NAPA appeals for direct flight between Amritsar, California

Jalandhar: The North American Punjabi Association (NAPA) has made an appeal to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi for introducing direct flights between San Francisco and Amritsar ahead of their scheduled California visit at the end of this month.

Tiruchi airport gets enhanced surveillance system

Air surveillance capability of Tiruchi International Airport has been enhanced with the inauguration of the satellite-based Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) system.

Tiruchi has become one among the 21 airports in the country to have in place the advanced ADS-B surveillance tool aimed at improving operational efficiency and safety.

Kingfisher Airlines comes under SFIO probe for fund diversions

New Delhi: In fresh troubles for Vijay Mallya -led UB Group, the Serious Fraud Investigation Office (SFIO) is probing alleged fund diversions by the long-grounded Kingfisher Airlines to other group firms and has sought details from United Spirits .
Once a flagship firm of Mallya group, United Spirits Ltd (USL) is now controlled by British liquor giant Diageo. In a BSE filing, United Spirits confirmed that the SFIO has sought information from the company about alleged fund diversions by Kingfisher Airlines.

Better infrastructure sought for airport

Tuticorin: Priority should be accorded with allocation of more funds to expand and modernise Tuticorin airport with adequate infrastructure. Currently, Tuticorin airport could accommodate only smaller aircraft and more infrastructure was required to attract big aircraft services to international destinations, said J. Jeyasingh Thiyagaraj Natterjee, Tuticorin MP, at the Airport Advisory Committee meeting here on Monday.

25 people from Gujarat stranded at Abu Dhabi airport

Ahmedabad:  As many as 25 Los Angeles-bound passengers from Ahmedabad were stranded at Abu Dhabi airport on Wednesday for several hours due to an alleged goof-up by two private airlines in their bookings.

The passengers had left from Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International airport at 5 am by Jet Airways flight for Abu Dhabi on Wednesday.

Marks & Spencer to open at Mumbai's T2 airport

British retailer Marks & Spencer (M&S) is soon going to open its 50th store in India. The company, which has been opening around 10 stores every year, opens its new store at Mumbai's T2 airport.

NRI 'doc' held at Delhi airport for cheating college of Rs 50L

Bengaluru: A Non-Resident Indian (NRI), who is said to have pocketed Rs 50 lakh from a Bengaluru college by falsely promising to provide learning aids at throwaway prices, has been arrested by the CCB sleuths at the Indira Gandhi International Airport in New Delhi.

New kennel for squad dogs at airport

A new kennel has been commissioned for the six dogs in the security squad at Cochin International Airport. The 6,500 sq. ft. kennel was built at a cost of Rs. 1.10 crore and was inaugurated by CIAL managing director V. J. Kurien.

Dubai Airport baggage handler cleared of stealing candy from passenger’s bag

Dubai: A Dubai Airport baggage handler who was accused of stealing a piece of candy worth Dh2 from a passenger’s luggage has been found not guilty.
The Dubai Criminal Court acquitted PJ, 25, from India, of a charge of theft, which he denied when he appeared in court earlier this month.

AirAsia India Comes Up With Discount Offer Again

As an airfare war intensifies among the players in the Indian skies, AirAsia India has come up with a promotional scheme offering festive season fares starting from Rs 1,090.

Bookings under the AirAsia offer - valid on travel till February 29, 2016 - can be made till September 20, 2015. The airline is offering an all-inclusive fare of Rs 1,090 - the lowest under the scheme -for journey between Imphal and Guwahati.

Jet Airways offers discount on Tuesday travel

New Delhi: Jet Airways has announced 15 per cent discount on base fare in economy class on select flights.
There's a catch though. The discount will be available only on Tuesdays.

Put an end to fire sales if you want lower airfares: captains of Indian airlines

New Delhi: Captains of India's airline industry are expected to register their discomfort at predatory prices in a meeting slated with top officials of the Ministry of Civil Aviation on Tuesday. Yes, you read that right. Instead of ministry officials reading them the riot act on high air fares, the chiefs of some airlines may turn the tables by requesting the government to put an end to what are commonly known as "One Rupee" fares.
Speaking on condition of anonymity, the chief of an LCC told CNBC-TV18 that if the government wants air fares to not jump manifold when tickets are booked at the last minute and also during festivals etc., it must first control the tendency of some airlines to do fire sales and selling inventory below cost. He said this breeds unhealthy pricing practices, puts airlines' cost-yield equation in peril and forces them to then jack up last minute fares.

Govt Open To Idea Of Air India Disinvestment: Minister

If there is a proposal to revive Air India by way of disinvestment or having a partner, the government would explore it, Union Minister of State for Civil Aviation Dr Mahesh Sharma tells BW Businessworld's Suman K. Jha   The Narendra Modi government is open to the idea of disinvestment of Air India. This significant observation was made by Union Minister of State for Civil Aviation Dr Mahesh Sharma in an exclusive interview with BW Businessworld.

Indigo's obsession with 'low-cost' has paid off well

With fuel costs expected to fall further and IndiGo’s cost structure leaner than rivals, the airline is expected to post an improved operational performance for FY16. The airline, India’s largest aviation company by market share, ended FY15 with revenues of Rs 13,925 crore and a net profit of Rs 1,300 crore.
While Jet Airways and SpiceJet, which posted losses in FY15, have turned the corner in the quarter ended June, their combined net profit for FY16 is expected to be less than half of IndiGo’s FY15 net profit. While IndiGo has grown faster than peers due to higher passenger load factor (PLF), market share gains, and domestic network expansion, falling fuel costs will continue to be the biggest trigger. PLF tells how much an airline's passenger-carrying capacity is used.

IndiGo's Rs 2,500-crore IPO gets Sebi nod

New Delhi: Low cost airline IndiGo's parent firm InterGlobe Aviation has received approval from market regulator Sebi for its Rs 2,500 crore initial public offer.

Under the offer, the company plans to issue fresh shares worth Rs 1,272 crore. An equivalent amount can be raised through sale of up to 3.01 crore shares by its existing shareholders.

Vistara has high hopes of expansion in UAE

India’s youngest airline Vistara hopes its tie-up with Sharaf Travel will boost domestic ticket sales in the GCC and eventually lead to a route to the UAE.

The Dubai company will sell tickets for the airline in the UAE, Oman, Qatar, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia and Kuwait, it announced last month.

The full-service carrier is also eyeing expansion abroad, with the UAE high on its wish list. But that would require a relaxation of existing rules which require that Indian carriers must complete five years of service before they can fly on international routes and have at least 20 aircraft.

New civil aviation policy in advanced stage: Minister

Coimbatore: The proposed new civil aviation policy was under advanced stage of preparation and the draft would be placed in the public domain for eliciting opinions, Civil Aviation Minister Ashok Gajapathi Raju Pusapati said today.
The ministry would place the draft on the internet and seek suggestions and opinions from the public. Thereafter, the policy would be finalised in 15-20 days, he told reporters at the airport here.
To a question about introducing more international flights, particularly to Coimbatore, Raju said several countries had signed bilateral agreements, but not operated any flights.
His ministry would try to negotiate and execute the agreements.

Robert Vadra to ‘erase’ name from all no-frisk lists

New Delhi: With the NDA deciding to uphold UPA's decision of having Robert Vadra on no-frisking list at airport, the Congress president Sonia Gandhi's controversial son-in-law now plans to remove his name on his own. 

"Plans to visit every terminal in the airports in India and add a white tape on my name from the VVIP list and my signature on top !! So look out," Vadra said in a Facebook post Monday.

The aviation ministry -- whose indecisiveness led to constant flip flops on Vadra remaining on that list or not -- reacted furiously to the businessman's Facebook post. "Why is he politicizing the issue by writing on Facebook? He should write to me or the home minister and we will have his name removed in no time," Union minister of state for aviation minister Mahesh Sharma -- who singlehandedly runs the show as the cabinet minister Ashok Gajapathi Raju has taken a back seat -- told TOI. 

US airports will now treat 2,000 Indians as VVIPS

New Delhi: Remember how former president APJ Abdul Kalam and film star Shah Rukh Khan were subjected to embarrassing pat-down searches while travelling to the US? Well, the harrowing experience of going through stringent security drills at US airports will soon become a thing of the past for a select group of Indian celebrities and important personalities.
The Indian government will come up with a list of nearly 2,000 important personalities who will be allowed hassle-free immigration at US airports. Sources said the first batch of people that will be given the facility includes former President Pratibha Patil, former prime minister Manmohan Singh, industrialists Mukesh Ambani and Gautam Adani and film stars Amitabh Bachchan and Shah Rukh Khan. Their names came up when officials of two countries met in New Delhi last month to discuss the modalities of the system that will make India a part of US global entry programme that ensures smooth entry in the country, bypassing long immigration queues and waiting for hours during security checks.

After 2-year wait, Shimla to get air connectivity in October

Shimla:  Come October, and flight services for Shimla will resume after a two-year break, as the Airports Authority of India (AAI) has completed most of the work on runway. At present, Shimla is the only state capital in India without air connectivity.

Jet might make Amsterdam gateway to US & Canada

Mumbai: Jet Airways might make Amsterdam its gateway for flights to the US and Canada. At present, the airline flies daily from Mumbai and Delhi to Newark and Toronto via Brussels.

Jet is reported to have sought and secured slots at Amsterdam's Schiphol airport and is in talks with Air France-KLM and Delta Airlines for commercial partnerships and code shares on the European and North American routes. Securing a partnership with the two carriers will be a key factor influencing Jet's decision to launch flights to Amsterdam.

Can Ashwani Lohani turn Air India around?

New Delhi: On August 21, the government announced that Ashwani Lohani, from the Indian Railway Services of Mechanical Engineers' 1980 batch, would take over as the new chairman & managing director of Air India. The next day, some pilots reported late for duty, which delayed several flights. Ten days later, Lohani took charge of the loss-making airline. On the same day, the pilots' union asked its members not to extend their duty hours in case of a flight delay.

A week later, an Air India flight (Khajuraho-Delhi) made an emergency landing at the Delhi airport. Around 145 passengers were evacuated after smoke was spotted in the aircraft's wheel and five passengers were hurt.

These incidents highlight the challenges Lohani faces: an aging fleet, agitated pilots and huge losses. There's more: Air India's market share has slumped from over 30 per cent a decade back to around 15 per cent at present. Its average load factor of 78.8 per cent is lower than competition and on-time performance amongst the worst in the industry.

SAAC to hold dharna if Air India fails to fly Airbus from Oct 1

The Surat Airport Action Committee (SAAC) has threatened to hold dharna programme at the airport premise if Air India fail to start its promised Airbus on October 1.
The decision was taken by the members of SAAC on Sunday to press the Air India to start booking for its promised Airbus service between Delhi and Surat starting from October 1.
As October 1 nears, Surtis are becoming impatient with the Air India yet to open up the booking for the Airbus.

Swami Vivekananda airport heads towards becoming 'Green Airport'

Raipur: The Swami Vivekananda Airport in Raipur is gradually heading towards becoming a ‘green airport’ with a host of energy saving and environment conservation moves being undertaken by the authorities.

The latest in such a drive is the Airports Authority of India (AAI) deciding to replace all the high power sodium light fittings on the poles in the perimeter of Swami Vivekananda Airport in Raipur with LED light fittings.

Chennai airport working overtime for smooth landing

Chennai:  Officials at the Chennai airport are praying that no untoward incident should happen in the next nine months till the resurfacing of the 3.65-km main runway is completed.

“Fingers crossed,” said an airport official on the long haul ahead; re-carpeting work started on August 21.

His worry is understandable. Ten days back, an aircraft was slightly damaged due to the presence of debris on the runway from the resurfacing work. The runway had to be shut for nearly two hours and ten flights were diverted to Bengaluru and Hyderabad.

Senior Taj Air pilot in the dock over fake fitness papers

Mumbai: A senior executive pilot of Taj Air, Tata's aircraft charter business, is in the dock after it was revealed that he had forged the signatures of the company doctor in his own breathalyser examination papers before a recent flight.

In mid-August, Captain Kunal Kapoor, who is also copilot to Ratan Tata, chairman Emeritus of Tata Sons, whenever the latter flies his Falcon 2000, was found to have fudged the signatures of the empanelled doctor, who was not present on duty.

Vistara signs V2500 engine V-Services agreement

East Hartford, Connecticut: Vistara, a TATA SIA JV and India's fast-growing full service carrier, has signed a V-Services agreement to maintain its fleet of 26 V2500 engines. The V2500 engine is offered through IAE International Aero Engines AG, a multinational aero engine consortium whose shareholders comprise Pratt & Whitney, Pratt & Whitney Aero Engines International GmbH, Japanese Aero Engines Corp., and MTU Aero Engines.

DMRC slashes Airport Express Line fares by 50%

New Delhi: In a surprising move, Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC), the operator of India’s largest mass rapid transit system, has announced up to 50 per cent cut in the passenger fares of Airport Express Line, which connects the heart of the city to the Indira Gandhi International Airport.

The sudden announcement of the massive rate cut comes on the backdrop of a financial crunch being faced by the metro train operator in the absence of a fare rise for the past six years. Facing a stiff rise in input costs, DMRC has been pressing the government for a fare hike. The company registered a 11 per cent rise in net loss at Rs 100 crore in 2013-14.

Chennai Airport construction shoddy: Civil Aviation Minister

Coimbatore: The quality of construction of the Chennai airport is “shoddy”, Union Minister for Civil Aviation Ashok Gajapathi Raju said here on Monday.

“It is definitely shoddy. Not only Chennai, but also Kolkata and Goa. In Kolkata, a constable lost his life and in Goa a passenger had his foot cut because of the falling glass panels,” he said. Whether or not to recover the money from the contractors concerned for the shoddy work was the Airports Authority of India's call, he added.

New India Assurance-led Group Wins Air India Insurance Tender

A consortium led by state-run New India Assurance Co. Ltd has beaten rivals from the private sector to insure Air India's 126-aircraft fleet for the fourth year in a row, two people close to the development said.

For the $9.5 billion insurance cover, Air India will pay a premium of $22.5 million, less than then $24 million it paid last year. This makes it one of the biggest aircraft insurance deals in South and Southeast Asia, according to the people cited above, who requested anonymity.

Biju Patnaik Airport vows 100% official work in Hindi from Oct 2

Bhubaneswar:Biju Patnaik International Airport (BPIA) Director Sharad Kumar has informed that the official correspondence and work of the airport would be conducted in Hindi from October 2 on the occasion of Gandhi Jayanti fully.

Terrorist suspect fled from Thailand to Turkey on Jet Airways

A key suspect in last month's bombing at a Bangkok shrine that killed 20 people has fled to Turkey.
According to AP, he departed Dhaka on Aug. 30 for Delhi by Jet Airways. In Delhi, he continued his travel to Abu Dhabi, and from Abu Dhabi he boarded Jet Airways partner airline Etihad Airways to travel on Aug. 31 to Istanbul.

Turnaround plans spreading wings under new AI chief

New Delhi: Ashwani Lohani, the new chairman & managing director of loss-making state-owned airline Air India, is giving final touches to a multi-pronged revival plan to make the company financially independent in two years.

According to senior airline executives, the plan's thrust will be rationalising loss-making routes and cost control, increasing the seat load factor with greater emphasis on improving revenue per seat, better aircraft availability and a focus on passenger safety and amenities.

Dreamliner snags still haunting carrier

New Delhi: After a period of relative calm, Dreamliner snags are back with a vengeance for Air India.

A Boeing 787 was grounded in Shanghai Saturday night after it had reached there from India. On Sunday, AI sent men and material to repair this plane on the schedule Mumbai-Delhi-Shanghai flight. An hour after take off, the B-787 reportedly gave a warning of "low oil pressure" in one of the engines.

Air India pilots vote 'overwhelmingly' to strike work

New Delhi: The national carrier may see yet another strike by its pilots.
The Indian Commercial Pilots' Association (ICPA, union of erstwhile IA pilots) have voted 'overwhelmingly' in support of striking work against the government decision to take commanders out of workman category. This exclusion from workman category means commanders can neither form unions, nor go on strikes.

SpiceJet does a first, successfully carries out nightlanding at Andamans airport

Budget airline SpiceJet has crossed yet another milestone after its flight SG-251 from Kolkata successfully carried out the first ever civilian airliner night landing at Veer Savarkar International Airport, on September 11, 2015 at 6.10pm, 50 minutes after sunset at 5.20pm.
Under the command of Capt. Gurcharan Arora and Capt. Ranbir Singh, SpiceJet 212-seater Boeing 737-900ER aircraft VT-SLD was greeted upon arrival by a grand water cannon salute, an aviation tradition to mark key milestones.

Jet Airways' Latest Offer: Fly on Tuesdays and Get Discounts

Jet Airways is offering a 15 per cent discount on base fares for passengers flying on Tuesdays. This promotional offer is valid on economy class travel on select domestic routes.

Tickets for this Jet Airways offer must be purchased on or before October 13, 2015, while the journey must be completed on or before October 13, 2015, Jet Airways said on its website.

Air India to be 'preferred carrier' for Indian cricket team

New Delhi: Air India will be Indian cricket team's 'preferred airline' for travel from now on with the national carrier signing an MoU with the BCCI in this regard.

The deal, which comes into effect from September 1, has been signed for a period of one year.

Air India shall also fly Indian cricketers of both the National and other state cricket teams on domestic and International network across the Globe.

AAI puts 50-metre cap on highrises in some parts of city

Mumbai:  Builders who wish to construct high-rises taller than 50 metres, or above 18 storeys, in certain parts of the suburbs and the island city will have to first get a no-objection certificate (NOC) from the Airports Authority of India (AAI), as it has reduced the vertical limit of new constructions by 15 to 30 metres. The AAI decision on building height clearance, taken a few months ago, will impact construction work at Malwani, D N Nagar, Versova, Goregaon, Ghatkopar (West) and Mahim.

Vistara opens first overseas sales office in Dubai

Dubai: Vistara, an Indian joint venture carrier between Tata Sons and Singapore Airlines, opened its first overseas sales office in Dubai, according to a statement on Monday.

Renaissance adds second hotel in India-New Lucknow property opens 14 years after brand's Indian debut

 Marriott International has launched its second Renaissance Hotel in India – almost 14 years after opening the first.
The new Renaissance Lucknow Hotel joins the brand’s existing property in Mumbai, and adds 112 rooms and suites to Renaissance’s Indian inventory. Rising 16 storeys, it becomes the tallest hotel in Lucknow and offers views of the Gomti River.

Etihad Airways elevates Neerja Bhatia as VP for India & Subcontinent

Mumbai: UAE flag carrier Etihad Airways, which owns 24 per cent in Jet Airways, today elevated Neerja Bhatia as its vice-president for India and the Subcontinent.

Bhatia joined Etihad, for which India is the largest market, in 2004 as sales manager for western India, shortly after the airline launched its flights to Mumbai.

Travel extra distance to reach new airport

Chandigarh: The new terminal of the Chandigarh International Airport, scheduled to be inaugurated by the Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, on September 11, will be a mixed bag for passengers in the region.
While it will fulfil their long-pending demand for an international airport, they will have to cover extra distance to reach the new airport terminal building, located at Jheurheri village in Mohali.

ATF prices descend, but airfares maintain altitude

New Delhi: A steep 11.7 per cent decrease in the price of jet fuel have raised the hopes of fliers of a further slump in airfares, but airlines are non-committal.

Airlines refused to comment on the decline in aviation turbine fuel (ATF) prices, or whether they would contemplate slashing fares against the backdrop of jet fuel prices, decreasing from Rs 46,407.36 per kilolitre (in Delhi) in August, to Rs 40,938.24, this month.

Did Air India allow 90 crew members to skip compulsory medical check?

To ensure that flight operations during the Haj season are not hampered, Air India has allowed around 90 crew members to skip the mandatory medical check-up.

According to rules, the crew will not be allowed to fly without certificates that say that they have undergone the check-up. If licences expire -- as in this case -- the airline could be short of crew, hampering flight operations. The Haj operations, which will involve 230 direct flights from seven Indian cities to Jeddah, will carry nearly 40,000 pilgrims.

A section of Air India pilots not to fly beyond prescribed duty hours

New Delhi:  State-run Air India is likely to face some fresh turbulence as one of its pilots’ union, Indian Commercial pilots Association (ICPA), has decided not to fly beyond the prescribed duty hours in the interest of passengers “safety” and avoid “stress”. The Association, in a communication to airline’s executive director for operations today said that it has directed all ICPA members not to give extension on flight and duty period under any circumstances.

Air India pilots serve notice over omission from workmen category

New Delhi: One of Air India’s pilots unions has served a notice on the carrier demanding immediate recall of a notification that has removed commanders from the workmen category, prompting its management to request it to maintain “peace and harmony” in the interest of the organisation. Indian Commercial Pilots Association (ICPA), in a legal notice sent to Air India Executive Director for Personnel and Industrial Relation Deepa Mahajan yesterday, has warned of dragging it to court and resorting to industrial action if the notification was not taken back.

Air India asks pilots union to maintain peace in wake of ‘commanders/workers’ controversy

Air India has asked one of its pilots unions to maintain peace and harmony in the interest of the carrier while clarifying that the decision to remove commanders from workmen category was taken by the labour ministry and not by the airline management.
Indian Commercial Pilots Association (ICPA), one of the pilots unions of Air India, had yesterday directed all its members to stick to mandated duty hours and not to accept any request for extension.

Aviation fuel, LPG prices cut sharply

New Delhi: A day after they cut the prices of petrol and diesel, oil companies on Tuesday announced a cut in the prices of aviation turbine fuel (ATF) and non-subsidised LPG.

The price of ATF in Delhi was cut by Rs. 5,469.12 a kilolitre (kl). It now costs Rs 40,938.24 per kl. This marks the second-sharpest cut in ATF prices following the Rs. 7,520 per kl cut on January 1.

Custom authorities hand over air taxi to aviation company

Indore:  Custom authorities on Monday handed over the recently aquired Cessna Grand Caravan aircraft for providing Air Taxi services to Mumbai-based company Supreme Aviation at Devi Ahilyabai Holkar Airport. Company will be operating air taxi services connecting prominent cities and tourist destinations under an agreement with MP State Tourism Development Corporation (MPSTDC).

AI’s Delhi flight to skip Kozhikode

Kozhikode: From September 1, Air India’s flight (AI-657/658) from Delhi will not touch down at Kozhikode. Air India has been operating this service in the Delhi- Mumbai- Coimbatore- Kozhikode sector.The airline’s office in Kozhikode said in a release on Monday that the flight would not touch Kozhikode because of “non-availability of runway”.

IndiGo adjudged best low-cost airline in central Asia, Qatar Airways tops world ranking

Skytrax, the specialist research advisors to the air transport industry, recently declared the ranking for airlines and airports from across the world. Among the leading airlines in the world featured India's IndiGo Airlines, which was adjudged the best low-cost airline in central Asia.

Local carriers wake up to Modi's Varanasi

New Delhi: All flights these days seem to lead to Varanasi. The temple town of Uttar Pradesh, has come on the radar of domestic airlines since it became the parliamentary constituency of prime minister Narendra Modi.

After SpiceJet announced direct flights from Hyderabad and Mumbai to Varanasi, country's largest private carrier IndiGo on Tuesday announced four flights to the town.

British Airways to target SMEs, student travellers

Chennai: British Airways has turned its focus more on small and medium enterprises (SMEs) and students to boost traffic out of India. “These two are very important segments for us now,” said Moran Birger, Regional Commercial Manager for South Asia, British Airways.

The airline has re-launched On Business rewards and discount to help the SME sector, which is growing rapidly and officials travelling abroad frequently.

As a member of On Business, a passenger will have access to exclusive, member-only rewards and discounts. It also helps in spending points on reward flights and upgrades on American Airlines, British Airways and Iberia, he told select newspersons.

Cut in ATF price to fuel aviation sector profit

Mumbai: A 40 per cent year-on-year drop in jet fuel's price will lead to improved operating profits for domestic airlines. On Monday midnight, state oil companies cut the price by 11.7 per cent, the sharpest cut in six months. The price is revised monthly.
Lower aviation turbine fuel prices have given a breather to airlines and helped offset the negative impact of a weakened rupee. About 25-30 per cent of airline costs (excluding fuel) are dollar-denominated.
For the first quarter of 2015-16, the fuel bill of Jet Airways and SpiceJet was down by 20 per cent and 53 per cent, respectively, from a year before. Sharper with SpiceJet due to a capacity cutback.

AAI forms panel for inspection of Goa airport

The Civil Aviation Ministry has formed a team of five officials to regularly inspect the Goa airport terminal, after its false ceiling caved-in earlier this year.

"Airport Authority of India has constituted a safety team of five officers for inspection on daily routine and for conducting safety-related checks and undertaking preventive measures," Civil Aviation Minister P Ashok Gajapathi Raju told South Goa MP Narendra Sawaikar in a written communication, a copy of which is with PTI.

An airport in bad weather

Barely three months after Kazi Nazrul Islam Airport near Durgapur in West Bengal took off to a glittering start, India’s first private greenfield airport is in jeopardy. Now, the airport wears a deserted look. A few CISF staff are guarding the airport, a lone Air India ticket counter is open, an ATM that’s shut, and there’s not a single car that’s parked at the parking lot.

Council alleges conspiracy to close down airport

Kozhikode: The Malabar Development Council has alleged that there is a political conspiracy to undermine the Kozhikode Airport at Karipur and gradually push it towards closure.

The council said in a statement here on Tuesday that from May 1 this year, airliners had stopped operating their wide-bodied aircraft from Kozhikode.

Kuwait Airways to commence Ahmedabad operations from September 2

Ahmedabad: Kuwait Airways will commence its Ahmedabad operations from September 2, the airlines said. "The flights will be operational on day 3, 4 and 7 and connect to onward flights to Europe, US, and M East.

IndiGo adds nine 9 new flights to its network

New Delhi: No-frills carrier IndiGo has added nine new flights on its domestic network including a daily service on the Varanasi-Goa via Mumbai and Varanasi-Kolkata routes, starting today.

The other destinations from where new services have been launched include Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Lucknow, among others, the airline said in a release.

Airbus looking at MRO facility in India

As per a Business Standard report by Raghu Krishnan, Airbus SAS is planning an aircraft maintenance and repair overhaul (MRO) facility in India on the back of its biggest order of 250 passenger jets from IndiGo, run by InterGlobe Aviation. On August 15, IndiGo had said it would buy 250 Airbus A320 neo single-aisle passenger jets to drive growth. With this, IndiGo has ordered a total of 530 A320 planes, of which 100 aircraft have been delivered by Airbus.

KSRTC launches special airport service

Malappuram: The Kerala State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) launched a special low-floor air conditioned bus from Malappuram to Cochin International Airport at Nedumbassery in connection with this year’s Haj pilgrimage.

Nalsar’s Law student touches, filmed Air-hostess, held at Hyderabad airport

Hyderabad: Pranav Agarwal, 21, a final year student at Nalsar Law University was arrested for allegedly outraging a woman’s modesty. The law student who was travelling from Bengaluru to Hyderabad on an IndiGo flight has been arrested.

Gold smugglers use domestic air passengers

Tiruchi: Gold smugglers have begun to use domestic passengers to smuggle the precious yellow metal through the Tiruchi international airport in addition to resorting to other ingenious ways.

Rising number of cases of gold seizure from passengers who travelled under the “domestic” category to Tiruchi from Chennai by the Air India Express flight is evident of the smugglers’ novel modus operandi .