Foreign airlines can own up to 49% in Air India: Government

New Delhi: The government on Wednesday allowed foreign airlines to invest up to 49 per cent in Air India, paving the way for Indian players to tie up with foreign airlines to bid for it. While opening numerous possibilities, this also clears the way for Tata Sons-Singapore Airlines JV Vistara to bid for AI and also for IndiGo to tie up with a foreign airline (like Qatar Airways) to do so, if IndiGo wants to.
"Foreign airlines allowed to invest up to 49 per cent under government approval route in AI as well. Substantial ownership and control (SOEC) of AI shall continue to be vested in Indian National. Foreign investment(s) in AI, including that of foreign airlines, shall not exceed 49 per cent either directly or indirectly," the government said in a statement about Cabinet decisions taken on Wednesday.

Air Deccan ordered to commence Jamshedpur-Kolkata flight by February 15

Jamshedpur: Union minister Jayant Sinha on Tuesday gave an ultimatum to Air Deccan to start operations under the ‘Udaan’ scheme on Jamshedpur-Kolkata route by February 15, saying a new bidder would be selected if the low-cost airline fails to meet the deadline.

Air Deccan was to commence operations on Jamshedpur-Kolkata route by September 30 last year. The Union minister of state for civil aviation said the carrier did not have the 19-seater aircraft required for the flight service and had to import the aircraft, recruit pilots and other crew members, which caused the delay.

“We have given them the last chance to start the service from February 15. And we will allot it to some other aviation company if they fail to meet the deadline,” he told reporters.

India’s first low-cost carrier Air Deccan, which had ceased operations after it was acquired by the erstwhile Kingfisher Airlines in 2008, took wings again as a commuter airline on December 23 with its maiden flight taking off from Mumbai for Jalgaon.

Domestic aircraft movement at Amritsar airport doubled in November

Amritsar: The passenger traffic from Amritsar's Sri Guru Ram Das International airport has crossed the 2-lakh mark for second consecutive month with 2,13,615 passengers traveling to and from the airport in comparison to 1,40,124 in the same month in 2016. This is an increase of 52.4%.
Quoting figures released by Airport Authority of India (AAI), overseas secretary of NGO Amritsar Vikas Manch (AVM) Sameep Singh Gumtala said on Tuesday that domestic air passenger traffic alone had risen to 1,60,150 in November, up 75.6% from 91,185 reported for the corresponding month of 2016.

Jet Airways completes 10 years of operations to Gulf

Dubai: Jet Airways announced it has completed 10 years of operations to the Gulf region, having flown over 25 million guests between the Gulf and India since launching operations to the region.
The Indian carrier currently flies to Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Sharjah, Dammam, Jeddah, Riyadh, Kuwait, Muscat, and Doha. It has flown nearly 200,000 flights between India and the Gulf in the past decade, and currently operates over 600 weekly flights on routes between the two regions.
Jet Airways has a partnership deal with Abu Dhabi’s Etihad Airways.
To Read the News in Full 09/01/18 Guilf News

Why ‘small’ is beautiful for UDAN

Even though UDAN (Ude Desh ka Aam Aadmi), the government’s Regional Air Connectivity Scheme (RCS) has not been without its share of controversies, it is whetting the appetite of global aircraft makers. From Brazil’s Embraer to France’s ATR Group, aircraft manufacturers are seeing the potential of selling smaller aircraft to carriers in India, who are keen to be a part of the government’s scheme to link tier 2 and tier 3 cities.

The beginning
RCS started in April 2017 with Prime Minister Narendra Modi flagging off Alliance Air’s Delhi-Shimla route and Truejet connecting Hyderabad-Nanded and Hyderabad-Kadapa. Besides these, Air Deccan SpiceJet and Air Odisha also won routes during the first round of bidding.

The second round of bidding for routes is on with IndiGo, Jet and Zoom Air taking part in the process.

“India could easily see 300 Embraer, which can seat 70 to 120 passengers, and even more being sold in India,” says Cesar Peretra, Vice-President, Asia Pacific, Embraer Commercial Aircraft. He went on to add that the company’s ERJ 145, a 50-seater, is also a good option for flying under RCS.

This averages about 10 per cent of the 3,000 aircraft the aircraft maker predicts the Asia-Pacific region will require in the next 15 years.

This Indian air route is the third busiest in the world

The world’s busiest air route isn’t London to Paris or New York to Los Angeles, but the trip between Seoul and a tiny island off the coast of South Korea. Planes made 65,000 trips between the Korean capital and Jeju island — a journey of little more than an hour — in 2017, equivalent to 178 flights a day, according to data from OAG Aviation Worldwide Ltd. That’s almost double the 35,000 trips on the busiest North American route: Los Angeles to San Francisco. Asian cities dominated the list, cementing the region’s status as the world’s fastest-growing travel market.

Plea to start domestic flights in Gaya

Patna: The Bihar government has asked the Union government to start domestic flights at Gaya airport to tap the Amritsar-Calcutta freight corridor, cargo operations and industrial development in the area.

"Gaya has a full-fledged airport but has no domestic flights. It is close to the freight corridor between Amritsar and Calcutta. Domestic flights to Gaya airport will lead to industrial activity around the freight corridor, which will be roughly aligned to the grand chord railway tracks between Punjab and Bengal," said industries department principal secretary S. Siddharth.

Uber, AirAsia partner to offer door-to-door travel options

Mumbai: Uber and AirAsia are partnering together to help provide a seamless, affordable and convenient door-to-door experience for travelers.
"This innovative partnership will go beyond offering promo codes and discounted rides and will include joint marketing efforts and technological integration,'' said a press release issued by Air Asia. "The two companies will work together to help passengers get home or to work, or to the airport and back more seamlessly in the 52 cities in 16 markets across India, Asia Pacific and the US, where AirAsia operates and the Uber app is available," it added.
AirAsia will incorporate a "deeplink" feature that allows Uber riders to request or schedule rides* when confirming, booking or checking in for flights.
To Read the News in Full 08/01/18 Manju V/Times of India

Domestic flights from Kannur by mid-year

Kannur: Domestic airline services at the Kannur International Airport under construction here will start by middle of this year, according to KIAL Managing Director P. Bala Kiran.

An official press release here on Saturday quoting Mr. Kiran said that the State and Central governments and the Airports Authority of India had signed a memorandum of understanding in this regard. Airlines such as Spice Jet and Indigo had informed that they are ready to operate daily flight services from the greenfield airport to Ghaziabad, Chennai, Ghaziabad, Bengaluru, Hubli, New Delhi, Goa, Kochi and Thiruvananthapuram. Also, Jet Airways and Go Air agreed to operate services to and from Dammam in Saudi Arabia and Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates respectively. Air India Express airlines also was also prepared to conduct services to six West Asia destinations, Mr. Kiran informed.

Air India plans to fly Delhi-Los Angeles non-stop soon

New Delhi: Air India is going to increase the frequency of its nonstops to the US and Australia, apart from linking Los Angeles directly to Delhi by this summer. It also plans to tackle the frequent failure of the back-of-seat in-flight entertainment systems in premium classes of longhauls by giving personal electronic devices, like tablets, with content for the duration of the flight.
These are among the things that Air India's new chairman Pradeep Singh Kharola is looking at implementing at the earliest.

Air India likely to offer laptops to business class passengers

In a bid to woo business class passengers on its international flights Air India is considering providing laptops to its premium travellers, its Chairman and Managing Director Pradeep Singh Kharola said on Monday.
The move is geared towards improving the airline's passenger load factor or seat occupancy in business class which often sees almost half the seats going empty.

"In our long haul flights business class can be a money spinner for Air India. Our passenger load factor is only 50 percent on these flights. We will try to see how to increase that, perhaps offer better quality of services. If our in- flight entertainment is not doing well, then we are thinking of alternatives. Laptops to business class passengers is a possibility," Kharola told reporters.

Beginning March, aiport will be at your fingertips

The Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS) has given clearance for biometric-based entry and passage through security checkpoints and boarding at the Kempegowda International Airport (KIA).
The Department Related Parliamentary Committee on Transport, Tourism and Culture, in its report that was placed before both the Houses of the Parliament last week, has stated that the country’s regulatory authority for civil aviation security has given an in-principle nod to biometric-based entry and passage.
The committee in its 256th report on Issues related to improving consumers’ satisfaction of airlines, said, “BCAS has also given in-principle clearance for biometric based entry and passage through security checkpoints and boarding at Bengaluru Airport.”

Kannur airport to be fully solar-powered

Kannur: The Kannur International Airport which is scheduled to start domestic airline services in June will be a fully solar powered airport.

An official press release said here on Monday that the meeting of the Kannur International Airport Ltd. (KIAL) director board chaired by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan in Thiruvananthapuram took the decision to install solar power system in the airport for generating power required for the operation of the airport.

Navi Mumbai International Airport taxiing for a take-off in 2021

With the major hurdle of land acquisition resolved, and clearances from the state Cabinet in its bag, the City and Industrial Development Corporation (CIDCO), the nodal authority for the project, is upbeat about executing the first phase of the Navi Mumbai International Airport (NMIA) by mid-2021. Bhushan Gagrani, joint managing director, CIDCO, tells Fe pre-development work has begun for the airport that is to come up on 1,160 hectares. “We will be spending `2,000 crore on pre-development work in this financial year itself,” he says. This would entail flattening of a 90-m hillock, reclamation of marsh land and diversion of the Ulwe river. Billed as one of the world’s largest greenfield airports, the Navi Mumbai airport would have two parallel runways of 3,700 m and full-length taxiways 1,550 m apart, facilitating simultaneous operation of the airstrips. CIDCO has divided the pre-development work into four packages, with GVK and Gayatri Projects being awarded the contracts. Rajiv Reddy, vice-president, operations, Gayatri Projects, says the company expects to complete the pre-development work in about one and a half years’ time, adding, “we may complete it even earlier, depending on certain factors.”

AirAsia India to start daily flights to Bangkok and Kuala Lumpur by 2018-end

Around two years after the government made it easier for airlines to fly abroad, Indian airlines are gearing up for international runways. Low-cost airline AirAsia India, a joint venture of Tata Sons and Malaysia-based AirAsia Berhad, is likely to start international operations by the end of 2018.
Initially, the Bengaluru-headquartered airline will try to take advantage of the strong markets of AirAsia Berhad. AirAsia India will try to feed into the extensive international network of the AirAsia Group, beginning with daily services to Kuala Lumpur and Bangkok from Bengaluru and Kolkata. Some of the routes that the airline has sought permission for are Bengaluru-Kuala Lumpur, Kolkata-Dhaka, and Hyderabad-Kuala Lumpur.
The airline, which currently has 14 aircraft, plans to add at least eight annually for the next five years.
To Read the News in Full 08/01/18 Nithya Nair

Domestic airfares get 9-15% cheaper on increase in flights and competition

Mumbai/Delhi: A Parliamentary Committee has rapped airlines for the exorbitant rise in fares but data shows ticket prices in January are lower on an annual basis. Domestic fares for travel within a fortnight of booking are 9-15 per cent lower now owing to increased capacity and competition.

While the rupee has strengthened against the dollar, continuous rise in aviation turbine fuel price since July has negated the gains. Owing to competitive pressures however airlines have refrained from hiking fares.

While airlines are evaluating a fare hike, analysts say airlines would have to increase fares by around 7 per cent to maintain the current level of profitability.

Over 90 per cent of AAI airports ran at a loss, only 8 made profit last year

New Delhi: More than 90 per cent airports run by the state-owned agency Airports Authority of India (AAI) are running into losses, according to government data. In 2016-2017, the AAI could generate revenue from only eight of the total 102 airports it manages in the country. Delhi’s Safdarjung Airport, which is occasionally used for VVIP chopper flights, incurred the maximum losses of over Rs 92 crore followed by airports at Amritsar and Bhopal which saw losses of Rs 50.52 crore and Rs 49.53 crore respectively.

The AAI airports that generated profits were Kolkata, Bhubaneswar, Guwahati, Leh, Lucknow, Mangalore, Patna and Tiruchirappalli. While airports at Kolkata, Lucknow, Leh, Guwahati and Tiruchirappalli generated profits last year too, Bhubaneswar, Patna and Mangalore airports are new entrants in the list of profitable airports.

Air India introduces Imphal-Delhi direct flight

Imphal: Finally Air India has introduced Imphal-Delhi direct flight service from January 2 considering the public demand.
There would be two flights in a week on Sun. and Tues. as of now.
The flight from New Delhi will take off around 9.30 am and arrive at Imphal International airport at around 12.15 in the afternoon. Similarly it will take off from Imphal airport at around 3.35 pm and reach at Delhi around 6 in the evening.
This will save at least one hour time, according to sources in Imphal. Earlier people used to stop for an hour at Guwahati airport on way to New Delhi from Imphal or Imphal to New Delhi.

Vistara Airlines to start international flights to Gulf, south-east Asia

New Delhi:  Vistara Airline plans to start its international operations with flights to the Gulf and the south-east Asian regions.

In the statement released by the airline, it stated that "We have not shared the name of any particular destination. However, our CEO Leslie Thng has confirmed that our international operations would start with short haul destinations in the surrounding regions such as gulf and SE Asia".

According to media reports, Vistara will induct its 20th aircraft in March 2018. As per the civil aviations' new guidelines 0/20 rule mandates an airline to have at least 20 aircraft in its fleet before being allowed to fly international.
To Read the News in Full 06/01/18 ANI/Hans India

UDAN Yet To Take Off

Shillong: Even as the scheme Ude Desh Ka Aam Nagrik (UDAN) was launched and the Air Deccan selected to operate from Shillong’s Umroi airport linking the Meghalaya capital to other state capitals of the North East, the services are yet to be launched.
Though the Air Deccan had given a tentative date of December 15, 2017 to start the services from the Umroi airport, it is yet to be started.
This private sector airline was to press into service 20-seater aircraft to connect the other NE state capitals.
According to the UDAN scheme, the Umroi airport was to be connected to five destinations in the North East: Agartala, Aizawl, Dimapur, Imphal and Silchar.

Tata airlines Vistara and AirAsia India gear up for international runways

New Delhi: Around two years after the government made it easier for airlines to fly abroad, two Tata group airlines are preparing to start international operations. While Vistara, Tata group’s full-service carrier, will begin international flights in the second half of this year, its low-cost airline AirAsia India is likely to follow by the end of 2018.

According to the initial plans, both the airlines will try to take advantage of the strong markets of its parents Singapore Airlines and AirAsia Bhd. So, Vistara, a joint venture between the Tatas and Singapore Airlines, will initially start with Singapore and destinations in West Asia, while AirAsia India will feed into hubs such as Kuala Lumpur, where its parent Air Asia Bhd has a strong presence.

The government had relaxed the 5/20 rule, which mandated five years of domestic operations and 20 aircraft for an airline to fly abroad. While the condition of 20 aircraft stayed, the requirement of five years of domestic operations was waived. While it was heavily opposed by incumbents such as IndiGo, SpiceJet, and Jet Airways, Ratan Tata gave a public statement asking for the change.

Domestic flights from Kannur by mid-year

Domestic airline services at the Kannur International Airport under construction here will start by middle of this year, according to KIAL Managing Director P. Bala Kiran.

An official press release here on Saturday quoting Mr. Kiran said that the State and Central governments and the Airports Authority of India had signed a memorandum of understanding in this regard. Airlines such as Spice Jet and Indigo had informed that they are ready to operate daily flight services from the greenfield airport to Ghaziabad, Chennai, Ghaziabad, Bengaluru, Hubli, New Delhi, Goa, Kochi and Thiruvananthapuram. Also, Jet Airways and Go Air agreed to operate services to and from Dammam in Saudi Arabia and Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates respectively. Air India Express airlines also was also prepared to conduct services to six West Asia destinations, Mr. Kiran informed.

Kannur international airport to boost tourism in Karnataka

Mysuru: Tourism industry in Mysuru and Kodagu is lookingforwared for further in tourist footfall, thanks to greenfieldKannur International Airport in North Kerala, which will beinaugurated for flight operations shortly.
Stakeholders here say that the airport will open a new gatewayfor tourism development as Kodagu is closer to Kannur and eventuallyimprove connectivity between the two States boosting tourism.

Kerala's fourth international airport, at Kannur, that isexpected to serve more than 1.5 million passengers annually, is setto begin trial flight operations in January and become fullyoperational by September 2018.

Dabolim airport in Goa set for expansion

Panaji: The Dabolim airport in Goa is set for expansion on the back of expected growth in the civil aviation sector though the tourist state will be getting a brand new aerodrome.

The proposed airport at Mopa in North Goa is likely to impact the traffic flow at Dabolim, but its operator the AAI said it will go ahead with expansion plans at the existing facility to cater to growing demand in the sector.

Goa's lone airport at Dabolim operates from the naval base 'INS Hansa'. The first phase of greenfield airport at Mopa is schedule to be operational by 2019.

"There is definitely going to be some impact (on traffic at Dabolim) after commencement of flights at Mopa. The actual impact would be known only when it (Mopa) becomes a reality," Goa Airport Director B C H Negi told today.

Tata airlines Vistara, AirAsia India to fly abroad soon

The two Tata Group joint-venture airlines Vistara and AirAsia India are preparing to start international flights this year. While Vistara, formed after a tie-up with Singapore Airlines, will begin international flights in the second half, low-cost airline AirAsia India, a joint venture with Malaysia-based AirAsia Berhad, is likely to follow by the end of 2018, Business Standard reports.

The two airlines will try to take advantage of the strong markets of its parents Singapore Airlines and AirAsia. So Vistara will initially start with Singapore and destinations in West Asia, while AirAsia India will feed into hubs such as Kuala Lumpur.

Thiruvananthapuram airport can handle more flights now

Thiruvananthapuram: With the operationalisation of the ?69.2-crore parallel taxi track (PTT) at the Thiruvananthapuram international airport on Friday, its runway capacity has gone up from 20 flights an hour to 25 flights.

As the runway occupancy time will be reduced, the Airports Authority of India (AAI) that manages the airport will be able to give permission to the domestic and foreign airlines that seek to operate more flights.

The facility to handle more flights will come handy for airlines, especially foreign carriers, early in the day when the majority of flights from the Middle East arrive at and depart from the city.

20 flights to be operated from Kannur airport daily

Thiruvananthapuram: Kannur International Airport (KIAL), which is nearing take-off stage, will operate 20 flight services daily to 11 regional and seven international destinations, to begin with.
The domestic destinations will be connected by private carriers IndiGo and SpiceJet, who won the bids under the regional connectivity scheme known as Udan (Ude Desh Ka Aam Naagrik). The domestic destinations include Delhi, Bengaluru, Chennai, Goa, Hubballi, Kochi, Thiruvananthapuram, Solapur and Hindan (Ghaziabad). Of this, Chennai and Bengaluru will be connected by both SpiceJet and IndiGo. IndiGo will operate services to Kochi and Thiruvananthapuram.

Passengers may end up paying 13% more for air fares in 2018

New Delhi: Flight tickets are likely to become more expensive this year owing to increase in fuel prices and GST. Passengers might have to shell out nearly 13 per cent more than they are currently paying. A report in Economic Times mentioned that after implementation of GST, cost of operations has spiked by 27 per cent.

SpiceJet Chairman Ajay Singh told Economic Times that there is a high degree of pent up demand and that they also have to keep in mind airport costs. He added that jet fuel which is not under the purview of GST must be included under GST, so that airlines can claim input tax credit.

Chhattisgarh govt to develop three regional airports

Raipur: The Chhattisgarh Government has undertaken development of Bilaspur, Jagdalpur and Ambikapur airstrip under Regional Connectivity Scheme (RCS), officials informed.

A total Rs 76.50 crore has been sanctioned by Government of Chhattisgarh for development of Ambikapur, Bilaspur and Jagdalpur Airports uut of which, an amount of Rs 39.43 crore has been earmarked by the State government towards development of infrastructure at these airports.

In the financial year 2017-18, Airports Authority of India (AAI) has earmarked an amount of Rs 32.66 crore and has spent Rs 21.08 crore towards development of airports in Chhattisgarh.

Air Odisha has been selected to operate Centre's Regional Connectivity Scheme (RCS) flights from unserved airports/airstrips at Bilaspur, Jagdalpur and Ambikapur in Chhattisgarh, the Central Government has informed.

Indian carriers to induct over 900 planes in coming years

Indian airlines are likely to induct more than 900 aircraft in the coming years, with IndiGo alone expected to add 448 planes, according to official data.
India is one of the fastest growing aviation markets in the world and most airlines have ambitious expansion plans, especially to tap the potential on regional routes.

As per data available with the civil aviation ministry, budget airlines IndiGo, SpiceJet, GoAir and AirAsia are set to significantly expand their respective fleet sizes.

Along with other carriers, the total number of aircraft to be inducted by the domestic players would be more than 900.

Vistara Adds Chennai To Network, Delhi-Chennai Flight Tickets Available At Rs. 3,099

Vistara has announced addition of Chennai to its network, making it the 22nd destination on the airline’s network. Now, Vistara will operate a daily direct flight between Delhi and Chennai, effective February 15, 2018, said a press release issued by the airlines. Vistara will also connect Chennai to Port Blair with a daily direct flight between the two cities, effective March 1, 2018. Vistara has announced Delhi to Chennai flights starting at an all-inclusive price of Rs. 3,099 and Chennai to Port Blair flights starting at an all-inclusive price of Rs. 3,699.
Vistara airlines serve 22 destinations with over 700 flights a week, operated by a fleet of 17 Airbus A320 aircraft.
To Read the News in Full 05/01/18 NDTV

GST haze: Clipping wings of aviation sector

The year 2017 now stands etched as one of the most important years in the history of indirect taxes in India, as the country finally embraced the new regime of the goods and services tax (GST). Since the advent of GST, Indian industry has had mixed experiences in terms of taxes and compliances. Currently, the industry is trying to cope with the new law and changes it has brought in for different sectors, with aviation being one of the most impacted in this context. While air travel has witnessed significant growth in the recent past, the sector faces several challenges in its path to a smooth implementation of GST. Under the erstwhile service tax regime, transport of passengers by air was subject to tax based on the concepts of ‘place of embarkation’ and ‘continuous journey’ originating in India. Based on these principles, while a Delhi-London-Delhi ticket attracted service tax on the entire journey, a London-Delhi-London ticket did not attract service tax at all. Under GST, while the lawmakers did attempt to keep taxability of air transport services similar to the earlier regime, a technical reading of the provisions reflects modified parameters of taxation. It appears the taxability of each leg of the journey would be determined independently and each leg of a journey with embarkation point in India would be taxable under GST. If this be the case, airlines would be obligated to split airfares for each leg of the journey and thus, adopt a sector-wise pricing model.

Aviation on its boom in Udaipur

Aviation industry is on its boom. Year 2017 saw Udaipur as one of the busiest airport in the category of domestic flights. In December 2017, more than 1 lakh 15 thousand people came to Udaipur by flights.

Jodhpur, Dehradun, Vadodara, Bhopal and Vijaywada are much ahead of population as compared to Udaipur city. But these stations are far behind Udaipur when it comes to air travel. Records have shown that Udaipur moved ahead in air travel as compared to above mentioned cities in November itself. 1 lakh 8 thousand passengers took flights from Udaipur in the month of November. The numbers of passengers recorded from Baroda were a little more than 86 thousand; Dehradun also saw 86 thousand plus, Bhopal 61 thousand and Vijaywada 58 thousand plus air passengers.

How to cop cheap return Goa flight tickets for just Rs 3800

We’ve found cheap Goa flight tickets that will make you apply for a leave right now. That’s right, between February 5 and February 8 this year, you’ll be able to fly to Goa and back for about  ?3800. Of course, you’ll only be able to enjoy this three-day vacation over the work week but at the price at which these cheap Goa flight tickets are going, you might as well be a bit of a rebel and send your HR that email right now. Perhaps the best part of these tickets is that you can enjoy the entire day in Goa as opposed to rushing between flights to try to make the most of your mini-vacation. Here’s what your air travel would look like:

Jhalawar International Airport to be functional this year

Jaipur: The Rajasthan government has received the final detailed proposal and report, for development of Jhalawar International Airport.

Director of Civil Aviation of Rajasthan Captian Keshri Singh stated that this airport has to be functional by August 2018 and all efforts were being made to meet this deadline. Once functional, Jhalawar airport will be able to cater to the largest aircraft Airbus 380.

Consultant Sangeeta Aviation Services submits the final report to executive engineer of PWD, Jhalawar Division, Govt of Rajasthan, this evening.
Rajasthan chief minister Vasundhara Raje wanted a unique design for her dream project, hence we proposed world’s only and first of its kind Pyramid shaped terminal buildings…The pyramid is the most cost efficient and optimum utilization of space design of an airport terminal,” said Captain Ammeet K Agarwal, President and CEO of Sangeeta Aviation.
To Read the News in Full 05/01/18 PinkCity Post

Torturous wait in planes at Delhi IGI Airport set to end, here is big surprise for flyers

Annoyed at waiting for long hours in the aircraft at the fog-hit Delhi IGI Airport? Well, the central government has come to your rescue. On Wednesday the government has asked all the airlines not make the passengers board the aircraft in the  Delhi IGI Airport unless the Met department reports suggest the ”reasonable certainty” about visibility improving, Times of India reported. The government has also said that the planes lined up for takeoff should take off within an hour. Given the adverse condition that the fog is having on the train and flight schedule, the government has come up with the decision to ease passengers’ flying experience. On the New Year day, flyers had spent hours inside the aircraft at the IGIA waiting for their planes to take off which had agitated most.

IndiGo launches new flights; connects Chennai to Varanasi, Patna, Udaipur and Lucknow

New Delhi: In a bid to further strengthen its operations, IndiGo, India's largest carrier in terms of market share, today announced the launch of six new and five additional frequencies on its existing domestic network.

"Effective February 01, 2018, IndiGo will connect Chennai with first direct flight on Chennai - Udaipur, Chennai -Varanasi, Chennai - Patna and Chennai - Lucknow sectors," the airline said in a release.

The airline said that it will also introduce first direct flight on Patna - Varanasi, Udaipur - Jaipur, Jaipur - Chennai sectors as well. Booking for these flights are open with immediate effect.

UDAN gets a boost from states, companies

Mumbai: In a move that could give a boost to air carriers under the regional connectivity scheme, state governments and corporates are coming forward to underwrite flight seats for their employees.

The Uttar Pradesh government is the first to take up this initiative, its chief secretary Rajive Kumar told ET in a recent interview.

"The government has decided to underwrite a few seats for our own officers' travel. We are in talks with airlines that have won the bids for operating to airports in the state," said Kumar.
The Narendra Modi government has pushed for connecting small towns through the Ude Desh Ka Aam Nagrik (UDAN) scheme, under which new and existing airlines fly to remote airports at rates subsidised by the government.

Now take a chopper to your favourite holiday spots

GoChoppers is the first company to integrate aviation with travel in India under one umbrella. Promoted & operated by a group of aviation industry experts who have the in-depth know-how of the industry, GoChoppers has forayed into a market segment that has yet to be explored by many others in the country. Taking this absence of air-commute as an opportunity, Whirl Works Aerial Private Limited came into existence in October 2012, to facilitate swift and easy air-transfers. Currently, the company is also in talks to raise $10-15 million within a year for its next phase of growth.

The wing ‘GoChoppers’ of Whirl Works Aerial Private Limited serves the need for chartering helicopters and fixed-winged aircraft. Backed by a large fleet of aircraft, the brand has partnerships with various operators across the nation to offer services on a short notice. GoChoppers aims at integrating aviation with travel and serve the masses.

Flyers to get extra space in airport

This year, flyers will get more space in the city airport.
An airport official said many projects aimed at passenger amenities would be completed in 2018. "Last year, we tried to provide the best possible services to flyers.
There will be no change in approach this year, too," he said.
Soon, new chairs will be installed at the facility. New trolleys are also on the cards.
The extension of the terminal building was done last year. "We had started the work in January, 2017. Besides the arrival and departure gates, the entire structure of the front side of the building has been extended to around six feet," he said.

One more flight to Chennai from February

Thiruvananthapuram: IndiGo Airlines will operate one more daily flight to Chennai from the Trivandram International Airport from February 20.
The airline said the flight—its third between the two cities—would depart Chennai at 5.25am and arrive here at 6.50am, and the return flight would take off at 7.20am to reach the Tamil Nadu capital at 8.40am.
The airline said reservation for the new flight has begun.

Coal town to take wing again

Dhanbad: With New Year comes new hopes. After a gap of more than three decades, the coal town's Barwaddah airstrip is likely to be ready for small aircraft operations again. The state government's building division is currently working on a Rs 5-crore project to repair the airstrip and the boundary walls of the airport located 4km from the district headquarters.

The airport with a 3,700-feet runway also houses an air control traffic (ATC) office and a hanger. Services between Dhanbad-Patna, Dhanbad-Ranchi and Dhanbad-Calcutta were launched in 1984 but discontinued three years later in 1987 because of insufficient passengers.

Varanasi seaplane service might be a reality soon

Varanasi tourism might be in for a boost as SpiceJet plans to launch seaplane service here in the city. According to the chairman of the aviation company, Ajay Singh, 2018 could see the launch of such planes, and Varanasi to be the launch-pad for the same. The planes can land both on land and water, and would be connected to nearby cities.

The seaplane service had already seen the light of day when it was demonstrated on December 9, 2017 as it flew from Mumbai airport to Girgaum Chowpatty. Indian PM Narendra Modi also flew in the aircraft in Ahmedabad in December, 2017. After these successful demonstrations, it is now being said that 2018 might see the first of seaplane services in India, starting with Varanasi.

India the new destination for air cargo

The Indian air cargo segment has been attracting more international cargo operators to country in terms of services, joint ventures, stake holdings etc. The growing cargo volumes, no Indian all cargo or freighter operator, conducive policy and lenient regulatory environment all put together makes it a lucrative market for the international players.

In the beginning of the year 2017, Indian Civil Aviation minister Ashok Gajapathi Raju in an interview to a news agency spoke in length about the tremendous growth potential of the country's air cargo segment. The government in its national civil aviation policy has offered major thrust with an aim to boost air cargo business, especially in the backdrop of rising e-commerce activities and exports.
The setting up of Air Cargo Logistics Promotion Board (ACLPB) by the ministry was a major step to ensure efficiency, reduced cost and improved inter-ministerial coordination to fuel growth.

UP govt to develop 10 small airports to boost religious, business tourism

Lucknow: The Yogi Adityanath government has undertaken the development of a dozen new airports in Uttar Pradesh (UP) to boost regional connectivity and boost religious, cultural, and business tourism.

In the first phase, the state government would develop Agra and Kanpur airports after bidding under the regional connectivity scheme (RCS) of the Union Civil Aviation Ministry. In the second phase, 10 airports – Allahabad, Aligarh, Azamgarh, Bareilly, Chitrakoot, Hindon (Ghaziabad), Jhansi, Moradabad, Muirpur (Sonbhadra), and Shravasti – would be taken up.

Under a memorandum of understanding (MoU) signed between the Centre, UP and Airport Authority of India (AAI), the implementing agency, on December 29, the government is mandated to provide concessions and sops to selected airline operators for operating flights at these smaller airports. The sops pertain to underwriting of unsold seats, tax rebate, free infrastructure facilities, and fuel subsidy, among others.

No more outsourced manpower by airlines for ground handling services

Outsourced manpower used by Airlines for ground handling services at has been banned from now onwards. The Ministry of Civil Aviation has come up with a new regulation for ground handling services which clearly stated that hiring of employees through contractor or manpower supplier for ground handling services would not be permitted.

Also the ministry has stated that all domestic scheduled airline operators, including helicopter service providers, would be allowed to do self-handling at airports, including the civil enclaves. Further as per new policy, the ministry has also barred foreign airlines from carrying out "self-handling" at any domestic airport.

As per the Ministry of Civil Aviation (Ground Handling Services) Regulations, 2017, all domestic scheduled airline operators, including helicopter service providers would be allowed to do self-handling at airports, including the civil enclaves. Generally, civil enclaves are airports belonging to the armed forces where civilian aircraft operations are allowed. Ground handling services include those pertaining to servicing and handling of aircraft as well as loading and unloading. The regulations have been notified a few days ago.

UDAN-backed aviation sector seeks new heights in 2018

Sometimes, numbers tell a story better than words. Sample this: domestic air travel demand surged to over 1 crore passengers in November 2017, a nearly 17% growth over the same period in 2016, according to the Directorate General of Civil Aviation. In the 11 months of 2017, a record 10.6 crore people flew within the country compared with 9.9 crore during the whole of 2016. Now this is set to rise higher.

The Narendra Modi government is aggressively pushing its regional connectivity scheme, UDAN — Ude Desh ki Aam Nagrik (Let the common man fly) — which makes flying accessible to millions of Indians by encouraging airlines to fly to under-served airports.

Under the initiative, airlines will have to sell some of their seats (9-40) at no more than Rs 2,500 per hour of flying, for which they will be compensated by the government.

Bhubaneswar To Have 2nd Airport Soon: Dharmendra Pradhan

While inaugurating several passenger amenities at the Bhubaneswar Railway Station, including a second entry point and ticket facilities at Platform No. 6, Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan revealed that Bhubaneswar will have a second Airport soon.

“As part of PM Narendra Modi’s development agenda for Eastern part of India, several measures have been taken for developing railways, national highways and air services. Several review meetings held in recent months for the above projects in Odisha,” he said.

Jewar airport construction to start in December 2018

New Delhi: The construction work on Jewar airport in Greater Noida will commence in December next year - earlier than the Uttar Pradesh government's scheduled plan and well ahead of 2019 Lok Sabha elections.
In line with the advanced target, Yamuna Expressway Industrial Development Authority (YEIDA) on Friday selected professional services firm EY (formerly Ernst & Young) to prepare a techno-economic feasibility report (TEFR) for the proposed airport.
"EY has been awarded the mandate to conduct TEFR for the project and the report is to be submitted by April 2018," Prabhat Kumar, chairman of YEIDA, told ET. "We are targeting to call for bids in July and lay the foundation stone of the project in December," he said.
While KPMG came second in the bids for TEFR for the airport called by YEIDA, Deloitte came third. "EY will also help us get the environmental clearance for the project," Kumar said.
To Read the News in Full 30/12/17 Mihir Mishra/Economic Times

Chandigarh international airport launches 'chat thela'

Mohali: In a new and innovative move, the Chandigarh International Airport has come up with 'Chai Wala' outlet to lure passengers by offering  tea and hot gulab jamun on arrival.

The outlet was inaugurated by Chairman CHIAL (Chandigarh International Airport Limited) and Member Planning, Airport Authority of India Sudhir Raheja in the presence of Regional Executive Director, Northern Region, Rakesh Kalra.

Commuters relished hot chai during the chilly winters. The moving thela also serves Gulab jamun, much to the delight of the passengers  while waiting for their luggage.

SATS wins Mumbai Airport international cargo concession

SATS, in a joint bid with Cargo Service Center India (CSC), has won a cargo handling concession contract in Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport in Mumbai, India.

The concession will start in April 2018 and run for 18 years.

SATS has subscribed for a 49 per cent stake in CSC's subsidiary, Mumbai Cargo Service Center Airport, which will be responsible for operating the concession and managing the international cargo facilities at the airport.

CSC offers air cargo services in Mumbai, Delhi, Ahmedabad and Chennai.
To Read the News in Full 29/12/17 Business Times

SpiceJet May Launch Seaplane Service in Varanasi

If a new plan by SpiceJet goes well, one of the oldest cities in India may be host to the newest mode of transport in the country. Varanasi, the resiliant city that has thrived by the holy Ganga River for centuries, may be the first destination to get a regular seaplane service in India. Ajay Singh, the chairman of SpiceJet, told TOI of the budget airline’s aim to begin seaplane services in 2018, and how the historic city could be the launchpad, connecting it to other nearby cities like Lucknow.

SpiceJet already demonstrated the seaplane in Mumbai on December 9, 2017, flying it from the city airport and landing it in Girgaum Chowpatty.

GoAir seeks DGCA nod to start overseas flights with Mumbai-Maldives route in Feb

New Delhi: Twelve years after launch, low cost carrier GoAir is finally preparing to fly overseas. The Wadia Group airline has sought nod to start with Mumbai-Maldives route in February and "filed for preparedness" with the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA).
"GoAir is doing route proving for Mumbai-Maldives (Male). While they have not indicated a firm date, GoAir has given first week of February as the tentative time for starting that flight," said a senior DGCA official. GoAir was launched in 2005 around the same time as IndiGo, SpiceJet and now-defunct Kingfisher. While its contemporaries started flying overseas almost as soon as they complied with the now abolished rule of completing five years in service and having 20 planes in their fleet, GoAir was conservative in fleet expansion and in venturing abroad.

Kannur joins UDAN list

Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala, Union Ministry of Civil Aviation, and the Airports Authority of India (AAI) on Wednesday signed a tripartite agreement to commence domestic flight services from the upcoming Kannur International Airport (KIAL) under the Union government’s UDAN (Ude Desh ka Aam Naagrik) scheme, an endeavour to make regional connectivity easy.

With this, the Kannur International Airport is set for commencing UDAN services from 2018. Services under the scheme will link small towns. The government aims at making flying affordable by capping fares at Rs. 2,500 a seat an hour.

Foreign carriers to bring in more non-stop flights

New Delhi: Come 2018 and Bali will be a direct flight away from Mumbai, and Ukraine capital Kiev from Delhi. Indian globetrotters will be able to take non-stop flights to a number of new international destinations from next year.
Pradeep Chauhan of Bird Travels, the general sales agent for a number of international airlines, said Vietnamese carrier VietJet will start a direct flight between Delhi and Ho Chi Minh in the summer. Anil Kalsi of the Delhi-based Ambe Travels added that Ukraine International Airlines was launching a Delhi-Kiev non-stop from May, linking the two cities for the first time.
"Indonesian carrier Garuda will start a direct flight from Mumbai to Bali from March 12.

Air Deccan, Air Odisha join hands to save costs

Mumbai: Air Deccan, which recently commenced operations with flight services to Jalgaon, has forged a partnership with Air Odisha, under which the two carriers will share each other's network and resources to minimise costs.

While Air Deccan received the aviation regulator DGCA's nod last week,allowing it to fly on designated routes under the government's regional connectivity scheme, Air Odisha is expected to recieve its flying permit some time mid-January next year.

Jet Airways celebrates 10 years in Bangladesh

Jet Airways, a premier international airline of India, yesterday celebrated a decade of operations in Bangladesh.

Marking the occasion, the airline announced a flat 10 percent discount on ticket prices for 10 days starting December 21 for travel from Bangladesh to 10 destinations -- Amsterdam, London, Paris and Toronto and India's Kolkata, Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Bengaluru and Hyderabad.

Jet Airways is the first privately-owned Indian carrier to provide direct air connectivity between Bangladesh and India.

Flights from Odisha's Jharsuguda to start in February

Bhubaneswar: Flight operations, under a regional connectivity scheme, will start from Odisha's Jharsuguda airport by the first week of February next year, said an official on Wednesday.

The air service will connect Jharsuguda, Raipur and Jagdalpur under the Central government's subsidised Ude Desh Ka Aam Nagrik (UDAN) scheme.

It was discussed at the state-level Coordination and Monitoring Committee meeting held under the chairmanship of Chief Secretary Aditya Prasad Padhi here.

Pointing out that the infrastructure of the airstrip at Rourkela is ready for flight operations, the Chief Secretary directed that the process for finalisation of operational details for Rourkela airstrip be expedited.

Padhi also directed that Utkela and Jeypore airstrips be readied by March 2018.

The flight operator company informed the government that regional connectivity from Kolkata to Rourkela has been scheduled to be started from January 23.
Director General of Police Rajendra Prasad Sharma apprised the meeting that a total of 135 police and 27 fire personnel from Odisha government have already been trained for providing security and fire services in the regional airports.

Flying into a year of surprises

With more international and regional connectivity and a far superior flying experience, Indian travellers have much in store in 2018, write Ashwini Phadnis and Tanya Thomas

Indian air travellers have a lot to look forward to in 2018. To begin with, Vistara and AirAsia India are all set to launch their international operations, giving Indian travellers more choice while travelling abroad. At the moment, Air India, Air India Express, IndiGo, SpiceJet and Jet Airways fly on international routes.

In his first-ever interaction with the Indian media, Leslie Thng, CEO, Vistara, told Business Line: “We are gearing up to launch our international operations while we further expand our network in the domestic market by increasing frequencies on existing routes, and by adding new destinations, the first of which will be launched in the next couple of months.”

In an interview in early December, Amar Abrol, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Air Asia India, said the airline plans to launch international services either from Bengaluru or Kolkata, with daily services to Kuala Lumpur and Bangkok. Moreover, the airline is planning to offer more connectivity though it is still evaluating the new destinations and flights, he said.

All this means not only more choice in international travel, but also greater connectivity within India. As India advances towards becoming the third-largest aviation market by 2018, passengers can expect better connectivity to tier 2 cities with airlines adding frequencies,” said Ankur Bhatia, Executive Director, Bird Group.

Indigo To Start Nagpur-Bhubaneswar-Allahabad Flight Service Soon

Bhubaneswar: The State Capital will soon be connected with two other cities of the country namely Allahabad and Nagpur as Indigo airlines is planning to operate Nagpur-Bhubaneswar-Allahabad flight service under UDAN Regional Connectivity Scheme (RCS).

Initial discussion with the officials of Ministry of Civil Aviation has begun. Senior official of the ministry Usha Padhi had informed on the development during her recent visit to State. The service will pave the way for connecting Odisha to western and northern parts of India.

Students work to solve aviation challenges

Chennai: Ever wondered what powers the lights inside the flight when you are waiting to take off? Would it be possible to charge batteries on the flight? What if there was no power or if, mid-flight, the engine snags?

At the National Centre for Combustion Research and Development in the Indian Institute of Technology - Madras, researchers are currently trying to find ways to address these challenges.

It is one thing to study such problems as a college student but completely another to be able to observe a machine function and understand what makes it tick in its natural environment. The IIT-M is offering its students a real-time feel by providing them actual machines.
The institute has received a first-of-its kind 3D printed gas turbine that is used in an aircraft.

Kannur international airport to be operational by September 2018

Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala's fourth international airport, at Kannur, that is expected to serve more than 1.5 million passengers annually, is set to begin trial flight operations in January and become fully operational by September 2018. With the opening of Kannur International Airport Ltd (KIAL), Kerala will be the only state in the country to have four international airports with the others at Thiruvananthapuram, Kochi and Kozhikode. The Rs 1,892 crore-airport, located at Mattanur, over 2,000 acres, will be the fastest completed airport in the country, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan's office said.

Indigo To Start Nagpur-Bhubaneswar-Allahabad Flight Service Soon

Bhubaneswar: The State Capital will soon be connected with two other cities of the country namely Allahabad and Nagpur as Indigo airlines is planning to operate Nagpur-Bhubaneswar-Allahabad flight service under UDAN Regional Connectivity Scheme (RCS).

Initial discussion with the officials of Ministry of Civil Aviation has begun. Senior official of the ministry Usha Padhi had informed on the development during her recent visit to State. The service will pave the way for connecting Odisha to western and northern parts of India.

Airlines divided over trading of seat kilometres

New Delhi: Federation of Indian Airlines, which represents Jet Airways, IndiGo, SpiceJet and Go-Air, is divided over the issue of allowing trading of available seat kilometres among airlines to fulfil route dispersal guidelines responsibilities that mandates airlines to operate flights on lowdensity routes.

While Federation of Indian Airlines (FIA) has written to the civil aviation ministry opposing trading of available seat kilometres (ASKMs) — which is a measure of a flight's passenger carrying capacity — SpiceJet has termed the letter invalid because the move does not have consensus of all members, industry insiders said.
If it is allowed, airlines that could not operate enough flights on low-density routes to meet route dispersal guidelines (RDG) mandate can buy ASKMs from an airline that operates more than the required number of flights to remote destinations to meet RDG requirement.
To Read the News in Full 25/12/17 Economic Times