India's Zoom Air mulls int'l ops to Myanmar, Bangladesh

Zoom Air (India) (Delhi Int'l) is planning to launch its maiden international services connecting Kolkata Int'l and Guwahati in India's North-East with each of Chittagong in Bangladesh and Yangon in Myanmar, CEO Koustav Dhar has told the PTI newswire.

"We will be able to introduce international flights from Kolkata because from now on, we will park two aircraft in the city at night," Dhar has said.

The routes could be launched following the addition of the fifth CRJ-200ER to the carrier's fleet. Zoom Air has recently announced it has entered into an agreement with a fellow Indian operator Club One Air (Delhi Int'l) covering the dry-lease of the unit.

Unrestricted night flights to Chandigarh from 2019: IAF

Chandigarh: Currently undergoing runway expansion, Chandigarh International Airport may offer unrestricted night flights from August 2019 after the authorities complete third phase of expansion, an Indian Airforce spokesperson said on Wednesday.

He said phase III expansion involves fitment of runway lights and other navigational aids. Completion of phase III would permit unrestricted day and night operations at Chandigarh airfields. Completion of phase III is envisaged in the first half of 2019.

"Airport Authority of India (AAI) is assessing feasibility of fitment of Category III Instrument Landing System (ILS) on one of the runways at Chandigarh.

Lambert Airport's next international destination: India

WOW Air will launch a new route from the U.S. to New Delhi, India, later this year.

Beginning Dec. 5, travelers can take off from St. Louis Lambert International Airport and eight other airports to Indira Gandhi International Airport in New Delhi, India, with a stop in Iceland. One-way fares will start at $199.

"We are passionate about continuing our mission of enabling everybody to fly by making international travel accessible and affordable for all and look forward to expanding our global service to provide travelers with the opportunity to see many parts of the globe, whether for business or pleasure," Founder and CEO Skúli Mogensen said in a statement.

WOW Air, a budget airline based in Iceland, announced last year that it would service Lambert and become the airport's only carrier flying to Europe.

Hubballi starts reaping benefits of UDAN scheme

Hubballi: With SpiceJet starting its flight services to Hyderabad and Chennai from Hubballi from Monday under the regional connectivity scheme, the air connectivity of the region has improved. Apart from this, the airlines is also operating two flights between Hubballi and Bengaluru and Hubballi and Mumbai.

In the second round of bidding for UDAN (Ude Desh ka Aam Nagarik) scheme, the Ministry of Civil Aviation had picked Hubballi and SpiceJet was allotted three routes - Chennai, Hyderabad and Pune. Now the operator has decided to start services in two routes out of the allotted three. It may start service to Pune in the coming days.

DGCA has granted permission to operate night flights at Srinagar airport

Srinagar: The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has granted permission for operating night flights to and from the Srinagar airport, for which the necessary infrastructural upgradation is being done by the Airport Authority of India (AAI), a spokesman of the Jammu and Kashmir government said here today.

"The Srinagar airport will soon have night-landing facility, for which all preparations are being done by the agencies concerned," he said, after a high-level meeting chaired by Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti.

The DGCA had granted permission for operating night flights and the necessary infrastructural upgradation in this regard was being done by the AAI and state agencies, the spokesman said.

Indians frequent flyers

Indians are taking off and how. In an annual survey on flight and hotel behaviour of travellers across 23 countries in the world, it was revealed that Indians were the third most frequent travellers in the Asia- Pacific region. The survey revealed the results of the Expedia flight and hotel etiquette study 2018.

Given our gift for striking up friendships, it is not surprising that Indians are globally number one in engaging in a conversation, when sitting next to someone they don’t know (59 per cent) and probably the reason why 70 per cent Indian travellers also dread sitting next to someone who talks too much.

E-Kiosks at Indian Airports to Ensure Speedy Immigration Clearance for Foreigners

The Indian government is planning to install special automated kiosks at airports to enable foreign travelers who are included in the low risk category to undergo quicker immigration checks, PTI reported. These kiosks, expected to be set up by January 2019, will help the foreign travelers to complete the identity verification process in seconds, the report quoted officials as saying.

Low-risk travelers from some select countries will be able to enter India without having to stand in long queues at immigration counters once the e-kiosks are put up. Low-risk travelers are those who don’t have any criminal or financial cases against them.

The entire process is expected to be completed within a matter of a minute when a traveler comes to any e-Gate kiosk. The electronic gates will be installed at the arrival wing of international airports, and the foreign travelers can present their machine-readable passports, following which they can place their fingerprints on the scanner for verification and complete a customs declaration, the report added.

UDAN ops in India's North-East kick-off with Air Deccan

Air Deccan launched flights out of Kolkata Int'l to a number of airports in India's North-East on April 26, 2018, marking the inauguration of operations under the government's Regional Connectivity Scheme (RCS or UDAN) in the region, The Times of India has reported.

Initially, the carrier based one Beech 1900D aircraft out of Kolkata, deploying the turboprop on services to each of Agartala, Aizawl, Dimapur, and Shillong. Following the positioning of a second unit of the type in mid-May 2018, the carrier plans to launch services to Durgapur, Cooch Behar, Bagdogra, and Silchar.

Out of these airports, only Cooch Behar currently does not see any scheduled traffic.

From Chennai to Guwahati, govt likely to privatise 8 major airports

The government’s attempt at privatising maintenance of airport terminals has drawn a blank from investors. And, has forced the Narendra Modi government to mull complete privatisation — a plan initiated by the previous United Progressive Alliance government but dropped by the current regime, facing protest from employee unions.

The plan is to privatise at least eight government-owned airports — Chennai, Kolkata, Kochi, Pune, Ahmedabad, Jaipur, Lucknow and Guwahati.

The civil aviation ministry is having discussions on designing the model on how the airports would be bid out, according to sources. It is likely the airports will be bid out for 30 years and the tariffs will be fixed upfront.

Air India revenue up 20% at Rs 30 billion, set to increase flying hours

New Delhi: Air India has recorded a 20 per cent growth in revenue in March-April 2018. The carrier has also embarked on a route-analysis exercise, focusing on increasing flying hours of its aircraft, to add more trips, Chairman and Managing Director, Pradeep Singh Kharola, said.

The airline is focussing on improving the operational efficiency, both in the domestic and international sectors, even as it is buoyed over the load factor, on time performance and revenue growth, Kharola said.
"The revenue has increased by about 20 per cent as compared to the same period last year at roughly about Rs30 billion, though expenses continue to remain high," he said, adding the airline has benefitted from the overall growth in the aviation market.

IndiGo firming up international flight plan, to add 24 destinations

No-frills carrier IndiGo will expand its flight offerings to include 24 foreign destinations over the next 18 months, a person aware of the development said. The new routes will include 18 shorthaul destinations in the Middle East, Southeast Asia and China, and six longhaul flights to cities in France, Germany, Belgium, the UK and Switzerland, the person cited earlier said, adding that the airline may order dual-aisle aircraft for the purpose.

“The plans for international expansion are firmed up and the airline may order wide-bodied aircraft at the Farnborough air show to be held in July,” the source said, requesting not to be named. An email query to Indigo, the country’s largest carrier by market share, remained unanswered until press time, but a government official confirmed that IndiGo has firmed up plans to launch international operations in a big way, which will be its second phase of expansion. In an interview with ET earlier this month, IndiGo cofounder Rahul Bhatia had said that domestic and international expansion along with addition of new aircraft are the airline’s priority.

Air India records 20% growth in revenue

New Delhi: Air India has recorded a 20 per cent growth in revenue in March-April 2018 and has embarked on a route analysis exercise, focussing on increasing flying hours of each of its aircraft, to add more trips, the airlines chairman-cum-managing director, Pradeep Singh Kharola, said.

The airline is focussing on improving the operational efficiency both in the domestic and international sectors even as it is buoyed over the load factor, on time performance and revenue growth, Kharola told PTI.

"During March-April, the revenue has increased by about 20 per cent as compared to the same period last year at roughly about Rs 3,000 crore, though expenses continue to remain high," he said, adding that the airline has benefitted from the overall growth in the aviation market.

Good news for foreigners visiting India: Get immigration clearance seconds from January; details here

New Delhi: Come January 2019, low-risk foreign travellers will not have to wait in long queues at airport immigration counters as the government plans to install special automated kiosks for speedy document and identity verification. Low-risk travellers from select countries from January 2019 can enter India without standing in long queues at immigration counters as the government has plans to install these automated kiosks, officials said today. These kiosks will ensure smooth entry of foreigners in seconds after verification of antecedents, they said. Electronic gates or e-Gates will be put in place at the arrival wing of international airports where foreigners can present their machine-readable passports, place their fingerprints on the scanner for verification and complete a customs declaration.
Without any human intervention, e-cameras will clear the travellers who present approved biometric. They can then go straight to the baggage claim area after de-boarding the plane and then to the exit, a Home Ministry official told PTI.

E-Gates to give immigration clearance in seconds to citizens of select countries

New Delhi: Come January 2019, low-risk foreign travellers will not have to wait in long queues at airport immigration counters as the Government plans to install special automated kiosks for speedy document and identity verification.

Low-risk travellers from select countries from January 2019 can enter India without standing in long queues at immigration counters as the Government has plans to install these automated kiosks, officials said today.

These kiosks will ensure smooth entry of foreigners in seconds after verification of antecedents, they said.

Low-risk travellers are people who do not have any criminal or financial cases levelled against them.

Jet Airways to connect Tiruchi with Bengaluru

Tiruchi: Domestic movement at Tiruchi international airport is set to soar further with the Jet Airways proposing to start a daily service in the Tiruchi - Bengaluru- Tiruchi sector.

The private airline which already operates flights in the Tiruchi- Chennai - Tiruchi and Tiruchi - Mumbai-Delhi sectors has planned to launch the service to Bengaluru from here on July 1.

Airline sources said the proposed new service to Bengaluru would be operated using an 'ATR'-72 type aircraft. The daily service to the garden city would be operated in the morning.

Govt holds discussions with telcos, airlines on in-flight wi-fi services

The government today held detailed discussions with telecom operators and airlines on framing guidelines for in-flight data and voice services, sources said. The meeting comes within a fortnight of the Telecom Commission, the highest policy making body of Department of Telecom (DoT), clearing a proposal for allowing in-flight connectivity.

Once the guidelines are in place, it would allow travellers to use internet and voice services on mobile phones during flights in the Indian airspace.

Jet Airways To Commence Operations Under RCS

Jet Airways today announced the launch of operations under the ‘Ude Desh ka Aam Naagrik’ (UDAN) scheme.  The airline has been awarded four routes under the Regional Connectivity Scheme (RCS) and will launch operations on three new routes out of the four routes awarded, and will subsequently launch Lucknow-Bareilly-Delhi-Bareilly-Lucknow.

 On the occasion, Gaurang Shetty, Whole time Director, Jet Airways said, “Jet Airways started off with the aim of introducing India to a world class travel experience and connectivity embodied in the ‘joy of flying’. Having pioneered the operations of the ATR aircraft in India, the launch of these new flights mainly onboard ATR aircraft, will allow Jet Airways to embark on a journey to ensure that unserved regions and underserved airports are maximized to their full potential.

Simple in design, new terminal building of airport

Pune:  The new terminal building of the Lohegaon airport will be the simplest in design and segregate the domestic and international flyers completely.
A source told TOI, “The terminal building will be integrated for both domestic and international flyers but there will be different security hold areas for each section. The passengers will be experiencing the kind of facilities available in Delhi and Mumbai airports once the new terminal building is ready.”
The Delhi airport, for example, has three terminal buildings. All of them are integrated for domestic and international flights. But international flyers are completely separated from domestic passengers through a proper system of checks and immigration.

Expedite process for new airport near BBSR

Bhubaneswar: Union Petroleum and Skill Development Minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Saturday wrote to Civil Aviation Minister Suresh Prabhu to expedite the process of identification of land and construction works for the proposed new airport near Bhubaneswar as passenger traffic is growing fast at the Biju Patnaik International Airport (BPIA).

Besides, he demanded that airports at Rourkela and Jeypore be operationalised soon under the UDAN scheme.

“As many as 3.25 million passengers, both domestic and international, flew from the PBIA in 2017-18 which marks a record year over year growth of 39.4 per cent. Thus, there is an urgent need to set up a new airport at Bhubaneswar,” wrote Pradhan.

Vistara, Jet, and IndiGo top customer's preference list

From a delayed flight to a seat with a broken recliner, from a rude staff member to bad food, fliers lash out at airlines on social media with all sorts of complaints. How well and how soon airlines respond to these complaints is crucial. An airline’s quick customer service and on-time performance help fuel positive conversations about the brand online. An exclusive analysis of online chatter about India’s seven largest domestic airlines (according to passengers carried in January-March 2018) by MavenMagnet for ET Magazine decodes how the brands fare in the minds of fliers on a range of parameters.

Indigo to launch flight services from Surat in next couple of months

Surat: After budget carrier AirAsia India, Indigo is all set to launch its flight services from the Diamond City in the next couple of months.
The private airline has submitted an application to the Airports Authority of India (AAI) for space allotment at Surat airport to carry out operations. Also, the airline is believed to have started recruitment of ground staff for handling flight operations at the airport.

Sources said senior airline officials have visited the Diamond City on three occasions and that they seem to have finalized their plan to connect Surat with other sectors. The airline plans to connect Surat with Jaipur, Amritsar, Goa, Chennai, Hyderabad and other destinations.

Now book cheap Jet Airways, Air India, SpiceJet tickets from IRCTC, here's what you should know

Mumbai: After making things easier for train passengers by introducing more flexible options on multiple platforms , the Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corp (IRCTC) has also decided to strengthen it's foothold in the aviation sector by giving best fares in major airlines like Jet Airways, Air India and Air Vistara. Now, through IRCTC, one can book air tickets at the lowest convenience charge of Rs 59, and one can book tickets through mobile apps as well.
On Friday, IRCTC through its Twitter account said, “Get the #best #deals on #flight #tickets when you #travel both within #India and #Abroad! Take your family in full-fledged comfort via the #IRCTCAir app, available for both #iOS & #Android!.”
So, in case if you plan to book an air ticket, here are some few facts you should remember.

Jet Airways (9W), Air India (AI) and Air Vistara (UK) are offered as full service airlines. They offer full services including free in-flight meals.

Navi Mumbai Airport won’t be completed by 2019

There are chances that the under-construction Navi Mumbai International Airport might not be ready by December 2019 as the civil aviation ministry on Thursday said that it will be tough to meet the deadline.

Civil aviation secretary RN Choubey said, “It will be difficult to have the airport ready by 2019, but we’ll try to make it happen.” Chobey was speaking on the sidelines of the US-India aviation summit.

Noida International Airport project to be completed by 2022

New Delhi: The Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) on Tuesday gave in-principle approval to the Uttar Pradesh government to build Noida International Airport at Jewar, a town situated about 100 kms away from New Delhi. This will be the second airport in the Delhi NCR region that will be expected to give relief to the existing airport in Delhi which is bursting at the seams.

The bidding process is likely to start in the first week of July, says Arun Vir Singh, CEO of Yamuna Expressway Industrial Development Authority (YEIDA), the nodal agency for the airport project. "We haven't prepared the bidding document as yet. It is still at the discussion stage. The EoI (expression of interest) document will be floated in the first week of July," he says. The think tank NITI Aayog had prepared a model bid document, and the YEIDA will do tweaking to that document over the next two months.

Indore airport to have ‘Drishti’ system

Indore: Devi Ahilya Bai Holkar Airport will soon have an Aviation Weather Observing System (AWOS) or Meteorological Park for smooth flight operations especially during bad weather conditions.
The Met park will be equipped with a Runway Visibility Range (RVR) equipment which will help flights land even in zero visibility.
Airport director Aryama Sanyal said that RVR, which is also called ‘Drishti’ system, includes a set of visibility sensors and communication device, and it is capable of detecting accurate visibility range to help pilot in safe landing and take-off.

Flights from Mumbai among the most expensive in India

Mumbai: The city has become India’s most expensive to board a flight from. Unlike the country’s other cities, there are hardly any flights out of Mumbai on which last-minute fares aren’t high. If you live in Bengaluru, Rs 2,500 will buy you a one-way air ticket to Goa this weekend. If you’re in Delhi, you could fly to Kolkata for Rs 4,000 or Dehradun for Rs 5,000 on a non-stop flight.

In Chennai, you will get the best international deals as Rs 10,000 would put you on a flight to Singapore, while Rs 15,000 will buy you a ticket to Dubai. If Chennai’s residents believe that the fares are high, they can take solace in that the cheapest fare from Mumbai to Dubai is Rs 20,000, while to Singapore is Rs 30,000.

India’s airports infrastructure set for a big leap! 7 developments that will cheer passengers

Big boost for airports infrastructure! India is a rapidly growing economy, with infrastructure expansion across sectors a key focus area. Be it roadways, railways or aviation, infrastructure forms the backbone of a developing country. As Indian airports continue to rank among the world’s best, the good news is that more and more world-class airports are coming up to meet the growing demand for air travel and also enable regional connectivity through Modi government’s UDAN scheme. The aviation sector of the country set for some massive developments. Many crucial airports across the country will soon undergo a major expansion. Apart from expansion and development of the existing airports, soon new international airports will come up, which will sport world-class features. Interestingly, earlier this year, two international airports of the nation- New Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport and Mumbai’s Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport became the world’s best, beating many international airports of South Korea, China, Singapore etc.

Ukraine International Airlines initiates Indian delight

Ukraine International Airlines (UIA) introduced the Indian capital of Delhi (DEL) to its network on 1 May, inaugurating a three times weekly service from Kiev Boryspil (KBP). The European carrier will connect the two capital cities using its fleet of 767-300s, with the 4,545-kilometre route presently not flown by another airline. Along with Delhi, UIA also serves the Asian cities of Almaty, Astana, Bangkok, Beijing and Colombo. The carrier also serves multiple destinations in the Middle East. See how Delhi Airport’s FTWA compares to others from around the world.
To Read the News in Full 08/05/18 anna.aero

IndiGo seeks government approval for long-haul routes

Budget carrier IndiGo has sought the government’s clearance to commence operations on long-haul routes to destinations such as Birmingham, London, Milan, and Paris in the next few years.

“The company has been eyeing international network expansion for quite some time and has asked for approval from the Ministry of Civil Aviation,” said a senior IndiGo official on the condition of anonymity.

IndiGo’s promoter Rakesh Gangwal had said last July that the airline was aiming to launch long-haul operations soon. “Our internal work shows that IndiGo is a natural player to take advantage of the significant and lucrative international market opportunity that India offers,” he had said.

PM Modi may inaugurate Pakyong airport in Sikkim

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to commission the strategically important Pakyong airport in Sikkim, sources in the Civil Aviation Ministry have said.

The greenfield airport, close to the capital city of Gangtok, received the aerodrome license from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation last Friday for commercial operations. The formal announcement was made by Civil Aviation Minister Suresh Prabhu through his twitter feed.

"The Ministry is in talks with the PMO and hopefully the PM will inaugurate the airport given its strategic importance and significance," sources in the Ministry said, adding the dates are yet to the finalised.

Air India likely to launch Mumbai-Frankfurt flight from June

State-run carrier Air India is likely to start a direct flight from Mumbai to Frankfurt from June as it seeks to expand its operations to Europe, official sources said.

According to the official sources, the airline would operate thrice a week from the metropolis and depart for Frankfurt in the morning hours.

"We are finalising the slots, and once we are done with it we will make a formal announcement," they said.

The airline currently operates a regular flight on the Delhi-Frankfurt route.

'Foreign airlines could benefit from govt's nod to in-flight internet'

Foreign airlines could be the immediate beneficiaries of the government's recent nod to in-flight voice and data connectivity as the domestic players were not yet equipped for internet services, according to an aviation consultancy firm.

On the pricing issue, a global airline IT solution major feels the price point for domestic flights in India offering voice and data services "will need to be appropriate".

Aviation consultancy firm Centre for Asia Pacific (CAPA) said foreign carriers will be the first to offer onboard connectivity in Indian airspace as domestic carriers were not yet equipped for WiFi.

Airport bags 3rd slot on growth rate route

Pune: The Lohegaon airport has bagged the third slot among 10 facilities in the over 5 million passenger capacity category in terms of the annual growth rate in 2017-18, senior Airports Authority of India (AAI) officials said here on Sunday.
The airport’s growth rate (20.6%) was third after the facilities in Kolkata and Ahmedabad. “Among the 10 airports, Pune is at the 9th place with 8.16 million passengers in 2017-18,” , Pune airport director Ajay Kumar said.
The 10 airports in the category are the ones in Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Cochin, Goa, Ahmedabad, Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai and Pune.
When it comes to domestic passengers, the airport recorded a total of 7.89 million passengers in 2017-18 — a growth rate of 21.2%. “Among all the airports, Pune is the only one operating with the ‘Code C’ aircraft. All other facilities are capable of handling bigger aircraft,” Kumar added.
‘Code C’ aircraft have a wingspan of more than 24m but less than 36m. The outer main gear wheel span of such aircraft is more than 6m and less than 9m. Aircraft such as Boeing 737-700, Airbus A-320 and Embraer ERJ 190-100 fall in the ‘Code C’ category. These aircraft cannot carry more than 200 flyers.

Modern infra at airport

Bhubaneswar: The areas surrounding Biju Patnaik International Airport will see an overall development with the housing and urban development department approving the master plan submitted by the airport authorities.

According to the plan, about 54 acres of the airport area will be developed. It includes expansion and beautification projects as well. The Bhubaneswar Development Authority has also amended its comprehensive development plan for the purpose.

Several projects will be taken up in various areas located opposite the domestic terminal near the car parking area. Sources said a three-star hotel, shopping mall and a 4,000-seat convention centre would also be developed in the area.

Jet Airways: 25 years of Indian hospitality in the air

As a corporate traveller, on the road since 2004, there has been one airline I’ve flown more often than any other. That would be Jet Airways. As they complete their 25 years, it is only fitting to reflect how they came to be one of India’s top brand ambassadors abroad. After all, not every day is an airline born, much less, completes 25 years in the business.

My first interaction with the airline happened, indeed in 2004, while I was a young lad fresh out of business school, learning the ropes of frequent flying. I gave an equal opportunity to Air India and Jet Airways back then to win me as a customer, and stuck with the latter. The groundwork for my choice had been laid out by founder Chairman Naresh Goyal, a decade before.

Goyal’s first brush with an airline came right after he left college in 1967, working for his uncle, who would represent various airlines in India. Jet Air, his marketing organisation for various international airlines in India, was his coming into his own in the business when he launched in 1974.

When the government opened up the airline industry to private players, Goyal was one of the first to jump at the opportunity. Jet Airways started operating as an air taxi operator on May 5, 1993, operating their first flight, 9W321, between Mumbai and Ahmedabad. They could fly but not publish a schedule for one and a half years. In 1995, Jet Airways was granted a scheduled airline status after the Air Corporations Act was abolished.

Flyers’ flow: Patna 12th fastest growing airport

Patna: The city’s Jayaprakash Narayan International airport ranked 12th in the fiscal 2017-18 in terms of flyer footfall growth.
The airport registered 47.3% growth in passenger flow last fiscal. The corresponding figure for the previous fiscal was 33.3%.
The only other international airport in Bihar at Gaya, on the other hand, registered a meagre 5.1% growth in passenger flow in 2017-18 compared to 37.7% in 2016-17 fiscal.
According to Airports Authority of India (AAI) figures, the Patna airport handled 31,11,273 flyers in 2017-18 as against 21,12,150 flyers in 2016-17.
A comparative study of the growth figures of other main airports of the country suggests the Patna airport registered 12th growth in percentage increase in passengers’ flow in 2017-18 over the previous fiscal. It had ranked 18th on this count in 2016-17.

‘We just want to run a good and strong airline’

Jet Airways will complete 25 years of operations on May 5. The airline, which was started by former travel agent Naresh Goyal with just four Boeing aircraft leased from Australia, now plans to embark on the next leg of its journey. CEO Vinay Dube discloses how Jet proposes to grow profitably, maintaining 8-10% CAGR for the next five years, acquiring new generation aircraft and cutting costs.

What Mr. Goyal had in mind to start the airline was his vision. And that part still lives on today. His vision was to develop a world-class airline. It is his passion for service and hospitality that makes him different.

So, the journey of the last 25 years is the journey of building something that is world-class in operations and world- class in hospitality. It is not easy to start from nothing and then build a $4 billion enterprise. And he did it. He gets the credit for it as do few thousand people who had worked for Jet Airways.

Use of aerobridges must wherever available: Civil Aviation Ministry

Mumbai: The Civil Aviation Ministry has cracked down on airlines seeking to improve their turnaround time by allowing some passengers to exit through the rear using a step ladder, when aerobridge facility was available from the front.

Now on, passengers will only have to alight through the front door once an aerobridge is docked to the aircraft. Passengers alighting from the rear usually had to take an airport coach or walk longer, something passengers complained about and the Air Passengers Association of India had pointed out in its newsletter.

A circular issued mentions that airlines should be using aerobridges more than they have been doing at airports where these are available. “It has been observed by senior Airports Authority of India officials that airport aircraft parking stands having passenger boarding bridges are not being utilised fully. The non-usage of passenger boarding bridges is causing inconvenience to passengers,” it read.

Amritsar-Birmingham direct flights to increase to five times a week

Air India will increase the frequency of its flights between Amritsar and Birmingham from two per week to five, owing to high demand from passengers.
The five weekly service is expected to start in the summer. The inaugural non-stop flight between Birmingham and Amritsar had taken off on February 20.
"The recently introduced Birmingham to Amritsar flights will soon be operating five days a week," said British Sikh MP Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi, who spearheaded the idea of connecting the two cities.
"It's been in the pipeline a while but now the Indian Cabinet has given the green light for it," he added. "It started on two days a week, last month they agreed to make it three days and now it will become five days a week. I thank the UK and Punjabi travellers for the enthusiasm with which they have made the flights successful," Dhesi added.

In-flight calls, Net may cost more than your ticket

Everybody is hailing the Telecom Commission's decision to allow mobile calls and internet services in domestic and international flights in India, but here's a spoiler – fliers will have to loosen their purse strings for these services. In fact, in some cases, the use of in-flight Wi-Fi services may cost more than your flight ticket.

Although in-flight Wi-Fi services are yet to start in India, countries that have provided these facilities charge approximately $4.5 (Rs 350) for using 10 mb internet data. Domestic airlines expect that the use of internet services over Indian territory would cost a passenger between Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 on a 60- minute flight.

Talking to Zee Business, Trai chairman RS Sharma said that the TRAI will not interfere to regulate the cost of in-flight internet services. "Users have to pay for using Wi-Fi. The tariffs will be decided by the service provider. TRAI will not interfere with it," he said.

Bangalore airport's capacity to grow 3x by 2028, expansion to cost $2 bn

Chennai: Fairfax-owned Bangalore International Airport (BIAL) is expected to see a capacity expansion in with an investment of around $2 billion. This will help the airport handle 65 million passengers a year by 2028, against 20 million passengers at present.

In a letter to shareholders enclosed with Fairfax India's annual report and shared with shareholders recently, Prem Watsa, chairman and chief executive of Fairfax Financial Holding, said: "This (BIAL) is indeed a very exciting investment for Fairfax India."
against 20 million passengers at present.

In a letter to shareholders enclosed with Fairfax India's annual report and shared with shareholders recently, Prem Watsa, chairman and chief executive of Fairfax Financial Holding, said: "This (BIAL) is indeed a very exciting investment for Fairfax India."


A second runway is under development with 2019 as the deadline for completion. A second terminal is scheduled to be completed in 2021, for which the phase 1 schematic design has been completed and detailed planning is ongoing.

"The investment required to complete the expansion projects is approximately $2 billion and will be funded through internally generated funds and debt. The financing plan, based on a debt to equity ratio of 80:20, and negotiations with banks are well underway," he said.

In March 2017, Fairfax India had acquired 38 per cent of BIAL for $385 million (including 33% from GVK Group, BIAL’s promoter), implying an equity value of above $1 billion for the whole company. Based on BIAL’s March 2017 financial statements, the purchase price valued BIAL at a price-to-earnings ratio of 14.5, the price-to-book value of 4.7 times and price-to-free cash flow of 8.7 times, without considering the value of the real estate that can be monetised.

SpiceJet changes numbers of flights

SpiceJet airline has changed its flight numbers for 2 flights operating from Jaipur. Flights connecting Jaipur to Delhi and Udaipur will now have different flight numbers, say the sources.

SG-2623 SpiceJet flying on Delhi-Jaipur-Udaipur air route will now fly as SG-8623. This flight takes off from Delhi reaching Jaipur at 8:10 a.m. and leaves from Jaipur for Udaipur at 8:30 a.m. Similarly SG-2637 flying on Udaipur-Jaipur-Delhi route will now fly as SG-8637. This flight takes off from Udaipur reaching Jaipur at 10:50 a.m. and leaves from Jaipur for Delhi at 11:10 a.m. Both flights will be operating from Terminal-2.
To Read the News in Full 04/05/18 Monika S/Udaipur Times

India's March domestic passenger traffic growth rises by 28%: IATA

New Delhi: India's domestic passenger traffic grew by 27.9 per cent in March, a global airline association said on Thursday.

According to the International Air Transport Association (IATA), India's domestic demand -- revenue passenger kilometres (RPK) -- was highest amongst major aviation markets like Australia, Brazil, China, Japan, Russia and the United States.

As per the data, India's domestic RPK -- which measures actual passenger traffic -- rose by over 27.9 per cent in March compared to the corresponding month of the previous year.

Airlines Say In-Flight WiFi And Voice Services Will Add To Costs

Major airlines, including Air India and Vistara, welcomed the Telecom Commission’s nod for use of WiFi and voice services in-flight, with Civil Aviation Minister Suresh Prabhu saying he will ensure “earliest implementation” of the proposal.

When the decision comes into effect in about three to four months, passengers can use mobile phones for both voice and data services in Indian airspace in domestic and international flights. However, a few in the aviation industry, including a senior-level officer of a low-cost airline, were not enthused, citing the expenditure involved in implementing the technology necessary for enabling in-flight WiFi services.

“We welcome the decision as it will mean more convenience to air travellers. We will study the recommendations in details and in due course determine the economics of offering on domestic and international route,” Vistara, which is gearing up for international operations, said in a statement.

But an official of a leading private carrier, speaking on condition of anonymity, said that providing the facility may not be a viable option given the high cost involved.

Jewar airport work to begin in 2019

New Delhi: The construction for the Jewar International Airport in Greater Noida will begin before the 2019 general elections with the Uttar Pradesh government having approved the setting up of a joint venture company to acquire 1,441hectare of land for the project at a cost of nearly Rs 4,000 crore.

The Centre has cleared the site for the project and the ministries of home and defence have given their no objection certificates along with an in-principle clearance for immigration services, a senior UP government official told ET.

Lucknow to get new international airport terminal by 2023

The Lucknow airport is all set to open its wings to accommodate more flyers with the Union Cabinet on Wednesday approving construction of an integrated international terminal.
Conceptualised on the lines of Mughal architecture, the new terminal is projected to be completed by 2023 at an estimated cost of Rs 1,230 crore. The terminal will span over an area of 88,000 sq mt and will have the capacity to handle more than 4,000 passengers in peak hours. Annually, the new terminal building will be able to cater to at least 25 lakh international and more than 1 crore domestic passengers. According to a formal artistic impression of the proposed terminal tweeted by Union minister of state for civil aviation Jayant Sinha, the double-storey structure will have two level driveway facilities for passengers to reach the arrival/departure gates.
The terminal will also have multiple check-in kiosks and baggage drop points. Union civil aviation minister Suresh Prabhu said the new building would cater to the requirements of passenger growth up to the year 2030-31.

Qatar Airways to apply soon to start airline in India

Cardiff: Qatar Airways (QA) will soon apply for starting an airline in India, which will be a full service carrier operating within the country. While the proposed airline will be fully-owned by Qatar entities, it will have an Indian chairman and majority of board members will also be from India. QA has also stated it is not bidding for Air India.
In his first interaction with the Indian media since last March when he announced the plan to set up an airline in India, QA Group chief executive Akbar Al Baker told TOI : “Our lawyers have started working on our application. We will soon get some clarification from government authorities in India to give us the exact direction on how we can start the process (and) formally apply for the (licence) sometime soon.” TOI had earlier reported in February about Qatar Airways’ plan to launch an airline in India.

Surat airport soaring high, passenger traffic grows 250% YoY

Surat: Passenger traffic at Surat airport is up by a whopping 250% for the fiscal year 2017-2018. A factual data sheet by the Airports Authority of India (AAI) has confirmed this and it now puts Surat on 42nd position amongst the top 50 airports in India.
In terms of aircraft movement, AAI has graded it at number 37 with 137.40% growth, which has been a huge achievement for an airport that has long been struggling to be up on the aviation map of India in spite of being amongst its earliest one.
“Despite only two major airlines and one non scheduled operator (NSOP) operating from Surat, the airport has shown tremendous growth and potential. From being at number 50, it has jumped up to being number 42, clearly proving that Surtis like to fly from their own airport,” co-chairman of the SGCCI’s aviation committee Manoj Singapuri said.

Bangalore airport's capacity to grow 3x by 2028, expansion to cost $2 bn

Chennai: Fairfax-owned Bangalore International Airport (BIAL) is expected to see a capacity expansion in with an investment of around $2 billion. This will help the airport handle 65 million passengers a year by 2028, against 20 million passengers at present.

In a letter to shareholders enclosed with Fairfax India's annual report and shared with shareholders recently, Prem Watsa, chairman and chief executive of Fairfax Financial Holding, said: "This (BIAL) is indeed a very exciting investment for Fairfax India."
against 20 million passengers at present.

In a letter to shareholders enclosed with Fairfax India's annual report and shared with shareholders recently, Prem Watsa, chairman and chief executive of Fairfax Financial Holding, said: "This (BIAL) is indeed a very exciting investment for Fairfax India."

InterGlobe Aviation reports 73% YoY drop in Q4 profit

New Delhi: InterGlobe Aviation on Wednesday reported 73.30 per cent yearly drop in profit at Rs 117.64 crore for March quarter.
The owner of IndiGo airlines had reported Rs 440.30 crore profit in the corresponding quarter last year.
Aditya Ghosh, the company President, stepped down last week. Promoter and co-founder Rahul Bhatia, has been appointed as interim CEO.
In a filing to the BSE, the company said the Q4 numbers included certain credits received from manufacturers to offset some of the impact of aircraft groundings and delivery delays.

‘Aviation will grow, connect and transform India’

Union Minister of state for civil aviation Jayant Sinha sees the Indian skies changing, with several new modes of flying coming in.

Mr Sinha, what is the government’s plan for the growth of the aviation sector?

We already have a blueprint of what is likely to be the future. In the foreseeable future, what will the aviation sector look like? Even the prime minister is talking about it. From 500 planes in the sky to some 2,000 planes in the sky; we are going from 200 million passenger trips to a billion passenger trips. And we are going to grow from 200 helicopters to 400 helicopters.

We are going to grow from 75 airports to 200 airports. From auto rickshaws to air rickshaws. This where things are headed as far as aviation is concerned. So it is a massive growth industry that is going to grow and grow and connect up India and transform India. In my own life, there is the example of Hazaribagh, where I hail from. It was impossibly remote from Delhi. If you took a Rajdhani, it would take 14 to 16 hours. Today, I can do a day trip. I take an 8.40 a.m. flight, I reach Ranchi at 10.30 am and by 12.30 p.m. I am in Hazaribagh. And from 12.30 to 6.00 p.m. I work in Hazaribagh and you can take the 8.30 p.m. flight back and you are back in Delhi by 10.30 p.m. This was inconceivable even a couple of years ago. Of course, it also includes a very high quality highway that got built—NH 33— which allows you to do the 125 km in two hours. But that is what connectivity is doing to India.

Similarly, there was no flight between Delhi and Bikaner. We introduced the Delhi-Bikaner flight through UDAN [Ude Desh Ka Aam Nagrik-Regional Connectivity Scheme] and under UDAN II, we are getting a Bikaner-Jaipur flight too. But the flight from Delhi to Bikaner has completely transformed Bikaner and people are flying to and fro from Bikaner every day. People are willing to live in Bikaner because they know that they can be in Delhi in one hop. People are even willing to set up factories in Bikaner.

Foreign airlines will be first to offer in-flight connectivity

Mumbai/New Delhi: Foreign carriers such as Singapore Airlines and Lufthansa are soon likely to offer mobile connectivity on board flights in Indian airspace after the government’s go-ahead. But local airlines may go slow on rolling out the service because of the cost involved, said industry executives.

“It’s a welcome decision. Lufthansa doesn’t offer call services but we do offer data services,” said Wolfgang Will, a senior director at the German airline. “Right now, an aircraft has to fly out of Indian airspace for connectivity to be activated. After this approval, there is a possibility of providing passengers with the services within the Indian airspace too. We shall definitely look at it.”

Singapore Airlines offers in-flight connectivity on Airbus A380, A350 and Boeing 777-300ER aircraft through SITA ONAIR and Panasonic. “Coverage for in-flight connectivity services are dependent on the approvals obtained by service providers,” said a spokesperson at the airline. Getting approvals will now likely be easy following decision of the Telecom Commission, the highest decision-making body in the telecom department, to allow the service.

Not everyone's happy! Wifi, phone calls to make flights noisy, also add to airlines' cost

While full-service carriers like Air India and Vistara have welcomed Telecom Commission's approval for use of WiFi and voice calling services onboard the aircraft, the low-cost airlines (IndiGo & SpiceJet) have said they are studying the matter in detail before making any comments.

The decision, which comes into effect in about three to four months, will allow passengers to use mobile phones for both voice and data services over Indian airspace. This feature will be allowed both in domestic as well as international flights.

However, not everyone is excited with this significant development in the aviation industry. Budget airlines are staring at increased costs involved in bringing the technology for enabling in-flight WiFi services.

According to PTI, a few in the aviation industry, including a senior-level officer of a low-cost airline, were not much enthused, citing the expenditure involved in implementing the technology necessary for enabling in-flight WiFi services.

It's not just no-frills airlines which have been skeptical about the decision of Telecom Commission allowing telephonic calls during flights. Some flyers are also dreading the move saying that this may lead to passengers talking loudly on their mobile phones.

SpiceJet to be first to offer mobile phone connectivity on flights, says Ajay Singh

Ajay Singh, CMD Spicejet, during an exclusive talk with Zee Business's Sameer Dixit said that the airliner will be starting 21 flights under phase-II of Udan, the regional connectivity scheme. He added, that through the proposed charter, the government wants to bring international standards to India and this is a welcome step.  Over and above that, Singh said that his airline would be the first to offer in-flight connectivity - the proposal was cleared today itself by the Telecom Commission. Check out here the edited excerpts from the interview:

Q: You have added one more destination under the Regional Connectivity Scheme (RCS). Where does Spicejet stand in the network and what is the plan to connect other destinations, like Kanpur?

A: RCS Udan Yojana is one of the best plans of the incumbent Modi government. As you know that under the scheme, we are operating flights between Mumbai and Porbandar, Mumbai to Kandla, Hyderabad to Pondicherry, Delhi to Jaipur and Jaipur to Jaisalmer. SpiceJet is the first airline that participated in the scheme. Today, we are going to connect Adampur and will try to connect Kanpur in the month of May. In the addition, under phase-II of the Udan scheme, we are planning to start new flights from 21 destinations. Flights to these destinations will be started as soon as the airports become functional.

Air India, Vistara, other major airlines welcome Telecom Commission’s nod for in-flight WiFi, voice services

New Delhi: Major airlines, including Air India and Vistara, today welcomed the Telecom Commission’s nod for use of WiFi and voice services in-flight, with Civil Aviation Minister Suresh Prabhu saying he will ensure “earliest implementation” of the proposal. When the decision comes into effect roughly in three to four months time, passengers can use mobile phones for both voice and data services in the Indian airspace in domestic and International flights. “We welcome the decision as it will mean more convenience to air travellers. We will study the recommendations in details and in due course determine the economics of offering on domestic and international route,” Vistara, which is gearing up for international operations, said in a statement, welcoming the development.

The major take away from the decision is access to net connectivity and Internet access which can be provided once the aircraft is ready for take-off. Prabhu said that he will ensure “earliest implementation” of the proposal as the government remains committed to improving services of air passengers and making their travel delightful and hassle-free. “Providing passenger amenities have been the endeavour of the Narendra Modi government. We are constantly upgrading our services. This (decision) will go a long way in making sure people will be using the flying time more productively and efficiently,” the Civil Aviation minister said in a video message from South Africa.

International cargo registers 22% growth at Coimbatore airport

Coimbatore: The Airport Authority of India (AAI) owned and operated cargo terminal at Coimbatore International Airport handled 3,277 metric tonnes of international cargo during 2017-18 registering 22% growth than the previous year, said officials here on Tuesday. During 2016-17, the tonnage was 2,683 metric tonnes.

Apart from the growth in the international cargo movement, both import and export witnessed upward trend in the concluded fiscal year.

While import increased to 204 tonnes from 98 tonnes, export rose to 3,073 tonnes from 2,585 tonnes.

While castings, foodstuffs, vegetables, turmeric concentrate and fabrics constituted exports through the airport, components, raw materials and accessories stood for imports.

Government nod for 3 new airport terminal buildings at Chennai, Lucknow and Guwahati

New Delhi: In a major step towards augmentation of aviation infrastructure in the country, the Centre today approved a proposal to build new terminal buildings at the Chennai, Lucknow and Guwahati airports at an estimated cost of over 5,000 crore.
The proposal was approved by the Union Cabinet which met here today.

The aviation sector in the country is currently growing at well over 20 per cent and touched 28 per cent in March, with 1.16 crore Indians making flight journeys during the month.

Civil Aviation Minister Suresh Prabhu said the new terminal building approved for the Chennai airport at Rs 2,467 crore will have a capacity to handle 35 million passengers per annum and take care of the growth requirement till 2027.

Retail outlets likely at Chennai airport by year-end

Chennai: Passengers travelling through Chennai airport willhave a better shopping experience while they wait for their flights as Airports Authority of India is planning to appoint a professional agency to set up new retail outlets. The newshops areexpectedto comeup by theendof the year.
A tender to identify a firm, which will be in charge of setting up the best of brands for seven years, has been floated. The process is on but the bid opening date will be postponed by a couple of weeks because of a glitch in the online process. “The request for proposal will be uploaded again with revised dates soon,” said an official.

Chefs to take instant feedback onboard in Vistara

New Delhi: Vistara today launched a Chef-on-Board programme with uniformed chefs taking direct and instant customer feedback on the new menu introduced by the Airlinetoday across the network.

The programme has been rolled out in partnership with Vistara's primary caterers, Taj SATS Air Catering Limited, a statement issued by the Airlinesaid.


"With Chefon-Board, we want to ensure that we get feedback directly from our customers to help us make the Vistaradining experience even more fulfilling and memorable, Sanjiv Kapoor, Chief Strategy And Commercial Officerof Vistarasaid.

How the Hyderabad international airport is spreading its wings

As you drive along the boulevard and pass by the 10 MW solar park, you feel the impressive presence of the Hyderabad international airport. Soon, the attraction will be as much the airport as the facilities coming up around it.

A city builds an airport, conversely, an airport can build a city around it, becoming, in the process, an aerotropolis — where the infrastructure and economy are centred around it. As the Hyderabad international airport enters its teens, its developers, the GMR Group, are looking to achieve just that.
The Hyderabad airport, by leveraging its location, seeks to be the gateway to South-Central India. Today, it connects 60 destinations across India and abroad and is currently served by nine domestic, 17 foreign and three Indian international carriers. It has attracted many projects, including those of the Tata group, CFM, UTC, Amazon fulfilment centre, GMR MRO, Safran and FSTC.

It will soon feature business/health/education/entertainment ports, it will have logistics and aerospace parks. The proposed business port will see the development of the country’s largest exhibition-cum-convention centre, IT parks and office and retail space.