ATF price hiked by steep 6.3%

New Delhi: Jet fuel (ATF) prices were today hiked by a steep 6.3 per cent, the third consecutive increase since June, as a falling rupee made imports costlier.
Aviation Turbine Fuel, or ATF, price at Delhi was hiked by Rs 4,169.4 per kilolitre (kl), or 6.3 per cent, to Rs 70,203.15 per kl with effect from midnight tonight, according to Indian Oil Corporation.
In Mumbai, jet fuel will cost Rs 72,477.50 per kl from tomorrow as against Rs 68,147.9 per kl currently.
Rates at different airports vary because of difference in local sales tax or VAT.
Kolkata would see price hike of Rs 4,323.1 to Rs 80,317.03 per kl, while it will cost Rs 76,312.90 in Chennai as against Rs 71,851.42 per kl currently.
31/07/13 PTI/Business Line

Read More

Air passenger demand goes up globally

Mumbai: Air passenger demand has gone up as data released by the International Air Transport Association (IATA) showed a year-on-year growth of 6.0%.
"The robust growth, measured in revenue passenger kilometers (RPK), is ahead of the 4.8% demand growth reported over the first six months of 2013 compared to the same period in 2012," said a statement issued by IATA on Wednesday. It is also ahead of the 5.6% expansion in capacity for June over the previous year. This pushed the passenger load factor to 81.7%, it said. IATA represents some 240 airlines comprising 84% of global air traffic.
"While the strong growth trend was reflected in all regions it should be noted that Asia-Pacific airlines were responsible for half of the increase in RPKs from May to June," it said adding that due to the volatility of Asia-Pacific performance it is too early to say if this acceleration marks a trend for the rest of the year.
31/07/13 Manju V/Times of India

Read More

Business jets fly into government headwinds

New Delhi: The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has stopped issuing temporary landing permits (TLPs) to air crew of foreign-registered business jets, citing security concerns. This has severely affected the movement of general aviation aircraft into the country. Additionally, the government has made it mandatory for the crew of non-revenue flights of foreign-registered aircraft to have employment visa to fly within the country after landing in India.
"Under annexure 9 of the Chicago Convention, as a member country of International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO), we are required to facilitate the arrival of air crew into India. If there is a change in regulations, it has to be notified. India has not filed the change and has, at the same time, held that TLPs will now be issued only for scheduled airlines and not air crew of non-scheduled operators (NSOPs), due to security concerns. It has also made it mandatory for air crew to have employment visas for extended trips. This has affected movement of business jets," said Rajesh Bali, secretary, Business Aircraft Operators' Association (BAOA). NSOPs can only fly in with crew visas now which takes up to five weeks to process, depending on the country of application.
31/07/13 Sharmistha Mukherjee/Business Standard

Read More

Flying in the face of the free market

The proposal by the ministry of civil aviation to create a cell to keep a watch on airfares and report unusual patterns to the Competition Commission of India (CCI) is anathematical to free market principles.
Airlines follow a dynamic pricing strategy of charging passenger fares depending on when a flight is booked or on the simple principle of supply and demand on a particular route at a point of time. For example, one has paid Rs 4,345 from Jaipur to Delhi on some days, and Rs 14,843 on another day. The difference is three times. Many of my bookings were done on one day's notice and I cannot blame the carriers for "overcharging". Such is the character of airline passenger pricing. Sometime in the past, when Kingfisher and Jet Airways decided to code-share, one could suspect collusion - though not necessarily so, as the flight pricing may still have been done on a dynamic basis.
Nowadays, Kingfisher does not fly and the competition to Jet Airways is provided by SpiceJet and Air India on this route, but looking at the timings one is often forced to fly Jet, which is an informed choice. If, however, Jet were to practise predatory pricing and, thus, ensured that the other two airlines would give up flying on the Jaipur-Delhi route, then there would be a case for the CCI to check.
30/07/13 Pradeep S Mehta/Business Standard

Read More

Global aerospace plastics market expected to reach US$10.5 bln

The global aerospace plastics market was worth US$6.2 bln in 2011 and is expected to reach US$10.5 bln in 2018, growing at a CAGR of 7.9% from 2012 to 2018. In terms of volume, the aerospace plastic consumption was 40.5 kilo tons in 2011 and is expected to reach 87.8 kilo tons in 2018, growing at a CAGR of 11.7% from 2012 to 2018, as per a study by Transparency Market Research. Steady growth in the aviation industry, excellent strength to weight ratio, and increased adoption of aerospace plastics in aircraft designs are largely augmenting the growth of the aerospace plastics market. EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) and Greenpeace regulations that are imposed upon the production of aerospace plastics are acting as a challenge for the growth of this market. These conventions primarily monitor the percentage of greenhouse gases emitted during the production of aerospace plastics. Furthermore, the high cost of raw materials, namely PAN (Polyacrylonitrile), utilized in manufacturing the aerospace plastics are acting as a restraint for this market. The commercial aircrafts end-user segment accounted for 72% of market share in 2011 followed by military aircrafts, rotary aircrafts, and general aviation planes end-user segments. Aerospace plastics market is categorized into six application segments. Fuselage was the key application segment that accounted for over 28% of market share in 2011. Wings, empennage, flight deck and cabin areas are a few other key application segments estimated and analyzed in this study. In terms of volume, Europe dominated the global aerospace plastics market that accounted for more than 43% of the overall market in 2011. In Europe, Germany, France, the UK and Spain were the key regional markets and together accounted for more than 75% of the European market.
31/07/13 Plastemart.com

Read More

Shanmugam urges India to start work on aviation agreement with ASEAN

Singapore: Singapore has called on India to start negotiations on a full air transport agreement with ASEAN that includes passenger services.
Foreign Affairs and Law Minister K Shanmugam said such an agreement would expand tourism and business opportunities for India and Southeast Asia.
More passenger flights, he said, would also help to deepen ties between Singapore and India.
Mr Shanmugam said: "The relationship is a very strong one. It has many facets. We have a good relationship on the military side. We have a good and growing relationship on the economic side."
30/07/13 Channel News Asia

Read More

Airhostess suicide case: Kanda seeks bail

New Delhi: Five days after the Delhi High Court quashed charges of rape and unnatural sex against him, former Haryana minister Gopal Kanda today sought bail from a Delhi court.
The fresh bail plea was moved before Additional Sessions Judge M C Gupta, who is presiding over the special fast-track court dealing with cases of sexual offences against women, and was earlier hearing the matter.
However, with the charges of rape and unnatural sex being quashed by the high court, the application was sent to the court of District Judge and Additional Sessions Judge S K Sarvaria and has been fixed for hearing for August 5.
Kanda and his employee Aruna Chadha are accused of abetting the suicide of 23-year-old former airhostess with his MDLR Airlines. She was found dead on August 5, last year at her Ashok Vihar residence in North West Delhi.
In her August 4 suicide note, she had said she was ending her life due to "harassment" by Kanda, 46, and Chadha, 40.
31/07/13 PTI/Business Standard

Read More

Finmeccanica trial: Antony will not depose in Italian court

Rome/New Delhi: Taken by surprise by the decision of an Italian judge to include defence minister A K Antony as a possible witness in a trial relating to corruption in the Rs 3,600 crore AgustaWestland chopper deal, India tonight ruled out his appearance in the court.
Reports from Italy said that a judge in the city Busto Arsizio had earlier today cleared the names of Antony, former British defence minister Geoff Hoon and Ratan Tata among 80 possible witnesses in the trial of former CEO of Italy's Finmeccannica, which had secured a deal with the Indian government for the supply of 12 helicopters to ferry VVIPs.
Three of the helicopters had been delivered before corruption was reported in the deal.
Former IAF chief Air Chief Marshal S P Tyagi and his three cousins have been questioned by the CBI in connection with allegations of kickbacks to the tune of Rs 362 crore in the deal. Tyagi has denied any wrongdoing.
29/07/13 PTI/Times of India

Read More

Puducherry slashes aviation turbine fuel tax

Puducherry: Chief Minister N Rangasamy on Monday announced cut on Aviation Turbine Fuel (ATF) and made it lower than in Tamil Nadu, to attract flight operation as part of tourism promotion in the Union Territory. He also announced reduction of VAT on speakers and amplifiers to 8 per cent from 10 per cent.
Winding up the debate on demands for grants for the departments held by him in the Assembly, Rangasamy said the VAT on ATF for aircraft with a take off mass below 40,000 kg would be reduced to one per cent from five per cent and the ATF for aircraft with take off mass above 40,000 kg would be reduced to five per cent from 14.5 per cent.
This reduction is aimed at attracting oil companies to set up aviation fuel depot in Puducherry and flight operators to avail of the opportunity to get ATF at lower prices, which will also  fetch revenue for the government.
30/07/13 New Indian Express

Read More

Foreign comapanies may come to rescue of desi airlines

New Delhi: The fund-starved Indian airline industry - which recently witnessed the grounding of Kingfisher apart from the closure of Paramount and MDLR - could now get life-saving money and management of foreign airlines. The Jet-Etihad deal was being seen as a test case by foreign airlines which are eying stake purchase in SpiceJet and GoAir (IndiGo has so far not shown any interest) and they may now quickly announce their deals in coming days.
Aviation ministry sources say the Foreign Investment Promotion Board's nod for the Jet-Etihad deal may push the home ministry to expedite the security clearance for the proposed airline from the AirAsia-Tata joint venture.
For flyers, this would mean well-funded airlines competing among themselves to woo them. This, in turn, will mean lower fares and more choices.
"Getting clearances in India is a nightmare. The government held up for months the $900-million Jet-Etihad deal, which is the biggest FDI in the aviation sector here. Other potential foreign airline investors coming with much smaller sums of money were sitting on the sidelines and will now start coming in. Expect announcements from SpiceJet and GoAir very soon," said a Delhi-based senior official of a foreign airline.
30/07/13 Times of India

Read More

‘Panel lacks expertise to go into seaplane issue’

Thiruvananthapuram: Seaplane services may have failed to take off in the State, but what baffles aviation safety experts is the composition of an expert panel mandated to go into the issue.
The committee will have just a single-point agenda: in what way would seaplanes affect fishing, protests over which had grounded them after the inaugural flight.
The committee, as named last Tuesday, would hardly serve any purpose, according to Jacob K. Philip, editor and aviation safety expert.
As far as the seaplane is concerned, the main issue of dispute is the extent of area to be set apart for exclusive use for seaplanes to land, taxi and take-off.
“At Punnamada in Alappuzha (one of the proposed waterdromes), about 100 acres of water surface have been set apart,” Philip told Business Line. No fishing is allowed in these waters. But according to US Federal Aviation Administration regulations, the water area needed for these waterdromes is 14 to 60 acres only, Philip said.
28/07/13 Vinson Kurian/Business Line

Read More

Foreign companies may come to rescue of desi airlines

New Delhi: The fund-starved Indian airline industry — which recently witnessed the grounding of Kingfisher apart from the closure of Paramount and MDLR — could now get life-saving money and management of foreign airlines. The Jet-Etihad deal was being seen as a test case by foreign airlines which are eying stake purchase in SpiceJet and GoAir (IndiGo has so far not shown any interest) and they may now quickly announce their deals in coming days.
Aviation ministry sources say the Foreign Investment Promotion Board's nod for the Jet-Etihad deal may push the home ministry to expedite the security clearance for the proposed airline from the AirAsia-Tata joint venture.
For flyers, this would mean well-funded airlines competing among themselves to woo them. This, in turn, will mean lower fares and more choices.
30/07/13 Times of India

Read More

A positive for aviation sector

Mumbai/Delhi: With the domestic aviation sector going through a tough phase, the Jet-Etihad deal is set to bring in new synergies in the sector, which will augur well for other Indian airline companies as well, according to aviation analysts.
The Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) on Monday gave a conditional approval to the Rs 2,058-crore Jet-Etihad deal.
As part of the deal, Jet Airways will sell 24 per cent stake to the Abu Dhabi-based Etihad Airways.
Kapil Kaul, CEO, Centre for Asia Pacific Aviation (CAPA), said: “The FIPB approval was on expected lines. This is the first major foreign direct investment (FDI) deal for aviation, which is significant for the sector.”
However, the very liberal and exclusive bilaterals granted was key to the valuation of the deal, he added. “The manner of allocating bilaterals reflects poorly on how we govern India’s aviation system. We see Etihad having a major role in Jet’s operations and management, even though the shareholding agreement has been revised. Earlier in 2008-09, W.L. Ross in SpiceJet had a very significant role in SpiceJet’s strategy and future direction, even with less than 15 per cent shareholding and one board seat,” Kaul said.
29/07/13 Business Line

Read More

Congress seeks CVC probe into Punjab chopper purchase

Chandigarh: Raising questions about the lack of transparency in the Punjab government's purchase of a Bell helicopter, the state's opposition Congress Saturday demanded a probe by the Central Vigilance Commission (CVC) into the matter.
Congress spokesman Sukhpal Khaira said that the Punjab government purchased the Bell 429 helicopter worth Rs.38 crore recently and alleged the process was "arbitrary, malafide, illegitimate and non transparent".
He said that a similar Bell 429 helicopter was purchased by Satyajit Majithia, father-in-law of Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal for his Orbit Aviation Company recently.
"Throwing all norms and procedures of transparency and accountability to the winds, the Punjab government, in an extreme hurried manner, procured quotations from four international manufacturers and selected the Bell Textron Co., for the purchase of Rs.38 crore helicopter," Khaira claimed.
27/07/13 IANS/Business Standard

Read More

IAF diluted al least 12 benchmarks for trainer aircraft

New Delhi: Retired Air Chief Marshal S P Tyagi, former Indian Air Force (IAF) head, faces a Central Bureau of Investigation chargesheet for allegedly diluting a single specification of the VVIP helicopter that India was buying.
In the Air Staff Qualitative Requirements (ASQR), the helicopter’s service ceiling was lowered from 6,000 to 4,500 metres. This made the AW-101 helicopter eligible and its Anglo-Italian manufacturer, AgustaWestland, bagged the euro 556 million (Rs 4,377 crore) IAF contract for 12 helicopters.
That violation, now under investigation, is dwarfed in the IAF’s purchase of the Pilatus PC-7 Mark II basic trainer aircraft (BTA), where at least 12 benchmarks were changed between March and October 2009, including some relating to pilot safety. These allowed the PC-7 Mark II, fielded by Swiss company Pilatus, to qualify and win an IAF order worth $640 million (Rs 3,780 crore) for 75 BTA.
29/07/13 Ajai Shukla/Business Standard

Read More

Akhilesh Yadav wants what Mayawati has: The right to drive up to aircraft

New Delhi: Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav may soon be allowed to take his car, with an armed escort, right up to aircraft at all airports in the country. Having received a request from Uttar Pradesh in this regard, the Ministry of Civil Aviation has referred the matter to the Union Home Ministry for threat assessment.
The state government has sought all the facilities currently available to former CM and BSP supremo Mayawati, revealed an official of the Civil Aviation Ministry. If the Home Ministry clears it, we have no problem, he said.
If allowed, Akhilesh would become only the second CM to be granted this privilege. Tamil Nadu counterpart J Jayalalithaa is allowed vehicular access on security grounds.
Mayawati is allowed to take her car right up to aircraft along with an armed escort. On January 23, 2013, The Indian Express had reported how Mayawati's entitlements were finalised on a day of bargaining that saw three amendments to the Civil Aviation Ministry's order before she was satisfied.
28/07/13 Ajmer Singh/Indian Express

Read More

Air Works: Tracking the growth of India's largest MRO outfit that offers services in 20 cities

Last month as floods ravaged Uttarakhand, Vivek N Gour, 51, was feeling the heat in Delhi. "They [helicopter owners] wanted us to help in evacuation," says the MD of Air Works, a Delhi-based maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) outfit. Air Works repairs and maintains aircraft for corporates, individuals, commercial airlines and charter operators. Some helicopter owners wanted onground and maintenance support in deploying their aircraft for rescue operations.
Gour quickly put together a team led by two senior executives. The Rs 400-crore company has 50-odd engineers and technicians specialising in Bell helicopters, based out of Chennai, Mumbai and Bangalore. Many of them were moved to Delhi. For over two weeks, Air Works engineers worked round-the-clock to keep eight helicopters in flying condition. Four technicians camped out near Rudraprayag in Uttarakhand to take care of emergency repair and maintenance work.
Uttarakhand isn't the only new territory that Air Works and Gour is moving into. Since 2007, the 62-year-old company has embarked on a major overhaul — shaking up its ownership structure, rejigging its top deck, acquiring companies, seeding new businesses, expanding its footprint within India and overseas — to become India's largest MRO outfit.
28/07/13 Malini Goyal/Economic Times

Read More

In India: Take the cockpit from a non-aviation background

The Indian airline market is among the few in the world where the heads of two incumbent airlines and the chief executive officer (CEO) of a player waiting in the wings - IndiGo's Aditya Ghosh, Air India's Rohit Nandan, and AirAsia India head Mittu Chandilya - come from the non-aviation background. Even SpiceJet's former CEO, Siddhanta Sharma, who headed the airline from October 2005 to July 2008, didn't come with operational experience in the airline business
AirAsia's Chandilya, the latest to join the fray, could certainly take heart from the performance records of Ghosh, Sharma and, to some extent, Nandan, the career-bureaucrat who has, over 18-20 months, brought some semblance of stability to operations of the beleaguered national carrier.
Ghosh's has been a fairy tale flight - from a law firm into the cockpit of the country's largest airline in terms of passenger numbers. Sharma, a finance professional by training, had worked in liquor and food companies before entering aviation. Chandilya, with stints in recruitment and manufacturing industries, considers his non-airline experience to be an advantage. "I am a start-up and turnaround person...being disruptive is my strength," he says. AirAsia has several non-airline CEOs across its subsidiaries in other countries, he adds.
So, is there something in India's airline environment that makes it conducive to 'industry outsiders'?
Saroj K Datta, former executive director of Jet Airways and an industry veteran with around 40 years of experience, concedes at times, CEOs from within the industry come with preconceived notions. Any airline CEO has to manage people, deal with operations and understand financial matters, he says. Irrespective of the background, airline CEOs have to deal with the peculiar challenges of this competitive industry.
28/07/13 Global Travel Industry News

Read More

Panel on seaplane operations yet to be finalised

Kochi: A meeting convened by the government at Thiruvananthapuram on Tuesday has decided to constitute an expert committee to study the impact of seaplane operations on fisherfolk. The names of the panel members have not been finalised, according to government officials. The meeting was convened after fishermen’s organisations raised objections to seaplane operations in Ashtamudi and Vembanad lakes on the ground that it would affect fishing operations. They had demanded that an expert committee be set up to study the issue.
The Ministers in charge of fishing and tourism were present at the meeting and the committee would be set up with the approval of both, a senior official told The Hindu. Reports that appeared in a section of the press on the names of the panel members were premature, he said.
28/07/13 The Hindu

Read More

Giving wings to the Helium balloon dream

Kochi: Now Kochiites can dream of flying on helium power to enjoy the scenic beauty of the Marine Drive. With the Navy giving in-principle nod for the proposed Helium balloon project mooted by the Greater Cochin Development Authority (GCDA), the agency plans to float the tender for the project soon.
 However, the GCDA will have to wait for the clearance from the Ministry of Defence for carrying out its full-fledged plan of floating the balloon to the proposed height of 125 m. At present, the Navy can give clearance for floating the balloon to a height of only 45 m.
“We had requested the Navy authorities here to grant us the sanction for launching the project. They have given an in-principle nod for the project and have informed us that sanction can be given only for floating the balloon to a height of 45 metre. For the extension to 125 m, sanction will have to come from Delhi. We hope to get the necessary sanction soon,” said GCDA Chairman N Venugopal.
27/07/13 New Indian Express

Read More

Exclusion of ex-dean from panel adds to seaplane row

Kochi: Trade unions representing fish workers have protested that the state government failed to honour the commitment that K S Purushan, former dean, Kerala University of Fisheries and Ocean Studies (KUFOS) will be included in the expert committee constituted to study the controversies related to the much celebrated seaplane project.
The expert committee includes Madhusoodhana Kurup, VC, KUFOS, K G Padmakumar, former director of Regional Agricultural Research Station, Kumarakom, Suman Billa, tourism secretary, S Anil Kumar,general manager, Kerala Tourism Infrastructure Limited and an expert from CMFRI.
T J Anjelose, former MP and president of the Kerala State Fish Workers Federation(AITUC) said that there was a meeting on Tuesday in Thiruvananthapuram to discuss the controversies related to the seaplane project.
According to him, a consensus was reached in that meeting, which was attended by the Minister of Tourism, the Minister of Fisheries, tourism secretary, other senior officials and senior trade union leaders, about the formation of the committee.
26/07/13 New Indian Express

Read More

Seaplane service: Expert panel to conduct study

 Thiruvananthapuram: The government has decided to set up an expert committee to study the issues related to the seaplane service launched by the Tourism Department. The committee will study whether the seaplane project has adversely affected the fishing sector. The committee would comprise University of Fisheries Vice-Chancellor Madhusoodana Kurup, Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute representative Padmakumar, Tourism Secretary Suman Billa and Kerala Tourism Infrastructure Limited Managing Director S Anilkumar.
25/07/13 New Indian Express

Read More

Lack of clear policy in aviation causing confusion: CAPA

New Delhi: Major aviation policy decisions in India, like the FDI policy, have often been implemented in an “ad hoc manner” and retraced at times, leading to political controversies, disillusioned investors and industry losses, an aviation consultancy firm said today.
While liberalisation of FDI policy to allow foreign airlines to invest in Indian carriers was a welcome step, “ the manner of its execution has left a lot to be desired,” the Centre for Asia Pacific Aviation (CAPA) said.
“India has made no serious attempt to address the industry’s core structural challenges, particularly the fiscal and cost environment, which is particularly hostile” now due to “stubbornly high fuel prices compounded by a sharp depreciation of rupee and a punitive ad valorem sales tax.”
26/07/13 PTI/Business Line

Read More

India fighter jet deal negotiations going well, France says

New Delhi: France's defence minister said on Friday negotiations with India to sell 126 Rafale fighter jets from Dassault Aviation were proceeding well, but did not say when the deal would be finalized.
India picked the Rafale for exclusive negotiations in January 2012 after a hotly contested bidding war. But differences over the industrial role of India's state-run Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd have delayed the deal.
French defence minister Jean-Yves Le Drian, who is on a three-day visit to India, told reporters he was not concerned about the delay to finalize the $15 billion contract, one of the world's largest defence import orders.
"Of course, the project is the priority. At the risk of disappointing you, I will not be announcing the date of signing the contract. I would like you to know that the negotiations are going on well and I have full confidence," Le Drian said.
Under the deal, Dassault is expected to send 18 ready-made jets, then manufacture the rest in India. Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL) will be the company's lead partner in the process.
26/07/13 Reuters/Times of India

Read More

Spending on air, rail by Indian businesses sees highest rise: Concur Report

Bangalore: The average percentage spend on lodging (31%) was the highest in India as compared to other Asia Pacific countries like Japan (23%), Hong Kong (25%) and Australia (14%). Also, India ranked the lowest in average entertainment spend at 2.44%. the highest being 8.14% in Japan in 2012.
Concur, global integrated cloud-based travel and expense management services provider, released its third annual global report on corporate travel and entertainment (T&E) spend. The report analyses more than Rs 3 lakh crore ($50 billion) in corporate T&E spend. The report generated expense data from Concur's over 18,000 corporate clients.
The spend data was analysed for nine nations worldwide, including the US, UK, Canada, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Japan, Australia and India.
 In case of India, the rupee declined 12.4% against the dollar between 2011 and 2012. Accounting for this change in exchange rates, India saw an 18% increase in the average airfare transaction, which is the highest recorded increase globally. Rail costs also increased nearly 58%, highest across the US, UK, Canada, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Japan and Australia.
25/07/13 Neha Pandey Deoras/Business Standard

Read More

Kanda absolved of rape charges in air hostess case

New Delhi:  In a major relief to former Haryana minister Gopal Goyal Kanda, the Delhi high court has held that charge of rape and unnatural sex against him in the air hostess suicide case can't be sustained. HC made the observation while quashing the same charges against Kanda's key aide and MDLR airlines employee Aruna Chaddha.
"The additional sessions judge fell into gross error in framing the charge under Sections 376/377 (rape and unnatural sex) against the co-accused (Kanda) which cannot be sustained. Since no charge against co-accused under these sections could have been framed, the petitioner (Chaddha) could not have been guilty of abetting these offences," Justice G P Mittal said in a verdict which demolishes the police allegation that Kanda repeatedly raped the air hostess.
The verdict, which came on the plea of Chaddha, referred to her statement to police and held that except the disclosure statement, there was "not even a shred of evidence" to show that Kanda sexually exploited the victim and Chaddha abetted in the commission of these offences.
26/07/13 Times of India

Read More

A summer of discontent for airlines

Mumbai: Higher airfares and the overall slowdown in the economy dampened demand for airlines this summer, data provided by the Director General of Civil Aviation show.
Domestic passenger traffic in the quarter ended June was up just 1% on-year.
“After a robust FY12 and a dismal FY13, domestic air traffic growth in 1Q14 grew by a modest 1%, despite it being a seasonally decent quarter for travel, coinciding with school breaks. Growth in international traffic carried by scheduled Indian carriers also remained quite weak, despite having a weak base in last year,” analysts Rajani Khetan and Mark Webb of HSBC global research wrote in a note.
The analysts believe a turnaround of the sector will be difficult if this trend continues. “With revenue drivers staying lacklustre and cost drivers negative, the outlook for the sector remains subdued. We believe that if the current trends persist, there is little likelihood of any substantial turnaround in the sector’s outlook.”
25/07/13 Yuga Chaudhari/Daily News & Analysis

Read More

Aviation Ministry should stop worrying about airfares

New Delhi: Like its counterpart in telecommunications, the civil aviation ministry has a delicate role to play in fostering healthy competition in a licensed industry. But even within that almost contradictory paradigm, it is difficult to understand the rationale for the ministry's plans to regulate airfares and refer possible irregularities to the Competition Commission of India (CCI).
The argument may appear unexceptionable, since airlines do occasionally indulge in collusive abuse of their dominance. But two issues flow from this. First, are these practices, even if they are proven, so rampant as to amount to wholesale cheating? Second, does the ministry really have the wherewithal to track down and examine such practices?
To consider the first point, one compelling indicator of collusion and overcharging would be super-profits earned by airlines. This is nowhere in evidence. According to a CAPA outlook on Indian aviation, the seven Indian domestic airlines (Jet Airways and JetKonnect are considered separately) lost about $1.65 billion (about Rs 9,900 crore at the current exchange rate) in 2012-13. Critically, about 40 per cent of this loss was generated in the last quarter of the year, according to the study, owing to "aggressive discounting during the traditionally weak period between January and March".
24/07/13 Business Standard

Read More

Flight carrying Sushil Kumar Shinde, Rahul Gandhi diverted to Lucknow

Lucknow: A flight carrying Union Home Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde and Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi from Raebareli to New Delhi was diverted to Lucknow following inclement weather in the national capital.
Shinde, Gandhi and minister of state for Home RPN Singh were returning to Delhi after attending the foundation stone laying ceremony of a recruits training centre of the CRPF in Amethi.
"The Flight was divered to Lucknow due to inclement weather in New Delhi," airport sources said. The flight had taken off from Furstganj airport in Raebareli.
25/07/13 PTI/IBN Live

Read More

CUTE airport, without queues

Come August, fliers would not have to wait for boarding passes in long queues, thanks to the introduction of the Common User Terminal Equipment (CUTE).
The CUTE would bring all the 10 check-in terminals on one platform, enabling airlines to use any of them in rush hours. SITA— an aviation information and technology service provider — would launch the passenger-friendly equipment at the city airport, one of the 25 aerodromes in the country for which an agreement has been signed between Airports Authority of India (AAI) and SITA in February.
At present, IndiGo and Jet Airways have three check-in counters, whereas GoAir and Air India have two counters each. Under the CUTE check-in system, boarding pass of any these airlines can be issued from any counter. When there is rush at the counters of a particular airline, its officials can use any vacant CUTE counter to distribute the passenger load.
“At present, if an airline does not have a flight at a given time, its counter remains empty even if there are long queues at the adjacent counters. But such a thing would be passé once the CUTE is launched, as airlines’ officials would be able to switch over to any vacant counter when in need. Moreover, overcrowding at the check-in area would also be avoided and delay in departure of flights because of congestion at check-in counters can be done away with under the new CUTE system,” said a source at the city airport.
25/07/13 Piyush Kumar Pripathi/Telegraph

Read More

Drones set to crowd Indian skies

New Delhi: How about a pizza being delivered at your home by an UAV ( Unmanned Aerial Vehicle)? Or getting a courier through this flying machine? Or spying with a UAV as small as a butterfly which perches itself on a windowsill? Sounds like sci-fi? Experts say this could well become a reality.
While UAVs have been widely used in the West for policing, oil pipeline inspection and detecting illegal immigrants, in India, they are mainly used by the armed forces (eg, Heron, Lakashya, Nishant) for intelligence gathering and surveillance. But this is changing. Increasingly, they're being used for civilian purposes and are akin to God's eye in the sky.
Teal Group Corporation, a US aerospace consultancy, predicts that UAVs will be the most dynamic growth sector of the aerospace industry, with spending going up from the current $5.2 billion annually to $11.6 billion, totaling over $89 billion in the next decade. Philip Finnegan, director of corporate analysis, Teal Group, told TOI via email, "We see a growing market in India — 50 medium-altitude, long-endurance (MALE) UAVs, 60 Navy UAVs, 70 Air Force tactical UAVs, 100 Army tactical UAVs and 980 mini-UAVs over the next decade."
24/07/13 Shobha John/Times of India

Read More

Air tickets going at ‘super premium’ prices

Muscat: Like every year, this year too, there is a huge demand for air tickets during the Eid holidays when most expatriates want to be in their home country with their family members.
"Most of the to-and-fro flights from Muscat to India have been booked or will be booked by the end of Ramadan. And the few vacant seats will be available at a super premium," said Shabbir Khan, a travel agent who has offices in Ruwi and Ghubrah.
Travel agents claimed the price of air tickets to most of destinations in Asia has doubled while in some sectors, for travellers who wish to leave Oman on the night of August 8, fares have gone up by almost 300-to-500 per cent.
Airfare on the Muscat-Delhi route is up at least 100 per cent while the fare for Muscat-Kochi sector has risen by 300 per cent. Similarly, Muscat-Mumbai fares have shot up by 500 per cent from the lowest fares on the same sector. The return fare for Muscat-Mumbai is close to OMR300, up from OMR65 (which the Indigo airline offered) while Muscat-Kochi fare is as high as OMR320 if you want to travel on August 8 and return on August 17.
24/07/13 Times of Oman

Read More

Ministry to regulate airfares via CCI

New Delhi: Ticket pricing by airlines is set to come under scrutiny, as the ministry of civil aviation is roping in anti-trust watchdog the Competition Commission of India (CCI) to keep in check indiscriminate increases in airfares in the domestic aviation industry.
The ministry, which would soon make operational an economic cell to monitor pricing mechanism of domestic airlines, is looking at forwarding reports to CCI to take corrective action in event of discrepancies in airfare pricing.
Civil Aviation Minister Ajit Singh said, “The air fare monitoring cell is ready and would soon be commissioned under the aegis of the ministry. The economic cell would analyse data on tickets sold by airlines in different price buckets and make public the information to bring in transparency in airfare pricing. In case there are discrepancies, it would be referred to CCI.”
Singh clarified that the ministry would not attempt to regulate fares and would continue to allow airlines to determine fares based on market dynamics. However, if discrepancies surface in ticket prices from an analysis of data by the economic cell it would be reported to CCI for commensurate evaluation and action. “We will not regulate fares. But in event of problems in airfare pricing, we will report it to CCI”, Singh said.
23/07/13 Sharmistha Mukherjee/Business Standard

Read More

Business aviation hit by cost, infra turbulence

The Indian business aviation industry is sputtering. Ballooning fuel bills, frail airport infrastructure, rising operational costs, regulatory knots and, more recently, the tumbling rupee have hit the 120-odd business aircraft operators, even as they maintain that domestic demand for short-haul runs and corporate travel continues to have latent potential.
This category of operators is under the general aviation segment, which includes all kinds of aviation, except military and scheduled airlines. It includes business aviation that involves corporate use of airplanes and helicopters.
While facing the same raft of problems that its elder brother, the scheduled airlines, are facing, this segment has an additional set of infrastructure, regulatory and tax woes that are acting as a further drag on its profitability. Having had a good run till about 2009 with an annual growth rate of about 20 per cent, the last two years have been staid for these operators, including in terms of demand generation, fleet expansion and operating margins.
22/07/13 Business Line

Read More

Foreign players unhappy over rules on aviation deals

New Delhi: India’s twin plans of replacing its vintage Avro carriers for the air force and opening up the military aviation sector for private companies appear to have hit a roadblock.
In May, the Defence Ministry issued a global tender for a Rs 12,000-crore programme to acquire 56 carriers for replacing Indian Air Force's vintage Avros fleet. While the first 16 aircraft will be delivered by a foreign manufacturer in flyaway conditions, the remaining 40 will be made in an Indian production facility, be it in the public or private sector. The underlying aim was to open up military aviation for private companies.
But foreign vendors are now raising red-flags. They are showing their discomfort to tie up with an Indian company and start a production facility only for the sake of producing 40 aircraft.
“It will be not be easy because the aircraft to be produced are not so many,” officials from one of the companies participating in the tender process told Deccan Herald.
22/07/13 Kalyan Ray/Deccan Herald

Read More

Arunachal wants more helicopter services

Itanagar: Arunachal Pradesh Governor Lt Gen (Retd) Nirbhay Sharma has asked the Centre for introduction of more helicopter service in the land-locked state to ease out communication bottle necks.
Sharma during a meeting with Union Civil Aviation Minister Ajit Singh in New Delhi recently made this plea and discussed the overall civil aviation scenario and related projects coming up in different parts of the state, official sources informed here today.
The Governor asked Singh to expedite aviation projects in the state and restoration of Lilabari Airport. Sharma said that good air service from fully developed airport at Lilabari must be made operational on highest priority.
Calling for ensuring air connectivity to the state, Sharma said that due to its vastness and tough geographical terrain, Arunachal was largely dependent on helicopters, air services for connectivity.
22/07/13 PTI/Business Line

Read More

Air Chief Marshal NAK Browne flies to US for big copter deal

New Delhi: At a time when the Indo-US military relations have hit a plateau with no further significant progress in the ties, Air Chief Marshal NAK Browne, who is also the chairman of chiefs of staff committee, has reached the US on a visit that aims at refreshing the bond between the two nations.
Apart from holding talks with the top US military officers, including chairman of Joint Chiefs of Staff General Martin E. Demspey, Browne will himself take delivery of the second C-17 Globemaster III transport aircraft at the Boeing's assembly facility in Long Beach, California.
India had ordered 10 of the super heavy strategic lifters and the first of the lot was delivered last month. The IAF is expected to get two more aircraft by August end when the C-17 squadron would officially be commissioned in a ceremony at Hindon airbase, which would be the home for new aircraft.Browne's visit takes place in the backdrop of several pending deals being negotiated by the nations. The IAF has already selected Boeing's Apache attack helicopters and Chinook heavy lift helicopters. The price negotiations for 22 attack and 15 heavy-lift helicopters are underway.
22/07/13 India Today

Read More

Punjab govt postpones purchase of fixed wing aircraft for ‘time being’

Chandigarh: The Punjab government has postponed its plan to buy a fixed wing aircraft, for the time being. The government was planning to buy the aircraft worth Rs 70 crore, primarily, for Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal as he has to constantly ferry between Delhi and Chandigarh.
The plan has been postponed following a change in the Director General Civil Aviation (DGCA)’s security guidelines regarding aircrafts. The fixed wing aircraft which was shortlisted by Punjab government needs to be reviewed afresh in compliance to the new DGCA guidelines.
Earlier, this year, state government had purchased a Bell 429 helicopter worth Rs 38 crore. However, when compared to a helicopter, a small fixed wing aircraft’s starting price range is Rs 50 crore.
The department of civil aviation had mooted a proposal to buy an eight-seater aircraft.
22/07/13 Punjab News Line

Read More

Government chopper to be auctioned as CM reluctant to use it

Jaipur: Chief minister AshokGehlot's reluctance to use the state-owned helicopter after he had a narrow escape in November 2011 when it developed a technical snag mid-air, has resulted in the civil aviation department deciding to sell its sole twin-engine helicopter.
The decision comes a year-and-a-half after the chopper was grounded. Experts, however asserted that a minor refurbishment can make the flying machine fit for use.
The twin-engined Italian-made Augusta 190-E helicopter has been out of service after a clip on its rotor broke down. The chopper had to make an emergency landing in Chandkoti village in Jhunjhunu district. After that Gehlot chose not to fly in the helicopter.
22/07/13 Times of India

Read More

DGCA draft guidelines aim at easing air travel for disabled passengers

Mumbai: To cut down multiple medical clearances required by disabled passengers during air travel, Director General of Civil Aviation, in its new Civil Aviation Requirements (CAR), has suggested that airlines issue Frequent Travellers Medical Card (FREMEC). The card will be acceptable across airlines. DGCA has invited suggestions on CAR from the public by July 31.
The draft guidelines include appointment of a nodal and an appellate authority for grievance redressal, involvement of travel agents to ascertain needs of disabled passengers at the time of booking and standardisation of training of airline, airport and security staff.
The draft, however, is silent about the procedure of security check for disabled passengers. "It also does not have clear guidelines on the prosthetic devices, rendering this a grey area," said Suranjana Ghosh, a Mumbai-based media professional. The 37-year-old said on July 11, CISF personnel at Mumbai Airport asked her to remove her prosthesis completely, a demand that she found humiliating.
21/07/13 Priyal Dave/Indian Express

Read More

Administration makes arrangements for remote 'darshan' of Lord Shiva

Deoghar: For the first time, there will be remote darshan of Baba Baidyanath during the month-long ShrawaniMela. The temple administration, beginning Monday, has decided to stop entry of devotees into the sanctum sanctorum. They can pour Gangajal (arghya) which they bring from Sultanganj, 120 km from here, through a 140 kg brass vessel. Devotees can watch the water falling on the 'Dwadashjyotirlingam' through a CCTV mirror and can have darshan of Lord Shiva through the CCT mirror only.
The Jharkhand civil aviation department has made arrangements for aerial 'darshan' of the temple by paying Rs 500. They will fly from Deoghar airport twice over the temple and offer their prayers in the air. For the affluent, Jharkhand Tourism Development Corporation and Jharkhand Federation of Commerce and Industries have arranged two small aircraft from Jamshedpur and Ranchi. The three-and-half-hour chartered to-and-fro flight will carry nine passengers for Rs 14,999 each.
21/07/13 Law Kumar Mishra/Times of India

Read More

New airline likely to start operations from Oct

Kolkata: Kolkata-based company Northeast Shuttles Pvt Ltd is likely to start operations as a scheduled airline in the north eastern region from October 1.
Set-up in 2008, the airline is now firming up expansion plans, with plans to increase its fleet to six by purchasing four Bombardier CRJ200 jets at an estimated cost of Rs 100 crore. Fleet addition is expected to be complete by September 2014.
According to Shobha. K. Mani, Managing Director of Northeast Shuttles, the two aircraft will be delivered by September this year and the other two a year later.
Once off the ground and her fleet in place, Mani intends to fly to new grounds covering the eastern cities of Kolkata, Ranchi, Patna, Gaya, Rourkela and Jamshedpur. But it’s a long shot.
Initial operations, though, will be restricted to the north eastern cities of Guwahati, Lilabari, Silchar (in Assam); Agartala and Aizawl (in Tripura); Imphal (Manipur) and Dimapur (Nagaland).
19/07/13 Business Line

Read More

MiG-21: IAF’s mid-air crisis

A fighter pilot, victim of an MiG-21 crash, has come knocking at the doors of justice to phase out the aircraft and declare it obsolete.
Aircraft accident rates point to the fact that the IAF has among the worst accident rates compared to any modern air force in the world. In other words, the IAF has lost a big chunk of its aircraft inventory since Independence. We can ascribe reasons to explain a few accidents and their causes, but issues like material failure and poor machine performance cannot be supported. Since 1963, MiG-21s alone have accounted for almost 200 aircraft, and close to 100 pilots have lost their lives and it is very distressing that a few of these MiG-21s and their pilots are still missing and the IAF has no clue. In this regard, the IAF’s track record is worse than that of the Indian Railways.
The spate of MiG-21 crashes is yet another grim pointer to the unacceptably high accident rate of the IAF. How many more crashes will it take before the defence ministry and the IAF top brass realise that drastic corrective action is needed? The toll already had crossed 350. Category I accidents are those, in which the aircraft is a total write-off. While courts of enquiry will go into the reasons, the crashes have left the air force shell-shocked. The only saving grace is that in a few of the cases, the lucky pilots ejected to safety. But it is also seen that almost 50 per cent of these pilots have become medically unfit to fly because of injuries.
19/07/13 J A Khan/Free Press Journal

Read More

Domestic airlines flew fewer passengers in June

New Delhi: Domestic airlines carried almost two per cent fewer passengers in June 2013 at 50.14 lakh as compared to the 51.08 lakh flown in the same period last year.
This is indicated by the latest data released by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) here on Friday. The DGCA says the decline is passenger numbers flown is because of the end of the peak holiday season.
During June, IndiGo retained the number one position among the other five airlines with a market share of 29.5 per cent, having flown 14.81 lakh passengers. SpiceJet, which carried 9.76 lakh passengers, had a market share of 19.5 per cent, followed by Air India, which had a market share of 18.9 per cent having flown 9.49 lakh passengers.
19/07/13 Business Line

Read More

Flying netas will make electioneering expensive

New Delhi: Political parties will soon join the aam aadmi in complaining about rising airfares.
With elections to five States slated for this year and the general elections due before May 2014, the cost of transporting leaders by private planes and helicopters will soar, partly because of a supply-demand mismatch and partly because of the depreciating rupee.
The cost of chartering an aircraft or helicopter can rise 15-23 per cent during the forthcoming elections say industry watchers.
Political parties’ transport bills are set to soar with extensive air travel unavoidable, especially for the star campaigners. State-owned Pawan Hans Helicopter Ltd, the nation’s largest helicopter operator, has hiked charter rates by about 25 per cent since 2009, when the last general election took place. But the higher rate is only for its newly-inducted Dauphin N series. Parties hiring the Dauphin N copters will pay Rs 2.5 lakh a day and Rs 1.82 lakh an hour (for a minimum of three hours) against the Rs 2 lakh/day and Rs 1.46 lakhan hour they were paying earlier. Topping this amount is a service tax. For single-engine Bell helicopters, the hike is marginal: about Rs 83,000 an hour from about Rs 80,000, industry watchers say.
20/07/13 Ashwini Phadnis/Business Line

Read More

Punjab ‘postpones’ buying of aircraft for VIP use

Chandigarh: The Punjab government has postponed, for the time being, its plans to buy a fixed wing aircraft for VIP use. The plane was to cost the cash-strapped state government Rs 75 crore. The move comes in wake of a change in the Director General Civil Aviation (DGCA)'s safety guidelines with regard to aircrafts. Now, fixed wing aircraft shortlisted by the government to choose from will have to be reviewed afresh for their compliance of the new guidelines.
The fixed wing craft, when compared to a helicopter, is considered both faster and safer. However, while a helicopter costs less than Rs 40 crore, the starting range of a small fixed wing craft is Rs 50 crore. The civil aviation department had mooted a proposal to buy an eight-seater aircraft for use of Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal and his deputy, Sukhbir Singh Badal.
According to sources, the DGCA has made it mandatory for all fixed wing aircrafts to have a Class IA black box installed. A Class IA black box contains a high end flight data recorder (FDR) and cockpit voice recorder (CVR).
20/07/13 Chitleen K Sethi/Indian Express

Read More

Tripura CM Manik Sarkar seeks funds for improving road, air links in state

New Delhi: Tripura Chief Minister Manik Sarkar has asked the Centre to strengthen the road and air connectivity in the state, holding that improving the transport link was key for pushing economic growth of the northeastern region.
Sarkar met Civil Aviation Minister Ajit Singh and Road Transport Minister Oscar Fernandes separately and sought adequate funds from their ministries for augmenting road and air networks in the city.
In his meeting with Singh yesterday, Sarkar demanded better air connectivity to Tripura and sought routing of the Kolkata-Dhaka flight through Agartala, the capital of Tripura.
20/07/13 Economic Times

Read More

Kids let Navy dreams fly at aviation museum

Bogmalo: Commander SanjeevAnand and commander Amarjeet Singh of the Indian navy were in for a surprise, when they stepped up to give a group of fidgety 13 year-olds a guided tour of the Naval Aviation Museum at Bogmalo. Initially shy, the kids listened attentively as the two officers cruised through the posters and photographs in the indoor gallery, explaining the history of the aviation arm of the navy. Ten minutes into the tour, however, the questions started coming at them like missiles.
"What is the length of INS Viraat?" "How far can your submarines shoot torpedoes?" "How much fuel can carriers like Viraat store?" "What are the blades of the helicopter made of?" The forty-odd participants in the museum visit, a part of TOI's Goa For Kids campaign, were unrelenting with their questions.
20/07/13 Times of India

Read More

Passenger traffic shows slight increase in June over last year; IndiGo maintains lead

New Delhi: Indian carriers ferried less passengers in June compared to May as the peak travel season ended, though there was a slight growth over last year, with IndiGo maintaining its lead, official figures showed today.
There was a minuscule growth of 0.31 per cent in air traffic in June compared with the same month last year -- from 309.16 lakh to 310.12 lakh. Air passenger traffic declined 1.84 per cent -- from 51.08 lakh in May to 50.14 lakh in June, the data showed.
Official sources said this decline was primarily due to the end of the peak air travel season.
Continuing with the previous trend in market share, no- frill carrier IndiGo maintained the lead cornering 29.5 per cent of the aviation market, followed by 23.1 per cent of Jet Airways and JetLite combine.
19/07/13 PTI/Economic Times

Read More

Domestic air passenger traffic dips 2% in June

New Delhi: Domestic airlines carried almost 2 per cent fewer passengers in June 2013 at 50.14 lakh as compared to the 51.08 lakh flown in the same period in the previous year.
The Directorate-General of Civil Aviation has attributed the decline in passenger numbers flown to the end of the peak holiday season.
19/07/13 Business Line

Read More

CAPA sees local airlines attracting $1.3 bn

Mumbai: Despite various hurdles plaguing the first aviation foreign direct investment (FDI) deal between Jet Airways and the Abu-Dhabi based Etihad Airways, the Centre for Asia Pacific Aviation India (CAPA India), an advisory, research and knowledge practice, expects an infusion of $1.3 billion (Rs 7,760 crore) of foreign money into the Indian carriers in the next few months.
However, CAPA India cautioned in a report that regulatory interventions and structural challenges may subdue investor interest.
According to ‘CAPA India Aviation Outlook Report FY14’, “estimate of (foreign) funds includes $700-750 million of investment in equity in up to three Indian airlines, including Jet Airways, and a further $550-600 million in additional financial assistance such as access to foreign exchange loans at lower interest rates and sale-and-leaseback income from assets such as aircraft and airport slots”.
19/07/13 Daily News & Analysis

Read More

Global concerns on DGCA's safety norm

New Delhi: The government's continued failure to strengthen the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) and provide adequate safety oversight on ever-growing air traffic here is now leading to alarm bells ringing globally. While the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) will audit the DGCA next month along with the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), the Japanese civil aviation authority and the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) have also raised concerns about the state of aviation safety here as aircraft of Indian carriers fly to those places.
The government says it will create a powerful civil aviation authority that will remove all the deficiencies of the DGCA but that may take about two years and the worries of the international community will remain till then. "Japan had sought technical clarification on the Boeing-777 that an Indian carrier flies to the country. DGCA has sent a reply. Japan is not giving Air India permission to operate the Boeing 787 Dreamliner to the country and the aviation ministry is taking up the issue with them," said sources.
18/07/13 Saurabh Sinha/Times of India

Read More

Ajit Singh denies move to amend aircraft rules

New Delhi: The ministry of civil aviation on Wednesday denied allegations that it was looking at amending the aircraft rules to benefit private airport operators at Delhi and Mumbai by excluding the user development fee (UDF) from the purview of the revenue-sharing agreement these have with state-owned Airports Authority of India (AAI).
Minister Ajit Singh told Business Standard, “There is no such thinking in the ministry (to amend aircraft rules). During the biding process itself, an agreement was reached that the airport operators at Delhi and Mumbai will share 46 per cent and 39 per cent of overall revenues with the AAI. We are not making any changes to exclude UDF from its purview.”
Singh made the statement in response to Bharatiya Janata Party MP Nishikant Dubey’s letter to the Prime Minister and chief vigilance commissioner, alleging the ministry was considering such changes to benefit GMR Group which operates Delhi airport and the GVK Group, that operates the Mumbai one.
Dubey claimed between 2009 and 2014, the total UDF for Delhi comes to Rs 3,800 crore and for Mumbai Rs 700 crore.
18/07/13 Sharmistha Mukherjee/Business Standard

Read More

India’s Naval Aviation: Punching Below Its Weight

Some readers of last week’s post on the Indian carrier program contacted me to suggest that I had shortchanged Indian efforts to develop naval aviation partnerships.  In retrospect, I clearly understated the extent to which the Indian Navy has worked with other carrier-operating navies, especially the USN.  For example, Indian pilots have been training (with MiG-29Ks) in the United States for several years, in preparation for the arrival of the INS Vikramaditya.  The Indian Navy has also procured the P-8 Poseidon, which, in addition to its own good qualities, should serve to facilitate a closer relationship between naval aviators from the two countries.
However, there remain limits to the U.S.-Indian relationship.  The willingness of the Indian Navy to commit to and exploit the expertise of the USN is laudable, but it would certainly help if the Ministry of Defense could help develop more coherence between strategic goals and procurement priorities.
18/07/13 Robert Farley/The Diplomat

Read More

Call on aviation FDI cap of 74% deferred

New Delhi: The government's decision to let the Cabinet Committee on Security clear FDI proposals beyond 26% in the defence sector technically leaves it open for CCS to even allow 100% foreign investment in what the defence ministry will define as "state-of-the-art" segments with safeguards built in to ensure that the technology and equipment are not shared with other countries.
Defence minister A K Antony had concerns over allowing higher FDI, but it was pointed out that while the policy did not specify the CCS option, it could be readily incorporated. An incorrect impression had been created that the CCS caveat was being done away with.
Indian companies keen on foreign tie-ups include L&T, Mahindra & Mahindra and the Tatas. US firm Lockheed Martin is understood to be interested in a collaboration with the Tatas. India Inc cheered the changes. "...it indicates that reforms are underway. Large number of sectors have either seen an increase in FDI cap or have moved under the automatic route from the Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) approval," Ficci president Naina Lal Kidwai said.
17/07/13 Times of India

Read More

Army pilots to be made combat-ready in Bangalore

Bangalore: Pilots of the Indian Army’s Aviation Corps will be trained to be combat-ready here in Bangalore. The pilots who will fly the weaponised version of the Advanced Light Helicopter (ALH), Rudra, will undergo simulator training in the months to come at the city based Helicopter Academy to Train by Simulation of Flying (HATSOFF).
HATSOFF, which already has a simulator cockpit for the civil, conventional variant of the ALH Dhruv has so far offered simulation-based training to over 100 Indian Air Force Pilots.
17/07/13 Hemanth CS/Daily News & Analysis

Read More

Army pilots to be made combat-ready in Bangalore

Bangalore: Pilots of the Indian Army’s Aviation Corps will be trained to be combat-ready here in Bangalore. The pilots who will fly the weaponised version of the Advanced Light Helicopter (ALH), Rudra, will undergo simulator training in the months to come at the city based Helicopter Academy to Train by Simulation of Flying (HATSOFF).
HATSOFF, which already has a simulator cockpit for the civil, conventional variant of the ALH Dhruv has so far offered simulation-based training to over 100 Indian Air Force Pilots.
17/07/13 Hemanth CS/Daily News & Analysis

Read More

India Commits to New Transport Aircraft

Heightened awareness of the steady growth in regional air traffic among small and medium-sized cities has convinced the Indian government to commit some $2 billion for the development of a 70- to 90-seat civilian aircraft. “This is a strategic sector where there is a need to have a presence in the long term, particularly in view of the rapid growth of our aviation sector,” said Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.
Plans call for India’s National Aeronautics Laboratory (NAL) and Hindustan Aeronautics (HAL) to participate in the design and manufacture of the airplane, expected to reach the market in seven years. “Development and production partnerships with Indian private-sector firms as well as overseas institutions are envisaged,” according to a statement from the Prime Minister’s office. “Efforts will be made to leverage the offsets that are available in the defense sector for building critical domestic capabilities in high-precision manufacturing and avionics.”
15/07/13 Neelam Mathews/AINonline

Read More

Qatar Airways to use A330 on Kochi-Doha sector

Mumbai: Gulf-based carrier Qatar Airways today said it will service its Kochi-Doha sector with a wide body A330, replacing narrow body Airbus 321 to cater to the enhanced demand.
The A330, with a two-class configuration of 248 seats in economy and 36 seats in business class, will be operational on all 11 frequencies to and from Kochi connecting to more than 125 destinations across the world via the airline's hub in Doha, a Qatar Airways press release said here.
The airline currently operates 95 flights a week from 12 cities-Kochi, Mumbai, Ahmedabad, Amritsar, Goa, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Kozhikode, Trivandrum, Chennai and Bengaluru and Delhi.
16/07/13 Economic Times

Read More

IAF Wing Commander dismissed over bribery charges

New Delhi: IAF has dismissed a Wing Commander who was allegedly caught demanding a bribe of Rs20,000 from officials of a French defence firm at the Aero India show in Bangalore in 2011.
Wing Commander AK Thakur was dismissed after a General Court Martial found him guilty of seeking bribe from French defence firm Dassault Aviation during the show in February 2011, IAF sources said here today.
Thakur was accused of demanding bribe for allotting a 'more advantageous position' for its Rafale aircraft in the 'static' aircraft display section at the biennial airshow, the sources said.
16/07/13 Daily News & Analysis

Read More

Emirates, Qatar may ask for more flying rights

New Delhi: The recent grant of additional flying rights to Abu Dhabi may lead to similar demand being raised by other Gulf carriers like Emirates and Qatar. Top aviation ministry sources said being one country, individual demands of the UAE's seven emirates or principalities for more bilateral for their airlines are difficult to be considered favourably.
"Abu Dhabi and Dubai are barely 100 km apart. Some years back, substantial flying rights were given to Emirates of Dubai. Now 36,670 more weekly seats over three years have been allowed to Abu Dhabi's Etihad. Demand for more capacity from one region has to be measured and seen in context what Indian carriers and India gets in return," said a top ministry source. While Emirates is learnt to be seeking about 24,000 more weekly seats, Qatar wants double of that.
"All these Emirates are part of UAE and individual demands for more bilateral will be difficult to accede to. Southeast Asia is emerging as the hotbed of economic growth. There is need for more connectivity between India and Southeast Asian countries like Singapore, Indonesia, Malaysia, Vietnam and even Australia.
15/07/13 Saurabh Sinha/Times of India

Read More

AP Copter plan to take off soon

Hyderabad: Chief Minister Kiran Kumar Reddy constituted a high-level panel to consider various options on buying a new helicopter.
The committee will be headed by chief secretary P.K. Mohanty, with the secretaries of finance, infrastructure and investment, and the managing director of AP Aviation Corporation, as members.
Sources said the panel would take up a detailed study on whether to purchase a new helicopter or hire one on a ‘wet lease’ basis. The model of the new ‘copter, if it has to be purchased, and its price will also be dealt with by the committee.
At present, the state government has no helicopter after its Bell 430 crashed in the Nallamala forest, while the Agusta Westland 139, was gutted in the fire mishap at Begumpet hangar.
16/07/13 N. Vamsi Srinivas/Deccan Chronicle

Read More

Sachin Tendulkar dropped as Indian Air Force's brand ambassador

Indian Air Force (IAF) on Tuesday dropped cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar as its brand ambassador after two years of association.
According to India Today, the IAF has decided to replace the Little Master with its basic trainer aircraft ‘Pilatus’ after the association with the cricketer failed to garner desired results. The IAF is now using the trainer plane photographs to attract young people.
Tendulkar was conferred the rank of Group Captain in September 2010 to honour his achievements in the sport.
16/07/13 Cricket Country.com

Read More

Govt hikes FDI cap in 12 sectors

In order to boost the sagging economy the Indian government has Opened the doors to foreign investments, the government liberalised FDI limits in a dozen sectors. It has planned for 100 per cent in telecom and higher limits in ‘state-of-the-art’ defence manufacturing, to boost the sagging economy.
FDI of up to 100 per cent was allowed in courier services under automatic route.
While the FDI cap in defence sector remained unchanged at 26 per cent, higher limits of foreign investments in ‘state-of-the-art’ technology manufacturing will be considered by the Cabinet Committee on Security, Commerce and Industry Minister Anand Sharma said.
In the contentious insurance sector, it was decided to raise the sectoral FDI cap from 26 per cent to 49 per cent under automatic route under which companies investing do not require prior government approval. A Bill to raise FDI cap in the sector is pending in the Rajya Sabha.
16/07/13  Ziaulla Namani/Invest In India

Read More

Efforts of 'Sarang' lauded

Kochi: The Southern Air Command (SAC) has lauded the efforts of its Helicopter Aerobatics Team 'Sarang' which was part of the Air Force’s rescue operations in ‘Operation Rahat’ in flood-hit Uttarakhand.
The SAC had deployed four of its Advanced Light Helicopters, which are part of  ‘Sarang’ based at Sulur AF Station, Coimbatore, for relief operations. “Within hours of receiving the orders, the team (led by Wing Commander Ravi Pathak) took off and repositioned at Jolly Grant airport, Dehradun. From its usual tasks of display flying, it switched gears and started conducting rescue operations in the treacherous terrains of Uttarakhand during inclement weather,” the SAC said in a statement.
“While the job entailed a lot of risks the team members took on the challenge with great resolve and enthusiasm. The four Sarang helicopters formed a part of the overall IAF’s air effort in the affected area,” the SAC said.
16/07/13 New Indian Express

Read More

Chitrangda Singh learns to fly an two seater ultralight aircraft

Mumbai: Chitrangda Singh is well on her way to fulfilling her aviation ambitions – The actress is training to fly a two-seater ultralight aircraft in Gurgaon and has already completed three out of seven sessions.
As per the sources, "Chitrangda has always had a fascination for aircrafts and has long wanted to learn how to fly one – As soon as time permitted ,she enrolled for a training course in Gurgaon and while its quite challenging, Chitrangda is completely focused on completing the course successfully and getting her license".
16/07/13 Nitish Kapoor/Parda Phash

Read More

Ramco ropes in experts to land large airline deals

Chennai: Ramco Systems Ltd has roped in senior airline industry experts, including a former CEO of New Zealand airline, from various geographies to guide it to access large clients. They will also help in getting into certain markets such as Africa, South East Asia and Pacific.
The Chennai-based software company is looking to sell its aviation suite of software solutions to airlines operating over 200 aircraft. This could be the likes of Singapore Airlines, British Airways and Delta Airlines, said Virender Aggarwal, CEO, Ramco Systems. It recently tied up with helicopter manufacturer Eurocopter, and won deals from Emirates and Air India.
“While we are now in the 50-plus airline club, we want to break in into the 200-plus category,” he told Business Line.
Eurocopter recently tied up with Ramco Systems to jointly offer maintenance software to helicopter operators. This partnership agreement enables Eurocopter and Ramco offer new solutions for data on maintenance, repair and overhaul. When Eurocopter sells its helicopters, it can refer and get helicopter owners to use Ramco’s solution and also try and convert their existing fleet to operate with its solution.
16/07/13 TE Raja Simhan/Business Line

Read More

Karnataka to bring out Minor Airport Policy

Bangalore: In an effort to give a fillip to tourism and improve the air transport network in the state, the government of Karnataka will announce a new minor airport policy this year. The policy will help in utilising the existing idle airport infrastructure in the state, chief minister Siddaramaiah said.
Announcing this in his revised Budget for 2013-14, at the weekend, he said the basic infrastructure for undertaking airline operations in the state is in good condition. "It is proposed to identify a private airline operator for commencing flight operations on select routes, through a transparent bidding process for which certain concessions will be given from the government," he said in his Budget speech.
He also announced an outlay of Rs 551 crore to this sector during the present financial year.
Shimoga and Gulbarga airports, undertaken in a public private partnership (PPP) mode, will be completed during this financial year. A capital investment of Rs 150 crore is expected from the Airports Authority of India for Hubli and Belgaum airports, he said.
14/07/13 Business Standard

Read More

Copter lifts bulldozers to build Uttarakhand roads

New Delhi: Continuing with its Operation Rahat, the IAF's old but gigantic heavy-lift Mi-26 helicopter has flown four sorties since Friday to airlift 17,500 kg of equipment, including two bulldozers, required by the Border Roads Organization to reconstruct roads in flood-ravaged Uttarakhand.
"The two bulldozers were heli-lifted from Pithoragarh to Bangapani, which is 96-km away," said an official. Overall, the IAF helicopters and aircraft since June 18 have airlifted about 21,560 people and thousands of kilogrammes of relief material in around 2,790 sorties.
15/07/13 Times of India

Read More

Military tech prop for indigenous plane

New Delhi: India’s first civilian aircraft, the plan for which was approved by a high-level committee on manufacturing headed by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh last week, may be based on the same platform currently being used to develop a military transport aircraft.
The move is expected to reduce the time taken to design and develop an aircraft from scratch.
The 90-100 seater aircraft will be built by a collaborative venture of National Aerospace Laboratories (NAL), Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL), state-run organisations and private partners.
At present, HAL manufactures aircraft and helicopters for military use under licensed production agreements with foreign vendors.
However, aviation analysts point out that HAL has already entered into a joint venture with Irkut Corporation of Russia to develop and make 60-tonne multi-role transport aircraft (MRTA). Under the pact, Ilyushin Design Bureau of Russia will design the MRTA, and HAL and Irkut will manufacture it in Kanpur.
15/07/13 Kiran Choudhury/Telegraph

Read More

Court orders winding up of Deccan Cargo

Bangalore: The Karnataka High Court has issued orders for winding up Capt. G.R. Gopinath’s Deccan Cargo and Express Logistics Pvt Ltd (DCEL), which operates under the ‘Deccan 360’ brand.
The High Court’s order indicates that DCEL, even after being given several opportunities, could not pay dues to the tune of Rs 39 lakh to Dubai-based United Aviation Services (UAS) and Rs 1.36 crore to Patel Integrated Logistics Pvt Ltd.
The court directed the winding up of the company in its June 11, 2013 order based on two petitions — one filed by UAS, which provided various facilities like permits, ground handling and fuelling in West Asia, Europe and Russia for DCEL, and another one filed by Patel Integrated, which had provided various logistic services to DCEL.
Now, the Court has ordered the Official Liquidator to commence the liquidation process. Last year itself, the court had prohibited DCEL from selling any of its assets following these two petitions.
14/07/13 Krishnaprasad/Business Line

Read More

DGCA's term extended

New Delhi: In a bid to ensure that the aviation safety regulator is not headless when international agencies audit it next month and then possibly downgrade India to sub-Sahara African levels, the government has decided to give a two to three month extension to current director general of civil aviation (DGCA) Arun Mishra. The aviation ministry has pinned its hopes on the audit teams leaving India satisfied on its long standing but unfulfilled promise of strengthening aviation safety oversight of the DGCA and then let it be headless once the teams leave!
"We will extend Arun Mishra's term as DG (that ends this month-end) by about a couple of months so that the audit by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) and American Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) passes off. After that if no one suitable in terms of experience in aviation is found to head the DGCA, we will give additional charge to our joint secretary," said top aviation ministry sources.
14/07/13 Saurabh Sinha/Times of India

Read More

Missed connecting flight? Airlines to bear the brunt

Mumbai: In a relief to fliers, the national consumer commission has held that it is the airline's responsibility to schedule your itinerary in such a way that you don't miss connecting flights on the same airline. The national commission directed Jet Airways to pay Rs 75,000 and refund the tickets' cost to a senior citizen couple who missed their connecting flight from Mumbai to Hong Kong in 2010. The couple had flown on the airline's flight from Jaipur to Mumbai.
"If Jet Airways schedules a flight to land at one airport at a particular time and another connecting flight to take off at a particular time, it must provide for time required in all functions, including security, immigration and air traffic management, which are necessarily concerned with or mandated for such landing and departure. The travelling public is in no way responsible for delay caused by any of them," stated the National Consumer Disputes Commission.
14/07/13 Rebecca Samervel/Times of India

Read More

Carriers may have to reveal seats sold in all price bands

New Delhi: Declaring "shock and awe" low fares alone will not suffice for airlines. They may soon have to disclose how many seats were actually sold at various price levels, including the jaw-dropping low ones.
The aviation ministry is set to form an economic cell that will collect this information from airlines and make it public. "If an airline says it is going to sell tickets for Rs 2,000 or Rs 3,000, people should also know many tickets did it actually sell for that money. The new cell is going to be activated in two weeks and will get all this data from airlines. We will make public how many seats were sold at various price levels," aviation minister Ajit Singh told TOI.
The move comes just ahead of the launch of the Indian subsidiary of low cost carrier AirAsia which is known to stimulate the market by really low advance fares.
14/07/13 Saurabh Sinha/Times of India

Read More

IATA initiative: Choice of preferred seats, meals on ticket booking sites soon

New Delhi: With the unbundling of airline services like preferred seats, meals and baggage in India, IATA has started a pilot project to display all such facilities on ticket booking sites to allow passengers to choose what they want.
Besides the services for which Indian carriers levy charges apart from the air ticket price, several international airlines are now selling services like lounge access, fast- track immigration clearance, in-flight entertainment and Wifi access.
Keeping this in mind, global airlines' body International Air Transport Association (IATA) has launched a pilot project with some global carriers to update their booking sites and those of their travel agents to provide passengers the choice to buy any product offered.
14/07/13 PTI/Economic Times

Read More

Two months on, planes tender hits rough weather

New Delhi: India’s Rs 15,000-crore tender for 56 new transport planes for its air force has run into bad weather, just two months into the acquisition process.
 The tender (Request for Proposal or RfP in defence parlance) was issued in the first week of May this year for the transport aircraft that will replace the now near-obsolete fleet of Avro planes of the Indian Air force (IAF).
Not one of the eight foreign Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) to whom Indian Defence Ministry gave the tender papers have responded to the request, primarily because of a clause in the RfP aimed at creating an indigenous capability for building those planes in India.
Though the intention of the Defence Ministry regarding indigenisation is laudable, the present tender’s clause that the winning OEM should tie up with an Indian private industry for domestic manufacture of 40 of the 56 planes seems mindless or clearly, lack of application of mind, according to some foreign companies keen on the tender.
14/07/13 N C Bipindra/New Indian Express

Read More

Government to review its decision on A380 operations to India: Ajit Singh

New Delhi: The civil aviation ministry has faced charges of favouritism in allocating 36,000 additional seats to Abu Dhabi. Its decision to disallow airlines from flying airbus A380 aircraft into India and its restrictive rules on maiden international operations by domestic airlines have also attracted criticism. Civil aviation minister Ajit Singh in an interview with Aneesh Phadnis and Sharmistha Mukherjee says that he is reviewing various issues related to A380 operations to India. Edited excerpts:
Has the government decided to review its decision on allowing A380s to fly into India.
We have to consider the airport infrastructure. We need to consider what will be the impact on security queues or ground handling after an airbus A380 plane lands with 550 passengers lands at an airport. Can any other aircraft land at that time. I have asked the ministry to find out time slots when these problems would not be there so that other airlines and their passengers are not inconvenienced.
The second problem we will have to address is with regard to bilaterals. With many countries our bilaterals are by number of flights and not by number of seats. We will have to modify them.We will have to discuss it with other governments. I am reviewing these issues.
13/07/13 Aneesh Phadnis & Sharmistha Mukherjee/Business Standard

Read More

Fliers may be charged up to Rs 10 for every ticket purchased to fund new aviation regulator

New Delhi: The government is preparing to charge air passengers up to Rs 10 for every ticket purchased to create a new regulator for civil aviation, including the salary of staff, in an unusual instance of consumers having to directly pay for the running of a government authority.
Civil aviation secretary KN Srivastava said the cost of creating and running the new regulator, Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), is estimated to be around Rs 112 crore a year and one of the sources of its funding will be passengers. "We could charge Rs 5 to Rs 10, which are nominal amounts, but will add up to at least Rs 50 crore a year," he told ET.
The Cabinet cleared the proposal to replace the current regulator, Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), which has been hobbled by a serious staff shortage, with the CAA on Thursday. The draft legislation will be presented in the monsoon session of Parliament.
Unlike the DGCA, the CAA will have full operational and financial autonomy, according to the draft legislation. In other words, the CAA can recruit and fix remuneration by itself, without turning to the government for money.
Passengers apart, funding for the new authority will be generated from the fees for air navigation services and licence fee charged from airports, pilots and other aviation stakeholders. "One percent of the total collections from air navigation service fees, which will total Rs 18 crore a year, and Rs 50 crore a year from licence fees will be collected for the CAA," said Srivastava.
12/07/13 Binoy Prabhakar/Economic Times

Read More

Winter chill hits airline seat sharing pact with Abu Dhabi

New Delhi/ Mumbai: Air carriers wanting to increase capacity between India and Abu Dhabi will have to wait until next year. For, the civil aviation ministry cannot offer the additional 11,000 seats promised in the new bilateral agreement in the winter schedule (starting October 1).
The delay could impact the plans of two airlines — Jet Airways, which had asked for an additional 42,000 seats, and Etihad, which also wants to fly more capacity into India. But this would come as a relief to others, including domestic carriers connecting India and West Asia, which were fearing a drop in prices if the capacity was increased.
A senior official at the ministry said, “We were to invite airlines to submit their flights plans for West Asian destinations after the agreement was signed with Abu Dhabi in April this year. Based on the individual airlines’ business plans, seat entitlements were to be granted. The re-drafted cabinet note now will be sent in the next one or two weeks. It does not look likely that the redistribution of seats can take place in the upcoming winter schedule.” In the negotiations with the UAE (Abu Dhabi is a constituent of the latter), the Government of India agreed to allocate an additional 36,670 seats a week over three years.
13/07/13 Sharmistha Mukherjee & Aneesh Phadnis/Business Standard

Read More

Airlines slash fares by half

Indore: Struggling with low passenger volume, airlines have slashed fares by about 50 per cent for tickets bought at least 90 days in advance for flights between Indore and Delhi. One way fare on early bookings for Indore-Delhi route costs between Rs 4,000 and Rs 5,000, but now, it has been reduced to Rs 2,000 to Rs 2,500 per ticket by some air service providers.
Leading low-cost carrier IndiGo was the first to slash the fares on advance booking, stepping up the price war. Now, Jet Airways has also slashed its fare on booking in advance. Other airlines are also mulling the same.
Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh unit of Travel Agent Association of India secretary Harish Wadhwani said, "At present, airlines are not getting enough passengers. Not many tourists are also visiting the state these days. Hence, the airlines had to reduce the fare."
13/07/13 Times of India

Read More

IRCTC authorised agent to book air tickets for govt officials

New Delhi: The State-owned IRCTC has been appointed as an authorised agent for booking air tickets for official tours of government employees.
“It has now been decided to include IRCTC as an authorised agent for the purpose of booking air tickets on government account,” said a finance ministry office memorandum on guidelines on air travel on official tours and LTC.
Accordingly it said, if the services of a travel agent for booking air tickets on government account are to be availed of, “the services of IRCTC can also be availed of.”
The Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) has been appointed in addition two other agents.
The Government officials can also book their air tickets directly from booking counters or websites of airlines.
12/07/13 Business Line

Read More

Air engineers complete training

Kochi: Fourteen officers, 11 from the Navy and three from the Coast Guard, successfully completed their aeronautical specialisation course after 52 weeks of training at the Naval Institute of Aeronautical Technology (NIAT) at the Naval Base here on Friday.
Rear Admiral G. Ashok Kumar, Chief of Staff of the Southern Naval Command, reviewed their passing out parade.
At the parade, the Director General Coast Guard Trophy for the best all-rounder was awarded to Lt. Cdr. Rajesh S. Rao, who also bagged the top place in the order of merit among air electrical officers.
Lt. Nitin Manocha was adjudged first in the order of merit amongst air engineer officers, while the Venduruthy Trophy for the best ATOs’ project was jointly won by Asst. Cmdt. Rizwan Khan and Lt. Deepak Sharma.
13/07/13 The Hindu

Read More

Shocker from Hajj Committee of India

Srinagar: What has come as a `shocker, the Hajj pilgrims from J&K who are going for repeat pilgrimage this year as companion/mehram will have to pay highest airfare, almost double to what aspirants from other Indian states are being charged.
As against the subsidy for the first-time Hajjis who are being charged Rs 28000 as airfare, the ‘repeater Hajjis’ from Jammu and Kashmir will have to pay Rs 1,54,000 for the travel while those from most other states are being charged around Rs 70,000.
The formal announcement in this regard made Friday by the State Hajj Committee has triggered massive resentment from the stated-based Hajjis who accuse the government of fleecing the people of Jammu and Kashmir even for holy pilgrimage. The central government has reduced the airfare subsidy on Hajj to mere one pilgrimage. But J&K seems to be bearing the brunt while many of the aspirants from the State are feared to miss the world’s biggest pilgrimage because of “undue airfare hike”.
13/07/13 M Hyderi/Greater Kashmir

Read More

Geetika Sharma suicide case: Cops seek removal of adverse remarks

New Delhi: Seeking expunction of adverse remarks by trial court against it in the former airhostess suicide case, the Delhi Police on Friday told the High Court that they amounted to "destroying the prosecution case before it begins."
Appearing before Justice G P Mittal, Additional Solicitor General Siddharth Luthra read out certain remarks from the trial court's order on framing of charges against former Haryana Minister Gopal Kanda and his employee Aruna Chadha.
"The trial court's remarks that the investigating agency has chosen not to unearth further circumstantial or other credible evidence on this aspect to reach the truth (with regard to the sexual exploitation of the victim) is like destroying the case of the prosecution before it begins.
12/07/13 PTI/ZeeNews

Read More

Police arrest six for pilfering ATF fuel

Surat: Navsari district's local crime branch (LCB) police on Thursday exposed the aviation turbine fuel (ATF) pilferage at the highway hotel compound on NH-8.
Official sources said that six drivers of four trucks laden with ATF fuel were arrested. The ATF fuel was transported in the fuel tankers from the ONGC in Hazira to Mumbai.
LCB sub inspector GK Bharwad got the information regarding the ATF pilferage racket operated from a hotel compound on NH-8 near Navsari. A team led by Bharwad raided the hotel premises and caught the drivers red handed for pilfering ATF fuel from the tankers.
LCB sources said that the drivers were selling ATF fuel to customers of high-end cars in Navsari town as the rates much cheaper than the petrol.
12/07/13 Melvyn Thomas/Times of India

Read More

Flight control

The Union cabinet's decision to replace the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) with a new regulatory authority that will have greater financial and operational autonomy was overdue. A weak regulator, mired in controversy, is a serious problem for a civil aviation sector with an ambition to grow bigger, especially at a time when global perceptions of the economy are not optimistic. The proposed Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), to be established in accordance with standards laid down by the UN's International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO), is a step in the right direction.
It has been evident for some time that the DGCA's limited powers had rendered it incapable of coaxing the structural changes demanded by India's civil aviation sector. Of late, India has also been faced with a threatened safety downgrade by international aviation agencies like the US's Federal Aviation Administration, even as the ICAO prepares to audit the DGCA's oversight record.
12/07/13 Indian Express

Read More

Chopper services to Babadham from July 22

Ranchi: The state tourism department has received an overwhelming response to its unique plan of ferrying pilgrims in choppers to BaidyanathDham.
The first chopper would take off on July 22, a day before the month-long Shravani Mela begins.
Over 2000 interested pilgrims have so far contacted the organizers. The most interested in this service are women and old people. It is for the first time that pilgrims would be able to fly to Baidyanath Dham, offer pujas as a VIP would do and return home without any hassle. The tourism department has reached an agreement with the Deoghar district administration and those using choppers would be given special passes.
12/07/13 Times of India

Read More

DGCA to be replaced by Civil Aviation Authority

New Delhi: A bill to replace the DGCA by a new aviation regulator, the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), with full operational and financial autonomy is likely to be tabled in the upcoming Monsoon Session of Parliament.
The Union Cabinet, at its meeting today, accorded in- principle approval to the proposal of the Civil Aviation Ministry, Information and Broadcasting Minister Manish Tewari said after the meeting.
The bill to establish the CAA is likely to be brought in the Monsoon Session, he said.
The CAA would replace the Directorate General of Civil Aviation and administer and regulate civil aviation safety, manage safety oversight over air transport operators, air service navigation operators and operators of other civil aviation facilities.
Interestingly, the proposed CAA, like the DGCA, would also deal with matters relating to financial stress on safety of air operations, as witnessed in connection with the closure of the bankrupt Kingfisher Airlines last year.
11/07/13 PTI/New Indian Express

Read More

New aviation regulator with more teeth gets Cabinet nod

New Delhi: Air fares could go up as the new aviation regulator, the Civil Aviation Authority, comes in with the right to levy a cess on air travel.
The Union Cabinet today gave ‘in principle’ approval to the proposal (for bringing a legislation for a Civil Aviation Authority or CAA). Information and Broadcasting Minister Manish Tewari told reporters here that the new regulator, which will replace the Directorate-General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), will be an autonomous body. It will look after aviation safety and other issues such as affordable air services.
The proposed authority will have a chairperson, a director-general (DG) and at least seven, but not more than nine, members. A multi-member panel, headed by the Cabinet Secretary, will select the chairperson, the DG and whole-time members.The new authority will also enjoy administrative and financial freedom to meet functional requirements for an effective safety and oversight system, something that the existing DGCA lacks.
11/07/13 Business Line

Read More

Vivek Lall to head US India general aviation working group

New Delhi: Vivek Lall, president and CEO of Reliance Industries Limited new venture on Defence and Aerospace, has been nominated as the chairman of the newly formed General Aviation Working Group.
Dr. Lall also is a member of the Joint Working Group (JWG) on Cyber Security led by the National Security Advisor to the Prime Minister.
The general US India general aviation working group has been set up under the auspices of the Indo American Chamber of Commerce (IACC) consisting of senior representatives of the India and US Governments and Industry. The US Federal Aviation Administration, Directorate General of Civil Aviation, Ministry of Civil Aviation and Industry have formed a working group with IACC to try and iron out some of the pertinent policy issues in General Aviation.
General Aviation, a popular concept in the US, often refers to all civil aviation operations except the scheduled passenger airlines.
10/07/13 The Hindu

Read More

Slack season brings down domestic air fares

Pune: If you are still mulling Diwali travel plans, it's time you finalise them now. The lean travel season has sent domestic air fares plummeting to a low. Not only have the 60-day advance ticket rates come down drastically, but even those for a day before Diwali have dropped by as much as 40%.
A one-way Pune to Delhi ticket for November 2, a day before Laxmi Pujan, will cost you about Rs 4,000 if you book in advance as against an average fare of Rs 10,000 per person during last Diwali. Even last- minute travel has become enticing with a one-way air ticket from Pune to Delhi now costing Rs 4,550 as against the average cost of Rs 8,000.
Noshir Jehangir Irani, chairman of the Travel Agents' Association of India (TAAI), Pune chapter, told TOI that the fall in the value of rupee against the US dollar has brought down the demand from people travelling abroad. "Besides, corporates and leisure travellers have cut down on travels resulting in flights going empty. Airlines have thus reduced fares to attract customers," Irani said.
11/07/13 Neha Madaan/Times of India

Read More

Time for aviation industry to meet its environmental dues

If the world is to head off dangerous climate change and somehow keep a global temperature rise under 2 C, we need all hands on deck. That includes airlines.
Air travel is not only the fastest growing form of transport. It is also the most carbon intensive. But a recent attempt to require aircraft flying to Europe to pay for their CO2 emissions under the European Union's Emissions Trading System triggered fierce opposition from many non-European countries.
The EU has suspended its plan for a year, putting the ball back in the court of the International Civil Aviation Organization and its 191 member states to find a solution.
This is the ideal place for aviation to begin cutting the 5 per cent of global greenhouse gas emissions it now accounts for.
Unlike variable national taxes and charges such as India's fuel tax for domestic flights, international routes require a level playing field so that all airlines pay the same carbon costs, so reducing the risk of "freeloaders". This approach requires a global agreement.
10/07/13 Achim Steiner/Economic Times

Read More

Govt likely to consider proposal on new aviation regulator this week

New Delhi: The government is likely to consider a proposal this week to replace the DGCA with a new aviation regulator with full operational and financial autonomy.
The proposed bill seeks to establish the new regulator, to be called the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), which would replace the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) and administer and regulate civil aviation safety and manage safety oversight over air transport operators, air service navigation operators and operators of other civil aviation facilities.
The proposed CAA, like the DGCA, would also deal with matters relating to financial stress on safety of air operations, as witnessed in connection with the bankrupt Kingfisher Airlines in October last year.
Issues relating to consumer protection and environment regulations in civil aviation sector would also be addressed by the CAA, according to the draft legislation.
09/07/13 PTI/Daily News & Analysis

Read More

Lean season pushes down air fares

New Delhi: Indian airlines may be complaining bitterly about the falling rupee hiking their operating costs, but the ongoing lean travel season is witnessing a virtual fare war among them. The biggest low-cost carrier (LCC) IndiGo on Tuesday set the cat among pigeons by announcing all-inclusive 90-day advance fares, starting from just Rs 2,107 with Delhi-Mumbai going for just Rs 3,435.
Even the current available fares are about 20-25% lower than usual fares as the July-September period is the leanest travel quarter of the year when airlines — despite rising costs — have to offer discounts to attract flyers. The Delhi-Mumbai spot fares are in the range of Rs 7,000-8,000, while they are usually above Rs 10,000 in the peak travel season.
"The other full service carriers started the fare war. LCCs followed suit and we also had to then lower fares," said a senior Air India official.
10/07/13 Times of India

Read More