Happy New Year to you and your loved ones! 🎊May this year be filled with countless flights, endless adventures and boundless joy.
Talking about 2023, it has been a year of continuous learning, both personally and professionally. I have been able to run this blog at a slow but steady pace. Frankly speaking, I have not been able to focus on the blog as much as I have wanted to but I have constantly tried to bring you all the latest news from the aviation and travel industry. Thank you for your continued support throughout the year! 😊
In 2023, I went to Mauritius with my family for a trip of a lifetime! We made a lot of memories on the 10-day trip. While I have already published an Ultimate Travel Guide of Mauritius, the trip reports and hotel reviews will be published very soon!
Indian Aviation and Hospitality industry in 2023
The Indian aviation industry saw a lot of positive changes in 2023. The most significant changes happened at Air India, which is undergoing a transformation since the Tata Group took over. The airline revealed its new brand identity in August 2023, including a new logo and livery. In late-December, Air India became the first Indian airline to take delivery of an Airbus A350. December also saw the roll out of Air India's new brand identity.
On the other hand, IndiGo continued to expand, both domestically and internationally. The airline kicked-off its aggressive international plan by launching flights to Nairobi, Jakarta, Tashkent, amongst others. Vistara continued to take delivery of the remaining aircraft, with three more to go before its order book finishes. The Tata-Singapore Airlines joint venture is also in the process of merging with its big brother, Air India.
May 2023 saw the collapse of yet another Indian airline, GoFirst! SpiceJet continued to struggle financially but it seems that the airline is finally seeing light at the end of a long tunnel as it has gotten a fresh capital infusion of INR 2,250 crores.
Akasa's rapid expansion slowed down as 2023 progressed, which the airline says is part of its strategy. The airline completed the year with a 22 aircraft fleet. Air India Express also revealed its new brand identity in October.
The Indian hospitality industry continued to grow at a rapid pace, with major hotel groups having opened multiple properties across the country. Taj Hotels celebrated its 120th anniversary, a major milestone in its journey. Marriott's luxury brand St. Regis opened its first luxury resort in Goa, while Hilton announced the debut of its luxury Waldorf Astoria brand in Jaipur, Rajasthan. Hyatt also continued its aggressive expansion while Radisson announced the debut of its luxury Radisson Collection brand in India. Minor Hotels announced the debut of its luxury brand Anantara in India, with the first property to open in Jaipur, Rajasthan.
French hospitality group Accor opened a handful of properties, including two in Jaipur - an InterContinental (rebranded from Crowne Plaza) and a Novotel - and also a Novotel in Jodhpur.
Looking ahead in 2024!
I will continue to bring to you the latest aviation and travel news as well as try to publish more trip reports! The backlog has been increasing rapidly, so I will try to clear that out as soon as possible, time persisting. I am also figuring out as to when to resume one of the top performing features on this blog, the Top 10 lists!
There's so much to look forward to in the Indian aviation space in 2024. IndiGo is preparing for a spur of groundings of its Airbus A320 fleet due to issues with the Pratt and Whitney engines while Air India continues its transformative journey, "Vihaan.AI". The second half of this year will see Air India start refurbishing its B777-300ER and B787 Dreamliner fleet with new seats.
Akasa Air is expected to place its highly talked about "three-digit aircraft order" early this year while it is also expected to set foot in the international market in the first half of 2024. The merger of Air India Express-Air Asia India is expected to be completed by March 2024, after which both the entities will operate under a single Air Operator's Certificate.
Vistara is expected to continue operating as an independent airline this year, while the paperwork of the merger process with Air India continues. So set your foot in a Vistara aircraft before it all goes for a toss! 😉
SpiceJet will be an airline to watch out for this year, as hopefully, the future of the airline will become clearer.
Once again, a very Happy New Year! Cheers to a fantastic year ahead! 🙌🏻
Kind regards,
Ishan Haria
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