This is the one privilege that Air India has, but the cabinet might soon take it away

Until now, Air India, India's flag carrier airline, had the privilege of being the only airline that carries government employees on official tours. However, the civil aviation ministry is preparing a cabinet note, asking for permission to allow it to opt for the airline offering cheapest fare.

"The finance ministry, in one of the review meetings, has asked us to abolish this rule mandating Air India for official flights," a senior aviation ministry official told ET on the condition of anonymity. "We are preparing a Cabinet note, which should reach the Cabinet for approval in 15 days," he added.

Purchasing Limit At Airport Duty-Free Shops Increased Five Times

New Delhi: Flyers coming in from abroad can buy goods upto Rs 25,000 from duty-free shops in international airports across the country, a five-time jump from the current limit.

The move follows complaints from the travellers that the limit was low and needed to be revised. They had cited instructions issued late last year by Reserve Bank of India (RBI) that permitted export from and import into India of Indian currency up to an amount not exceeding Rs 25,000.

India’s GoAir to launch direct flights to Iran

Tehran: The leading Indian GoAir has announced that for the first time it will activate international flights to 14 states including Iran. Go Airlines India Pvt., as the fourth largest carrier of the Asian country, is planning to establish international flights to countries like Iran, Kuwait, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, Turkey, China, Thailand, Maldives, Saudi Arabia, Vietnam, Oman, Qatar and the UAE.

GoAir wants to begin international operations to 14 countries as of early next year.

Why is GoAir going where hardly any Indian airline has gone before?

India’s fifth-largest airline is planning to touch down in some relatively unchartered territories.
GoAir, promoted by the 280-year-old Wadia group, has sought India’s aviation ministry’s permission to fly to Iran, Turkey, Uzbekistan, Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan—countries where no Indian airline flies directly to.
The Mumbai-based airline also wants permission to fly to China, Kuwait, Thailand, Maldives, Saudi Arabia, Vietnam, Oman, Qatar, and UAE.
“We are requesting to be designated to fly to the countries mentioned on a scheduled basis during the summer schedule 2017. Extensive evaluations have been conducted to arrive at a phase-wise plan for implementation,” Wolfgang Prock-Schauer, GoAir chief executive officer, wrote in a letter to the aviation ministry.

How did you arrive at Rs 100/kg for excess baggage, Delhi High Court asks DGCA

The Delhi High Court on Monday asked aviation regulator DGCA to explain how it had arrived at the figure of Rs 100 per kilogramme for checked-in baggage weighing between 15 kg to 20 kg.

“Has the government carried out any exercise to determine how much it would cost the airlines due to excess baggage? How have you arrived at this figure of Rs 100,” Justice Sanjeev Sachdeva asked while hearing a plea by Federation of Indian Airlines (FIA) which has challenged DGCA’s circular fixing the charge for excess baggage between 15-20 kgs.

As per the new regulation effective from July 1, airlines have been asked to charge Rs 100 per extra kg till 20 kg as against their current rates, ranging from Rs 220 to Rs 350. Currently, all domestic airlines allow free checked-in baggage up to 15 kgs. Only Air India allows free baggage up to 23 kg.

Vistara to begin overseas ops with Saarc, Gulf by H2 of 2018

Mumbai: Vistara, which was in the forefront to get the 5/20 rule partially scrapped, today said it "will not be rushing into international operations" and that something towards this is "unlikely before June 2018", when it will get the delivery of the 20th aircraft.

"We are not rushing into international operations. It's not a race for us. But we will definitely do it. We will get the delivery of our 20th plane by the first half of 2018.

Air India may lose privilege of being sole carrier of government staff if Cabinet note goes through

New Delhi: Loss-making Air India may soon lose the privilege of being the sole carrier of government employees. The civil aviation ministry is preparing a Cabinet note that will allow them to opt for the cheapest fare, regardless of carrier. Currently, government employees can only use other carriers if there is no Air India option.

"The finance ministry, in one of the review meetings, has asked us to abolish this rule mandating Air India for official flights," said a senior aviation ministry  official, seeking anonymity. "We are preparing a Cabinet note, which should reach the Cabinet for approval in 15 days." Air India, in the midst of a government bailout programme, may not have too much sympathy among some members of the government.

Here is how to get your Air India ticket at Rajdhani fares

New Delhi: Air India is going aggressive. It has just announced its special domestic “Super Fares” for “last-minute air travelers”.
The national carrier now claims it will offer last minute tickets at Rajdhani AC II tier fares on select routes from the Capital. So if you are waitlisted on a Rajdhani to Kolkata or Patna and fail to make the cut, you can book a flight to the destination on the same day at the same fare.
Open from June 27 to September 30 this year for Economy Class on select flights on Air India’s domestic network, the tickets are only for one-way fares.

Will Jigajinagi help fulfil the demand for an airport in Vijayapura?

Vijayapura: Will the long pending airport project of the district get finally realised with MP Ramesh Jigajinagi joining the Modi Cabinet?

This is the question lingering on people’s minds here after the MP of the district got elevated to the position of Minister of State in NDA government recently.

Since the airport project comes under Civil Aviation Ministry of the Union government, locals expect that the Minister of the district serving in the Union government will use his authority to get the project implemented.

Can't decide which flight to book? This new platform by TripAdvisor will help you

What's the first thing that you consider while booking a flight? The first thing that most Indian travellers would consider is the price. But if more than one airline is offering a flight at the same price, you are likely to go with the one that offers better services. In fact, TripAdvisor's India Air Travel Survey 2015 had revealed that 54 per cent Indian travellers believe airline brand to be the most important factor when choosing a flight.

Will SpiceJet's fortunes soar with SpiceMax?

New Delhi: Do you travel frequently for work or pleasure to destinations that you have never visited before replete with meticulous planning to the last detail? Yet, somehow, you miss the flight that you were supposed to board due to long, unending queues, or that even after paying a hefty ticket price, the in-flight meals on offer are bland, and that there is insufficient legroom for your tired feet. Hinged on such common regular airport and in-flight scenarios is low-cost airline SpiceJet's latest television campaign (there are four ads) to promote its new one-of-a-kind offering SpiceMax that enables passengers to have a happy flight wherever they want to go.
The over thirty-second long TVC created by Publicis Capital and directed by Karan Shetty of Fingerprint Films (the production house) focusses on SpiceMax, SpiceJet's new product offering.

Maharashtra: Government plans to operationalise Shirdi airport by October

The state government is planning to operationalise the Greenfield Shirdi airport by October this year. This will allow operation of scheduled flights for devotees who will throng the temple town located in Ahmednagar district for the Sai Baba samadhi centenary utsav in 2017-18. “We are planning to commission the Shirdi airport by October.

Vijayawada: Airlines not serious about Pushkarams

Vijayawada: The Vijayawada airport may not have CISF security for some more time. If the revenue of an airport crosses Rs 18 crore per annum, then only CISF can engage its team. As of now, Vijayawada airport’s revenue hasn’t crossed even Rs 6 crore per annum. It is learnt that the CISF has reportedly kept the the civil aviation ministry has kept the prposal over the airport security in pending.

Government directs Air India to use best IT practices

New Delhi: The government on Monday directed flag carrier Air India to use the best of information technology (IT) practices to bring efficiency in its functioning.
According to Ministry of Civil Aviation, the airline was directed to use the best of IT practices by Civil Aviation Minister Ashok Gajapathi Raju, who held a meeting with the top brass of Air India to review its functioning.

Air India offers more flights

New Delhi: Air India will provide enhanced daily connectivity from Delhi to Allahabad, Dehra Dun and Jaipur.

From July 20, the airline will offer a double daily connection linking the national capital to Allahabad and Dehra Dun. The second daily connection between Delhi and Jaipur will begin on July 26, the airline said in a statement.

Ground work for Navi Mumbai airport begins

For generations, Mohan Naik and his ancestors used to grow paddy on the fertile three acre land at Pargaon. However, this monsoon will be the last for the family to get returns from this parcel of land.
For, from next year, the plot will undergo development for Navi Mumbai International Airport (NMIA) and his earnings may now come from rentals by leasing out apartments and shops.
Naik is the first person to get another piece of land at Pushpak Nagar near Dapoli Village against his lost cultivable farm at Pargaon. In City and Industrial Development Corporation's (Cidco) list of project-affected persons, his file is the first to get an alternative land.

20 per cent discount on all AirAsia & AirAsia X flights

Kuala Lumpur: AirAsia and AirAsia X are offering a 20 per cent discount on all flights to over 120 destinations in 24 countries. In a statement, AirAsia and AirAsia X Group said the special promo will run from July 11-17 for immediate travel from July 18-Nov 24, 2016. This promo is applicable for all AirAsia and AirAsia X flights with flight codes AK (AirAsia Malaysia), D7 (Malaysia AirAsia X), FD (AirAsia Thailand), XJ (Thai AirAsia X), QZ (AirAsia Indonesia) international flights, Z2 (AirAsia Philippines) and I5 (AirAsia India).

Airports to be ranked on passenger feedback

New Delhi: Passengers’ rants or raves about services provided at India’s major airports could soon actually make an impact with the airports’ economic regulator putting in place a new system to monitor the ground operations and service standards.

The carrot for the airport operators: those with high ratings for services could get to charge higher tariffs as an incentive.

The Airports Economic Regulatory Authority (AERA) that came into existence in 2008, has so far been focused on its responsibility of setting airport tariffs, but will now assess their performance on the ground for 16 major airports as well.

PIL filed in Delhi HC against arbitrary airfares

New Delhi: A plea was filed on Sunday in the Delhi High Court for capping airfares across the country so that customers are not fleeced arbitrarily by airlines.
The PIL urged the court to direct the authorities to frame “guidelines so as to put a cap on airfares and prevent the private airlines here from charging arbitrarily, irrationally and exorbitantly for air flights”.
Advocate Amit Sahni, in his plea, which is likely to be heard next week, stated that he had filed an RTI application seeking information regarding airfares and Ministry of Civil Aviation replied that these are not controlled by the government.

One-stop flight to Ahmedabad

Visakhapatnam: IndiGo Airlines will launch a one-stop flight between Vizag and Ahmedabad from July 14. The flight will leave Ahmedabad at 6.25 am and reach Hyderabad at 8.15 am. It will leave Hyderabad at 8.45 am and reach Vizag at 9.55 am.

Etihad-backed Jet Airways increases capacity to Dubai

Jet Airways is set to increase its capacity to Dubai by deploying the wide body Boeing 777 aircraft on its Mumbai route.
The airline, which is part-owned by Etihad Airways, returned to full-year profit in May this year, reporting profits of $185 million in its 2016 financial year, compared to a loss of $345 million the year before.

Jet Airways reschedules Bengaluru, Mumbai flights from Mangaluru

Mangaluru: Jet Airways introduces a new flight on the Bengaluru-Mangaluru sector with effect from August 1. The details are as follows:

Flight no 9W2404 ATR-72 departs from Mangaluru at 17.15 and arrives at Bengaluru at 18.25.
Flight no 9W2782 ATR-72 departs from Bengaluru at 15.40 and arrives at Mangaluru at 16.50.

There is also a reschedule/change of flight number on daily flights operating between Mumbai – Mangaluru – Mumbai effective from August 7. The details are as follows:

Airbus Said Close to $7.5 Billion A320neo Deal From GoAir

Airbus Group SE is in discussions with Go Airlines India Pvt. regarding the purchase of about 70 A320neo planes worth around $7.5 billion at list prices, according to people familiar with the situation.
An announcement could come as early as this week at the Farnborough Air Show in England, though talks may extend further into the year, said the people, who asked not to be identified because the negotiations are ongoing.

‘Have two runways to take increasing traffic’: Technical Committee report

Pune: A new report by a technical committee has recommended that the proposed Pune international airport should have two runways to accommodate the increasing traffic. Of the three sites in Khed taluka suggested for the airport, the committee is expected to give a detailed report on one of the sites by the end of the month. The distance between Navi Mumbai airport and the present site would also not be an issue, said a senior official from the Mantralaya.
“The three sites are in the same area and presently, the site towards the north has been selected. Earlier, the AAI officials have had agencies appointed to give the report on feasibility and now, I have asked the civil aviation department to have experts from the AAI to give a final report on the hilly area at this site,” said the official.

Jet Airways increases capacity to challenge Emirates, Singapore Airlines

Mumbai: Jet Airways is deploying wide body Boeing 777 aircraft on Dubai, Singapore and Amsterdam routes to grow its international business.

The move will intensify competition on Dubai and Singapore routes dominated by Emirates and Singapore Airlines and could lead to a fare war. It will also enable Jet Airways to consolidate presence in Amsterdam, its new European gateway.

International operations account for over a half of Jet Airways revenue.

Airport restaurant with a difference

Bagdogra: When one talks of fine-dining or haute-cuisine restaurants, the last thing one has in mind is an airport eatery away from the metros.

The mental image of an airport restaurant, particularly in the smaller cities and provincial towns, is grubby environs, sub-standard food, perfunctory service and largely avoidable unless one's hunger is dire. But this particular one, at the gateway to north Bengal, Sikkim and even Bhutan, comes with generous recommendation by those who have done it before; so one had to give it a try. And one didn't come away disappointed.

Air India plans to resume Nairobi flight

Mumbai: Air India is exploring resumption of its service to Nairobi and Dar es Salaam six years after it withdrew from the market.

Air India chairperson Ashwani Lohani said the airline is sending a team to Kenya and Tanzania to assess market potential. He  added there have been requests to Air India  from these two  countries and also from South Africa  to introduce flights.

AAI airports to have over 100 MW solar power capacity

New Delhi: The Airports Authority of India (AAI) plans to have additional 100 MW of solar power generation capacity at its various aerodromes to bring down carbon footprint.
"30 MW solar power at AAI airports in pipeline; reducing carbon foot print by 4,600 MT (million tonnes). Long-term plan of addl 116 MW (sic)," Civil Aviation Minister Ashok Gajapathi Raju said in a tweet today.

Security blanket thickens, start early to catch a flight

New Delhi: Flyers will do well to arrive at the IGI Airport with some extra time in hand.
After terror attacks in Istanbul, Dhaka and Madinah, CISF and other agencies have further beefed up security at the Delhi airport. Sources said that there had been a significant increase in the deployment of security personnel and frisking of passengers and luggage scanning had been enhanced. Issuing of visitor's pass has been restricted for indefinite period.

First khadi store at airport

Visakhapatnam: Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC) has opened its new retail outlet in Visakhapatnam International Airport on Friday.

With an area of 120 sq ft allotted by Airports Authority of India, it is the first Khadi store set up in an Indian airport. Positioned at the arrivals wing of the airport, this is the fourth city-based certified outlet taken up at a cost of Rs.50 lakh.

Solar power for airport

Bengaluru: The rooftop solar power plant at airport is one of Karnataka's 10 largest rooftop solar projects. DH File Photo.
 The Kempegowda International Airport (KIA) near Devanahalli will get 500 kilowatt of solar power.

In a press release, CleanMax Solar said it installed the solar power plant at the KIA, in collaboration with the Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI), on two acres of unused rooftop area across six buildings of the airport.

AirAsia India expands services to Guwahati

New Delhi: Domestic budget carrier AirAsia India today announced the expansion of its services to Guwahati from the national capital with the addition of a new flight on the route from July 17.

With this addition, AirAsia India will now operate 40 daily flights connecting 10 destinations across India.

Raju to look at improving air connectivity to Surat

New Delhi: Civil Aviation Minister Ashok Gajapathi Raju today said he plans to convene a meeting with airlines to discuss ways to improve air connectivity to Surat.

"Delighted to meet delegations from Surat, a city with a lot of potential. Have asked for a meeting with airlines to improve connectivity," Raju said in a tweet.

Good News! This airline is offering Delhi-Mumbai travel at same fare as Rajdhani train

New Delhi: Here is a good news for Delhi-Mumbai flyers. Air India has announced to match the last minute fares between the two cities to second AC of Rajdhani Express.
As per a report published in the Economic Times, the ticket price may be as low as Rs 2,870.
The report further adds that only those passengers who had booked a seat on Rajdhani could not get a confirm ticket can avail the offer.
To Read the News in Full 09/07/16 Zee News

Direct Indigo flight from Visakhapatnam to Kolkata

Visakhapatnam: IndiGo airlines has announced a direct non-stop flight between Visakhapatnam and Kolkata from August 15.
The flight will depart from Kolkata at 10.30 am and arrive in Vizag at 12.25 pm. It will depart from Vizag at 12.55 pm and reach Kolkata at 3 pm.
To Read the News in Full 09/07/16 Times of India

Foreign airlines shed fare load to entice desi flyers

Mumbai: International airlines are offering their first set of discounts on flights to and from India this year thanks to lower jet fuel prices and a lean travel season.

Carriers such as Singapore Airlines, Malaysia Airlines, Turkish Airlines, Virgin Atlantic and national carrier Air India are offering fares that are 25-30% lower than last quarter and 10-15% cheaper than the same time last year, said travel company executives.

India's Domestic Air Traffic Demand Rises 21% In May: IATA

New Delhi: Continuing its dominant position in the domestic travel demand for the 14th consecutive month, India's air passenger traffic surged 21 per cent in May over the corresponding period of last year.

Demand for domestic traffic rose 5.1 per cent, outpacing international demand growth of 4.3 per cent in May 2016 according to the data released by International Air Traffic Association (IATA).

As against this India's domestic air traffic grew 21 per cent, it said.

Airports Authority of India plans subsidiary to handle cargo

Chennai: Air cargo handling is expected to become efficient at Airports Authority of India (AAI)-owned airports, including Chennai, as the authority plans to hive off cargo operations and set up an logistics subsidiary called Air Cargo Corporation.
The move for a subsidiary has got informal approval from the AAI board. However, a few officers feel it may impact the revenue of the public sector airport operator which earns 200 crore from cargo annually.

Union civil aviation minister Raju invites air link activists to Delhi

Surat: Union civil aviation minister P Ashok Gajapathi Raju has invited representatives of citizen groups crusading for a working airport in Surat to New Delhi to hear their grievances regarding air connectivity on Friday.
Representatives of 'We Want Working Airport at Surat' (WWWAS) and 'Surat Airport Action Committee' (SAAC) will be meeting the minister in the capital.

Fliers rue over sky-high fares from Coimbatore

Coimbatore: High demand for tickets and fewer flights makes flying out of the city expensive. Frequent travellers say fares are 30% to 50% higher than fares at Chennai, Kochi or Bengaluru airports to international and domestic destinations.
Airlines are not increasing the frequency on domestic routes. The need for bilateral flying rights and infrastructure limitations at the airport stand but a curb on the frequency of international flights.

AAI to assess new airport site as promised by CM Fadnavis: Anil Shirole

Pune MP Anil Shirole has confirmed that a team from Airport Authority of India will do an aeronautical survey at the new airport site in the coming week on Wednesday.
In a meeting convened to assess the airport development projects and expansion in the city, the MP said the survey will be conducted to decide the runway width and the land required for it.
The meeting was attended by members of the Mahratta Chamber of Commerce and Industries, Airport director of Lohegaon Ajay Kumar, PMC officials and policemen.
The congestion on the road to the present airport to Lohegaon and staff quarters for Central Industrial Security Force were also discussed in the meeting. Shirole said a demand of five-acre land has been made for it.

Airlines, Centre lock horns over ‘passenger-centric’ rules

India’s leading airlines including IndiGo, SpiceJet and Jet Airways have termed the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA)’s rule to reduce fee for carrying five-kg baggage on flights as “illegal.”

The airlines have also opposed most of the other proposed ‘passenger-centric’ norms such as enhanced compensation for denying boarding and flight delays and demanded a higher cap on ticket cancellation fee. Additionally, the airlines have requested the government to allow them to charge a fee for providing equipment such as wheelchair for people with reduced mobility.

“…Airlines follow a lenient policy towards passengers carrying nominal excess baggage. In cases when customers come with nominal excess baggage, our staffs are trained to adjust the same against any unutilized hand baggage allowance of the customers,” according to a letter sent by Ujjwal Dey, Associate Director, Federation of India Airlines (FIA) – a body which represents IndiGo, Jet Airways, SpiceJet and GoAir — to the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) earlier last week.

Govt to start new airline to boost connectivity in Northeast

The government will start a new airline based out of Guwahati which would connect all state capitals in the Northeast, according to a report in The Economic Times.
The new airline will be a subsidiary of Pawan Hans Helicopters Ltd and is likely to operate a fleet of 6 fixed-wing planes and 5 helicopters, the report said.

AI to launch intl flights, expand aircraft fleet in several states

With an aim to connect more global destinations, leading state-run airline Air India will launch Ahmedabad-London-New York flight from August 15 and Delhi-Madrid in December, and also plans to expand its fleet size in next four years, a top official said on Monday.
“We will be launching the Ahmedabad-London-New York flight from August 15 and Delhi-Madrid from December as a part of our growth plan,” said Chairman and Managing Director of Air India Ashwini Lohani talking to reporters.
Lohani arrived for taking part in a programme on the occasion of opening of AI Area Manager’s office at Gangotri Complex near Rangmahal Talkies in New Market, which was inaugurated by Chief Secretary Anthony De Sa. On this occasion, Air India Regional Director Minakshi Dua was also present.

Vizag Airport ranks 20th in a country-wide survey by AAI

Visakhapatnam: In a customer satisfaction survey conducted by the Airports Authority of India (AAI) for the January-June 2016 period on a five-point scale, Visakhapatnam Airport scored 4.39 and has been ranked 20th out of the 53 airports that are operated by AAI across the country.
However, among the four airports in the state, Visakhapatnam Airport ranked first followed by Rajahmundry Airport (overall rank- 37), Tirupati (38) and Vijayawada Airport (41).

India ranks first in arrivals at Dubai International Airport

Passenger numbers at Dubai International continued an upward trend in May with the airport welcoming 6.7 million customers, according to the monthly traffic report issued by operator Dubai Airports. In May 2016 passenger numbers at DXB rose 7.2 per cent to 6,721,995 compared to 6,267,640 in May 2015.

Bhiwadi may get India’s first cargo airport

New Delhi: The ministry of civil aviation is likely to select Bhiwadi, a town in Rajasthan near New Delhi, as the spot for the country's first cargo airport and make Jewar in Greater Noida the second passenger airport in the National Capital Region.

"It would make sense to make Bhiwadi the first cargo airport in the region. We are discussing it as a possibility," said a senior official, who did not want to be identified. "One will have to cross Delhi airport to reach Bhiwadi.

India tops domestic air travel growth in 2015 but trails China, US in size

Mumbai: India is the fastest growing domestic air travel market, but in terms of market size it is still nearly five times smaller than China and nine times smaller than the United States, according to an International Air Transport Association (IATA) report.

In 2015, domestic airlines in India flew 81 million passengers, registering a 20% growth over 2014. Growth was driven by low fares and average domestic fares were 15-20% lower in 2015.

FDI in aviation: How Vistara, Air Asia India, Jet are affected

New Delhi: The government has clarified that the notification related to foreign direct investment (FDI) in aviation doesn’t impose restriction of management control with Indians in airlines where majority stake is vested with a foreign entity.
However, existing airlines like Vistara, AirAsia India, Jet-Etihad and any future carriers with majority stake held by Indian entities will have to ensure that the substantial ownership and effective control (SOEC) rests with Indian nationals.

Amit Shah Unveils World’s Largest ‘Charkha’ At IGI Airport

BJP national president Amit Shah on Tuesday inaugurated the world's largest 'charkha' (spinning wheel) at the terminal three of Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport here. Mahesh Sharma, Minister of State for Tourism and Culture, was the Guest of Honour at the event.

Keonjhar girl becomes first lady pilot from state

Kendrapada: Her passion to travel the world drove the 25-year old Odia girl, Shelbi Mishra, to become the first lady pilot from the state. With 400 hours of flying experience, Mishra started her career with the Air Asia recently after completing two years of rigorous training in the US.
The girl from Rukunapursasana village in Keonjhar district defied societal pressure to join the male bastion in aviation and fulfilled her dream to become a pilot.

PAL to revive flights to New Delhi via Bangkok

Philippine Airlines plans to revive flights from Manila to New Delhi via Bangkok, following the success of its triangulated flights from Manila to Osaka and Taipei.

“In the future, we will try to study the possibility of operating in other countries where we have fifth freedom traffic rights,” PAL president and chief operating officer Jaime Bautista said.

Fifth freedom is the freedom to pick up passengers and cargo from a foreign country and carry them to a second country, which is the final destination.

SpiceJet with Mytaxiindia offers taxi to airport option with ticket

New Delhi: Budget carrier SpiceJet has tied up with online car rental start-up, Mytaxiindia.com (MTI)  for a better connectivity from airports to cities.
With the road connectivity of airport with tier II cities not ‌being fully developed, this tie-up offers passengers the facility to book a taxi to reach the airport or the decided destination from airport, while purchasing the ticket.

British Airways apologises to Anil Kumble after his bags 'caught behind' in London

St. Kitts: Anil Kumble's new innings in the Caribbean as Team India's head coach, did not begin well today (July 7). His bags did not arrive with him in St. Kitts after British Airways left them behind in London.
Kumble and the 17-man Indian Test squad landed in St. Kitts on Thursday (July 7). After the team had landed at the airport, the former captain tweeted a picture of himself with few of the players, on the tarmac with British Airways aircraft in the background. However, later he realised that his bags had not arrived at his destination. (Ind-WI series schedule)
"Reached St. Kitts...long flight..@cheteshwar1 @klrahul11 @y_umesh Tour begins @BCCI," Kumble wrote on his Twitter page after landing in St. Kitts.

Weather slows MH370 search

Efforts to locate missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 have been hampered by poor weather in the Indian Ocean, the Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) says.

In its weekly operational update, the ATSB said it had less than 10,000 square kilometres of the agreed 120,000 square kilometre area left to search.

However, the conditions out at sea have resulted in some delays, which could prolong operations.

“Ongoing poor weather conditions have severely impacted search operations and resulted in delays to search operations of around 6-8 weeks,” the ATSB said.

Emergency runways planned on Mumbai-Nagpur Expressway

Mumbai: The state government, which is constructing a six-lane expressway between Mumbai and Nagpur, plans to develop three special stretches on the highway where aircraft can make emergency landings for rescue operations during a calamity or a major accident.
Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC) has asked its consultants to identify sections on the highway that can be used as a runway. A normal runway is at least 5 km long, and there can be no obstructions (electricity or mobile towers) in its vicinity.

AI to resume Bhopal-Pune flight from Aug 3

Bhopal: After announcing to connect new cities with Bhopal airport, Air India has decided to resume Bhopal-Pune flight en route Raipur from August 3.
The flight was launched on May 23 from Bhopal, but was discontinued after four days. Defence authorities have now granted the permission. AI manager (MP & CG), Vishrut Acharya, said: "It will be 70-seater ATR aircraft.

Oman Air to challenge Gulf rivals in India

Dubai: Oman Air, the sultanate’s state-owned carrier, is carving out its own position in the Indian market as it looks to take on its larger Gulf rivals. The Muscat-based airline said last month it wants an extra 8,000 weekly seats on flights to India within two years, increasing its current share by around 40 per cent to 29,820.

That would give it more than Qatar’s 24,800 weekly seats but less than Dubai’s 65,000 seats and Abu Dhabi’s 49,670 seats, according to Indian newswire PTI.

AI, Jet fliers can now check in at New Delhi, Shivaji Stadium stations

New Delhi: Fliers travelling by Air India or Jet Airways can now check-in their luggage and collect their boarding pass from New Delhi and Shivaji Stadium metro stations of the Airport Express Line.

While Air India’s check-in counters were already operational at the New Delhi metro station and witness a footfall of about 300 per day, the facility has now been extended to both domestic and international passengers of the national carrier to Shivaji Stadium metro station.

Fliers can check-in their baggage at the metro stations two hours to 12 hours ahead of the scheduled flight departure. The check-in facility at these stations will close two hours before the flight departure time.

Air India told to file affidavit on pilot posting

Kochi: The Kerala High Court on Tuesday directed Air India to file an affidavit in response to a writ petition challenging its decision to select and appoint 80 trainee pilots from among its employees.

When the petition came up, counsel for Air India assured the court of Justice Alexander Thomas that though the selection process was on, the appointment of the select would be deferred.

Delhi airport staff to wear dress made of Khadi

New Delhi: Even as the national carrier Air India is working on a proposal to make its Cabin Crew wear Khadi attire, Delhi Airport today announced that its staff would wear attire made of Khadi during summers and winters.
The crew of Air India One, which carries the prime minister and president, has started wearing attire made of Khadi and have been complimented by PM Narendra Modi in one of the flights.

Air India to link Bengaluru to Hubbali with ATR service

Bengaluru: Air India has reaffirmed its commitment to strengthening regional connectivity under its ‘Connect India’ programme by commencing operations to Hubballi from Bengaluru on July 20 with an ATR-72-600 aircraft.

Flight AI 9509 on the Bengaluru-Hubballi route is to operate three days a week on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. The flight will take off from Bengaluru at 15.45 (3.45 pm) hours and reach Hubballi at 17.05 (5.05 pm) hours.

Hi-tech trolleys to roll into airport from August 1

Chennai: Forced to cough up extra at the last minute for overweight baggage? Help is on the way — on four wheels. “We will soon have a mechanism in trolleys which will highlight the weight a trolley is handling. This will help passengers remove the additional luggage so that they can check in peacefully,” says Abirchand Nahar, chairman of Ad Bureau Advertising, which has signed a contract with the Airport Authority of India.

“Initially, we will be rolling out 4,000 trolleys in phases. These will replace the old trolleys,” says Nahar.

New Civil Aviation Policy: How flying may get more expensive

New Delhi: With the new civil aviation policy proposing to extend the so-called hybrid till model for determining airport charges to state-run (Airport Authority of India-operated) airports also, passengers will have to fork out more as user development fees (UDF). Besides, they could also suffer from airlines deciding to treat their share of the extra cost as a pass-through to the passengers, analysts said.
This runs contrary to the new policy’s objective of making air travel more affordable.

All You Need to Know About New Regional Air Connectivity Scheme

The Draft Regional Air Connectivity Scheme will be placed in public domain for three weeks to enable Stakeholders to give their suggestions. After this the details of the scheme would be finalised. To operationalise the Scheme Aircrafts and helicopter operators would be required to assess the demand on various routes and submit their proposal for providing connectivity on such routes. They would be required to earmark certain number of seats on every flight for the RCS. The fare for such seats would be capped based on flight distance and time. An index has also been prepared for airfare caps for the RCS seats for fixed wing aircrafts and helicopters depending upon the distance.

Conditions set:

Airport Authority of India will be the implementing Agency for the Scheme. The RCS route would have to include un-served airports i.e. airports where there is no scheduled commercial flight or under-served airports i.e. airports which have 7 or less scheduled commercial flights per week. The RCS routes would cover a length between 200 to 800 km. But these criteria would not apply to hilly areas, islands, North-east region and for helicopter operations.  The procedure for selecting Airline Operators would be based on reverse bidding mechanism. Two half-yearly cycles would be the basis for inviting and evaluating the proposal. The selected Airlines will enjoy a period of exclusivity on the awarded routes. The exact period would be fixed on the basis of suggestions by Stakeholders.

15 airports in Karnataka can opt for regional link plan

New Delhi:  Fifteen unserved airports or airstrips in Karnataka have found a place in a list of 394 facilities across the country that could opt for the regional connectivity scheme.

According to an official draft, in south India, Karnataka has the highest number of unserved airstrips of airports that could opt for the ambitious scheme drafted by the Ministry of Civil Aviation "to connect the unconnected" and "serve the unserved or underserved".

90 new small airports in next 12 months

Chennai: India will push to get 90 new airports up and running over the next 12 months, under a government plan to service smaller cities that have missed out on the country's air travel boom, officials said.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi wants to accelerate growth in the world's fastest expanding aviation market while encouraging airlines like IndiGo, SpiceJet and Jet Airways to fly more people to and from smaller, often poorer cities.

Giant ‘charkha’ unveiled at IGI Airport

New Delhi: The Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC) today unveiled the world's largest ‘charkha’ (spinning wheel) at the terminal three of IGI Airport here.
The idea behind displaying the world’s biggest charkha at the “country’s biggest” airport is to foster an egalitarian society as demonstrated by Mahatma Gandhi, the Father of the Nation.
BJP president Amit Shah recalled the role of the charkha, a source of self-reliance, in India's freedom struggle.

Chaayos and its brand of tea fly high with Spice Jet

Mumbai: Brand integration and partnerships are key to the startup world and often lead to innovative co-ops. SpiceJet, for example, has joined hands with the hip and upscale tea shop franchise Chaayos to serve hot steaming cup of masala chai to its passengers on-board.
For those who don’t know, Chaayos is a kiosk style tea startup that kick-started in Gurgaon and has gained popularity among the chai lovers in cities.

Air India to fly to Hubballi from Bengaluru

Bengaluru: State-run Air-India would commence from July 20 a tri-weekly service to Hubballi in north Karnataka from Bengaluru, about 200 nautical miles (375 km), the national carrier said on Monday.

“The flight to Hubballi will strengthen regional connectivity under our ‘Connect India’ programme,” the airline said in a statement here.

Air India to launch Ahmedabad-London-Newark flight

With an aim to connect more global destinations, leading State-run airline Air India (AI) will launch Ahmedabad-London-Newark flight from August 15 and Delhi-Madrid in December, and also plans to expand its fleet size in next four years, a top official said on Monday.

“We will be launching the Ahmedabad-London-Newark flight from August 15 and Delhi-Madrid from December as part of our growth plan,” Air India Chairman and Managing Director Ashwini Lohani said in Bhopal.

Mr. Lohani arrived in Bhopal to take part in a programme on the occasion of opening of AI area manager’s office, which was inaugurated by Madhya Pradesh Chief Secretary Antony DeSa.

Life after 5/20 rule: a flying affair

Why are we going against our own domestic airline players? Why do we need foreign players? Won’t the new 0/20 rule derail the already fragile domestic airlines industry? Doesn’t Make in India principles apply to civil aviation?

Frankly, a lot of misperception seems to be in the air. In recent times, the Centre has been giving clear indications of continuing liberalisation agenda in the aviation sector. Though the National Civil Aviation Policy, 2016, took a long time to be finalised and took perhaps more time and inputs from stakeholders than was expected, at least it has brought to a good close many important–and for long controversial–aspects, such as the 5/20 rule for international operations.

In fact, many people questioned the somewhat open-ended approach the government had taken on this at the draft stage and there was a feeling that the policy on this aspect may even be put off for the future. Thankfully, the government has taken a clear and correct position of moving ahead with further liberalisation by bringing in the 0/20 rule and thus giving more choices to those flying overseas.

SpiceJet launches first-ever TV campaign

Mumbai: SpiceJet gets up close and personal with its customers to pop these questions in a series of exciting TV commercials that the airline has launched after scripting the greatest aviation turnaround perhaps the world has ever seen!
Decoding the phrase ‘absence makes the heart grow fonder’ and centred on a powerful consumer insight, SpiceJet in another outgoing effort is all set to grab your mind this month. Underlining the significance of a hot meal, spacious leg room and knocking off queues from your travel schedule among others, the airline flaunts a set of commercials thoughtfully placed through everyday life situations and narrated with a dash of humour.

GVK’s MIAL awarded Gold certification at the “GreenCo Summit” 2016

Mumbai: GVK’s Mumbai International Airport Pvt. Ltd. (MIAL), was awarded the prestigious ‘Gold’ certification at the ‘GreenCo Summit’ 2016 held at Hyderabad recently. The award was received by Mr. Narendra Hosabettu, Senior Vice President Environment, MIAL at the hands of Mr. Nitin Desai, member of Prime Minister’s Council on Climate Change, at the 5th edition of the summit organized by Confederation of Indian Industries.

91% airlines preparing to invest in cyber security

New Delhi: A whopping 91 per cent of the airlines globally are planning to invest in cyber security programmes over the next three years, a survey conducted by airline solutions and technology provider SITA has said.
The SITA Airline IT Trends 2016 Survey on the worlds top 200 airlines has inferred "that the cyber security in airlines is progressing".

Bonded truck service from airport begins

Vasco:  In order to boost exim cargo, the first customs bonded truck was flagged off from Dabolim airport on Saturday.
As permitted by Commissioner of Customs-Goa, M/s T T Aviation Handling and Services, the bonded trucking service provider of CONCOR CPC Goa, has started their first bonded truck service from Dabolim airport. By commencement of this service, the exporters from Goa now have ample opportunity to clear their export cargo from the airport.

Odisha seeks more Central forces for security of night flights at city airport

Bhubaneswar: The State Government on Saturday sought additional Central forces to facilitate operation of more flights and strengthen security  apparatus at the Biju Patnaik International Airport (BPIA). In a letter to the Director  General of Central Industrial Security Forces (CISF), Principal Secretary of  Home Department Asit Tripathy has demanded augmentation of CISF strength by 50  personnel. Since Indigo Airlines has proposed to  base two aircraft at the BPIA and is planning an additional flight at night from Bengaluru, the proposal  requires 24- hour operation of the airport, Tripathy said. Besides, additional security would enable late  night and early morning flights from Delhi, Kolkata and Bengaluru to and from Bhubaneswar, he added.

Haryana flies, mostly on paper

Haryana has no domestic or international airport. The three flying institutes in Hisar, Karnal and Pinjore are more of clubs. These largely unguarded institutes have no idea where the pilots that they churn out for a Rs 22-lakh fee for a four-year course would eventually be absorbed. The management in Karnal vaguely remembers that astronaut Kalpana Chawla was a regular visitor to the institute.
The state government has been doing its paper work for years. Haryana Civil Aviation Minister Ram Bilas Sharma says Rs. 50 crore has been marked by the finance department for the year 2016-17 for the Hisar aerodrome. “The draft feasibility report submitted by the consultant is being examined,” he said.

30 small airports likely to get regular flights soon

New Delhi: India will push to get 90 new airports up and running over the next 12 months, under a government plan to service smaller cities that have missed out on the country's air travel boom, officials said on Friday.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi wants to accelerate growth in the world's fastest expanding aviation market while encouraging airlines like IndiGo, SpiceJet and Jet Airways to fly more people to and from smaller, often poorer cities.

Passengers to shell out Rs 60 extra per flight

New Delhi: Passengers travelling between metros as also big towns that are well connected by flights could soon roughly end up paying a marginal Rs 60 extra each to board a flight when the government will on Friday announce a likely levy of Rs 8,000 per domestic departure on airlines to fund its ambitious regional connectivity scheme.
Passengers will almost certainly have to pay an extra marginal amount since airlines are extremely likely to pass on any fresh burden on to passengers. The levy is likely to be made on airlines for flights on main trunk routes which are category-I routes connecting major cities and big towns with each other.

Airfares likely to increase as govt proposes levy to fund regional air connectivity scheme

New Delhi: Flyers will soon have to shell out slightly more for tickets to fund the government's ambitious regional connectivity scheme under which airfares will be capped at Rs 2,500 for one-hour flights on unserved and under-served routes.

The government on Friday unveiled the draft Regional Connectivity Scheme (RCS), which was mooted in the new civil aviation policy, for consultations with the stakeholders', including state governments, airlines and airport operators. The stakeholders have been given three weeks time to submit their comments and suggestions on the draft scheme, which is expected to be finalised by August.

Regional Connectivity scheme: Fares for one-hour flight capped at Rs 2,500

Minister of Civil Aviation Ashok Gajapathi Raju on Friday announced new rules for capping of air fares at Rs 2,500 for one-hour flights that connect an unserved airport.
"Today, we have given shape to the Hon'ble Prime Minister's Vision of Regional Air Connectivity in India," civil aviation minister wrote in a tweet.

Neerja Bhanot Conferred 'Bharat Gaurav Award' In London

Chandigarh: Braveheart flight purser late Neerja Bhanot was conferred the 'Bharat Gaurav Award' at a function at the House of Commons in London, a spokesman said in Chandigarh on Sunday.

The award, instituted by Sanksriti Yuva Sanstha -- a Jaipur-headquartered NGO with an international presence, was received by Neerja's brothers Akhil and Aneesh Bhanot at the Westminster Parliament building in London.

Baroness Sandip Verma, a member of the House of Lords and the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for International Development, presented the award.

A holy trip mired in uncertainty

Kochi: Around 300 pilgrims from Kerala who are desirous of attending the canonisation of Mother Teresa are currently at the mercy of national carrier Air India, to take the long route to Rome.

With no seats available in most of the airlines, owing to the flow of Gulf Malayalis returning after vacation, the pilgrims’ search for the most suitable route ended at Air India.

The shortest flight route to Vatican, where the canonisation ceremony is scheduled to be held on September 4, is via Dubai. Due to non-availability of seats, travel agents are considering an alternative route to Rome from Kochi, via Delhi.

Airlines told to give more bank guarantees

New Delhi: Airlines seeking to use non-operational airports, which require substantial investment for revival, will have to submit a bank guarantee of Rs.1 crore to the government under the regional connectivity scheme.

Signalling a cautious approach towards reviving dormant airports, the sum will be in addition to Rs.50 lakh that airlines would be required to submit as bank guarantee for every route they wish to connect as a part of the scheme.

Laying tarmac for smooth takeoff

For the first time in the history of Indian civil aviation, a policy document covering all aspects of civil aviation has been approved by the Cabinet.

The Ministry of Civil aviation has gone through an extensive consultation process with all stakeholders and the policy is a positive move and will benefit the passenger, along with the anticipated growth.

The National Civil Aviation Policy, 2016, keeps in mind the passenger and paves the way for long-term growth of the sector. If the 2015-16 fiscal saw 80 million domestic passengers, the target is to touch 300 million by 2022. The vision is to have a long-term policy which will achieve domestic passenger traffic of 500 million by 2027 and international traffic of 200 million. The document also emphasises on safe, secure and affordable air travel in the years to come.

The scrapping of 5/20 rule and making it a simple 0/20 is an excellent policy directive. This will enable Indian carriers – both low cost and full service airlines – to fly overseas and offer very competitive fares. This will also improve connectivity as most of the domestic airlines have a vast network across India.