IATA flags ‘information gaps’, seeks clarifications on GST

New Delhi: Global airlines body IATA today sought clarifications on the tax treatment of air travels under GST and claimed that there were “information gaps” regarding the implementation of the new tax regime.
The aviation ministry, too, had earlier sought postponement of the GST implementation by two months on the ground that airlines needed more time to revamp their systems to comply with the new tax regime.
In a u-turn, the ministry later said it was prepared for the GST roll-out from the stipulated date — July 1.
“There are still information gaps. We look forward to receiving the guidance notes to be provided by the GST Council,” said Country Director India of the International Air Transport Association (IATA) Amitabh Khosla in a press statement.
The body has sought clarification on “taxation treatment of continuous journeys” as the new taxation system is likely to make non-stop flights more expensive than stop-over flights.
29/06/17 PTI/India.com

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GST to impact aviation sector, says Union minister Ashok Gajapathi Raju

New Delhi: As the government gets all set to launch GST at a gala event this evening in Parliament, the murmurs within sectors about the unpreparedness of things don't seem to have died out.
Putting a spanner in the works this time is Union Civil Aviation Minister, Ashok Gajapathi Raju. Speaking to India Today exclusively a day ahead of the big GST bash, the minister said the aviation sector isn't ready for GST.
"GST will affect aviation sector. Because petroleum products have been kept out of GST. ATF is highly taxed in quite a few states, so that is bound to affect aviation", he said.
Given this scenario, airlines will tend to take advantage of states that have lower taxes, since they won't get any set-offs on their service taxes, Raju said.
The Civil Aviation Ministry recently wrote to the Finance Ministry on behalf of airlines, asking for more time to become GST-compliant.
Airlines complained that there were several outstanding issues that they needed clarity on, including time to effect the amendments to the global distribution system as per the new GST invoice rules. The Civil Aviation Ministry retracted that letter as soon as the media got a whiff of it. Now they say they are ready.
30/07/17 Poulomi Saha/India Today

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Indian airlines' order book to touch 1,123 planes: CAPA

The order book of Indian carriers is expected to touch 1,123 aircraft in the coming weeks with new orders from Jet Airways and Vistara, aviation think tank Centre for Asia Pacific Aviation (CAPA) said today.

Citing its earlier research, CAPA said Jet Airways is expected to place an order for another 100 narrow-body aircraft, while Vistara is likely to order 50 narrow-body planes and 50 wide-bodied ones. Jet Airways and Vistara are full service carriers.

"With these planned acquisitions, India's order book will reach 1,123 aircraft –- the third largest in the world after the USA and China. And its ratio of 2.2 aircraft on order for every aircraft in service would be the highest of any major aviation market," CAPA said in a report.

Out of the current order book for 923 aircraft, over 85 per cent are from low cost carriers. "Of the expected 1,123 aircraft on order, more than 700 are scheduled for delivery within the next decade and 400 within the next five years," CAPA said, adding that the figure excludes orders yet to be placed and equipment to be taken on lease.

Among others, no-frills carriers IndiGo and SpiceJet have also placed orders for new aircraft.

"IndiGo has the largest in-service fleet in India, at 135 aircraft and the largest order book of any airline in the world at 458 aircraft. Its fleet could expand by up to 46 aircraft during this financial year – a net addition of almost one aircraft a week," the report said.
28/06/17 PTI/Money Control

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National no-fly list: Aviation ministry meeting inconclusive, no consensus on bringing crew, ground staff under ambit

A meeting on Wednesday on a national no-fly list for unruly passengers was inconclusive as top officials of the ministry of civil aviation debated whether airline crew and ground staff should also be covered in the list.
A framework for a no-fly list for unruly passengers is in the last stages of being finalised and a top official had said that the rules would be made public in the first week of July.
The government had last month made its draft rules on no-fly list public and invited stakeholders’ comments.
As part of this exercise several people wrote to the ministry calling the proposed rules “lopsided” and demanded airlines should also be held equally accountable for misbehaviour of their crew.
But the meeting today to finalise the rules failed to draw a consensus on expanding the scope of the national-no fly list and to apply it to the airline crew and ground staff as well, said a ministry official.
28/06/17 PTI/The Indian Express

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Indian/Australian Airvan 10 receives FAA, CASA certification

Mahindra Aerospace — part of Indian conglomerate Mahindra — has announced that Australia's first 10-seat Single-Engine Turbine aircraft, the Airvan 10, has been awarded its FAR 23 Type Certificate from the Australian Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA), followed by the U.S. Type Certificate being issued by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).

Mahindra Aerospace leads the Mahindra Group’s interests in aerospace manufacturing and is a major partner for Airbus in India.
28/06/17 Duncan Macrae/Air & Cosmos International

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Apollo Hospitals Extends Air Ambulance Services To Second-Tier Cities

Apollo Hospitals, Asia’s largest and most trusted multi-specialty chain of hospitals announced the extension of its air ambulance services network to several smaller cities and towns like Madurai, Mysore, Kakinada, Karaikudi, Karur, Trichy and Vizag through its current hubs in Chennai, Hyderabad and Bangalore. Several people in India don’t get medical attention within the golden hour which is very crucial in saving lives. Apollo’s air ambulance service will address the emergency medical need of people who are on the outskirts and far from the city limits.

Each of the Apollo air ambulances will be manned by a full-fledged medical crew trained in critical pre-hospital care protocols to address emergency victims and critically-ill patients. The launch is in partnership with Bengaluru-based Air Aviators Rescue who will provide helicopters and the logistics support to Apollo Hospitals.

The air ambulance was launched by Dr. J Radhakrishnan IAS, Principal Secretary to Govt. of Tamil Nadu, Health and Family Welfare Department and Dr. Prathap Reddy, Chairman, Apollo Hospitals Group, in the presence of Dr. Preetha Reddy, Vice Chairperson, Apollo Hospitals Group and Capt. Arun Sharma, Managing Director, Aviators Air Rescue Pvt. Ltd.

Apollo Hospitals pioneered air ambulance emergency services in the country way back in 2003. With subsequent launch of these services in Delhi and Bangalore in 2004 and 2007, Apollo Hospitals has seen a steady increase in number of patients using this service. Through partnerships with various aviation companies, at an average, Apollo Hospitals air transfers around 125-150 patients in a year.
28/06/17 Defence Aviation Post

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Ganganagar expands airstrip to connect with Jaipur, Delhi

JAIPUR: Ganaganagar is expanding its airstrip to facilitate intra-state air services connecting the district with Jaipur and Delhi.
District collector Gyana Ram said a proposal to this effect has been prepared and would be submitted to civil aviation department. There is already an airstrip at Lalgarh and district administration plans to expand it both ways for landing of commercial flights.He said proposal is for Rs 28.5 crore of which Rs 11 crore is for acquisition of land.
The collector further said current airstrip at Lalgarh has a length of only 1,300 meters on which only small planes can land. For landing of commercial flights, the airstrip should be at least 1,600 meters. So, district administration plans to expand it on eastern and western directions. Expanding 300 meters in both directions would be sufficient.
"We will submit the report to state government in a day or two," said the collector while talking to TOI over phone.
29/06/17 The Times Of India

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Air passengers give a thumbs up to biometrics: Study

New Delhi: An iris scan, facial recognition, a wave of the hand or fingerprint could help air travellers avail a seamless experience as a recent study has determined that more than half of the passengers surveyed would prefer biometrics for identification purposes at airports.

However, nearly a third of the respondents have expressed concerns over the privacy of their personal information. More than 7,000 passengers from 17 countries, including India, were part of the 12th edition of the Passenger IT Trends Survey conducted by air transport information technology provider SITA and Air Transport World.

In all, 37 per cent of travellers surveyed used automated ID control on their last flight. Of these, 55 per cent said they had used biometrics at departure, 33 per cent for boarding and 12 for international arrivals.


Fifty-seven per cent of the respondents said they would prefer biometrics to a boarding pass or a passport for their next trip.

“Passengers who use biometrics are highly satisfied. In fact, (out of 10) they rated the experience 8.4, well above the ratings for face-to-face transactions at passport check (8) and boarding (8.2), demonstrating passengers’ acceptance of this secure technology to deliver a seamless journey,” the report says.
28/06/17 PTI/Business Standard

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Air passengers give thumbs up to biometrics

New Delhi: An iris scan, a facial recognition, hand wave or fingerprint could help air travellers avail a seamless experience as a recent study has determined that more than half of the passengers surveyed would prefer biometrics for identification purposes at airports.

However, nearly a third of the respondents have expressed concerns over privacy of their personal information.

More than 7,000 passengers from 17 countries, including India, were part of the 12th edition of Passenger IT Trends Survey conducted by air transport IT provider SITA and Air Transport World.

In all, 37 per cent of travellers surveyed used automated ID control on their last flight. Of these, 55 per cent said they had used biometrics at departure, 33 per cent for boarding and 12 for international arrivals.

Fifty-seven per cent of the respondents said they would prefer biometrics to a boarding pass or a passport for their next trip.

"Passengers who use biometrics are highly satisfied. In fact, (out of 10) they rated the experience 8.4, well above the ratings for face-to-face transactions at passport check (8) and boarding (8.2), demonstrating passengers' acceptance of this secure technology to deliver a seamless journey," the report says.
27/06/17 PTI

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s aircraft is basically a flying fortress

It’s safe to say that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been bitten by the travel bug. Ever since he took office, he’s taken 64 international trips, visiting six continents and 47 countries. Considering the amount of time he spends being airborne, it’s safe to assume that he isn’t hot air balloon-ing it across the globe. The leader of the world’s largest democracy ought to be hooked up with a state-of-the-art sky-chariot.

 Air India’s government issue Boeing 747-400 (call sign Air India One), isn’t all-that state-of-the-art, but it is quite the flying fortress. A symbol of yesteryear luxury, the original Jumbo Jet is about as stately as they came. By today’s standards, it’s a pretty old bird, which is why the PM will soon be upgrading to a 777. But more on that in a bit.

 At present the PM has access to two aircrafts. A 747-400 which he uses for long-distance international trips (such as the one to the US) and a modified Indian Air Force Boeing 737-800 BBJ for short-distance international and domestic trips. While the 747-400 isn’t specially configured for the PM (VIP3), it has a separate enclosure with an office and a bedroom that are available only to him and the President (VIP1), who along with the Vice-President (VIP2) is the only other dignitary allowed to use Air India One. When not being used by VVIPs however, Air India uses the aircrafts for commercial use.
27/06/17 Parth Charan/GQ

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Domestic airlines eye bigger share of foreign traffic

Unlike many countries, international air traffic to and from India continues to be dominated by foreign airlines, primarily from West Asia. But Indian carriers have been growing their share of the pie steadily.

From about 30 per cent in FY14, the share of domestic airlines in India’s international traffic rose to 34 per cent in FY16 and further to 35 per cent in FY17, says a report by rating agency ICRA. This is a result of Indian carriers outperforming their international counterparts in traffic growth.

For instance, in FY17, while overall traffic growth to and from India was 8.4 per cent, the domestic carriers grew their international traffic at a faster 11.8 per cent.

While this is much slower than the about 22 per cent growth in domestic air traffic in FY17, the foreign traffic opportunity is also getting much attention from Indian carriers. More flights by both established players (Air India and Jet Airways) and relatively new entrants (IndiGo Airlines and SpiceJet) have aided the trend of growing market share on foreign routes.

The Jet Airways and Air India groups have, over the years, built up significant share on the international routes (13.5-15.5 per cent), while IndiGo and SpiceJet are gradually building up their presence (about 3 per cent share each).
25/06/17 Anand Kalyanaraman/Business Line

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Task force formed on aviation

New Delhi: The U.S.-India Business Council (USIBC) on Monday set up a task force for identifying opportunities in India’s civil aviation sector.
The panel will be chaired by Pratt and Whitney’s Managing Director-India Palash Roy Chowdhury and co-chaired by global consultancy KPMG’s partner and India head of aerospace and defence Amber Dubey.
“The U.S.-India Business Council today launched its India-Task Force on Civil Aviation that will focus on identifying opportunities for implementation based on the National Civil Aviation Policy (NCAP),” the business lobby group said in a statement here. The task force would engage with various stakeholders to promote international best practices and address potential hurdles, USIBC said in the statement. The panel would also work towards giving a boost to the Centre’s regional connectivity scheme UDAN, airport infrastructure and security, maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) and skill development.
India has witnessed annual growth exceeding 20% in its domestic air passenger traffic with total passenger throughput estimated to reach 270 million passengers by the end of this year.
The task force will aim at promoting bilateral dialogue between industry and government, partnering with governments to organise trade missions and advocating regulatory changes on behalf of its members.
26/06/17 The Hindu

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Air Ambulance landmark achievement in trauma surgery: Indian Air Force Chief

Indian Air Force has recognized the need for speed for limiting mortality and morbidity while transporting the critically ill from the battlefield, Chief of IAF, Air Chief Marshal B S Dhanoa said today. He was speaking after inaugurating an Air Ambulance of the private Ganga Hospital here. “This is a landmark achievement in the field of trauma surgery. During the Kargil war in 1999 IAF Mi-17 and Mi-8 helicopters were sent to evacuate casualties from the icy Himalayan heights to airfields of Srinagar and Awantipur from where critical patients were transported to Command Hospital at Chandigarh and Research and Referral Army Hospital in New Delhi,” he said.
Subsequently, IAF formulated its own Critical Care Air Transport Team (CCATT) in 2007, using an indigenously designed Patient Transfer Unit), which could be retrofitted in either fixed wing or rotary wing aircraft, he said. As many as 17 transport aircraft of IAF can be converted into Air Ambulances, Dhanoa said.
25/06/16 PTI/Financial Express

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Experts give aspirants insights on Aviation Industry

It was a great opportunity for students who wanted to make a career in the aviation industry. Experts from Carver Aviation Academy interacted with the participants and gave them insights about the industry and its growth.

Nikhil Jadhav of Carver Aviation said that the main objective of the seminar is to clear the doubts from the minds of students and provide correct guidance to them. During the Seminar the Aviation expert Dhruv Bhatiya addressed the students and explained in detail about the career in commercial pilot, private pilot and others.

Parents and students enthusiastically participated in the seminar. Carver Aviation is in the Industry for the last 21 years and trained hundreds of pilots till now. The pilots of Carver Aviation are providing services in different aviation companies.
25/06/17 Telangana Today  

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Planning to travel after July 1? Everything you need to know about post-GST fares

Are you planning your holidays in July? Be ready to shell out more if you are travelling by train in an AC coach or by air in business class as the Goods and Services Tax (GST) is set to roll out on July 1. Travel for aam aadmi, however, will not get expensive.
Economy-class air travel will be cheaper with the tax rate fixed at 5% against the present 6%. However, business class tickets will be costlier with a 12% tax against the present 9%. The new tax regime will also make direct flights to key international destinations more expensive than stopover flights as GST is to be charged on the first leg of the flight.
“The first leg of the flight may be Delhi-Dubai for a passenger flying to the US via Dubai, but an Indian airline like Air India that flies directly to the US has to charge GST for the full ticket until the US, making it expensive for the passenger booking a direct flight, thus, making it difficult for Indian carriers," an airline executive told ET.
There are other reasons which may lead to increase in the air fares. A senior airline executive told ET that import of spares and aircraft lease rentals would be taxed which could increase operational costs and might results in higher fares. "Any new tax on the aviation industry, which operates under thin margins, may drive fares higher,” he said.
Also, from July 1, sudden plans will become difficult due to limited availability of seats. Those who want to travel affordably by air will have to book their tickets well in advance. There is another reason for limited availability of seats: a number of travellers might not prefer to travel in business class due to higher fare.
26/06/17 Economic Times

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Gaganning for aircraft glory

Chennai: The Centre is soon expected to issue the notification to make GAGAN (GPS Aided GEO Augmented Navigation), the indigenously developed navigation system, mandatory for new aircraft registered in the country from January 1, 2019.
This would enable the country to break free from the over-dependence on the international tech regime led by the Global Positioning System (GPS) of the US and Global Navigation Satellite System of Russia. It will also plug the gap in covering equatorial region.

Sources in the Civil Aviation Ministry confirmed that GAGAN, jointly developed by Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and the Airports Authority of India, is ready for full optimisation and has obtained an international certification for approach and precision landing operations (APV1/1.5) over the subcontinent.

The Director General of Civil Aviation has conducted rigorous ground tests for two years meeting the prescribed international civil aviation requirements, said ISRO Chairman AS Kiran Kumar, adding that GAGAN-compliance would very soon be made mandatory for aircraft. “Any GAGAN-enabled receiver will provide accurate positional information which can be relied upon,” he said.
India is only the fourth country in the world to have the capability to provide certified satellite-based augmentation services over its Flight Information Region, thus elevating it to the group of elite nations that can provide a platform for transition to satellite-based navigation.
24/06/17 SV Krishna Chaitanya/New Indian Express

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Longer notice period for pilots: HC refuses to interfere

The Bombay High Court has refused to grant any relief to the pilots' unions, who had challenged a Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) proposal to extend the notice period for quitting service from the current six months to a year.

A division bench of Justices S M Kemkar and M S Sonak noted the DGCA's statement that the proposal was at a nascent stage and therefore, the petitions were premature.

The proposed amendment would be finalised only after considering the objections and suggestions of the parties concerned, the aviation regulator told the court following which, the court on June 20 dismissed the petitions filed by the Indian Pilots' Guild and the National Aviators' Guild.

"Since the amendment is only at the stage of consideration of objections and suggestions, which may or may not be approved...no interference is called for at this stage," the court said.

The pilots' associations could file a fresh petition if the amendment came into effect, the judges added.
25/06/17 PTI/DNA

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When Indira Gandhi Was Livid With Minister's Plan To Buy Aircraft

New Delhi: When Karan Singh proposed a plan to buy an aircraft in 1973 for use by Project Tiger officials, it was shot down by a livid Indira Gandhi who asked him, "Have we got our priorities wrong?" This incident that took place May 1973, barely a month after the launch of Project Tiger, finds mention in Congress leader Jairam Ramesh's new book, "Indira Gandhi: A Life in Nature".

Project Tiger was formally launched at the Corbett National Park. Karan Singh, who was the then Union minister for tourism and civil aviation, was made the chairman of the Indian Board for Wildlife.
"The Prime Minister personally handpicked Kailash Sankhala as the first director of Project Tiger despite the fact that he was not popular in the forest bureaucracy and many were irked by his working style and actions," says Mr Ramesh, a former environment minister during UPA-II.
He says that soon there was a mini-crisis confronting Project Tiger. "Moni Malhoutra, Indira Gandhi's key aide for environmental matters, discovered that Rs. 20 lakh raised by World Wildlife Fund was about to be spent on an aircraft for use by the Project Tiger officials. Ms Gandhi was livid and wrote a letter to her ministerial colleague on May 25," he wrote in the book.
Mr Ramesh quotes Indira as writing in the letter, "I understand that the money which the World Wildlife Fund has raised so far for Project Tiger is being used to purchase a small airplane. Have we got our priorities wrong? I should have thought it is more important to get the project going on the ground than to spend so much money on an aircraft which will yield no direct benefit to the parks and their animals. An aeroplane would be "a luxury which we can ill-afford."
25/06/17 PTI/NDTV

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Purchase own helicopter, ACS asks state govt

Itanagar: The Arunachal Civil Society (ACS) has appealed to the state government to purchase new 28 and 8-seater helicopters.
In a representation to the Chief Minister, the ACS said that instead of hiring private helicopter, the state government needs a helicopter of its own for the benefit of citizens as well as the government.
Saying that the government is losing huge revenue while hiring private helicopter on lease or hire basis, the ACS claimed that people are also feeling unsafe while travelling by air in “old or second-hand” Pawan Hans or Skyone helicopters.
It requested the Chief Minister to take up the matter with the Union Civil Aviation Ministry for purchase of own helicopter to save revenue as well as benefit of the people.
24/06/17 Arunachal Times

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Taneja Aerospace & Aviation reports standalone net profit of Rs 0.47 crore in the March 2017 quarter

Net profit of Taneja Aerospace & Aviation reported to Rs 0.47 crore in the quarter ended March 2017 as against net loss of Rs 0.43 crore during the previous quarter ended March 2016. Sales declined 58.85% to Rs 8.25 crore in the quarter ended March 2017 as against Rs 20.05 crore during the previous quarter ended March 2016.
For the full year,net profit reported to Rs 0.58 crore in the year ended March 2017 as against net loss of Rs 4.31 crore during the previous year ended March 2016. Sales declined 39.01% to Rs 36.81 crore in the year ended March 2017 as against Rs 60.35 crore during the previous year ended March 2016.
23/06/17 Business Standard

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Tamil Nadu Hospital To Launch Air Ambulance

Coimbatore: An air ambulance service of a private hospital in Tamil Nadu, claimed to be the first such facility to be run by a hospital in the country, will be launched on June 25. IAF chief Air Chief Marshal B S Dhanoa would inaugurate the 'Ganga Air Ambulance' helicopter service of Ganga Hospital, a release from the hospital said today.

The 1992-made Agusta Westland 109C model twin-engine helicopter will provide emergency medical services in the region apart from handling emergency airlifting of patients of the Ganga Hospital.

The service would be operated in association with Delhi-based OSS Air Management under a two-year agreement, hospital Director S Raja Sabapathy said.

Equipped with emergency support systems suction unit, oxygen provision, pulse and pressure monitor and defibrillator, the ambulance can carry two patients at a time. A helipad has been created in the campus of Ganga Nursing College on the outskirts and approved by the Director General of Civil Aviation, he said.
24/06/17 NDTV

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Taxation norm for flights abroad to stay same with GST

New Delhi: In a major relief to airlines, the Centre on Friday made clear that the principles applied to tax international air travel would remain unchanged under the Goods and Services Tax (GST) regime set to roll out on July 1.

The clarification comes in the wake of concerns raised by domestic carriers, and flagged by the Civil Aviation Ministry, that non-stop flights were likely to become more expensive than flights with stopovers given some ambiguous wording in the norms relating to GST.

Airlines feared that passengers planning to travel say Delhi-New York non-stop could opt to fly with Gulf carriers if they found the post-tax fares for a Delhi-Dubai-New York ticket to be more attractive on account of GST being levied only on the first leg of the overseas flight.

“It was clarified today that the new GST rates will apply based on old criteria on international tickets,” a senior Civil Aviation Ministry official said following a stakeholders’ meeting chaired by Minister of State for Civil Aviation Jayant Sinha. The same rules prevalent under service tax would continue to apply under GST, the official added.
23/06/17 Somesh Jha/The Hindu

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Govt mulling VIP treatment for Babus on private airlines

The government is mulling over a protocol to extend VIP treatment for government officials on all private domestic airlines.

Ministry of Civil Aviation has called for a meeting with all private airlines next Friday to discuss this protocol which is currently followed by Air India, a report by Times of India said on Saturday.

After incidents of MPs hitting airline staff and allegedly threatening to break airport property, the government was scheduled to discuss the norms under the ‘No-Fly’ list in the first week of July.
The report further added that the aviation ministry sent out a notice to private airlines on Thursday and other stakeholders titled ‘protocol to be extended to VIPs in private airlines.’ The meeting next Friday, June 30 will be held under the chairpersonship of Ministry’s joint secretary – Usha Padhee.

On Wednesday Singapore Airlines and Tata Group had approached the aviation ministry with their proposal to buy Air India from the government.
24/06/17 Zee Business

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Modi's US visit: India to get Guardian drones; F-16 jets on agenda too

The Indian armed forces will be getting 22 American-made Guardian drones after the US cleared their sale ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Washington for his maiden meeting with US President Donald Trump. The clearance comes just days after the announcement of the possibility of making American F-16 fighter jets in India under the Modi government's Make in India programme.

As reported earlier by news agency PTI, the news regarding the surveillance drones came from government sources on Thursday. The deal, which is estimated to be worth $2-3 billion, is being termed as a "game-changer" for bilateral ties between the two nations.

Modi's two-day visit to Washington begins on Sunday. Trump met Chinese President Xi Jinping in April and has also had face-time with the leaders of nations including Japan, Britain, and Vietnam since taking office in January, prompting anxiety in New Delhi that India is no longer a priority in Washington.

According to informed sources, the decision was communicated to the Indian government and the manufacturer by the State Department on Thursday.

However, why do these drones matter? After all, they are unarmed. According to reports, the Indian armed forces intend to use them to keep a watch over activities in the Indian Ocean, a region which has seen the increased presence of Chinese naval assets.
23/06/17 Business Standard

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No-Fly List Norms Likely In July First Week: Government

The norms for no-fly list to rein in unruly passengers are expected to be ready early next month, the government said today amid a parliamentarian being barred by domestic airlines for allegedly creating ruckus. A revised Civil Aviation Requirement (CAR) is being finalised after receiving comments from the stakeholders. The civil aviation ministry has already come out with draft rules for a ‘national no-fly list’ of unruly passengers for all domestic carriers, under which the flying ban could extend from at least three months to an indefinite period. The CAR related to the no-fly list is expected to be notified in the first week of July, Civil Aviation Secretary R N Choubey told PTI. Lok Sabha member from TDP J C Diwakar Reddy is barred by major airlines from taking their flights following allegedly creating the ruckus at Vizag airport last week as he was denied boarding by IndiGo. Reddy belongs to the same party as that of Civil Aviation Minister Ashok Gajapathi Raju.
22/06/17 Defence Aviation Post

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HAL-Russian Helicopters form JV to assemble Ka-226T in India

Russian Helicopters and Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) has registered a joint venture for the license production of Ka-226T light helicopters in India.

The JV will produce at least 140 of the 200 Ka-226T helicopters India plans to acquire to replace the aged fleet of Aerospatiale SA 315B Lama /HAL Cheetah and SA 316B Alouette III/HAL Chetak light helicopter fleet operated by Indian Air Force, Navy and Army.

The venture will perform final assembly and repair of helicopters, as well as act as an integrator of the Indian supplier chain with a capacity to produce up to 35 helicopters per year.

The French made Arrius 2G1 turboshaft engines that powers the Ka-226T will be assembled jointly by HAL and Safran. Both of them already have extensive ties, through license assembly of the Safran Ardiden turboshaft engine by HAL, that powers the HAL developed Dhruv, Light Combat Helicopter and Light Utility Helicopter.

During trials in India, the Ka-226T demonstrated its capability to operate from the mountainous terrain and hot and humid climate in the country. It also achieved an altitude of 7,200 metres, exceeding Indian Army's 6,500 m requirement.
22/06/17 Aviation Analysis Wing

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Reliance Defence To Partner With France’s Daher For Aerospace Components

Reliance Defence Limited on Thursday said it has entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Daher Aerospace, France for manufacture of aerospace components.

According to the fully-owned subsidiary of Reliance Infrastructure, the MoU was signed at the Paris Air Show.

Daher Aerospace is tier-one manufacturer in aerostructures segment comprising fuselage sections and fairings made of composites as well as conventional metals for Dassault Aviation and other leading global aircraft manufacturers.

In India, Dassault has 50 per cent offset obligation for 36 Rafale aircraft, a contract valued close to 8 billion euros. Reliance Defence is a key partner with Dassault Aviation for the largest offset programme so far in India.

“This offers a great opportunity for both the companies to work together for aerospace composites parts manufacturer. There is an increasing demand in aerospace sector for the composite components,” the company said in a statement.
23/06/17 Defence Aviation Post

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Airline cos in a sweet spot; 18% passenger growth sustainable: Experts

The airline stocks have been doing well in a goldilocks like scenario. To discuss the dynamics of the industry as well as potential of a new player coming into the private listed space – Air India. CNBC-TV18 spoke to Amber Dubey, Partner & Head of Aerospace & Defense, KPMG and Mayur Milak, Senior Research Analyst, Indianivesh Securities.

Dubey is confident that the 18 percent passenger growth for the sector is very much sustainable because it is backed by some solid fundamentals. The oil prices look like they will be stagnant at the levels sub USD 50/barrel, the policy initiatives taken by the government have aided growth, the propensity to travel by air, higher per capita incomes and the economy growing at steady place – all these fundamentals will support growth of the airline sector.

However, on the flipside the airline space is vulnerable to security, safety issues and health issues like a disease outbreak where the bookings get cancelled, says Dubey.

The only headwind for the aviation sector is the infrastructure gap at main airports like Mumbai, Delhi and others like Goa, Pune etc but on the whole the current environment is conducive for growth.

Talking about the privatisation of Air India, Milak says that would help bring in lot of efficiencies to the carrier. However, it is unlikely to be a neck-breaking competition to the other private players. In fact it would be good for the whole of aviation space.

Therefore, the entire sector looks in a sweet spot, believe Milak, adding that it is supported by lower crude price, the demand looks structural and not seasonal.

So, the overall growth looks intact and valuations are still cheap. There is still value in SpiceJet.
22/06/17 Arthur Dubey/CNBC-TV18/moneycontrol.com

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Sexual harassment onboard flights: Do airlines prioritise brand image over justice to crew, passengers?

On 17 June, a man named Ramesh Chand on board an IndiGo flight travelling from Hyderabad to Delhi was caught masturbating. A co-passenger sitting beside him complained to the crew, and the man was arrested upon landing in Delhi.
This isn’t the first time we’re hearing about sexual harassment on Indian planes: Back in 2006, Kerala public works minister PJ Joseph reportedly molested a woman on a Kingfisher flight. He then earned the distinction of becoming the third Kerala minister to quit after being involved in sexual harassment cases and was later acquitted in a district court.

In 2009, a passenger on an IndiGo flight was found staring at an air hostess and “masturbating mid-air”, as the Times of India liked to call it. In January 2017, a business-class passenger on an Air India flight groped a female passenger while she was asleep. In 2015, a video of a woman slapping a man who molested her on an IndiGo flight went viral. There are several more videos of similar cases uploaded on YouTube for no discernible reason, except perhaps to shame the men involved, or to satisfy the voyeuristic curiosity in videos of molestation that we’re now seeing in the age of smartphones and easy video recording.

An August 2016 article published in Slate tried to explore what happens in cases of sexual harassment on long-haul flights. It seemed to come to the conclusion that airlines are grossly ill-equipped to handle these instances, and the reasons seemed to boil down to three rough areas: a fear of ruining the airlines’ reputation, a fear of being sued if the allegations prove to be false, and a concern about how expensive it is to divert a plane to an unplanned landing during an international flight.
Shylaja Gopal, who was a flight attendant for eight years with Jet Airways, adds that airline staff are keen to de-escalate these kinds of situations as much as possible, as they can’t take action based only on one person’s complaint, and that the situation could reflect badly on the airlines if the accused ends up being found innocent.
Something about this protocol doesn’t sit right, does it? Maybe it’s that it feels like an unsatisfactory response that’s tailored to suit the status quo of how flights and cabin crews currently work and are staffed, not like a plan that’s been formulated to create targeted mechanisms to deal with sexual harassment and women’s safety specifically.

That being said, what more can you do when flying thousands of feet above the air with no official authorities on hand to intervene? I’m not sure. Would it be a good idea to have security guards or officials entrusted with the responsibility of making sure that flights are safe from criminal actions? Should cabin crew be taught that the reputation of the airline or the possibility of legal action against them is not greater or more important than the safety of women passengers?
22/06/17 Sharanya Gopinathan/First Post

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Consumer panel denies aviation student full fee refund

New Delhi: The apex consumer commission has refused to grant relief to an aviation student, who sought a fee refund citing shortage of flying hours, saying that his approach towards his training was casual.
The National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission (NCDRC) allowed the appeal of Touchwood Aviation Academy in the Chhattisgarh capital Raipur and said it was clear that the student suffered the loss at his own peril.
In its order passed recently, the NCDRC refused the refund of the entire fee of Rs 4.6 lakh to the student after noting that he had voluntarily stopped the flying training.
It, however, granted him a refund of Rs 78,200, according to the terms and condition put up on the institutes website.
"The other students completed 50 hours of flying training within six months. Therefore, we cannot hold the institute responsible or deficiency in their services.
"In our view, the institute arrived correctly (at the amount of refund) as the complainant was eligible to get refund of Rs 78,200 only. We set aside the orders of both the fora below," the apex consumer bench headed by presiding member B C Gupta said.
22/06/17 PTI/India Today

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IndiGo, GoAir passenger load factor grows in May; Spicejet reaches ‘record high’ PLFs

Domestic carriers like IndiGo, GoAir and SpiceJet all reported passenger load factor over 90% in May, Directorate General of Civil Aviation data showed on Monday.

The month of May primarily being a tourist season, passenger load factor by airlines were also at ‘all-time’ high.

“While, IndiGo, SpiceJet (SJet) and Go Air (Go) all reported more than 90% load factors, SJet PLF reached a new high of 94.3%. This will reinvigorate a demand side confidence in the Indian aviation market,” Ansuman Deb analyst from ICICI said in a report dated June 19.
“SpiceJet’s load factor has remained above 90% for around two years in a row,” Ashutosh Somani and Nitin Agarwala, JM Financial analysts said.
The airlines have also increased capacity addition or available seat kilometre (ASK) in May, which will be a positive for the companies this fiscal.

“Higher ASK growth of IndiGo in the int’l segment will relieve a lot of capacity pressure in the domestic market and give support to the domestic yields,” Deb added.
21/06/17 ZeeBiz

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National no-fly list out next month: How unruly passengers will be punished

New Delhi: The government is set to roll out a national 'no-fly' list early next month as incidents of unruly passengers, particularly politicians, misbehaving with airline crew continue to take considerable news space.
Minister of State (MoS) for Civil Aviation Jayant Sinha said that the process of finalising the structure of the no fly list is underway.
"The process is underway right now, as we have said many times we are going through an analysis process and those recommendations are in front of the Cabinet right now and the Cabinet will take the process forward. A national no-fly list rules is currently being prepared and will be issued in first week of July," said Sinha.
India Today has got exclusive details of the provisions of the no-fly list.

Three-tier assessment system

The no-fly list being prepared by the government will have a three-tier assessment system.

Airline crew will have the legitimate right to determine a passenger's behaviour. The crew can further report a passenger to higher authorities for action if they feel so.

Rogue passengers could face flying ban for up to a year. The period of flying ban could vary from 3-6 months to a year depending upon the seriousness of the case.

The no-fly list will have three categories for unruly passengers. Verbal abuse, physical assault and life threatening behaviour would be the three categories under which a passenger's behaviour would be classified.

A panel within a particular airline would decide on the passenger's behaviour. Provisions will be made under which a passenger will have the right to appeal against the the verdict against him/her.
21/06/17 Devina Gupta/India Today

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Paytm introduces zero cancellation-handling fees for flight tickets

New Delhi: Paytm has waived off cancellation-handling fee for flight tickets booked on its platform. Customers cancelling flight tickets booked on Paytm will only be charged a cancellation fee from their respective airline and no additional handling or processing fee.
Most online travel sites in India charge a cancellation-handling fee when a customer requests ticket cancellation. This fee is typically charged on a per passenger basis and is applicable even if cancellation is requested several weeks ahead of the travel date.
Speaking on the occasion, Abhishek Rajan, Vice President of Paytm said, "This is a first-of-its-kind initiative among the leading online travel sites in India. We believe in having policies that enable us to protect the best interests of our customers and zero cancellation-handling fee is just another step in this direction."
However, customers must note that they would still have to pay the cancellation fee charged by airlines which ranges from Rs 2000 to Rs 2500 per cancellation for every ticket.
21/06/17 Times of India

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Machail Yatra: Copter Services Go Cheaper

The rates for helicopter services from Gulabgarh to Machail and back have been substantially reduced for the upcoming Machail Yatra scheduled to be held from August 1st to 31st.
Pilgrims above 12 years of age  shall have to pay Rs 1550, while the pilgrims aged between 2 to 12 years shall have to pay Rs 1400. The child up to two years shall be flown free of cost by the operators, a statement here said.


To add, the fares during the present year are the lowest since the inception of Heli Services for this Yatra.
During the year 2016, the tariff per ticket per side was Rs 2000.
In 2015 the tariff was Rs. 2400 per ticket and the year 2014, every ticket cost Rs.2700/-.

The reduction in tariff will surely be a source of satisfaction for the pilgrims by the heli travel on this long journey becoming for more affordable than the previous years, the statement said.
21/06/17 Greater Kashmir

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US welcomes India-Afghan direct air corridor

Washington: The US today welcomed the inauguration of a direct commercial air corridor between India and Afghanistan that bypasses Pakistan, describing the route as a new avenue for Afghan products to enter the international market.

"We welcome this new avenue for Afghan products...And India's contributions to Afghanistan's development and economic growth," a State Department spokesperson told PTI.
The maiden flight from Kabul taking the route landed in New Delhi yesterday. It carried 60 tonnes of cargo, mostly asafoetida (hing).

The new route is expected to boost bilatyeral trade ties and give landlocked Afghanistan a larger access to Indian markets. It should benefit the Afghan farmers, giving them a quick access to Indian markets for their perishable produce.
20/06/17 PTI/Business Standard

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No-Fly list: Controversial tweets, jokes at airport security cost passengers abroad their air travel tickets

Terrorist activities and the grave events that took place on 9/11 shaped the no-fly list in the US that began a decade ago. Now with MPs hitting airline staff members with chapals and threatening to break airline property, India will soon have a no-fly list too.

The rules for this list attempting to tame unruly passengers is anticipated to be decided upon by the government in the first week of July.

After a Shiv Sena MP – Ravindra Gaikwad was accused for beating up an Air India official, he was grounded by many domestic carriers until he wrote a written apology to the government apologising for his actions.

Days after the event, an MP from Telugu Desam Party Diwakar Reddy was banned from IndiGo airlines and other carriers for allegedly shoving the airline staff and threatening to break airport property.

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has come up with a draft rule that prohibits drunk passengers in the aircraft; smoking individuals; failing to obey commands of aircraft commander and acting in a disruptive manner.

Disruptive behaviour as defined in the draft rules state, “Use of any threatening , abusive or insulting words towards a member of the crew; behaving in a threatening, abusive, insulting or disorderly manner towards a member of the crew or intentionally interfering with the performance of a crew member.”

Certain countries like the US have put people on no-fly lists on the basis of racial or religious backgrounds of the people. In his second executive order on immigration, President Donald Trump barred citizens of six Muslim dominated countries from entering the US.

While we hope that India does not take a leaf out of the book on racial discrimination while forming the no-fly list rules, here’s a list of things which people did and got grounded by airlines for.
21/06/17 Yoshita Rao/ZeeBiz

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1 crore passengers flying in a month: New high in home traffic

New Delhi: Indians are travelling like never before this summer holiday season. May 2017 has, for the first time, seen one crore passengers flying within the country in a month. Summer holidays begin around mid-May, which is when the surge began.
According to DGCA data, May 2017, the month registered a 17.4% increase in domestic flyers over 2016, which recorded 86.7 lakh domestic flyers. The surge has come despite the increase in airfares since early this year on account of rising crude oil prices.
Low-cost carriers rule the skies, with IndiGo, SpiceJet, GoAir and others accounting for almost two-thirds of all domestic flyers. IndiGo alone has 41.2% of the market share for domestic air travel, followed by Jet (17.6%) at a very distant second.
"The bookings for June are also very robust. The lean season will begin from next month, but will be fortunately short this year as the festive season is starting in September," said an airline official. The January to May 2017 period has seen 4.6 crore domestic flyers, up 17.6% from last year.
20/06/17 Times of India

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Local carriers wrestle with cashflow crunch

Chennai: Even as the central government is bent on promoting affordable air travel in India, small private aircraft carriers have begun to be forced to the wayside. On Sunday, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation notified that it had cancelled the operating licenses of Air Carnival — a Coimbatore-based single aircraft carrier.

According to the DGCA, the reason behind the cancellation was that the carrier had been unable to operate flights since grounding its single aircraft earlier this year, in April. Sources in the DGCA say that the company has been plagued with financial problems. The DGCA had also suspended licenses of regional carriers Air Costa and Air Pegasus for having been unable to operate flights.

“Its aircraft has been deregistered and seized by the lessor. This is very similar to what happened with Air Pegasus, but the latter has managed to find some financial backers,” pointed out a senior industry analyst.
Air Pegasus had been deprived of its Air Operator Permit (AOP) in March 2016, after facing similar trouble with the lessors of its two aircraft. While not in operation since July 27, 2016, the airline said in April that it has applied for permits to import an aircraft and begin operations again
20/06/17 Jonathan Ananda/Indian Express

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IBS Software emerges winner in IATA hackathon

Thiruvananthapuram: IBS Software emerged the winner at the NDC (new distribution capacity) Hackathon for corporates held by the International Air Transport Association (IATA) in Dublin, Ireland, last month.

IBS Software will now have the opportunity to present the award winning app to over 700 senior stakeholders in the air transport industry at the World Passenger Symposium in Barcelona later in the year.

IATA hackathons (this was the fourth such event) are intended to encourage fresh, innovative solutions to enhance airline retailing through the use of NDC-capable APIs (application programming interface).

The winning teams have the opportunity to present their solutions at industry forums for wider acceptance.

Amadeus and SITA were among the winners in the 2016 edition of the IATA NDC hackathon.

Code named ‘Pho Tra’, the app developed and showcased by IBS Software enables leisure travellers to plan their entire travel itinerary at a click on the Internet image of their dream destination.

The app identifies the destination from the image and then, in real time, plugs into a range of compatible APIs from third parties –hotels, car rentals, airport locations, flight reservations and even carbon foot print calculations - and build a fully automated comprehensive tour package. For the leisure travellers, the app will help in several ways. It will significantly reduce time to complete the itinerary booking, make the whole process hassle free, offer the lowest possible rates and even give the option of alternate itineraries.
21/06/17 Business Line

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GST unlikely to impact ticket prices, airline industry

Mumbai: The onset of Goods and Services Tax (GST) with effect from 1 July 2017 is unlikely to impact airline ticket prices and the sector is fully prepared to implement it, according to Sinha.

"GST will be beneficial for the sector but prices will not be impacted due to it. The aviation sector is fully prepared for 1 July roll out of GST," Sinha said.

We had a meeting recently where we went through all of the issues. Many of the issues were clarified subsequent to that and we are going to be soon having another meeting where we will be providing further details and making sure that all systems are good for the roll out. We have been collaborating closely with the Ministry of Finance to make sure that everybody is ready for the rollout on 1 July, Sinha said.
20/06/17 Benny Antony/Deccan Herald

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'No-fly norms will ensure balance among stakeholder interests'

Mumbai: The Civil Aviation Ministry would ensure that the norms for no-fly list, to be finalised in the first week of July, balances the interests of all stakeholders, according to Union Minister Jayant Sinha.
Noting that the ministry has received "very comprehensive and exhaustive feedback" from the stakeholders on the proposed rules to deal with unruly passengers, the Minister of State for Civil Aviation said the norms are being finalised.
The ministry has already come out with draft rules for a 'national no-fly list' of unruly passengers for all domestic carriers, under which the flying ban could extend from at least three months to an indefinite period.
"National no fly norms are being finalised... we will be issuing it in the first week of July. We have received very comprehensive and exhaustive feedback from stakeholders. We will ensure that it balances out all stakeholders' interests," Sinha said here.
The proposed issuance of the norms assume significance amid a Lok Sabha member currently being barred by most major local carriers for unruly behaviour.
TDP member J C Diwakar Reddy has been banned by major airlines from taking their flights following allegedly creating the ruckus at Vizag airport last week as he was denied boarding by IndiGo. Reddy belongs to the same party as that of Civil Aviation Minister Ashok Gajapathi Raju.
20/06/17 PTI/Times of India

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Fresh MoU to be signed for Visakhapatnam heli-tourism project

Visakhapatnam: The much-delayed heli-tourism project proposed in the Port City seems to have taken wings as the Visakhapatnam Urban Development Authority (VUDA)  is chalking out plans to revisit the MoU signed with Sky Choppers Logistics Private Limited (SCLPL) for operating the services.
Though the VUDA signed the pact with SCLPL in 2016 to launch the project from October last, the plan didn’t materialise for various reasons.

As per the pact, the private firm was supposed to operate the heli-tourism services from VUDA Park to Kailasagiri, VUDA Park to Bheemili as well as VUDA Park to Araku Valley. Besides, the agency also had planned to operate seaplanes between Vijayawada and Kakinada and Vijayawada and Vizag, landing near Mangamaripeta region for which the works did not take off.

According to sources, then the VUDA had almost cancelled the agreement and was trying to rope in public sector helicopter carrier Pawan Hans for the project.

For the purpose, the VUDA has also constructed a helipad and three rest-rooms at the VUDA Park.

19/06/17 New Indian Express

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Domestic flyers to pay more from July

Thiruvananthapuram: The chances of a waiver in the User Development Fee (UDF), to be hiked from July 1 in the premier airport of the State here, appear to have disappeared wih the Airports Economic Regulatory Authority (AERA) asking the Airports Authority of India to collect the new aeronautical tariffs from the notified date.

With this, embarking passengers in the domestic sector will also have to pay UDF of ₹450 or US $11.28 from July 1 as per the AERA’s new aeronautical tariffs of Thiuvananthapuram international airport for the second control period from April 1, 2016 to March 31, 2021.

Those flying in the international sector will have to pay ₹950 or US $23.81 as UDF instead of the present ₹575. The June 2 order was issued by the AERA on the basis of a proposal submitted by the Airports Authority of India (AAI) to enable the latter recover its investments.

The order is after seeking the opinion of the stakeholders on the AERA consultation paper. A top AAI official told The Hindu on Sunday that all procedures, including the holding of public hearing were held in New Delhi by the AERA before the orders were issued, and that the flyers would have to pay the revised UDF.
19/06/17 S. Anil Radhakrishnan/The Hindu

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Jayant Sinha: Trying to change face of India's aviation sector

After demonstrating an outstanding performance in Finance, for months, an IIT graduate and Harvard MBA, Jayant Sinha, seems to be one of the most underutilised ministers in the Narendra Modi Cabinet, feel many.

A former venture capitalist, Jayant has got the knowledge of the competitive corporate world's experience to handle as diverse sectors as IT, finance, investment, commerce, energy, telecom and industries. He has not only studied the subjects, but has also led from the front, to guide his companies to good profit in the competitive US and Indian markets. He has the capacity to deliver through his astute planning and strategic execution, feel people who have seen him work. As the Minister of State for Civil Aviation he is currently involved in making his aviation ministry's subsidy-based regional scheme — Ude Desh Ka Aaam Nagrik (UDAN) — a success. The idea is to connect smaller cities having small airports with the bigger cities. Jayant's endeavour is to strengthen the airport infrastructure plan through the new aviation policy.

Countrywide 72 airports will be utilised for a total of 108 new routes, creating about 13 lakh seats, for passengers. Sinha means business and with a subsidy of Rs 200 crore annually, he is aiming to transform the aviation scene in the country. His own constituency Hazaribagh in Jharkhand is among one of the centres where small airport will be developed.
19/06/17 Prakash Bhandari/DNA

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No departure cards for those flying abroad from July 1

New Delhi: Indians flying abroad will not be required to fill departure cards from next month.

However, those going out of the country via rail, seaport and land immigration checkposts will have to fill the embarkation card.

"It has been decided to discontinue the practice of filling up of the departure card by Indians at all international airports with effect from July 1, 2017," an order issued by the Union home ministry said.

The move is aimed at ensuring hassle-free movement of Indians going abroad.

At present, those going abroad need to fill in details such as name, date of birth, passport number, address in India, flight number and date of boarding in the departure card.

"The same information (about the passengers) is available in the system from other sources," the home ministry order said, citing reasons behind its move.
The decision will help reducing the time required to complete immigration related formalities by passengers and also enable airports and authorities concerned to cater to a larger number of people.

The need for Indians to fill such cards on their arrival in India has already been done away with.
19/06/17 PTI/Economic Times

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Airlines Monsoon Sale Roundup: Details On Flight Tickets Under Rs. 1,000

The monsoon season -- traditionally a lean season for travel -- has seen a rise 27 per cent growth in airline searches for domestic destinations compared to last year as airlines lure travellers with attractive offers, online travel portal Cleartrip said. Domestic carriers like Air India, Spice Jet and Indigo are offering tickets to popular tourist spots around the country under Rs. 1,000. Starting from as low as Rs. 706, here is a roundup of the lowest airline fares available on domestic flights this monsoon season.

On Air India:
Book one-way flight tickets at Rs.706 (all inclusive) on Air India.
Book your tickets in advance to avail the best discounts.
This offer is valid on Air India on select sectors in the domestic network only.
Travel period for this offer is between July 1, 2017 - September 20, 2017.
This is a limited period offer valid till June 21, 2017.

On SpiceJet:
Book one-way flight tickets at Rs.799 (all inclusive) on SpiceJet.
Book your tickets in advance to avail the best discounts.
This offer is valid on selected sectors and selected flights only.
This offer is applicable only on Domestic Non-Stop flights.
Travel period for this offer is between June 26, 2017 - September 14, 2017.
This is a limited period offer valid till June 18, 2017.

On IndiGo:
 All inclusive one-way fares starting at Rs.899 available on IndiGo.
This offer is valid on select sectors and select flights only.
This offer is valid on non-stop flights operating on IndiGo domestic network only.
Travel period for this offer is between July 1, 2017 - September 30, 2017.
This is a limited period offer valid till June 18, 2017.

18/06/17 NDTV Profit

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Fares descend to Rs 749 as airlines vie for monsoon biz

 Bengaluru: Airlines are rolling out huge discounts for the monsoon — fares start at Rs 749 for economy class tickets.
Jet Airways, Vistara, IndiGo, GoAir and Air India are among the airlines offering huge fare cuts. On Air Asia, a Bengaluru-Kuala Lumpur all-inclusive return ticket comes for Rs 7,099.

Domestic offers
The Air India Saavan sale — open between June 17 and 21 — covers domestic travel between July 1 and September 20.

Vistara’s ‘Great Monsoon Sale’ features all-inclusive fares starting at Rs 849. In premium economy, its lowest fare is Rs 2,099.

IndiGo fares start at Rs 899 for domestic destinations. The low-cost carrier is also offering discount vouchers of Rs 899 on other routes.

GoAir, whose sale ended on Saturday, had fares starting at Rs 899 onwards for travel between July 1 and September 30. Jet Airways domestic tickets are priced at Rs 1,111.

Various travel portals like MakeMyTrip, Via and Yatra are also running their own deals.

Routine pattern
So what’s driving prices down? Experts say the monsoon brings a drop of 5-8% in passenger load for airlines.

“The airlines offer such discounts to encourage passengers to advance their bookings. This is to maintain cash flows in what is seen as a lean period,” an official from via.com, an online ticketing platform, told DH.
17/06/17 Furquan Moharkan/Deccan Herald

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No-fly list likely in July, but airlines’ crew wary

New Delhi: Passengers, including dignitaries, with unruly behaviour may soon face a ban on flying that may extend for life. Aviation secretary R N Choubey has told TOI that a no-fly list will come into effect in the first week of July.
The announcement comes days after TDP MP Diwakar Reddy was banned from domestic airlines after misbehaving with staff at Visakhapatnam airport.
Asked if the government was reviewing procedures in the wake of the Reddy episode, Choubey said: "We will shortly have an internal meeting in the (civil aviation) ministry to finalise the no-fly list by the end of this month... Once published, it will immediately be in force and then all unruly passengers will be covered by it."
The government is still in talks with airlines to link Aadhaar or some other identity document with the booking of tickets, even domestic ones, so that those on the list do not buy tickets under false names, and the process is likely to take time.
18/06/17 Saurabh Sinha/Times of India

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Centre to make indigenous navigation system mandatory for new aircraft

Chennai: The Centre is soon expected to issue the notification to make GAGAN, the indigenously developed navigation system, mandatory for new aircraft registered in the country from January 1, 2019.
This would enable the country to break free from the over-dependence on the international tech regime led by the Global Positioning System (GPS) of the United States and Global Navigation Satellite System (GLONASS) of Russia, while also plugging the gap in covering the equatorial region.
Speaking to Express, sources in the Ministry of Civil Aviation confirmed that GAGAN (or GPS Aided GEO Augmented Navigation), jointly developed by Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and the Airports Authority of India, is ready for full optimisation and has obtained an international certification for approach and precision landing operations (APV1/1.5) over the subcontinent.

The Director General of Civil Aviation has conducted rigorous ground tests for two years meeting the prescribed international civil aviation requirements, said ISRO chairman AS Kiran Kumar, adding that GAGAN-compliance would very soon be made mandatory for aircraft. “Any GAGAN-enabled receiver will provide accurate positional information which can be relied upon,” he said.

India is only the fourth country in the world to have the capability to provide certified satellite-based augmentation services over its Flight Information Region, thus elevating it to the group of elite nations that can provide a platform for transition to satellite based navigation.
18/06/17 SV Krishna Chaitanya/New Indian Express

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Chopper service will increase footfall in Gurez valley: Shah

Srinagar: Jammu and Kashmir government has introduced helicopter services to the picturesque Gurez valley in the north, a move aimed at increasing the tourist footfall to the area.

The chopper service service between the border town and Srinagar was launched by Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti on April 19.

"Gurez is very popular due to its scenic beauty and it offers host of opportunities in adventure tourism. But very few people visit the place as it remains closed during the winter months and also the snow deteriorates the condition of the roads leading to Gurez.

"We are introducing the helicopter services at highly subsidised rates so that travellers especially adventure lovers are encouraged to visit the place," Director Tourism, Kashmir, Mahmood A Shah said here today.

Shah said the department of Tourism Kashmir has been appointed as its nodal agency and it would also organise mega Gurez festival in order to go whole hog for its promotion.
17/06/17 Outlook

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India's Aequs Now a Global Aerospace Player

Subcontractor for precision machining, sheet metal fabrication, assembly, forging and special processing for OEMs and Tier 1 customers, India’s decade-old Aequs Aerospace (Hall 2b, Stand E170) has been on a consistent and disciplined growth trajectory, especially in the past two years. Global acquisitions have helped the company locate closer to a regional customer base and help complement its technical capabilities across the value chain for mechanical parts, Aravind Melligeri, chairman and CEO of Aequs, told AIN.

“Our goal at the 2017 Paris Airshow is to show what we are offering to the world…an ability to deliver value and quality for components of landing gears, actuators and engines parts, including machining capability—[also] including 4D machining,” said Melligeri.

Headquartered in Belagavi in the southern state of Karnataka close to Goa, Aequs is located on a 250-acre Special Economic Zone (SEZ) with 21 facilities and room to grow. An SEZ is an exclusive customs bonded area created for promoting export-oriented companies, supported by excellent integrated infrastructure.
17/06/17 Neelam Mathews/AINonline

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Diwakar Reddy airport row: Govt’s proposed no-fly list will only affect passengers, not MPs

The civil aviation ministry’s proposed national no-fly list that came about because of unruly behaviour of Members of Parliament will not hit the politicians who shamelessly exhibit such behaviour repeatedly, say aviation sector experts.

The recent episode involving Telugu Desam party lawmaker JC Diwakar Reddy damaging airport property at the Visakhapatnman airport on Thursday morning because he was denied a boarding pass by IndiGo for arriving late has led to a slew of airlines banning him. But ironically, Reddy was able to take the same flight in spite of smashing a printer and creating a hullabaloo at the airport.
What is shocking is that all this took place while Civil Aviation Minister Ashok Gajapathy Raju, also from the TDP, was present in the airport and admitted Reddy was late. Reddy is a repeat offender and has done the same in the past.

The government framing a draft no-fly list and coming out with it makes India the first country in the world to do so, said D Sudhakar Reddy, founder of the Chennai-based Air Passengers Association of India (APAI). China had compiled a list but did not go through with the plan. Presently, only the United States has a list but it is only for terrorists and those persons considered to be a safety risk to the country, the flight and its passengers.

APAI was formed in 1989 by Sudhakar to take up issues with regulators on behalf of airline passengers. The association came into being when the Indian Airlines flight Sudhakar was to board was delayed by over 27 hours.

“The government framing such a list will not impact the parliamentarians as they will close ranks with their colleagues,” he said. Instead, he feels that the common people will be victims of the list, when it becomes a reality. “When a flight is late and there is no one in the information counter to give details to the irated passengers and they shout and scream, the authorities can use it to target passengers under the no-fly list. Often, airlines don’t provide no information and also meals or snacks as they are supposed to when a flight is delayed for long hours. When passengers are delayed and receive shabby treatment, they are bound to vent their anger by shouting. Or first time travellers could get excited in such circumstances – long delays, lack of information, etc—and shout.” In all such instances, the common man will be targeted under the no-fly ban, feels Sudhakar.
17/06/17 Sulekha Nair/First Post

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Aviation Minister Raju says security won't be compromised

Vijaynagram/Ranchi: Union Minister for Civil Aviation Ashok Gajapathi Raju on Friday condemned the ruckus created by Telugu Desam Party (TDP) MP J. C. Diwakar Reddy and said the security of the people travelling is of utmost importance which will not be compromised at any cost.

"Security is of utmost importance in the airlines and it cannot be compromised," Raju said, who is also from the TDP.

Meanwhile, Minister of State for Civil Aviation Jayant Sinha referred the incident as extremely 'unfortunate' and hoped that such incidents won't be repeated in future.

"For future, we are planning to bring no fly list. We hope that such incidents will not take place in future and if it will take place then we will tackle the issue as soon as possible," said Sinha.

Earlier in the day, Raju refuted reports that he helped Reddy from getting a boarding pass.
16/06/17 ANI/ABP Live

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6 times VIPs and Celebrities didn't pass the airline test with flying colours

Telugu Desam Party MP Diwakar Reddy
Indigo airlines banned the Telugu Desam Party MP Diwakar Reddy for misbehaving with airport staff after he was denied entry for coming in late. Joining the ban wagon, 6 other airlines decided to ban Mr. Reddy as well. These include Air Asia, Jet Airways, Spice Jet, Go Air and Vistara. However, the MP was allowed to take his flight but has been banned from travelling with the airline in the future.

Shiv Sena MP Ravindra Gaikwad
Shiv Sena MP Ravindra Gaikwad is popular among airlines for all the wrong reasons. After a video of him assaulting a senior Air India officer went viral, all the Indian domestic carriers  like Spice jet, Indigo, Air India, Jet Airways and Go Air banned him.
Katrina Kaif

Jet Airways blacklisted Bollywood actress, Katrina Kaif after several instances of her speaking rudely to the airline staff. Staff claims that she was disrespectful and didn’t even speak to them directly, it was reported.

Sonu Nigam
 Although he meant well, Sonu Nigam got a few crew members taken off flight duty for breaking the protocol and singing for his fellow travellers using the flight announcement system. While all the passengers enjoyed his performance, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation asked Jet airways to take serious action keeping in mind safety measures.

Priyanka Chopra
Priyanka Chopra blamed a fellow passenger of seeking attention when he raised a complaint against her. What happened was this: Chopra was reportedly using her cell phone when the Emirates flight was about to take off. The Hindustan Times reported both sides of the story; while the co-passenger claimed she was using her phone, Chopra denied the allegation completely.

Payal Rohatgi
Payal Rohatgi was refused entry for her 6.50 am flight after she reached the boarding gate at 6.20 am. However, she did not take their refusal too well and ranted on social media. She uploaded a video talking about her unpleasant experience but the response she received was completely opposite. People criticized her for being late.
 16/06/17  Roshini Jacob/Asianet Newsable

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India, Afghan all set to trade through air

Sky is the limit for friendship between India and Afghanistan, literally. Facing constant roadblocks from Pakistan to carry out their bilateral trade through land route, India and Afghanistan are all set to trade through air. They are opening a dedicated air freight corridor to supply their goods and make trade easier.

The decision to have an air freight corridor was taken in December in Amritsar ahead of the Heart of Asia Summit where Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Afghanistan President Ashraf Ghani announced the unique initiative. Two countries are forced to use air route following Pakistan’s trouble making attitude and preventing India-Afghanistan trade though land. The move will provide the private sector in Afghanistan a platform to increase their exports to India and help Indian goods reach Kabul in a time-bound manner.
The first batch of Indian commercial goods will take off from New Delhi for Kabul this weekend while another set of freight with Afghanistan’s agro-products is expected to return shortly. A warm reception has been planned by the Government at the Delhi airport to send off the first flight — by Ariana Airlines — that will take off for Kabul.

“In view of difficulties faced on the ground, an air freight corridor between India and Afghanistan has been activated. “The frequency of the flights under the project would be determined depending on commercial viability as it was a business venture which is supported greatly by the two Governments,” said Gopal Baglay, Ministry of External Affairs Spokesperson. He added the flights will fly over the Pakistan airspace as it is a civil plane.
17/06/17 Daily Pioneer

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Dassault Aviation interacts with aerospace industry players in India

New Delhi: Dassault Aviation, makers of the Rafale jet, along with Reliance Defence today interacted with players from the aerospace industry to promote Business-to-Business interactions between the French and Indian aerospace manufacturers. “The ambition is to develop a complete supply chain allowing the completion of the existing ambitious Rafale (50 per cent) offsets obligations,” a statement from Dassault Aviation said.
In September last year, India signed a 7.87 billion euros with France to acquire 36 Rafale jets for the Indian Air Force. The 50 per cent offset clause means that Indian businesses, both big and small, will gain work to the tune of over three billion Euros.
This B2B interface between the French and domestic entrepreneurs aims to deepen existing links, create new opportunities of collaboration and work towards establishing a defence manufacturing eco-system in India, the statement said.
5/06/17 PTI/Indian Express

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Airlines to comply with GST rollout from July 1 despite grave concerns

Aviation Ministry has abandoned the idea of postponing the Goods & Services Tax (GST) rollout date after a meeting with all the aviation stakeholders.

Jayant Sinha, Minister of State for Civil Aviation, on Thursday said that the aviation authority is ready for the July 1 roll-out.

“Concerns were satisfactorily addressed,” Sinha said in a tweet. On Wednesday, the ministry held a discussion with all stakeholders, including airlines and airport on preparedness for GST.
Earlier this week, the Civil Aviation ministry in a letter had requested the Finance Ministry to postpone the GST roll-out date by two months as airlines needed more refurbishing-time in order to comply with the new tax regime.

The Goods and Services tax (GST), aiming to integrate all indirect taxes, is set to be implemented from July 1 as of now.

Although, the Aviation Ministry did do a U-turn on its decision, the problems faced by airlines are concerning.
16/06/17 Moneycontrol.com

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Naval Pilots receive top honours at Passing-Out Parade

Chennai: Elevan Naval Pilots were awarded the "Wings" upon successfully completion of the 17-01 Helicopter Conversion Course during the Passing-Out Parade held at the Naval Air Station Rajali, Arakkonam, near, here, today.

The pilots underwent "rigorous" training for 21 weeks in flying and aviation subjects at the Naval Air Squadron 561, Helicopter Training School commanded by Captain Rajan Kapoor, an official release said.

Director General, Project Varsha, Integrated Headquarters, Ministry of Defence (Navy), Rear Admiral, Mukul Asthana was the Chief Guest on the occasion.

Nearly 682 pilots have successfully graduated from the school for Navy and Coast Guard till date, it said.

Commanded by Commodore VK Pisharody, INS Rajali is the largest operational air base of the Navy which celebrated the silver jubilee in March.

Mukul Asthana presented the "Governor of Kerala Rolling Trophy" to Lieutenant Commander Rahul Verma for being adjudged as the Best All Round Trainee Pilot.
16/06/17 PTI/Business Standard

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Aviation ministry makes a U-turn, says it’s ready for July 1 GST rollout

New Delhi: Days after seeking deferment of GST rollout to September 1 on the grounds that airlines needed more time for the switchover, the aviation ministry on Thursday said it is ready for a July 1 rollout.
"Discussed preparedness with all aviation stakeholders; concerns were satisfactorily addressed. We are prepared for GST from July 1," minister of state for civil aviation Jayant Sinha tweeted on Thursday. The ministry is sending a letter to the revenue department to this effect.
Earlier this week, the ministry of civil aviation (MoCA) had asked the finance ministry to defer rollout of GST from July 1 to at least September 1 citing full service Indian carriers' inability to switch over to the new tax regime in a month.
MoCA had also sought some changes as GST, in its current form, may favour foreign carriers that offer a onestop service to distant places over Indian airlines that fly there direct.
"For instance, Air India flies nonstop from Delhi to several places in the US like New York, Chicago and San Francisco. Gulf carriers, on the other hand, take Indian travellers to their nearby hubs in places like Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Doha and from there fly them to North America or Europe.
So the GST on the AI ticket will be for the entire India-US route while on Gulf carriers it will only be for India-Dubai route and therefore much less. Due to this, more Indians will opt for Gulf or other airlines that fly to their hubs nearby, working to the detriment of Indian carriers," said an official.
16/06/17 Times of India

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Lenient Policies can propel the Private Aviation Sector

The Indian Civil Aviation sector is going through a trans formative phase with India being one of the fastest growing aviation markets in the world. Given the context, Captain Ammeet K Agarwal & Captain Asif Punathil discuss the future of the private aviation industry.

India’s aviation sector is on a trajectory of growth with the country being the world’s fastest-growing aviation market registering a growth of over 20.3% last year. By the year 2020, India is likely to be the third largest aviation market according to a Ficci-KPMG report. With a market size of approx. USD 16 billion, India currently stands as the ninth-civil aviation market in the world and by FY 2017, the domestic air traffic is predicted to cross 100 million passengers making it the one of the fastest growing aviation markets in the world despite the global economic slowdown. In order to foster growth through Public Private Partnership models, the private sector has been encouraged to become involved in the construction of airports. State support is also meted out as financing, concessional land allotment, tax holidays and other incentives. It is anticipated that the implementation of these new policies will dramatically change the perceived image of private aviation as the exclusive prerogative of billionaires and make it more accessible to corporate travellers. The circumstances remaining conducive, the private jet market in India is also expected to thrive.

Commenting on the prevailing scenario for Private Aviation in India and the rampant claims that the market potential still remains underutilized, Captain Ammeet K Agarwal, President & CEO, Supreme Aviation International says, “I understand you categorize Private as both Private and N.S.O.P. (as well known in India) together, unlike the DGCA or the Govt of India! Our company Supreme Aviation is doing very well, since we operate a commuter airline which is a different module if you compare it with Private. However, the country has huge potential which is still not optimally taken advantage of.”
16/06/17 Voyegers World

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MPs should stay in their limits: former DGCA

Gurugram:  After IndiGo and Air India barred Telugu Desam Party (TDP) MP J.C. Diwakar Reddy from boarding their flights for creating ruckus at the Visakhapatnam airport, former Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) Kanu Gohain said that such incidents are violation of security regulation and Member of Parliament (MPs) should stay in their limits.

"Such incidents are very shameful. This is aviolation of security regulation. MPs should stay in their limits too," Gohain told ANI.

Both IndiGo and Air India yesterday barred Reddy from taking their flights for creating ruckus at the Visakhapatnam airport over boarding pass.

The Indigo airlines approached the Federation of Indian Airlines (FIA) to ban Reddy from Jet Airways, Go Airlines, Spicejet and other members of the FIA.
16/06/17 ABP Live

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Government working on providing low-cost air services

Greeting the audience with a customary 'johad', which is a special way of greeting in Jharkhand, Sinha said, "The government is working on providing low-cost air services to people. After Independence, only 70 airports were made in the country but our government has constructed 33 airports in just one year. The NDA government has ushered in a revolution in the country's aviation industry. In phase one, we focused on infrastructure and in the second phase, we will focus on routes and air connectivity."
Comparing the air connectivity of Ranchi and Gorakhpur, Yogi appealed the Hazaribagh MP to provide more facilities to Gorakhpur, "The population of Gorakhpur is much higher than the combined population of Ranchi and Hazaribagh but Ranchi has 20-22 air services while Gorakhpur has only two. Gorakhpur needs more services and more focus of civil aviation ministry."
15/06/17 Times of India

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GST roll out from July 1: Airlines not ready with new ticketing rules, says Civil Aviation Ministry

Mumbai: The Aviation Ministry has intimated its reservations with the July 1 roll out of the Goods and Services Tax (GST) regime to the Finance Ministry, saying that the some domestic airlines, including national carrier Air India are not yet prepared for it. The former has requested a postpone of GST roll out to September, instead of July, saying that airlines have expressed an inability in shifting to the new tax regime so soon.
A report in The Hindu quoted an anonymous Aviation official as saying, “We have asked the Finance Ministry to give further time for implementation of GST, expressing the airlines’ view that effecting a change in the global ticketing system would require time.” This comes even as the government clarified that there are going to be no delays in the implementation of GST. Revenue Secretary Hasmukh Adhia had warned people against believing any rumors related to delays in GST implementation.
The Aviation Ministry has told Finance Ministry that all full-service airlines like Jet Airways and Air India, rely on Global Distribution System (GDS) software for ticket bookings through travel agents and websites. The system will need to be updated according to the new tax regime and that will require some more time.
15/06/17 India.com

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Pilots drag DGCA to court on notice period issue; call it forced labour

Pilots’ unions have moved the Bombay High Court against the Directorate General of Civil Aviation’s (DGCA’s) draft proposal to increase notice period, from six months to a year.

The petition, filed jointly by Indian Pilots Guild and National Aviators Guild, was mentioned in the court on Tuesday and will come for hearing next Tuesday.

The legal action comes within days of a spat between pilots and the civil aviation regulator over the issue.

In the petition, the unions have pointed out that the notice period required to be given by pilots is a contractual issue between them and the airline, and claimed that rules do not empower the DGCA to revoke a licence of a pilot for non-compliance of notice period.
The unions have said that even with six months notice, it is “exceptionally difficult for pilots to obtain fresh employment”, as other airlines are not willing to wait for such a long period and that extension from six months to a year is unreasonable and unjust. “With a one-year notice period it will be virtually impossible for a pilot to leave one employment and join another and will be tantamount to forced labour,” the petition said.
15/06/17 Aneesh Phadnis/Business Standard

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DigiYatra for a seamless air travel

The Ministry of Civil Aviation introduced a seamless digital experience for air travellers via the DigiYatra initiative to promote the government’s vision of a digitally empowered society.The aim is to make ‘boarding pass and security interactions’ digital to lessen the hassles for passengers.
The initiative comes closely in line with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of a Digital India.
This follows Air Sewa, which brings together all the stakeholders on a common platform for handling customer grievances and disseminating real-time data.
 The Indian aviation market is undeniably a booming one as India is predicted to become one of the major markets for aviation globally, by 2020. The union minister for Civil Aviation, Ashok Gajapathi Raju remained hopeful that DigiYatra initiative will transform the flying experience for passengers and position Indian aviation amongst the most innovative air networks in the world.
The Minister of State for Civil Aviation, Jayant Sinha stated, “DigiYatra initiative aims to bring together entire industry to develop a digital ecosystem that will deliver Indian customers a seamless, consistent and paperless service experience at every touch point of their journey.”
He also added, “The Ministry created a Technical Committee comprising industry stakeholders which will submit its recommendations in 30 days. These propositions would be open for public comments and discussions for another 30 days. These would then be translated into a time-bound action plan.”
15/06/17 Shalini Dasgupta/Media India Group

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Dassault Aviation and Reliance Defence rally Indian aerospace industry

New Delhi: Dassault Aviation and Reliance Defence, in cooperation with its partners, rally the Indian aerospace industry in New Delhi

Today, Dassault Aviation along with its key partner Reliance Defence hosted close to 200 delegates from the aerospace industry, from different parts in India representing over 60 Indian companies and 25 French companies in New Delhi.

This event in cooperation with Rafale Industrial Partners viz. Thales, Safran and MBDA was to promote Business to Business (B2B) interactions between the French and Indian aerospace manufacturers.

In keeping with the Skill India plan of the government, this B2B interface between the French and domestic Indian entrepreneurs aims to deepen existing links, create new opportunities of collaboration and work towards establishing a full-fledged defense manufacturing eco-system in India.

The ambition is to develop a complete supply chain allowing the completion of the existing ambitious Rafale offsets obligations under the Rafale contract signed in September 2016 (obligations representing 50 percent of the total amount of the acquisition contract of 36 Rafale) and build a strong base for the success of Rafale under the ?Make in India? initiative of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
15/06/17 ANI/DNA

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Government plans ‘risk’ profiling of air passengers soon

New Delhi: The government may soon start conducting risk assessment of passengers who choose the “seamless aviation electronic-digital experience” on both, domestic and international flights.

With separate, dedicated corridors for the digital experience — likely to entail fast-track entry into the airport, digital check-in, perhaps along with luggage — passengers’ time at airports is expected to be cut by half, even as their travel track-record flashes on the screens of security officials.

“In case this goes ahead, it will be like a credit card rating done by agencies. Timely payment for a credit card bill results in a good rating, which is lowered in case the person defaults,” said a source, indicating that unruly behaviour by passengers or detection of any attempt to conceal goods that should be declared will reflect in the passenger’s record available with security agencies.

Within the next four months, the government is planning to make it mandatory for all passengers booking air tickets to provide either their Aadhaar, passport or PAN card number, which will be linked with the PNR number in the booking.

Thereafter, passengers who want to check-in and collect boarding passes manually at counters can do so. But passengers who opt for the digital experience will have to either wave their hand over a scanner for finger-print registry or enter the unique identity number from any one of his documents. At that moment, their identity will flash on the screens of security agencies, making it easy to track passengers’ travel records and any past misdemeanours.

The government is also working out regulations for a “no-fly list” that will comprise passengers facing penal action for unruly behaviour and the risk assessment is expected to aid this move.
15/06/17 Sridhar Kumaraswami/Asian Age

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Culinary flights

New Delhi: Frequent fliers often have complain about the food served on the flight ~ one may want to improve the taste of the sandwich, the dosa may not be crispy, the curry too thick or the quantity of food not enough and not tasting as it should. But little does one know how this food is processed and reaches the passengers.

Unlike food on the ground, which is served soon after it is cooked, flight foods have to go through several processes for it to stay fresh and nutritious for several hours.

It takes around at least 18 hours to prepare a single meal and making food tasty in the sky is the major challenge for chefs.

The food served in the plane has to withstand several fluctuations in temperatures, swinging between extreme and moderate, from the moment a meal is cooked or prepared in the kitchen to the time it is served to a passenger. Just like a flight control room, these kitchens too have a control room to know all the flight details. “Which flight is coming next?

Which flight will be flying where? What would be the passengers' preference?

All these one has to take care of in this control room,” explained general manager of Taj SATS, Shashi R Sinha. One has to keep in mind a lot of things before serving food on the flight. International Airline Virgin Atlantics informed that a lot goes into preparing food to be served at 35,000 ft.

“People eat with their eyes before they eat with their mouths, so colours and textures create anticipation of the tastes to follow meaning the visual appearance of a dish is vital," informed the spokesperson from Lufthansa. "We also need to make sure our cabin crew is able to create the dishes and present them to our customers in the aircraft. We also take into consideration the weight and packaging sizes, cooking time and the food safety elements of the storage on-board." Why so tasteless?

Scientifically, while flying high, the humidity in the cabin drops by around 15 per cent, which make sense of smell and taste decrease by 20-25 per cent. Therefore, the transport of smell and taste to the brain becomes slows. At this height, the taste of salt and sweet also decreases.

Therefore flight food is high on salt and sweet. In a bid to maintain the taste in the sky, airlines have to work a little harder. Take for example Virgin Atlantic Airlines, which selects products with a stronger flavour profile to ensure that they are not tasteless on the flight.
15/06/17 Rakesh Kumar/Statesman

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BCAS opposes exempting pilots from sky marshal briefings

New Delhi: Aviation security watchdog BCAS has opposed a demand by airline operators to exempt pilots from the mandatory pre-flight briefing session by sky marshals.
The agency is now awaiting the Home Ministry's views on the matter.
At a recent meeting called by the Civil Aviation Ministry, the airlines demanded that pilots be excused from being briefed by sky marshals before take off, according to sources.
Sky marshals are armed security personnel in plain clothes who travel in select flights to deal with mid-air security emergencies, if any.
The briefing is part of the security drill but the carriers are opposing it on the grounds that on several occasions pilots do not have enough time to switch from one flight to another.
Sources said the BCAS (Bureau of Civil Aviation Security) is opposed to the demand from the airlines as the pilot-in- command is in charge of a flight and should attend the briefing.
13/06/17 Times of India

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With GST, airlines might face taxation air pockets

Mumbai: Airlines seem to be preparing for turbulence with the implementation of the GST regime as certain segments of aviation business, including movement of spare parts, might attract more taxes.

While the Goods and Services Tax (GST) is set to be in place from July 1, lack of clarity in certain areas pertaining to airlines business has raised concerns of higher operational costs, according to industry executives.
Operating in a highly competitive market where the margins are wafer thin, airlines are in a fix over the possibility of movement of "stocks (equipment or aircraft parts)" being taxed under the GST. In addition, the government has not given any tax relief with regard to the import of aircraft and its spare parts.
Besides, the executives feel that input tax credit should be extended for economy class travel and not just for business class travel.

On the basis of GST framework announced, airline industry executives said there is no clarification or exemption to the carriers with respect to "movement of stocks from one state to another when it is not for resale but for captive use".

"If I have to shift a tyre or an engine, then I have to pay GST before moving it... This means that movement of stock (equipment or spare part) even for captive purpose will attract tax. Such a practice is not there anywhere else," a senior executive at a leading airline said.
11/06/17 PTI/Business Standard

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Coast Guard deploys chopper to save drowning person

The Coast Guard today deployed a helicopter along with divers to save a person drowning off Mumbai coast.

"At about 1535 Hrs on 11 Jun 17, information was received at Headquarters Coast Guard (West) about two persons drowning at sea near Priyadarshini Park located at Malabar Hill.

"Acting swiftly, a Coast Guard Helicopter was launched in 'Search and Rescue' mode with Air Divers to save the drowning persons," an official release said.

"Arriving at the location within 10 minutes of take off, the helo searched the area and lowered an Air Diver at the shore for information on drowning persons.

"The people present at the shore informed the Coast Guard diver that only one person had strayed into sea and was seen desperately trying to reach back to shore."

Seeing his condition, some local youths volunteered and jumped into sea to save him.
11/06/17 Business Standard

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This airship can take you places, literally

Bengaluru: A city-based aviation firm is developing an Zeppelin like airship which can be deployed for search, rescue and surveillance purposes.

The helium-based airship which can fly at an altitude of up to 10,000 feet and at a speed of 40 to 50 knots will have a seating capacity of eight to ten passengers including the crew.

"Airships are cost effective and also environmentally-friendly when compared to conventional aircraft and helicopters. They do not require a runway to takeoff and land," said Capt Ashwin Belmar, director, Belmar Aviation which is developing the Airship.

The firm which said that it's the first of its kind attempted in India has already completed the airship's design and has applied for an experimental manufacturer's certificate with the concerned regulatory authorities.

"Once we get the license we can start the development of the prototype which we are confident of completing by the end of the year," Belmar said.

The firm will develop the prototype at its facility in Hoskote and a German design company will be roped in for designing the airship.

"The airship to be built using the dacron fabric will be powered by solar and electric batteries. To start off with we would be developing an experimental eight to ten seater airship ," said Madhusudan, director Belmar Aviation.
12/06/17 Hemanth C S/Bangalore Mirror

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