GMR refuses to let MMTS up to airport

Hyderabad: The long-pending MMTS rail connectivity to Shamshabad international airport is likely to create a fresh tussle between airport operator GMR and the Telangana state government. 

The proposal has been pending for over three years now with GMR refusing to allot land to set up an MMTS station in the airport premises. The MMTS connectivity will spare air passengers from incurring heavy expenditure on cabs for transportation from city to Shamshabad.

Air India to Launch New Delhi-Vijayawada Flight From January 15

New Delhi:  National carrier Air India will launch a new daily service between Delhi and Vijayawada from January 15.

This was stated by Vijayawada Lok Sabha MP Kesineni Srinivas in a press release in Vijaywada today.

Flying to Africa just got easier and cheaper

The passengers who are travelling from Mumbai to African destinations have reason to cheer. National carrier Air India (AI) has signed a memo of understanding with Ethiopian Airlines (ET). Being members of the Star Alliance network, AI and ET will explore expanding their agreement to more destinations in Africa and India. Now Air India and Ethiopian airlines code-sharing passengers can explore various African destinations with a single ticket.

Previously, due to inadequate choice, passengers had to use various connecting flights of different airlines which was time-consuming and expensive.

IGI saw less flight diversions last month

New Delhi:Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport saw a marked reduction in the number of flights diversion and cancellations this winter as compared to last year, according to data released by the civil avaition ministry. Flight diversions came down by over one-third, whereas cancellations came down from 53% to 39% between December 1, 2014, and January 5.

Civil aviation officials said the change was due to better flight management and coordination among various agencies.

Spurt in gold smuggling at Mumbai airport

The new year has brought with it a spurt in gold smuggling at Mumbai international airport, with seizures worth over Rs2.10 crore being made in the past two days.

In the first case, which was registered on Monday, a passenger identified as Huzaifa Ismail Patanwala was intercepted after he cleared himself through the green channel at customs.

‘Delhi airport transit point for trafficking Nepalese girls’

Indira Gandhi International Airport here has emerged as a transit point for trafficking of Nepalese girls to Dubai for alleged prostitution, a CBI inquiry has said, prompting the agency to alert the External Affairs Ministry and the Home Ministry.

CBI sources said the ongoing inquiry has so far showed that nearly 6,000-8,000 Nepalese girls aged between 20 and 30 years could have been sent to Dubai for prostitution under the garb of travelling to Nairobi for tourist purposes.

Housewife caught at Mumbai airport with 4 live bullets

Mumbai: As passenger frisking and checking has increased at Mumbai Airport, following a series of threat calls and messages, a female passenger was detained during late hours of Tuesday, after security found four live bullets in her baggage.

The Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) detained 33-year-old Shwetali Adnaik, for carrying the bullets and handed her over to Sahar police. Adnaik was flying to Hong Kong by Cathay Pacific CX 648, scheduled to depart at 1.30 am on Wednesday, along with three other relatives. She was caught at the main Security Hold Area (SHA) located at Level 4 of Terminal 2.

Custom officials seize 2kg gold metal plate worth Rs 51.51 lakh

Air India to hire 800 new cabin crew

Air India has been given the green light to hire 800 more flight attendants, as it bids to tackle staff shortages.
The Economic Times reported “official sources” with the airline as saying that India’s Civil Aviation Ministry has approved the recruitment plans

“The Civil Aviation Ministry has given its go-ahead to an Air India proposal to 800 hire more cabin crew as it has been facing an acute shortage of such staff,” the newspaper quoted the airline as saying.

Indian Science Congress organisers refuse to share paper on ‘ancient Indian aviation’

Mumbai: The organisers of the controversial session on 'ancient sciences through Sanskrit' in the 102nd Indian Science Congress underway here, have refused to share the presentation or the paper on ancient Indian aviation technology.

The paper presented here on January 4 by Captain Anand Bodas, a retired principal of a pilot training institute, and Ameya Jadhav, a college teacher, courted controversy by claiming existence of interplanetary aircrafts in India thousands of years ago, and planes of the size of 60 by 60 feet.

The paper claimed that ancient radar system known as Roopakarshanrahasya, gave the shape of the entire aeroplane on the radar. “It depended on the basic principle that any animate or inanimate object radiates energy all the time. The minute anything stops radiating, it is dead,” Captain Bodas had said during his presentation.

Man Found Roaming in Chennai Airport's Sensitive Area Held

Chennai:  A 26-year-old man who allegedly entered the sensitive area of an airport in Chennai was taken into custody for questioning, officials said today.

Mohammed Malik, hailing from Elayankudi in Ramanathapuram district, was caught by the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) personnel today after he was found scaling the walls near Indian Oil Corporation's filling station at Gate number 9 in the airport's sensitive area, airport officials said.
06/01/15 PTI/NDTV.com

Recruitments on to cut down delays: Air India

Six-hour flight delay irks Chennai-bound passengers

Hyderabad:  Harried passengers entered into repeated arguments with Air India officials after the Chennai-bound flight (AI 982) was inordinately delayed due to malfunctioning of toilets on the A320 aircraft.

The flight was expected to leave Hyderabad at 9.30 a.m. and was rescheduled several times without any reason being given. It finally took off at 3.30 pm.

Jet Airways to operate additional flights for Vibrant Gujarat Summit

New Delhi: Jet Airways will operate 12 additional flights to Ahmedabad for providing better connectivity to delegates, especially from the Gulf region, during the Vibrant Gujarat Summit.

The additional flights would be from Delhi and Mumbai for the global investors' summit scheduled from January 11-13.

Air India has already announced additional flights during the summit.
 Jet Airways has been a travel partner of the summit for the last six editions.

MLA to meet AAI officials to discuss airport project in Vijayapura

 C.S. Nadagouda, MLA and Government’s New Delhi special representative has said that in order to expedite the work of the long pending airport project in Vijayapura, he would be meeting the officials of Airport Authority of India (AAI) in Delhi on January 19.

Chairing the review meeting of various projects at the Deputy Commissioner’s office here, he said that he would be collecting all required documents of the project including the map of the land being proposed for the project for presenting before the officials.

“I would also be meeting with the Civil Aviation Minster, Ashok Gajapathi Raju for taking up the issue to make sure that the project is initiated as early as possible”, Mr. Nadagouda said.