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Airlines

AirAsia India's Proving Flights Take Off

On 1 May 2014 VT-ATF flew AirAsia India's first proving flights, Chennai to Cochin to Bangalore to Chennai, with DGCA officials on board. What proving flights test, and the timeline to the AOP and launch.

Radu BalasUpdated 18 Oct 20262 min read

Airlines

A Start-up's Hiccups: Air Costa Cancels 22 Flights

Six months after launch, Air Costa cancelled the 22 daily E170 flights in its summer schedule because it had only 22 pilots for four Embraer jets. Why the shortage happened and how the airline handled it.

Radu Balas · 18 Oct 2026

By Radu Balas3 min read

Updated 18 Oct 2026

Airlines

Air Costa to Commercially Fly the First Embraer E190 Flight Today

On 30 March 2014 Air Costa put an E190, VT-LBR, into service on Hyderabad to Jaipur, the first commercial E190 flight in India, after an E170 developed a cracked windshield.

Radu Balas · 18 Oct 2026

By Radu Balas1 min read

Updated 18 Oct 2026

Airlines

Air Costa gets approval to fly the Embraer E190s

On 27 March 2014 the DGCA cleared Air Costa to fly its two Embraer E190s, VT-LBR and VT-LVR, making it the first Indian airline to operate the type.

Radu Balas · 18 Oct 2026

By Radu Balas2 min read

Updated 18 Oct 2026

Airlines

Airborne: AirAsia India's First Aircraft, A320-216SL MSN6015 VT-ATF

Live coverage of the 21 March 2014 ferry flight of VT-ATF from Toulouse to Chennai via Ankara, with 18 updates tracking the aircraft across Europe, Turkey and the Arabian Sea to a water cannon welcome.

Radu Balas · 18 Oct 2026

By Radu Balas3 min read

Updated 18 Oct 2026

Airlines

AirAsia India's First A320 to Leave Toulouse Today for Chennai

On 12 March 2014 sources in Toulouse said VT-ATF, AirAsia India's first A320-216SL, would ferry to Chennai via Ankara, clearing the way for route proving flights and the Air Operator Permit.

Radu Balas · 18 Oct 2026

By Radu Balas1 min read

Updated 18 Oct 2026

Airlines

AirAsia's Airbuses, and Those Who Wish to Fly Them

In February 2014 AirAsia India cleared a DGCA objections review, its first A320 (MSN 6015, later VT-ATF) was flying at Toulouse, and 35 pilots were on strength. What crew who switch airlines were looking for.

Radu Balas · 18 Oct 2026

By Radu Balas3 min read

Updated 18 Oct 2026

Airlines

Rodrigo David: The Man Behind Some of the Best A320 Flightdeck Videos

An interview with Rodrigo David, an Avianca Brazil A320 captain whose cockpit videos such as SAIL and Higher drew millions of views and quietly marketed his airline.

Radu Balas · 18 Oct 2026

By Radu Balas3 min read

Updated 18 Oct 2026

Airlines

Cathay's Young Cabin Crew!

A light hearted post about Cathay Pacific dressing six staff children, aged 4 to 10, in miniature cabin crew uniforms for a day in their parents' shoes.

Radu Balas · 18 Oct 2026

By Radu Balas1 min read

Updated 18 Oct 2026

Airlines

Interlysis with Shyson Thomas: Air Pegasus, Unplugged

Our August 2014 interview and analysis with Shyson Thomas, MD and CEO of Bangalore start up Air Pegasus, on its ATR 72-500s, launch plans, funding, routes and the man himself.

Radu Balas · 18 Oct 2026

By Radu Balas7 min read

Updated 18 Oct 2026

Airlines

AirAsia India, and the competition, gets real

We flew AirAsia India's first commercial flight, i5 1320 Bangalore to Goa on 12 June 2014, and looked at the in flight product that made the new airline a real threat to IndiGo and SpiceJet.

Radu Balas · 18 Oct 2026

By Radu Balas4 min read

Updated 18 Oct 2026

Airlines

National Civil Aviation Policy 2015: Route Dispersal Guidelines

Our 2015 look at how the proposed Route Dispersal Guidelines would raise the number of CAT I routes by 166% and force airlines to fly more regional capacity while paying 2% towards a fund they could not draw from.

Radu Balas · 18 Oct 2026

By Radu Balas2 min read

Updated 18 Oct 2026

Airlines

GPS to the Rescue!

How the author used a handheld Garmin eTrex GPS and a Jeppesen chart to follow an airliner flight from taxi to touchdown, with what each phase reveals.

Radu Balas · 18 Oct 2026

By Radu Balas3 min read

Updated 18 Oct 2026

Airlines

A Glimpse of Tony's AirAsia India, and His Success Mantra

A report on the 3 July 2014 AirAsia India launch press conference: Tony Fernandes' more cautious tone, mixed messages on break even and fleet size, and his five point recipe for a low cost airline.

Radu Balas · 18 Oct 2026

By Radu Balas5 min read

Updated 18 Oct 2026

Airlines

SpiceJet: Estimated Q1 FY2016 Financial Performance

An estimate of SpiceJet's April to June 2015 quarter: unit costs of about INR 3.65 per seat km, an operating profit of INR 80 to 110 crore or less, and a net profit near INR 100 crore.

Radu Balas · 18 Oct 2026

By Radu Balas5 min read

Updated 18 Oct 2026

Airlines

Airbus A320 Experience

A first hand account of a 2009 jump seat flight on a Mandala Airlines A320 from Jakarta to Surabaya, explaining the systems used on each phase: fuel, engines, flexible thrust, cost index, fly by wire, bleed fault, FMS and landing.

Radu Balas · 18 Oct 2026

By Radu Balas6 min read

Updated 18 Oct 2026

Airlines

Interlysis: AirAsia India and Mrithyunjaya Chandilya

An interview and analysis of AirAsia India CEO Mrithyunjaya Chandilya, held on the airline's first commercial flight to Goa on 12 June 2014: fleet plans, fares, turnaround times and break even.

Radu Balas · 18 Oct 2026

By Radu Balas5 min read

Updated 18 Oct 2026

Airlines

Dissatisfied Flightcrew

In October 2013 an anonymous letter, said to be from a Delhi based pilot at a low cost airline the original called Blue, listed pilot grievances and demands. Its claims could not be verified.

Radu Balas · 18 Oct 2026

By Radu Balas3 min read

Updated 18 Oct 2026

Airlines

737 production ramp up, and how it compares with the A320's

In November 2013 Boeing announced the 737 line at Renton would go from 38 to 42 aircraft a month in 2014 and 47 in 2017. We compared that with Airbus's A320 output.

Radu Balas · 18 Oct 2026

By Radu Balas1 min read

Updated 18 Oct 2026

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