New Arrival Hall to open soon at Jammu Airport

Jammu: Airport Authority of India (AAI) may soon open New Arrival Hall of Jammu Airport under its ongoing modernization and expansion project.
Sources said that construction work of New Arrival Hall is almost complete and its trial was also conducted on Friday evening by throwing it open for the passengers.
They added, earlier, under the Jammu Airport Terminal Building Expansion Project, a ticketing counter at the airport for people to provide them much needed ticket booking facilities without going through the hassles of security checks, was inaugurated on May 16 this year.

International courier operations set to take off at Tiruchi airport

Tiruchi: The much-awaited international courier operations at the fast-growing Tiruchi international airport is poised to take off soon marking another milestone for this non-metro airport.

The Central Board of Excise and Customs (CBEC) has sanctioned 36 posts on “cost recovery basis” for providing international courier service at Tiruchi airport which is witnessing a robust growth in the export of general cargo to several overseas destinations. Customs sources told The Hindu that the approval for new posts for starting the international courier operations came recently from the CBEC — an apex body in the Ministry of Finance for administering levy and collection of indirect taxes and facilitating cross border movement of goods and services.

Spice Jet closes another flight from Kangra

For the lack for passengers airline company SpiceJet is closing its one flight from Gaggal – Kangra airport. It will be in-effect from Saturday.

Air India to give vacant seats to waitlisted Rajdhani passengers

Air India is charting an ambitious plan to connect more number of small towns, which is one of the pillars of the new aviation policy, and has initiated the process to identify which aircraft will fit the bill best, the flag carrier's chairman has said.

"Our prime focus is to increase regional connectivity. We will try to connect as many places as possible," Air India Chairman and Managing Director Ashwin Lohani told IANS in an interview at its headquarters Airlines House here.

Air India to begin non-stop flight to London

Ahmedabad: Beginning this Independence Day, people flying from Ahmedabad to London and Newark will get freedom from long and roundabout transit flights. Air India is going to fly non-stop from Ahmedabad to London Heathrow and the same aircraft will fly on to Newark, an airport in New Jersey that is in New York metropolitan area. The flights will begin from August 15 .

Airlines ‘should be left free to fly’ when and where they want

Global consultancy firm KPMG has for long been advocating a clear and transparent policy on civil aviation in the country and had also sent its recommendations to the ministry while the National Civil Aviation Policy (NCAP) was being drafted. In an e-mail interview with BusinessLine, Amber Dubey, Partner and India Head of Aerospace and Defence at KPMG, shared his views on the new policy, and whether it will work in the long run.


The controversial 5/20 rule has been dropped but one part of it has been retained. Do you think the policy should have completely done away with the norm itself?The change in 5/20 is cosmetic. Though it is termed 0/20 it is effectively 3/20 since any new airline will take at least three-four years to build a fleet of 20 aircraft.

Begumpet airport likely to be reopened

Hyderabad: Following approval of proposal by the cabinet, made by Union Minister of aviation, there are chances that Begumpet Airport will be revived. Reopening of Begumpet airport or operation of local flights was prevented saying that more than one airport within the distance of 150 kms is against Airport Aviation Policy. Union cabinet has amended Civil Aviation Policy a couple of days ago and as per the new policy announced, there is provision for more than one airport within the distance of 100 kms.

BAPL says two scheduled airlines agree to connect Durgapur

Kolkata: Bengal Aerotropolis Projects Limited (BAPL) today claimed that two private scheduled airlines have agreed in principal to operate from Durgapur airport but terms are being negotiated and along with it they are engaged into dispute resolution with Air India for withdrawing flight on the Kolkata-Durgapur-Delhi sector.

"Two private scheduled airline operators have agreed in principal to connect Durgapur, but terms are still being negotiated. An agreement is expected to be signed shortly as dialouge is in advanced stage," the airport operator BAPL managing director Partha Ghosh told PTI.

Air Kerala at a crossroads

Can Kerala which operationalised the country’s first greenfield airport on the PPP model pull off another coup of sorts — with India’s first crowd-funded, State-run international airline?

The fate of Air Kerala, the airline start-up hoped to provide Non-Resident Keralites (NoRKs) better and more affordable connectivity to the Middle East, may be at a crossroads after the new civil aviation policy reiterated that any airline operating to international sectors must have a minimum of 20 aircraft, which translates to a hugely expensive inventory.

No State in the country has attempted to float an airline yet. But V.J. Kurien, Additional Chief Secretary (Aviation) and Managing Director, Cochin International Airport Ltd (CIAL), says Air Kerala can still take off if a “mass-based company” with five lakh shareholders is set up.

The option of launching it as a domestic carrier has been effectively foreclosed. The five-member board of Air Kerala that met last year had deferred the decision to commence domestic flight operations till a “clear picture” emerged on the move to amend the ‘5/20’ rule.

City airport officials await clarity on capping of fare

Chandigarh: Though the National Civil Aviation Policy 2016 announced yesterday capped fares at Rs 2,500 for one-hour flights, the airport authorities here are not sure if it will be applicable to their facility or not.
Flights from Chandigarh to Delhi and Srinagar and vice-versa fall under this category. Officials here are awaiting clarity on the announcement from the Civil Aviation Ministry. The policy is to come into effect from the second half of 2016-17.

For a fare flying field

The new Civil Aviation Policy proposes a new scheme for regional connectivity to put tier-II and tier-III cities on the aviation map. Whether it will take flying to the masses or not only time will tell.
Flying should not be a rich man's preserve, neither should it be exclusive to those Indians who happen to be residing in large metros or state capitals. India has a teeming middle class of nearly 27 crore people according to NCAER but domestic air ticketing was just about eight crore last year. Getting every Indian to fly to a domestic destination at least once in her lifetime seems to be the core principle of the Civil Aviation Policy unveiled recently.
It proposes an ambitious Regional Connectivity Scheme (RCS) which needs active involvement of state governments, hand holding by the Centre and of course, willingness on the part of airlines to mount flights to small, tier-II and tier-III cities which are currently not on the aviation map.

India’s New Civil Aviation Policy Opens Up World’s Fastest-Growing Airline Market

India, currently the world’s ninth-largest market for airlines, announced a new aviation policy Wednesday, a move that is likely to bring cheer to foreign airlines looking to enter the lucrative market. Among other things, the new rules ease requirements for airlines to fly international routes and the policy envisages increasing the domestic network significantly in the next three years.

Earlier rules, formulated in 2004, required airlines to have at least 20 operational aircraft in their fleet and fly domestic routes for a minimum of five years before they could be granted permission to fly international. Now, airlines need to fly 20 planes or 20 percent of their total capacity, whichever is higher, on domestic routes to fly outside the country.

Aviation policy: Airlines sulk over 5/20 dilution, flyers will have to shell out more

New Delhi: It has been almost 48 hours since the New Civil Aviation Policy was cleared by the Cabinet but the incumbent airlines have maintained a deafening silence over its pronouncements. The dilution of the 5/20 rule, which now allows any new airline to begin international operations as soon as it has a fleet of 20 aircraft without waiting for five years, is surely a key irritant for IndiGo, SpiceJet, Jet Airways and GoAir. These airlines have never kept their vehement opposition to any change in the 5/20 rule a secret and have, in fact, lobbied hard against any change under the aegis of the Federation of Indian Airlines (FIA).

Cap on regional air fares welcome, but Rs 2,500 isn't low: Tourism industry

New Delhi: The maximum, all-inclusive air fare of Rs 2,500 proposed in the new aviation policy for travel up to one hour or around 600 km is welcome for promoting regional connectivity. But it isn't really low, going by existing tariff of carriers, analysts feel.

For a person who intends to travel, for example, on July 15 from NEW DELHI to Lucknow -- which is around 550 km away and appears within the coverage -- the cheapest all-inclusive fare that shows up is Rs 1,653. And this, not for a budget carrier, but for a full-service one like Air India.

Modi’s Civil Aviation Policy: An Anticlimactic Ending to the Controversial 5/20 Rule

New Delhi: Nearly every aviation industry trade and analyst group ranks India as one of the fastest growing markets in the world. And yet, there is no country on the planet that better typifies Virgin Airlines owner Richard Branson’s infamous joke: “What’s the quickest way to become a millionaire? Start off as a billionaire and get into the airline business.”

On Wednesday though, Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government kicked off the first of a much-awaited series of reforms that experts and airlines say will fix regulatory imbalances and hopefully construct a level-playing field that will lead to greater overall industry profitability. 

Airlines free to change N-E flights

New Delhi: Airlines will be free to withdraw or change flights to and within north-eastern states, island territories and Ladakh as per their business requirements, according to the new civil aviation policy of the government.

The move might come as a big relief to airlines that may re-deploy its planes to profitable or viable routes.

'Capping air fares on regional routes negative for airlines'

New Delhi: The new civil aviation policy has an integrated approach to take flying to the masses, but the move to cap fares for one-hour flights on unserved regional routes at Rs 2,500 is likely to be a negative for airline companies, says a report.
Crisil Research today also said the 5/20 rule that barred new airlines from flying abroad has been replaced with the 0/20 norm that "levels the field".
As per the 5/20 rule, only domestic airlines with at least five years of operational experience and a minimum of 20 planes were allowed to fly overseas.

With small towns in focus, Air India eyes suitable planes: Chairman

Air India is charting an ambitious plan to connect more number of small towns, which is one of the pillars of the new aviation policy, and has initiated the process to identify which aircraft will fit the bill best, the flag carrier's chairman has said.

"Our prime focus is to increase regional connectivity. We will try to connect as many places as possible," Air India Chairman and Managing Director Ashwin Lohani told IANS in an interview at its headquarters Airlines House here.

"In the recent past, for example, we started around 10-12 direct flight connections between our hub at the airport here (Indira Gandhi International Airport) to Tier I and II cities. They are doing well," Lohani said, adding a similar move is underway from regional hubs to smaller towns.

Expect AirAsia India, Vistara To Start Overseas Flights Next Year: Rajan Mehra

After the recent change in aviation rules, Vistara and AirAsia India could start international services in a year, said Rajan Mehra, MD for India & South Asia at iJets.

The government on Wednesday approved the long-pending National Civil Aviation Policy. Under the new policy, domestic carriers will no longer have to operate for five years before they fly on overseas routes, earlier known as 5/20, provided they deploy 20 planes or 20 per cent of their total capacity for domestic operations.

Regional connectivity plan does not cover all routes

New Delhi: The new civil aviation policy aims to cap the fare for a one-hour flight to around Rs 2,500 under the Regional Connectivity Scheme (RCS), but all such journeys will not come under the ambit.

The Ministry of Civil Aviation will be enforcing the upper limit on fares on routes selected under the scheme only after the state concerned, too, shows interest. The cap on fares for a 30-minute journey could be Rs 1,250 and for a 45-minute journey around Rs 1,800.

Govt wants new players to fly on regional routes

New Delhi: The government is considering allowing non-scheduled operators (NSOP) to fly on regional routes. This, the government believes, will give the proposed Regional Connectivity Scheme (RCS) a fillip.

NSOPs expressed interest in flying on regional routes at a recent a meeting with Civil Aviation Secretary Rajiv Nayan Choubey. “The idea is to allow an NSOP to convert into a scheduled commuter operator so that they also can operate on those routes,” said a civil aviation ministry official.

According to the official, the ministry will set minimum flying hours for each aircraft of NSOPs for them to convert to a scheduled operator.

Tourism dept to vend air tickets to UP destinations

Lucknow: Soon, if you want t fly to tourist destinations like Agra, Varanasi or Kushinagar from Lucknow, you may have to buy ticket from UP Tourism department. To provide wings to its plan to start intra-state air service in the state, the government is all set to introduce a system in which it will sell tickets directly to flyers after having already paid per-hour charges to service providers.

Now, book air taxi from Sahnewal

Ludhiana: In a first for Punjab, a newly launched start-up venture is offering luxury air travel from Sahnewal to the rest of the world.
Angad Dhaliwal, Head of Business Development of the start- up company Jet Smart, said the concept will cater to the rising demand of residents who complain that despite having a domestic airport, Ludhiana has no air connect with the rest of the country.

Trinamool Fumes After Air India Decision To Withdraw Flights To Durgapur

Kolkata: On the day the NDA Government announced its new civil aviation policy to boost connectivity to smaller cities across India, Air India withdrew flights to Durgapur in West Bengal due to operational reasons.

Built at a cost of Rs. 600 crore the brand-new Durgapur Airport saw the last Air India flight fly out on Wednesday just a year after its inauguration. The move comes as a huge blow to West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's plans to rejuvenate industry in the region. Local industry bodies are worried too.

Odisha: Indigo flight withdrawn for maintenance after bird hit

An Indigo aircraft on a flight from Kolkata to Bhubaneswar, which landed at the Biju Patnaik International Airport after suffering a bird hit, was withdrawn for maintenance, the airline said.
“On arrival at Bhubaneswar, it was observed that 6E-293 from Kolkata to Bhubaneswar had suffered a bird strike,” a statement from the airline said.

Adampur, India to open to civilian flights

The Indian government has engaged Air India (AI, Mumbai Int'l) over the proposed launch of scheduled passenger flights to the Indian Air Force (Delhi Int'l) air base of Adampur, located in northern Punjab, just 97 kilometres from the Pakistani frontier.

The Times of India reports talks between the sides will reconvene next month with a formal decision expected thereafter. The IAF recently granted its consent to the use of the base for civilian flights.

Surat hopes for more flights under new aviation policy

Surat: With the Centre announcing fresh incentives to increase regional air connectivity, flyers in the Diamond City are hoping for better days ahead.
Though many connected with airport groups are sceptical on whether the new aviation policy will provide a fillip to the Diamond City's aviation scenario, the fare cap of Rs 2,500 for one hour distance and Rs 1,200 for half an hour flight distance have caught the interest of many.

India's air traffic set to increase by 14%, to push industry growth

With an estimated 14 percent increase in air traffic, India's domestic aviation industry is poised for strong growth, reported Press Trust of India. Citing a report by ICICI Securities, the report added that the growth is particularly driven by a positive outlook for crude prices.

On the flip side, it noted that the growth wasn't sufficient given that in the past 16 years passenger traffic has surged between 18-20 percent a year on an average.

AI makes Bhopal airport ATR 'base'

Bhopal: Five years after a new terminal came up at Raja Bhoj airport, it is now attracting eyeballs of airlines brass for its locational advantages. In a first big step for an airport with few flights, Air India (AI) has made a base for an ATR - 72-seater (a twin-engine turboprop short haul) plane, which has made the airport its parking station. The air carrier has other plans of expanding Bhopal's connectivity with Ahmedabad and Bangalore.

Flying across south to be a breeze

Chennai: The new civil aviation policy will boost flying between smaller cities in the southern region. Besides sending fares down, it is likely to open the skies to new regional carriers connecting Chennai with small airports in the south.
The Rs2,500 cap will benefit flyers in the south where 11 airports are located within one hour to one-and-a-half hours flying distance from one another. The proposal to revive airstrips or airports as no-frills airports at Rs50crore to Rs100crore in association with the state governments will see development of Salem, Puducherry, Vellore, Tuticorin with regional airlines.

New aviation policy has flyers jumping in the air

Lucknow: The new aviation policy cleared by the Centre has flyers in the city in high spirits. Take the case of Akash Kumar, a lawyer at a private company, who's family is based in Delhi. "I feel like a direct beneficiary of a welfare scheme after hearing about government's decision to keep air fares below Rs 2,500, for destinations that are an hour apart," he said.
Akash says that earlier visiting his family every week was not possible as the cost of air travel proved to be costly and train tickets were not available all the time. Sometimes he had to postpone his plans because of delayed train timings.

New aviation policy to usher in no frills airports

ew Delhi: The cabinet on Wednesday approved the civil aviation policy that allows development of greenfield airports within 150 km radius of an existing Airport Authority of India (AAI) airport.
However, the policy provides for ‘suitable compensation’ to the state-run airport operator if its airport is not fully saturated.
“Airport Authority of India (AAI) will continue to develop and modernise its airports and upgrade quality of services. AAI will be suitably compensated in case a new greenfield airport is approved in future within 150 km radius of an existing operational AAI airport which is not yet saturated,” the government said in a statement.

New aviation policy: Now, just fly, forget Indian Railways

New Delhi: Consumers hailing from smaller towns and cities hitherto unconnected by flight have something to look forward to as they may soon get to fly more often and at affordable rates. The civil aviation policy has unveiled a regional connectivity scheme (RCS) that aims to connect smaller towns and cities to the main hubs and has capped the fare at Rs 2,500 per passenger for one-hour flights on the RCS routes that include unserved airports.
To implement this policy, the government plans to revive 160 airports and airstrips each at a cost of Rs 50-100 crore.
What this means is that while there would not be any change in fare for a Delhi-Chandigarh flight, for a destination not connected by air from Delhi today that gets connected tomorrow and can be reached in an hour, the fare would be capped at Rs 2,500 per passenger.

Vistara, AirAsia India plan to roll out more aircraft after aviation policy takeoff

Singapore: Vistara and AirAsia India, airline ventures of India's biggest conglomerate Tata Group, aim to boost their fleet sizes to 20 planes within a year and launch international services after the country overhauled aviation rules, two people familiar with their strategy said.
The government revised on Wednesday its so-called '5/20' policy, removing a restriction that domestic carriers have to operate for five years before they can fly abroad. They must, however, still deploy 20 aircraft or 20 percent of total capacity in India, whichever is higher.

New aviation policy: AirAsia India, Vistara to benefit from 0/20 rule

The aviation sector is in for an overhaul and consumers are set to become the biggest beneficiaries of the civil aviation policy announced by the government on Wednesday.
The Cabinet has cleared the new civil aviation policy which will cap fares for passengers and introduce a new rule for airlines looking to expand operations abroad.
Vistara  Airlines, a joint venture between the Singapore Airlines and the Tata Group and AirAsia India are the top beneficiaries of the new 0/20 rule announced in the policy.

IndiGo flight grounded at Bhubaneswar due to technical snag

Bhubanesar: A Kolkata-Bhubaneswar-Mumbai IndiGo flight with 178 passengers and crew members was today grounded at the Biju Patnaik International Airport here due to technical problems.

Airport Director R Mahalingam said some technical problem was detected in the aircraft after the flight landed at the airport here and its onward journey was cancelled.

Jet Airways flight returns as smoke engulfs cabin

Bengaluru: Fuelling high drama in the skies, smoke from a burning engine filled the cabin of a Mangaluru-bound Jet Airways flight soon after take-off from Kempegowda International Airport (KIA) on Wednesday.

As passengers panicked mid-air, the flight returned for an emergency landing. Five of the 65 passengers suffered minor injuries.

The smoke was noticed barely 10 minutes after the Jet Airways flight 9W 2839 took off. Before it returned, a full emergency was declared at KIA to facilitate priority landing. The airport was closed for all other operations between 10.20 am and 10.51 am. All passengers and four crew members were immediately evacuated.

Solar power to help city airport save 1 lakh units every month

Ahmedabad: The city airport is set to enter a power-saving mode. In a bid to bring down operational expenses by saving on power costs, Airports Authority of India (AAI) has installed solar panels on the roof of the domestic terminal at Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel international airport.
According to AAI officials, the electricity generation capacity of the solar panels installed is 750 kilowatt (KW) per panel. "The monthly power consumption of Ahmedabad airport is 22 lakh units. These solar panels will help save around 1 lakh units per month," said a senior AAI official.

Speedwings bags IATA’s “Premier Circle Member-2016” Best Performer Worldwide award

Mumbai: The Speedwings Aviation Academy received the IATA “Premier Circle Member-2016” Best Performer Worldwide award by IATA, Canada on the criteria of quality, dedication, innovation, achievements and impact potential. Speedwings is the only IATA ATS (Accredited Training School) and ATC (Authorised Training Center) in India to receive this award, stated a release.

Thai Airways to recruit flight attendants on short-term contracts

Thai Airways International plans to recruit up to 600 new graduates as flight attendants to serve its network expansion ahead of the high season, which includes returning to Moscow and adding other destinations.

THAI president Charamporn Jotikasthira said yesterday that the airline aimed to hire qualified persons aged 24-30, or "first jobbers".

They will be working under a three-year contact plus a three-year extension. The contact will end when they reach 30, meaning that applicants' ages will be 24-27.

Employing young people or first-jobbers is the new trend in aviation. This has already happened at many other airlines, but it will be the first time for Thai Airways.

Mehbooba flags-off evening flight from Srinagar

Srinagar:  In a significant development which would go a long way in boosting tourism and help expansion of economic activity in J and K, Chief Minister, Mehbooba Mufti on Wednesday flagged off maiden evening flight from Srinagar International Airport.

Southeast Asia airlines look to India

Major airlines and tourism authorities are eager to cash in on the India market after that country’s government unveiled an open-skies policy to allow more airlines operate into and out of India.

Thai Airways International, Singapore Airlines and AirAsia are expected to benefit from the policy in one of the world's fastest-growing markets.

Narongchai Wongthanavimok, chief financial officer at THAI, said the airline was considering a network expansion or increasing frequencies for India routes. However, it is more likely to increase the number of flights rather than opening new routes.

Barcodes on tickets mulled to check entering IGI illegally

New Delhi: People entering IGI Airport on fake tickets has become a serious problem. The Bureau of Civil Aviation Security has been working with the airlines to get a barcode on all air tickets for authenticity check.
On Tuesday , two people were arrested when they entered Terminal 3 by producing a cancelled Delhi-Hong Kong ticket. They were caught while exiting the terminal and it was revealed that they had entered to see off their sister.

AirAsia official airline partner for Rajinikanth's Kabali

Chennai: Low-cost carrier AirAsia has signed an agreement to be the airline partner for Rajinikanth's upcoming movie Kabali. AirAsia will also have customised inflight menu and inflight merchandise related to the movie.
Amar Abrol, CEO, AirAsia India said, "Kabali has already generated so much buzz even before the release of the movie - the delight and celebration is only going to get better with all the action being planned around the release of the movie.

Evening Flights Start From Srinagar Airport

Srinagar: The first evening flight of GoAir was on Wednesday flagged off by Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti from Srinagar International Airport. (File photo)
SRINAGAR:  Now travellers can take an evening flight from Srinagar to Delhi, with the norms being relaxed in this regards.

The first evening flight of GoAir was on Wednesday flagged off by Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti from Srinagar International Airport, marking a significant development which is expected to go a long way in boosting tourism and help expansion of economic activity in the state.

AI to take up review of easing security norms at Srinagar Airport

Srinagar: “Srinagar airport is super sensitive airport security wise, we understand that the people face inconvenience,” said Sharad Kumar adding that the AAI Srinagar would also the BCAS to review the security ratings.
Director, Airport Authority of India (Srinagar), Sharad Kumar today said that Airport Authority would urge Bureau of Civil Aviation Security Airport to revisit the security ratings of the Srinagar airport in order to ease the movement of passengers in the aerodrome. 

India-made trainer aircraft’s inaugural flight on Friday

Bengaluru: The inaugural flight of India’s indigenous basic trainer aircraft, Hindustan Turbo Trainer-40 (HTT-40), would be undertaken here on Friday and Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar would witness it.

Now, pay Rs 1000 to advance your journey on Jet Airways

Mumbai: Mumbai: Passengers of Jet Airways can now take a flight earlier than their scheduled one by paying Rs 1000 more, a facility which comes after the government proposed a cap on ticket cancellation charges and increased compensation for denied boarding, and cancelled and delayed flights.
Domestic airlines at present charge heavy amount for rescheduling or cancelling a flight tickets. In addition, a flier is also forced to pay the difference in the ticket prices in case of a re-booking.
Under "JetAdvance" facility, the passenger will have the flexibility to change the booking to an earlier flight for a nominal fee, Jet Airways said in a statement.

Juhu airstrip expansion plans on despite opposition: AAI

Mumbai: Despite protests, the proposed extension of the Juhu airstrip on Juhu beach will be undertaken, the Airports Authority of India (AAI) has confirmed. The extension of the runway is aimed at better services for private operators at the Juhu aerodrome.

Gujarat's first green international airport ready for take off

Vadodara: Come August and people of Vadodara could fly to near-by international destinations from the city airport itself.
The city will soon get an international airport, which is touted to be the Gujarat's first and country's second 'green' airport after Chandigarh's terminal.

Low-cost carrier to bring Carnival time for Madurai-Chennai flyers

Madurai:  With travel on train and omni buses becoming expensive, passengers travelling to Chennai from the temple town can expect for a better deal in fare and travel in style instead of having to sit through the bumpy ride on roads or long hours on the train.

According to airport sources, Coimbatore-based Coimbatore Marine College (CMC) group is venturing into the aviation industry by launching a low-cost carrier (LCC) air carnival in the last week of June or the first week of July.

Jaipur Int’l Airport to have direct flights to Japan, Singapore soon

Jaipur: People of Rajasthan will be saved from travelling all the way to Delhi for boarding International flights as a number of flight operators are starting operations from Jaipur International Airport (JIA) from October.
JIA, named as one of the best airports in Asia Pacific Region, would soon have direct flights to Japan, Singapore and other countries as its runway has been upgraded to Category-E.

Air Kerala unlikely to take-off

Thiruvananthapuram: Domestic flight operations of Air Kerala, the airline start-up conceived by the government to provide Non-Resident Keralites (NoRKs) better connectivity to the West Asia at affordable fares, are unlikely to materialise in the near future.

The new Civil Aviation Policy unveiled on Wednesday removed the requirement of five years of domestic flying for starting international flight operations to the relief of some airlines. But, the 5/20 rule that had been replaced with a “level-playing field” said airlines could operate to international sectors only if they deployed 20 aircraft or 20 per cent of total capacity (in terms of average number of seats on all departures put together) for the domestic operations.

New Indian aviation policy may give wings to Air Kerala project

Dubai: The Indian government's green signal for a new civil aviation policy has once again rekindled hopes for the much-awaited Air Kerala to take off.

The Central Government on Wednesday scrapped the 5/20 clause which required an airline to have at least five years of domestic flight service experience for starting an overseas service. However, the condition that the airline must have at least 20 aircraft to launch an international service has been retained.

Easing the rule would mark an important step towards liberalising India's aviation market, the world's fastest growing. The change is expected to increase regional connectivity, boost cargo operations and make flying cheaper.

A-I’s direct flights for Jaipur, Raipur soon A-I to roll out flights schedule

Indore : Soon, city will get two more direct flights for Jaipur and Raipur. Air-India is going to connect Chhattisgarh and Rajasthan with two new direct flights and dates of commencement of both the flights would be announced soon.

The national carrier in its drive to provide more connectivity is going to launch ‘Rainbow Flights’ under ‘connect India’ policy by connecting the city of Holkars with Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh.

AI didn't inform us its decision to withdraw flight: Mamata

Kolkata: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee today said Air India did not inform the government about its decision to withdraw its flight on Kolkata-Durgapur-Delhi sector from June 17.

"We were not told of Air India's decision," she said.

Fliers to wait till July 1 for lower fee on excess baggage

New Delhi: The implementation of lower fee structure for excess checked-in baggage carried by fliers has been deferred to July 1 as airlines have sought more time to upgrade their system.
The reduced rates, which were to become effective from June 15, will now come into force from July 1, a senior DGCA official said.

Air India to discontinue flights on Kolkata-Durgapur-Delhi route

Kolkata: Six months after starting operations on the Kolkata-Durgapur-Delhi route; Air India has decided to discontinue services citing “operational reasons”. The last flight will take off on June 17.

AI had thrice a week flights – Monday, Wednesday and Friday – from the private airport at Andal in Burdwan (also called Kazi Nazrul Islam Airport), some 180 km from here.

The national carrier had launched services along the Kolkata-Andal-Kolkata route with a 44-seater ATR aircraft in May 2015. Later, in December, it extended the route to Delhi after introducing a 122-seater Airbus 319.

Air India draws flak for diversion of Amritsar-London flight

Amritsar: Air India’s decision to stop operating its Amritsar-Delhi-London (AI15/116) flight from August 15 and convert it into a direct flight between Ahmedabad to London has come under severe criticism.
Air India (AI) is already operating Ahmedabad-Bombay-London and Ahmadabad-Bombay-Newark (USA) flight. Now, the AI is adding another flight on the circuit.
Amritsar Vikas Manch (AVM), north American representative, Sameep Singh Gumtala, has flayed the proposed move of stopping Amritsar-Delhi-London (AI15/116) flight from August 15.

India Inc, stakeholders welcome new civil aviation policy

Mumbai: India Inc. and various stakeholders on Wednesday welcomed the Indian government's new civil aviation policy which will permit carriers fly abroad, promote affordable regional connectivity and boost cargo operations.
Terming it as 'outstanding', FICCI's Civil Aviation Committee co-chairman Palash Roy Chowdhury said it's a progressive policy-framework towards ensuring a safe and sustainable development of the aviation sector in India.

New aviation policy a pie in the sky, say private airlines

Mumbai: Private airlines have given thumbs down to the new civil aviation policy stating that it lacked pragmatism and would adversely impact their business.

Refusing to comment as they were yet to study the fine print private carriers said the Federation of Indian Airlines (FIA) would comment on their behalf. FIA officials, however, were not available for comment.

“This policy is very restrictive. With so many regulations in place, it has defeated the very purpose of privatisation. How can the government cap fares? If our fares are very high, then people will not fly,” said an official of a private airline, on condition of anonymity. Airline experts were equally vocal.

Flying overseas to be cheaper with new Aviation Policy

Chennai: Flying overseas could be cheaper in the days to come, thanks to the country's first Civil Aviation Policy cleared by the Cabinet on Wednesday.

The policy allows new domestic carriers like Air Asia and Vistara to fly abroad without having to fulfill the 5/20 rule, which the government has just scrapped. Until now, all domestic carriers had to finish the mandated five years of domestic operations to be eligible to fly outside India.

Vistara, AirAsia push for total abolition of 5/20 rule

New Delhi: AirAsia India and Vistara have called for complete abolition of the 5/20 rule despite the Centre’s move to ease international flying norms to increase air travel.

“We are encouraged with an established policy to promote overall growth in the aviation sector. We would like an unconditional removal of the 5/20 rule,” said Vistara CEO Phee Teik Yeoh.

'Airlines that do not add 20 aircraft quickly will get late'

After India announced its National Civil Aviation Policy, civil aviation secretary R. N. Choubey spoke to Somesh Jha about the rationale behind easing international norms for airlines, plans to connect small airports and opening up skies in a calibrated manner.

Edited excerpts:

What does the policy mean to Indian passengers?

The biggest achievement of this policy is that it has focussed on ordinary Indians and attempted to create an eco-system to enable them to start flying. Out of 125 crore Indians, 35 crore are middle-class but the number of tickets sold is only eight crore. It’s a pity that middle-class Indians with reasonable amount of disposable income are not able to fly once in four years. Our main focus has been to enable the ordinary Indian to fly. For international passengers, there are two things in the policy. We are now proposing open skies with countries beyond 5,000 km which means many more flights to those countries and much more competition. Secondly, there was a restriction of five years before an airline can start flying abroad. Now, the restriction is gone and therefore the flights can start happening immediately by airlines with 20 aircraft. Everyone is now scampering to get the biggest pie of international market. So, those airlines which don’t quickly go up to 20 aircraft and start operating may find they are late. I expect all the airlines to quickly get capacity for the international segment as well.

Air India wants its ground staff with flying licence to become pilots

Mumbai: Air India is giving its ground staff and crew a chance to become pilots with the airline, a Hindustan Times report said. Air India said it wants to give an opportunity to several of its ground staff that hold commercial pilots' licences (CPL) but were forced into other jobs due to a slowdown in the Indian aviation industry which led to an indefinite freeze on recruitment.
Many young Indian pilots were rendered jobless and were forced to take up maintenance or ground operations jobs, or even change their careers because of the slowdown in the aviation industry that was caused by the fall of Kingfisher Airlines and other domestic airlines.

AirAsia chief Tony Fernandes given OCI status; what this means for the Malaysian entrepreneur

Tony Fernandes, the founder of Air Asia, has acquired Overseas Citizenship of India (OCI). This gives the Malaysian citizen a status on par with NRIs in accessing financial and economic benefits, multiple entries into India and multi-purpose visa, aside from accruing financial and economic benefits enjoyed by the latter.

"I am also delighted to share that I have been granted the Overseas Citizenship of India status. India has always been close to my heart as my father was from this country and Goa is my ancestral homeland," Fernandes said in a statement, according to the Economic Times.

The AirAsia founder has applied for OCI in March this year.

Coimbatore biz group to launch airline

Chennai: At a time when aviation players are going through turbulent times, Coimbatore-based CMC (Coimbatore Marine College) group is venturing into the aviation industry by launching a low-cost carrier (LCC) under the brand Air Carnival. The company has stated that the airline's first flight would be ready for take off by the end of this month or early next month. To begin with, the airline will focus only the southern markets during the first one year.

The airline would focus on short haul services and deploy ATR-72-500 aircraft for the same. The promoters are infusing around $12 million and plan to take three aircraft on lease.

India's aviation policy pushes affordable, convenient flying

New Delhi: India has unveiled its long-awaited aviation policy with a roadmap to support 300 million air travellers in five years and steps to make air travel affordable and convenient. It also recasts the controversial norms on national carriers to flying abroad.
Besides sops to make India a hub for aircraft maintenance, the policy proposes an all-inclusive tariff of Rs 2,500 per ticket for each flying hour to promote regional routes and facilitate more people to travel at lower costs with incentives for airport developers, operators and carriers.
One of the most contentious rules that had split the domestic airlines was the 5/20 norm of five-year operation and a 20-aircraft fleet to qualify to fly overseas. The five-year wait is now done away with, but airlines will need 20 aircraft and fly 20 per cent on domestic routes.

India will be 3rd largest market by 2022, says Gajapathi Raju

New Delhi: Civil Aviation Minister Ashok Gajapathi Raju on Wednesday said the nation would soon emerge as the third largest civil aviation market by 2022.
Raju took to Twitter minutes after the Union Cabinet cleared the national civil aviation policy that has, in a way, seen major reforms in the aviation sector.
“India will be the 3rd largest civil aviation market by 2022. To achieve this, we need right intentions, vision, planning and execution,” Raju tweeted, and followed it with another, praising the NDA government.

India clears aviation policy, eases overseas flying rule

New Delhi:  India has made it easier for the country's airlines to fly abroad as part of the first set of comprehensive rules governing civil aviation which are designed to boost air travel and economic growth.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government presented the national civil aviation policy, which has been years in the making, as a bid to make flying more affordable for India's expanding middle class, to bolster competition and to get more of the country connected.

Under the policy, domestic carriers will no longer have to operate for five years before they can start flying abroad, although they must still have 20 aircraft in their fleets.

Cabinet Clears Aviation Policy, Better Fares, Easier Air Travel Soon: 10 Points

New Delhi:  A long-awaited new civil aviation policy that eases rules for airlines to fly overseas and seeks to increase regional air connectivity and encourage more people to fly has been cleared by the cabinet on Wednesday morning.
Here is your 10-point cheat-sheet to this story:

Cabinet clears civil aviation policy, replaces 5/20 condition with 0/20 rule

New Delhi: Amid hectic lobbying, the Cabinet on Wednesday gave its approval for partial abolition of the 5/20 rule, which will enable new carriers like Vistara and Air Asia to start international operations sooner.

According to the Civil Aviation Policy, released by the ministry on Wednesday, the government has decided to scrap a requirement that mandated arlines to have five years of domestic oeprations to be eligible to fly overseas. However, an airline will have to allocate 20 aircraft or 20% of their total fleet of aircraft, whichever is higher, to the domestic sector if they wish to fly overseas. This effectively means a carrier must have a minimum 20 aircraft in its domestic fleet.

Jet Airways set to add more flights to Gulf

Hyderabad: Adding more flights to the Gulf region, Jet Airways has announced its move to operate new daily services from Hyderabad to Dammam and from Mangaluru to Sharjah from August 7.

The addition of these services will bolster Jet Airways’ offering to the Gulf, strengthening the network and enhancing connectivity for passengers, a press release said.

Jet Airways to connect Hyderabad to Dammam

Mangaluru: Jet Airways, will operate new daily services from Hyderabad to Dammam and from Mangaluru to Sharjah from August 7. The addition of these new services will bolster Jet Airways' offering to the Arabian Gulf region, further strengthening airline's growing network and significantly enhancing connectivity for passengers.

PM Narendra Modi wants states to have more say in aviation policy

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi wants states to have a significant say in the implementation of the regional air connectivity programme under the upcoming civil aviation policy. The new policy is likely to be unveiled this week. Giving states more space to decide on aviationrelated matters is a shift away from the norm that makes aviation a central subject.
"The Prime Minister's Office had asked to provide more powers to states on deciding the airports they want to launch flights from and on a few other things," said a senior ministry official, who did not want to be named. These changes have been made in the policy document that was sent to the Cabinet, this official said. The policy is expected to be cleared on Wednesday.

Juhu airport soon to get night-landing facility, again

A meeting held between Juhu airport director MK Bimal and airport users on Friday has set the ball rolling towards the airport getting a night landing facility. Presently, the airfield operates only till five in the evening, with aircrafts incurring extra charges for late landing.
 The country's oldest airport, national and international carriers operated from here before the Santacruz airport was constructed. The night-landing facility was removed many years ago.
 While there were a few enthusiasts who wanted its re-installation when the facility at Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport was being changed just a few years ago, the Airports Authority of India (AAI) was not enthusiastic.

Aviation Ministry’s ‘populist proposals will hurt airlines’

New Delhi: The Aviation Ministry’s proposal to cap airline cancellation charges and slash excess baggage fee, a pro-traveller move, has been termed as ill-timed by industry experts who believe it will hit profitability of airlines.

The Ministry has proposed that airlines can charge a maximum ?100/kg for baggage in excess of 15 kg and up to 20 kg. In case of cancellation of tickets, statutory taxes and user development fee/airport development fee/passenger service fee shall be refunded.  “Under no circumstances cancellation charge shall be more than the basic fare,” the Ministry said.

Some private carriers favoured under UPA: Ashok Gajapathi Raju

New Delhi: Certain private airlines were "favoured" by the previous UPA government and allegations in this regard are being investigated, Civil Aviation Minister Ashok Gajapathi Raju said today.
 Domestic carriers lost out significantly to their foreign counterparts in the previous government, he said.
 "Certain things done in the past (under UPA) did not make sense. Wrongdoing is wrongdoing, whether it is intentional or unintentional. Law should take its course.

AirAsia chief gets Overseas Citizenship of India card ahead of new civil aviation policy

Tony Fernandes, Group CEO of leading Asian budget carrier AirAsia who had raked up Jet Airways chairman Naresh Goyal's NRI status during a debate over foreign control of airlines, has been granted Overseas Citizenship of India (OCI) card by the central government.

The OCI status gives Fernandes, an Malaysian national, parity with vis-a-vis non-resident Indians (NRIs) in financial and economic transactions. The development comes amid questions raised over foreign control in AirAsia and Vistara. The Federation of Indian Airlines, an association of four domestic carriers -- Jet Airways, IndiGo, SpiceJet and GoAir -- have raised concerns about control and ownership at AirAsia India.

The Air India mess: Is there a way out?

That Air India, once the country’s pride, is an unwanted baby is nothing new. The crucial issue is what to do with the national carrier? How much more money should be pumped into this hapless airline just to ensure its day-to-day survival? Rs 30,000 crores was pledged as a bailout package, and more than half has been paid, so that the jobs of 30,000-plus employees are protected. There is a sordid history behind its fall from grace, where the airline was sought to be deliberately wounded, if not killed, so that private airlines could grow.

AirAsia India announces promotional offer; tickets start at Rs. 899

India's low-cost budget carrier AirAsia India on Sunday announced discounted airfares, starting from Rs. 899 one way. The limited-period scheme is valid from June 13 to 19.

AirAsia India on Sunday completed two years of its India operations, to mark the occasion, the airline has come up with the offer scheme. Passengers could book their tickets for 10 domestic destinations and 120 international destinations, which are operated by the AirAsia group.
The budget carrier is offering discounted fares from Delhi or Bangalore to Kochi, Vishakhapatnam, Pune, Guwahati and Goa at Rs. 899. In addition, AirAsia Berhad launched flights to new destinations such as Shantou, Auckland, Mauritius and Tehran.

BA Dreamliner flying to India diverts back to London five hours into journey

A British Airways plane en route to India turned back to Heathrow with a technical fault - five hours into its nine hour journey.
While flying over the Turkish coast, pilots of the Boeing 787 Dreamliner detected a problem and signalled their intention to return to London.
The aircraft had set out from Heathrow at 4:40pm on Sunday and was scheduled to land in Hyderabad but instead touched down back in London just after midnight.
Some aviation accounts on social media have claimed that the issue related to a problem with the weather radar.

CM inspects Gannavaram airport

Vijayawada:  Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu inspected the expansion works at Gannavaram airport on Monday on his arrival from Hyderabad.

Airports Authority of India contributes its CSR funds to Skill India

Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE) and Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) have joined hands to boost skill initiatives in the aviation sector. Along with the Airports Authority of India (AAI), National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC) and National Skill Development Fund (NSDF), the two ministries signed a tripartite MoU for scaling up skill development initiatives in the aviation sector. AAI has committed to contribute Rs 5.25 crore of its CSR funds to NSDF, along with land and premises for setting up skill development centres in the country. P Ashok Gajapathi Raju, Union Minister for Civil Aviation and Rajiv Pratap Rudy, Union Minister of State for Skill Development and Entrepreneurship and Parliamentary Affairs, were present at the ceremony. The MoU was signed by Rajesh Agarwal, CEO, NSDF; Rajiv Goel, director, India Aviation Academy and Airport Authority of India; and Jayant Krishna, CEO, NSDC.

Vizag-Kolkata route yet to have a direct flight

Visakhapatnam: Air passengers are unhappy over non-availability of a direct flight between Kolkata and Visakhapatnam.
At present, a one-stop daily flight connects Vizag and Kolkata with a halt in Bhubaneswar. The flight takes around 2 hours and 30 minutes. Passengers rue that high priced tickets between the two cities is one of reasons for people to prefer trains. The port city has a number of Bengalis, who have made Vizag their second home.

Market forces should decide airlines' pricing norms: Experts

New Delhi: Even as passengers looked forward to the government implementing its new proposals to regulate cancellation, refund and baggage norms of domestic airlines, aviation industry experts warned that potentially this can even push up fares and that pricing policies must not be micro-managed.
Industry observers said the new proposals tend to tweak the free-market pricing mechanism which could lead to negative consequences for the sector-as will be the case once Saturday's proposals unveiled by the government come into force to rein in indiscriminate practices of some domestic passenger carriers.