Flight Operators Seek Government Sops to Offset Losses

Visakhapatnam: Unless the government offers incentives, dreams of operating international flights might not be realised in the near future, felt speakers at the International Airlines Summit held here on Saturday. They urged the Civil Aviation Ministry to allow the flight operators to include at least two domestic destinations before flying off to a foreign destination.

30 Arrested for Entering Delhi Airport with Fake Tickets in 14 Months

People with forged e-tickets have emerged as the new threat to Delhi airport security with 30 such persons being arrested in the past 14 months.

The security at the Indira Gandhi International Airport is at maximum alert in the wake of the Brussels terror attack and multiple hoax bomb calls received almost daily.

AI announces additional direct flight to Hyderabad

Air India Western Region Manager Noor Mohammed was felicitated by top Saudi businessmen at the Jeddah Diwaniyah. Noor Mohammed has done yeoman service for the Indian Hajis and was praised and appreciated at the well-attended function by Saudis.

Shoppers Stop reviewing duty-free airport venture

Bengaluru: Fashion retailer Shoppers Stop has said it is reviewing the joint venture with Nuance Group, under which it had forayed into duty-free airport retailing, as there is not much scope for "cash flow and profitability".

Runway repair: No night flights at Amritsar airport for a year

Amritsar: All flight operations during the night for the next year will cease at Sri Guru Ram Dass Jee International Airport from 8 pm tomorrow to pave the way for the restructuring of its runway.
Besides, visitors’ entry has been restricted and vigil has been increased at the airport complex after the Bureau of Civil Aviation sounded high alert for a week.

New way to fly: Vistara chief shakes up India's domestic travel

His start-up may still be in the red, but a Singapore Airlines (SIA) veteran is transforming the face of Indian aviation - doing things never tried before in India and lobbying for a rule change that could transform the market.

Since taking the helm at Vistara, which started flying 14 months ago, chief executive Yeoh Phee Teik and his team have scored several firsts in Indian domestic travel.

AI bans passenger upgrades by crew members on flights

New Delhi: Air India has barred its aircraft crew from upgrading passengers with immediate effect. Pilots and senior cabin crew of full service carriers (FSC) very often ask their family or friends to sit in a higher class if seats are available there.

We are trying to revamp Air India through all measures: Mahesh Sharma

The civil aviation policy is on the anvil as the government is in the final stages of ironing out the creases. The controversial 5/20 rule, which has become a bone of contention between the incumbent and newer airlines, is set to be changed. In all probability, the five-year clause may go, but airlines may still need to have 20 aircraft if they want to fly overseas. Auctioning of bilaterals is another area which needs to be tackled. And the turnaround of Air India continues to be a priority area for the government. Minister of state (MoS) for civil aviation Mahesh Sharma, in an interview with Bilal Abdi and Sumit Jha, discusses all these issues. Excerpts:

India's air passenger traffic up 24% in February 2016

New Delhi: India's domestic air passenger traffic surged by over 24% to 161.31 lakh in the February this year over the same period of 2015 even as the number of flyers declined when compared to January 2016.

Expect Flier-friendly Policy

New Delhi: The much-awaited new civil aviation policy is likely to be unveiled by next week, which is expected to clear the government’s stand on the 5/20 rule — an airline requiring five years of operations and 20 aircraft in its fleet to fly on international routes.

In an interaction with Express, Minister of State for Civil Aviation Mahesh Sharma said, “It (civil aviation policy) would be unveiled during the next seven to 10 days.”

New civil aviation policy may be out in April: Civil Aviation Minister

Machilipatnam: Union Civil Aviation Minister Ashok Gajapathi Raju Thursday said new National Civil Aviation Policy is likely to be out next month.

"At present, we are working on the policy which is likely to be out next month. We have received many suggestions on the draft policy and we are hopeful that new policy will be out in April," Raju said.
He was speaking to reporters after addressing a private function here.

Indian flyers to get higher compensation for injury, loss of baggage

New Delhi: Air passengers will now get higher compensation that could amount up to Rs 1 crore in the event of death, injury, loss of baggage or inordinate delay in flights, with an amended legislation coming into force.

Indian airlines would have to pay compensation that is equivalent to the rates paid by their global counterparts. The quantum would be based on Special Drawing Rights (SDR) and current exchange rates, and the compensation amount could be up to Rs 1 crore.

Brussels aftermath: Flyers in India asked to take off footwear, belts

New Delhi: Amid a heightened alert in the wake of Brussels terror attacks, security agencies have stepped up vigil at sensitive airports in the country with passengers being made to take off their footwear and belts and go through detailed frisking.

First Time flyer caught smoking aboard

A resident of Bhayandar, Mumbai and first-time flyer Vinod Kumar, was made to pay a fine of Rs. 200 after he was caught smoking a beedi inside an Indigo aircraft's washroom, reports Mid Day.

CSIA voted best airport in India and central Asia at Skytrax World Airport Awards

Mumbai's Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport (CSIA) has been voted as the Best Airport in India and Central Asia at the Skytrax World Airport Awards held at the Passenger Terminal EXPO in Cologne, Germany on Mar 16.

All-clear for Dubai flight

Your more than six-month-long wait to catch an international flight from the new Chandigarh airport would end this summer. Private airline Indigo has obtained the necessary approval to launch Chandigarh-Dubai flight from Indian as well as Dubai authorities. The timing would be released in the summer schedule to commence from March 27. Highly-placed sources said an aircraft having a capacity of 180 seats would fly daily between the two cities.

CM promises job opportunities for ITI students at Mopa airport

Panjim: The proposed airport at Mopa – mired in controversy over land acquisition – could give young job aspirants some hope as the project is expected to create employment avenues for students undergoing vocational training at Industrial Training Institutes (ITI).

Global airlines summit tomorrow

Visakhapatnam: Representatives of 15 airlines are expected to participate in the International Airlines Summit, being organised jointly by the AP Air Travellers Association (APATA) and AP Chamber of Commerce and Industry and Tour and Travels Association of AP, here on March 26.

AI announces additional direct flight to Hyderabad

Air India Western Region Manager Noor Mohammed was felicitated by top Saudi businessmen at the Jeddah Diwaniyah. Noor Mohammed has done yeoman service for the Indian Hajis and was praised and appreciated at the well-attended function by Saudis.

AI announces revised schedule of departure of flights

Kozhikode: The Calicut-Mumbai Air India flight will depart from here at 8.55 AM with effect from tomorrow, as per the revised scheduled announced by the airline Currently the flight departs here at 7.45 AM.

Will give best medical attention to injured staff: Jet Airways

New Delhi: Jet Airways today said the airline would provide the best medical attention to its two staff members, who sustained injuries during the bomb attacks at the Brussels airport on March 22.
The airline's Chairman Naresh Goyal thanked the authorities for extending their support to help passengers and staff in the wake of the attacks at Brussels airport.

Brussels attack: Injured crew member stable, not in coma, says Jet Airways

Following reports that Nidhi Chaphekar, the Jet Airways staffer from Mumbai had been placed in a 'medically-induced coma' after she was injured in the Brussels attack, the Airlines on Friday refuted the statement saying that she is stable and is under sedation.

Air India wants banks to take fresh haircut to turn a profit

New Delhi: Air India is looking for a restructuring of its loans from banks to reduce the interest burden and become profitable.
The national carrier - which has been in the red and has got several rounds of funding from the government - is looking to get the lenders to cut the interest rate on loans of Rs 10,500 crore, on which it is paying 10.1%.

Seating, price tweaks put Vistara on 'right track'

Mumbai: Vistara, which struggled to fill its flights last year, is now "on the right track" with more passengers, reconfigured planes, aggressive pricing and new marketing campaigns, a top executive said.
"We are filling more than 80% of our economy class seats...judging from the consumer feedback, we are definitely on the right track," Vistara CEO Phee Teik Yeoh told ET in a recent interview.

More flights from Kochi in summer schedule

Nedumbassery:  The summer schedule will see more flight services from Nedumbassery airport and the new schedule will come into effect from March 27 titill October 29. Thai Air Asia  will operate a direct flight from Kochi to Thailand’s capital city Bangkok from May.

2 years on, govt's jet to fly again

Mumbai: Nearly two years after the Maharashtra government's business jet was grounded for want of trained pilots, the state has engaged an expat at Rs 15.5 lakh per month. Pay apart, the expert pilot will also be provided accommodation in south Mumbai and a car.

Bhupesh Negi is new director of Dabolim airport

Panaji: The Airports Authority of India has transferred incumbent airport director Srinivasa Rao and in his place has brought in Bhupesh C H Negi, the former airport director of Tiruchirapalli airport. Negi, who has experience handling cargo operations, affirmed his desire to see that the proposed 24x7 cargo terminal at Dabolim becomes operational.

Aircraft with Indians arrives from Brussels

New Delhi: Indians stranded in Belgian capital Brussels after the deadly terror attack on Tuesday, arrived back here on a Jet Airways flight on Friday morning.

An aircraft, carrying 242 passengers including 28 crew members, arrived here from Amsterdam. The flight landed at the Indira Gandhi International Airport here at 5:30 a.m., a Jet Airways spokesperson said.

‘Double scanning at Sgr airport annoys travelers’

Srinagar: Valley’s travel trade fraternity on Thursday raised issue of lack of proper infrastructure at Srinagar airport in a meeting with the Joint Secretary at Civil Aviation Asha Paari government of India. The meeting was held at SKICC which was presided over by Director Tourism Kashmir Mahmood A Shah.

The travel trade fraternity apprised about increasing air fare which they termed as ‘not justified’.

Taxing times for Kingfisher Airlines staff continue

Mumbai: Shock and helplessness was writ on Sanjay Bahadur's face, a former employee of the now-defunct Kingfisher Airlines, when he received intimation from the Income Tax (I-T) department, asking for taxes of about Rs 34 lakh on the income he had earned between 2009 and 2012.

The fresh tax demand was raised with respect to assessment years 2010-11, 2011-12 and 2012-13. The notice, served to Bahadur on March 17 and reviewed by Business Standard, states that his return for assessment year 2015-16 would be adjusted against the outstanding demand raised for the assessment years. "If no action taken by you immediately on this notice under Section 245, the demand as on that date will be considered for adjustment against your refund," read the notice.

Travel firms, airlines make merry on long weekend

New Delhi/Chennai: If you have been planning a holiday, this could be one of the best times to travel.

A combination of extended weekends and steep discounts on hotels and flight deals have come together to make holidays relatively cheap.

Threat calls to airline trigger security alert at Delhi airport

New Delhi: Bomb threats to 11 IndiGo flights, some bound for the city and others departing from there, put under strain the security machinery at the Indira Gandhi International Airport on Wednesday. The airport has been under a security alert following the terror attacks in Brussels on Tuesday, when threat calls were received for five Jet Airways flights from the city.

Two more flight service to Chennai

Tiruchi: Domestic connectivity to Chennai from Tiruchi is set to improve with the Jet Airways deciding to introduce two more flights in this sector.

The private airline has prepared the schedule for the operation of the additional flights in the Chennai – Tiruchi – Chennai sector. The additional ATR flights would be introduced during the summer schedule starting from March 27, sources here said.

Jet Airways grounds flights from Bhavnagar, Porbandar

Hyderabad: At a time when central and state governments are trying to promote regional connectivity, two airports in Gujarat are set to lose their place on aviation map of India from March 27 because of "viability and operational" issues.

SpiceJet continues to be India’s top carrier with highest Passenger load factor

SpiceJet, the country’s favourite low-cost carrier continues leading the way by a big margin on passenger load factor by topping the PLF charts beating all Indian carriers with 92.3% PLF for the month of February 2016, as per the statistics released by DGCA.

Put an Upper Cap on Air Fares: Government

New Delhi: Faced with a barrage of criticism, the government has suggested the airlines to put an upper cap on air fares. Recently, airlines had hiked their fares exponentially to make a kill especially after the Chennai rains and Jat agitation in Haryana.

Jet Airways to fly its stranded passengers from Amsterdam

New Delhi: With authorities deciding to shut operations at terror-hit Brussels airport tomorrow as well, private carrier Jet AirwaysBSE 2.53 % today said it will ferry its stranded passengers from Amsterdam, which is all set to become the airline's new European gateway for international flights from Sunday.

Brussels Attack: Stranded Jet Airways passengers moved to Amsterdam

Passengers from India stranded in Brussels following multiple bomb blasts in the Belgium capital are on their way to Amsterdam in about 15 buses from where flights will take off for Delhi and Mumbai on Thursday afternoon.
According to a Jet Airways spokesperson, while one flight is scheduled to depart at 2.00 pm GMT (6.30 pm IST) for Mumbai, a second flight will leave Amsterdam at 4.00 pm GMT (8.30 pm IST) for Delhi (Flight details below).

After Jet Airways,bomb hoax in 11 IndiGo flights

New Delhi: A day after five Jet Airways flights reported bomb threats, 11 IndiGo flights, too, faced similar threats on Wednesday. Police said most of these flights had departed from IGI airport to different locations, while one coming from Jammu was isolated immediately on landing.

Bomb threat received for Jeddah-bound AI flight

Mumbai: The Air India on Thursday received a bomb threat for its Jeddah-bound flight.

The threat for the flight was received at Air India Bengaluru office, after which Bomb Threat Assessment Committee was convened. The committee, later, declared the threat as "non specific".

Air India stake sale not in Govt radar as of now: Sharma

New Delhi: The government has ruled out stake sale in Air India even as it continues to infuse cash into the ailing national carrier.

While speculation was rife over strategic disinvestment of 49 per cent in Air India, Minister of State for Civil Aviation Mahesh Sharma told Bloomberg TV India late on Wednesday the was no proposal as of now to offload stake in the state-owned airline.

Bomb Threat Grounds Five Jet Airways Flights, Chennai Bound Plane Diverted

Chennai: Close on the heels of two terror attacks in Brussels, five Jet Airways flight, including one from New Delhi to Chennai, were grounded after Jet airlines received bomb threat on Tuesday.

Airport Authority of India, Chennai, director Deepak Shastri confirmed that five Jet airways flight have been grounded in different cities.

Expansion, pricing review help Vistara woo flyers

Mumbai: Vistara, which struggled to fill its flights last year, is now "on the right track" with more passengers, reconfigured planes, aggressive pricing and new marketing campaigns, a top executive said.

"We are filling more than 80% of our economy class seats...judging from the consumer feedback, we are definitely on the right track," Vistara CEO Phee Teik Yeoh told ET in a recent interview.

Spurt in air passenger traffic, and export cargo in Tiruchi

Tiruchi: The non-metro Tiruchi international airport continues to be on a growth trajectory witnessing an upswing in passenger traffic and export cargo movements this fiscal as well.

The fast-growing airport with more overseas operations than domestic services handled 1.2 million passengers up to January this fiscal recording a robust growth with bulk of them accounting for international passengers.

Mumbai-Hong Kong flight: Cockpit door snag grounds aircraft

Mumbai: Fliers travelling to Hong Kong from Mumbai via Cathay Pacific flight (CX 660) were inconvenienced after it was cancelled due to the non-functional cockpit door.
The aircraft (Airbus 333) was taxiing when it was called off the runway upon detection of the glitch.

Mumbai airport charges to go up by 7%

The Airport Economic Regulatory Authority of India (AERA) has recommended hiking airport charges at Mumbai's Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport by seven percent. The revised tariffs would be applicable from May 1, 2016.

CISF beefs up security at all airports after Brussels attacks

The Central Industrial Security force (CISF), responsible for security of airports across the country, has beefed up security at all airports, including Delhi, Mumbai and Bengaluru.
According to CISF, security personnel are conducting double checks to prevent anyone from entering the airports with explosives and weapons. The CISF has also deployed armed staff in civil dress at all airports' forecourts for better preparedness in the case of an attack.

Chandigarh airport to remain shut on 5 Sundays from April 10

Chandigarh: The Chandigarh international airport will remain closed on five consecutive Sundays with effect from April 10 for runway repairs. The airport authorities said all flights to and from Chandigarh will stand cancelled on these days.

AirAsia India set to add two more A320 jets

AirAsia India(I5, Chennai) will add a pair of A320s to its fleet in the near future AirAsia Group founder and CEO Tony Fernandes has said.

Jet Airways Sees Greater Connectivity Between India And Europe

Jet Airways, India’s second largest airline, will launch two daily flights from India to Amsterdam and expects greater connectivity between India and Europe after shifting its base from Brussels to the Dutch capital.

The Mumbai-headquartered airline will operate two non-stop flights from Mumbai and Delhi to Amsterdam’s Schiphol airport from March 27.

Jet flight landed within minutes of Brussels airport blasts

New Delhi: Two Jet Airways flights — one from Delhi and the other from Mumbai — had landed just a little before the twin bomb blasts at the Brussels airport, data with aviation website Flightradar24 showed on Monday. The airline confirmed that two of its cabin crew were injured in the explosions.

2 Jet Airways crew members injured in Brussels airport explosions

Mumbai: Two Jet Airways cabin crew members were injured in the explosions at the Brussels airport on Tuesday morning. There was no damages to four of its Airbus A330 aircraft at the airport.

The explosions took place around 8 am near check-in counters of the departure level area teeming with passengers. Following the explosions the Brussels airport was shut and all flights cancelled.

Flydubai confirms names of flight 981 passengers and crew

Dubai: Flydubai has confirmed the names of the 62 on board flight 981 who died on Saturday when the plane crashed in the southern Russian city of Rostov-on-Don.

The flight crashed and exploded in the early hours of Saturday morning trying to land for a second time at the city’s airport killing all passengers and crew on board.

The airline released the passenger and crew manifest late on Tuesday night having earlier said it would only do so once it had contacted the families of all the victims.

Flydubai 'recorders' will be examined by UAE team

Dubai: The UAE investigation team led by the Interstate Aviation Committee (IAC) has located the Flight Data Recorder (FDR) and the Cockpit Voice Recorder (CVR) which are known as 'Flight Recorders', the General Civil Aviation Authority said.

Flydubai Black Box Data Quality Good, Decoding May Take a Month

Dubai: A flight data recorder from the crashed flydubai passenger has been opened and authorities said records found to be of good quality.

"The flight data recorder has been opened and a damaged cable has been repaired," Sergei Zaiko, chief of the Interstate Aviation Committee, revealed to Russian news agency TASS.

First after crash FlyDubai plane lands at Rostov-on-Don’s airport

Rostov-on-Don: The plane safely returned tourists after their vacation in the United Arab Emirates. "The plane was expected to land 1:20am Moscow time according to schedule but it managed to do so even earlier - at 0:46am Moscow time," the airport’s director for strategic communications Olga Ladeyschikova said.

Comfort more important than style in air: Survey

For 84 percent Indians, comfort is more important than style while travelling by air, according to a study by online travel site Expedia.

The Expedia Passenger Preference Index includes amenities for which customers would prioritise on flights of different length, how they prefer to pass the time, their opinions on baggage fees and packing, and which passenger behaviour they found most frustrating.

AI to Start Daily Direct Flights to Bengaluru

After direct flights to Chennai and Delhi from Thiruvananthapuram, Air India is starting daily direct flights to Bengaluru. Summer schedule will start from March 27.

Jet more interested in codeshare pacts than global clubs

Jet Airways today indicated it was more interested in stitching partnerships with other international carriers through codeshare pacts than joining any of the three global clubs and said its new European gateway Amsterdam offers stronger proposition over Brussels.
The domestic carrier is all set to commence operations from Dutch capital Amsterdam with daily non-stop flights from Delhi, Mumbai and Toronto from March 27. As of now Brussels is its European hub for international services.

Will an operational profit-runway make Air India pick up flight?

Government-run airlines, Air India is likely to mint an operational profit as the fiscal wraps up, which would be its first since its 2007- merger with its domestic counterpart, Indian Airlines (renamed Indian later).

Air India Express to increase UAE frequency; offer free food

Indian budget carrier Air India Express will increase the number of flights connecting the UAE and India by doubling its daily flights from the UAE to Mumbai and Delhi.

Starting this summer, Air India Express will increase the number of weekly flights in the India UAE sector from the current 107 weekly flights to 146 flights per week, with twice-a-day service to Mumbai and New Delhi starting next month.

Dreamliner glitches continue, Air India says

National carrier Air India on Monday said that it continues to face technical glitches on its fleet of Boeing-787 Dreamliners.
The revelation from the airline came after its AI 701 Kolkata-New Delhi flight, with Pakistani High Commissioner Abdul Basit amongst the 236 passengers on board, had be cancelled on Sunday due to technical glitches.

Air India gains from Star Alliance

State-owned Air India’s decision to join Star Alliance, a global partnership of airlines in July 2014, has benefited it. Star Alliance’s 28 members offer a network of 18,500 daily flights to 1,300 airports in 192 countries. The members sell tickets jointly and a single interface for passengers to book tickets in member airlines.

Thai AirAsia adds India link

Bangok: Thai AirAsia will inaugurate a daily flight service connecting Thailand’s Bangkok (Don Mueang Airport) to Kochi, in India, starting 16 May.
The airline CEO, Tassapon Bijleveld, said the intent was to serve, not only major tourist cities, but also economically important destinations such as industrial hubs and port towns.

Air India to launch flight between Amritsar-Delhi from March 27

Amritsar: Keeping in view the high air traffic between the holy city and the national Capital, Air India is expected to launch one more flight between Amritsar and New Delhi from March 27.
Addition of one more flight will take the total number of flights being operated daily on the route to nine. Already, eight flights are being operated by the three airlines.

SpiceJet: Ready to fly higher

SpiceJet closed business for a day in December 2014, owed Rs 2,100 crore in unsecured liabilities, had 5,000 employees, the oil marketing companies were hounding it for payments, lessees demanded their aircraft and the company needed something more than only an oil price collapse.
No one would have touched this company; Ajay Singh did.
This is what he might have seen:

Air India Express announces Dubai - Mumbai daily, other flights

Dubai: Air India Express, India’s first international budget airline, is set to expand its operations in summer by introducing daily flights from UAE to Mumbai. It is also introducing flights to Ras Al Khaimah.

Jet Airways announces daily non-stop flights from Amsterdam to Delhi, Mumbai from March 27

New Delhi: Jet Airways today announced launch of daily non-stop flights between India and Amsterdam from March 27, 2016, thus, shifting its base in Europe from Brussels to Amsterdam.
Jet Airways will operate two daily non-stop flights from its international hubs in Mumbai and Delhi, to Amsterdam Airport Schiphol. "

Hyderabad Airport may seek hike in tariffs

Mumbai: Hyderabad International Airport Ltd plans to seek an increase of more than 60% on user development fees levied on passengers flying out of the airport.

The joint venture company promoted by the GMR Group is likely to submit a proposal to this effect to the Airports Economic Regulatory Authority next week, a person familiar with the matter said.

Air India flight delay: Airline says fliers put up in hotel, passengers contradict

New Delhi: National aviation carrier Air India on Monday responded on the 14-hour delay of Kolkata-New Delhi AI 701 by blaming the delay on a technical glitch in the first aircraft.

Air India to weigh up possible new widebody order

Air India is considering acquiring more widebody aircraft to assist in plans to expand its longhaul network. Airline sources who spoke to India's Express newspaper on condition of anonymity said the state-owned carrier would likely come up with a draft plan during the coming months of this year.

Air India flight with Pakistan High commissioner on board cancelled after technical glitch

Kolkata: An Air India flight from Kolkata, headed for Delhi and with the Pakistan High Commissioner to India Abdul Basit on board, was cancelled just before take-off following a technical flaw on Sunday evening, officials said.

Jet Airways directed to pay Rs 55,000 compensation to passenger

Chennai: The District Consumer Dispute Redressal Forum Chennai, (North) has directed Jet Airways to pay a compensation of Rs 55,000 to a former Principal Sessions Court Judge, Chennai for failure to provide him a seat in a flight to Bhopal from Mumbai despite having a confirmed air ticket.

Air India crew members to wear Khadi uniform in VVIP flights

In a welcome initiative Air India has decided to use Khadi costumes for its serving crew-members in flights meant for VVIPs by placing an order of 150 sarees, 25 Jodhuri bandgala suits, 40 pairs of trousers and 40 jackets to Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC). The same should be adopted for all Air India flights rather than just VVIPs flights.

Air India Kolkata-Delhi flight lands in capital after 12-hour delay

New Delhi: Air India’s Kolkata-Delhi flight which was scheduled to reach the national capital on Sunday night reached the airport on Monday morning. The 12-hour delay was caused after a technical snag was detected in the aircraft. Passengers who landed this morning complained that the airlines kept them waiting. Air India 701 landed in Delhi at 8: 55 AM on Monday while it was supposed to land the day before.

Kingfisher Employees May Finally Get Their Dues, As Vijay Mallya Draws Up Fresh Plans To Clear His Debts

Vijay Mallya and his advisers are working to revise a debt repayment offer that has been rejected by banks to make it more acceptable to them, people aware of the development said. He's conducting a review of his assets in consultation with a legal firm that has financial expertise and may make an offer of staggered payments or a one-time settlement, they said.

Experts Say Weather, Not Glitch, Likely Cause of FlyDubai Crash

Officials have yet to identify the cause of FlyDubai Flight FZ981's crash at Rostov-on-Don airport in Southern Russia on Saturday, but preliminary reports indicate either pilot error or a technical failure were the likely culprits. Meanwhile, independent aviation experts cast doubt on the developing official narrative, and instead pointed to dangerous wind conditions as the likely cause.

Now, in-flight entertainment on your mobile

No-frills flight means that nothing, not even water, comes for free. Well, you may not want to grab a sandwich or dig into the Idli or savour the coffee, but who would not want to enjoy the in-flight entertainment straight into your mobile devices which you would carry anyway!

An enterprising entrepreneur, G.B. Sai Prabhu has come out with a device, ‘AmuZ’ – A to Z, which when placed in an airplane or even a bus and a train can provide content from music to movies at a certain cost. The device, for which he is awaiting certification from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and other regulatory bodies, will cost between Rs. 10,000 to 15,000 only.

FlyDubai aircraft was fully fit. So, what went wrong?

Dubai: Given that the flydubai flight FZ981 crash happened only 36 hours ago (at the time of going to press), there will be a lot of information that will be collated in the time to come which will help form the basis of the investigation and the eventual report detailing what happened and why.

There are a few facts that we already know.

We know the airplane in question, a Boeing 737-800 operating as FZ981, built in 2011 as A6-FDN, had a major C-check in January 2016 and was fully fit for service. By any metric, this is a very young airplane. A 737 takes off or lands somewhere in the world every 3 seconds.

FlyDubai Plane Flight Data Recorders Severely Damaged

Moscow: Black boxes from the FlyDubai FZ981 flight, which crashed on Saturday in Russia on its way from Dubai, have severe damages, Interstate Aviation Committee (IAC or MAK) said in a statement on Sunday.
On Saturday, the FlyDubai Boeing 737-800 crashed on landing at Rostov-on-Don airport, killing all 62 people on board, most of them Russians. MAK is carrying out the inquiry together with the Russian Investigative Committee.

High flying: Delhi airport bags ‘Best Staff’ award

New Delhi: The Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport here has bagged the ‘Best Airport Staff in India and Central Asia’ Skytrax Award for the second consecutive year.

This is the second award in a row for the Delhi airport, which was recently adjudged the world’s number one airport in its category by the Airports Council International (ACI).

Flydubai plane crash is airline's first tragedy

Dubai: After nearly seven years of operations, flydubai saw its first tragedy on Saturday when one of its aircraft crashed in Russia killing all passengers and crew on board.

FlyDubai pays $20,000 per crash victim to family

Dubai : Dubai-based low-cost carrier FlyDubai said on Sunday it will pay $20,000 per victim following the crash of its plane from Dubai to Russia.
The airline said it was their priority to identify and contact the families of those killed in the accident and provide immediate support to those affected by Saturday's tragedy, Xinhua reported.

New cabin at airport to cut passive smoking

Thiruvananthapuram: To check the ill-effects of passive smoking, the Airports Authority of India (AAI) has opened a designated cabin for smokers at the Thiruvananthapuram international airport.

Flights to Shirdi from next year

Hyderabad: If all goes well, pilgrimage centre Shirdi will soon have an airport to enable pilgrims to fly in to have a darshan of Saibaba.

Karipur airport runway to become fully operational by April 4

Karipur:  The second phase of the Karipur airport runway renovation works is likely to be completed by this month and the runway would be opened for operation on April 4, it is learnt.

Air Odisha to stop service from Monday

Barely two months after it started its operation, the Air Odisha Aviation Pvt Ltd has decided to ground its aircrafts from Monday as the State Government is not paying the subsidy and rebate on aviation turbine fuel (ATF).

141 SpiceJet passengers caught in mid-air scare

Mumbai: Passengers of SpiceJet flight SG 152 held onto their dear lives for nearly 30 minutes mid-air as the aircraft ran into high turbulence on Saturday, barely 15 minutes after takeoff. The Mumbai-Guwahati via Delhi flight was routed back to Mumbai.
The plane took off at 7.50 am from Mumbai — its standard time of departure is 7.30 am. Its hydraulic system took a hit soon after it ran into turbulence.

Nine flights delayed at Indore airport

Indore: Nine flights, mostly connecting Delhi, Mumbai and Pune, were delayed at Devi Ahilya Bai Holkar Airport here on Saturday. Six of the delayed flights belonged to Jet Airways while two of them were operated by Air India.

Drones must follow air traffic rules, says IATA

Mumbai: In view of safety risks posed by drones to aircraft, the International Air Transport Association (IATA) has said air traffic rules should be followed by drones operating in the same airspace as manned aircraft.
In India, drones were banned by the directorate general of civil aviation in 2014. The ban will stay in place till the time the regulator formulates rules and regulations for civil use of drones or unmanned aircraft systems (UAS). While the Indian regulator is yet to issue norms on their usage, other countries, like the US, where drones are not banned, have started taking steps to monitor their numbers and usage.

BIAL greets its 100 millionth passenger

Bengaluru: Bangalore International Airport Limited (BIAL) greeted its 100 millionth passenger at the Kempegowda International Airport Bengaluru (KIA) on Friday, thereby reaching another historic milestone in less than eight years of operations.

Passengers stuck at airport sans luggage

Chandigarh: Around 40 passengers travelling by Air India remained stuck at the Chandigarh international airport for around six hours as the flight landed from Delhi without their luggage.
After long hours of enquiry and harassment at the airport, the passengers heaved a sigh of relief in the evening when their luggage was brought from Delhi on another airline.

Ethiopian Airlines to launch additional flight from Delhi

African carrier Ethiopian Airlines will start an additional daily flight from the national capital to Addis Ababa, taking the total number of departures from the country to 28 per week.

Besides, the airline is looking to start operations from Chennai or Bengaluru in the near future, a senior official said today.

Air Costa adds third aircraft to its fleet

Vijayawada: Air Costa has added its third Embraer 190 aircraft (110-seater) registered VT LPB to its fleet which started operating from Thursday from Gannavaram airport in Vijayawada. The flight connects the destinations Vijayawada – Bengaluru – Coimbatore – Hyderabad – Coimbatore – Bengaluru – Vijayawada.

Amar Abrol Aims To Take AirAsia India To New Heights

Low-cost airline AirAsia India's new chief executive officer Amar Abrol, a chartered accountant having over 20 years of experience, has been a key aide to AirAsia Group CEO Tony Fernandes.

Abrol will succeed Mittu Chandilya, who led the carrier since its inception for the past three years, with effect from April 1.

Panic over inability to track jets at T2

Mumbai: Mumbai's air traffic controllers have raised serious safety concerns over use of aircraft parking bays in T2's south-east end, which is not covered by surveillance systems and where radio communication with pilots is patchy — factors that make monitoring of plane movements difficult.

The Air Traffic Controllers' Guild has listed the problems, which could cause flight delays, in a letter to the Airports Authority of India (AAI).

Panic over inability to track jets at T2

Mumbai: Mumbai's air traffic controllers have raised serious safety concerns over use of aircraft parking bays in T2's south-east end, which is not covered by surveillance systems and where radio communication with pilots is patchy — factors that make monitoring of plane movements difficult.

The Air Traffic Controllers' Guild has listed the problems, which could cause flight delays, in a letter to the Airports Authority of India (AAI).

FICCI pitches for 100% FDI in aviation sector

Hyderabad: India should go for 100% FDI in airlines sector to realise the full potential of the country’s aviation industry, a joint report of FICCI-KPMG has suggested.
The report was released yesterday at the ongoing India Aviation show 2016 here. Noting the rapid growth that Indian civil aviation sector has been witnessing over the past few years, the report pitched for open sky policy and urged the government to finalise the civil aviation policy at the earliest to resolve the vexed issue of international flying norms for local carriers.

Tirupati airport to get international tag

Amaravati: The Central government has taken steps to give international airport status to the Tirupati airport. As a part of this process, the Central government directed the AP state home department to take up responsibility of immigration in the airport. The police officials set up office in the airport to check documents relating to immigration of the foreign nationals.

At 20.3%, India's domestic aviation market grew the fastest last year

With 81 million trips, India's domestic aviation market grew at over 20.3% during January-December 2015, making it the highest growth rate recorded in the world, said a study released by Ficci-KPMG as part of 'India Aviation Report 2016' report.

Indian airlines look to smaller planes

Hyderabad: Indian airlines are in talks with ATR, Bombardier and Embraer to buy smaller planes to fly to the country's booming second and third tier cities ahead of a government drive to get more of the country connected by air.

National carrier Air India plans to add 40 new planes to its domestic fleet by the end of 2017, of which 13 will be smaller turboprop planes for regional connections, its chairman Ashwani Lohani told Reuters on Friday.

Plane on a parachute!

Is it a parachute? Hold on, is it a plane hanging onto the parachute? It’s a special five-seater small executive aircraft that comes with an inbuilt parachute facility which can carry the entire frame in case of an emergency!

Cirrus aircraft to make flying affordable

Cirrus India foresees huge demand for its aircraft which they say is a certified plane with parachute and has vowed to make flying more affordable.

Honeywell, Jet Airways sign Boeing 777 maintenance contract

Hyderabad: Honeywell Aerospace has been selected by Jet Airways to provide maintenance services for Auxiliary Power Units (APUs) on board its fleet of 10 Boeing 777 airplanes.
The five-year agreement will help Jet Airways better predict and manage maintenance cycles, allowing the India-based airline to reduce unscheduled downtime and improve reliability of its fleets.

Qatar Airways showcases ultra modern A350 at India Aviation 2016

Hyderabad: - Qatar Airways marked its return to the India Aviation International Exhibition and Conference with the display of its A350 new-generation aircraft for medium- to long-haul operations. Making its first public appearance in India, the ultra-modern aircraft grabbed attention from visitors and VIPs with its custom-designed interiors and innovative design.

The Honourable President of India, Shri Pranab Mukherjee, inaugurated the fifth edition of India Aviation, the country’s largest exhibition and conference on civil aviation, being held in Hyderabad from March 16 to 20. Also present on the occasion was Shri Ashok Gajapathi Raju Pusapati, Indian Union Minister for Civil Aviation.

FlyDubai lists numbers to call for crash info

Moscow: FlyDubai, the budget carrier whose plane has crashed in Russia, is offering phone numbers for those affected by the disaster to call.

The Dubai-based airline says those worried about their loved ones could call + 44 203 4508 853 or +971 4 293 4100.

Rostov plane crash: FlyDubai Boeing-737 crashes in Russia because of storm winds

The Boeing-737 passenger plane crashed during landing at the airport of Rostov-on-Don in Russia, TASS reports citing sources at emergency services.

The tragedy occurred when the aircraft was landing. The jetliner of FlyDubai airline crashed some 253 meters from the runway. The plane fell to the ground at an angle, scattering bodies of passengers and fragments of the airplane on the area of about 150 meters.

There were 55 passengers and seven crew members, including foreigners, on board. The crash left no survivors.

UAE, US, French Experts to Join FlyDubai Plane Crash Probe in Russia

Moscow: The Interstate Aviation Committee (IAC) has proceeded with the investigation into the deadly crash of the FlyDubai Boeing 737-800 in Russia's Rostov-on-Don; it will soon be joined by experts from the United Arab Emirates, the United States and France, IAC said in a statement.

Second Flight Data Recorder Found at FlyDubai Boeing Crash Site in Russia

Specialists have found the second flight data recorder at the crash site of the FlyDubai Boeing in Rostov-on-Don.

"The second black box was found at 12:10 p.m. Moscow time," a source in the Russian Emergencies Ministry told RIA Novosti.

FlyDubai crash: External Affairs Ministry names Indian passengers

Moscow: At least 62 people including two Indian nationals were killed on Saturday when a passenger jet crashed while attempting to land in Russia's Rostov-on-Don city, media reports said.

The FlyDubai Boeing 737-800, coming from Dubai, missed the runway as it attempted to land at 3.50 a.m.

Ministry of External Affairs spokesman Vikas Swarup said the two Indians that appear on a list put out by the Russian authorities are Anju Kathirvel Aiyappan and Mohan Shyam.

According to Flydubai -- an Emirati budget airline with a new fleet of planes that started flying in mid-2009 -- the jet was carrying 55 passengers -- 33 women, 18 men, four children -- and seven crew members, CNN reported.

"The nationalities of the deceased passengers include 44 Russians, eight Ukrainians, two Indians and one Uzbekistani," it said.

Flydubai CEO Ghaith Al Ghaith said: "We don't yet know all the details of the accident but we are working closely with the authorities to establish the cause. We are making every effort to care for those affected and will provide assistance to the loved ones of those on board."

The airport will remain closed until Sunday, and medics and psychologists are on standby to assist family members, the emergencies ministry said.

About 700 people are involved in the rescue operation. The crash site is 243 metres from the airport runway, it said.

New aviation policy: Small towns to give big boost

The government’s new aviation policy appears to have become successful even before it was formally announced, as small airlines and small aircraft manufacturers believe in its positive impact on the Indian aviation. “Air travel is biggest booster to the economy.

Malaysia hopes to boost air services ops to India

Malaysia hopes to increase air service operations to India and has begun discussions to expand seat allocation to 40,000 seats per week, said Transport Minister Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai.

In a statement, he said under the present air service agreement between both countries, Malaysia was allocated 20,000 seats per week.

“As our airlines have fully utilised this seat allocation, we have commenced discussions with India to expand the current allocation by an additional 20,000 seats per week,” Liow said.

Online petition demands website for city airport

The expanded Chennai airport may have snazzy steel and glass terminals but is yet to have a proper website where passengers can access live information on flights and other amenities.
An online petition started at change.org three months ago by a passenger now has around 62 signatures addressed to the Airports Authority of India (AAI) board.

HC questions delay in making airport fully functional

The Punjab and Haryana High Court today questioned the delay in making the Chandigarh international airport fully functional after spending Rs 1,400 crore. Mincing no words, the Bench headed by Justice SS Saron verbally observed that the delay amounted to misutilisation of funds.

We are in a better shape than competition: Dinesh Keskar

India's low-cost domestic airline IndiGo has opted to purchase its aircraft from Airbus, but its rival Boeing's Senior Vice-President (Sales) for Asia Pacific and India Dinesh Keskar is upbeat about the India market. In an interview with Arindam Majumder, he said Boeing was in a better shape than the competition. Edited excerpts:

The aviation policy is likely to be out soon. It might allow more planes to fly to international destinations. How do you think this would affect Boeing?

200% increase in fares: Flyers hit out at airlines

Few days of downpour in Kashmir—coupled with hiccups in traffic movement on the Srinagar-Jammu highway—have again resulted in manifold increase in airfares to the state’s summer capital, with air travel from New Delhi to Srinagar costing around Rs 12,000 to Rs 20,000 per-head.

As per the data, the air fare in the Delhi-Srinagar sector—before the weather turned inclement in the Valley—was around Rs 3,000 to Rs 7,000 per-head. And this has—for the past few days—seen a 200 percent jump, giving tough time to intending flyers on the Srinagar-Delhi sector.

Mumbai: Glitches in display continue to plague Jet Airways at T2

Jet Airways’ troubles are far from over. Within just a day of 15 passengers missing flights and confusion nixing its smooth transition of its domestic operations from the new terminal 2 (T2) of the Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport, four of its flights were on Wednesday delayed due to glitches with display boards.

Air India passengers stranded in Hyderabad

Passengers of an Air India flight from Dubai to Vishakhapatnam via Hyderabad were put to severe inconvenience at the Rajiv Gandhi Inter-national Airport at Shamshabad here.

The flight developed a technical snag after landing at Hyderabad and could not take off for Vizag in the morning.There were 55 passengers bound for Vizag. While some of them were provided taxis, others waited for a flight to be arranged after 4 pm.

Air India confirms A320neo lease deal with ALAFCO

Air India(AI, Mumbai Int'l) has signed an agreement with Kuwait's Aviation Lease and Finance Company (ALAFCO) for the lease of fourteen A320neo.

Domestic aviation market grew 20% in 2015: report

With 81 million trips, India’s domestic aviation market grew 20.3 per cent in calendar 2015, compared to the previous year, according to the FICCI-KPMG India Aviation Report.

The report, which was released by Civil Aviation Minister P Ashok Gajapathi Raju on the second day of the India Aviation Show 2016 here on Thursday, also predicted that India is on its way to become the third largest aviation market by 2020.

Air India signs pact for leasing 14 Airbus A320neo aircraft

Air India on Wednesday signed an agreement for leasing 14 Airbus A320neo aircraft with ALAFCO, a Kuwait-based leasing company. The delivery of aircraft is likely to start from early next year. The agreement was signed on the inaugural day of India Aviation 2016, the country’s largest aviation conference and exhibition.
Air India CMD Ashwani Lohani and ALAFCO vice chairman and CEO Ahmad Al Zabin signed the agreement.

Gujarat to set up MRO facility at Ankleshwar

The Gujarat State Aviation Infrastructure Company Limited (GUJSAIL) has proposed to set up an MRO (Maintenance, Repair & Overhaul) facility at Ankleshwar, with an initial budgetary allocation of Rs. 20 crore, said Director-Civil Aviation of Gujarat, Capt. Ajay Chauhan.

Gulf trio fly high at India Aviation 2016

More than 200 major participants from over 25 countries are attending the Hyderabad show, with a total of 29 aircraft on display. And Emirates, Etihad Airways and Qatar Airways are all participating in the event, showcasing their latest aircraft.

Etihad Airways leading international airline at India Aviation 2016 in Hyderabad

United Arab Emirates - Etihad Airways, one of the world’s fastest growing airlines, is supporting India Aviation 2016 this week welcoming Indian and foreign dignitaries to its two aircraft on static display at the air show being held in Hyderabad.

The airline’s state-of-the-art Boeing 787, one of the Abu Dhabi-based carrier’s five Dreamliners, is joined by its fifth and newest Boeing 777 freighter delivered direct from the aircraft manufacturer.

AirAsia India gets new CFO, commercial head

Mumbai: AirAsia India has appointed a new chief financial officer (CFO) and commercial head as it prepares to expand operations, the airline’s group chief executive officer (CEO) Tony Fernandes said on Wednesday. However, there would be no change in CEO, Fernandes added.

Airbus sees demand for over 1,600 planes in India

Hyderabad: Indian carriers will require 1,610 aircraft over next twenty years, European plane maker Airbus announced today in its India market forecast at Hyderabad.

This will include 1,230 single aisle narrow body aircraft and 380 wide body passenger and freighter aircraft. In its market forecast in 2014 Airbus had estimated India would require 1,300-odd planes.

Survey reveals that 74% of Indian fliers avoid baggage fees

New Delhi: A whopping 74% fliers in India would avoid baggage fees at all cost making them the highest in the world, shows a survey termed Passenger Preferences Index conducted by travel portal Expedia.

Bomb scare at Delhi’s IGI airport: Bhubaneswar, Kathmandu flights evacuated

New Delhi: Two flights bound for Nepal and Bhubaneswar were on Thursday grounded just before taking off after security agencies were alerted of a bomb threat call on the two airliners at the Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA) here.

Tyre burst at Mumbai airport: Aircraft among oldest in Air India fleet

Mumbai: The Air India aircraft whose two tyres burst on landing at Mumbai airport on Tuesday night, is among the oldest in the airline's fleet, being over 20 years old.
The aircraft, Airbus A320-200 (registration VT-ESL), belongs to that era of A320 aircraft that have four wheels in each of the two main undercarriage assembly.

Qatar Airways still keen on buying stake in Indigo

Years have passed, but Qatar Airways continues to long for IndiGo.

The national carrier of Qatar on Wednesday restated its long-standing desire to buy a stake in India’s largest and most profitable airline, which has rebuffed the offer right from the beginning.

Qatar Airways group chief executive of Akbar Al Baker said his airline could not invest in IndiGo’s initial public offer (IPO) owing to government regulations and lack of sufficient time for Qatar’s sovereign funds to buy IndiGo shares.