IndiGo Joins Fare War With Rs 1499 Ticket Offer

Budget carrier IndiGo joined the fare war, after rivals SpiceJet and Jet Airways offered big discounts to woo travellers during low travel demand season.

IndiGo is offering fares as low as Rs 1,499 on advance bookings. For this IndiGo offer, bookings should be made 90 days before the travel date.

While Jet Airways has offered all-inclusive to-and-fro tickets on certain routes, starting Rs 4,459, SpiceJet put on the block half a million seats with ticket prices starting at Rs 1,499.

Book AirAsia India flight ticket at just Rs 699

New Delhi: Joining the low fare race, budget carrier AirAsia India is offering a huge discount. It is offering tickets as low as Rs 699 (all-inclusive) on advance bookings. This offer is open till February 1, 2015 and is applicable for travel between August 3, 2015 and March 26, 2016.
Under the current offer, Bengaluru-Goa tickets are priced from Rs 1,099, Bengaluru-Chennai route are priced from Rs 699, Bengaluru-Kochi at Rs 899, Bengaluru-Pune at Rs 1,499, Bengaluru-Jaipur and Bengaluru-Chandigarh at Rs. 1,999. AirAsia India is an Indo-Malaysian low cost carrier.

Jet Airways, GoAir join the fare war

Mumbai: Jet Airways and GoAir have joined rival SpiceJet in lowering fares on advance bookings for travel in the next few months.

The two Mumbai-based carriers came up with the offer a day after SpiceJet, under its new promoter Ajay Singh, unveiled the first round of discounts for 2015.

Budget airline SpiceJet is offering 500,000 seats at a one-way fare starting at ?1,499 for a three-day period ending January 31.

Rao govt wanted Tatas to start airline but backed out: Ratan Tata

Mumbai: The Tata Group's plans to launch an airline in the mid-1990s was scuttled despite the backing of then prime minister P V Narasimha Rao, Ratan Tata, chairman emeritus, said on Wednesday. Later, the government had backed out due to opposition from rival airlines, he said at an event to celebrate the launch of Vistara, a Tata Group-Singapore Airlines joint venture, which began operations earlier this month.

SpiceJet aims to expand network 30%, add 60 daily flights by April

New Delhi: Troubled low-cost carrier SpiceJet, under its revival plan, plans to increase its daily flights by almost 30 per cent to 280 within three months, Business Standard has learnt.

In line with this strategy, the airline is currently negotiating with foreign leasing companies to add six Boeing B737 aircraft to its fleet for the summer schedule – it currently has 20 B737s and 14 Bombardier Q400 aircraft.

Ajay Singh’s second innings at SpiceJet to depend on how soon he can turn around the carrier

Mumbai:  Ajay Singh, who is having a second stint at SpiceJet, will face a radically different set of challenges running the budget airline now compared with when he took over the reins last in 2005-06.

SpiceJet, like the rest of the industry, was then hit badly by a steep rise in jet fuel price. Now, while crude oil price is down from its peak, SpiceJet has bigger problems of its own, such as the loss of faith among associates and vendors who weren't paid for months.

Experts seek budgetary support for aviation sector

Mumbai:  Experts have asked the government to notify aviation turbine fuel as a declared good and lay a clear road map for sale of Air India among other measures to be considered in the forthcoming Union budget.

“The notification on declared good should be with immediate effect. It is much more prudent to generate tax from downstream goods and services than an industrial raw material (ATF). ATF in India is 55-60 per cent costlier than the Gulf and ASEAN region.

Airlines get a chance to revive flagging fortunes

New Delhi: The buzz among the optimists in the aviation sector is that some airlines could report improved results for the quarter ended December, numbers for which will be out soon. Both Jet Airways and SpiceJet, the two carriers listed on the stock market, have seen a sharp rise in their share price in the last one month. While Jet Airways has soared 30.5 per cent, SpiceJet, which is in the midst of changing hands from the Maran family to a group of investors led by Ajay Singh, has recorded a gain of 17 per cent. If aviation industry executives are to be believed, the current quarter will be even better - "simply rocking". Of course, given the troubled history of the industry, it means the airlines will break even or make some money, that too unless nobody launches a foolhardy tariff war.

Air Kerala more keen to switch to Gulf flights at first opportunity

Air Kerala, a proposed regional carrier, is likely to obtain the clearances and may launch operations in the middle of April.

The domestic air traffic is controlled upto 80% extent by IndiGo, Jet Airways, SpiceJet and GoAir as members of the Federation of Indian Airlines (FIA), with Air India have left them a couple of months ago.  FIA are lobbying against the withdrawal or amendment to the 5/20 Rule that the Civil Aviation Ministry may introduce as this will give an unfair advantage to both Vistara and Air Asia India. 

Malaysia declares MH370 an accident, airline to proceed with compensation

Putrajaya: A seven-nation investigation has failed to discover what happened to Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 327 days after the plane disappeared over the South China Sea in one of the world's greatest aviation mysteries.

Malaysia's Department of Civil Aviation says both safety and criminal investigations have been limited by a lack of physical evidence, particularly the plane's flight recorders.

China asks Malaysia to fulfil obligations on MH370 tragedy

Beijing: China today asked Malaysia to fulfill its obligations of compensation to the families of MH370 crash victims and continue the search for the jet, hours after Malaysian officials declared the tragedy as an accident.

"At this moment of sadness, the Chinese government expresses its deep sorrow for the misery of those on board, and offers its profound sympathies and sincere condolences to their families," Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said in a statement.

NTSB issues new recommendations to find missing planes

Washington: Amid several recent high-profile incidents where planes have mysteriously vanished, the US aviation safety authority has issued new recommendations designed to help find wreckage faster and determine what caused crashes.

"Recent events have highlighted that recovering flight data can be costly and difficult when an accident occurs in a remote area, outside radar coverage," the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) wrote in the letter to the Federal Aviation Administration.

Air-India flying into turbulence

Secret agreement signed recently by the Air-India management headed by its acting Managing Director, Mr. D. S. Mathur, and the Indian Pilots Guild (IPG) representing 462 pilots in the country’s international airline to grant them practically a non-flying allowance has sent shock waves in the organisation.

SpiceJet registers 400% rise in bookings; Jet Airways joins price war

New Delhi: Budget carrier SpiceJet on Thursday said that it has registered a massive 400 percent spike in its bookings on the first day of its Super Sale scheme, which offers fares as low as Rs 1,499 for a one-way journey on its domestic network.

Naresh Goyal-promoted Jet Airways also slashed fares a second time in a week to match with its rivals.

"400% increase in bookings on Day 1 of our first Super Sale of 2015! Win-win-win for customers, airlines, and travel ecosystem," Kapoor tweeted.

Alarm bells ring for villagers of sleepy Varkhand

Varkhand: A buzz of activity near their houses has slightly disturbed their usual complacence. The row over the proposed airport had been distant, but now they sense that the earlier gamut of sequences is heading for a climax.

As a group of workers toil in the sun to raise a pandal for a public hearing on the environmental impact assessment (EIA) study on Mopa airport, dhangar families seem to continue with their daily chores, trying to gauge what the future holds for them.

Tension among villagers ahead of Mopa EIA hearing

Pernem: An air of suspense and slight tension prevails around Mopa plateau, as the hearing on the environmental impact assessment (EIA) study of the proposed Mopa airport draws near and a rift between villagers around it appears imminent.

The proposed Mopa international airport has drawn opposition among villagers of Varkhand-Nagzar, Mopa-Ugvem-Tamboxem, Chandel and Casarvarnem, but supporters of the project have also been quite vociferous in recent months.

HC defers hearing on Vijay Mallya’s plea on summon

New Delhi: Delhi High Court today did not hear liquor baron Vijay Mallya’s plea challenging summons issued to him by a trial court in several cheque-bouncing cases in which he has to appear on February 20.

Justice Sunil Gaur fixed May 8 for hearing of the matter after the counsel for the parties requested adjournment.

LCA Tejas achieves another accomplishment, starts after overnight soak in extreme cold

Jammu: Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Tejas achieves yet another remarkable accomplishment.
"LCA Tejas achieved rare distinction with three consecutive start-ups of its engine after overnight soak in extreme cold around minus 15 degrees C conditions of Ladakh winter, that too without any external assistance," a Defence spokesman of the Northern Command said on Wednesday.

Navi Mumbai airport project gets new impetus

Mumbai: The Rs-14,000 crore Navi Mumbai International Airport (NMIA) project has got a boost, with four national and international bidders now vying to bag the job of being the developer and operator for the greenfield airport.

In response to its Request for Qualification (RFQ), the City and Industrial Development Corporation (CIDCO) has received applications from GMR Airports, a consortium of Hiranandani Group and Zurich Airport in Switzerland, MIA Infrastructure Pvt. Ltd and Mumbai International Airports Pvt Ltd (MIAL), the operator of Mumbai’s Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport.

Tigerair scraps three-year inter-line pact with SpiceJet

New Delhi: Even as the ailing SpiceJet tries to turn the corner, Singapore-based low-cost carrier Tigerair has terminated its three-year inter-line agreement with the domestic airline in less than a year. The tie-up ended earlier this month, mainly because the revenue target could not be met, Tigerair’s director for sales and marketing, Teh Yikchuan, told Business Standard.

Kochi, Lucknow among 13 airports to be CAT III-compliant by July-end

Chennai: Flight operations from Kochi, Lucknow, Patna and 10 other airports getting affected due to inclement weather will become a thing of the past from July-end this year.

The Indian Met office, along with Airports Authority of India, will install CAT III equipment at these 13 airports. This process will be completed by July 31.
Training pilots

Birlas' Dakota aircraft, used in 1947 Kashmir war, flies into history

A 1946 Dakota aircraft, owned by B.K. Birla Group, and extensively used by G.D. Birla and his family members, is being dismantled in Madhya Pradesh's Ujjain.

The unused aircraft had gone under the hammer in July 2013. The auction was held following instructions of the Madhya Pradesh High Court to disburse the pending salary of former employees of Bharat Commerce & Industry (BCI).

The BCI that falls under the Union Ministry of Corporate Affairs was shut down in 2000.

Trichy airport project gets new impetus

Trichy:  By inviting tenders for the environmental impact assessment a month ago, the Airports Authority of India has given an impetus to the new integrated terminal building project at the Trichy International Airport.

The authority is expected to finalise a contractor to undertake the assessment work in a few days. The Rs 232-crore airport expansion project is yet to gain momentum though the Union civil aviation ministry gave its approval long back.

'Hawaizaada' to be screened for Aviation Minister

Vibhu Puri's directorial debut 'Hawaizaada' is about the achievement of an Indian, Shivkar Bapuji Talpade, who flew the first plane for 20 minutes eight years before the Wright Brothers.

We were told that Vibhu feels that it is extremely important that Shivkar Talpade is recognized for his efforts. Hence the director is very keen to host a screening? of his film? for the Aviation Minister of India. And following which, his team is trying to arrange a screening so that the aviation department of India can acknowledge Shivkar Talpade's contribution to India.

Lohegaon Airport gets a self check-in kiosk, wi-fi facility

Passengers flying out of the Lohegaon Airport with minimal baggage now have a reason to smile as they don’t need to stand in a queue any more. The airport has got its first self check-in kiosk.

Union Minister for Environment and Forests (EoMF) Prakash Javadekar inaugurated the facility on Thursday. Passengers travelling with cabin baggage can directly check into the airport. Airport authorities said that this might save up to 10 to 15 minutes of every passenger.

India to hard sell Tejas, Dhruv at air show

India will showcase and try to hard sell its indigenous Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Tejas and Advanced Light Helicopter (ALH) Dhruv at the air show here in February to prospective buyers from abroad, an official said Wednesday.

"Tejas will be on flying and static display at the Aero India Show here Feb 18-22 to solicit foreign buyers, as we have started producing them (fighters) for the Indian Air Force (IAF)," outgoing chairman of state-run Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL) R.K. Tyagi told reporters here.

Aerobridge facility at Birsa Munda Airport soon

Ranchi: Services of aerobridge would be added to Birsa Munda Airport very soon. According to sources two aerobridges would start functioning from February 7.

It would be a huge relief to the passengers as they would be able to reach the aircrafts directly from the terminal building. With the installation of the aerobridges the passengers would not have board the buses or take the stairs to get on the aircraft. Work related to installation of the aerobridges is going on in full swing.

Aranmula in Colours: A Protest on Canvas

Kochi: The Aranmula Heritage Trust, thought up an innovative atyle to express its opposition to the Aranmula Airport project. They arranged a painting exhibition titled ‘Aranmula in Colours’ at TDM hall here. The exhibition showcases paintings of more than forty five artists. All these paintings have the same theme which is rural development.

The paintings were done during a three-day camp on the banks of Pampa river in Aranmula. Artists like Kanai Kunjiraman, Rimzon, Paris Mohan Kumar, Tenzing and Parthasarathy Varma took part in the camp. Each painting reflects the adverse effects of development on Aranmula and its natural beauty.

Akshay to fly first,will wear bling later

In the past few weeks, speculations have been rife that Akshay Kumar's upcoming romcom, Singh Is Bling, has been shelved. However, Mirror has learnt that the Prabhudheva-directed film, co-starring Kriti Sanon, which was to flag off in January has been pushed to April as Akki is not happy with the way the script has turned out. And while that script is being fine-tuned, he's allotted the dates to the Raja Menon directed evacuation drama, Airlift. Producer Ashvini Yardi told Mirror, "Yes, we were to start early this year but we had to give away our dates so Akshay could complete his other film.

Huge haul of dried sea cucumbers, Trochus shells at airport

Port Blair: In a major haul of marine wealth, officials of the Forest and Fisheries Department stumbled upon a huge consignment of dried sea cucumbers and Trochus shells at the cargo section of the Port Blair airport today.  Consignment of about 150 kgs of dried sea cucumbers kept in three containers of 50 kg each and 666 kgs of Trochus shells in 11 containers were meant for some unknown destination.

According to Mr. Naveen Kumar, DCF (Wild Life), the Forester, Mrs Farida Bibi and the two Assistant Fisheries Guards namely Mohan Lal and Dilip Kumar became suspicious when the man who had brought the containers at the cargo section failed to give plausible answer about the articles inside the containers. 

Customs Air Intelligence Unit has a ‘golden run’

Tiruchi: There has been a quantum jump in the seizure of gold brought illegally at Tiruchi international airport this fiscal. A five-fold increase has been recorded this financial year in respect of the seizure of the yellow metal by the Customs Air Intelligence Unit (AIU) at the airport.

The rise has been witnessed in the number of cases booked and the quantity of gold seized from the illegal possession of air passengers at the airport from where overseas flights were being operated to Colombo, Dubai, Singapore, and Kuala Lumpur every day.

SpiceJet heats up low-fare race

Heating up the low-fare race, budget airline, SpiceJet is offering five lakh air tickets at discounted rates in a three day sale beginning on 28th January, 2015.
SpiceJet has priced the tickets from Rs 1,499 onwards. The discount tickets are available for travel from 15th February to 30th June.

The airline has been operating a truncated schedule with 200-210 flights on a daily basis, with a 34-plane fleet. SpiceJet has got the green signal from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation to sell tickets beyond March end.

SpiceJet, AirAsia India Offer 'Super Low' Fares

Budget carrier SpiceJet on Wednesday joined the low fare race in the domestic market putting on the block half a million seats with ticket prices starting at Rs 1,499 under a limited period promotional offer.

The bookings under the three-day "Super Sale" offer can be made from Wednesday for a travel period between February 15 to June 30, SpiceJet said in a release.

AirAsia India offers lowered advance fares

New Delhi: No-frills carrier AirAsia India has lowered its advance fares, offering its customers one-way ticket prices at as low as Rs 699 with a travel validity period lasting up to March next year.

The bookings under the three-day limited period offer commenced yesterday and are applicable to travel between August 3 and March 26, 2016, according to the airline's website. 

No consensus yet between govt and airline operators on removal of 5/20 rule

New Delhi: The government has given domestic airlines one more week to come up with final suggestions on the removal of the 5/20 rule and subsequent changes to the route dispersal guidelines (RDGs). This comes after a meeting between airline officials and civil aviation ministry officials on Wednesday failed to yield a consensus. 

The 5/20 rule, which allows domestic airlines to fly overseas only after five years of operations and after they have a fleet of 20 aircraft, has long been a subject of contention within the industry. The aviation minister, P Ashok Gajapathi Raju has said the rule is archaic, and new airlines such as Vistara and AirAsia, are also batting for its removal. 

Old carriers oppose easy overseas flying rights for new players

New Delhi:  All 'old' Indian carriers, including Air India, Jet Airways and IndiGo, have firmly opposed the aviation ministry's move to relax the rule that an Indian airline must be at least five-year-old and have 20 planes in its fleet as a pre-condition to fly abroad. The ministry called a meeting of all airlines on this 5/20 rule on Wednesday and gave them one more week to give their views on the issue.

Airlines get a week more to file response on intl ops norms

New Delhi: Government today gave one week's more time to domestic carriers to file their submission on its proposed new norms for international operations and revision of route dispersal guideline (RDG).

The decision was taken at a meeting of the Indian airlines called by the government here today.

"The airlines sought some more time to file their response to the issue at the meeting. They have been given time for one more week to do so," a ministry official said.

Flyers' body seeks uniform, customer-friendly fare structure

New Delhi: Charging the airlines with hiking the cancellations fee by a whopping 300 per cent in the last four years, flyers' body APAI today asked the government to direct the carriers to formulate a uniform, transparent and customer-friendly fare structure.

Air Passengers Association of India (APAI), in a letter to the Civil Aviation Ministry, also sought reduction in fuel surcharge by the airlines, which came into being in 2008 after the oil prices jumped to USD 147.02 per barrel.

4 players shortlisted for Navi Mumbai airport

Mumbai: GMR Airports, Mumbai International Airport Ltd (MIAL), Hiranandani Developers along with Zurich Airport Developers, and MIA Infrastructure Pvt Ltd along with Tata Realty have been short listed by The City and Industrial Development Corporation of Maharashtra Ltd (CIDCO) for constructing the Navi Mumbai airport.

While nine national and international consortiums had expressed interest, these four have qualified for submitting the financial bids.

CCTV network soon to watch 18.8-km Mumbai airport perimeter

Mumbai: Mumbai International Airport Pvt. Ltd. (MIAL), the airport operator, has begun the tendering process for a CCTV network along the Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport’s (CSIA) 18.8-km long perimeter.

The probability of US President Barack Obama’s arrival at the Mumbai airport during his just-concluded visit and increasing number of terror alerts issued for the “highly sensitive” airport has further pushed the project, officials said.

2nd innings for HAL airport?

Bengaluru: Will the city’s old HAL airport, closed for commercial airlines since May 2008, have a second innings next year?

R.K. Tyagi, who superannuates on Saturday as Chairman of Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd, offered the hope yet again at a farewell news conference on Wednesday.

Airlines body for uniform fare

Chennai: Air Passengers Association of India has urged the aviation ministry to ensure airlines have a uniform policy in air fare structure, which is passenger friendly and transparent.

The cancellation charges levied by airlines have increased by over 300 per cent in the last four years. This must be addressed when they have special low fare offers. “We are certain that the Ministry will formulate a policy by advising the regulator,” the association’s president D Sudhakara Reddy, said in a press release.

Spice Jet needs to sort out its financial problems: Civil Aviation Minister

Union Civil Aviation Minister Ashok Gajapathi Raju Pasupati has said troubled airliner Spice Jet would have to sort out its financial problems, and added that the government could only help in the process.

"Their problem is financial. They have to get their books right. We will do up to only light hand holding. We are not going to take burden of it but we want to see airline survive and serve the Indian people," said Raju.

Ajay Singh meets SpiceJet’s lessors, pilots assuring funding by next month

According to a report by Tarun Shukla for Mint, Ajay Singh, who plans to take over SpiceJet Ltd., has held talks with aircraft lessors in Singapore and pilots to reassure them that the airline is likely to get funds potentially by mid-February, addressing key constituents who could jeopardise the revival-in-the-making.

Kalanithi Maran and his KAL Airways Pvt. Ltd. are in the process of transferring their stake in the airline to Singh, a Co-founder in the airline that he exited in 2010, under a deal that has been approved by the Ministry of Civil Aviation, Government of India and is now awaiting clearance from stock market regulator Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI).

DIAL floats Rs 1,762 cr bond to retire old expensive debt

Delhi International Airport (DIAL), a subsidiary of GMR Infrastructure (GMR Group), has raised $288.75 million or Rs 1,762 crore in its first foray into the international bond market. The proceeds would be used to refinance the current outstanding external commercial borrowing (ECB).

The company claims the pricing was done at a very competitive rate and will reduce the overall financial burden on the Airport by way of interest cost reduction and repayment holiday which will increase the liquidity.

SpiceJet needs to sort out its financial problems: Civil Aviation Minister

Union Civil Aviation Minister Ashok Gajapathi Raju Pasupati has said troubled airliner Spice Jet would have to sort out its financial problems, and added that the government could only help in the process.

"Their problem is financial. They have to get their books right. We will do up to only light hand holding. We are not going to take burden of it but we want to see airline survive and serve the Indian people," said Raju.

Airlines' issues will be addressed in time-bound manner: Civil Aviation MoS

Mumbai: Invoking the Prime Minister’s vision of taking India’s story of heritage and culture through tourism globally, Dr Mahesh Sharma, Minister of State with Independent Charge for Tourism and Culture and Minister of State for Civil Aviation, Government of India, said “It cannot be a one-way traffic when we talk of increasing tourism to India. It has to be a win-win situation for all of us.”

Single-window Clearance for Cargo at Airport on the Cards

Chennai: The Customs Department in Chennai airport is planning to implement a single-window clearance for cargo, following the rescent announcement by the government.

Chief Commissioner of Customs S Ramesh said on Tuesday that the department was working with several others to get the work done.

The implementation of the measure would ensure high-ranking in doing business - a top priority of the government.

Food in high places

At 30,000 feet, the first to go are your taste-buds. Add to that the white noise — a steady, unvarying sound — inside the cabin distorting a passenger’s perception of food, and you can explain the notoriety of in-flight meals.

Though nearly 100 years have passed since food began to be served on flights, experts around the world are still tweaking their recommendations on what will work at altitudes that make even five-star meals taste ordinary. The fact that most dishes are pre-cooked and reheated does not make it any easier.

GMR-backed Delhi International Airport raises $289 million via bond issue

Mumbai:  GMR Infra-controlled Delhi International Airport (DIAL) on Tuesday raised $289 million through a considerably oversubscribed bond issue, also the first high-yield paper in Asia this year, in a sign that global investors are now taking a fresh positive look at Indian infrastructure.

"It's a landmark development for the Indian infrastructure sector," said a senior GMR executive who didn't want to be named. DIAL issued the notes, of 7-year tenure at a fixed coupon rate of 6.125%. It entails a bi-annual interest payment. The bond offering attracted $5 billion interest from investors.

Air India Dreamliner may take off again in February

New Delhi: When Air India inducted a Boeing 787 with tail number VT-ANI in 2012, no one could have imagined that the aircraft would end up being grounded and its parts used to keep other Dreamliners in the fleet flying. After 10 long months in the hangar in Mumbai due to various maintenance issues, the aircraft is likely to resume flying next month.

DGCA yet to formulate regulatory mechanism for private drones

New Delhi: Even as the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has banned use of drones for commercial purposes, it is yet to formulate a mechanism to regulate their operations in keeping with the associated security concerns.

The issue has gained significance particularly after a drone, being flown for recreational purposes, crashed into a tree in the White House lawns in the United States on Monday. It reportedly went undetected by the highly sophisticated radar system installed at the seat of power.

Vijayawada-bound passengers stranded at RGIA

Vijayawada: Around 60 passengers were stranded at the Rajiv Gandhi International Airport (RGIA) in Shamshabad for almost five hours on Tuesday morning owing to the delay in arrival of Vijayawada-bound Air Costa flight.

The flight (LB636) was scheduled to take off from RGIA around 11.35 a.m., but it did not arrive till afternoon, causing inconvenience to passengers, including some foreigners.

Indian flyers make Dubai world’s busiest international airport

New Delhi: With more than a little help from Indian travellers, Dubai has emerged the busiest international airport in the world. Dubai overtook London Heathrow last year, thanks to a growth of 9.3 lakh flyers to and from the India subcontinent — which was second only to the increase of 11.9 lakh flyers the Emirate saw in passengers to and from Europe.

HC issues notice to Centre, IB on Greenpeace activist’s plea against her offloading from plane

New Delhi: The Delhi High Court on Wednesday issued notices to Union Home Ministry and Intelligence Bureau on a petition filed by Greenpeace activist Priya Pillai against her being offloaded from a London-bound flight at Delhi airport earlier this month. Justice Rajiv Shakdher also issued a notice to Immigration Department seeking its response. They have been told to reply in a week.

On CM’s table this week: Pune airport project

Pune: The proposed international airport in Pune stuck on the drawing board for years will come up for discussion at a meeting convened by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis this weekend. The project has not been able to take off. A suitable site for the project has eluded the implementing agency.

Officials said that the Maharashtra Airport Development Company (MADC) sent a request to the chief minister, who is also the chairman of MADC, to convene a meeting to discuss the issue.

Thirteen more airports to soon become CAT-III compliant

New Delhi:  Thirteen more airports in the country, including Amritsar, Jaipur, Chandigarh, Kolkata, Patna and Lucknow, will soon become CAT-III compliant, a step which will ensure seamless flight operations even during fog.

The Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) along with Airports Authority of India (AAI) is carrying out the exercise which is expected to be completed by mid-February except for Jaipur Airport, a Civil Ministry official said today.

Malaysia to release MH370 probe report in March

Kuala Lumpur: Malaysia will release an interim report on the investigation into the missing Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 on March 7, a day before the first anniversary of the mysterious disappearance of the plane along with 239 people, including five Indians, on board.

Deputy Transport Minister Abdul Aziz Kaprawi said the country's Department of Civil Aviation (DCA) will release the report which will focus on the investigation only. There is no conclusion on the status of the plane as the search for the aircraft is still on.

Flight occupancy touches 80 per cent at Gannavaram airport

Vijayawada: Thanks to the government’s announcement of the new capital, the occupancy ratio of airlines operating from Gannavaram airport has touched 80 per cent as against the previous 35 per cent.

Close to 1,000 passengers depend on as many as 16 services operated from the airport everyday, with the first taking off around 7.15 a.m. and the last landing around 9.30 p.m.

Airline companies asked to start operations from Surat

Surat: In an attempt to increase flight connectivity from Surat, the airport authority here has started contacting top airline companies to come and set up their operations in the city.

Surat airport earned a bad name after a buffalo hit a SpiceJet aircraft during take off on November 6, 2014. A stray buffalo had ventured into the airport premises and reached the runway when the Delhi-bound SpiceJet flight was taking off in the evening.

Trivandrum City forum seeks CM’s help for airport expansion

Thiruvananthapuram: The Trivandrum City Connect Foundation (TCCF), a platform ‘working towards a better Thiruvananthapuram,’ on Wednesday requested Chief Minister Oommen Chandy to accelerate land acquisition for the expansion of the Thiruvananthapuram airport.
Kris Gopalakrishnan, Chairman, TCCF, submitting a representation, said operational difficulties in maintaining two terminals at the airport were many.

FL Technics Jets Enters the Indian Business Aviation MRO Market

FL Technics Jets, a global provider of tailor-made maintenance, repair and overhaul services for business aviation, is delighted to announce the start of cooperation with its first customer from India – B. G. Shirke Construction Technology Pvt. Ltd. Under the recently signed agreement, FL Technics Jets will support the customer’s business jet fleet with various spare parts and components supply solutions.

Dispute over entry of MP’s wife at airport

Chennai: Commotion ensued at the Chennai airport as Rajya Sabha member and CPI national secretary D. Raja’s wife was allegedly denied entry into the domestic terminal by a CISF staff member.

Around 4.15 p.m., when Mr. Raja and his wife Annie Raja entered the departure hall of the domestic terminal to take the Air India flight AI 539 to New Delhi, the CISF assistant sub-inspector allegedly raised objections over his wife’s Parliament pass and ticket.

Air Revolver Lands 25-yr-old in Soup

Chennai: A 25-year-old Engineering graduate from Coimbatore was taken into custody by the police for ordering a ‘metal-body air revolver’ from a US-based firm. He has been remanded to judicial custody at the Puzhal Central Prison, however appeals have been made to dismiss the charges against him once it comes up for hearing, sources indicated.

AAI nod for cargo terminal at Surat airport

Surat: Airports Authority of India (AAI) has given in-principle approval for setting up a cargo terminal at Surat airport to boost south Gujarat's industrial sector including textile, chemical, diamonds, horticulture and ancillary industries.

This has come as good news for the diamantaires investing in world-class Surat Diamond Bourse (SDB) project that is coming up at Dream City in Khajod.

Varkhand gram sabha flays Mopa EIA report

Panaji:  A gram sabha of Varkhand-Nagzar panchayat in Pernem taluka criticized the environment impact assessment (EIA) report on the proposed Mopa international airport as a bogus one, not reflecting the ground realities on the vast plateau with a rich bio-diversity.

The meeting held on Monday and chaired by sarpanch Sanjay Tulasker discussed the EIA report, which has been sent by the government to the panchayats on the periphery of the proposed airport.

MADC to retender Mihan power purchase bid

Nagpur: Maharashtra Airport Development Company (MADC) has been forced to consider retendering of power purchase bid for Mihan as only one supplier showed interest in the tender. The bids were floated early this month. Meanwhile, the final order issued by Maharashtra Electricity Regulatory Commission has made it clear that Mihan power will be close to Rs 5 per unit rather than Rs 4.38 per unit.

No proof that Shivkar Bapuji Talpade flew world's first unmanned aircraft says Ayushmann Khurrana

Kolkata: Bollywood actor Ayushmann Khurrana says they do not have any proof whether Shivkar Bapuji Talpade, on whom his next film 'Hawaizaada' is based on, flew the world's first unmanned aircraft. "We have no proof that he flew the first plane. We do not know if it was true or not but we should know that someone like him existed. The film is about a conspiracy theory," Khurrana told reporters here.

He is playing Talpade in 'Hawaizaada' which releases on January 30.  Directed by Vibhu Virender Puri, it is an inspiring story of the maverick Indian scientist-engineer who is believed by some people to have built and flown the world's first unmanned aircraft, eight years before the Wright Brothers in 1895.

Mock drill at Odisha airport takes passengers by surprise

Bhubaneswar: Air passengers were taken completely by surprise as security personnel conducted an hour long mock drill at the Biju Patnaik International Airport in the Odisha capital on Republic Day to check security preparedness.
Both the ‘infiltrators’ were identified and taken down in the mock drill whereas five of the security staff of the airport got ‘injured’ in the process.

Second monkey caught in Chennai airport

Chennai: The second of the two monkeys that entered Chennai airport on Sunday was finally caught on Tuesday.

After the two animals were seen in the departure hall of the domestic terminal on Sunday, a team of fire service personnel and State forest department officials managed to catch one the same evening.

AAI approves Chennai-Tiruchi radar data transfer

Tiruchi: The Airports Authority of India (AAI) has accorded in principle approval for transfer of radar data from the Chennai airport to Tiruchi international airport.

The data transfer will enhance air traffic surveillance mechanism of the Tiruchi international airport which is not equipped with radar facility.

Airport sources said the AAI gave its nod for transfer of radar data in December as Tiruchi airport witnessed an increase in movement of flights over the years besides recording an upward trend in the number of travellers.

Kolkata police not to allow private drones

Kolkata:  Days after the Chennai police said that it was considering regulation of private use of drones or unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV), Kolkata Police banned any private use of UAVs or drones in the city. This comes in the wake of a private drone crashing into the White House compound in Washington D.C. on Monday.

We filed 773 patents this year against two in 2012: RK Tyagi, HAL

State-owned Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd, after contributing to the success of Mars Orbiter Mission (MOM) and GSLV Mk III launch in 2014, is now taking steps to open an Integrated Cryogenic Engine Manufacturing (ICEM) facility at Bengaluru. The facility, which will focus on manufacturing, integrating and testing the Cryogenic Engine CE20 and Semi Cryogenic Engine SE2000, would  make HAL one among the technologically prudent companies across the globe. On the R&D front, the company, under outgoing chairman RK Tyagi, has done extremely well during 2014 by focusing on patents and intellectual property rights.

Come next winter, Chandigarh airport to cross fog hurdle

Chandigarh: Come next winter, flight operations at the Chandigarh airport will not get affected by dense fog and inclement weather as the Civil Aviation Ministry has announced to install the CAT-III equipment at the airport.

In an announcement made on Wednesday, the Ministry of Civil Aviation shortlisted the Chandigarh airport among 13 airports in India, which will be equipped with the CAT-III equipment for smooth operations even in dense fog.

Customs seize Rs 100crore worth gold at Chennai airport in 2014

Chennai:  It was a year of gold rush at the airport in 2014. Air customs seized 365kg gold worth Rs 100 crore at Chennai airport till December 2014 as against the 113kg worth Rs 35 crore last year.

"The increase in seizure is due to high surveillance. We seized gold from passengers, from planes and airport building. More personnel will be inducted into customs at airport and cargo soon.

Flyers caught with gold hidden in CPU, cooking pan

Mumbai: The airport Customs arrested two flyers and seized gold bars worth Rs 33 lakh from them at international airport on Wednesday. The two were trying to smuggle the gold in the country after concealing it inside a computer CPU and a cooking pan.

A passenger, Hiren Chauhan, was travelling on Indian passport and he was intercepted at the airport after in-line screening machine indicated that he had concealed gold in his baggage.

With short-haul flights, Air Carnival joins the aviation race

Chennai: The buzz in the aviation sector may be far from over. At a time when older airlines are struggling to stay afloat, a new airline from Coimbatore is gearing up to take to the skies with its low-cost service.

Set to launch in April, Air Carnival, which is promoted by Coimbatore Marine College, or CMC group, that runs educational institutions in south India, will focus on short-haul routes where it can fly profitably, and where a vacuum has been created by large airlines such as Kingfisher and Paramount Airways folding up their operations.

UP Tourism shortlists three airline operators for intra-state services

As the deadline for enlisting operators for intra-state airline services in Uttar Pradesh (UP) ended last week, three airline companies have approached the State Tourism Department with interest to commence operations as per guidelines of the new Intra-state Aviation Policy announced by the government. The State Tourism Department has identified 12 routes to be covered through intra-state air operations.

According to Dr Shashank Vikram, Managing Director & Special Secretary, UP Tourism, the routes, which have been identified, include Agra, Lucknow, Varanasi, Meerut, Jhansi, and Khushinagar, among others.  “These operators have to fulfill the DGCA (Directorate General of Civil Aviation) guidelines to start operations.

SpiceJet rescue plan: Second tranche of Rs 400 cr to come in by February 15

SpiceJet's new promoter Ajay Singh has invested the first tranche of Rs 100 crore over this weekend and now, the next important date in the airline's survival saga is February 15. As per the recapitalisation plan of Singh, which has been approved by the Ministry of Civil Aviation last week, three important investment related events are expected by then.

Ajay Singh invests Rs 100 cr over weekend, but lessors may hamper SpiceJet revival

New Delhi: Spicejet may be compelled to take 11 Boeing 737 aircraft on fresh lease from two airlines this week. Unending troubles with at least three different aircraft lessors may force the airline's incoming promoters to take this step, sources tell us.

Three different lessors have reportedly stuck to their demand to repossess 11 Boeing 737 aircraft which are currently with SpiceJet because of delays in payment of lease rentals.

Amid SpiceJet turbulence, GoAir registered most complaints in last 3 months

SpiceJet may have clamped down operations, delayed and cancelled flights over the last couple of months, official data, however, shows that it is GoAir which has topped the list of number of complaints made by passengers against Indian airlines over the last three months.

The number of complaints registered per 10,000 passengers against GoAir stood at 6.2, 4.2 and 4.4 in December, November and October respectively, significantly higher than industry average of 1.6-2.1 recorded in the same period. In December, for one, the number of complaints per 10,000 passengers registered against SpiceJet were lower by 50 per cent when compared with GoAir at 3.1.

Air India cancels New York flights as snow storm hits US

Mumbai:  Air India has cancelled two of its three non stop flights to the US, with blizzard hitting the country's eastern coast. A state of emergency has been declared in North East states of the US.

New York's JFK and La Guardia and Newark airport are impacted, with airlines cancelling hundreds of flights.

2,300 flights cancelled as storm heads for US east coast

New York: Light snow began falling on the east coast on Monday morning, the first signs of a potentially historic blizzard that officials predicted would dump up to three feet in the coming day, snarling transportation.

The National Weather Service (NWS) issued a blizzard warning for New York City and surrounding areas between coastal New Jersey and Connecticut, beginning 1 pm EST on Monday and worsening overnight into Tuesday morning. It warned of two days of winter storms across the East Coast, from Pennsylvania to Maine.

PAF plane makes refuelling landing in India

A Pakistan Air Force (PAF) passenger aircraft made a refuelling stop at Lucknow on Sunday afternoon.

The Phenom-100 jet, which is used by senior civilian and military functionaries, was on its way to Singapore for inspection when it made the stopover at Chowdhury Charan Singh Airport, Lucknow.

The aircraft remained at the Indian airport for about 50 minutes before leaving for Singapore.

Pakistan aircraft denied landing in Capital

An aircraft of Pakistan Air Force with five military personnel aboard was allowed for an emergency landing in Lucknow on Sunday night because the airport authorities in India turned down their request to allow its landing at the Indira Gandhi International Airport in New Delhi. This decision was apparently taken in view of the presence of US President Barack Obama in the national Capital.

The aircraft was on its way from Rawalpindi to Shah Amanat International Airport, Chittagong, in Bangladesh. The aviation authorities of Pakistan wanted its landing in New Delhi for refuelling.

MiG-27 fighter jet crashes in Barmer in Rajasthan

Jodhpur: A MiG-27 fighter aircraft of the Indian Air Force on Tuesday crashed but the pilot ejected safely.
However, it was not immediately known if there was any casualty.Air Force sources said the crash occurred at about 15:10 pm.

Etihad Airways changes flight schedules to benefit Indian subcontinent

Dubai: Etihad Airways has announced changes in its flights' timings between Abu Dhabi and North America from March, owing to the increasing demand of travel from the Indian Subcontinent.

The Abu Dhabi-based airways has announced the changes in the flight schedules between its Abu Dhabi hub and Chicago, New York and Toronto, starting from March 29 this year.

'It was the best time to enter the Indian aviation market'

Vistara, the Tata Sons-Singapore Airlines joint venture, has hit the skies after waiting in the wings for about 16 months. It believes that for a full service airline and value-based offering, its fares are “quite competitive” compared to other airlines. Phee Teik Yeoh, the CEO of Vistara, spoke to Deccan Herald’s Shemin Joy. Excerpts:

Two weeks into operations, how is the market responding to you?

Mopa will add to a mere 4.2 million passengers in 40 years

Panjim: newThe devil is in the detail. And details is what the government never wants to publicly get into about the Mopa airport, former chief minister Parrikar’s most ardent love and interest and his successor Parsekar’s object of passion in his backyard of Pernem.
If the EIA report on Mopa combined with the response the Directorate of Civil Aviation has given in response with queries by potential bidders, there will be an additional passenger growth of a mere 4.2 million in the 25 years between 2020-2045, if Mopa and Dabolim airports are both operational. This amount to 42 lakh or an additional passenger load of a little over a lakh a year for both airports.

Express Industry demands domestic airlines to cut fuel surcharge

Following the sharp fall in global crude oil prices by nearly 35% over the last one year, the Express Industry Council of India (EICI), the apex body of companies providing express delivery services, have asked for an immediate withdrawal of Fuel Surcharge (FSC) levied by domestic airlines. Currently, domestic airlines in India charge between Rs. 13/- to Rs.16.50/- per kilogram as fuel surcharge.

Another ordeal for Dimapur passengers

Dimapur-bound passengers were made to face another ordeal at Kolkata airport, when the departure was delayed thrice till finally, the flight was cancelled after they were kept in suspense for over six hours.
On Monday, passengers who had arrived at the airport hours ahead for departure at 12.10 p.m. were informed that the flight would take off only at 1.30 p.m. Later, just before boarding, they were again informed that departure was delayed to 2.30 p.m.

Alarms that keep beasts at bay

Puttur: How about recording alarm, distress and predator calls of animals and birds, and playing them back to keep beasts away and save the crops?

Chasing wild animals from farms is getting craftier and man appears to be attempting to beat the beasts at their own game. This is what emerged on the final day of a three-day farm machinery fair here on Monday.

Flypast mesmerises spectators despite weather woes

New Delhi: Despite a heavily overcast sky and light drizzle, the flypast, which marks the culmination of the Republic Day parade, as usual mesmerised the spectators Monday.

The flypast had around 30 aircraft, a mix of surveillance, transport and fighter planes.

Mumbai-based Navy pilot, Commander Kasutubh Gosavi receives Shaurya Chakra

Mumbai: Commander Kasutubh Gosavi, a Mumbai-based Navy pilot, has been awarded the Shaurya Chakra for saving 15 lives during various helicopter search and rescue missions.

"During the month of July last year, the officer was involved in four separate gallant and courageous acts wherein he was successful in saving lives of 15 personnel in a short span of 16 days," an official statement said.