The Indian AvGeek

Episode 56 Virgin Atlantic isn’t just flying to India; they are painting the skies red with a staggering 350% growth since 2019. In this episode, Vishal sits down with Shivani Singh Deo, Country Manager – India for Virgin Atlantic, to decode how the "cheeky challenger" of aviation is aggressively expanding its footprint in one of the world's largest aviation markets. Transitioning from a marketing role to leading country operations, Shivani opens up about the strategy behind Virgin’s massive capacity boost—offering one million seats annually on India routes. We deep dive into the mechanics of their four-way partnership with IndiGo, Delta, and Air Fran...

Episode 55 with Arun Kumar Singh, the CEO of Kyrgyzstan-based TezJet.  From the hyper-regulated regional skies of India’s UDAN scheme to the mountainous terrain of Central Asia, Arun’s journey is as unique as the fleet he operates. With TezJet launching its direct Bishkek-Delhi service this week, we dive deep into the operational reality of connecting India with Kyrgyzstan. But this isn't just a route launch conversation—it is a deep dive into fleet strategy, unit economics, and aviation history. In this episode, we discuss: The Return of the Mad Dog: Why TezJet operates the MD-83 (including the last one ever bu...

Episode 54 What happens when a pilot, an airline operator, and a strategist decide to reimagine aviation through the lens of data? In this episode, I sit down with Courtney Miller, the mind behind Visual Approach Analytics, to explore how storytelling, visualisation, and forecasting are reshaping the way airlines make decisions. What we discussed: •  Courtney’s journey into aviation: from the cockpit to Bombardier and DHL, and eventually into analytics. •  Why he believes the industry was “oddly slow” to recognize the value of aviation analytics. •  Lessons from DHL’s cargo forecasting (yes, Valentine’s Day and Mother’s Day were the most stressful!) and...

What does it take to reimagine flight for India’s cities — and make it affordable, scalable, and safe? In this episode of The Indian AvGeek, I sit down with Prof. Satya Chakravarthy, Founder, CEO-CTO of The ePlane Company and long-time professor at IIT Madras, to explore how deep-tech innovation is reshaping the skies above us. From his early fascination with aerospace engineering to his bold leap from academia into ventures like ePlane and Agnikul Cosmos, Prof. Chakravarthy shares the sparks that drive him to tackle frontier problems. We dive into his concept of “defrastructure” — the invisible backbone of future mobility — and how it g...

A deep dive into the tech, governance, and everyday friction of modern air travel with the person who helped turn a fringe idea into India’s biometric travel backbone. Suresh Khadakbhavi walks us from a muddy auto ride before his BIAL interview to the pilot with Jet Airways that proved passenger-first biometrics could scale nationally and explains how Digi Yatra is designed to enable seamless journeys without becoming a surveillance system. What you’ll hear in this episode •  A vivid origin story of how aviation and Suresh found each other, including a memorable muddy-ride interview anecdote that ended with an emergen...

In this episode of The Indian AvGeek, we welcome Ameya Joshi, Founder of NetworkThoughts.com to unpack Delhi Airport’s rise as a global transfer hub, explore underserved corridors, and chart India’s changing network dynamics. From terminal revamps and new mega-hubs to airline slot wars and bold contrarian forecasts, Ameya lays out the strategic moves that will define the next decade of Indian aviation. ✈️ In this discussion, we explore Delhi Airport’s remarkable transformation into a global transit hub, with international-to-international transfers surging 244%. This impressive growth positions Delhi as the best directly connected airport to North America and Europe in South a...

A milestone episode for The Indian AvGeek. For our fiftieth show we welcome Nathaniel Pieper, an airline lifer who now leads Oneworld. Expect a conversation that blends airline boardroom strategy with the pure joy of flight — fleet tales, alliance chess, lounge plans for India, and the kind of technical nitty gritty only someone who’s ridden the industry for decades can tell. ✈️ How it began — Nat’s first sparks for aviation and the formative moments that steered him from Northwest to a career shaped around alliances and network strategy. ✈️ Alliances as vocation — Why alliances became a repeated thread through his roles at Northwest...

Episode 49 features Jay Shabat, the founder of Airline Weekly (now Skift Airline Weekly) and senior aviation analyst at Skift. In this episode, Jay shares his unique journey from revenue analyst at US Airways to becoming one of the industry’s most respected voices, teaching IATA courses worldwide, and publishing influential industry analysis. Along the way, Jay shares timeless lessons, academic insights, and behind-the-scenes moments that shaped his view of the industry’s peaks and troughs. In this wide-ranging conversation, we unpack: •  Key drivers of record global demand and the premium cabin boom through 2026 •  The future of consolidation, alliances, and potential break-ups...

Episode 48 of The Indian AvGeek featured Behramjee Ghadially, Senior Manager, Route Network Planning at CAMAIR and aviation analyst. We unpacked the latest in network planning, fleet deployment, and market opportunities across Asia, Africa, and the Gulf. The show was led, however, with the revival of India–China direct flights and how airlines like Air India and IndiGo are positioned to capitalize on this reopening. Before the suspension in 2020, the route network included 539 monthly flights, with Chinese carriers dominating approximately 70% of capacity. Behramjee provides insights into which routes should be prioritized first - Beijing, Shanghai, or emerging destinations like Hangzhou and Sh...

Episode number 47 of The Indian AvGeek, Vishal sits down with Mike Malik—veteran airline sales leader turned marketing chief at Cirium, to trace a remarkable journey through aviation. From sales at American Airlines and leading Aloha Air Cargo to co-founding Maxjet, Mike shares stories of entrepreneurial grit and strategic pivots that shaped his career. We then dive into Cirium’s mission: how this data powerhouse powers on-time performance reports, underpins airport and airline planning, and supports emerging markets like India with analytics on regional connectivity, network optimization, and sustainability. Along the way, Mike reflects on rebranding FlightGlobal into a unified Ciri...

This isn’t just a cabin tour with John Walton, Editor-in-Chief, The Up Front—it’s a conversation about culture, ambition, and the art and science of making every inch of metal feel like home. Whether you’re an AvGeek, a frequent-flyer strategist, or simply curious about how airlines craft memorable journeys, John’s insider stories and strategic insights will equip you to see every flight in a whole new light. * The spark that drew John into the world of premium cabins and #PaxEx * Two decades of luxury in the sky: flatbeds, studio suites, and beyond * The Emirates “Game Changer” enigma: 9 out...

In this special edition of The Indian AvGeek, we have three of India’s leading aviation experts—Sanjay Lazar, Devesh Agarwal, and Captain Kishore Chinta—to dissect the preliminary AI171 crash report. Through a blend of technical insight and human-factors analysis, they chart the accident timeline, examine cockpit ergonomics, and question the selective data release by AAIB. From the fuel control switch movements in the EAFR data to the haunting cockpit voice exchanges about who “cut off” the engines, our panel explores: - Initial reactions to the preliminary report - How EAFR switch positions frame the crash sequence - Pilot decision-m...

🎙️ In this riveting conversation, Jean-Pierre Clercin, Commercial Head of ATR in APAC, talks us through the evolving turboprop narrative in India and beyond. From new orders at the Paris Air Show 2025 to insights on regional connectivity, we dig into how ATR plans to serve a fast-growing Indian market projected to need 200+ ATR aircraft. JP candidly reflects on the U.S. market and the dominance of RJs, IndiGo, Fly91, ATR’s monopoly status post-Q400, and whether final assembly lines in India are on the cards. We also explore supply chain advantages, ecosystem building with universities, and the company’s vision for India's r...

In this episode, The Indian AvGeek dives deep with Brian Sumers, founder and editor of The Airline Observer. From the emotional roots of his aviation journey to hot takes from the IATA AGM in New Delhi, Brian reflects on how airline strategy, sustainability, and industry dynamics are evolving. We unpack IndiGo’s rise, Air India’s international ambitions, and Rakesh Gangwal’s legacy, while sizing up the future of supersonic travel and aircraft innovation like JetZero. A sharp look at India’s ascent in global aviation—and the turbulence that still lies ahead. The Indian AvGeek streams on all major podcast pl...

The world’s most renowned points & miles guru, the founder of The Points Guy, Brian Kelly, joins this episode of The Indian AvGeek. Brian talks in detail about the growth of the points and miles scene worldwide and how it has evolved. We spoke extensively about his new book, “How to Win at Travel,” sharing key insights for travelers and points enthusiasts alike. Brian spoke about how consumers seem more loyal to their credit card companies than airlines and why getting an airline-specific credit card mostly results in heartbreak. Vishal Mehra - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@vis⁠hal1mehra⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

This week Arvind Chandrasekhar, the Director of Sales India and Head of Network, Fleet Management at Lufthansa Consulting, discusses in detail the world of aviation consulting. We delve deep into the business of airports in India, ranging from the projects undertaken by Lufthansa Consulting to challenges & opportunities for airport infrastructure in the country for the next five years.  We also discuss “Make vs Buy,” airport commercial and marketing teams, the geoeconomics of MROs, lessons from European hubs, Indigo and Low Cost Long Haul and various other topics. Vishal Mehra - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@vis⁠hal1mehra⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

The 40th episode of The Indian AvGeek features Abhijit DasGupta, the head of planning and revenue management at IndiGo. Abhijit details everything, from his background at Jet Airways to joining IndiGo & the first challenge he had. We discussed how new routes are selected, decisions on fleet orders, working with airport marketing teams, lease operations with Turkish Airlines, the importance of connecting traffic, the involvement of Indian carriers in next-gen aircraft, premiumization strategy, DXN/NMI, hub development, XLRs, ACMI leases, Norse Atlantic 789s, what IndiGo of the future looks like, UDAN, Boeing!, IATA AGM 2025, and much more. Vishal Mehra - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@vis⁠hal1mehra⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Brett Snyder, the founder of Cranky Flier and the host of The Air Show podcast, joins to discuss a wide variety of issues. From the impact of tariffs on aviation to Boeing and Airbus, Embraer’s NGNB, the importance of the Indian market for US airlines, Norse Atlantic planes with IndiGo, XLRs, Air India, regional aviation, Alaska Airlines’ plans for India, next-generation aircraft, and lessons that smaller Indian airlines can draw from the US market on how to compete with the Goliaths. Brett Snyder - ⁠@crankyflier⁠ Vishal Mehra - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@vis⁠hal1mehra⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Pradeep Panicker (President and CEO of Hyderabad International Airport) joins episode 38 to discuss near and long-term plans for the airport, one of the most important in the country. We discuss the reasons for HYD’s success, future infrastructure plans, sensory passenger experience, how the airport attracts international airlines, identification of lateral demand, opening new domestic city pairs, regional aviation, cargo plans, MRO, connecting traffic at the airport, and even Groupe ADP. Vishal Mehra - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@vis⁠hal1mehra⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Mauro Oretti joins the podcast to talk about alliances in detail. We discussed mergers vs. alliances. Entries and exits at SkyTeam: What does success look like to the alliance? The lack of Indian carriers in the alliance— if the close partnership with KLM-AF would lead to IndiGo becoming a member, the importance of the Indian market, SkyTeam-branded lounges, the next-generation alliance, SkyTeam’s 25th anniversary celebrations at IATA AGM, and the future of airline alliances. Vishal Mehra - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@vis⁠hal1mehra⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Richard Aboulafia, Managing Director of AeroDynamic Advisory, joins me to discuss various topics, ranging from the past to the present and the future of the aviation industry. We discuss his thoughts on the A, B, C, and E of the sector - Airbus, Boeing, Comac, and Embraer - in detail. Right from their existing aircraft programs to their future plans. We also discuss Richard’s detailed views on the Indian airlines and how they can have an outsized global impact, influence future aircraft development, and influence the supply chain around it. Vishal Mehra - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@vis⁠hal1mehra⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Episode number 35 of The Indian AvGeek features Alok Anand, from Acumen Aviation, continuing our in-depth chat from last week about aircraft leasing in India and the various intricacies around the business. In this episode we dive deeper into different types of leasing models (SLB and PLB), how Indian airlines are leasing, why it is essential to have a homegrown aircraft leasing industry in the country, anecdotes from Alok’s career, assessment of profitability and risks in leasing, why lessors often don’t buy aircraft directly, and the challenges for aviation in the next five years. https://www.flightpathwithalok.com/ Alok Anan...

Just as the Indian Parliament approved a bill to empower Cape Town convention and aircraft protocol, Alok Anand joined us to give an in-depth perspective of the Indian aircraft leasing market, how the entire process works, wet and dry leasing, as well as leasing done via GIFT City by Indian airlines so far and if it is any good? Alok Anand - @AlokAnand77 Vishal Mehra - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@vis⁠hal1mehra⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

I caught up with Rafat just a few days after the conclusion of a very successful Skift India Forum 2025. We engaged in a comprehensive conversation about the power of travel, the intricate relationship with aviation, the Indian market, and the potential benefits of a "connected trip." We also discussed in detail his thoughts on Air India and IndiGo, the potential of artificial intelligence in travel, and how airlines can work more closely with other players in the sector, including hotels, to up their game! Rafat Ali - @rafat Vishal Mehra - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@vis⁠hal1mehra⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Episode number 32 features Daniel Bircher, Chairman and MD at the Noida International Airport. Detailed discussion involving all aspects of the airport launching soon. ✈️Daniel’s background in aviation, how he got into the business. ✈️His time at BLR as the director of operations. How those learnings are helping him at DXN? ✈️When will DXN commence operations? ✈️Will cargo operations start earlier or passenger operations? ✈️Will DXN compete with DEL or complement DEL? ✈️Primary catchment area of the airport. ✈️How is DXN attracting traffic and airlines from DEL? Will it become Code F compliant? ✈️PaxEx features at the airport, contract, or airline led lounges? ✈️Domestic an...

This show features the co-founder and host of The Great Indian Points & Miles Show, Aadil Bandukwala. We break down points and miles scene for Indian travelers, both new and well-versed. ✈️ Points & miles landscape in India ✈️ Advice to get started in points & miles ✈️ Top tips for international redemptions ✈️ Top credit card recommendations ✈️ How to overcome redemption challenges? ✈️ Emerging trends and opportunities for travelers ✈️ Breaking down Emirates’ Skywards subscription ✈️ Air India Maharaja Club and IndiGo BluChip ✈️ Future of miles and points redemptions in India ✈️ Airline-Credit Card partnerships ✈️ All-time favorite in-flight experience ✈️ Apps & tools in use to keep track of points & miles Aadil Bandukwala - @aadil Vishal Mehra - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@vis⁠

The 30th episode of The Indian AvGeek features a veteran of the global aviation industry. With all the news around IndiGo’s expansion into Europe, we sat down with the ex-CCO of IndiGo, Willy Boulter. - [ ] Willy’s start and background in the aviation industry - [ ] His time at Etihad and Jet Airways, working experience with Naresh Goyal - [ ] What made IndiGo such a massive success? - [ ] How was it working with Rahul Bhatia and Rakesh Gangwal? - [ ] Rakesh Gangwal’s foresight about Jet Airways - [ ] The IndiGo of now vs the IndiGo he retired from - [ ] The idea to develo...

This is the second part of our conversation with Mark Ross-Smith, the CEO of Loyalty Status Co - StatusMatch. In this episode, we go deeper into the business of airline loyalty and status matching. * How does StatusMatch do its marketing? * The importance of points/miles websites * The power of authenticity in loyalty marketing * Story behind the viral “Chocolate Airlines,” which went viral * How an airline used numerology to understand pax * Priorities for StatusMatch in the Indian market * How can Indian FFPs differentiate themselves & monetize data? * The evergreen struggle between loyalty and revenue management in airlines * Understanding the lifetime value of pass...

This episode features Mark Ross-Smith, the CEO of Loyalty Status Co - StatusMatch. We discussed the nitty-gritty of the airline loyalty and status matching industry. * How did he get to lead Malaysia Airlines’ Enrich FFP? * The story behind starting Status Match * The status of Indian airline loyalty market * How has loyalty and status matching evolved into a multi-billion dollar ancillary revenue industry for airlines? * Global insights and trends in the industry that Indian carriers can adopt * Size of Indian business, which airline is seeing maximum traction? * How come StatusMatch hasn’t onboarded Air India Maharaja Club yet? * Most successful airline part...

The 27th episode of The Indian AvGeek features Evan from ⁠AnalyticFlying.com⁠. We mainly focus on the upcoming wide body aircraft for Air India and IndiGo. * How does the A321 XLR compare to Boeing’s offerings in the same market segment * IndiGo’s wet lease induction of Norse 787-9s * How will Air India use its upcoming A350-900s and A35Ks * How is IndiGo expected to use its A359s, once they get delivered * How does the Boeing Dreamliner compare to the Airbus A350 * Air India’s great fleet flex, giving them scale and ULH capabilities * How and where Air...

This week on The Indian AvGeek, we turn our focus on the India-US market and its potential. Vinay Bhaskara joins us on the show to talk about that and also about artificial intelligence in the industry: * How can artificial intelligence and aviation come together? * AI & NDC. How can that lead to smarter, better reservation systems and GDS? * How can artificial intelligence add value to airports? * State of the India-US market * Delving deep into DFW, from HYD and DEL * New routes US airlines will launch into India * Alaska’s plan for SEA-BLR * Current network of US airlines into India and how th...

It’s the quarter-century episode of the Indian AvGeek and do we have a striker or what? Evan from ⁠AnalyticFlying.com⁠. We are diving into Airbus’s latest and greatest: .Is the A321 XLR a misunderstood aircraft? .Has aircraft marketing been taken too seriously? .What makes the XLR different from other aircraft in the A320 family? .IndiGo and the curious case of the Airbus A321 XLRWhat kind of hard product will IndiGo’s XLRs get? .Why can’t DEL-LON happen on an A321 XLR? .Why is Frankfurt a likely choice for IndiGo’s XLR ops? .Which European & African stations can IndiGo possibl...

The second and final part of our 2025 industry forecast. We started our discussion straightaway with a banger: Which global airlines are waiting in the wings to launch routes to India? Once that was out of the way, we also discussed: * Air India’s international expansion plans * The US Big3’s plan for the Indian market * Will Air India get A350Ks this year from Airbus? Or an IPO? * Akasa’s strategy for the year ahead. Will that involve a premium play? * Regional Airlines and the year ahead * Should we expect new aircraft types to be ordered by Indian airlines in 2025? * Airbus...

This week Ajay Awtaney forecasts the year ahead for Indian aviation with me. We discussed IATA’s projections and the expected profitability for Indian airlines. Besides that: * Biggest tech advancements coming up in 2025 * Most critical challenge for MoCA and DGCA this year * How are airlines preparing to meet increased travel demand? * IndiGo’s plans for 2025 * The developing complex fleet of IndiGo * PaxEx discussion around A321 XLR * Where can we expect IndiGo to dispatch its upcoming XLRs And more. Ajay Awtaney - ⁠@livefromalounge⁠ Vishal Mehra - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@vis⁠hal1mehra⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Episode number 22 of The Indian AvGeek features Sidharth Grover, Director of Communications and Marketing at Star Alliance. We started the discussion with Sid’s background at SpiceJet and Vistara before he moved on to Star Alliance. We spoke about the future of airline alliances, how the alliances do marketing, co-ordinating with all 25 partner airlines, future initiatives, the importance of Indian market, the entry of LCAs & other intermodal partners in Star Alliance, and the emerging trends around the industry. Vishal Mehra - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@vis⁠hal1mehra⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Episode number 21 of The Indian AvGeek features Devesh Agarwal (BLRAviation) chatting with me on the final part of the 2024 recap for Indian aviation. This week, we started with the leading airports of the country (DEL, BOM, BLR), moved to Boeing, and then Airbus as OEMs. We touched on regional aviation in the country and how 2024 was an important year for it before diving into SpiceJet and Air India. Devesh Agarwal - ⁠⁠@BLRAviation⁠⁠ Vishal Mehra - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@vis⁠hal1mehra⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Episode number 20 of The Indian AvGeek features Devesh Agarwal (BLRAviation) recapping important events of Indian aviation in 2024. We discussed important laws and directives brought in by the Ministry of Civil Aviation, DGCA, before discussing IndiGo’s year in detail. We also discussed Akasa, its highlights and troubles, as well as the demise of Jet Airways and Go First. It is a loaded first part of the special two-part year ender. Devesh Agarwal - ⁠@BLRAviation⁠ Vishal Mehra - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@vis⁠hal1mehra⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

This week’s show has Jagriti talking about her background in aviation journalism, stories that she is proud of covering, Air India’s latest additional 100 aircraft order, FDTL norms for Indian pilots, wet leasing rules revamp by DGCA, gender rights in Indian aviation circles, and much more. Jagriti Chandra - ⁠@jagritichandra⁠ Vishal Mehra - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@vis⁠hal1mehra⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Vasuki Prasad (Marketing Director, APAC for Embraer) is back for an encore, and we dive into many topics.  * How Embraer approached new markets * Future innovations and products  * Impact of ESG guidelines on aircraft sales * How marketing differs within different divisions at Embraer * Technical marketing done by OEMs * How top airline hubs should be judged, basis of revenue * How passenger revenue diversity combats volatility * Detailed discussion on IndiGo

This week’s show features Vasuki Prasad, Embraer Commercial Aviation’s APAC Marketing Director. The first part of our chat discusses Vasuki’s time heading commercial at Vistara, his eventual move to Embraer, the aircraft sales pitch process, Embraer in India, their integrated marketing mix, the relevance of airshows in today’s world, and more. Vishal Mehra - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@vis⁠hal1mehra⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Solomon Wheeler, the ex- head of marketing at Vistara and SpiceJet, joins us to give a peek inside the life of an airline CMO. He touches upon his time at SpiceJet, how closely he worked with the revenue team for sales campaigns, and various marketing campaigns under his tutelage at Vistara including the famed Retrojet and Fly Higher. We discussed Active Revenue Management, how closely marketing is involved, how far ahead they get to know about various route launches, and his thoughts on what made brand Vistara so special for so many flyers. All this & much more. Solomon Wheeler - ⁠@so...

As a historic week in the world of Indian aviation continues to rumble, the world’s foremost aviation marketing expert, Shashank Nigam, joins the show to talk about iconic brands of Indian aviation. We discussed the importance of airline marketing and how it differs from the usual marketing we all know. How airline marketing evolved into health ratings during the pandemic, marketing’s importance for leading OEMs like Boeing, Airbus, Embraer, GE, and so forth. His unfiltered thoughts on Vistara’s brand dilution, Air India’s brand revamp, Indigo’s marketing, and how Indian airports are marketing themselves. Shashank Nigam - ⁠⁠@Simpl...

Episode #14 features the Founder CEO of FLY91, Manoj Chacko, talking about how his time at Kingfisher Airlines led to the initial thought for the regional airline, his business plan, their conversations with bigger airlines, their fleet choice, how they built their network, the role of technology in their operations, if the American regional airline model can work in India, Pilots, myths around ATRs and building the brand. Manoj Chacko - ⁠@FLY91_IN⁠ Vishal Mehra - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@vis⁠hal1mehra⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

This week’s guest is Nitin Sarin, Managing Partner at Sarin & Co, India’s only aviation law firm. The topics ranged from how aircraft leasing happens, to how an engine lessor takes the much bigger risk, to the Capetown convention, the emerging GIFT city, what MoCA and DGCA can do to make India more attractive for leasing companies, aircraft repossessions in India, and more. Nitin Sarin - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@Deaphen⁠ Vishal Mehra - ⁠⁠⁠⁠@vis⁠hal1mehra⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

This week our focus is entirely on Africa and its enormous potential for the India-Africa market. Sean Mendis talks to us about the overall state of African aviation, why Ethiopian Airlines leads the market, Qatar’s buying spree in Africa, Carriers serving the Indo-Africa market, unserved markets on the route, How will A321 XLR EIS help in market stimulation, new carriers which may serve the market, Morocco’s market and the Adani controversy wrt to the Nairobi Airport. Sean Mendis - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@SeanMendis⁠ Vishal Mehra - ⁠⁠⁠⁠@vishal1mehra⁠⁠⁠⁠

This episode is dedicated to the greatest Indian AvGeek — Mr. Ratan Tata. Part two of my chat with the COO of Bengaluru International Airport, Satyaki Raghunath. This episode focuses on Fairfax’s management of BLR, marketing, and branding of the airport, reaching out to the new traveler, inbound tourism for the country, cargo plans for the airport, NetZero plans, how he thinks airlines like Akasa can succeed, the biggest challenge ahead for Indian aviation, and if BLR will open an AvGeek corner at the airport.  Satayaki - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@SatyakiRaghuna1⁠ Vishal Mehra - ⁠⁠⁠@vishal1mehra⁠⁠⁠

The 10th episode of The Indian AvGeek features the COO of BLR, Satyaki Raghunath. Satyaki delves deep into the growth of the airport, the business, Talks in detail about IndiGo and Air India, about the new routes recently launched and about to be launched from the airport, how BLR has the best airline marketing team in the country and how they reached out to several North American Airlines. All that and more. Satayaki - ⁠⁠⁠⁠@SatyakiRaghuna1 Vishal Mehra - ⁠⁠@vishal1mehra⁠⁠

SpiceJet seems to have secured another lifeline. What does the future look like for the airline, Why have top Indian and International investors put their faith in it, How long will these INR 3000+ crores last for the airline? We discuss this in detail with Ameya Joshi of Network Thoughts and a radical plan to rebuild the airline from the ground up. Ameya Joshi - ⁠⁠⁠⁠@khabri_lal⁠ Vishal Mehra - ⁠⁠@vishal1mehra⁠⁠

This week's episode features Rishi Jain. We delved deep into the India-UK air travel market, the fight for Heathrow slots and then fantasised together about possible new routes for Air India across its key international markets, the role of Star Alliance. Rishi Jain - ⁠@RJainAviation Vishal Mehra - ⁠@vishal1mehra⁠

This week's episode features Captain Kishore Chinta, one of the most prolific aviators in the country with a celebrated background in the Indian Air Force and last two decades of flying civil aircraft. He has been an integral part of general aviation in the country and discusses trends, challenges and the future of private flying in the country. Captain Kishore Chinta - ⁠@Capt_CK⁠ Vishal Mehra - ⁠@vishal1mehra⁠

This week’s episode has Devesh Agarwal, the founder of BangaloreAviation.com talking with Vishal on Air India’s upcoming mega MRO facility in Bengaluru, a new wide-body hangar at Delhi airport, the expansion of Air India Express as well as the forthcoming change of guard at the same airline. Devesh says it as he sees it! Thank you for listening. Leave us feedback and a rating on your preferred podcast app, and follow me on social: @vishal1mehra.

An unmissable episode where Vishal Mehra speaks to Sanjay Lazar, a four-decade veteran of Indian Aviation, with most of his career spent in Air India. Sanjay dishes out on ICAO's safety audit of BCAS, as well as Air India's acquisition of Vistara - and how Singapore Airlines will be calling the shots increasingly. As always, feel free to give feedback - it helps. I'm on most social platforms as @vishal1mehra

This week Vishal Mehra talks about all the latest happenings in Indian aviation, from SpiceJet, to Akasa, to Air India and over to airports in the country and the latest news from Boeing. As always, please do give feedback - it helps. We are now on YouTube too. ⁠follow me on ⁠@vishal1mehra⁠

The second episode of The Indian AvGeek is here and it features one of India’s most authoritative voices on aviation, Ajay Awtaney. Ajay and I discussed a variety of topics with the launch of IndiGo’s premium product, now known as Stretch, as well as its soon-to-be-launched FFP called IndiGo BluChip. We discuss the new product, passenger perspective on these developments, how it might be a successful launch, the increasing hybridization of IndiGo, potential codeshares, increased margins, IFE, new routes, and more. And then we get into details of IndiGo’s revenue-based FFP - BluChip, whether they add more earn/b...

The first episode of The Indian AvGeek features one the most respected analysts of the Indian aviation industry, Ameya Joshi from networkthoughts.com as we discuss Indigo’s business class launch, how they have pivoted from their original business model, how their network continues to evolve and grow with the recent Middle East expansion. We also discuss SpiceJet board’s approval of Rs 3000 crore QIP, their never-ending financial/legal troubles and whether is there a way out from all this mess for SpiceJet. Join your host Vishal Mehra, and Ameya Joshi for this insightful episode, and please do leave us a ra...

Vishal Mehra, the host of The Indian AvGeek introduces himself and the show, focussing on the Indian skies, and talks about what's in store for listeners as new episodes drop every Monday.