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Shankh Air: Uttar Pradesh’s New Airline Receives Approval from Union Aviation Ministry

India’s newest airline, Shankh Air, has been given the go-ahead by the Union Aviation Ministry to start flying. But there’s a catch—it needs approval from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) too! Don’t worry though, because all of this was made very clear in their letter: follow rules x, y, and z, oh yeah, while also adhering to regulations on foreign direct investment as well as those set out by the Securities & Exchange Board of India.

It is valid when they say we have no objection for three years (NOC). What makes these guys different from everyone else? They’re going to be the first scheduled carrier EVER based out of U.P.; operations will center around Lucknow plus Noida, with plans looking like some serious growth potential there too = big ideas coming up!! And let me tell you more stuff—Shankh Air is preparing its brand-new fleet of Boeing 737-800NG aircraft for takeoff.

The company wants you as a passenger because we are going places together! Such an example might be bridging important cities across India or even just focusing solely within one state’s borders, although there will also definitely still be routes available connecting other regions alongside them. Don’t worry if those kinds. We’ve noticed something: domestic flight demand exceeds supply in certain areas.

Indian Aviation Sector Overview

Competition is heating up among India’s domestic airlines as they compete for customers. After seeing its market share shrink slightly in July, Air India, which has the biggest slice of the pie among carriers, bounced back last month with an increase of 40 basis points versus the previous period.

SpiceJet and Akasa Air went in the other direction though when comparing just these two months: the former lost 80 bp while the latter shed 20 bp. IndiGo had been flying high (literally) after gaining 120bp between June 2024 and one year later, but this time around it was down by 120bp from where things stood in June 2024—an illustration worth keeping in mind since such small moves have big effects when you’re talking about pieces so small: 1bp = 0.01 percentage point.

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August experienced a 5.7% increase in overall domestic air traffic from the previous year—up to 1.31 crore passengers—according to the DGCA’s September 13 report. But this growth doesn’t tell the whole story: compared with earlier months, there was less traffic in August than in May (1.38 crore passengers) or even June (1.32 crore) and July (1.29 crore). If Shankh Air does decide to enter the market, an emphasis on strategic hubs as well as currently underserved areas might just give it some advantage over rival airlines; after all, both sectors are constantly changing.