India's 1st Apache, Chinook choppers complete inaugural flights: Boeing

New Delhi: Aerospace major Boeing on Friday said that it has carried out the first flights of India's Apache and Chinook helicopters destined for delivery in 2019.
"First flight of India's Apache and Chinook helicopters are important milestones towards strengthening Indian armed forces capabilities," Boeing India President Pratyush Kumar was quoted as saying in a statement.
"India will receive the most advanced versions of both the AH-64E Apache and the CH-47F Chinook. "Indian industry partners such as Dynamatics is building large sections of Chinook, and the Tata Boeing joint venture in Hyderabad is building the complete fuselage of the Apache," it said.
India will ultimately receive 22 AH-64E Apache attack, and 15 CH-47F(I) Chinook transport, helicopters. The contract for the Indian Air Force's 22 Apaches and 15 Chinooks was finalised in September 2015.
27/07/18 IANS/Sify

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Foreign airlines to withdraw Zero Commission

Kochi: Mounting protests against ‘zero-airlines’ by travel agents from across the country may soon prompt foreign airlines operating in the country to withdraw the recently introduced zero-commission system and go back to the earlier scenario.
The tussle between travel agents and foreign airlines over zero-commission has been going on for the past two years. The IATA Agents Association of India (IAAI) has already approached the Civil Aviation authorities demanding penal action against the zero-commission airlines for non-compliance of the law. The association has also filed a writ petition before the Kerala High Court demanding that the aviation authorities should strictly enforce and implement its order against zero-commission.
Considering the petition on Wednesday, the court had asked IATA-India, the representative body of the airlines in the country, to submit a written response/affidavit in a week’s time.
The major demand of the airline agents is returning to the earlier scenario as in October 2008, where agents used to get 5 percentage commission, with retrospective effect from March 2010.
The DGCA, in its order in March had directed all airlines, which had gone in for zero-commission, to go back to the earlier commission-based system. However, it had further said that it is for the airlines to decide on the commission to be paid to the agents.
31/07/10 Anil S/ExpressBuzz

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Private airlines owe AAI Rs 304.65 crore

New Delhi: The aviation sector may be on an upswing, but airlines continue to lose money due to manpower issues. Air India and Jet Airways together suffered a loss of Rs127 crore owing to the three strikes by their employees since last year.
The national carrier alone suffered Rs77 crore losses in strikes by pilots and then by employees this May, whereas Jet suffered due to pilot strike. This information was given by civil aviation minister Praful Patel in Parliament Thursday.
In reply to a separate question, the minister said that as on June 30, the total dues of private airlines to the Airports Authority of India (AAI) were Rs304.65 crore.
Kingfisher Airlines was the biggest culprit at Rs184.87 crore followed by Jet Airways (together with JetLite) at Rs50.99 crore. IndiGo, SpiceJet and Go Air owed Rs11.19 crore, Rs11.14 crore and Rs5.29 crore respectively. Paramount owes Rs4.53 crore and others another Rs36.64 crore.
30/07/10 Sindhu Bhattacharya/Daily News & Analysis

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AI, Jet suffered loss of Rs 127 crore due to strikes: Patel

New Delhi: Air India and Jet Airways suffered a loss of Rs 127 crore due to the three strikes by their employees since last year, Civil Aviation Minister Praful Patel informed the Lok Sabha on Thursday. Ailing national carrier, Air India has suffered a loss of Rs 77 crore in the strikes by executive pilots last year and by employees this May, Patel said in a written reply.
In September last, Air India's executive pilots had stopped the work by reporting sick en-mass after the airline management proposed a cut in their flying allowance. The five-day strike started on September 26. Again, in May this year, employees associated with two of the unions, All India Aircraft Engineer's Association (AIAEA) and Air Corporation Employee's Union (ACEU), went on flash strike in protest of alleged gag order by the airline management restricting union office-bearers not to go to media and other issues.
Also, in September last year, Jet Airways pilots simulated strike by reporting sick for five days.
29/07/10 Press Trust Of India/Hindustan Times

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Aero model show marks 106th birth anniversary of JRD Tata

Jamshedpur: The 106th birth anniversary of JRD Tata, the pioneer Indian aviator was observed with an impressive aero modelling display and static aircraft show at Jamshedpur, Jharkhand.
A dozen aircraft were showcased yesterday in the static display in which nine were biplanes and three were helicopters.
However, the prime attraction was display of various aero models by members of the aero modelling club functioning at Jamshedpur.
The crowd was delighted by the spectacular feat performed by the aircraft and enjoyed every bit of the show.
JRD Tata was the first Indian to have flown from Karachi to Bombay and he also founded the Tata Airlines in 1932, the forerunner of Air India, which became the national airliner.
The nation honoured JRD Tata with numerous commendations including the nation's highest civilian award - Bharat Ratna.
The Indian Air Force conferred the rank of Air Commodore on JRD Tata and later promoted him to the rank of Air Vice Marshal.
30/07/10 Economic Times

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Defence airspace may be partially opened up by next year end

New Delhi: The Indian defence airspace might be opened up partially by next year end to cater to the growing civilian air traffic, a top aviation official said today."Almost 30 per cent of the total (Indian) airspace is controlled by defence. This can be opened up for flexible and dual use by next year end," AAI Chairman V P Aggarwal said.Currently, the defence airspace is completely out of the purview of civilian air traffic.Discussions have been going on for over three years between the ministries of Defence and Civil Aviation on dual use of defence airspace due to the high growth in civilian air traffic but no agreement has been reached as yet.Addressing a seminar on civil aviation organised by the Indo-American Chamber of Commerce here, he said the AAI (Airports Authority of India) was going full steam in developing Kolkata, Chennai and 35 non-metro airports across the country.While the newly-developed airport in Lucknow would be commissioned in the next three months, Thiruvananthapuram and Mangalore would soon have new terminals soon."Generally, the upgraded and modernised terminals are being constructed six times bigger than the existing ones," Aggarwal said.
29/07/10 PTI/IBN Live

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DGCA proposes change in rules to permit use of mobiles in planes

New Delhi: You may soon be allowed to legally use a mobile phone after your flight lands and is taxiing. According to an amendment proposed by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) in the Aircraft Rules, 1937, the commander of an aircraft may permit the use of mobile phones “after the aircraft has landed and cleared active runway”.
Though most people use mobile phones the moment a flight lands, this is not permitted by law. At present, mobile phone use on aircraft is permitted once it finishes taxiing and its doors are opened for disembarkation. The amendment makes it clear that mobile phones cannot be used even after a flight has landed in cases where landing takes place in low visibility conditions.
28/07/10 Sindhu Bhattacharya/Daily News & Analysis

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Lenders finalise debt rejig plan for airlines

Mumbai: Leading Indian banks that have lent to the cash-strapped aviation sector have finalised a three-pronged strategy for the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) to restructure the ballooning debts of most airlines.
The debt restructuring initiatives include a two-year moratorium on short-term debt, better interest rate and conversion of a part of debts into external commercial borrowings (ECBs) or cumulative convertible preference shares (CCPS).
These initiatives will help the country’s three biggest carriers — Air India, Kingfisher Airlines and Jet Airways (India) Ltd — which control 65 per cent of domestic passenger traffic but have a combined debt of Rs 63,045 crore ($13.5 billion). The Indian Banks’ Association (IBA), the umbrella body for the industry, would send a letter to RBI, suggesting the strategy, three independent lenders told Business Standard, on condition of anonymity.
29/07/10 Arijit Barman/Business Standard

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CBI probe ordered into insurance of state plane

Jaipur: The Rajasthan High Court on Wednesday directed the CBI to investigate the alleged irregularities committed while reinsuring a plane owned by the state government in 2007 and also denial of the insurance claim sought by the state.
Justice M C Sharma asked the CBI to look into the matter and if anyone is found guilty then give him a 15 days notice asking him to explain his role and if charges are proved, arrest him.
According to sources, the incident took place in April 2007 when the then chief minister Vasundhara Raje was onbroad a government plane which slipped while landing at Indira Gandhi International airport in New Delhi. Although those in the aircraft including Raje had a narrow escape, the plane sustained major damages for which an insurance claim of over Rs 2 crore was sought by the state government from New India Assurance company, which had given insurance cover to the plane.
The Rajasthan High Court on Wednesday ordered a CBI inquiry into alleged irregularities committed while reinsuring a plane owned by the state government in 2007.
29/07/10 Abhinav Sharma/Times of India

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India's civil aviation sector grows by 22 per cent

London: India's civil aviation sector has grown by 22 per cent in the first six months of this year, according to Boeing India President Dinesh Keskar. Keskar said the growth rate from January to June varied between 19 to 25 per cent, averaging a healthy 22 per cent, and that this rate was likely to continue over the rest of 2010.
India Strategic magazine quoted Keskar as saying during the just concluded Farnborough Air Show that load factors had already gone up with a majority of the flights in India going full. Coupled with that, the airlines had increased their fares by about 15 per cent, and that had yielded net profitability to them for the first time in two years.
27/07/10 Indo-Asian News Service/Hindustan Times

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Aviation body gets cracking on safety rules

Mumbai: Two months after 158 people were killed in the Air India Express crash at Mangalore, India's aviation regulator now wants airlines to enhance their safety standards. The circular issued last week by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) also states that airlines cannot take disciplinary action against staff for reporting safety lapses. Air India had issued notices to employees for leaking news about safety violations by the company after the Mangalore crash in May.
The DGCA has directed airlines to prepare a comprehensive Safety Management System (SMS) manual as none of the domestic carriers are proactive about safety lapses.
Derived from the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) annexures, the new rule will come into effect in four stages. Within four months, airlines have to appoint an official in charge of the SMS, submit a report on the gap in their current safety practices and the standards set by the regulator.
In the second stage, they should have documented safety plan in place for training staff and collecting data for risk management. This means that all alerts of possible technical glitches or minor difficulties faced by the crew, which were so far communicated informally, will have to be documented.
27/07/10 Soubhik Mitra/Hindustan Times

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Clean record must for expat pilots

Mumbai: Airlines will have to follow a stringent screening process while inducting expatriate pilots for flying duties. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation has issued a new draft that proposes significant changes in foreign aircrew recruitment process.
The draft, prepared by Nasim Zaidi, is open for comments and suggestions till August 22. In the last three years, there have been six incidents (and two accidents, including the fatal Air India Express Mangalore accident) involving flights operated by expatriate commanders. Most of the incidents involved overshooting the runway after landing or landing on a wrong runway.
26/07/10 Manju V/Times of India

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Bureau of civil aviation security chief shunted to West Bengal

Mumbai: The tainted bureau of civil aviation security (BCAS) additional commissioner, Manoj Malviya who was booked by the central bureau of investigation (CBI) in May has been shunted out from BCAS.
After Malviya was found engaging in an unhealthy practice of abusing his power for personal aggrandisement, he leftBCAS to return to the West Bengal police cadre on July 8.
"Based on the CBI report that found Malviya misusing his official position on July 2, the ministry of home affairs (MHA) ordered for repatriation to his parent cadre in WB," said an official from MHA.
Malviya was booked by the CBI on May 19 for seeking favours from the aviation industry.
During the investigation, the agency found that Mumbai International Airport Limited (MIAL) and Airport Authority of India (AAI) footed the bills of five-star hotels Malviya stayed at during his visits to Mumbai.
25/07/10 Naveeta Singh/Daily News & Analysis

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International flights must carry defibrillators: DGCA

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has diluted its own regulations about medical provisions on board planes.
Earlier rules said that all flights carrying more than 30 passengers should have a defibrillator.
According to a new proposal, airlines will have to carry automatic external defibrillator on all international flights, but will have the option of doing so on domestic sectors.
Defibrillator are devices which administer electric shocks of low voltage to the heart to restore its normal rhythm.
“In the US, defibrillator are carried on all flights. The DGCA had proposed in 2001 that they should be provided on all flights by 2004, but airlines resisted this because of the cost factor,” an airline source said. A defibrillator costs about Rs 1 lakh.
25/07/10 Mumbai Mirror

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Air passengers' body picks holes in draft proposal

Chennai: A draft proposal by the Director General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) on facilities to be provided by airlines to passengers if they are denied boarding and in the event of cancellation and delays in flights is not passenger-friendly, D. Sudhakara Reddy, founder and national president, Air Passengers Association of India, said here on Tuesday. Speaking to journalists, Mr. Reddy said one of the clauses in the draft proposal stated that airlines were not liable to pay any compensation in case of cancellations and delays clearly attributable to Air Traffic Control, meteorological conditions, security risks, unexpected flight safety shortcomings or any other causes beyond their control, but which affected the ability to operate flights on schedule. Such a clause would only help airlines and not passengers.
Similar was the case of a clause which stated that when boarding was denied to passengers against their will, the airline should, as soon as practicable, compensate them in accordance with the provisions in addition to the refund of air ticket.
Mr. Reddy said airlines should provide the compensation on the spot.
No compensation was payable to any affected passengers if the cancellation of flight was owing to extraordinary circumstances beyond the control of airlines such as political instability, natural disaster, civil war, insurrection, floods, explosion, government regulation, strikes and labour disputes causing cessation, interruption of work or any other factors.
23/07/10 The Hindu

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Flight passenger fare hike would adversely affect NRKs

Kozhikode: The Malabar Chamber of Commerce, on Thursday said that the exorbitant hike in the flight passenger fare, would adversely affect the thousands of Keralites working in gulf countries.
The Air India Express flights which were operating as low cost flights had increased the fare by Rs 5000, PV Gangadharan, president, Malabar Chamber of Commerce and Calicut Airport Committee chairman, PV Chandran, said in a release in Kozikhode. Other companies too had also increased the passenger fares, it said.
22/07/10 PTI/Economic Times

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Directorate General of Civil Aviation for annual checks on airlines

New Delhi: The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has decided to conduct an annual scrutiny of the financial status of airlines, to be able to judge whether they are complying with all safety procedures.
It has sought extensive details from all airlines on an annual basis. The aviation regulator has made it clear that any expansion of fleet and operations, including grant of ‘air operator’s permit ‘ for all airlines shall be subject to mitigation of the potential risk factors identified during the financial surveillance by the operator, to the satisfaction of the DGCA.
The regulator has sought financial details such as instances of sale of assets, deferment of discretionary spending - capital expenditure, training, advertising — and even if an airline has lost valuable suppliers within 12 months.
It also wants a record of every airline’s accident rate per one lakh hours, if there has been any sudden or significant reduction in fleet, if the operator is continuously taking delivery of new aircraft, besides details on training schedules and regularity. DGCA also wants to be apprised if flights are getting delayed due to inadequate crew or due to significant or sudden fleet reduction.
“There is a need to carry out this evaluation to identify airlines in distress — either due to financial issues or operational issues — to ensure that safety oversight functions are not affected and also to pin-point changes in the operating environment conditions, which significantly alter the balance between resources and operations,” director general of civil aviation Nasim Zaidi said in the order.
22/07/10 Sindhu Bhattacharya/Daily News & Analysis

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Inventor of 'black box' flight data recorder, dies at 85

David Warren, 85, an Australian scientist who invented the flight data recorder, the so-called "black box" that has helped solve airplane crashes and has improved airline safety around the world, died July 19 at a nursing home in Melbourne, Australia. The cause of death was not reported.
Today, black boxes -- which are actually painted bright orange or red -- are required on all airlines around the world and are built to withstand fire, heavy impact and intense water pressure.
Dr. Warren was a young fuel chemist when he developed his invention in 1953, after being asked to help investigate the crash of one of the world's first jet airliners, the British-built de Havilland Comet. The crash in India killed all 43 people on board but was a mystery, Dr. Warren said, "without any explanation, without any witness, without any survivors."
The investigation struck a personal chord with Dr. Warren, whose father had died in an unsolved airplane crash off the southern coast of Australia 19 years earlier. His final gift to his son was a crystal radio set, and Dr. Warren retained his childhood interest in electronics long after he had become a chemist.
While investigating the de Havilland crash, Dr. Warren imagined a novel use for a small pocket recorder that he saw at a trade show.
"If a businessman had been using one of these in the plane," he said in 1998, "and we could find it in the wreckage and we played it back, we'd say, 'We know what caused this.' "
Dr. Warren tried to interest his supervisors in the idea but was told to stick to his examination of exploding fuel tanks. Nonetheless, he continued experimenting and by 1957 a prototype of the flight data recorder was ready.
"I couldn't get it out of my mind," Dr. Warren said. "It seemed so bloody simple."
22/07/10 Matt Schudel/Washington Post

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Ratan Tata to head helicopter joint venture

Farnborough: Ratan Tata, head of the Tata group, is set to be the chairman of the country’s first private helicopter assembly line, Indian Rotorcraft Ltd.
The firm is a joint venture (JV) between holding company Tata Sons Ltd and Italy-based Finmeccanica SpA’s helicopter unit AgustaWestland. The Tata group has a 74% stake.
“He was kind enough to become the chairman of the JV,” Giuseppe Orsi, chief executive of AgustaWestland, said in an interview on the sidelines of the ongoing Farnborough airshow in the UK. “This decision has recently been made and is likely to be implemented (soon).”
Orsi will be co-chairman.
State-owned Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL) is the only other helicopter maker in India. Another Tata group company, Tata Advanced Systems Ltd, has a joint venture with Sikorsky Aircraft Corp., a subsidiary of US-based United Technologies Corp., to assemble helicopter cabins in India. The venture was announced in November.
Indian Rotorcraft’s plant, to be set up in Hyderabad, will manufacture AgustaWestland’s eight-seat utility helicopter AW119, which will be rolled out by the end of 2011 or early 2012. The facility can also cater to military requirements if the need arises, Orsi said.
21/07/10 Tarun Shukla/Live Mint

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Air Works India set to close two aircraft maintenance deals

Bangalore: Air Works India Engineering Pvt Ltd has accelerated its organic growth even as it is scouting for an engine overhaul company in Europe and Middle East.
The aviation services company is on the verge of closing deals with two airlines in the South Asia and the Middle East for the maintenance and repair of A320 and Boeing 737 aircraft.
Vivek N Gour, the newly appointed chief executive officer (CEO) of Air Works, said the contracts have been finalised, it was now only a matter of closing the deal.
Owing to the confidentiality clause in the deal, Gour did not reveal the names of the companies.
Besides these, the aircraft maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) company is pursuing other deals for which it has put in bids and is expecting to win them on competitive pricing.
22/07/10 Praveena Sharma/Daily News & Analysis

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As Indian traffic picks up, Boeing sees revival in orders this year

Farnborough, UK: US-based aircraft maker Boeing Co. expects new orders from Indian carriers in the second half of 2010 as the passenger market expands and more local airlines start flying international routes.
The company is also expecting changes to its existing order book from Air India and Jet Airways (India) Ltd as these carriers expand operations.
“I have always said there would be some orders next year in keeping with the true potential of India,” Boeing India chairman Dinesh Keskar said on the sidelines of an air show. “And in some instances, depending on the lead time issues, some (orders) could be this year.”
Keskar did not specify if some of the orders would be from SpiceJet Ltd, which has recently been taken over by Kalanithi Maran, but indicated that most other carriers in India that use a Boeing fleet already have healthy orders in place.
“As they define the plans, we will be there to help them,” he said, referring to SpiceJet, which flies 21 Boeing 737 aircraft and is now also going international.
The low-cost carrier will induct just over half a dozen more planes till 2012, according to its current plans.
Indian airlines registered a passenger growth of about 22% in the first half of 2010 on the back of an economic recovery, leaving behind a sluggish 7% growth last year.
As many as 25.71 million passengers travelled on domestic carriers between January and June, compared with 21.09 million in the same time last year, a rise of 21.9%.
21/07/10 Tarun Shukla/Live Mint

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Deccan Charters is Sikorsky's customer service provider

Mumbai: Helicopter manufacturer Sikorsky has appointed Bangalore-based Deccan Charters as the authorised customer services provider for its S-76 helicopters' platform in India.
Deccan Charters has signed an agreement with Sikorsky Aerospace Services to appoint Deccan's Mumbai facility as the authorised Customer Service Centre (CSC) to support the Sikorsky S-76 helicopter platform, a company press release said today.
Promoted by Capt G R Gopinath, the company offers general aviation services such as aircraft maintenance, charter services and management.
"Deccan is pleased to be associated with one of the pioneers in helicopter design and manufacture in the world. This relationship to support the industry-leading S-76 helicopter family reiterates Deccan's position as the premier aircraft maintenance services company in India," Deccan Charters Ltd chairman Capt Gopinath said.
The Mumbai facility will offer Sikorsky S-76 helicopter operators complete aftermarket support, including Sikorsky-trained maintenance personnel for on-site comprehensive maintenance management, inspections and spare parts procurement, the release said.
The Mumbai centre would be a key support facility for the future expansion of Sikorsky's S-76 commercial aircraft fleet in India, it said.
20/07/10 Press Trust of India/Business Standard

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Rework norms on rights of passengers, DGCA told

Chennai: The Air Passengers Association of India (APAI) has written to the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) seeking changes in the draft that provides for facilities that an airline is to extend to passengers in case of denied boarding, cancellation of flights and delays in flights.
APAI alleges that the draft is too vulnerable to be in favour of passengers. "Though the initiative is meant to protect passengers, the DGCA draft has many loose ends that do not allow passengers to be adequately compensated," Sudhakar Reddy, President of APAI said.
For instance, he pointed out, sections 1.4 and 1.5 states that airlines will not have to pay in the event of a political instability, strikes and labour disputes, cancellations and delays attributable to ATC, flight safety shortcomings, etc. or any other causes that are beyond the control of the airline but which affect their ability to operate flights on schedule. "Where is the passenger protected in this case?" Reddy questioned.
21/07/10 ExpressBuzz

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Foreign carriers reap benefits of bilateral air pacts

New Delhi: Foreign carriers such as Singapore Airlines, Emirates and Lufthansa have benefited the most from traffic rights assigned to designated carriers as part of India's bilateral air service agreements with various countries. In contrast, the utilisation of available traffic rights on international routes by Indian air carriers has dipped to nearly 24% from over 35% a few years back.
Last year, the falling share of Indian carriers on international routes had forced the Centre to consider reviewing such bilateral agreements. The Centre had, however, decided against such reviews.
Between 2004 and 2009, when the government had pitched for bilateral traffic rights, foreign airlines used half of available seat entitlements. In the year ending March 2009, these carriers together operated 3,20,052 seats per week to and from India, against 1,62,670 seats by Indian carriers.
During the economic downturn which started in 2008, many Indian carriers slashed flights to check losses as traffic plunged. Following this, Indian aviation authorities were reluctant to offer more seats for foreign carriers. Since 2009, the government has negotiated air traffic rights with just two countries: Qatar and Nepal.
“Before negotiations for more seats with foreign countries, the government asked Indian carriers to state their requirements. Based on that, agreements were concluded. If Indian carriers failed to operate those seats, what can the government do? An agreement with a sovereign country cannot be reversed,” said a government official.
20/07/10 Nirbhay Kumar/Financial Express

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SBI leads banks on tri-strategy for airline debt

Mumbai: Based on Reserve Bank of India (RBI) instructions, State Bank of India, the country’s largest lender, and its merchant banking arm, SBI Caps, have prepared the broad contours of a much-awaited debt restructuring package for the aviation sector.
The RBI suggestions include conversion of short-term loans into long-term credit, additional equity infusion by airline promoters and partial conversion of outstanding debt into equity and preference capital. Though preliminary, it will set the agenda for further discussions among the top 13 banks who have the highest lending exposure to the cash-strapped sector.
It is expected that these initiatives will provide major relief for the sector’s ballooning debt. And, especially, help the three biggest carriers -- Air India, Kingfisher Airlines and Jet Airways. Between them, they control 65 per cent of domestic passenger traffic but have a combined debt of Rs 63,045 crore ($13.5 billion).
Three independent bankers privy to the developments told Business Standard that late last week, at a meeting in SBI, these points were discussed in detail among the 13 top lenders. The meeting discussed only the debt restructuring package of Kingfisher Airlines at length but the bankers believe it will set the basis for the bigger sectoral package.
19/07/10 Arijit Barman & Abhijit Lele/Business Standard

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Occupancy to steer the course for aviation cos

Mumbai: Passenger occupancy figures, which saw an improvement in the later half of the April-June quarter, will be a key determinant of the aviation sector’s performance this quarter, say analysts.
Jet Airways, with 26% market domestic market share, is expected to post a loss of Rs 17 crore, says an IDFC Securities report. The figure also includes a one-time hit of Rs 41.4 crore due volcanic ash in Iceland that led the airline to discontinue its flights in April to the US and the UK destinations for a couple of days. Jet has three daily flights to the UK and the US, respectively.
Arvind Mahajan, executive director, KPMG Advisory Services, says: “The turnaround in the sector has happened against the backdrop of improved market conditions. Jet has shown operational efficiencies in terms of lowering its costs. Its international operations are doing well with excellent load factors.”
Sudheer Raghavan, chief commercial officer at Jet had recently told Fe that of 85 daily international flights with 23 destinations in the international skies, seat factors in the US sector are above 80%, in the UK region it's close to 90%; in Asean and Gulf sectors it’s 78% and 73% receptively at Jet.
19/07/10 Shaheen Mansuri/Financial Express

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Hindustan Aeronautics among exhibitors at Farnborough airshow

New Delhi: India's Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL) will be among the 1,400 exhibitors participating in the Farnborough airshow, one of the biggest in the aviation calendar, that gets underway in Britain on Monday.
Minister of State for Defence MM Pallam Raju is leading the Indian delegation to the show where the who's who of the aerospace sector is expected to be present. Nearly 120,000 visitors are expected to attend the event.
Defence public sector undertaking HAL is among the 1,393 exhibitors from 40 countries participating in the biennial Farnborough International Airshow, a defence spokesperson said.
Aviation selling and buying will be at the heart of the show, which in 2008 saw a record-breaking business of $88.7 billion being announced, according to the spokesperson.
The week-long event is also an ideal opportunity to showcase the latest star products.
Over 170 aircraft will be displayed through the week and the focus, according to the spokesperson, will be on Space Zone and Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) this year.
18/07/10 IANS/Economic Times

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Recovery Is In The Air

Finally, after at least three years of bad news and consistent losses, things are looking up for the Indian airlines. Everywhere one looks, recovery seems to be in the air. After months of falling, traffic figures are now showing an upsurge. More people are flying and business travel is back. Load factors have increased across airlines — both for full service and no-frills carriers. At times, flights are uncomfortably full (speaking from a passenger’s point of view!). What is even better news for the airlines is that flights are not full because tickets are being given away at throwaway prices. There is genuine demand and the lowered capacity levels in the market have ensured better yields for most carriers.
Till December, the recovery was more in the air than ground reality. But as more numbers are coming in, it is evident that things are actually looking up. Center for Asia Pacific Aviation (CAPA) had forecast that private Indian airlines would report profits of $250-300 million in financial year 2010-11. According to their latest mid-year assessment, they are expecting profits to be even higher, although no specific numbers have been forecast. This is despite the fact that they expect Air India to post a loss of $650-700 million in the year.
While I am a bit sceptical of whether this will happen, CAPA has even predicted that Kingfisher Airlines (which has been reeling under severe losses almost since inception) will show a small profit in domestic operations in FY11. The airline’s international operations, in their view, could break even in FY12. A 20 per cent reduction in capacity, no new deliveries till 2012 and an increased focus on aircraft utilisation and cutting costs is expected to help the airline achieve this. A senior airline executive said he was finally seeing some positive signs in what has otherwise been a battle for survival for over two years now.
17/07/10 Anjuli Bhargava/Business World

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Bring in regular A-380 services, cut fares: passengers

Mumbai: As the first A-380 aircraft, a 517-seater Emirates Airlines plane, landed in Delhi on Thursday, the Air Passenger Association of India appealed to the civil aviation ministry to allow airlines to operate the plane on a regular basis as it would help bring down international fares.
Some foreign airlines like Emirates and Lufthansa are known to be keen to operate the A-380 but no airline has been granted permission by the civil aviation ministry. “A super jumbo could seat around 500 passengers as against the 180-220 passengers in the aircraft operated currently by most airlines. This will naturally bring air fares down significantly,” said Sudhakar Reddy, president, APAI. Thursday’s flight was only a special ‘proving’ flight.
A DIAL spokesperson said that the Delhi and Hyderabad airports, run by GMR group, are A-380 compliant.
“Airports, including the one at Delhi, still need to undertake upgradation work to meet the requirements if an A-380 has to fly in on a regular basis,” said a ministry official.
According to APAI one of the key reasons why foreign airlines have been denied permission to operate A-380 is to protect the interests of the domestic carriers especially on the Gulf sector.
16/07/10 Ranjani Raghavan/Indian Express

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Fall in jet fuel prices may not bring down fares

New Delhi: Softening of the prices of jet fuel, better known as the aviation turbine fuel or ATF, is not likely to translate into a cut in airfares. State-owned oil firms on Thursday cut ATF prices by over 3% on the back of easing international oil rates, but airlines said they will not cut fares.
In Delhi, jet fuel rates were slashed by Rs 1,390 per kilolitre to Rs 40,099 per kl, in Kolkata it was cut by Rs 1,467 a kl to cost Rs 48,460 per kl, in Mumbai the rate was brought down by Rs 1,448 a kl to Rs 41,361 per kl, while in Chennai it was decreased by Rs 1,508 per kl to Rs 44,334 a kl, a senior Indian Oil Corporation official said. Fuel costs make up for roughly 40% of the operating cost of an airline, with Thursday’s cut easing the burden on Indian carriers.
When contacted, a spokesperson from the low-cost carrier SpiceJet said, “When the ATF prices rose for so many consecutive times in the past, we absorbed it. Now I don’t think we are going to slash airfare.”
ATF prices have risen on eight instances since March, with exception of two occasions, when rates were lowered.
National carrier Air India also said that it is not likely to cut airfare after the new ATF prices become effective from July 16.
16/07/10 Anindya Upadhyay/Economic Times

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Air traffic surges 21% in June

New Delhi: The Indian aviation story is flying high. Last month saw 45.7 lakh domestic flyers, which was 21.4% higher than the 37.6 lakh people who took to the skies in June 2009. And, between January and June, 257.1 lakh people flew within the country, 22% higher than last year's figure of 211 lakh.
June saw low-cost carrier (LCC) IndiGo, which has been around for four years, flying neck-and-neck with the oldest domestic carrier Air India (domestic) or the erstwhile Indian Airlines.
With a fleet of 17 aircraft, IndiGo flew 7.37 lakh passengers, just 23,000 less than AI's (dom) 7.6 lakh. Given the scenario, the management of AI – the only airline without a domestic LCC – has to lure flyers with low fares or it runs the risk of being overtaken by new players on Indian routes.
There have been talks of AI launching budget domestic flights by extending operations of its international LCC – AI Express – on Indian routes. While that is yet to be implemented, the lean and mean young players are now flying ahead, said an industry insider.
Meanwhile, the ownership change at India's second largest LCC, SpiceJet, which is yet to have a new top management, has possibly taken a temporary toll on the airline. According to DGCA figures, it had the lowest on-time performance with 59.7% flights being on time. Jet Airways led the on-time performance pack with 86.8% flights on time.
16/07/10 Times of India

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Lean season fails to dampen fliers

Bangalore: The lean season pulled down the number of passengers who took to the sky in the domestic market in June - to 45.04 lakh, down 5.87% from 47.85 lakh in May, according to data released by the ministry of civil aviation (MoCA) on Thursday.
However, on a year-on-year (YoY) basis, passenger numbers were up 39.48% in June, from 39.29 lakh in the same month last year.
The ministry has also put out quarterly numbers, which showed airlines carried 13.7% more fliers in the second quarter (between April and June) of this year, at 134.77 lakh against 118.53 lakh passengers in the first quarter.
In June, Jet Airways, along with its low cost subsidiary JetLite, continued its market dominance, with a 26.5% share, up from 26.2% in May, after ferrying 11.91 lakh passengers. Kingfisher Airlines and IndiGo also increased their market shares to 21.1% and 16.4% from 20.9% and 15.7%, respectively.
IndiGo is now only inches away from Air India, whose market share slipped from 17.7% in May to 16.9% last month. Other airlines, which saw their pies shrink in June were Paramount Airlines and GoAir — to 0.3% and 5.8% from 0.4% and 5.9%. SpiceJet’s share moved up marginally to 13.3% from 13.2%.
16/07/10 Praveena Sharma/Daily News & Analysis

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Indian carriers to add 60 A380s to fleet over 20 yrs

Indian airline companies will acquire 50-60 Airbus A380 aircraft, the largest passenger plane flying today, over the next 20 years. This will result in business of over $15 billion for Airbus, the Europe-based aircraft manufacturing giant.
There is tremendous potential for the use of A380 by Indian airlines since traffic here is growing much faster than other parts of the world, said Kiran Rao, vice-president-in-charge of marketing at Airbus and head of India operations. “Due to strong economic growth, air traffic in India is expected to double in 10 years while it will take 15 years for many other markets. In 15 years, traffic here will probably triple,” he said.
As of now, Kingfisher is the only Indian airline company to have ordered an A380 and delivery of the aircraft to the UB Group airline is scheduled for 2015-16. Various other carriers, including Air India, are said to be exploring the option of acquiring the A380.
As of now, 31 A380s are flying across the globe and Airbus has firm orders for 200 more. “Six million passengers have already flown the aircraft and we expect strong demand for it since its cabin provides scope for offering enhanced comfort to passengers. Apart from quiet flights, airlines can also offer better seats, in-flight entertainment, internet and mail services,” Mr Rao said.
14/07/10 G Ganapathy Subramaniam/Economic Times

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Common enquiry number for air queries?

New Delhi: People flying Indian carriers may soon enjoy a luxury that train travellers have had for years — a countrywide common enquiry number.
The aviation ministry wants to emulate the 139 service of Indian Railways by having a common phone number that will allow fliers to connect to the Indian carrier they are flying or want information on things like flight timings, fares and baggage rules.
Aviation Minister Praful Patel said the ministry is working on this and wants the facility in place before the October Commonwealth Games.
The ministry has called a meeting with Federation of Indian Airlines (FIA), the umbrella organisation of Indian airlines , on Friday. The industry will be asked to implement this move as the technology is available.
In fact, the authorities are also looking at the railways to solve another problem that fliers face — overbooking by airlines, leading to forcible grounding of passengers holding confirmed tickets. While airlines overbook as there are last-minute no-shows, the ‘excess’ passengers are adjusted to ensure aircraft occupancy remain good.
“We will discuss with airlines if it’s possible to have the railways’ waiting list system for people buying airline tickets for a flight that’s already sold out. While overbooking is done globally, forcible grounding of fliers is a real problem for which DGCA has issued draft rules to penalise airlines,” said sources.
15/07/10 Saurabh Sinha/Economic Times

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Banks to submit proposal to RBI for recast of airline loans: Sources

New Delhi: The Indian aviation sector has had it tough over the past few months but now there may be some hope for its growth plans. Sources tell NDTV the banking industry has started a lobbying process with the Reserve Bank of India for a special aviation debt restructuring exercise.
On its part the RBI has indicated that if banks come up with a strong case for a consolidated proposal, it will consider it.
The central bank however is reluctant to allow a special recast for aviation loans as it believes that individual stressed cases can be tackled under the Corporate Debt Restructuring process. Besides the RBI also says that exemption for one industry can be seen as unfair against others like textile that too have seen pain.
Meanwhile bankers and airline companies are working together to put a proposal in place.
13/07/10 NDTV.com

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Major air carriers still to clear massive fuel bills

Mumbai: State-owned National Aviation Company of India Limited (Nacil), Jet Airways and Kingfisher Airlines owe over Rs 2,200 crore as payment for jet fuel, to the state-run oil marketing companies.
Jet Airways and Nacil owe around Rs 800-850 and Rs 1,000 crore to the state-run IndianOil Corporation (IOC), respectively. Nacil also owes Rs 245 crores to Hindustan Petroleum Corporation (HPCL), officials from the oil marketing companies said.
An IOC executive confirmed the development and added that the company is taking this issue up with the respective companies on a regular basis. “The dues to IOC are in the range of Rs 800- 1,000 crore, but the company undergoing restructuring and the dues are not anything to worry about," said an executive from Nacil requesting anonymity. An email sent to the company remained unanswered.
Analysts say the failure in payment of dues by the aviation companies is a reflection of the high debt that most of these companies have on their books. “Aviation companies are unable to pay their dues because they are into losses. Carriers such as SpiceJet are profitable and hence, pay their dues on time and also get discounts on the ATF price at times. However, going ahead this shouldn’t be a problem as these companies are slowly turning profitable and will be able to reduce their payables," said a Mumbai-based analyst.
13/07/10 Kalpana Pathak & Sneha Kupekar/Business Standard

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RBI wants debt recast for airlines

New Delhi: The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has asked 13 of the country’s top banks to frame a common policy for restructuring debt at airlines to provide relief to the ailing sector.
The regulator has also censured banks for not following prudent norms before lending to airlines and putting themselves in a tight spot. It has recommended that banks take tangible securities as collateral for future loans instead of depending on promoter guarantees and brand value.
The move is likely to provide relief for the debt-laden companies and directly help the country’s three biggest carriers—Jet Airways (India) Ltd, Air India and Kingfisher Airlines Ltd—which together control 65% of domestic passenger traffic and have a combined debt of $13.5 billion (Rs63,045 crore).
RBI wants the banks to form consortiums for restructuring debt instead of providing one-time relief to individual companies, such as Kingfisher Airlines. The Vijay Mallya airline has sought the recast of Rs2,000 crore of debt through SBI Caps.
In an 18 June meeting with executives of the 13 banks, the central bank noted it would be “a moral hazard for RBI to give any regulatory forbearance for any specific company”, according to the minutes of the meeting reviewed by Mint.
13/07/10 Tarun Shukla/Live Mint

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Major Indian MRO firm close to clinch airline deals

New Delhi: Major Indian MRO firm Air Works, which undertakes repairs and advanced maintenance of Boeing-737s and ATR planes, has received certifications to carry out the job on A-320s and is close to clinching deals with airlines to start its Airbus operations.
Air Works has received the required certification from the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) and the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) to launch Airbus activities in India, its top officials said.
The EASA and DGCA certifications would allow the company to undertake maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) work on the A-318s, A-319s, A-320s and A-321s, loosely called the A-320 family.
"We have received EASA and DGCA certifications for Airbus operations. Now, we are in the process of finalising a contract with an airline for A-320 maintenance within a week," Air Works' newly-appointed CEO Vivek N Gour told PTI here.
He, however, refused to name the airline. The company has been in talks with several airlines in India and the Middle East, Gour said, adding that there are over 150 of A-320 family of aircraft flying in the region.
11/07/10 PTI/Economic Times

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Airlines may get foreign cousins to invest in local struggle

The recent media reports state that the loss making airlines abroad are very keen to share their financial failure with their Indian counterparts.
Is this a private equity placement game where financial professionals are paid by the size of the deals they strike; hence do not mind investing a few million dollars or euros in an airline, which is not likely to recover it at any time?
Captain Gorur Ramaswamy Gopinath had brought up his dream low cost airline Deccan Airways to ferry poorest of the poor farmer women who went to neighbouring cities to sell their produce in wicker baskets. He had to leave his dream unattended when the investor came in.
Now his strategy to connect more airports than the state run airline has been shelved and most remote airfields have been dropped from Kingfisher Red network. Similarly, Siddharth Sharma had nurtured India's most profitable and efficient airline in Spicejet but had to step down when his airline's investor came in.
In the United States, airlines have just about survived owing to the government dole being handed out to them. The whole industry was about to go belly up just after the sub-prime crisis. The United States government made it walk, with life giving shots.
11/07/10 Debasish Roy/Economic Times

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Indian carriers seen buying more aircraft

New Delhi: Pointing out that the operating environment for Indian carriers is looking “increasingly positive”, the Centre for Asia Pacific Aviation (CAPA) on Friday indicated that it expects domestic airlines to soon place orders for new aircraft.
In the Mid-year outlook for Indian carriers, the Centre has indicated that while IndiGo is looking to acquire up to 150 aircraft, SpiceJet is looking to acquire 47 while Air India is planning to lease 10 Airbus A-330 apart from several Airbus A-320 and ATRs.
“CAPA expects that the Board (of SpiceJet) will shortly approve a new order for approximately 47 firm aircraft and 47 options. The airline plans to expand its operations in the south Indian market and focus on launching international sectors with a 4-5 hours flying time radius.
The Centre feels that in light of the improved internal and external environment, SpiceJet was expected to achieve a profit of $45-55 million in fiscal 2010-11.
10/07/10 Business Line

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India retains topmost US aviation safety category

New Delhi: The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) on Thursday confirmed India's topmost category status on aviation safety and said the country was considered a "role model" in this field for other nations to follow.
An FAA team, which was here to conduct safety audit, today informed the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) that India continued to remain in Category-1 status of FAA under its International Aviation Safety Assessment Programme (IASA), an official spokesperson said.
The safety audit came in the backdrop of the May 22 Mangalore aircrash and several aviation safety incidents.
At a meeting with the DGCA, the FAA team said the Indian regulator continued to sustain the actions demonstrated last year in meeting international standards for effective safety oversight of India's airline industry, she said.
During the discussions today, the FAA flagged following four areas for consultation, which included availability of qualified technical personnel in DGCA, technical guidance for them and resolution of safety concerns.
The FAA had for the first time in 1997 put India in the top category.
08/07/10 Press Trust of India

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Life jackets must for economy class flyers too: DGCA

New Delhi: It's been a kind of 'apartheid' that has till now been practised by airlines in India: while economy class passengers are told to hold on to their seat cushions in case the aircraft crashes into the sea, business and first class passengers are asked to take out the life jackets placed below each premium class seat. But now, the directorate general of civil aviation has sought to end this difference by making it mandatory for Indian carriers to have life jackets for every passenger — irrespective of the class he or she flies in.
Sources said the new rule is mandatory for Indian aircraft flying on overseas international routes and even domestic ones where a minimum of 50 nautical miles (90km) have to be flown over sea. This would include routes like Chennai-Kolkata and all flights to Port Blair from the mainland.
Jet and Kingfisher are among the airlines that would have to procure life jackets in large numbers. Some low cost carriers have been providing this already.
The ending of this 'apartheid' was among the several steps listed by aviation authorities here in response to the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) team's observations.
09/07/10 Saurabh Sinha/Times of India

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Andhra seeks copter lift

Hyderabad: The Andhra government has requested the Centre for troop-carrier helicopters to be stationed in the state for use in anti-Maoist operations along the borders with Orissa, Chhattisgarh and Maharashtra.
Chief minister K. Rosaiah has written two letters to P. Chidambaram and personally spoken to the home minister but such choppers have not yet been sent to the state — considered a model in tackling the Maoist threat.
“We need it to move troops, especially our Greyhounds (the elite anti-rebel squad) faster to the border areas so we can stop the rebels’ infiltration and stall their hit-and-run operations,” state police chief R.R. Girish Kumar said.
Making its case for such helicopters — now requisitioned from the neighbouring rebel-affected states whenever the need arises — the K. Rosaiah-headed Congress government has pointed out that the guerrillas have laid landmines along the borders with Chhattisgarh, Orissa and Maharashtra to stall the Greyhounds.
Requests for such helicopters have been made not only by the Andhra government but also other states and the CRPF. It is precisely because the need to deploy more Mi-17s is accepted by the defence establishment that the air force has asked for its helicopters on UN peace duties in Congo and Sudan to be sent back. There are currently 17 IAF helicopters on UN duties, among them eight gunships and nine Mi-17s.
09/07/10 G.S. Radhakrishna/The Telegraph

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Jairam says no to private helipads

India’s tycoons may not get helipads on top of their homes as Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh has shot down the idea saying it “violates” permissible noise limits. Business magnates such as Mukesh Ambani, Anil Ambani and Oberoi Builders in Mumbai had sought permission for construction of helipads
for their private use.
“It’s a strict no-no for a new private helipad as they violate noise norms,” Ramesh said. “Only government-owned helipads for emergency services will be given clearance from my ministry.” The minister’s policy will be applicable only to new helipads.
The government will not allow public sector helipads to be used for private purpose.
06/07/10 Hindustan Times

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HAL-CAE See Robust Simulation Market in India

Helicopter Academy to Train by Simulation of Flying (HATSOFF), the joint venture owned equally by Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL) and CAE announced that its Bell 412 full-mission simulator has been certified to Level D, the highest qualification for flight simulators, by India’s Directorate General Civil Aviation (DGCA) and the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA).
“HAL and CAE are very proud of achieving Level D certification, which is the highest performance rating given for flight training equipment, from both the DGCA and EASA,” said Wing Commander (Retd) Chandra Datt Upadhyay, Chief Executive Officer of HATSOFF. “The HATSOFF training centre is a first for India, and we are excited to begin offering simulation-based training that will prove to be one of the best approaches for improving safety, operational efficiency and mission readiness.”
The CAE-built full-mission helicopter simulator at HATSOFF features CAE's revolutionary roll-on/roll-off cockpit design, which enables cockpits representing various helicopter types to be used in the simulator. The first training program HATSOFF is offering is for operators of the Bell 412 helicopter.
The HATSOFF training centre, located near HAL’s headquarters in Bangalore, also features multimedia classrooms, computer-based training, brief/debrief facilities, and a training management information system. The full-mission simulator features a common motion system, vibration platform, and visual display system, along with the four separate cockpit modules that can be used in the full-mission simulator. When a cockpit is not used in the full-mission simulator, it will be used as a fixed-based flight training device (FTD).
07/07/10 Defpro

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TCS, Wipro, Mahindra Aerospace in talks with NAL to develop plane prototype

Bangalore: Technology firms Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), Wipro and QuEST, apart from private sector aviation companies such as Mahindra Aerospace and L&T , are among the vendors currently in discussions with the National Aerospace Laboratories (NAL) for providing software, designing and manufacturing around 500 regional transport aircraft.
India’s ambitious civil aviation program (RTA-70 ) is aimed at building planes for carrying 70-90 passengers on short haul flights, and rival similar aircrafts from ATR, which currently dominates the country’s skies.
Officials at NAL, the premier agency spearheading the project, confirmed that alliances are being worked out. “Negotiations are on with various private players like TCS, Infosys, Wipro to provide expertise in software, hardware and product development,” a senior NAL official said on conditions of anonymity. The design and development of the prototype is estimated to cost about Rs 5,000 crore and is expected to be ready by 2015-16 for flight trials.
Of the 500 planes, 200 will be sold to Indian defence, 200 to civil aviation companies and 100 units are to be exported. The project committee will explore the need to go in for a public-private partnership (PPP) at the beginning, so as to involve the Indian aerospace industry, which will be responsible for production at a later stage and marketing and servicing subsequently, officials added.
05/07/10 Peerzada Abrar/Economic Times

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Strike grounds several flights across the country

New Delhi: The strike by the Opposition to protest the recent fuel price hike affected flight operations across the country.
Airport sources said 92 flights were grounded and several flights were combined because of low passenger numbers. “Various flights were combined because of low load factors, as people did not venture out of their houses due to the strike call,” said an executive at the Mumbai airport, who did not want to be named.
Executives at various airports said full-service carriers cancelled flights: Kingfisher cancelled 26 flights, Jet Airways including JetLite, cancelled 30 and Air India cancelled 18 flights.
Among the low-cost carriers, IndiGo cancelled 9 flights, GoAir cancelled 7 and SpiceJet cancelled two flights.
However, a release from Air India said: “Of the total number of 137 domestic flights scheduled to depart from the six metros till 18:00 hours, 136 flights were operated on schedule.”
In a bid to avoid last-minute cancellations of flights and anticipating a low passenger turn-out due to the strike call, most of the airlines had announced in advance that no flights to these destinations would take off.
06/07/10 Business Standard

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Rain & strike combine to ground airlines, flyers

New Delhi: The monsoon struck northwest India on the worst possible day for air passengers, who faced major cancellations on Monday due to the bandh called by the opposition. While road blocks and suspension of public transport facilities delayed passengers from getting to the airport, torrential rainfall over places like Kullu, Dehradun and Shimla also led to a further cancellation of flights.
Delhi itself saw about 20 flights getting cancelled through the day while Mumbai recorded 47 cancellations. Kolkata too barely saw any operations and which in turn disrupted flights from nearby airports like Guwahati and Imphal. Most airlines worked on a reduced schedule, having combined flights for which the number of passengers was low.
According to sources, passengers of flights that had been combined on Sunday were informed in advance.
In Mumbai, where the public transport was affected severely, the airport management had to specially deploy special buses to ferry arriving passengers to various locations in the city.
In Delhi, where air traffic was not as severely disrupted as in other parts of the country, there were reports of agitated scenes when passengers reached the airport with much difficulty, only to find that their flight had been cancelled. Incoming traffic from cities like Mumbai, Kolkata, Shimla and Kerala was affected. While sources said that as many as 40 flights, both incoming and outgoing, had been cancelled, airlines maintained that very few flights were affected.
06/07/10 Times of India

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Wary passengers ground 89 flights in Mumbai

Mumbai: The Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport wore a deserted look on Monday. Out of the 700 flights that fly in and out of Mumbai, 89 were cancelled. While most passengers preferred not to fly, those who made it to Mumbai were left stranded.
“Due to fewer passengers, domestic airlines cancelled 42 arrivals and 47 departures,” said spokesperson for Mumbai International Airport Limited (MIAL).Only one international flight of Air India, Mumbai-Delhi-Hong Kong, was cancelled.
MIAL arranged for 20 buses from Santa Cruz and six from Sahar terminal to ferry passengers.
As pre-paid cabs and autorickshaws refused to ply, passengers arriving in the city were practically stranded at the airport.
06/07/10 Naveeta Singh/Daily News & Analysis

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Domestic flights bear brunt of shutdown, 96 cancelled

Mumbai: Domestic air services to several parts of India bore the brunt of the shutdown called by the opposition on Monday, leading to cancellations of 96 scheduled services. One international flight also had to be cancelled, airport officials said.
International operations, by and large, were smooth since a majority of the incoming or outgoing flights were scheduled for the early hours of the day, when the shutdown was yet to make a major impact, the officials added.
According to information available with airport authorities, Kingfisher cancelled at least 26 flights, Jet Airways 17, Jetlite 13, Indian Airlines 18, IndiGo nine, GoAir seven and Spicejet two.
Kingfisher, for example, attempted to salvage the situation by combining several of its flights with other services. The other carriers also resorted to a similar strategy to accommodate stranded passengers.
Officials at the airports said that a majority of the cancellations were from opposition-rules states.
Even the usually bustling Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport in Mumbai, among the busiest in the country, also wore a near-deserted look as pre-paid and metered taxis and autorickshaws remained off the roads.
05/07/10 Indo-Asian News Service/Hindustan Times

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Gold-medal winning archery team’s reward: Two-hour wait at airport

Kolkata: The bandh did not spare anyone — not even members of the gold-medal winning archery team who, instead of receiving a hero’s welcome, were made to wait for two hours at Kolkata airport after they landed here this morning. The 11-member group of the Indian archery team, including three coaches, had landed at the domestic terminal of the Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose International Airport at 8:45 am this morning.
The team, which had gone to Taiwan to participate in the third Asian Grand Prix held between June 29 and July 4, won gold, silver and bronze medals in both the individual and compound categories.
But whatever their achievements, there was nobody to receive the exhausted team that had deplaned from the Air India IC 401 flight at the airport and no car had been arranged to take them to the Sports Authority of India (SAI) complex at Salt Lake.
“Finding no way, we called up Rajendra Guiya, a SAI coach in Jharkhand, for help. His brother Prakash, who is an employee of the Kolkata police, arranged for a police van for us. We returned with our heavy luggage in that van,” said Ritul Chatterjee, who had won a bronze medal in the men’s individual category.
06/07/10 Sreecheta Das/Express India

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Brazil's Embraer proposes regional jets for India

Sao Jose dos Campos, Brazil: A growing appetite among Indian carriers to serve regional routes makes the country a potentially big market for 250 regional jets with a capacity of up to 120 seats, Brazil's aircraft maker Embraer.
In India, around 250 low-to-medium-density routes remain unused, as they are not profitable to run with narrow-bodied aircraft. Plus, in the non-metros sector, 133 routes have less than one frequency a day, said Brazil-based Embraer.
At present, out of some 400 aircraft for scheduled commercial operations in India, 261 are narrow-bodied planes and only 20 are regional jets.
A regional jet is generally run on a range of short-to-medium-haul routes with a seating capacity for 100 passengers. Compared with these, narrow-bodied planes, such as the Boeing-737 and Airbus A-320 family, have around 160 seats.
As the economy bounces back and major Indian airlines review their fleet plans, Embraer says it is in discussion with all players as they will be interested in tapping the low-to-medium-density routes where regional jets have a niche.
04/07/10 Neelam Mathews/South Asia Mail

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Pilots suspend Yatra services after CRPF ‘beating’

Srinagar: Several Amarnath pilgrims including a six-member parliamentary delegation were stranded yesterday (Sunday) as helicopter operators suspended services to protest alleged ‘beating’ of a pilot by an officer of paramilitary Central Reserve Police Force near Panjhtarni, meadow at a height of 3657 mtrs (12000 ft), several kilometers from cave.
Official sources said that the tussle started Sunday morning when a deputy commandant rank officer of CRPF alleged behaved badly with a pilot of Himalayanheli one of the two helicopter operators short-listed for pilgrimage of 2010 and 2011. The quarrel started over shifting of corpse of a pilgrim Sugna Devi (wife of Shiva Ram of Banglore), who died of cardiac arrest. The pilot expressed reservation in lifting the body citing rules following which the CRPF officer allegedly beat him. The pilots took reservation of the behavior of the CRPF officer and went on a strike. They said that both the operators Himalayanheli and Pawanhans suspended the service, leaving many pilgrims who availed the services, stranded near Panjtarni the last halt on the Yatra, 14 Km from Sheshnag.
05/07/10 Kashmirwatch.com

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No service tax on transit travel

New Delhi: International and domestic air travel becomes costlier this month onwards with an additional burden of service tax, announced in the Budget. However, globetrotters who stop over in India during a transit flight can avoid paying this tax, provided they refrain from venturing out of the customs area.
While issuing a notification on the new service tax, the government has exempted certain categories of air travelers from it. The tax is otherwise 10% on the gross value of the ticket or Rs 100 for domestic travel in any class and Rs 500 for international travel in economy class, whichever is less.
Going by the notification, a person who arrives in India in a transit flight is exempted from paying this additional levy, “provided he does not pass through immigration, does not leave the customs area and continues his journey to a place outside India.”
Usually, people who take transit flights or connecting flights through India schedule engagements —business or tourism--- in India for their convenience. Now, this would result in an additional burden of around Rs 500 as a traveller would have to leave the customs area for any such engagements.
06/07/10 Tanu Pandey/Financial Express

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Brazil's Embraer proposes regional jets for India

A growing appetite among Indian carriers to serve regional routes makes the country a potentially big market for 250 regional jets with a capacity of up to 120 seats, Brazil's aircraft maker Embraer.
In India, around 250 low-to-medium-density routes remain unused, as they are not profitable to run with narrow-bodied aircraft. Plus, in the non-metros sector, 133 routes have less than one frequency a day, said Brazil-based Embraer.
'This doesn't provide adequate frequency to passengers. No wonder other forms of transport are used such as first-class rail with fares of air travel,' said Alex Glock, Embraer's managing director for Asia Pacific.
'With the Indian economy growing and growing rather fast, air services to the so-called secondary cities need to be more frequent - there have to be comprehensive daily services,' Glock told IANS in an interview.
At present, out of some 400 aircraft for scheduled commercial operations in India, 261 are narrow-bodied planes and only 20 are regional jets.
04/07/10 IANS/Sify.com

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More Talks Of India-Malaysia Airspace Liberalisation

New Delhi: India and Malaysia have initiated talks to liberalise more of their airspace to capitalise on the burgeoning aviation industry in both countries.
Visiting Malaysian Transport Minister Datuk Seri Kong Cho Ha, who held talks with India's Civil Aviation Minister yesterday, said there was a need for further liberalisation of air traffic rights to accommodate future growth.
"Now we are quite comfortable with the rights but we have to go forward. There are opportunities in other Indian cities where our airlines can operate.
"At the same time we are here to also invite more Indian airlines to fly to Malaysia, they have not fully utilised their landing rights and in bringing the number of passengers to Malaysia," Kong told Malaysian media in Delhi Saturday.
He is in Delhi to attend the inauguration of the Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport's newly constructed international terminal or T3.
Currently, Malaysia Airlines (MAS) flies to major cities -- Bangalore, Delhi, Hyderabad, Kolkata and Mumbai -- while AirAsia had also started its operations to several Indian cities. The decision had come at an opportune time, when both traditional trading partners are accelerating their bilateral relations and two-way trade is on a healthy trajectory, hitting almost US$7 billion (RM24.5 billion) last year.
03/06/10 P Vijian/Bernama

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India ‘Open’ to Reviewing Airline Ownership Rules, Patel Says

India is “open” to reviewing its policy to consider allowing overseas airlines to own stakes in local carriers, the nation’s Civil Aviation Minister Praful Patel said.
The government will hold inter-ministerial consultations to evaluate any change in the rules, Patel said in New Delhi today, without specifying a timeline. India plans to review the laws regarding airline ownership as growth in Asia’s third-biggest economy spurs rising demand for air travel and carriers seek funds for expansion.
While foreign investors can own stakes in Indian airlines, India more than a decade ago banned overseas carriers from buying into rivals in the world’s second-most populous nation. The government estimates an annual 10 percent growth in domestic air passengers, with as many as 180 million traveling by 2020. Indian companies including Jet Airways Ltd. and Kingfisher Airlines Ltd. have been seeking money for expansion. Jet Airways Chairman Naresh Goyal said in February the airline intends to raise as much as $400 million to help pay for new planes and cut debt. Kingfisher Airlines plans to raise more than $100 million selling global depository receipts, Ravi Nedungadi, chief financial officer of UB Group, the airline’s parent, said on April 7.
02/06/10 Subramaniam Sharma/Bloomberg/Business Week

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Flight safety certification for HAL chopper simulator

India's first advanced full-fidelity helicopter simulator of the state-run Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL) has been certified to level D by the Directorate General Civil Aviation (DGCA) and the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), the defence behemoth said Friday.
The full-mission simulator has been built by the Canada-based CAE for Helicopter Academy to Train by Simulation of Flying (Hatsoff), a joint venture of HAL and CAE, a leader in providing simulation and integrated training solutions for the civil aviation industry.
'The level D certification is the highest performance rating for flight training equipment from regulators like DGCA and CAE. We will begin offering simulation-based training for improving safety, operational efficiency and mission readiness,' Hatsoff chief executive Wing Commander (retd) C.D. Upadhyay said in a statement here.
The simulator features latest roll-on/roll-off cockpit design for training to fly various types of helicopters.
Hatsoff will use the utility helicopter Bell 412 for its first training programme. 'We will have additional cockpits for the military variant of the HAL-built Dhruv advanced light helicopter (ALH), which is in service with the Indian Air Force (IAF) and the Indian Army. Eurocopter Dauphin will be added next year,' Upadhyay said.
02/07/10 IANS/Sify.com

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Raunchy ads 'put flight attendants at sexual abuse risk'

Melbourne: Lewd and obscene airline ads are putting flight attendants at risk of sexual harassment and abuse, Australia"s peak flight attendant union has warned.
The warning comes after an onslaught of sexually explicit advertising campaigns released by airlines across the world.
Russian start-up airline Avianova recently launched an advertising campaign showing bikini-clad flight attendants washing planes. Days later, leaked images taken for Russia's largest airline Aeroflot's calendar had a flight attendant posing completely nude.
Flight Attendants Association Secretary of Australia Jo-Ann Davidson said that such ads are offensive and place cabin crew at risk.
01/07/10 ANI/oneindia.com

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Global air traffic up 12% in May

New Delhi: Domestic and international air fares will rise by Rs 103 and Rs 515, respectively with a government notification to bring air travel into the service tax ambit coming into effect from Thursday.
Government had proposed in the 2010-11 Budget that 10 % service tax be charged on air travel aiming at raising Rs 600 crore and Rs 1,000 crore annually.
For domestic travel, 10% of the gross value of ticket or Rs 100 per journey, whichever is less would be charged from passengers travelling in any class—business or economy.
For international journey, it would be “10% of the gross value of the ticket or Rs 500 per journey, whichever is less, for passengers embarking in India for an international journey in economy class.”
Air travellers would be exempted from paying this tax on a journey originating or terminating in an airport located in the northeastern states and J&K.
01/07/10 Financial Express

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Air travel to get more expensive

New Delhi: Domestic and international air fares will rise by Rs 103 and Rs 515 respectively with a government notification to bring air travel into the service tax ambit coming into effect from July 01.
Government had proposed in the 2010-11 Budget that 10 per cent service tax be charged on air travel aiming at raising Rs 600 crore and Rs 1,000 crore annually.
It had proposed to expand the scope of air transport services to attract service tax to include domestic journeys and international journeys in any class.
However, airline crew travelling on duty and UN staff are exempted from paying this service tax.
The notification, issued by the Department of Revenue over a week ago, said that for domestic travel, "10 per cent of the gross value of ticket or Rs 100 per journey, whichever is less" would be charged from passengers travelling in any class -- business or economy.
For international journey, it would be "10 per cent of the gross value of the ticket or Rs 500 per journey, whichever is less, for passengers embarking in India for an international journey in economy class."
A service tax of little over 12 per cent is already imposed on foreign travel by business or first class since the past several years.
30/06/10 Press Trust of India/NDTV.com

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No tax on fliers to NE and J&K

New Delhi: Domestic passengers flying in and out of the northeast and out of Jammu and Kashmir will not have to pay the 10.3% service charge on airfares that will be levied from Thursday.
The new cess for both business and economy domestic travellers will be Rs 103 or 10.3% of gross ticket value, whichever is lower. For economy class international flyers, it will be Rs 515 or 10.3% of ticket value, whichever is less.
Ticket value, for this purpose, will be determined by adding the basic price, fuel and congestion surcharges. Passenger service fee and airport charges (UDF/ADF) will be kept out of ticket value for this purpose.
The tax would be levied on tickets sold, issued or re-issued, from Thursday. Which means, travellers who have already bought ticket for flying after July 1 may not need to pay this additional charge. The tax is applicable on journeys originating in India.
A service charge of 10.3% is being collected for years from international travellers flying out of India in business and first classes.
01/07/10 Economic Times

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HAL confronts Snecma in light helicopter project

New Delhi: The Light Utility Helicopter (LuH), which Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL) is designing for the Indian military, has encountered turbulence even before leaving the drawing board. French engine-maker Turbomeca, whose vaunted Shakti engine was to power the LuH, is demanding what Ministry of Defence (MoD) sources term “extortionist prices” for integrating the Shakti with the LuH.
HAL had paid Turbomeca to develop the Shakti engine for the Dhruv Advanced Light Helicopter (ALH); and the Shakti also powers the Light Combat Helicopter (LCH) that HAL is developing. Because the Shakti is custom-designed for the high altitudes — between 15,000 and 20,000 feet — that characterise much of India’s border, and because HAL and Turbomeca will jointly manufacture the engine in India, the Shakti was selected to also power the LuH.
But the Dhruv and the LCH are twin-engine helicopters, while the lighter LuH will fly with a single Shakti engine. That requires Turbomeca to design a new transmission for the LuH. Additionally, the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) will have to certify the Shakti for single-engine operation. To HAL’s dismay, Turbomeca has demanded Rs 190 crore for these jobs, more than half the LuH’s entire budget of Rs 376 crore.
01/07/10 Ajai Shukla/Business Standard

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