Airlines to start operations at Ludhiana airport from June

Ludhiana: Flights from Sahnewal airport here under the regional connectivity scheme will start from the next month, local MP Ravneet Singh Bittu said today.
He said that the Punjab government will help the airlines under the scheme, also known as Ude Desh ka Aam Naagrik (UDAN).
“The state government and the Centre will provide financial aid to the airlines if they suffer loss,” the parliamentarian said.
Industrial potential of Ludhiana has suffered due to lack of regular air connectivity, he said.

IndiGo to fly directly to Singapore from Bengaluru

Bengaluru: IndiGo will operate a non-stop daily flight between Bengaluru and Singapore from June 10 to strengthen its network in the Asia-Pacific region, the country's leading low-cost private carrier said on Friday.
"Flyers can book tickets at Rs 14,242 for a round trip from June 10. Though fifth overall service between the two cities, it will be our first non-stop flight to Singapore from Bengaluru," the budget airline said in a statement here.
Taking off from Bengaluru at 9.20 p.m., the passengers will arrive in Singapore at 4.30 a.m.

Lower service tax on economy class to boost air traffic

New Delhi: The introduction of the Goods and Services Tax (GST) is likely to continue to fuel the growth in domestic air traffic although the import of private jets for personal use will become more expensive under the new regime.
Kapil Kaul, Chief Executive Officer and Director, Centre for Asia Pacific Aviation (CAPA), South Asia, termed the Government’s decision to levy a 5 per cent service tax on economy class tickets and 12 per cent on business class tickets as a “very good decision which will continue to support the affordable fare regime in the country.”

Economy class air travel to attract 5% GST; business class 12%

New Delhi: The growing aviation sector of India will get a boost once Goods and Service Tax (GST) is implemented as the tax rate on air travel would be 5 per cent, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said on Friday.
This is lower than the prevailing rate as currently air travel attracts tax rate of 6 per cent and 9 per cent for economy and non-economy travel respectively.
“Considering that it is an essential mode of transport, taxation on airline services and railways has been kept at the minimum bracket of 5 per cent,” Jaitley said in a press conference in Srinagar.

Domestic air traffic grows over 15% in April

As per the PTI report, after two consecutive months of slowdown, domestic air traffic witnessed a marginal growth with demand for travel going up by a little over 15% in April over the year-ago period. Indian carriers together flew 91.34 lakh passengers in April, 2017 as compared to 79.32 lakh passengers in the corresponding month of the previous year, as per monthly traffic data released by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) on Thursday.

After posting over 20% growth in the domestic passenger market for 13 consecutive months till January this year, the demand for air travel dropped to 15.77% in February and 14.91% in March, respectively.

GoAir Receives Best Operational Excellence Award from Airbus 3 Times in a Row at A320 Family Seminar

New Delhi: GoAir, one of India’s fastest growing airlines, has bagged the prestigious “Best Operational Performance” award in the small/mid size aircraft category at the A320 Family 2017 Symposium in Berlin. This is the third time in a row GoAir is receiving such award from Airbus. This award from Airbus is based on both fleet utilization and performance achievements in each region and worldwide and seeks to facilitate two-way dialog amongst the aviation industry, ultimately leading to even safer and more efficient fleet.

Tata-SIA venture Vistara emerges as most punctual airline in Indian metros

Tata Sons-Singapore International Airlines(SIA) joint venture Vistara has emerged as the most punctual flight service in the metros compared to five other main domestic airlines in India. Vistara has emerged as the most punctual flight service in the metros compared to five other main domestic airlines in India.
The On Time Performance (OTP) of Vistara was rated at 87.4 per cent in the current years followed by SpiceJet (85.4), IndiGo (85.2), Air India (83.9), Go Air (80.4) and Jet Airways Jet Lite (78.7), according to figures released by the Ministry of Civil Aviation here.
Among the metros, the OTP was best in Hyderabad at 90.5 per cent, and worst at Mumbai (81.7) and good enough at Delhi (88.7) and Bangalore (88.6).

Delhi airport handling lesser flights than capacity: Government

New Delhi: Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport, the biggest and busiest in the country, is handling fewer flights than it can, government data revealed.

The data, accessed by ET, shows that Delhi airport currently operates a maximum of 67 flights every hour when it can handle up to 75 flights an hour. Yet, the airport is unable to add flights during the peak period.

Lost something at airport? Find it online

Bengaluru: Passengers who lose things at Kempegowda International Airport (KIA) can now log onto the airport website to check the lost-and-found section and see items recovered at the airport and claim them. The section went up online last week.
About 30 items, from bags and identity cards to walking sticks and clothing, are left behind by passengers at the airport, said airport authorities. The most commonly forgotten items are wallets and mobile phones.

Zoom Airlines to connect Jabalpur-Kolkata from May 30

ZOOM Airlines is going to start its airlines service connecting Jabalpur to Kolkata from coming May 30 onwards. Besides this, flight from Jabalpur to Pune would be started from August 16 informed Member of Parliament Rakesh Singh. He said that as a result of persistent efforts to strengthen connectivity of city with major centres of the country, routes for Kolkata and Pune have been opened with start of flight for both the cities.

Trujet to extend network to Mumbai, Shirdi

Trujet will now be able to start flights to Mumbai, Shirdi and some more cities. This follows the airline being given the Air Operators' Certificate in the Scheduled Commuter Category.

Incidentally, Trujet's is the first AOC under the SCC, which has been issued by the Directorate-General of Civil Aviation.
To Read the News in Full 17/05/17 Ashwini Phadnis/The Hindu Business Line

Need to make Navi Mumbai airport operational soon: Civil Aviation Minister

Infrastructure constraints and congestion of the only functional runway at the Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport (CSIA) could limit the capacity of the airport to add flights under the Regional Connectivity Scheme (RCS), Civil Aviation Minister P Ashok Gajapathi Raju said Tuesday. He stressed the need for making Navi Mumbai International Airport (NMIA) operational at the earliest. Raju was in Mumbai to inaugurate an AAI building at Vile Parle. In an interaction with reporters, he said a city like Mumbai surely needed a second airport.
“A lot of airlines have shown interest in operating services under RCS — the flagship scheme of the government to connect under-served airports.

Passengers could soon fly direct from Manchester to India, Bangkok and Shanghai

Passengers could be flying direct from Manchester to India, Bangkok and Shanghai in the next two years.
Airport bosses are eyeing up launching services to the Far East, Middle East and the USA if deals can be hammered out.
It follows a booming year for new direct destinations, which have included Houston, Oman and Casablanca.
Thomas Cook has this week launched its route to San Francisco , joining Virgin Atlantic in offering a direct service to the tech hub.

Kerala Tourism signs MoU with SilkAir

Department of Tourism, Government of Kerala has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with SilkAir in the presence of Kadakampalli Surendran, Minister for Tourism, Govt of Kerala. The initiative is to jointly promote tourism to Kerala from priority markets like Australia, New Zealand, China, Korea, Japan and Singapore by conducting roadshows and other special marketing programmes in the selected cities.

Surendran said, “Department of Tourism has been looking for more opportunities to spread words about the legacy of Gods own Country across all the global markets and to further increase the tourist footfall in Kerala in the coming years. I expect the agreement with SilkAir will benefit Kerala Tourism in terms of more tourists from the four significant markets with the help of its wide network and reputation as a quality service provider.”

Plea to restore Haj flights from Karipur

Malappuram: A Haj training camp held at Madin Academy here on Tuesday demanded that Haj embarkation facility be restored at Karipur.
A resolution passed by the pilgrims who attended the camp asked the authorities to bring back Haj embarkation facility to Karipur airport as the airport renovation had already been completed.
The facility was shifted to Nedumbassery when Karipur airport began runway renovation.
The camp raised concern at the attempts by vested interests to destroy Karipur airport.

Coming to Pune airport soon: Five new domestic flights, new parking bays

Pune: Five new flights will soon take off from Pune Airport, which has recently witnessed extensive expansion work at its facilities. According to Ajay Kumar, Pune airport director, GoAir will start a new flight to Bengaluru, and another one to Kolkata, from May 20. Indigo will also start domestic flights to three new domestic destinations, which are still being finalised.

“These flights in the offing would be in addition to the 73 flights that currently operate from the airport,” said Airport Director Ajay Kumar. Air India officials said the carrier is in the process of launching two new flights, including one international flight from Pune, but the final plans are still being chalked out. “Soon, we will start two new flights, one of which will be a domestic flight and another an international one,” said an Air India manager.

‘Reopen HAL airport for local flights’

For those who fancied flying to Mysuru from Bengaluru, but gave up on the idea because they had to spend nearly as much time getting to the airport in Bengaluru, there could be good news. In yet another attempt at restarting commercial operations at the HAL airport, the State government has sought the Centre’s nod to allow short-haul flights within Karnataka from here to facilitate tourism in the State.

Priyank Kharge, Tourism Minister, placed the proposal before the Central Aviation Ministry recently, to give a push to regional connectivity for tourism. There have been no commercial operations at the HAL airport since 2008 and the 700 acre facility is now primarily used for landing VVIP, VIP and chartered flights, and for flight testing.

“At present, it is not feasible for people to fly from the Kempegowda International Airport (KIA) to, say, Mysuru because they can reach the destination by road within three hours and will take a lot of time to get to the KIA,” Mr. Kharge said.

With A Flight In 65 Seconds, Mumbai World's Busiest Single-Runway Airport

Mumbai: The GVK group-run Mumbai airport has become the world's busiest amongst the single-runway facilities by handling 837 flights a day or one in 65 seconds on an average in fiscal 2017, overtaking London's Gatwick airport that had 757 flights a day.

In terms of the number of passengers also, the city airport tops with 45.2 million people flying in and out in fiscal 2017 as against 44 million at Gatwick airport. Notably, no other large city in the world is served by one airport, that too with a single-runway. Besides, illegal squatters occupy nearly one-third of the airport land.

The second airport proposed in Navi Mumbai is yet to come up. 


All the leading cities like New York, London, Dubai, and Singapore have more than one airports with multiple runways. The New Delhi airport has three parallel runways in use at any given time.

As against this, Mumbai has to make do with a single runway (09/27) for all passenger and cargo aircraft and when it is shut for repairs, it uses the secondary runway (1432).

Air India to get National Bravery Award for taking a step

Air India, the perfect Indian airlines which strictly adheres to the Indian Standard Time of “Bas paanch minute aur” and the retirement option for budding air-hostesses, has been given the chance to add another feather to it’s cap. The UNESCO best government has now decided to award it the national bravery award along with several others on 26th January, 2018. The announcement came in this early so that Air India could finally make somewhere on time.

The announcement came as a result of Air India suspending MLA Ravindra Gaikwad for a grand total of 2 weeks and managed to uphold it despite Ravindra Bhau using different pseudonyms such as COol_DuDe_R_Gaikward to book his air tickets on the same.

Air India plans northeast expansion, to inject more flights

New Delhi: The Air India plans to expand its network in the northeast as it seeks to tap into passenger demand following government's push for regional connectivity.

Air India's Chairman and Managing Director Ashwani Lohani will visit three north-eastern states next month to review operations in the region.

"We are focused on increasing connectivity to the northeast by injecting more flights of our Airbus and Turboprop aircraft," Lohani said.

Delhi-Tel Aviv flight put on hold for now

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ambitious diplomatic outreach towards India’s new found strategic partner Israel by starting a direct Air India flight to Tel Aviv from New Delhi is facing trouble due to viability of the route.

Air India had planned a non-stop flight to Tel Aviv three times a week starting mid-May, with inaugural flight initially planned for May 16, connecting Tel Aviv with New Delhi ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Israel later this year.

Modi in Sri Lanka: Direct Air India flight to now connect Colombo, Varanasi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi today announced that India's flag carrier Air India would begin direct flights between Colombo and the holy city of Varanasi from August.

Modi, who is on a two-day visit to Sri Lanka, made the announcement of the beginning of the flights during his address at the inauguration of the International Vesak Day, the biggest festival of Buddhists.

He said the flights will allow "my Tamil brothers and sisters" to visit Varanasi, the land of Kashi Viswanath.

From regional to long-haul, Indian low-cost carriers spread wings

NEW DELHI: Fourteen years after Air Deccan started the era of budget flying in India, low-cost carriers (LCC) here are finally coming of age and preparing to straddle the entire space — from short regional flights on turboprops to long hauls using wide body planes.
This tectonic shift comes with India's largest airline by domestic market share, LCC IndiGo, declaring it will have turboprops in its fleet for regional flying. And, SpiceJet — which already has turboprops — saying it is looking at medium to long haul budget flights on wide-body planes.
"The LCCs are open to changing their old business models. IndiGo, which till recently maintained it would have a single aircraft fleet of Airbus A-320s, is inducting ATRs. And Spice-Jet, which had both turboprops and Boeing 737, is working out the math for having wide body Dreamliners in its fleet," said a top aviation ministry source with whom airlines have held these discussions.
The top ministry source said apart from SpiceJet, some other LCCs are also examining medium to long haul flights.

India's SpiceJet weighs long-haul options

SpiceJet(SG, Delhi Int'l) is still doing the maths as it considers whether or not to enter the long-haul market with widebody aircraft. Speaking with Aviation Daily, Chief Financial Officer Kiran Koteshwar said that the low-cost carrier was "working on the economics".

In January of this year, The Times of India reported that SpiceJet had optioned B787s as part of its latest order with Boeing (BOE, Chicago O'Hare) for 100 B737 MAXs.

Back then, SpiceJet Chairman Ajay Singh thought the market looked promising. "We are evaluating the low cost long haul model for which an optional order for wide body planes has been placed.

Now, Mumbai world's busiest airport with only one runway

A few weeks ago, Mumbai airport quietly overtook London's Gatwick to become the world's busiest airport that operates with a single runway.
For the airport operator and Mumbai air traffic control, it's an achievement. They now handle one of the most difficult jobs in the world, as every 65 seconds an aircraft either takes off from or touches down at the Mumbai airport.
For the government, though, it would be a matter of shame as no other major city in the world is serviced by a lone airport that has a single operational runway. The main airports of most major cities such as Delhi, Dubai, Singapore, Sydney, London and New York handle aircraft with at least two parallel runways in use.
All passenger and cargo aircraft operate from a single runway — either the main runway (0927) or, when it's shut for repairs, the secondary one (1432).

Trying hard to allow in-flight calls, WiFi service: Aviation Ministry

The Civil Aviation Ministry is pushing "very very" hard to introduce wi-fi facility on board flights, a senior official said amid the proposal hanging fire for a long time.

Air passengers would be able to use Internet and even make phone calls from flights once the proposal gets green signal.

Worldwide, many airlines are already offering wi-fi for passengers but they have to switch off the facility once they enter the Indian airspace.


While the Ministry has been pitching for the facility, certain issues, including those pertaining to security, have been delaying a final decision on the matter.

SriLankan Airline flights to make four trips a week from Visakhapatnam airport

VISAKHAPATNAM: The much anticipated SriLankan Airlines which will kickstart its services from Visakhapatnam to Colombo from July 8, would operate four times a week-on Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays, said members of Tours and Travels Association.

Addressing the newsmen here on Thursday, the members said that the flight would take off from Colombo at 7.10 am on the scheduled days and land in Vizag airport at 9.10 am.
It would again take off from Visakhapatnam at 10.10 am and land in the Sri Lanka capital at 12.15 am.
To Read the News in Full 12/05/17 The New Indian Express

Ground handling agencies may be barred from airports belonging to forces

The government plans to bar ground handling agencies that are majority-owned by foreign entities from operating at civil enclaves or airports belonging to the armed forces.

The proposal is part of the detailed set of draft regulations for ground handling services issued by the Civil Aviation Ministry.

Besides, the ministry has proposed barring foreign airlines from carrying out "self-handling" at any domestic airport.

The ministry has come out with the draft norms in accordance with the National Civil Aviation Policy (NCAP).

"A ground handling agency, with foreign ownership of more than 50 per cent of its paid-up capital shall not be allowed to undertake ground handling activities at civil enclaves," as per the draft regulations.

Agartala Airport modernisation project likely to begin in June

The facelift of Agartala Airport will begin next month, according to highly placed sources.
The tender process has already been completed with a South India-based construction giant emerging as the lowest bidder at Rs 438 crore.

“We are putting our best efforts to begin the work by next month itself. Once the work gets underway, the project is supposed to be completed in 36 months”, said an Airports Authority of India (AAI) official on condition of anonymity.

Centre has already sanctioned Rs 438 crore way back in 2015 but the modernisation work of the Airport could not be taken up due to various reasons.

Now, the required land has been handed over to AAI to undertake the project.
To Read the News in Full 11/05/17 The Assam Tribune

An Airport in Your Pocket

Kempegowda International Airport, Bengaluru or the BLR Airport is one of India’s fastest growing airports, operating about 500 flights a day and handling over 22 million passengers a year. The third busiest airport of India was finding it challenging to manage their increasing traffic, and therefore decided to embark on a digital journey to address the same.

Digital transformation of an airport is really interesting because an airport authority has to manage collaboration between multiple and highly demanding stakeholders. It’s like a landlord managing multiple tenants—aircraft, security, immigration, parking, retailers, just to name a few. Seamless collaboration between these ‘tenants’ is required to achieve the ultimate objective of ensuring a smooth and hassle-free journey for the passengers.

Vistara dials British Airways for partnership ahead of overseas launch

Vistara is looking to grow its commercial ties with British Airways (BA) as it prepares to launch overseas flights next year.

Enhanced co-operation will help Vistara in securing passengers and brand recognition in the United Kingdom, which it hopes to connect as a part of its international network strategy. The tie up will enable BA to grow its share in the Indian market.

Government regulations do not allow Vistara to operate international service until it has a minimum 20 aircraft in its fleet. At present, the airline has 13 Airbus A320 aircraft and, according to consultancy CAPA, it is set to order 100 planes, including 50 wide body Boeing 777x.

Sources said that Vistara and BA are discussing code shares and frequent flyer programme co-operation. Vistara Chief Executive Officer Phee Teik Yeoh is expected to meet the senior management of BA over the next few days to discuss the partnership.

A code share with BA will be Vistara's second such commercial agreement. Vistara already has a code share pact with Singapore Airlines, its co-promoter.

Air India to launch Boeing 777 flights on Delhi-Chennai

Air India has said that they will operate bigger Boeing 777 aircraft between Delhi and Chennai sector starting today to clear the summer rush during the holiday months.

“From today, our evening flight between Delhi and Chennai would be operated by a 300-seater Boeing 777. The flight will leave for Chennai in the evening and return to Delhi late in the night. We hope to fill our planes due to the summer travel rush that starts now,” said a senior Air India official, who did not want to be identified.

With slots becoming a constraint at Indian airports, Indian carriers are launching bigger aircraft to carry more number of passengers per flight.
To Read the News in Full 08/05/17 Defence Aviation Post

Indian Aviation Market Third Fastest Growing After Russia, China

NEW DELHI (Sputnik) — China's domestic aviation market grew by 15.1% in comparison to Russia's 14.8% and India's 14.6%, the International Air Transport Association (IATA) said in its report.
The Chinese growth is an indication of the reversing economy growth.
"The solid upward trend in traffic is underpinned by ongoing robust growth in the country's services sector, as well as supply developments," report added.
The Indian aviation market grew at its slowest pace since September 2015.

International flights from Tier 2 cities fuel outbound numbers

The increase in international flight operations from airports in Tier 2 cities like Lucknow, Ahmedabad, Amritsar, Kochi has fuelled the demand for outbound travel. According to a study conducted by Cox & Kings, the number of passengers travelling overseas for leisure travel from these cities has doubled in the last one year and this is expected to grow, as it gets more convenient to travel to international hubs such as Dubai, Singapore, Kuala Lumpur etc.,

The growth generated from these Tier 2 cities stands at between 25 to 30 percent and these are catered by full-service carriers such as Emirates, Etihad and also LCCs such as Tiger Air, Silk Air and Thai Smile. The advent of LCCs from these airports has also brought down the fares quite significantly.

Cial to launch mall-like facility for visitors

The Cial will be introducing new visitors' area for arrivals and departures at their latest terminal, which will allow people accompanying passengers flying via the airport to relax indoors.
The visitors will have access to refreshment stores and a full-fledged food court from the air-conditioned facility. The two separate facilities at arrival and departure areas on two floors would be connected via an elevator.
The area will also have a business centre and stores that sells handicrafts, books, fashion and condiments.
"The crowd we are looking for are people who accompany passengers to and from the airport. The visitors' area intends to provide them with a facility where they wait comfortably for the friends and family.

Vistara now has self-service kiosks at Delhi, Mumbai airports

Full-service carrier Vistara on Tueday launched self-service kiosks at Delhi and Mumbai airports to enable passengers to check in on their own.

The service would be launched at 17 other airports by the end of June, the airline said in a release.

The facility would allow customers to check in, select seats and print their boarding passes for their flights without queueing up at check-in desks, the release said.
To Read the News in Full 09/05/17 PTI/Business Standard

SpiceJet eyes Rs 25,000 return fare to Western Europe on its proposed budget long haul flights

NEW DELHI: Flying to western Europe for a summer break may not remain just a dream if SpiceJet's plans for medium to long haul international flights work out. The low cost carrier (LCC) is currently working out the economies of this model and says return fares could be about Rs 25,000 to places like London, Paris and Amsterdam in all-economy seating wide body aircraft. Return fares on these sectors is mostly upwards of Rs 40,000 on full service Indian and foreign airlines, especially in peak travel seasons.
This January SpiceJet had placed an order for up to 205 Boeing aircraft — 155 B-737 and an optional order for 50 more that was a mix of wide and narrow body planes. "We are evaluating the low cost long haul model for which an optional order for wide body planes has been placed. There is a good market for this segment in India if a good product is offered at the right price.

Karnataka government flies into airlines diplomacy to attract more footfall

BENGALURU: The Karnataka government has decided to intercede in the state's airlines business by asking more countries to operate direct flights to Bengaluru.
In an effort to up the ante to attract more business, be it in tourism or information technology sector, the government has taken the diplomacy route by approaching local consulates and is trying to lobby for a direct flight to the nation's IT-BT capital.
"We have approached a few consulates located in Bengaluru to try and lobby for direct flights from other countries to the city. With the Kempegowda International Airport (KIA) being the third busiest airport in the country, we expect diplomatic efforts from our end to increase footfall to the state," said tourism and IT-BT minister Priyank Kharge.
According to the minister, the state has already approached few nations like Australia, Israel and Japan which have consulates in the city for the purpose of pushing their national carriers and private airlines to operate direct routes.

Georgia to connect six Indian cities with flights

Georgia will soon launch flights to six Indian cities soon, the Caucasian region country's Ambassador to India Archil Dzuliashvili said here on Tuesday.

"The government of Georgia has signed an air service agreement with India's Ministry of Civil Aviation for this. Soon we will meet Indian airline companies to launch flights between the two countries," Dzuliashvili said at a meeting of World Trade Centre and All India Association of Industries.


Planning to expand economic relations, both nations are conducting a feasibility study to sign a Free Trade Agreement, he said.

"The report of the study would be ready in six months. We would launch formal negotiations for the agreement. Georgia already has an FTA with European Union and initiated talks on FTAs with US and Canada," the envoy added.

Air India to Debut in Kenya, Add More Destinations in US, Europe

Air India has stepped up its international expansion plans to the US, Europe and will debut in Kenya this year, a top executive has said.

"To Washington from 7th July, Stockholm from 15th August and Los Angeles from 1st September. Air India spreads its wings far and wide," Air India chairman Ashwani Lohani said in a Facebook post on Tuesday morning. This will be followed by Tel Aviv in Israel, Dallas in the US and Nairobi in Kenya sometime later in 2017 itself, he said.
To Read the News in Full 09/05/17 Tarun Shukla/Aviation Pros

SpiceJet launches direct flight service between Kolkata and Surat

SpiceJet ​– ​one of ​India’s budget airline​s announced ​on Tuesday the launch of daily direct flight service connecting the cities of Kolkata and Surat. Flights are now open for sale on all direct and indirect channels​.

​A statement from ​SpiceJet ​said it ​is the first airline to offer direct flights on the route, which will be effective from 1st July, 2017. Tickets for sale are now open.

SpiceJet’s Boeing 737 aircraft – SG 876, operating on the Patna – Kolkata – Surat route, will depart from Kolkata for Surat at 10.50 AM. The schedule will be operational for the period 1st July 2017 to 31st August 2017. Starting 1st September 2017, the same aircraft will start from Kolkata at 10.20 AM. The flight from Surat – SG 877, will take off from the city at 2.15 PM.

1948 made Dakota aircraft to arrive in India soon

Rajya Sabha MP Rajeev Chandrasekhar’s offer to the Union Government to hand over the 1948 made Douglas DC3 ‘Dakota’ Aircraft to the Indian Air Force (IAF) that will arrive in India shortly, is now getting all the mandatory clearances.
Speaking to IANS, the businessman-turned-lawmaker said the aircraft was currently in London.
“Since it is a long haul flight and has to fly over 11 countries, one has to get sanction from all these countries, for which we have applied for. I expect the aircraft to arrive in the country in the coming months and wish to officially hand it over on Vijay Diwas,” Chandrasekhar said.
To Read the News in Full 09/05/17 Indian Express

Etihad increases frequency between Kozhikode and Abu Dhabi

Etihad Airways has launched a fourth daily non-stop service between Kozhikode and its Abu Dhabi hub. The extra capacity takes to 63 the total number of weekly services between Abu Dhabi and its three Kerala gateways of Kochi, Kozhikode and Thiruvananthapuram. Kerala’s international appeal as a travel destination, famed for ayurvedic treatments and the world-renowned backwaters, has elevated it into one of India’s top tourist destinations. It has been a core part of Etihad Airways’ Indian operations over the past decade and a global network that now spans cities across all continents. Key destinations for travellers from Kerala include Abu Dhabi, the Gulf region, London, New York and Chicago.

Air India To Fly To Los Angeles, Stockholm, Nairobi This Year

New Delhi: National carrier Air India will launch flights to three new destinations in the US as well as to Stockholm, Nairobi and Tel Aviv this year, its chief Ashwani Lohani said today.

Making it the fifth non-stop destination in the United States, a direct service would start to Washington from July 7, followed by a flight to Los Angeles from September 1 and then to Dallas.

Tiruchi-Kuala Lumpur sector is flying high

Kuala Lumpur has emerged as the most sought-after overseas destination from Tiruchi with the addition of one more daily flight service to the Malaysian capital.

Low-cost carrier Air Asia introduced its fourth service in the Tiruchi– Kuala Lumpur–Tiruchi sector on April 26, taking the total number of daily services to seven. Malindo Air operates three flights a day in the same sector.

Air Asia’s latest night service arrives in Tiruchi at 9.45 p.m. and departs at 10.30 p.m. The overseas airliner is operating its signature Airbus A-320 flight with 180 seats and the response has been good.

“The flight is running with packed capacity every day since its launch,” said an airline official.

Here's how you can deal with air travel anxiety

The last decade has seen tremendous growth in the aviation sector with more people flying than ever before. With the onset of this revolution, air travel has become the primary mode of transport for the common man for both leisure and business.

But this also makes flying a lot more complicated - with crowded airports and increasing safety and security concerns. The airport can be an intimidating space for first time fliers and even, at times, seasoned travellers.

Here are some tips by Rishabh Beria, Managing Director, Janus Aviation and Co-founder, AirWhizz, to help ease your airport experience and overcome your travel anxiety.

1. Be Well Informed

Having all the relevant information regarding your flight and your origin and destination airports can save precious time. Keep track of flight status, know your airline's policies, and acquaint yourself with your origin and destination airports.

This simple data can help you go through airport procedures smoothly and help avoid any confusion prior to or post your flight.

Shirdi set to start as dawn-to-dusk airport, night landing facility to begin in 5 months

The Maharashtra Airport Development Company Limited (MADC) has drawn up plans for the second phase of the Shirdi International Airport.
The plans include an additional state-of-the-art terminal building, besides other facilities.
Final touches are being given to the Shirdi International Airport before it becomes operational.
During a tour of the airport, a senior official of the MADC said that for now, the airport will be a 'dawn-to-dusk' facility and night landing facility will start within the next five months.
"The second phase of the project will be completed by the end of next year, if everything goes fine. Only some work related to electricity remains, which will be completed by this weekend. The work on creating night landing facility has been started and we plan to complete it within five months," the official said.
Around 60,000 pilgrims visit Shirdi every day and the officials plan to tap at least 10% of them. "We are expecting good passenger load from the south and from Delhi.

Hyderabad airport to emerge as hub for south, central India

Hyderabad: In the tenth year of its operation, the Rajiv Gandhi International Airport (RGIA) at Hyderabad has drawn up ambitious plans to emerge as the hub airport for entire south and central India.

GMR Hyderabad International Airport (GHIAL), which developed the country’s first greenfield airport under the public-private partnership model, sees the RGIA as gateway airport to a vast region stretching into northern Karnataka, south eastern Maharashtra, Chattisgarh, Odisha and Andhra Pradesh.

Flying on the right track

With the Ministry of Civil Aviation and the Ministry of Railways sparring over passenger fares, it seems Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu and Civil Aviation Minister Ashok Gajapathi Raju have decided to smoke the pipe of peace and work in coordination. Both Cabinet ministers have decided to chart out a strategy for providing a compatible transport solution to passengers by offering air-cum-rail connectivity under the civil aviation ministry’s recent regional connectivity scheme Udan.

The plan is to offer a comprehensive travel solution whereby passengers booking flight tickets under the Udan scheme also get the option of rail connectivity to their nearest station. Udan: Ude Desh Ka Aam Naagrik was launched last week by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

PSUs may take their business to Air India

New Delhi: At least five public sector undertakings have indicated to Air India that they are willing to take their business to the national carrier.

The Container Corporation of India, NTPC, GAIL, IOC and the India Trade Promotion Organisation have expressed their willingness to transfer their international and domestic bookings to Air India.

This is in response to an appeal by Ashwani Lohani, Chairman and Managing Director, Air India, who had sent personalised letters to the chiefs of various PSUs, outlining various schemes of the airline and advertising its position as the only Indian carrier to be part of the Star Alliance, the largest global airline network.

Explore airport solar power market expects growing climate change awareness to boost future demand

Frequently, air transport is related with high-vitality utilization and outflow of nursery gasses from airplane. By the by, airplane terminals additionally add to a lot of carbon dioxide emanations. In this manner, air terminals have looked for interchange means, for example, appropriation of sustainable power source advances to decrease the discharge levels. The most normally utilized sustainable power source is solar power as different sources like wind require the development of windmills, which is costly and risky for flights amid landing and departures. This is where the Airport Solar Power Market comes into the picture.

Passenger Traffic at Chandigarh International Airport Increased by 20% | Becomes Fastest Growing Airport

Gradually, Chandigarh International Airport has started to attract a great number of passengers. The airport of Chandigarh has observed an increase of 20% in the passenger traffic in the year 2016- 17. With the increasing connectivity from the Chandigarh International Airport, the place has also seen the increase in its travellers.

Near collision of Vistara, Jet planes, ministry launches probe

The Ministry of Civil Aviation has launched a probe into what could have been a major accident in the Delhi skies when the distance between two aircraft was reduced to just 400 feet.
On April 21, the Jet Airways flight 9W 597 was scheduled to land at Indira Gandhi International Airport here but it decided to abort the landing.
As a result, the distance between it and the Vistara flight UK 811, which had been okayed for take-off, reduced to less than required, triggering a warning in the cockpits of the aircraft to maintain a safe distance.
There were 148 passengers on-board the Vistara Airbus A320 aircraft, which was bound for Bengaluru, while Jet Airways Boeing 737 was coming here from Muscat with 174 people on board, a source said.
The incident is being investigated by the Civil Aviation Ministry's apex probe body -- Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB), the source said.

AI’s Tel Aviv service delayed by denial of overflight rights

New Delhi: Air India has delayed the launch of its direct flight between New Delhi and Tel Aviv as several countries, including some in West Asia, have denied it overflight permission.

The airline had planned to launch the flight this month in the run-up to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Israel, expected in July. It will be the first visit to Israel by an Indian Prime Minister.

Multiple officials confirmed to BusinessLine that the launch of the direct service has been delayed as the United Arab Emirates, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Afghanistan, among others, have declined permission for the state-owned carrier to overfly their air space en route to Israel.

Miles to go before you fly high

Many airlines have come up with lucrative options to lure customers through their Frequent Flyer Program (FFP). By allotting airline miles, they are offering freebies and a chance to travel free by redeeming these miles. Should you take the bait?

For starters, airline miles are basically loyalty programmes, wherein an airline traveller accumulates certain amount of miles based on the distance travelled or the money spent on the air ticket. It is similar to shopping with a credit card, where you get points on purchases, and after accumulating minimum points, you can redeem them.

However, the miles credited to your account vary with the airline and their method of calculation. Take Vistara Airlines, for instance, where the air miles are calculated based on the ticket price (exclusive of taxes and other charges) and cabin class rather than the miles travelled.

Bengaluru: Security-check at airport will now take only 25 seconds

According to reports, Bengaluru's Kempegowda International Airport (KIA) is India's first airport to have introduced the Automated Tray Retrieval System (ATRS).

KIA's spokesperson said using ATRS will enable 4 trays to be pushed into the scanner at the same time.
To Read the News in Full 05/05/17 Mansi Motwani/NewsBytes

Odisha to demand Centre for enlisting Tushara airstrip under UDAN scheme

Odisha will soon raise its voice before the Centre to enlist Tushara airstrip in Jharsuguda in the UDAN Scheme led by the Union Government.

Opposition leader Narasingha mishra and Jharsuguda Legislator Naba Kishore Das have written to the State Government’s General Administration department seeking Centre for including it under the scheme.

International cargo hub at airport by month-end

International cargo operation from the Pune airport is likely to take off by the month end, airport officials have said.
Sources in the customs at the airport told TOI that the clearance and notification from the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS) for starting the export of international cargo from the airport was expected soon.
"As far as the domestic cargo or freight movement is concerned, it is handled by the officials of the Airports Authority of India (AAI). International cargo operation will be handled by the customs and we are expecting clearance from BCAS by month end or early next month," an official told TOI.
If one looks at the figures released by AAI, the airport has scored well in terms of domestic freight movement. The figures of February and January this year fare well when compared with the figures of January, February and March last year.

SpiceJet Starts Flights To Patna From Bangalore, Hyderabad, Mumbai & Kolkata

SpiceJet, the airline that offers one of the most cost-effective set of fares in India, said it was starting daily flights to Patna from several cities in India, including Mumbai, Hyderabad, Bangalore and Kolkata.

On Tuesday, the Bangalore flight will be replaced by a Chennai-Patna service.

“We are extremely proud to induct Patna, an emerging hub, owing to its rich cultural heritage and attractive catchment area catering to the interests of both tourist and business travellers.

Govt. to appoint pvt. agencies to hire aircraft for VVIPs

The State government has decided to appoint two private aviation companies to assist it in hiring aircraft. The decision came after a Government Resolution issued by the General Administration Department (GAD) cited non-availability of government aircraft for urgent travel by VVIPs and the need to hire small aircraft or helicopters.

The hourly rates for hiring six- to 15-seater aircraft and five- to 10-seater helicopters quoted in the GR ranges between Rs. 99,999 per hour for Super King Air B200 planes and Rs. 1,78,500 per hour for an Agusta 109E helicopter. The GAD said a public e-tender has been called for hiring private sector aviation agencies.It also said an Empowered Committee headed by Chief Secretary had debated during a meeting on March 14 on the need for a private aviation agency.
To Read the News in Full 06/05/17 PTI/The Hindu

Airport security bill could raise flight fares soon

Fliers may soon have to pay higher air fares as the government is mulling increasing the passenger service fee to ensure better security and facilitation charges at airports.
A high-level meeting, attended by the Union Ministers of State for Home and Civil Aviation, Kiren Rijiju and Jayant Sinha, respectively, and National Security Advisor Ajit Doval, had asked the ministry of civil aviation to find out ways to recover the cost of security arrangements at airports.
The home ministry had also been told to find out what would be the total annual cost of providing security at the 143 functional airports in the country, a government functionary said.

Aviation sector soars to new heights under Jayant Sinha

When Minister of State for Finance Jayant Sinha was transferred to the Civil Aviation Ministry around 10 months ago, it was considered a "demotion", but industry insiders say Sinha has converted the "punishment posting" into an excellent opportunity by taking the aviation sector to new heights.

Sinha studied in IIT and Harvard, contested elections, had a brief stint in the Finance Ministry and wherever he went, success followed him. The former investment banker gained a reputation of being a quick learner in the Finance Ministry, but then came his sudden transfer to the Aviation Ministry. Like Smriti Irani's transfer from the prestigious Education Ministry to the Textile Ministry, Sinha's exit from the Finance Ministry to civil aviation was also viewed as a demotion.

Vistara plans to introduce signature drink for passengers

New Delhi:  Full service airline Vistara plans to introduce a "signature drink" and rework its menu choices for passengers onboard.
Vistara, which took to the Indian cities more than two years ago, is gathering details about its menus since inception before it decides on the changes.
The airline serves an average of 200 different kinds of meals on its network, covering breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks, according to an official.

Bengaluru’s Airport Becomes The First To Introduce Automatic Tray Retrieving SystemAirports May 2017, New May 2017

Now, passengers who were about to travel to any place through Bengaluru‘s Kempegowda International Airport (KIA) will have a shorter wait time for security check-ins. The KIA which restarted its 24-hour operations from Monday is the first airport in the country to introduce Automatic Tray Retrieval System (ATRS).

“Using the ATRS, four trays can be pushed into the scanner at a time,” the airport’s spokesperson was quoted addressing a national media channel.

More CISF personnel for Patna airport security soonAirports May 2017

Patna:  The security cover at Jayaprakash Narayan International Airport in the city would be enhanced in the coming days.
According to sources, around 200 Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) personnel are manning the airport terminal building. However, more security personnel are required for proper checking of baggage and passengers as more x-ray baggage scanners would be installed by the Airports Authority of India (AAI) soon. The airport is likely to get 75 additional CISF personnel for strengthening the security cover.

Noise-mapping at every airport to check noise pollution

Taking serious note of noise pollution from aircraft during its take off and landing and also during its movements at airports, the National Physical Laboratory of the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) has decided to assist the Delhi International Airport Ltd (DIAL) and the Airport Authority of India for 'noise mapping' of all airports across the country and suggest suitable mitigation measures to minimize its impact.
Noise-mapping is a scientific method to understand existing and projected noise levels in a particular area. The mapping, usually done by calculating noise levels in different scenario, help in making action plan for mitigation measures.
The seriousness of the issue was discussed during a workshop on noise pollution at the National Physical Laboratory (NPL) last week where the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) and the DIAL requested the Laboratory to conduct training programs for noise measurements for their staff and assist them for 'noise mapping'.

Vistara may place order for around 100 aircraft by June: CAPA

Domestic full service airline Vistara is likely to place order for around 100 aircraft, including 50 wide-body planes by the end of the current quarter, according to an industry report.
The Centre for Asia Pacific (CAPA), the Sydney-based aviation think-tank, in its report titled "Global Fleet and Financing Review 2017," also said that the airline is likely to opt for Boeing 777X for long haul operations.
Vistara is a joint venture, in which Tata Sons owns 51 per cent stake and the rest is with Singapore Airlines.
"Vistara is expected to be the next carrier to place a major order, of up to 100 aircraft before June, 2017, comprised of 50 narrow-bodies and 50 wide-bodies," CAPA said in its report today.
This assumes significance in the backdrop of Vistara mulling launching international operations from mid 2018.