portals. The route expansion comes ahead of a possible IPO. The airline is also strengthening its management and is looking to hire senior executives in finance, sales, and network management roles. Industry sources said the airline was working on listing plans and had hired merchant bankers and law firms for the share sale. A final decision would be taken by the Wadia group, which owns the airline.