Boeing 737 aircraft are part of the fleet of Air India Express, Air India’s low-cost subsidiary. With this, the two airlines have complied with the directives of the DGCA issued on July 14, 2025.

Air India said in a statement: “In the inspections, no issues were found with the said locking mechanism. Air India had started voluntary inspections on 12 July and completed them within the prescribed time limit set by the DGCA. The same has been communicated to the regulator.”

Commercial Aviation reported an eight-year backlog record of US$13.1 billion in 2Q25. (The previous record for the division was US$13.4 billion in 4Q17.) The backlog increased 31% compared to 1Q25 and 16% versus 2Q24. Alongside its strong sales performance, the business unit celebrated an important milestone – 1,000 E175 units sold since its 2005 launch.

In 2Q25, the business unit delivered 19 new aircraft, exactly in line with the number of aircraft delivered in 2Q24. Consequently, in the 1H25, deliveries totalled 26 aircraft and 32% of the midpoint of the full year guidance (between 77 and 85 in 2025), 3 percentage points short of the average 35% level for the period recorded over the past five years.

Executive Aviation posted a backlog of US$7.4 billion in 2Q25, up 62% year-over-year but down a slight 2% quarter-over-quarter. Deliveries reached 38 jets during the period, 41% higher than the 27 jets in 2Q24. Consequently, in the 1H25, deliveries totalled 61 aircraft and 41% of the midpoint of the full year guidance (between 145 and 155 in 2025), 8 percentage points higher than the average 32% level for the period recorded over the past 5 years.

In Defence & Security, the backlog ended at US$4.3 billion in 2Q25, 3% higher sequentially and twice as high than a year ago.

IndiGo will now operate direct flights connecting Hindon with nine major Indian cities: Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Chennai, Goa, Indore, Kolkata, Mumbai, Patna, and Varanasi. This development offers convenient travel options for millions of residents in Ghaziabad, Noida, East and Central Delhi, and parts of Western Uttar Pradesh.

The Hon’ble Minister of Civil Aviation, Shri Kinjarapu Ram Mohan Naidu, said: “We are committed to enhancing the aviation infrastructure across India to enable seamless and convenient service connecting the smallest towns in the country with the growing cities and metros. The Hindon Airport developed under the UDAN Scheme in Ghaziabad is offering the convenience of proximity to people living in Ghaziabad, Noida and the Western UP. With the growing connectivity and passenger footfall at Hindon, we are working for the expansion of the terminal building. I congratulate IndiGo on launch of operations from Hindon airport, a significant milestone in enhancing regional connectivity. IndiGo has played a pivotal role in strengthening the Indian aviation infrastructure, and together, we aim to elevate India to its rightful position in global aviation.”

Speakers on the infrastructure panel, titled: What are the challenges for India to achieve the right airport, ATM and ground services to support and deliver growth? include:

 Shri Vipin Kumar, Chairman, Airports Authority of India

 Videh Kumar Jaipuriar, CEO, Delhi International Airport Ltd

 Radha Bhatia, Chair, The Bird Group

 Hari Marar, MD & CEO, Bangalore International Airport

The infrastructure session will be moderated by Chloe Greenbank, Airports Editor for Aviation India. “It is incredibly exciting to bring these organisations together to examine India’s hugely ambitious airport development plan as it seeks to bring connectivity to its citizens across the country,” she said.

“Over the last decade the number of airports in India has grown from 74 to 160 with plans to add another 50 by 2029, according to AAI,” added Greenbank.

“Equally significant is the creation of dual-airport systems in Mumbai and Delhi with the opening of Navi Mumbai International Airport and Noida International Airport bringing much-needed extra capacity to these cities.

“India is on a steep upward trajectory in air transport and all players from airports to ground service providers have a critical role to ensure they meet the demands of airline customers and travellers,” Greenbank concluded.

The 2nd edition of Aviation India & South Asia Summit & Exhibition 2025 is organised by Times Aerospace Events alongside joint venture partner, the MRO Association of India.

Under the event headline: “Shaping the pathway for Indian aviation”, the Summit promises to be one of the most significant gatherings of the commercial air transport community and ecosystem this year in India and builds upon the success of the launch summit in 2024 which attracted 582 delegates.

It is expected the 2025 edition will attract over 800 delegates and some 70 exhibitors.

Aviation India summit 2025 builds on the formula of the successful Times Aerospace Aviation Africa events, which began in Dubai in 2015 and have been held in Rwanda, Egypt, Nigeria, Ethiopia and South Africa.

Following unconditional approval from the South African Competition Commission, Parrot Aviation, the holding company of Federal Airlines (FedAir), has acquired the 50% stake previously held by Comair General Aviation Holdings.

Simultaneously, Justin Reeves, co-founder and long-serving CEO of CFS, has acquired the remaining shares from other minority shareholders.

This transaction marks the conclusion of a successful 12-year partnership with Comair and ushers in a new chapter for the company. It also signals the formal retirement of the Comair Flight Services name, with the company now operating under its refreshed brand: CFS Aviation Group—a reflection of its evolution into a fully independent and integrated business aviation group.

“This marks an exciting new chapter in the CFS journey,” said Justin Reeves, Group CEO of CFS Aviation Group. “The new structure reinforces our long-term vision, strengthens our shareholder base, and preserves our operational independence. Our clients can expect the same exceptional service, safety and professionalism they’ve come to know, with renewed energy and focus.”

The airline said that the pause enabled it to perform additional precautionary checks on its Boeing 787 aircraft as well as accommodating longer flying times arising from airspace closures over Pakistan and the Middle East.

The partial resumption will see restoration of some frequencies from August 1, relative to July, with full restoration planned from October 1, 2025.

New route

The airline also confirmed from August 1 to September 30, it will operate 3x weekly flights between Ahmedabad and London (Heathrow), replacing currently operating 5x weekly flights between Ahmedabad and London (Gatwick).

The collaboration brings together solutions from flydocs to create value out of aircraft maintenance data for Air Astana in the form of digital records management, ensuring smooth integration with their maintenance and engineering systems. Air Astana will experience first-hand benefits of flydocs’ software package, including the integration with their M&E system-TRAX.

Andy Smith, chief commercial officer, flydocs said: “We are pleased to partner with Air Astana, as this collaboration marks a pivotal milestone in establishing our global footprint in Central Asia. With our core records management platform, we will fully support them in their digital transformation journey. Being selected as Air Astana’s preferred partner reinforces the tangible benefits of the flydocs DRM solution, which maximises asset value and enhances efficiency, compliance and operational excellence. We look forward to working closely with them to deliver innovative solutions and accelerate digital transformation.”

Pratap Shetty, director IT operations and engineering systems at Air Astana, added: “In our digital transformation journey of aligning technology with our business strategy, we’re excited to build on our existing commitment to excellence and customer-centric service with flydocs, a global leader in digital records and asset management. With their support of streamlined DRM software and holistic solutions, we look forward to digitising our aircraft maintenance records with improved data accuracy, real-time Information, and compliance management. As we continuously explore evolving technologies, this partnership is a testament to our ongoing commitment to enhancing passenger experience with improved operational efficiency and sustainable growth.”

The agreement will allow IndiGo to place its code on Jetstar operated routes to these countries, providing a convenient option for IndiGo customers connecting via Singapore, Bangkok and Phuket.  This agreement simplifies travel for the customers of IndiGo by allowing the airline to place its code on Jetstar operated routes and enable convenient connections through Jetstar flights departing Asia for onward travel to cities including Sydney, the Gold Coast and Auckland.  IndiGo said these bookings can be made on IndiGo’s website from 21 July 2025 for travel from 01 September 2025, subject to regulatory approvals.

Jetstar CEO, Stephanie Tully said: “The partnership between the two airlines will significantly boost inbound tourism from India. Australia and New Zealand’s unique attractions, world-class experiences and growing communities of Indian expats make both countries incredibly popular for travellers from the subcontinent. This new codeshare agreement will provide IndiGo customers with convenient access to our extensive network allowing them to take off more for less down under.”

Abhijit Dasgupta, senior vice president – network planning & revenue management, IndiGo said: “We are pleased to expand the horizons and offer our customers convenient connections from India to Australia and New Zealand. This codeshare agreement with Jetstar will further strengthen business, trade and tourism related travel between the countries while fostering cultural exchanges. This expansion is a part of IndiGo’s Internationalisation strategy and commitment to delivering affordable, on-time, courteous, and hassle-free travel experience across our unparalleled network.”

The launch of the Hanoi route marks Ethiopian Airlines’ first passenger gateway into Vietnam and its 20th destination in Asia.

Mesfin Tasew, Group chief executive officer of Ethiopian Airlines, said:“We are truly delighted to start passenger services to Hanoi, a city of great cultural and economic significance. This new route not only supports our vision of connecting Africa to the world but also serves as a bridge for enhanced cooperation between Africa and Southeast Asia. With our modern fleet, award-winning service, and vast global network, we are confident that this route will facilitate growing tourism, business, and people-to-people ties between Vietnam and the African continent.”

Over the last three years, IndiGo has pursued a multi-pronged growth strategy, aimed at evolving from a domestic low-cost airline to a global player.  

As part of execution of this growth strategy, IndiGo BluChip was launched last year, as a free to join loyalty programme, with easy to earn points (BluChips) which are redeemable on any IndiGo flight, without any blackout dates. The response to IndiGo BluChip program has been extraordinary, with already 3.5 million registered members in the short period since launch.

Aimed at elevating the travel and lifestyle experience of IndiGo customers, the new co-branded credit cards enable members to accelerate earning IndiGo BluChips through everyday purchases and other expenses and allow seamless redemption on IndiGo flights.

Pieter Elbers, chief executive officer, IndiGo said: "Through IndiGo BluChip, we strive to offer unmatched loyalty benefits to our loyal customers and this partnership with Kotak Mahindra Bank is an integral part of our endeavour. This partnership empowers our customers to earn IndiGo BluChips on their everyday spending and redeem them seamlessly on flights across our domestic and international network. As IndiGo spreads its wings across the globe, we are sure that customers appreciate and enjoy the benefits of these credit cards as they travel across the globe with us.”

Ashok Vaswani, MD & CEO at Kotak Mahindra Bank said: “At Kotak, we are proud to deepen our long-standing partnership with IndiGo, an airline that has redefined travel for millions of Indians. This collaboration is built around a shared vision, to make everyday banking more rewarding and travel more accessible. Through these co-branded credit cards, we are giving our customers a simple, powerful way to turn daily spends into memorable journeys.”