Another CEO quits. Is India aviation sector too turbulent for expats?

Barely six months after Jet Airways, the country's second largest carrier, announced his appointment as its CEO, Gary K Toomey has called it quits.
Jet Airways informed the stock exchanges of the change in its top management on Thursday and said that Ravishankar Gopalakrishnan, its Chief Financial Officer will be the 'acting CEO' till such time as Jet Airways board is able to get a new person for the job.
Sources at Jet Airways provide different reasons for the exit of the 59 year old Australian, who previously worked at several global airlines.
While some at Jet claim Toomey was homesick as his wife and children had stayed behind in Australia, others say the reasons are more complex. They maintain Toomey was finding it difficult to fathom the Indian aviation market and his relationship with Jet's promoter and Chairman, Naresh Goyal, had been affected by this.

Jet CEO Gary Toomey quits within 6 months of taking over

In an unexpected move, Jet Airways Chief Executive Officer Gary Kenneth Toomey announced his immediate departure from the airline today.
“Gary Kenneth Toomey, CEO of the company has resigned with immediate effect,” Jet Airways said in a BSE filing today.
Toomey, who was appointed only last June on a three-year contract, could not be immediately reached for comments.
Ravishankar Gopalakrishnan, the CFO of the airline, will officiate as the “acting chief executive officer” till the board appoints a new chief, the airline said.

Praful Patel, Descent of Air India and the killing of a critical book

The descent of Air India is complete. Or so, it seems. Publishing giant Bloomsbury in a decision, unprecedented for its abject surrender, has withdrawn former AI top honcho Jitender Bhargava’s book The Descent of Air India, agreed to destroy copies of the book left in its stocks and tendered an apology to former civil aviation minister Praful Patel, who has been pilloried in the book as the man who caused the downfall of the airline.
Descent of Air India chronicles the decline of Air India and Praful Patel’s contribution to the descent. Satish Maneshinde, senior advocate for the minister, told dna on Wednesday that the withdrawal of Bhargava’s book by Bloomsbury was the outcome of an out-of-court settlement between Patel and the publishing firm.
Last November, Maneshinde filed a criminal defamation case in a Mumbai metropolitan magistrate’s court against Bhargava and Bloomsbury on behalf of Patel. He denied reports that pressure was brought upon the publisher to pull out the book. “The company’s decision is purely an outcome of a legal settlement. There is nothing more to it,” he told dna.

Air India employees back airline's pivatisation: Ajit Singh

Civil aviation ministry may kick-start the process of finally privatising the ailing Air India. That's the word coming in from Ajit Singh. Speaking exclusively to CNBC-TV18's Shereen Bhan, Singh said there was a strong case for the national carrier to take the privatisation route with an equity infusion from either foreign or domestic partners. Importantly, he revealed that Air India employees were also backing the government on this move. But on the issue of airport privatisation Singh said that though the process would start in the coming weeks it would however not be completed under the term of this UPA-II government.

Wings of hope for Air Kerala

Kochi: Kerala’s hopes of taking its dream budget airline, Air Kerala, to the skies have been rekindled with Union Civil Aviation Minister Ajith Singh promising that the controversial rule that an Indian carrier must be five-years-old and have 20 aircraft in its fleet to fly abroad, could be discarded by next month.
Ajith Singh said the Civil Aviation Ministry would seek the Union Cabinet’s approval in this regard next month.
Air Kerala has been in hibernation for the past one year after a core team was constituted in November 2012 by CIAL managing director and director of Air Kerala, V.J. Kurien, comprising experts from CIAL in association with project advisor Ernst and Young, to work on the project.
The team was headed by CIAL Assistant General Manager C.Dinesh Kumar and two others. Ernst and Young was expected to submit the Detailed Project Report.

AirAsia deal: Raise objections with ministries, HC tells Subramanian Swamy

The Delhi High Court today suggested that BJP leader Subramanian Swamy approach the concerned ministries with his grievances relating to the $ 30 million deal between Malaysia-based AirAsia and Tata Sons.
A bench headed by Chief Justice N V Ramana made the observation during the hearing of a PIL when a lawyer appearing on behalf of Swamy sought a passover of the case on the ground that the BJP leader was on his way to the court from the airport.
"In the, meanwhile, you go and raise your objections with them (ministries concerned)," the bench said to the counsel appearing on behalf of Swamy.

SpiceJet undertakes thorough overhaul of business strategy to increase market share

Mumbai: SpiceJet Ltd is set for a radical overhaul of its business strategy as it tries to grab more market share and shore up revenues, starting with wooing Business Class passengers. “The focus is on a complete makeover and bringing in more business fliers,” said an airline official. SpiceJet is looking to blur the lines with full-services airlines that offer more expensive seats.
The airline, owned by Kalanithi Maran, is not only struggling to stay up after its record loss last fiscal year, but also has to contend with more competition from rivals, including two airlines being launched by the Tata group—a low-cost airline with Malaysia’s AirAsia and the other a full-service one with Singapore Airlines.
SpiceJet is aiming to achieve its makeover by March 2014, with a six-point strategy, which includes reconfiguring its aircraft; launching a frequent flier programme; introducing a new food menu; offering better metro flight slots; and rejigging its international network, Tarun Shukla reported in Mint. It has implemented some of these.

Free-falling Air India hands out freebies

What does an airline struggling to pull itself out of the deep, deep red do? It doesn't look at Air India, that's for sure.
For an airline that is Rs 44,000 crore in debt, and needs to milk the Centre for a few thousand crores every year just to survive, Air India has become even more liberal with its free travel policy for employees and their extended families.
Starting this year, the airline has hugely expanded the free ticket handout it gives employees, more than doubling the entitlement for employees up to officer level, and tripling it for those at the top.
Sweetening this deal further is the fact that extended family members now eligible to travel practically free on Air India include brothers, sisters, as well as sons and daughters-in-law. The taxpayer pays for it, as usual.

Qatar Airways discusses code sharing with IndiGo and SpiceJet

Manama: Qatar Airways has reached agreement with Saudi authorities on solving problems that blocked its entry into Saudi Arabia's domestic market, and plans to start operating there by the end of the third quarter, its chief executive said on Thursday.
"We have already now appointed a new CEO for the Saudi operations, and we are planning to launch the Saudi operations anytime between the middle to the third quarter of this year," Akbar Al Baker said in an interview.
Saudi Arabia's price caps for domestic flights have hurt airlines' profit margins, while fuel subsidies have helped flag carrier Saudi Arabian Airlines compete against rivals.

DIAL emerging into a hub for international passengers

New Delhi: Transit passengers constitute for nearly 20% of total passengers recorded in the country's largest airport in Delhi, doubling within a period of only three years, and transforming it into an international hub in the likes of airports like Hong Kong, Chicago amongst others.
In the same period between 2011-12 and 2013-14 (estimate), the number of transit passengers in Delhi has nearly increased by over two and a half times and is expected to hit 6.59 million by March end.
Buoyed by Air India’s induction into Star Alliance, which is expected to add scale to the airline’s global flight plans, Delhi airport has targeted that 25-26% of its passengers will come from transit passengers by 2015-16.

Star Alliance, AI discuss integration process details

New Delhi: Star Alliance has started talks with Air India on various aspects of integration with the global airlines' grouping, as the national carrier showed signs of financial and operational stability.
A big team of the 28-member alliance has begun discussion with Air India officials from various departments, including commercial, IT and operations, to take the integration process forward, a month after Star Alliance unanimously decided to recommence the process that was suspended in 2011.
The ongoing meetings are significant as Star Alliance CEO Mark Schwab is expected to be here this weekend.

'Fagged' pilot refuses to fly after fog spikes flight

Jaipur: Fog delaying flights is nothing new. But when a flight gets 'fogged' out and the pilot's flying hours are over, passengers are at the receiving end, more so when the airline authoriites do not provide a standby pilot and crew.
At least 124 passengers were stranded at Jaipur airport for 15 hours and were literally taken for a ride by Air Arabia when the pilot who was supposed to take off for Sharjah allegedly refused to fly stating that his duty hours were over! The flight which was supposed to take off at 4.10 am on Thursday finally took off at 7.20 pm when the airline arrange for a standby pilot and crew.

I was not on a call when the flight took off: Rochelle

Popular TV host and former Femina Miss India International, Rochelle Maria Rao, is in a soup for allegedly not turning off her mobile phone during a recent flight from Mumbai to Bangalore. A complaint has been reportedly filed by the airline against her for interfering with flight navigation.
Giving us her side of the story, the Chennai model says, "I was on a call even as I was boarding the aircraft. When the flight was about to take off, and after listening to the instructions, I put my mobile on flight mode. I checked with air hostess if doing so was OK. She went to check with her cabin mates and returned saying that I couldn't keep it on flight mode. I switched off my mobile as soon as she told me this. I was not on a call when the flight was set to take off. But, later when the flight landed at Bangalore, I was shocked when the flight cabin team detained me for three hours at the airport."

SpiceJet to scrap Pune-Bangkok flight

Pune:  Low-cost carrier SpiceJet has decided to discontinue its Pune-Bangkok direct flight service with effect from the impending summer schedule that commences from the end of March 2014. "The decision has been spurred by the viability factor, that is, demand and response from travelers on this route," a SpiceJet official told TOI on Thursday.
"All passengers, who may have booked their tickets on this flight after the end of March, will be compensated with the best available options, like transfer to alternate flight or cash-back, as the case may be," the airline official said.
As of now, the Pune-Bangkok flight operates on a four-days-a-week basis; on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays. The summer schedule normally commences from the last Sunday of March.

SpiceJet to add Hong Kong, Dhaka as new destinations from March

New Delhi: No-frill airline SpiceJet today announced changes in its international route network, adding Hong Kong and Dhaka as new destinations from March end and discontinuing Delhi-Guangzhou flight, even as it planned to strengthen its tie-up with TigerAir of Singapore.
The airline, which filed its summer 2014 schedule to the Directorate General of Civil Aviation for approval, has proposed to discontinue its Pune-Bangkok, Varanasi-Sharjah and Delhi-Guangzhou flights. The summer schedule becomes effective from the last Sunday of March.

Jaipur runway extension work from Feb 1

Jaipur: There is some good news for air travelers from Jaipur who have to go to Delhi or Mumbai to catch international flights. The much-awaited runway extension work of the Jaipur airport will start from February 1. This will increase the length of the runway to 11,500 feet from its current 9,000 feet.
SN Borkar, director, Airports Authority of India(AAI), Jaipur had a meeting with various airlines officials and briefed them about the civic work .
"The work is expected to be complete in nearly 17 months. It is a project of Rs 98 crore which will facilitate Jaipur airport to accommodate the operations of big aircraft that including Boeing 747 and Airbus 320 which are mainly used in international flights," said Borkar while talking to TOI on Thursday.

Bloomsbury withdraws book on Air India, apologises to Praful Patel

Mumbai/New Delhi:  The Descent of Air India, a book authored by Jitendra Bhargava, former executive director of the state carrier, will be withdrawn by its publishers Bloomsbury Publishing India.
The book, as the title suggests, attempts to chronicle the decline of Air India and alleges that it was the policies driven by several persons, including the then Civil Aviation Minister and now Heavy Industries Minister Praful Patel and then Chairman and Managing Director V. Thulasidas, which were responsible for the present state of Air India. Soon after the book was released in November, Patel had filed a criminal defamation suit against Bhargava and Bloomsbury before the Metropolitan Magistrate, Mumbai.

Airlines meeting desi norms can fly abroad

New Delhi: India is going to lift the five-year-20-aircraft rule for its carriers to fly abroad completely, allowing startup airlines here to have their launch flights abroad. Now, any desi carrier planning to fly abroad will only have to meet the norms that the airlines need to meet to remain a schedule carrier in India — have a fleet of five aircraft and a paid-up capital of Rs 50 crore within a year of starting operations.
"Why should there be any additional requirement for Indian carriers? We have allowed small airlines from neighbouring places to fly here without imposing any similar conditions on them. The change we are proposing will bring Indian carriers completely at par with foreign airlines in terms of the freedom to fly in and out of India," aviation minister Ajit Singh said. The minister added that such airlines will also have to meet all safety, security and regulatory norms.

FIPB seeks information on Jet Airways' former owner Tailwinds, wants details of cos owned by Naresh Goyal

Mumbai: The $379-million ( Rs 2,059 crore) deal between Jet and Etihad continues to face regulatory headwinds even as the two carriers are stepping up the integration of their networks and top management teams.
The Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) has written to Jet Airways seeking details of its previous promoter company, Tailwinds.
FIPB, a panel of government officials which clears foreign investment proposals, has sought information on changes, if any, in the ownership of the Isle of Man-based company since its incorporation, source of its initial capital, details of debt and its tax returns apart from profit and loss numbers and balance sheet details.

Name new international air terminal after JRD Tata: Trust

Mumbai: JRD Tata Trust has appealed to the government to name the newly-inaugurated international terminal at Sahar Airport here after Bharat Ratna JRD Tata in recognition of his pioneering contributions to Indian aviation.
In a letter to Civil Aviation Minister Ajit Singh, the trust has lauded his ministry's role for "consistent" policy guidelines which have provided world class infrastructure to spur growth in the domestic aviation space.
"At the time of commissioning of this wonderful T2, we from JRD Tata Trust make a sincere and fervent appeal to you for naming the terminal as JRD Tata Terminal," Trust Chairman Capt D S Mathur said.

Jet Airways to relaunch New York flight

Mumbai: Jet Airways will reintroduce its service to New York in May with a stopover in Abu Dhabi in a bid to expand its global network. Jet Airways and Etihad entered into strategic alliance last April and the two airlines will use Abu Dhabi as a gateway to launch additional services to Europe, Africa and the US.
At present Jet Airways flies to Newark and Toronto via Brussels. It stopped its India-New York service last year due to losses and code shares with Brussels Airlines on the transatlantic leg of this route.

IndiGo promoter buys Pepsi's corporate headquarters in Gurgaon for Rs 50 crore

New Delhi: InterGlobe Enterprises, the promoter of budget carrier Indigo Airlines, has bought beverage maker Pepsi's corporate headquarters in Gurgaon, near Delhi, for Rs 50 crore. The 37,000-square feet Pepsi office is in DLF Corporate Park on Mehrauli-Gurgaon Road. The building also houses the headquarters of InterGlobe.
As part of the deal, Pepsi has leased back the space from the buyer until its new office building on Golf Course Road in Gurgaon is ready.

India to take part in Bahrain Airshow

Hyderabad: Exploring opportunities for exports, India will showcase its fighter aircraft Tejas along with airborne platforms and communication systems at the Bahrain International Airshow during January 16-18.
The Defence Research and Development Organisation along with its production partners from the Industry are taking part in strength.
The show will witness flying demonstration of the ‘AEW&C India’ the latest Airborne Early Warning and Control system that can detect, identify and classify threats present in the surveillance area and act as a command and control centre to support variety of air operations.

Tata-Singapore Airlines in talks with creative agencies

Tata-Singapore Airlines, the aviation venture between Tata Sons and Singapore Airlines, is on the lookout for a creative partner. The multi-agency pitch is underway in New Delhi. There was no official confirmation at the time of filing the report, however, sources close to exchange4media have confirmed the news.
In the new venture, christened Tata-SIA Airlines, Tata Sons has 51 per cent stake, while Singapore Airlines (SIA) has 49 per cent stake. The joint venture received approval from the Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) to set up Tata-SIA Airlines in October last year. The airline will be based in New Delhi and the venture is likely to be launched by May-June this year. Prasad Menon has been roped in as Chairman of this new venture.

Jaipur to get more options to fly South this summer

Jaipur: Come April and Jaipurites may have more options to fly to South India.  A new airline, Air Asia India Limited, has been planning to host its operations from Jaipur in the summer schedule and could start three domestic flights.
Air Asia would begin its operations from many cities, including Jaipur, and has applied to the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) for operation permit to begin operating flights to South Indian destinations, mostly. The DGCA has invited suggestions and objections from the general public before granting the air operator’s permit to the airline. If granted a permit, the airline is likely to start its operations in Jaipur from March end or April first week.

Centre plans bus facility at IGI airport

New Delhi: Wizened by the last year's Airport metro row, the Ministry of Urban Development is mulling to provide alternative transportation to the flyers in the form of bus facility at the National Capital's Indira Gandhi International (IGI) airport. The ministry is carrying out a survey and studying the pattern of transportation which flyers generally prefer to travel to the airport.
"The study is being carried out to see whether bus facility could be introduced at the airport," an official said. The pros and cons of introducing the bus service, right outside from the airport's terminals, to various parts of the city is being considered by the ministry for the benefit of flyers and visitors alike.

India set to ease restrictions on local carriers flying abroad: Aviation Minister Ajit Singh

New Delhi:  India could ease restrictions that prevent some of its domestic airlines from flying on international services within a month, potentially benefiting start-ups set up by Singapore Airlines and Malaysia's AirAsia that aim to begin operations in 2014.
Under existing rules, Indian carriers are also required to be in operation for at least five years and have 20 aircraft to be eligible to fly international routes.
Singh told reporters that New Delhi would seek the cabinet's approval by next month to "scrap this rule".
Conglomerate Tata Sons has formed a joint venture with SIA to start up a full service carrier, which is expected to begin operations in the second half of 2014.

Civil aviation ministry preparing cabinet note to revoke 5/20 rule

New Delhi: The government may looking at easing norms for domestic airlines to operate international services without restrictions in fleet size and operational experience ahead of the launch of two start-up ventures - Tata-SIA Airlines and Tata-AirAsia.
Existing rules require Indian carriers to be in operation for at least five years and have a fleet of 20 aircraft to be eligible to fly on international routes.
Civil Aviation Minister Ajit Singh today said the ministry is in the process of framing a cabinet note to seek the government’s approval to “scrap” the regulations within the coming month and ease norms for flying international.

India Considers Lifting Ban on Airbus Superjumbos

India is considering lifting a ban on Airbus SAS A380s from flying into the country, a move that may help Emirates and Deutsche Lufthansa  to start services with the double-decker plane to the Asian nation.
“We’ve been looking at it and we’ve talked to the airlines and asked for comments from ground-handling and immigration,” Aviation Minister Ajit Singh said in New Delhi today. “We are waiting for their comments.”
The government banned commercial services with the world’s biggest passenger aircraft on concerns that travelers will desert state-run Air India Ltd. and other local airlines struggling with the region’s most-expensive fuel tariffs and a price war. Current rules prevent overseas airlines from flying aircraft bigger than the Boeing 747 into the country.

AirAsia's India launch may see further delay

New Delhi/Mumbai: In what may further delay AirAsia's launch in India, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has asked all persons likely to be affected by the grant of scheduled air operator's permit to the airline to submit their suggestions and objections to the regulator within a period of 30 days.
"In order to comply with the requirements of Schedule XI of Aircraft Rules 1937, a notice is hereby given to the public and all the persons likely to be affected by the grant of this permit to submit their objections or suggestions, if any, on the Statement of Intent (submitted by AirAsia), along with the particulars, as enclosed, within Thirty Days of the issue of this notice", DGCA stated in a notice issued on Monday (Jan 13, 2014).

India says vetting names of top honchos of Tata Sons, Singapore Airlines JV after 'delay'

New Delhi: The Union Home Ministry is vetting the names of top bosses of the new Tata Sons, Singapore Airlines joint venture for security clearance, a major pre-requisite for the start-up carrier to get an NOC from the Civil Aviation Ministry.
Tata-SIA have applied to the Civil Aviation Ministry for a NOC to start a full-service airline in India. The joint venture received approval from the Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) to set up Tata-SIA Airlines in October last year.

Heathrow sees rise in Indian passengers

London’s Heathrow airport saw an increase in Indian passenger arrivals last year. In 2013, the airport received 8.7% more Indian passengers as compared to the previous year. Arrivals from China saw the maximum increase at 18.9%, while BRIC passengers in total increased 6.9% over the year.
Read News in full 15/01/14 Travel Daily Media

Airport’s yet-to-open T2 draws praise from celebs

Mumbai: The world-class terminal 2 at the city airport will be open to passengers only next month, but it has already started winning accolades from industrialists and corporates who have been accorded a visit to the new facility.
Anand Mahindra, CMD of Mahindra Group, who had visited the T2 on Sunday, told TOI: "Those who will compare Mumbai's new airport to other airports simply in terms of its facilities and modern conveniences will be missing the point. This airport changes the current rules of the game. ...."
Sangita Jindal, chairperson of JSW Foundation, said: ".. What I liked was Abu Jani and Sandeep Khosla's Diya Walk and Rajeev Sethi's Art Walk. The new terminal will further put India's art culture on the world map."

Kingfisher A380 Order Cancellation Cuts Revival Chances

Airbus canceled Kingfisher Airlines Ltd.’s order for superjumbos, reducing chances for resumption of services by the grounded Indian carrier.
The orders for five A380s and another five A350-800 planes were scrapped by Airbus, John Leahy, chief operating officer of the Toulouse, France-based planemaker, said yesterday in an interview. Prakash Mirpuri, a spokesman at the carrier, said Kingfisher is trying to restart operations and the orders were canceled as it has no plans for long-haul services.

AAI finds site near Kandaghat suitable for larger airport

Shimla: With preliminary report prepared by Airports Authority of India (AAI) suggesting the site identified near Kandaghat in Solan feasible for construction of a bigger airport, officials shall be visiting the site this week to work out modalities before preparing a final report. Poor air connectivity and missing international airport had kept high-end foreign tourists away from the state.

Domestic air traffic up 3.4% in November

New Delhi: India's domestic air traffic grew 3.4 percent in November last year, in spite of significant volatility in the market which continues, global airlines body IATA said today. "Indian domestic traffic rose 3.4 percent in November compared to a year ago, after an 8.6 per cent rise in October, signaling that conditions remain volatile," the International Air Transport Association (IATA) said in a latest study.  Reuters Noting that growth rates "continued to show significant volatility" as the October growth rate was 8.6 percent, it said the November performance "is more in line with growth (of 4.2 percent) so far this year and this is a significant improvement on 2012 performance, when the market contracted 2.1 percent". On the international air traffic front,

Mallya may soon be questioned by Corporate Affairs ministry

Bangalore: The Ministry of Corporate Affairs is planning to question Vijay Mallya over nonpayment of wages to the staff of Kingfisher Airlines Ltd. Sachin Pilot, the minister for corporate affairs in the country has instructed the department to write in to Chairman Mallya asking for details on the issue and steps taken to remedy the situation, according to two people familiar with the matter.
Employees of Kingfisher Airlines have not been paid for 17 months now and a section in New Delhi have begun an indefinite hunger strike at Jantar Mantar to protest the lack of wages. The Ministry is said to be considering the issue after disgruntled employees met Pilot, asking for his intervention in facilitating the receipt of dues to them from their company.

Air India banking on new airlines to boost ground handling unit

Mumbai: Air India is banking on new airlines in the Indian airspace to help its ground handling unit generate revenues of up to Rs 900 crore over the next three years.
“With many new airlines set to venture into India, we are confident that Air India Air Transport Services Ltd (AIATSL) would be their preferred partner for ground handling, as we have an automatic mandate to operate in any part of the country,” said S. Venkat, Director - Finance, Air India. Last September, Tata Sons announced a joint venture with Singapore Airlines to enter the Indian aviation market, with a proposal to invest $100 million in a full-service airline. Prior to that, Tata Group joined hands with Air Asia and Telestra Tradeplace to form a local low-fare airline. Malaysia’s Malindo Air is also keen to launch services from Mumbai and Ahmedabad to Kuala Lumpur.

Indian fliers landing at Jaipur Airport can skip immigration details

Jaipur: New custom regulations at the Jaipur International Airport will be implemented from March 1. As per the new regulations the Indian citizens will not have to give details to immigration authorities on returning from abroad. From March onwards the passengers arriving at the Jaipur Airport will not have to submit details to the immigration counter and the customs department as single form would be required to be filled and submitted to only the customs department. The new form would be containing additional columns for declaration of dutiable and prohibited goods.
As per the new rules the passengers would have to submit the detailed report about their baggage and declare that they have no prohibited articles.

Now, DGCA grievance cell for harried flyers

New Delhi: There's hope for harried air travelers. They can now lodge complaints against airlines or airports with aviation authorities and expect action within a fortnight. Directorate general of civil aviation (DGCA) chief Prabhat Kumar on Monday got a complaint cell created within the regulatory agency where passengers can complain on sugam@dgca.nic.in. "As a first step, we will acknowledge the complaint. The complaints will be forwarded to agencies concerned and if corrective action is not taken within 15 days, we will take action. Joint DGCA Lalit Gupta has been made in charge of this cell," said a senior official.
Read News in full 14/01/14 Times of India

Man dons burkha to surprise friend at airport, caught

Mumbai: CISF officials, who kept an eye on a burkha-clad person roaming around the international airport suspiciously for almost an hour, were taken aback to find that it was actually a man.
Handed over to the Sahar police, Nisar Sayyed claimed he wore the burkha as he wanted to surprise a friend who landed from Dubai. "He moved around the airport for almost an hour and even tried entering the premises," said senior inspector Ravindra Patil.
Read News In Full 14/01/14 V Narayan/Times of India

Now, planes can land at Gaya airport

Gaya:  The solar plates and other items stolen from the Dhungeshwari hills have been replaced making night landing facility available at Gaya airport. The device was stolen a few days back. This was the second incident of theft of night vision devices required to make night landing possible at the airport.
The incident of theft came as a shock to air users, hoteliers, tour operators and others engaged in the hospitality business. Tourist inflow this year is already very low and the incidence of theft has further added to the woes of people depending on tourist/pilgrim arrival at Bodh Gaya for their survival.

AI’s inaugural flight at Mumbai’s T2 may be an incoming one

Mumbai: The state-owned Air India, which is supposed to operate the inaugural flight from the new terminal 2 of the Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport (CSIA) on February 12, might see it landing at T2 instead of taking off.
According to a company spokesperson, Air India’s inaugural flight could be an incoming flight to Mumbai. “Being the state-owned carrier, Air India is more likely to operate the inaugural flight. It is most possibly an incoming Newark-Mumbai flight, which would be the first to land at T2. We are yet to get final details since operations are scheduled to start only from February,” the spokesperson said.

Is it right to hoist Indian tricolour after sunset? Mumbai's airport authority believes so

Mumbai: The national flag was seen waving in the air at a 69-feet high pole at the newly inaugrated terminal-2 of Mumbai's Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport. According to flag Code of India, 2002, any member of public, private organization or educational institution may hoist the national flag on all days and occasions, ceremonial or otherwise, consistent with the dignity and honour of the National Flag. Where the flag is displayed in the open, it should, as far as possible, be flown from sunrise to sunset, irrespective of weather conditions. One can see the hoisted flag at the entrance of the terminal violating the India's Flag Code.
The airport authorities of the airport told Mid Day that they have taken special permission from the Union Home Ministry to hoist the flag for 24 hours as long as the flag is properly lightened up. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh inaugurated the terminal on Friday.

AI’s year-old Dreamliners aging prematurely?

New Delhi: Is Boeing's brand new B-787 Dreamliner showing signs of "premature aging"? On Saturday, an Air India Dreamliner had to be grounded in Hong Kong after the actuator of its wing spoilers broke. A spoiler acts as a speed breaker on an aircraft and its actuators make it go up or down on wing tips during takeoff to alter drag and during landing to increase rate of descent. Without this important device perfectly functional, an airplane simply can't be allowed to get airborne.
An AI spokesman confirmed the latest B-787 trouble. "The aircraft was grounded and has since been rectified. It will be operational soon from Hong Kong. Boeing has informed us that that they will not just replace but modify this part (spoiler-actuator for all Dreamliners)," he said.

Taj international airport project hits MoD hurdle

Lucknow: Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav’s ambitious project — Taj International Airport — has run into a roadblock with the Ministry of Defence (MoD) raising objections to the proposed site at Firozabad’s Tundla tehsil, which it says is in proximity to its proposed radar station at Swar area in Agra.  The objection comes as a huge setback to the state government given that the site was zeroed in after deliberations that lasted months and a survey by a private consultant firm. The state government has now decided to present its case in a meeting with the Defence Ministry officials and is seeking a date after January 15. Experts and the private consultant are busy analysing the objections and preparing for a presentation to be made before the ministry in favour of the proposed site.

Flights of Fancy: India Now Has Four World-Class Airports

Amidst all the fiscal chaos that the UPA government has left the country grappling with, there’s a singular reason for celebration: Airports. In its 2013 ranking of the world’s best airports, Airports Council International (ACI) the only global trade representative of the world’s airports, declared Delhi’s IGI airport as the second best airport of the world in the category of airports that handles 25 out of 40 million passengers per year. Mumbai’s Chhatrapati Shivaji International airport was placed at the third position in the same category. For service quality in the category of five to fifteen, the council ranked Hyderabad’s Rajiv Gandhi International Airport at the second position, which lost out by a brief margin to Japan’s Nagoya airport.

Fly overseas for vacation this season, it will be easy on pocket

Jaipur: If you are planning a vacation, then flying to a foreign destination would cost you less than the domestic destinations. The airfares for domestic towns are soaring. The airline operators have hiked their fares for domestic destinations due to high rush in the ongoing tourist season.
Flying to Mumbai or Goa is more costly than flying to Dubai or Sharjah. That’s why people are preferring foreign destinations for vacations.
Tarun Jain, a travel planner, said, “Concept of low cost airfare has just vanished. Tours to domestic towns are going to be expensive due to high airfares. Airline operators have increased fares for domestic cities. Two to three years back, fare prices were much less, which prompted people to travel by air. But now, fare prices for domestic towns like Mumbai, Bangalore, Goa and Hyderabad are very high.”

Airlines irked as IAF makes exception for Lufthansa

Pune: Indian Air Force’s (IAF) decision to make an exception for Lufthansa, by allowing the latter’s flight to arrive and depart during the slot reserved for IAF fighter jets, has not gone down well with other airlines, especially Air India (AI). The national carrier of India is learnt to have written to the IAF asking if a German carrier can be accommodated, why not India’s own national airline. The controversy reportedly started after a meeting between the officials of different airlines, AAI and IAF took place in the last week of December. IAF officials, it is learnt, expressed willingness to extend permission to Lufthansa’s Frankfurt-Pune flight to arrive at 8 am and depart at 9.30 am.

A golden corridor

It’s raining gold at Kerala’s Kozhikode international airport. Every plane landing from the Middle East here now carries 40-80 kg of the precious metal, translating into Customs duties between Rs 86.8 lakh and Rs 1.74 crore. That’s just one flight, one airport. The state has two other international airports, at Kochi and Thiruvananthapuram, and the quantity of gold being brought in there is just slightly lower. Kerala gets an average of 120 flights from the Middle East a week. Do the maths. The UPA government first hiked the import duty on gold in January 2012, raising it to 2 per cent, from Rs 300 charged per 10 grams earlier. It was raised to 4 per cent in the budget for 2012-13, 6 per cent in January 2013, 8 per cent on June 5 and finally 10 per cent in August. The government hoped that the steps would check India’s rush for gold — and hence its burgeoning current account deficit.

While Mumbai welcomes it's new swanky airport, it's 'local' lifeline dying a slow death!

Mumbai: Though India is advancing at a much faster rate when it comes to classy airports, but that is not the only section that requires development. The Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport has got new terminal which has been built by the GVK-led consortium and the cost of the complete construction has been 12,500 crores.
While the commuters of flight are being granted lavish facilities, the common man and the traveler of Indian railways are deprived of even basic facilities. It is one of the most shocking facts that ten people die each and every day at the railway stations of Mumbai and nothing is done in this regards plus the medical facilities provided are also awful.

Mumbai airport new terminal, designed by Skidmore, Owings & Merrill, inaugurated

Mumbai: India's Prime Minister, Manmohan Singh, along with visiting dignitaries and representatives from the private developer, GVK, inaugurated Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport Terminal 2, the stunning new air hub designed by Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM). Located in the heart of India's financial capital, the new hub adds 4.4 million square feet of space to accommodate 40 million passengers per year operating 24 hours a day. By orchestrating the complex web of passengers and planes into a design that feels intuitive and responds to the region's rocketing growth, the new Terminal 2 asserts the airport's place as a preeminent gateway to India and underscores the country's status as an international economic power.
According to Mr. G V Sanjay Reddy, the Managing Director of GVK Mumbai International Airport Pvt. Ltd. (MIAL), "The new Terminal 2 at CSIA is a monument to the beautiful spirit of Mumbai and its people. This terminal will make CSIA a gateway to the city of Mumbai and India with international and domestic passengers. We are happy to work with SOM, who helped us translate our dream and vision into reality."

Air India Eyes 2015 Star Alliance Admission

The Star Alliance has set a new target of 2015 for Air India to join its ranks following a unanimous vote by member airlines to restart the process of integrating the Indian flag carrier. The alliance suspended integration in 2011 on grounds that Air India had “not met minimum joining conditions agreed in December 2007.” With signs of stability and fleet rationalization, however, Star has agreed to give Air India a second chance.
“When we stopped integration, we thought Air India needed more time for its merger and preparation for its future growth and development…We feel the time has come,” Star Alliance official Markus Ruediger told AIN. “As was said at the Star board meeting held in Vienna [on December 13], changes in Air India are pointing in the right direction.”

Court orders attachment of Amausi airport

Lucknow: District judge KK Sharma on Friday ordered the attachment of Amausi airport if it fails to return Rs 1.27 crore to a hotel within two weeks. Amausi airport is locked in a dispute with Hotel Pradeep over a payment of Rs 1.27 crore. Earlier, the court had earlier passed a decree against the airport directing it to pay Rs 1.27 crore to Hotel Pradeep. The airport authorities had challenged order in the high court but did not get relief.

T2 will not make Mumbai airport expensive: Sanjay Reddy

Mumbai: GVK group vice chairman Sanjay Reddy said the launch of new integrated terminal will not make flying out of Mumbai expensive.
"I don't think airport  will be expensive. It  will not be expensive for the kind of facilities and services which we will offer here," Reddy said in an interaction with this paper post the launch of T2 on Friday.
Mumbai International Airport Ltd has filed for a tariff revision for second. five year control period beginning April 2014. Airlines and aviation experts believe the new terminal will result in hiking of tariff and user development fees.

Flight delays in Delhi fog: Blame it on pilots not trained to fly in zero visibility

New Delhi: With shortage of pilots trained to fly in zero visibility conditions (Category III) leading to delays and cancellation of flights in the national capital, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation has said that if the crew of an airlines is not trained to fly in CAT III conditions, its operations in Delhi will be suspended during the next fog season.
The DGCA has constituted a technical committee to make Delhi a zero-diversion airport from next season. CAT III is an instrumental landing system that allows aircraft to take off and land even when the visibility at the runway falls to zero.

Tata-SIA says it was always meant to fly domestic initially

New Delhi: It is obvious from the choice of aircraft of Tata-SIA that the new airline will initially fly only domestic routes. The airline has chosen to lease 20 Airbus 320 aircraft and apart from domestic flights, this aircraft can at best take wing to nearby international destinations. The new airline floated by Tata Sons and Singapore International Airlines was widely seen benefiting immensely by imminent relaxation of a current rule which makes it mandatory for airlines to have a 20 aircraft fleet and five years of domestic operations before being allowed to fly abroad. Now that there is palpable hesitation on the part of the Ministry of Civil Aviation to scrap what is called the 5/20 rule, is this the reason for Tata-SIA's choice of aircraft and "domestic only" business model for now?

Twenty airlines keen interest on starting operation from Odisha's capital city Bhubaneswar

Bhubaneswar: Major international and domestic airlines have evinced keen interest on starting operation from from the new Biju Patnaik International Airport of Bhubaneswar.  Chairing the meeting on review of the operations of flights, both international and domestic with major international airlines including Fly Dubai, Silk Air of Singapore and Air Arabia and some domestic airlines, Chief Secretary JK Mohapatra expressed that since VAT has been reduced, it should lead increase the number of flights from the Biju Patnaik International Airport. Regional Director (Eastern) of Airport Authority of India S Bhaduri said as many as 20 operators have been contacted for launching both international and domestic flights covering Bhubaneswar.

Jet Airways cashes in on deal with Etihad, cuts debt to $1.8 billion

Mumbai: Even while embroiled in a court case and still facing regulatory queries, Jet Airways has begun to reap benefits of its recently concluded $379-million deal with Etihad Airways. The airline has over the last one month repaid over $100 million worth of debt, from the funds raised via the 24% stake sale to the Abu Dhabi-based carrier, reducing its debt to $1.8 billion, said a person close to the development who didn't want to be named.
The airline is lso close to finalising next plane buy and may take up management changes in its next board meeting, the person said. Reducing debt is crucial for Jet, as it draws up joint expansion plans with its strategic partner. It is also one of the key reasons why it got into the deal with the Gulf carrier.

DGCA aims at making IGI zero diversionary airport by year-end

New Delhi: Concerned over disruption of flights during fog season, aviation regulator DGCA today started examining issues to make Delhi airport a "zero diversionary" one by the year-end.
A technical committee, headed by DGCA's Joint Director General Lalit Gupta, was set up two days after a meeting DGCA's new chief Prabhat Kumar had with representatives of all airlines, airport operators and other stakeholders on Tuesday.
The main term of reference of the 10-member panel would be to make Delhi a zero diversionary airport without compromising on safety of aircraft operations, according to the order issued by Kumar today. The committee has been asked to submit its report by March 31.

Singapore Airlines-Tata JV orders Airbus A320s for India launch: Sources

Singapore/Paris: Singapore Airlines has picked Airbus`s A320 aircraft over Boeing`s 737 for the launch of its Indian airline joint venture with Tata Sons, sources familiar with the decision said.
The full-service carrier will take up to 20 A320s worth USD 1.83 billion at list prices. The planes will be sourced from leasing companies, rather than purchased direct from Airbus.
A project team set up by Singapore Airlines evaluated both aircraft and decided to place orders for the A320, two sources said. The decision extends the European planemaker`s domination of India`s single-aisle aircraft segment.

Compat to hear appeal against Jet-Etihad deal after 3 weeks

New Delhi: The Competition Appellate Tribunal will hear an appeal against fair trade regulator CCI's approval of the Rs 2,060 crore Jet-Etihad deal after three weeks.
The appeal was filed by former Air India Executive Director Jitender Bhargava challenging the decision of the Competition Commission of India (CCI) to clear the deal.
The tribunal today asked Jet Airways and Etihad Airways to file their replies in two weeks and posted the matter for hearing after three weeks. Following the appeal, Compat had issued notices to CCI, Jet and Etihad last month.

UAE signs aviation agreement with India

Dubai: The UAE signed a final Air Services Agreement (ASA) with the Indian government this week.
The agreement was signed by Saif Mohammad Al Suwaidi, Director General of the UAE General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA), and Prabhat Kumar, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Civil Aviation of India.

Etihad pumps up flights to India

Kolkata: Etihad Airways has scaled up capacity on routes to India and will launch new flights to the country, driven by escalating demand for more seat capacity.
The Middle Eastern carrier is scheduled to start a daily flight to Jaipur in 1Q2014.
It will also commence between seven and 14 flights per week to Kochi from June, to Bengaluru and Chennai from July, and to Hyderabad from October. New 174-seat Airbus A321 aircraft will be deployed on the Chennai and Kochi sectors.

Mumbai’s T2 a fantastic edifice but constrained on capacity

The new and extraordinary Mumbai airport Terminal two is ready for business. The Prime minister will inaugurate the building on Friday and the first international passengers will start arriving there on a subsequent Wednesday. The date is still not certain because last minute clearances are still to come, but the transition will most likely be on a Wednesday afternoon, when traffic at the airport is at its lowest. The two old terminals at Sahar that were built by AAI in phases over four decades, will then be demolished. The Rs 12,500 crore exercise of rebuilding Mumbai airport actually began way back in 2008. GVK vice-chairman Sanjay Reddy who is also the managing director MIAL (Mumbai International Airport Ltd), the company that runs the airport, has driven it night and day. The new terminal is about 40% of this cost, the other big changes are not even visible to passengers. These are on the air-side, where aircraft takeoff and land. In the past five years, MIAL has re-laid the two runways, built new taxiways, re-routed the Mithi river that flows within the airport boundaries and re-built dozens of buildings in the airport complex.

Profiting from the Prophet? Flights from India to Jeddah up 150% ahead of Birthday

Airfares from India to Jeddah have increased by as much as 150 percent ahead of the birthday of the Prophet (peace be upon him) on Jan. 14.
According to travel agents in India, Saudi diplomatic missions are issuing Umrah visas in the Hijri month of Rabi Al-Awwal for the first time. This explains the surge in Umrah visa applications at around the time of the “mawlid nabawi” (Arabic for Prophet’s birthday).
Many pilgrims, agents say, are taking advantage of the coinciding date and heading for Medina before embarking on Umrah.

Air India losses tipped to be Rs 3,900 cr in 2013-14

Mumbai: Despite its revenues taking off, Air India’s bottomline will remain grounded for another year. The national carrier expected to post losses in the region of Rs 3,900 crore for 2013-14, senior company executives estimate, despite a projected 18% jump in revenues to Rs 19,500 crore. With the Jet-Etihad alliance through and the Tata-SIA combine waiting in the wings, Air India will find it hard to fight back given its finances are in a shambles.

Hero pilot averted another major disaster moments after Jaipur blind landing

Mumbai:Captain Jalaj Vats, who with co-pilot CL Meena effected a successful blind landing in Jaipur on Sunday, helped avert another major disaster moments after he crashlanded the Air India flight 890.
Vats told Mumbai Mirror he heard a Spicejet pilot seeking permission to land at Jaipur, where visibility was zero, but was not getting any response from the Air Traffic Control at Jaipur's Sanganer airport.
Still in a state of shock from the crashlanding, Vats had the presence of mind to get on the common communication channel and alert the Spicejet pilot that his Air India flight was still stuck on the runway and recommended a goaround to the Spicejet flight.

Did Diageo help Mallya move out Rs 4,000 crore?

Bangalore: The Karnataka high court order annulling Diageo's acquisition of shares in India's largest distiller United Spirits Ltd from Vijay Mallya's UB Holdings Ltd (UBHL) landed the British drinks giant in a tight spot two weeks ago. But a detailed order — publicly available now — may prove to be more embarrassing for Diageo, which is listed on the London and New York stock exchanges.
The division bench order said the deal-making was not bona fide since UBHL was facing allegations of fund diversions to tax havens, while questioning Diageo's loan guarantees to an offshore Mallya entity, which owned F-1 team Force India.

Kingfisher staff harden stance

Mumbai: The employees of grounded Kingfisher Airlines have intensified efforts to recover their unpaid salaries.
In a multi-pronged strategy, the employees who have not been paid for the last 17 months have started an indefinite hunger strike at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi and have filed criminal complaint with the Parliament Street police station seeking the registration of an FIR against the airline’s promoter among others. The employees have written to the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) seeking intervention, have approached trade unions and among others have approached the Aam Admi Party to mediate.

Five pilots of Tata-AirAsia quit to join IndiGo

New Delhi: In an unexpected turn of events, about five pilots of the soon to be launched Tata Sons' low-cost carrier JV with AirAsia have quit to join what will be its biggest competition in domestic skies — IndiGo. AirAsia India, which is looking at starting operations next month, may now have to hire more pilots.
When contacted, AirAsia India did not comment. An IndiGo official said, "We have a lot of colleagues joining us from various places. It (AirAsia India pilots joining us) is no big deal .
We provide respect and recognition along with rewards." India's existing airlines, mainly those with Airbus A-320 fleet like Air India (domestic), IndiGo and GoAir, are fearing large scale poaching by Tata Sons JV airlines with AirAsia, and Singapore Airlines that are likely to operate the same plane. In addition, pilots of grounded since October 2012 Kingfisher — which also operated A-320s — were also eying these airlines for jobs. Disgruntled pilots of AI were expected to queue up to join thes ..

Date extension delays airport privatisation further

Lucknow:  Already delayed by almost two months, the proposed privatisation of various airports, including the one in Lucknow, Ahmedabad, Jaipur and Chennai, hangs in balance with the Airports Authority of India (AAI) on Tuesday deferring the date for inviting the Request for Qualification (RFQ) from interested private companies by nearly a month. This has given rise to possibility of the proposed move not getting through during the tenure of UPA-II government with the model code of conduct being announced anytime for Lok Sabha elections in April.

Former ground handler owns planes, choppers that fly Rahul Gandhi

New Delhi: Rahul Gandhi is not the frequent flier you will see boarding a commercial aircraft. And god save the air traffic controller who discloses his flight plans to anybody. Instructions have been given to the ATC to keep a lid on the Congress vice-president’s jet-setting ways.
That’s one part of the story. The other is that Rahul flies only by chartered aircraft owned by a gentleman who answers to the name Semoun Jolly. For the Congress, it’s said, Semoun is the jolly good fella who keeps the Gandhi scion airborne when it’s needed and ensures safe landings for the man who the Congress hopes will become prime minister one day.

Good news for Gulf NRIs: Air India Express raises baggage allowance

Air India Express will increase the baggage allowance from 20kg to 30kg from January 15,  Minister of State for Aviation K C Venugopal announced in New Delhi.
According to the minister’s statement, the baggage allowance which was slashed by 10kg from August 2013 is being revised back to 30kg after a large number of Indian expatriate organisations lodged complaints about the arbitrary decision.
The minister made the announcement during the ongoing Pravasi Bharathi Divas (PBD) in New Delhi. While agreeing to increase the baggage allowance, the minister stated that it is not feasible or practical to reduce airfare.

Malindo to add six more flights to India

Kuala Lumpur: Hybrid carrier Malindo Air will add six new routes to India this year, giving the 10-month- old airline up to a 25 per cent control of the Malaysia-India market.
The airline, established in March last year, currently flies to New Delhi and Trichy and has a less than eight per cent share of the market.
Malindo is increasing capacity to South India because of passenger demand and also to bring tourists here in conjunction with Visit Malaysia Year, said its chief executive officer Chandran Ramamuthy.
A million origin-destination passengers travel between India and Malaysia annually on non-stop services.
Chandran told Business Times the airline will launch a flight to Mumbai on February 15 and Ahmedabad by March 19.

Tail Wind working against the Jet-Etihad deal?

The Jet-Etihad deal that has been plagued by far too many impediments and has hit yet another obstacle today. The Home Ministry today re-opened the file on Tail Winds which was earlier Jet Airways  ’ largest shareholder. The ministry has circulated an internal file raising fresh queries on Tail Winds even though it has nearly exited from the airline which was a pre-requisite for the deal to go through. Sources say a copy of the note has been sent to the Department of External Affairs. The move comes on the backdrop of MHA’s nod for security clearance.

AWAS starts recovery of Kingfisher Airlines aircraft

Hyderabad: Global aircraft lessors AWAS has initiated the process to recover the 14 aircraft that it had leased to grounded carrier Kingfisher Airlines.
These aircraft, lying in different airports in the country, had been de-registered by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation, and allowed the lessors to take them over in March last year on grounds of default of lease rentals.
AWAS is now trying to first repair these aircraft, as the first step towards their recovery. It has approached the Union Commerce Ministry for permission to have these 14 aircraft, including seven Air Bus 320s, repaired at the GMR Hyderabad Aviation SEZ Ltd.

SpiceJet orders around 40 Boeing 737 MAX jets worth over $4 billion: Sources

Dubai/Paris: Budget airline SpiceJet has agreed to buy around 40 Boeing 737 passenger jets worth over $4 billion at list prices as it seeks to modernize its fleet and climb out of the red, industry sources said on Tuesday.
SpiceJet has placed a firm order for as many as 42 Boeing 737 MAX aircraft that offer fuel savings compared to its existing fleet of current-generation 737s, one source said.
Such an order would be worth $4.4 billion at list prices without adjusting for either inflation or price discounts.
The loss-making carrier, which is looking for new investors, has also negotiated options to buy as many as 42 more jets depending on its future growth, the industry sources said, speaking on condition of anonymity.

Will the Tatas be able to take care of weary air travellers?

The arrivals of Air Asia and Tata-Singapore Airlines could make air travel affordable, especially to tier-II cities
In the next few months, Air Asia India is expected to commence its airline operations with five aircrafts. As a budget airline, though it has not yet finally announced the type of aircraft it proposes to use, which could be Airbus A320. It plans to provide better regional connectivity, and is in various stages of getting approvals and clearances, like air operating permits (AOP) etc.
In a candid comment, S Ramadorai, the vice-chairman of Air Asia India, who retired from TCS, after 37 years spotless service, but who still continues to be its vice chairman, felt, that he was probably chosen to take this responsibility because of his track record of ethical conduct, whom the management could trust absolutely. He expects the airline to be able to make air travel affordable to one and all, particularly the first time air-travellers, and make it a pleasurable and memorable experience.

Visibility in Delhi likely to improve in three days

New Delhi:  The city recorded its most dense spell of fog since 2010 and the second most dense one in the past eight years between January 4 and 6. Low visibility conditions set in around 5.30pm on Saturday and improved only around 11.30am on Monday, clocking 42 hours of dense fog. The good news is that dense fog hours will reduce considerably over the next three days but there might be some rain at isolated areas on Wednesday.
Met department officials said that a calming of winds and a drop in temperatures led to the formation of fog on Saturday. It was initially not very dense but by 2.30am on Saturday, visibility had reduced considerably. Poor visibility conditions remained for three hours.

Mumbai’s T2 could become world’s most visited ‘museum’

In two weeks, India's largest museum will open its glass doors to the public. Unlike other museums, though, you would need an international air ticket to enter — this museum with nearly 7,000 artefacts, a 3km long art wall and works by over 1,500 artists is actually housed inside an airport.
Somewhere between check-in and baggage claim, Mumbai's new integrated terminal T2 will show off some of the best of Indian art and craft to foreign visitors as well as Indians.

Fog hits airlines schedule; 150 flights cancelled

New Delhi: Nearly 150 flights to and from Delhi were cancelled or diverted since Sunday night as the national capital faced its heaviest fog in four years, causing travel schedules to go awry. A further 37 flights departing from and 188 flights arriving into the city's IGI airport were delayed due to the heavy fog.
"Some of the flights had to be diverted to nearby airports as well," said an airport official of Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport.
"Maximum diversions were towards Lucknow, where nearly 20 Delhi-bound flights were diverted." Some of the flights diverted to Lucknow late on Sunday night had to wait overnight before being able to fly back to New Delhi. Delhi's delays had a cascading effect on other airports as well. Airlines were forced to cancel at least about 25 from Mumbai during early hours of the morning. The number of total cancelled, delayed and diverted flights almost touched a hundred by end of day, according to sources.

'Dance of 1,000 peacocks' at Terminal 2

The roof of Terminal 2 (T2), which will be inaugurated on January 10, is said to be as majestic as “the full-blown feather of a peacock”.
Experts involved with the project claimed that the roof, spanning 11 acres, is considered an engineering feat and has been embedded with special dichroic lenses that move in accordance with the sun’s movement, reflecting on to the check-in hall flooring an array of colours reminiscent of a peacock feather.
Though dichroic glasses (which undergo a colour change under certain lighting conditions) have been used for making jewellery and other products earlier, the modern-day dichroic glasses were first used by NASA for research and exploration.

AAI gives in-principle consent to Greenfield cargo airport

Chandigarh: The Airports Authority of India (AAI) has given its in-principle consent to the project site of Greenfield Cargo airport at Bhaini Bhairon in Haryana's Rohtak district, after conducting a preliminary site visit and pre-feasibility study.
The Defence Ministry has also issued a "No Objection Certificate (NOC)" to the Ministry of Civil Aviation in this regard, an official spokesman said here today, adding that with this cargo facility, commercial activities would get a boost in the state.
He said the Railways Ministry is developing a dedicated freight corridor between Delhi and Mumbai, covering a length of 1,483 kms. To tap the opportunities to be generated by the freight corridor, a band of 150 km on its both sides is being developed as Delhi Mumbai Industrial Corridor (DMIC), covering the states of Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat and Maharashtra.

MGAT seeks govt nod to repair 14 grounded aircraft of Kingfisher Airlines

Hyderabad: MAS GMR Aero Technic Ltd, a unit in GMR's Aviation SEZ at Rajiv Gandhi International Airport here, has sought Commerce Ministry's permission to carry out repair works on 14 aircraft once operated by Kingfisher Airlines and make them in flying condition.
The aircraft (7 ATRs and 7 Air Bus 320) were grounded in various airports of Delhi, Chennai, Bengaluru and Kolkata due to operational problems and subsequent financial crisis faced by the airlines.
The Board of Approvals, set to meet on January 17, will take a decision on the issue even as the development commissioner of Visakhapatnam, SEZ has strongly recommended for consideration, according to the BoA agenda.

Who Will AirAsia India and Tata-SIA Send Packing from the Indian Skies in 2014?

TATA-SIA, the new airline expected to be launched next year, will surely be a game changer and will have a strategic impact on the aviation industry. However, the shockwaves resulting from the two Tata joint ventures (with Singapore Airlines and AirAsia Bhd), will be felt only from 2015-16.
The cost environment in Indian aviation continues to be very hostile and fares are still way below costs. For existing airlines, business conditions are tough and this will impact traffic till the two key elements—fuel and currency costs—stabilise. In the near term, costs might actually increase. Experts say aviation fuel is likely to remain firm. Currency impact will continue to be a challenge in the near term.  The third key cost, airport fees will also remain high in India. I see continuing cost and revenue challenges for airlines at least, till the end of next financial year

AirAsia India to secure AOP by end of January

The much delayed AirAsia India’s operations are expected to commence early March 2014 with the Chennai-based budget carrier confident of securing its scheduled air operator permit (AOP) by the end of this month.
The approval from the office of Indian Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) is in the final stages and can be secured within the next two to three weeks, said AirAsia India CEO Mittu Chandilya.
“After we get the flying permit, operations can commence within the following 30 to 45 days. Everything is in place for us to kick-start once we get the approval,” he told The Malaysian Reserve during his recent visit to Malaysia.

Plane tyre bursts, throws Jaipur Airport out of gear

Jaipur: An Air India flight headed to New Delhi from Guwahati made an emergency landing at Jaipur Airport on late Sunday night due to heavy fog in the national capital. During landing the back tyre of the plane got burst but the alert pilot managed to land the plane safely in the middle of the runway. According to the Airports Authority of India (AAI) no flight operations will take place till the plane is moved out from the runway.
According to sources two International and about 7-8 domestic flights are expected to be affected. Airport sources said they will clear the runway by Monday morning.

Employees seek FIR against Mallya for non-payment of salary

Employees of Kingfisher Airlines have sought to file a first information report (FIR) against Chairman Vijay Mallya for not being paid salaries for 17 months. The employees in Delhi have on Monday spearheaded an indefinite hunger strike in the capital and have called on colleagues nationwide to join in the protests with their families at Jantar Mantar.
The employees of the grounded carrier, reeling under debt of over Rs 7000 crore, said they have written to the commissioner of Delhi Police seeking action against Mallya on grounds of abetment to suicide, exploitation, fraud and breach of trust. Employees in other parts of the country have been asked to follow suit in their locations.

Ludhiana flight dream doesn't take off in 2014

Ludhiana: The New Year hasn't brought any change in the air connectivity of city. Not even a single flight has taken off from Sahnewal airport in the first five days of 2014.
The authorities of the lone flight flier Air India say that non-availability of aircraft and bad weather have led to cancellation of flights. They added even in December last, only six flights out of 13 could operate due to non-availability of aircraft.

Diverted Delhi flights spell chaos at Lucknow airport

Lucknow: At least 20 flights bound for New Delhi were diverted to Chaudhary Charan Singh airport late on Sunday due to dense fog in the national capital, airport officials said on Monday.
The Lucknow airport tarmac has the capacity to accommodate 24 planes at a time, and with the sudden landing of 20 flights diverted from Delhi, the airport was chock-a-block with planes.
The private carriers had to bring in their ground staff to deal with the sudden rush of aircraft and flurry of passengers.

Mumbai's swanky Terminal 2 ready; to increase passenger handling capacity to 42 million

Mumbai: A few months after the GVK-led consortium that runs Mumbai International Airport took the decision to build a new terminal to expand the congested facility in early 2007, its managing director Sanjay Reddy sat in his plush Hyderabad office looking at initial sketches of the planned structure.
The blueprint had been prepared by New York's Skidmore, Owings & Merrill LLP (SOM), designers of Dubai's Burj Khalifa and Chicago's Willis Tower, both the tallest buildings in the world at completion. Reddy wasn't happy with cuboid glass and steel designs. He wanted something 'Indian' and efficient enough to double passenger capacity in a limited space. Seeing that SOM's designers had little experience of Indian construction and architecture, Reddy and his wife took them on a 15-day tour of the country.

Air India-Star Alliance deal expected to boost international traffic via India

National carrier Air India's entry into Star Alliance will help boost the number of international transit passengers the country handles, a top executive of the global airlines grouping has said.
Experts say that Air India's direct flights to some US cities will provide a convenient option for West-bound passengers of Star Alliance partners Singapore Airlines and Thai Airways.

Melting pot for aeromodellers

Ludhiana: Every Sunday, the sky above a bare land in South City makes for a spectacular sight to ogle at and widen anyone's eyes. Passion runs high and the azure sky becomes the limit on this day as aeromodellers from Avionics Model Club come together with their miniature forms of planes to perform extravagant jaw-dropping stunts that leave the watching enthusiasts gaping.
Every week on this day, the members of this club gather at around 2pm and compete to perform unique stunts and chase each others' planes with great zest until the sunset. The bare land at South City was provided to the club by Janpath Estates recently.

UAE's Etihad buys five planes from Air India

UAE national carrier Etihad Airways has bought five second-hand aircraft from Air India to help it meet demand while it awaits the arrival of new planes.
The airline paid about $350m for the 777-200LRs and will take on existing loan payments, an Air India official told The Hindu newspaper in India.
Air India, the national carrier, had paid $115m-120m for each aircraft in 2007 but they were losing the airline money, the official said.
They were due to be delivered sometime between January 15 and April.

Mumbai airport’s T2 to double as largest ‘museum’

Mumbai: In two weeks, India's largest museum dedicated to the country's arts, crafts and heritage will open its glass doors to the public. Unlike other museums though, you would need an international air ticket to enter this one - this museum with nearly 7,000 artifacts, a 3km-long art wall and works by over 1,500 artists is actually housed in an airport. Somewhere between check-in and baggage claim, Mumbai's new integrated terminal T2 will show off some of the best of Indian art and craft to foreign visitors as well as Indians.

Runway extension is on; flight plan change is in Rajasthan

Jaipur: The Airports Authority of India (AAI) has decided to extend the runway at Jaipur International Airport by more than 2,300 feet. The work order has been awarded to an Udaipur-based firm and the construction work is set to begin from March. Besides the extension work, the existing runway would also be repaired, which is likely to result in rescheduling of flights. There’s high possibility that the timings of over a dozen flights, including one international flight, would be changed.
The decision to extend the runway has silenced all rumors that the work is “stuck” because of the ongoing privatization process.

Air India drags Kingfisher to court over Rs 39-cr dues

Mumbai: Air India has dragged Kingfisher Airlines to the Bombay High court over dues of Rs 39 crore in ground handling charges at the Kochi airport. The sum includes Rs 20 crore in principal amount and Rs 19 crore interest and pertains to a ground-handling contract with the erstwhile Air Deccan and Kingfisher Airlines.
"The suit has been admitted in the Bombay High Court and summons have been served on Kingfisher Airlines. The matter will come up for hearing in March,” said M V Kini, counsel for Air India.
Kingfisher ceased operations in October 2012, following a strike by engineers. The airline’s operating permit expired in December that year and it is facing a barrage of claims and litigations over dues. Kingfisher did not respond to an email.

Cops wake up to rising tout menace at Mumbai airport

Mumbai: In order to make city airport free of touts, the Mumbai police have decided to apply stringent sections of the Bombay Police Act.
Under the Act, touts can be detained for 24 hours, unlike the present one wherein the accused is left by paying a nominal fine of Rs200. Repeated offenders can even be extern out of the city.
The development comes after steps taken by the airport authorities in collaboration with the police allowing the passenger to get the vehicle’s registration number while booking a pre-paid taxi from the airport. After the initiative was introduced a few months ago, the police officials claim that the touting incident have come down by half.

IGIA: Promise of good times with hospitality and airline hubs

New Delh: Becoming the hub of at least two airlines and housing a 43-acre hospitality district, the Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA) here is set for a big leap in passenger traffic. Currently, no airport in India caters to two airlines as a hub or a base of operations. Also, there is neither any hospitality-based Aerocity operational anywhere else in the country.
"Delhi airport is already the busiest in India with passenger traffic growing in double digits. Addition of infrastructure like Aerocity project will help it in absorbing the growth in passenger traffic," said Rajiv Chib, associate director, aerospace and defence at PricewaterhouseCoopers.

AAI report states a new airport in Shimla possible

Shimla: A preliminary report by engineers of the Airports Authority of India (AAI) has said it is feasible to build a much-needed larger airport near Shimla. However, the cost building the runway in the hills could be huge, the report added.
Mohan Chauhan, director, tourism & civil aviation, told Business Standard on Sunday: "A team of engineers of the AAI who recently surveyed the proposed site near Kiari Bungalow on the Shimla-Kalka highway some 20 km from here have submitted their report saying it is feasible to build an airport here for large aircraft to land but details need to be worked out."

Indian Passenger Arrested After Allegedly Attacking JetBlue Crew

A Southern California woman heading to Bogota, Colombia to meet her family for the holidays was arrested on Christmas Eve after allegedly attacking a JetBlue crew member on a flight from Los Angeles to Fort Lauderdale, Fla.
Trisha Sen, 39, was arrested early morning Dec. 24 by Broward County sheriffs immediately upon landing, and has been charged with a single count of battery. But the Quebec native has told local media that she is the victim, and has displayed arms filled with bruises.
“I did not hit them,” said Sen. “It was self-defense because they were beating me. My entire body is full of bruises.”
“This was done to me on the airplane because the stewardess said I wasn’t complying with her well enough,” the Indo-Canadian said. “So she had the entire staff attack me. And then I was arrested.”
Sen spent Christmas Eve in jail, and Dec. 26 was on an undisclosed amount of bail. She was not allowed to continue on to Bogota to meet her family, but has instead returned to Los Angeles.
Dani Moschella, spokeswoman for the Broward County Sheriff’s Department, told India-West that the incident began when JetBlue flight attendants refused to serve Sen any more alcohol.

Aviation Min yet to complete pact for airport privatisation

The much touted airport privatisation drive of the UPA 2 government that seeks to offload 100 percent stake held by Airports Authority of India across six airports to private developers could face minor delays. Sources told CNBC-TV18 that the model concession agreement (MCA) – that lays down the rules of engagement between the government (AAI) and private parties – is yet to be finalized. The delay is on account of the aviation ministry having to prepare the MCA from scratch after having rejected the draft MCA prepared by planning commission member Gajendra Haldea late last year.

A low-cost option connects Mangalore to Singapore

Mangalore: After transforming itself as an important transit point to the Middle East, the Mangalore International Airport (MIA) now intends to do some serious business with South East Asian destinations. In a first at MIA, an interline arrangement will enable globe-trotters in Mangalore to fly to Singapore via Hyderabad at an affordable rate from January 9 onwards.
India's low-fare airline SpiceJet has signed a three-year interline agreement with Singapore-based low-fare airline Tiger Airways Singapore, which runs the Tigerair.
The agreement allows SpiceJet to connect 14 Indian cities, including Mangalore, to Singapore via Hyderabad.

Two Indian low cost carriers in top-five list

New Delhi: Indigo and SpiceJet are in the top-five list of low cost carriers in Asia-Pacific region having the highest number of planes in its services, an analysis by an aviation think tank has said.
It also said that the low cost airlines in the region already have 992 planes and will cross the 1,000 mark this month. The carriers have placed orders for 1,591 planes.
While IndiGo is placed third with 73 planes as on December 2013, SpiceJet is a distant fourth with 56 flights, according to Centre for Asia-Pacific Aviation (CAPA).
In the Asia Pacific region, currently there are 47 low cost carriers, including 23 in south-east Asia, 16 in north Asia, six in south Asia and two in Australia.

Govt plans to tweak revenue model in private airports

New Delhi: Flying out of all six airports that are in the process of being privatised — Chennai, Kolkata, Jaipur, Lucknow, Guwahati and Ahmedabad — is likely to get expensive once the privatisation process is through as the civil aviation ministry has decided to follow the 'hybrid till' model and set aside a portion of non-aeronautical revenues for the airport operator.
Not all revenues — aeronautical and non-aeronautical — collected at these airports will be accounted for during the calculation of charges by the airport regulator under the 'hybrid model' than under the 'single till' model followed currently, where collection from both streams are taken into account. By apportioning a part of the revenue stream to the operator under the 'hybrid till' model, the user charges would consequently go up.

AAP protests parking time limit at airport

Ahmedabad:  In protest against the recent parking time limit of five minutes set by the Airport Authority of India (AAI) at the city airport, eight members of Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) submitted a memorandum to the airport director on Thursday. AAP members also submitted a survey report stating that the maximum number of people were unhappy with the new time limit and wanted it to be extended to 10-15 minutes.

While IndiGo tweet calls it ATC congestion for the delay in Thursday's flights, Airports Authority of India differs

A day after the new Air Traffic Control (ATC) tower at city airport was commissioned, many afternoon flights were delayed, with more time taken for pushback said to be the reason. In aviation parlance, pushback means the procedure of pushing the aircraft backward with the help of an external power. It helps in facilitating ground movement on taxiways.
Though the reason for delayed pushback could not be immediately confirmed, airport authorities said two of the several reasons could be adjusting to the new ATC system or repair work at the runway.

Airport Design Expert Adil Godiwalla Passes Away

Klein: Adil Godiwalla, whose name was synonymous with the Houston Airport system for many years and whose smiling countenance endeared him to many in the engineering and construction profession in the Bayou City passed away on Monday, December 16, 2013 in his home in Klein, a far northern suburb of Houston, due to heart failure.
Godiwalla was born to Minoo and Mehroo Godiwalla in Bombay, India on March 29, 1941.
In 1965, he came to the United States to complete a Masters in Civil Engineering at the University of Missouri at Rolla.  On a trip back to Bombay, he met Arnavaz Bharucha of Bombay, and the two married on August 2, 1969, later returning to the US.  Together, the couple had four daughters, and later, six grandchildren.
Adil and Arnavaz first settled in Chicago, where Adil accepted a job with Pioneer Engineering.  They later moved to Pittsburg for an opportunity with Westinghouse-Tenneco Corporation designing offshore nuclear power plants and later transferred to Jacksonville, Florida with the same company.  In 1974, Adil settled in Houston, Texas working for Brown & Root, and later spent over 35 years working for the City of Houston.

Malindo Air lands at Trichy airport

Trichy: It was a red-letter day for the Trichy international airport as the inaugural Malindo Air Boeing 737-900 Kuala Lumpur-Trichy flight touched down at the tarmac at 11am on Thursday with 110 passengers on board including the airline's CEO, Chandran Ramamurthy. Trichy is the second destination in India for Malindo Air as it had already launched its first service to India to New Delhi on December 30, 2013.
The inaugural flight took off from Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) at 7am (IST), with 75% occupancy and returned from Trichy at 11.55am with 173 passengers. On the important occasion, the regional passport officer K Balamurugan and acting director of Trichy airport Jebaraj and playback singer Mano,

Gold smuggling at Mumbai airport surpasses that of narcotics, it's 3 pc of all seizures

Mumbai: If the data compiled by Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) is to be believed, gold smuggling has spiralled in the past couple of years. 
The DRI, which is mandated to keep a check on smuggling, in its latest compilation of records claims that during 2010-11 the share of narcotics among all the smuggled goods was 11% and that of gold was nil.
However, 2011-12 was a turning period as the Centre increased the import duties on gold. As a result of this hike, gold smuggling increased and its share among all the smuggled goods was 3 per cent during that year.   

Airlines slash fares to lure flyers in upcoming slack season

Mumbai: With airfares currently at their peak, this might come as some solace to flyers. Passengers will soon be able to take advantage of offers that airlines are supposed to dole out for them during the impending off-season period.
Already, airlines have started rolling out special offers, especially on international sectors. In the latest such offer, the country’s leading low-cost carrier, Indigo, recently announced that a one-way ticket to Dubai for a flight between February 1 and April 30 this year can be purchased for as little as Rs4,499.
Indigo’s offer was in response to a similar one announced by its competitor, SpiceJet, offering a ticket at about 65 per cent discount starting from Rs2,157 onwards for the first 1 million bookings made through its website.

Air India defends sale of aircraft to Etihad

Mumbai: Having received flak for deciding to sell five of its seven year-old Boeing 777-200 Long Range (LR) aircraft to Etihad Airways at a “loss”, Air India (AI) has defended its move by saying that it would result in an annual saving of $100 million.
“The company will pay all the loans outstanding against these aircraft, which will reduce the interest and loan liability by $60 million a year besides $40 million by savings a year by way of maintenance costs.
The move will also discharge the Government guarantee given on these loans,” said a senior AI official, who did not wish to be identified .
Air India has agreed to sell these five aircraft from its fleet of eight Boeing 777-200 LRs for approximately $350 million, which works out to be $70 million per aircraft.

Airfare hike likely as fuel costs Rs 2,000 more

New Delhi: With the fuel retailers hiking Air Turbine Fuel (ATF) rates to Rs 2,030 per kilolitre, flyers may have to pay more for the tickets should the airlines decide to pass off the burden to them.
The hike on ATF in New Year was the second after reduction in November when the rupee was stabilised.
The three fuel retailers –Indian Oil Corp (IOC), Hindustan Petroleum Corp Ltd (HPCL) and BPCL—revise ATF rates on the first of every month based on the average international price in the preceding month.

Passengers clueless as RAK Airways suspends flights

Dubai: Confusion reigns among travel agents and passengers of RAK Airways after the low-cost airline announced the suspension of all operations from January 1.
Mohammad Aslam, who flew into the UAE from Calicut, Kerala, last month and had a return ticket with the airline on January 4, said he and his family have been left stranded.
“We had bought three return tickets for Rs42,000 (about Dh2,500) through a travel agent in India. I got a mail from them the other day informing me of potential changes to the schedule. Now I have no idea what lies ahead,” said the 30-year-old technical writer based in Bengaluru, India.
“My only worry is whether I will be able make it to Calicut on time because I have onward bookings,” he said.

Shortcut road to Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport cuts down traffic jams too

Mumbai: A couple of days after a 480-metre-long road was opened over Mithi River, residents of Saki Naka and Ghatkopar are a satisfied lot. That’s because these residents can now skirt the bumper-to-bumper traffic at Saki Naka and Marol Naka junctions.
Kurla resident Anil Galgali said that this road between Saki Naka Telephone Exchange and the airport was badly needed since a very long time. “It’s better late than never. Due to this road and the bridge, it will now take barely three minutes to reach Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport as compared to over half an hour that it used to take us until now,” said Galgali, who is also a Right to Information activist.

New Year Marks 100 Years of Commercial Aviation

Bangalore: January 1, 2014 marks 100 years in commercial aviation. On January 1, 1914, a team of aviators came together to operate first scheduled commercial flight across Tampa Bay (Florida).
Global aviation industry has transformed considerably since then. Today the industry generates $2.2 trillion revenues worldwide. It supports over 55 million jobs worldwide.
In the meanwhile, civil aviation market in India has come a long way and in 2013 and is witnessing a boom in the sector after it was liberalised. There are 9 scheduled carriers in India, which excludes the now grounded carrier Kingfisher Airlines.

Feb date for AirAsia flight

New Delhi: AirAsia India will be able to start operations only by February.
The low-cost airline of the Tata group and Malaysian budget carrier AirAsia will get a flying permit from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) by January end.
AirAsia India had applied for the permit to the DGCA in September, days after it received a no-objection certificate from the civil aviation ministry.
The process of examining the application is almost over, sources said. AirAsia owns a 49 per cent stake in the joint venture airline, with Tata Sons holding 30 per cent and Arun Bhatia of Telestra Tradeplace, 21 per cent.

Air India seeks better performance from employees

Mumbai: National carrier Air India has urged its employees to stay focused on improving its services in all areas of operations in 2014 and not to squander away the gains of the last year.
"The need of the hour would be to stay focused on improving our service in every area of operation with determination and commitment and continue the good job done," Air India chairman and managing director Rohit Nandan said in his New Year message to the over 29,000 employees.
As Air India welcomes the New Year, it can look back at the year gone by and introspect on its successes and challenges, he said adding, "we need to overcome the impediments and strive for further improving on our performance in the coming year."

Big airlines to fight for a pie in the sky

New Delhi: This year, India emerged as one of the most promising aviation markets in the world, with three international airlines announcing investment plans here. While Abu Dhabi-based Etihad Airways sealed a Rs 2,058-crore deal for a 24 per cent stake in Jet Airways, the Tata Group made a resounding comeback in the aviation industry, forging tie-ups for two start-up airline ventures. It signed an agreement with Malaysian budget carrier AirAsia Berhad and, separately, with Singapore Airlines for a full-service carrier.

SpiceJet achieves a much wider wingspan

Chennai: Early in December, low-fare airline SpiceJet signed an interline agreement with Singapore-based Tigerair that will allow the Indian carrier to provide connectivity to Singapore from Hyderabad. The deal would also mean greater access for Tigerair to the Indian market.
The agreement allows SpiceJet passengers from 14 destinations to touch down in the Andhra Pradesh capital and take Tigerair's Hyderabad-Singapore service from January, while Tigerair flyers from Singapore can take SpiceJet flights from Hyderabad to any of the 14 destinations agreed to under the deal.

India's tallest ATC tower becomes operational in Mumbai

Mumbai: India's tallest Air Traffic Control tower, the height of a 30-storey skyscraper, was commissioned at the Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport here Wednesday, an official said.
The ATC operations here have been taken over by the new tower, which stands at 83.8 metres, over 20 metres higher than the existing structure.
The new tower, built at a cost of around Rs.1.25 billion (Rs.125 crore/$20 million) affords an uninterrupted five-mile 360-degrees view of the surroundings for better navigation and surveillance.
However, its distinction will be short-lived as the new ATC tower in New Delhi is expected to stand 102 metres tall.

AirAsia India signs one-year deal with Aircel Chennai Open as Official Airline

Chennai: The organizers of the Aircel Chennai Open today announced that the tournament has entered into a new association with AirAsia India as the Official Airline of the USD 4,50,000 tournament. The association with the airline is currently for a one-year period.
.As India and South Asia’s only ATP World Tour event, the Aircel Chennai Open has grown into a spectacular sporting extravaganza where the best in the world compete for glory. The 19th edition of the tournament, India and South Asia’s only ATP World Tour event, will be held at Chennai’s SDAT Stadium from December 30th 2013 to January 5th 2014. It features one of the strongest playing fields ever, with an impressive lineup of talent including top 20 players Stanislas Wawrinka, Mikhail Youzhny, Fabio Fognini, Benoit Paire and India’s Somdev Devvarman among others. Both Indian and International participants will compete for the coveted title.

Pre-paid cab coupon system at Mumbai airport keeping touts at bay: Police

Mumbai: Fliers at the city airport can breathe easy, the number of touting incidents has by gone down by more than half over the past six months. The reason for this is the implementation of the coupon system for pre-paid taxi booking, the police said.
As per police records, earlier, the average number of touts booked at the airport used to be around 30-35 per month. “The numbers have definitely gone down by half since the introduction of the (coupon) system,” said assistant commissioner of police (airport division) Madhukar Sankhe.
In August, Mumbai International Airport Limited (MIAL), the operator of the city airport, in consultation with the traffic police initiated a system by which a passenger booking a pre-paid cab was given the number of the cab in which s/he would travel.

More budget carriers mull flying abroad

New Delhi: While low-cost carriers (LCCs) have grown aggressively to take nearly two-thirds of air traffic in India over the past five years, these have also been rather cautious in expanding abroad.
However, with the local market continuing to be challenging and consultation on for removing the limitations on being eligible to ply abroad, this could change. An airline needs at least five years of plying at home and 20 aircraft before applying to fly abroad, the '5/20 rule'. International operations contribute only 11 per cent and 12 per cent SpiceJet's and IndiGo's revenues, respectively. The former is now looking at charting routes to offbeat destinations abroad.

Forward movement for Indian aviation industry in 2013

Barring Air India’s troubles, Indian aviation industry in 2013 gradually started emerging out of a long-drawn crisis with air traffic on an upward growth trajectory and major policy changes in areas like FDI starting to have their impact.
New airlines would start flying on Indian skies in 2014 that would also mark 100 years of commercial aviation to commemorate the first flight by a paying passenger on a scheduled airline that crossed Tampa Bay in Florida (US) in 1914.
The new year would also see new appointees taking over at the top levels in the Civil Aviation Ministry, like the posts of Secretary and chief of the aviation regulator DGCA.

DGCA to send team to Malaysia to inspect AirAsia facilities

Ahead of granting flying permit to AirAsia India, aviation regulator DGCA is sending a team of its officers to Malaysia next week to inspect and certify facilities where the start-up carrier is training its cockpit and cabin crew.
AirAsia India, which is using the training facilities of its parent airline AirAsia in Malaysia, plans to set up similar facilities in India in the coming years, airline sources said.
However before these training facilities come up in India, the first few batches of AirAsia India crew, comprising little over 100 personnel, are undergoing training in Malaysia which would be inspected by the officials of the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), they said.

NRI's 4-seater plane lands on highway in MP due to bad weather

Betul/Mumbai: A four-seater private aircraft made an emergency landing on a highway in Madhya Pradesh in rough weather on Tuesday morning, bringing traffic to a halt and startling motorists.
The small aircraft, said to be Piper PA-30, belonging to NRI Sam Verma, was on a regular sortie when it was caught in strong winds and forced to land on a four-lane highway, about 180 km from Bhopal.
Dramatic TV videos showed the aircraft's descent amidst wooded surroundings and electric poles as traffic was brought to a halt for safe landing. The plane, with insignia VT-EUC, landed safely and pulled up yards away from rows of trucks parked on the roadside.

Making an airline pay when flyers won't

New Delhi: When G R Gopinath launched his maiden low-cost carrier (LCC) flight from Bangalore to Hubli in August 2003, he couldn't know this would change India's aviation history. Gopinath's Air Deccan was changing the rules of the game - it audaciously offered fares on a par with or lower than travelling in a II class air-conditioned rail coach and nearly half of that on travelling in a I AC berth. And, about a third of what full service air carriers (FSCs) were charging their well-heeled customers.
Gopinath said he'd offer no food or frills or even seating numbers. But first-time flyers (half his passengers) lapped it up, as they'd never earlier dreamt they could fly, too. Air Deccan also opened markets in smaller cities and towns, such as Jabalpur and Hubli, where hitherto no one flew, by connecting these with short-haul ATR aircraft.

Passenger alleges moustache ‘harassment’ at Sharjah airport

Sharjah: Officials at the Sharjah Department of Naturalisation and Foreign Affairs are investigating a case in which a passport control official allegedly retained a passenger’s passport because he did not like the latter’s moustache.
Brigadier Dr Abdullah Bin Sahoo, Director-General of the department, said they will study CCTV images to check whether the passenger’s allegations are correct and will then take action.

Rival airlines up lobbying against relaxing intl ops rules for Tata-SIA

Suddenly, there is a frosty silence at the mention of the 5/20 rule in the Ministry of Civil Aviation. This rule makes it mandatory for domestic airlines to have a 20 aircraft fleet and five year domestic operation record before they can be allowed to fly abroad. Minister Ajit Singh has said many a times in the recent past that this rule is discriminatory and needs to be relaxed. Last month, senior Ministry officials had confirmed that a Cabinet Note was being prepared on the matter and that the regulator DGCA was being consulted before a proposal is sent to the Cabinet. The sense that time was that domestic airlines will be allowed international operations without having to fulfill either the 5 year domestic operation requirement or the 20-aircraft rule. But something has obviously changed in a matter of weeks.

SpiceJet's special offer for corporate travellers

Mumbai: Budget carrier SpiceJet today announced special offer to corporate travellers on its domestic network with free tickets to promote business travel, which remains on the downside due to a subdued economic activities.
Under the offer, a corporate traveller will be entitled to one free single way ticket for every six completed one way journeys, the airline said.

Indian airline industry emerging from long-drawn crisis

New Delhi: Barring Air India’s troubles, Indian aviation industry in 2013 gradually started emerging out of a long-drawn crisis with air traffic on an upward growth trajectory and major policy changes in areas like FDI (foreign direct investment) starting to have their impact.
New airlines would start flying on Indian skies in 2014 that would also mark 100 years of commercial aviation to commemorate the first flight by a paying passenger on a scheduled airline that crossed Tampa Bay in Florida (US) in 1914.

‘Our focus is on domestic market’

After a challenging Q2, budget carrier GoAir expects a profitable Q3, increased passenger volumes and its ambitions to fly overseas to hold it in good stead, says its CEO Giorgio De Roni. Excerpts from an interview with Adith Charlie:
Will 2014 will be a better year for Indian aviation compared to 2013?
The first few quarters of 2014 will be as challenging as 2013. We feel confident for the medium-to-long term as India is expected to be the third largest domestic market in the world for aviation by 2020. We do not see scope for airlines to reduce fares, because of high operational costs.
What were the biggest challenges for the company and the industry in 2013?
GoAir recorded a 24 per cent increase in the number of passengers flown, accompanied by a significant improvement in the seat factor.

Air passengers land a good deal

New Delhi: In many ways 2013 was the year of the flyer. Good news for travellers started in January itself, when SpiceJet offered 10 lakh seats at an all-inclusive fare of Rs 2,013 on any domestic flight between February 1 and April 30.
So overwhelming was the response that the airline’s website crashed.
A few months later, Jet Airways announced a similar discounted fare scheme. SpiceJet came up with another limited period scheme in December, when it offered a 15 per cent discount on 12 international routes and a 25 per cent discount on six domestic routes.
From January 1, flying out of Delhi also became cheaper with the Directorate-General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) mandating that the development fee for departing passengers be cut by 50 per cent.

Case of mistaken identity lands man in jail

Abu Dhabi: A case of mistaken identity that started at Abu Dhabi airport has led a communications engineer to be questioned and jailed in Al Wathba jail for more than a week, turning his life upside down.
Abu Dhabi police had inadvertently linked his identification records to a man, with a completely different name, who was deported from the country for crimes committed 11 years ago, Gulf News Learnt.
Indian national Mohammad Riyaz, 27, was arrested on October 20 at Abu Dhabi Airport on his way back from a vacation. Police took him into custody where they shaved his head and treated him like criminal.
According to the Abu Dhabi General Directorate for Residency and Foreigners Affairs, Riyaz’s passport was mistakenly linked by Abu Dhabi police to the name of a man who was deported in 2002.

DGCA backs pilots for aborting flight due to bad weather

New Delhi: The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has decided not to take punitive action against pilots who abort the flight and carryout safe forced landing due to deteriorating weather, provided such landings are informed to the regulator as soon as they take place.
The move comes against the backdrop of a realisation that some of the recent accidents took place due to pressure on pilots to complete the journey despite inclement weather.
"The pilots should not hesitate to divert or to abort the mission as and when they meet with such bad weather conditions en route. Such an action is desirable in the interest of safety of occupants on board the helicopter," it said.

Sky-high airport fees choking domestic aviation: IATA chief

Mumbai: Increasingly expensive airports and poor infrastructure are acting as deterrents to the growth of the civil aviation sector in the country, global airlines body IATA has said.
"India's airports are becoming increasingly expensive. We have seen a 346% increase in charges at Delhi, 164% increase in aeronautical charges in Mumbai, 219% in Kolkata, and a 269% hike in Chennai. These are huge increases," IATA director general and chief executive Tony Tyler told PTI at his Geneva headquarters recently.
"But we have had some victories. They have rolled back some charges in Delhi," the International Air Transport Association (IATA) chief said.
Stating that the poor infrastructure and high taxes work as a deterrent to the development of the aviation sector, he said aviation is a huge economic enabler of growth.

2013, a year of surprises for aviation industry

Even as the year is drawing to a close, 2013 has been a year of surprises and excitement for an otherwise struggling Indian civil aviation sector.
From a sense of gloom, the sentiment quickly changed to jubilation when foreign airlines lined up to throw a lifeline to troubled domestic carriers or applied for fresh applications to start new airline ventures with strong domestic partners.
Since 2006, India has not seen the launch of a major airline. Rather, three airlines - Kingfisher Airlines, Air Deccan (Kingfisher Red) and Paramount Airways - have shut shop, in the meantime. The last major airline that was launched in India was IndiGo in 2006, which has now grown into be the largest domestic carrier by market share.

Kingfisher staff to turn to Arvind Kejriwal for help: report

Mumbai: Grounded carrier Kingfisher Airlines' employees, who have not been paid their salaries for the past 17 months, have said they will seek help from Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal in getting their dues.
"In the past, we have requested to both the Congress and the BJP to intervene in the issue. But none of them did come to our help," a Delhi-based Kingfisher Airlines employee told PTI.
"We will now approach Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and seek his help in getting our dues cleared."

Jaipur: Lack of space, infra shows int'l airport in poor light

Jaipur: Our airport may have got the tag of an ‘international airport’, but there are many facilities that it is lacking in. For example, at Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport, approximate 30 flights can take off in an hour, whereas Jaipur International Airport can facilitate taking off of only 20 flights in an hour.
Besides, while IGI Airport has the parking space to accommodate over 100 aircraft, Jaipur International Airport can’t accommodate more than 21 planes at a time. Even Ahmedabad Airport has a parking space for over 40 aircraft.

Avoid currency exchange at airports

Mumbai: If you are travelling abroad or returning to India, you are advised not to exchange foreign currency at the airport, for you could lose up to 10-15% on the rates offered, as compared with that at other exchange outlets in the city.
According to one forex agency operator, while the loss on exchange of US dollars or British pounds at the airport exchange counters ranges from 2.5 to five per cent, the difference in the case of Gulf state currencies is considerably higher, apparently because of their lower value.
“As travellers have to pay more for foreign currency at the airports, we advise them to carry prepaid multi-currency forex cards or travellers cheques,” said Sunny Sodhi, COO, corporate travel and head supplies relations, at Yatra.com.