Boeing in talks with Indian firms to manufacture parts of Apache helicopter

American aviation giant Boeing today said it is in talks with Indian firms to manufacture parts of Apache helicopter, a day after it signed a contract with India for 15 Chinook heavy-lift and 22 attack choppers.
It said the contract for production, training and support of Apache and Chinook helicopters will greatly enhance India’s capabilities across a range of military and humanitarian missions.
India will receive 22 AH-64E Apache attack helicopters and 15 CH-47F Chinook heavy-lift helicopters. Both are the newest models of those choppers and the first one likely to be handed over to India in the next three to four years.
“This is a milestone in Boeing’s expanding commitment to India,” Pratyush Kumar, president, Boeing India said in a press statement.
He said the acquisition offers Boeing an opportunity to further accelerate ‘Make in India’.
“Large sections of the Chinook fuselage are already manufactured in India and discussions are ongoing with our Indian partners to make Apache parts,” he said.
29/09/15 PTI/Financial Express

Read More

Number of chartered flights registered not overwhelming

Vasco: The Airport Authority of India has expressed concern over the lesser number of chartered flights that have been registered with them for arrival for the ensuing season so far. The first chartered flight of this season will be arriving on October 4.

Speaking to ‘The Navhind Times’, airport director K Srinivasa Rao disclosed that the AAI has registered 662 chartered flights for the ensuing season from eight different operators which include Royal Flights (309), FlyDubai (104), Thomas Cook (80), Thomas Airways (57), Nordwind airlines (52), Scot airlines (31), Finn Air (15), Transaero (14).

He disclosed that the number of chartered flights might go up in the coming days; however, till September 29, only 662 chartered flight operators have paid the deposits for their scheduled trips.
30/09/15 Goacom

Read More

India Seeks To Strengthen Unmanned Fleet with Heron UAVs

With its neighbors Pakistan and China developing indigenous UAVs, India has asked Israel to speed the delivery of 10 medium-altitude, long-endurance (MALE) Israel Aerospace Industries’ (IAI) Heron TPs to the Indian Air Force, valued at $400 million at list price. The armed Herons will join the service’s existing fleet of UAVs and are expected to enter service by late 2016.

The IAF already has a large fleet of IAI Searcher and Heron I unmanned aircraft, Harpy UAVs designed to attack radar systems and the expendable Harop, a loitering weapon designed to attack surface targets. It is contemplating forming a “weapon systems cadre” that will include drones and weapons managed by pilots. “The difference will now be that [pilots] will be inducted and promoted as a squad unlike in the past,” the service said.

In March, Pakistan flight-tested the “indigenously developed” Burraq, a MALE unmanned combat aerial vehicle (UCAV), hitting moving targets with the Barq laser-guided missile, which is analogous to the Chinese AR-1. The Burraq gained attention in September when Pakistan’s army claimed  to have used it to kill militants in that country’s uneasy tribal regions.
29/09/15 Neelam Mathews/AINonline

Read More

Free flights for Kerala expats away for long

The Kerala government on Wednesday assured free flights home to expatriates from the state working in the Middle-East who have not been able to visit their kin for a long time.
Announcing this after the weekly cabinet meeting, Chief Minister Oommen Chandy told media persons that with the government's dream project Air Kerala still hanging fire on account of existing aviation rules in the country, "we have decided to move forward on our own".
"The whole purpose of Air Kerala was to charge reasonable air fares from the Kerala diaspora. We all know that the numerous airlines operating the route are just fleecing passengers from the Middle-East," he said.
"Numerous requests to relax rules and thereby allow Air Kerala to take wings neither moved the previous UPA government nor the present central government. So we decided that we will fly our people from the Middle-East, who have not come home for long, for free," the chief minister said.
"For this, our Diaspora Minister K.C. Joseph has got in touch with various Kerala associations in the Middle-East to prepare a list of people who have not returned home for 10 years, seven years and five years.
30/09/15 IANS/India Today

Read More

The flightless flight

There is a significant rise in the number of low cost carriers and reports suggest that India is expected to become the largest aviation market by 2030 but there is still a large section for whom air travel is part of the bucket list. It is beautifully captured in a film called Havai Dada, where a grandfather is nursing a dream of flying in an aircraft and his grand daughter wants to fulfil it. Anupam Kher told us that he was driven by his father’s fascination for air travel. “And when he did, he was excited like a child. He told me, Anupam there comes a time when the plane stops in the sky.” Well, Bahadur Chand Gupta, 58, provides a similar experience in Delhi’s Dwarka. The difference is his plane never takes off. A retired Indian Airlines (IA) flight engineer, Gupta is the proud owner of an Airbus A300. He has spent years restoring and maintaining the craft’s glory so that children and elders could get a feel of a plane for as cheap as Rs.50, without any hidden costs.

“I belong to a small village in Haryana and was the only engineer from my village. When I joined the IA people from my village wanted to see the aircraft from close quarters but due to security reasons that was impossible. That day I thought I should have something outside the security region and this project came into being,” explains Gupta. The chance came in 2003, when Gupta purchased a decommissioned aircraft and established Centre for Civil Aviation Training along with his wife Nirmal Jindal.
Bringing the aircraft to Dwarka was a challenge. “This is a huge aircraft with dimensions of 170 feet by 170 feet and weighing 80 tonnes. The roads leading to this place are very narrow with several wires running overhead. It was a difficult task and to overcome it the aircraft was dismantled into numerous pieces. From chairs to engine, everything was removed and was reassembled here under my supervision.”
30/09/15 Diksha Awasthi/The Hindu

Read More

Aircraft disposal delay proves expensive

Chennai: The delay in taking a decision on disposing of an aircraft owned by the State government, meant for official and emergency use, has resulted in the “unproductive” expenditure of Rs. 1 crore on its maintenance during 2012-14, according to the latest report of the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) of India.

The Cessna Citation V Ultra business jet, which was procured by the State government in 1995 for Rs. 19.85 crore, couldn’t be used since June 2006. After a brief period during which it flew for over 103 hours, the aircraft could not be used for want of pilots after September 2011.

Though a request was made by the Aviation Wing of the Public Department to sanction Rs. 52.18 lakh for training pilots for the aircraft, it was not sanctioned and eventually the only regular pilot was also relieved in November 2012.
30/09/15 Dennis S Jesudasan/The Hindu

Read More

Aircraft shifted to HAL returns to Minsk Square as a sculpture

Bengaluru: A made-to-scale stainless steel model of an aircraft, sculpted by artist Yusuf Arakkal and funded by Biocon founder Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw, could soon adorn Minsk Square in the heart of Bengaluru.

Shaw's office has sought city corporation's permission to install the 25x25 ft rendition of an aircraft taking off, on the newly-opened Cubbon Road near the Minsk Square intersection.

Minsk Square earlier displayed an Ajeet aircraft, a 1975-make singleseater interceptor that was decom missioned in 1991.It was shifted to HAL to make way for the Bengaluru Metro project work in 2009.
"This is an actual, basic form of a latest aircraft on the lines of the delta wing (triangular) configuration found on MiG-31 or F-16 fighter planes. I have an aircraft engineering background, you know," said the 70year old artist.
30/09/15 Bharath Joshi/Economic Times

Read More

India proposes pooling of air safety regulators for South Asia

With shortage of air safety regulators posing a challenge, India today proposed pooling of this expert manpower for South Asian region and creating a quality panel to be made available to all the eight countries.
The proposal on sharing of the specialised manpower was made at an aviation safety meeting here even as Union Civil Aviation Minister Ashok Gajapathi Raju underscored the need for making sky safer for aviation.
At the 24th Steering committee Meeting of Co-operative Development of Operational Safety and Continuing Airworthiness (COSCAP)programme for South Asia, Civil Aviation Secretary R N Choubey asked countries to take advantage of GPS-Aided Geo Augmented Navigation (GAGAN) system developed by India.
“The manpower that we get is the same that is available to the private sector…(So) the challenge (before us) is how to recruit and retain the manpower. Even if we are not able to have people directly on our payrolls, can we think of preparing a panel of safety regulators which is available to all the countries in this region,” Choubey said.
29/09/15 PTI/Financial Express

Read More

Regulations, technology crucial for aviation safety: Raju

New Delhi: Civil Aviation Minister P. Ashok Gajapathi Raju on Tuesday said both technology and regulations play an important role for making the skies safer for aviation and called for greater cooperation among south Asian countries for growth of aviation.
Speaking after inaugurating the steering committee meeting of Co-operative Development of Operational Safety and Continuing Airworthiness (COSCAP) - South Asia, he called on COSCAP and SAARC member states to cooperate on various issues concerning the aviation sector to propel its growth, an official statement said.
Civil Aviation Secretary Rajiv Nayan Choubey highlighted that very fast paced growth in technology, passenger traffic and quality manpower challenges as the three major issues staring at safety regulators.

Stressing that adequate infrastructure should be put in place for growth to follow and not vice versa, he invited member countries of the SAARC region and COSCAP to avail the services offered by India's GPS and geo-augmented navigation system (GAGAN) project.
29/09/15 New Kerala

Read More

Climb aboard that chopper for a bird's eye tour of Mumbai

Come Sunday, Mumbaikars as well as tourists will be able to get an aerial view of the cityscape. The state tourism department, with help from a private operator, has kick-started helicopter services for those keen seeing a bird's eye view of the city.

Pune-based charter aviation company Girisons Airways will operate the service from Juhu airport every Sunday. The 15-minute ride will cost Rs3,939 (excluding taxes).

Launching the service on the occasion of World Tourism Day on Sunday, Maharashtra Tourism Development Corporation (MTDC) managing director Paraag Jaiin Nainuttia said, "Mumbai has the most amazing skyline, which offers an impressive and a breathtaking view. There are many tourists' spots which look outstanding from the top. The idea is to provide an enthralling experience to people and boost Maharashtra's tourism. Mumbai attracts a lot of foreign and domestic tourists... Heli-tourism will definitely help in increasing the footfall."
29/09/15 Daily News & Analysis

Read More

US mission in India to search for missing Americans from WW II

New Delhi: A specialised identification and recovery teams from the US have arrived here in search of nearly 400 Americans who remain unaccounted for from the World War II, in Arunachal Pradesh.

This will be the first recovery mission conducted by the Defense Prisoners of War/Missing in Action Accounting Agency (DPAA) in Arunachal Pradesh since December 2009.

The majority of the nearly 400 missing Americans are believed to be located in this area, since the main air resupply route from India to China during the World War II flew over the Himalayas on a route which came to be known as "The Hump", a statement by the American Embassy here said.
28/09/15 PTI/Business Standard

Read More

This October taking a Mumbai-Kathmandu flight will be a costly affair

Mumbai: One-way tickets of Jet Airways between Mumbai-Kathmandu have zoomed to Rs 50,000 in October and above, with only the highest-level economy class fare and business class seats available on the route. On many days economy class seats are not available and only business class seats are being sold.

Jet Airways is the only Indian airline offering four weekly flights on the route and it also connects the Nepal capital via Delhi. The return fare on Mumbai-Kathmandu route works out to be more economical, as lower slab economy class seats are available on return leg. Return tickets on the route are priced between Rs 50,000 and Rs 60,000 on the route in October.

Nepal Airlines also offers direct flights on Mumbai-Kathmandu route with one way tickets priced at Rs 7,500, according to Yatra.com. It, however, flies only twice a week on this route. Tickets on one-stop flights on the route are being sold at upwards of Rs 10,000.
29/09/15 Business Standard

Read More

Badal approves Rs 10 cr for two new aircraft for aero clubs

Chandigarh: Two new aircraft worth Rs 10 crore were on Tuesday approved by Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal for Patiala and Amritsar Civil Aviation clubs.
Presiding over the first meeting of the Punjab State Civil Aviation Council here, the Chief Minister asked the Civil Aviation department to ensure functioning of Aviation clubs at Patiala and Amritsar on the modern lines and spruce them up with latest equipment in terms of these new aircrafts.
Badal also directed the department to undertake renovation and upgradation of the flying club at Ludhiana during the next year.
Taking part in the deliberations, the CEO of the Council, APS Virk, apprised Badal that the academic session of the upcoming Punjab State Aeronautical Engineering College (PSAEC) in the premises of existing flying club Patiala, with an intake capacity of 60 students would begin from 2017.
29/09/15 Tribune India

Read More

India, US ink $3 billion copter deal

New Delhi: Amid Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ongoing visit to the United States, India and the US on Monday in New Delhi inked defence deals worth a total of about $3 billion for the acquisition of 22 Apache attack helicopters and 15 Chinook heavy-lift choppers from American aviation giant Boeing. According to government sources, the defence deal for the 22 Apache helicopters is a hybrid one, with one deal being inked with Boeing for the helicopter and the other being inked with the US government under the Foreign Military Sales (FMS) programme for weapon systems, radars and electronic warfare suites that will be fitted on to the Apache.
The deal for the Chinook heavy-lift helicopters has been inked with Boeing. While the Apache attack helicopters are expected to go to the Indian Air Force this time, all subsequent acquisitions for at-tack helicopters are expe-cted to be for the Army.
The Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) — chaired by Prime Minister Modi — had cleared the two defence deals last week. According to news agency reports, the contract reportedly has clauses to place follow-on orders for 11 more Apaches and seven extra Chinooks, if need be.
29/09/15 AsianAge

Read More

Flights to Patna, Madurai dearer?

New Delhi: The country's largest airport operator Airports Authority of India (AAI) has sought increase in landing and parking fees for airlines at its nearly 80 non-major airports, a move set to make flying expensive on regional routes.

The state-run AAI is likely to categorise the non-major airports into four categories based on annual passenger traffic handled by them and propose differentiated tariff for each class of airports.

Airport sector regulator Airports Economic Regulatory Authority of India (AERA) defines major airports as those having annual passenger throughput in excess of 1.5 million and determines tariff there.

Other airports are non-major airports and their tariff is determined by aviation ministry.
28/09/15 Nirbhay Kumar/mydigitalfc.com

Read More

Wary of birds, IAF asks people not to throw garbage in open

New Delhi: With the Indian Air Force preparing for a scintillating air display on its 83rd anniversary on October 8, the force has requested citizens of Delhi, Ghaziabad and its neighbourhood not to throw garbage and eatables in the open, lest it attracts birds.

Rehearsals for the air display will commence from October 1 and the area over which aircraft will be flying at low levels are Wazirpur Bridge, Karwalnagar, Afjalpur, Shamili, Jiwana, Chandinagar, Hapur, Philkua and Hindan.

"Birds pose a serious threat to flying aircraft. Eatables thrown in open attract birds. To ensure safety to aircraft, pilots and people on the ground, the Indian Air Force request all citizens of Delhi, Ghaziabad and neaighbouring areas not to throw eatables and garbage in open," a statement released by it said.

The air display will commence with flag bearing sky divers of Akash Ganga Team dropping out of AN-32 aircraft in their colourful canopies.
29/09/15 PTI/Business Standard

Read More

Mysuru could be hub for skydiving

Mysuru: The day may not be far when adventure enthusiasts come to Mysuru to take the plunge, with the city’s weather turning out to be its trump card for promoting the sport.

This sport is hugely popular in countries like the United States, Spain, Australia and New Zealand. Mysuru airport is a DGCA-approved drop zone for sky diving.

Realising Mysuru’s potential as a sky-diving destination, Skyriders, a division of Su Kakini Enterprises Private Limited, a certified agency for operating sky diving, has been organising jumps in the city for over six months.

Pratap Simha, Mysuru MP, who on Monday jumped from a height of 13,000 feet, said that barring the monsoon, sky diving can be performed in any season. It can be a means to draw international adventure enthusiasts, he added.
29/09/15 Shankar Bennur/The Hindu

Read More

Ist special flight carrying haj pilgrims from J&K to land in Srinagar tomorrow

First special flight carrying Haj pilgrims from Jammu and Kashmir will arrive at Srinagar International Airport from Saudi Arabia tomorrow for which all arrangements are in place. As many as 6642 pilgrims from Jammu and Kashmir performed the Haj-2015 pilgrimage, where hundreds of pilgrims from different countries lost their lives in crane collapse and stampede.

An official spokesman said with the first batch of pilgrims scheduled to return from Saudi Arabia tomorrow after performing the Hajj, the Minister for Hajj and Auqaf Abdul Rehman Veeri has directed officials for ensuring adequate arrangements to facilitate their hassle free arrival and subsequent smooth journey to their respective destinations.
29/09/15 Web India123

Read More

Newbies sending old airlines into a spin

The newbies are clearly hotting up the war for Indian skies. Fresh entrants like Vistara, Air Asia India, Air Costa, Air Pegasus and True Jet seem all set to challenge the monopoly of incumbent carriers who have long dominated the domestic air space.

As per data released by aviation regulator DGCA, these carriers have in the first eight months of the year increased their market share from 2.5 per cent to 4.9 per cent on the back of improved operating environment.

Besides adding to the spurt in air traffic growth, the new entrants have put downward pressure on yield or average passenger fare charged by airlines. Going forward, the carriers are set to turn the heat on older rivals by adding capacity.

While Vistara will increase its fleet to nine adding two more A320s by year-end, Air Asia India will induct one A320 next month. Air Costa is planning to replace its 67-seater E170 Embraer aircraft with 112-seater E190.
27/09/15 Nirbhay Kumar/mydigitalfc.com

Read More

Pak shot down IAF transport plane in east: Air Cdr Narender

Dehradun: During the 1965 war, Air Commodore Narender Bahadur Singh, then a Wing Commander, carried a reconnaissance mission in East Bengal, then part of Pakistan, while posted in the eastern sector of India that did not see much action.
The 88-year-old fighter pilot, who hails from Amethi but settled in Dehradun, admits candidly that India was not prepared for the war and there was lack of coordination between the Army and the Indian Air Force. “I was posted in Bagdogra then as the Commanding Officer of 20 Wings. We had fighters comprising Vampires and Toofanis in our fleet and were asked to be on alert after the war broke out.
“Following orders from the senior Air Force commander in Siliguri, we were told to take an exploration flight in the eastern part of Pakistan.
27/09/15 Tribune India

Read More

India builds drones, shares blueprints

India is opening up the designs of its first indigenously developed drones to domestic private companies, seeking to spur further technological advances and encourage manufacturing as Prime Minister Narendra Modi modernizes the military.

Previously secret blueprints for the Rustom drones are being made available under a drive to boost the defense industry, a break from the past practice of relying on state-run companies, according to K. Tamilmani, aeronautical director general at the Defense Research & Development Organization in New Delhi.

"We're now talking of sharing everything that we develop," Tamilmani said in an interview. "The concept of public-sector defense companies alone making everything that the Indian armed forces need is gone."
28/09/15 NC Bipindra/Bloomberg News/Arkansas Online

Read More

Make air tickets cheaper, says the PM

According to press reports, the Prime Minister has expressed concern over the predatory pricing of airline tickets. The chairman of the Competition Commission of India has said that capping air fares will violate competition laws.

In a market-oriented economy which has recovered from strict regulation, free competition should be permitted to flourish, and controls like capping of prices should be avoided because they are antithetical to the philosophy of deregulation and market-determined prices. However, recent international experience has demonstrated that unabated and uncontrolled market forces can lead to situations where taxpayers’ money is used for bailouts. The new philosophy is that the ‘invisible hand’ has ‘visible’ implications for the markets as well as the fiscal and monetary policy of the country. Therefore, some regulation and supervision is necessary.

The Indian aviation industry has evolved over a century. Till the late 1980s, the government-owned carrier enjoyed a monopoly. The open- sky policy of 1990 and the Air Corporation Act of 1994 opened the industry to the private sector. Although many airlines entered the industry, most had to leave the market, except for Jet Airways.
28/09/15 Business Line

Read More

Mysuru MP Pratap Simha performs sky diving

Mysuru MP Pratap Simha on Monday took a daring jump from a height of about 13,000 feet as part of his maiden sky diving at the Mysuru airport.

“When I boarded the four-seater Cessna aircraft and reached the desired height for the jump, it was a bit scary. But, when I took the plunge and floated in the air, it turned out to be my lifetime experience. The dive was beyond belief and enormously thrilling,” the BJP MP told The Hindu, after the dive.

This was the 38-year-old first-time MP’s maiden attempt in sky diving. Accompanied by an instructor from the United States, Mr. Simha took the jump, which was conducted by Su Kakini Enterprises Private Limited, the country’s only certified agency for sky diving.
28/09/15 Shankar Bennur/The Hindu

Read More

Govt tightens screws on paragliding training

Panaji: In view of intelligence inputs on terror threats to India, the district magistrate, north Goa, has passed an order mandating all paragliding trainers in the district to obtain prior permission. This is in light of the statement made to the police by an Indian Mujahideen operative, arrested by the Karnataka police, that he was trained in paragliding at Arambol. The order will be in force up to November 23, unless withdrawn earlier.
27/09/15 Times of India

Read More

Sarang team set to leave citizens awestruck today

Nagpur: It's sundown at Sonegaon airbase, and the shimmering orange glow of helicopters gave a different hue. As ground staff were readying up the flying machines for the grand finale, Group Captain AS Abhyankar, commanding officer of Indian Air Force's (IAF) Sarang team, prepared for a briefing session before they called it a day.

After four days of practice, they plan to be up 4 to 5 hours before taking off to the skies at 10am on Sunday. The 12-minute performance showcasing the made in India Dhruv helicopters is expected to leave audience awestruck at the air show.
27/09/15 Times of India

Read More

IAF men and machine dazzle at air show in Nagpur

Nagpur: The Indian Air Force (IAF) today conducted a thrilling display of men and machine at a show where sky jumpers and aircraft presented breathtaking skills and manoeuvring.

The show, 'Air Fest-2015', entertained a colourful Sunday crowd at the Prade Ground of Maintenance Command at Vayusena Nagar here. The event was conducted as part of the 83rd anniversary celebrations of IAF to showcase its various facets and motivate the youth to join the force.

A fly past by MI17 V5 Helicopters and Avro aircraft, aerial display by powered hang glider and aero modelling were among other attractions.

'Akash Ganga', the sky diving team of IAF comprising skillful para jumpers of Paratroops Training School, Agra exhibited their skills during the show.
27/09/15 PTI

Read More

Chopper companies offer joy rides

Mumbai: As Mumbai prepares to bid adieu to its favourite deity on Sunday, private non-scheduled helicopter companies are cashing in on the opportunity and offering joy rides to watch the immersion from the sky. Operators like MAB and YAGNA Aviation have confirmed that bookings are full for immersion joy rides.
These charter companies are charging Rs 6,500 per person for a 15-minute ride and this year too, they will use four-seater Bell 206 helicopters for Ganpati devotees
Till Saturday afternoon, a total 27 persons had booked for the joy ride, up from last year’s total count of 12.
Commenting on the trends this year, an official from MAB Aviation said, “This year, a few companies have booked our helicopter for a sky view of the immersion. We will be in air between 11 am and 3 pm on Sunday.”
Rahul Muchchal, CEO, Accretion Aviation, said, “This year, we are flying over Juhu Beach, Aksa Beach and Gorai.”
Upon being approached by this newspaper, an officer from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) said that these helicopter companies would not be allowed to fly after 6 pm as per DGCA guidelines.
27/09/15 Ashita Dadheech/Asian Age

Read More

AP woman’s liver flown to Madurai, transplanted in Kerala patient

Madurai:  Despite being alerted at the eleventh hour, city traffic police on Saturday successfully cleared the way for the transportation of a liver from the airport to a city hospital, a distance of 20km, in just around 18 minutes. The liver, which belonged to brain dead woman in Nellore in Andhra Pradesh, was transplanted to a 35-year-old man from Kerala in Madurai.

The liver was transported through road from Nellore to Chennai and was airlifted to Madurai. Doctors at the Apollo Hospital, where the transplantation surgery took place, said the liver was harvested at around 4.45 am and reached Chennai after four hours of road travel. After waiting at the Chennai airport for nearly 30 minutes for the flight, the team arrived with the liver at Madurai airport at around 11.05am. It reached the hospital by 11.23am.

This was the fifth liver transplant surgery in Madurai. In the southern region, just one hospital, in Madurai, has carried out liver transplantations so far.
27/09/15 Times of India

Read More

IAF to test transport aircraft landing on Expressway

Agra: After successfully landing French Dassault Mirage 2000 bombers on Yamuna Expressway in May, IAF now plans to use such strips and roads to land heavy lift transport and refueling aircraft, according to officials.

The revelation was made ahead of Air Force Day by Air Commodore S Srinivasan, who is the in-charge of Asia's biggest air base, Kheria whose total asset value is more than $10 billion. Speaking to TOI, Commodore Srinivasan said, "The IAF has been using unpaved roads for making emergency landings, but with the successful landing of Mirage 2000 on Yamuna Expressway we are now focusing on highways and expressway stretches (patches) which can serve us as emergency airstrip in case enemy air power damages our air bases." He added that in future, most variants of IAF aircraft including heavy lift transport and refueling aircraft will land and take off on motor roads to test how practical and feasible the concept is.

Kheria airbase which now primarily serves as hub of refueling and reconnaissance aircraft fitted with AWACS (Airborne Warning and Control System), has more than three dozen aircraft such as IL-76, IL-78, AN-32 and C-130J which the IAF wants to test on Indian roads.
26/09/15 Arvind Chauhan/Times of India

Read More

Govt allots 289 acres to Anil Ambani’s RAL, to be India’s first pvt sector defence aviation unit

Nagpur: The Maharashtra government allotted 289 acres of land to Anil Ambani’s Reliance Aerostructure Ltd (RAL) here for its proposed aircraft and helicopter manufacturing unit Friday. It is going to be India’s first private sector defence manufacturing project. The project is likely to be known as Dhirubhai Ambani Aerospace Park. As part of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s pet project ‘Make in India’, RAL will set up the 6,500 crore unit in Multimodal International Hub Airport at Nagpur (MIHAN) to manufacture military as well as civil aircraft. The unit will also collaborate with Russia to manufacture the Kamov 226T helicopters, besides aerospace platforms. Describing the project as a milestone for MIHAN and Vidarbha, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said, “Anil Ambani has been praising MIHAN during his visits to Russia, France and has in a way served as its brand ambassador. This canvasing of MIHAN will help bring many global companies to MIHAN.”
Reminiscing about his association with Anil Ambani’s father Dhirubhai Ambani, Union Surface Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari said, “I had his blessings when I completed the Mumbai-Pune Expressway as he was initially very apprehensive of the project. For the this project, I told Anil Ambani that MIHAN is the perfect place and he readily agreed to be a part of the project. It will hugely trigger the development of MIHAN.”
26/09/15 Vivek Deshpande/Indian Express

Read More

HC hears plea against air show on holiday, throws it out

Nagpur: The Nagpur bench of Bombay High Court on Friday rejected a plea by an insurance agent for staying 'Air Fest-2015' to be held on Sunday. While hearing the PIL that was filed on urgent basis on Eid holiday, a division bench of Justices Bhushan Gavai and Zaka Haq ruled out any interference in the proposed air show.

The judges also flayed petitioner Harendra Ved for expressing apprehension on event without possessing any expertise. "Any interference at this stage would result in losing the air-show, for which the officers of air-force must have worked for months. We don't find any public interest involved in the petition," the judges observed. Air vice marshal Praveen Bhatt was present during the hearing.

The 68-year-old petitioner through counsel Pramod Kulkarni contended that 'Air Fest-2015' involved various acrobatic activities of helicopters and other aircraft in city's vicinity. Therefore, there was a likelihood of an accident leading to unforeseen casualties. He prayed for shifting the event to Dr Babasaheb International Airport considering safety of citizens. However, assistant solicitor general of India (SGI) Rohit Deo assisted by Mugdha Chandurkar strongly opposed his contention.
26/09/15 Vaibhav Ganjapure/Times of India

Read More

Pawan Hans mulls services to South East Asia, Bhutan

Guwahati: PSU chopper operator Pawan Hans is keen to start services in the near future to South East Asia and Bhutan from here.
The company is also looking to expand its services in the north-east as part of its plans to develop Guwahati as a helicopter hub.
"After establishing connectivity among all major places in the north-east, we will explore possibility to start our services to neighbouring countries and south east Asia," Pawan Hans General Manager (Eastern Region) Sanjay Kumar told PTI today.
24/09/15 PTI/Economic Times

Read More

When their dreams failed to take off

New Delhi: The epaulettes on his white shirt with three golden stripes and a wing insignia on the pocket are the only things that remain of the dream that 25-year-old Anurag Mishra had once while living in Gonda, a small town in U.P., as he sits bedraggled beneath a tent near Delhi's Jantar Mantar.

Mr. Mishra is just one of the nearly 7,000 Commercial Pilot License (CPL) holders in India who find themselves unemployed or doing odd jobs after spending a fortune chasing the dream of becoming a pilot. Mr. Mishra, however, is trying to mark his protest by sitting on a hunger strike at Jantar Mantar, which entered its fifth day on Thursday. He was joined by score of other trained pilots who either never got a job or are out one job at present.

“I come from a very poor family and a small town but I had always dreamed of becoming a pilot one day. Despite it being beyond their means, my parents supported and even sold off our agricultural land to finance my education,” he said. With the money and an education loan from a bank, Mishra completed his training at a flying school in Baramati, Maharashtra. After clearing all examinations and earning his CPL in 2010, Mr. Mishra found himself jobless.
25/09/15 Sidhartha Roy/The Hindu

Read More

Indian Air Force opens up to private development

New Delhi: India is opening up the designs of its first indigenously developed drones to domestic private companies, seeking to spur further technological advances and encourage manufacturing as Prime Minister Narendra Modi modernises the military. Previously secret blueprints for the Rustom drones are being made available under a drive to boost the defence industry, in a break from the past practice of relying on state-run companies, according to Mr K Tamilmani, aeronautical director general at the Defence Research & Development Organisation in New Delhi.

“We’re now talking of sharing everything that we develop,” Mr Tamilmani said in an interview.

“The concept of public-sector defence companies alone making everything that the Indian armed forces needs is gone.”

Modelled on General Atomics’ Predator aircraft, Rustoms are designed for surveillance and target-tracking in areas such as India’s disputed borders with China and Pakistan. Mr Modi’s wider vision is to develop a defence-industrial complex that can improve India’s sometimes poorly equipped forces and curb its reliance on overseas acquisitions.
25/09/15 Today 

Read More

India should get 'return gift': Akhilesh on Boeing deal

Jaipur: With India clearing the 3.1 billion dollar helicopter deal with aviation major Boeing ahead of the Prime Minister's US visit, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav today expressed hope that the country would get a "return gift" from America.

"I heard before leaving on the US trip, the Prime Minister said the chopper deal has been cleared. This is good for the nation and army that they would get new helicopters from (the) US...

"We are very ancient people. There has been a tradition of return gift in our families and society... The PM has gone to the US... Humein badha return gift milna chahiye (we should be getting a huge return gift)," Yadav said, addressing an event of the All India Yuva Yadav Maha Sabha here.

Speaking in the presence of Union Minister of State for Defence Rao Inderjit Singh, Yadav said the deal would be good for the defence ministry.
25/09/15 PTI/Business Standard

Read More

Heritage Flying Expedition held to commemorate 1965 Indo-Pak war

The Heritage Flying Expedition was in news on 22 September 2015 as the Pushpak aircraft, which formed a part of the Heritage Flying Expedition, touched down at Sanganer airport in a ceremony attended by Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje.
The aircraft, which is more than 55-years-old, was used for Air Observation role in the 1965 and 1971 operations. The aircraft was rebuilt and refurbished to flying standards with no modern equipment. Pushpak aircraft is being flown by Brigadier AS Sidhu and Lieutenant Colonel Arvind Saini.
The expedition commenced on 14 September 2015 from Bathinda and flew all along the Western border from Amritsar (Punjab) to Naliya in Kutch (Gujarat).
24/09/15 Jagran Josh

Read More

IGRUA to conduct entrance test II for Commercial Pilot License course 2015

IGRUA offers Ab-initio to CPL Course for issue of CPL with Multi–engine endorsement and Instrument Rating (IR) on Multi-engine Aircraft. Shortlisted candidates shall be inducted as per final merit in batches starting February 2016. Your dreams and aspirations could touch new horizons at IGRUA, the pioneer flying training institution in the country with the state of the art training facilities. Alumni of IGRUA are already flying the Indian skies over the years as pilots in national carriers and private airlines.
Total 100 seats are available, out of which General category has 50 seats, SC will have 15, 08 for ST and 27 for OBC. The duration of this training would be 18 months which may also get extended. The age limit of candidates should be 17 years at the time of joining. General Candidates who have passed English at 10+2 level with minimum 55% Aggregate Marks in Maths & Physics can apply. SC/ST/OBC Candidates who have passed English at 10+2 level with minimum 50% Aggregate Marks in Maths & Physics can also apply.
Candidates will be selected on the basis of Online Written Test, Viva/Interview and Pilot Aptitude Test. Syllabus for written test will include General English, Maths, Physics, Reasoning & Current Affairs.
24/09/15 Prerna Prasad Kambli/PrepSure

Read More

Here’s why Indian airlines want NaMo Govt to scrap Rule 5/20

The NaMo government's decision to remove rules like 5/20 Rule can literally give the ailing Indian aviation industry wings to fly.

Indian airlines, which have already been marred by high input costs and several other restrictive policies, are eagerly looking forward to the removal of this particular rule as well as other norms such as the First Right of Refusal to Air India regarding international routes.

"There is a need to replace the 5/20 Rule in order to equip Indian commercial airline operators with long term financial security and international quality standards. Revisiting this rule will provide incentive for new players to enter the market due to advent of opportunity for enhancing revenues, yields and ultimately, profits," said DS Rawat, general secretary of industry body ASSOCHAM.

Besides, elimination of the rule of First Right of Refusal to Air India will encourage a fair play to all the players in the sector. Industry experts also expect this move to encourage private players to pro-actively participate in the industry.
23/09/15 Purba Das/Business Insider

Read More

Pawan Hans to invest Rs 1,500 crore for better connectivity in north-east region

New Delhi: State-run chopper operator Pawan Hans is likely to invest Rs 1,500 crore for improving the air connectivity and give a boost to tourism in north-east region.

Pawan Hans, pioneer in off-shore helicopter operations in India, will make Guwahati in Assam as its hub for development of the region under a proposed 'hub-and-spoke' model and will also set up engineering training and helicopter pilots training institutes in the region, company sources told PTI.

The model aims at feeding to scheduled airlines and address the viability issues in a systematic manner within the region and a detailed plan in this regard is expected to be unveiled shortly, they said.
23/09/15 PTI/Economic Times

Read More

Pilot goes on hunger strike at Jantar Mantar against unemployment in Civil Aviation

New Delhi: Pilot Anurag Mishra has been on hunger strike from the past four days at Jantar Mantar, Delhi over the increased unemployment in the field of Aviation. Fighting on behalf of 7000 unemployed pilots as told by Prashant Tuteja. Anurag wrote to PMO as well as to Civil Aviation Minister, Pusapati Ashok Gajapathi Raju.
A five member committee consisting of Airline Captains have been formed by Anurag Mishra to propagate the protest.

Speaking on behalf of Anurag, Capt Prashant Tuteja, a member from the committee tells ABP News that Under Secretary of Home Ministry visited Anurag and requested to call off the hunger strike with a promise to take his demands seriously. Also, they were called by Civil Aviation Minister,  Ashok Gajapathi Raju at his office but minister’s OSD took the demands in writing but did not allowed to meet the minister.
24/09/15 Kaveri Varma/ABP Live

Read More

Finishing facility for aviation MSMEs

Bangalore: Lending global touch to defence and aerospace products designed and produced by Bengaluru-based startups and Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs), the state government, in a joint venture with the Centre, has come up with a finishing facility centre at its ambitious Aerospace Park near Kempe Gowda International Airport in Devanahalli. The four-acre Aerospace Common Finishing Facility Centre (ACFFC) will cost Rs 92 crore of which the Centre will provide Rs 47.43 cr while the state will contribute Rs 45.27 cr.

The state cabinet, on Monday, gave its consent for setting up the ACFFC for the benefit of hundreds of small-scale units in Bengaluru and adjoining areas. Speaking to Bangalore Mirror, law and parliamentary affairs minister, TB Jayachandra said, "The new setup will act as an expert organisation lending global touch to the products."
24/09/15 Bangalore Mirror

Read More

Actor Uday Bhaskar in flying mode

Actor Uday Bhaskar who always fond of aircarft, recently got an opportunity for aviation and the star who excited about his ride shared his happiness with fans on social media pages saying, "Awesome ride ever."
23/09/15 Times of India

Read More

Pushpak aircraft reaches Sanganer airport

Jaipur: Pushpak aircraft, which formed a part of the Heritage Flying Expedition conducted by South Western Command to commemorate 50 years of 1965 Indo-Pak war, today touched down at Sanganer airport here in a ceremony attended by Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje.
The flag in ceremony was organised at the State Hanger at the airport where the army commander Lt Gen A K Sahni and other officers were present. Raje appreciated the expedition and encouraged the defence personnel and also asked for details of the plane and its history from the army officers.
24/09/14 PTI/India.com

Read More

With 23.85 lakh flyers, Indigo stays No 1 in India

Mumbai: At 11.25 lakh passengers, Air India flew less than half the number that Indigo did in August. The low-cost airline stayed the market leader carrying 23.85 lakh passengers and commanding a market share of 35.3%, Director General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) data showed. Jet Airways flew 13.39 lakh passengers with a market share of 19.8% while Air India’s share was just 16.6%. SpiceJet and GoAir followed with market shares of 12.3% and 8.1% respectively.
Overall, the number of passengers carried by airlines within the country increased by 20.84% y-o-y to 523.55 lakh from 433.24 lakh in the corresponding period last year.
On the passenger load factor (PLF), which shows the capacity utilisation of an airline and a key parameter of measuring profitability, SpiceJet tops the chart with 92.1% occupancy, on the back of a low fleet and high advance discount selling of tickets. Domestic airlines registered slight decrease in PLF due to the end of the tourist season.
SpiceJet was followed by Jet Airways with 80.8% PLF while Air India stood third with 79.3% PLF.
22/09/15 Financial Express

Read More

SpiceJet has highest load factor at 92%, IndiGo retains a third of market in August

New Delhi - SpiceJet was again able to beat market leader IndiGo and all other airlines with a passenger load factor of 92.1% this August, when domestic air travel grew almost 21 percent year on year.
SpiceJet was in fact the only airline which managed to fill 9 in 10 seats across its aircraft since two other LCC competitors, GoAir and IndiGo, managed only 75.6% and 76.8% load factors respectively, as per DGCA data.
Put simply, this means GoAir and IndiGo were unable to fill about one in four seats when SpiceJet was unable to fill only one in 10. Jet Airways was the second in this packing order since it managed to get 8 in 10 seats filled across its aircraft.
Vistara continued to be at the bottom in this ranking with barely two thirds of its aircraft seats occupied; Air India managed to fill almost 8 in 10 seats while AirAsia India was at 72.1%.
22/09/15 Sindhu Bhattacharya/First Post

Read More

Domestic airlines fly 19 % more passengers in August

New Delhi:  Domestic airlines carried 67.6 lakh passengers in August, a 19 per cent increase from the same period last year.

The latest data from Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) shows that IndiGo maintained its pole position carrying 23.9 lakh passengers or almost a third of the total traffic for the month, followed by Jet Airways (13.4 lakh passengers), Air India (11.3 lakh passengers) and SpiceJet (8.3 lakh passengers). GoAir flew 5.5 lakh passengers, Air Asia 1.3 lakh passengers and Vistara transported just under 1 lakh passengers.

Among regional airlines Air Costa carried 0.62 lakh passengers, while Air Pegasus ferried 0.14 lakh passengers, and new comer Truejet flew 0.18 lakh passengers.
22/09/15 Sanjay Vijayakumar/The Hindu

Read More

The 5/20 rule: To abolish or replace?

New Delhi: Even as the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) has weighed in for the removal of the ‘5/20’ rule (which requires a domestic airline to have a fleet of 20 aircraft and operational experience of five years to start international operations), the civil aviation ministry is deliberating whether there should be a complete abolition or a replacement in lieu of the said eligibility norms for domestic carriers to start international flights. A senior official in the know said, “While the broad mandate is that 5/20 should go, what is being debated on is whether there should be a complete removal of the rule or the abolition should be based on certain conditionalities (which have to be met by Indian airlines).” Four alternates — complete abolition of the 5/20 norm, continuation of the 5/20 norm, replacing 5/20 with a domestic flying credits formula (DFC requires airlines to accruing miles by flying domestic which can be redeemed for overseas flying rights), and an option for domestic airlines to start flying international from the first day on a written assurance that they would meet the DFC threshold within 18-24 months of start of operations — will be put up for public consultation. A final decision will be taken after the public consultation process and in the final civil aviation policy.
23/09/15 Indian Express

Read More

To Shut Down RAW’s Aviation Wing Will Be A Retrograde Step

A national daily recently reported that the Aviation Research Centre, the covert air arm of our external intelligence agency (RAW) would be shut down and its electronic assets and aircraft distributed between the National Technical Research Organisation (NTRO) and the Air Force. I hope this report is not correct.
No reasons have been given why this move is being contemplated at a time when our internal and external security situations have worsened considerably. The report says that this move is aimed at enhancing “intelligence-gathering on China’s military capacities in the Tibet plateau, by integrating satellite-based data gathered by the NTRO with aircraft-based imaging conducted by the ARC.” Surely China is not our only threat.
The report added that the 2012 Naresh Chandra Committee had recommended merging the air wing with RAW. It was “a recommendation that emerged from complaints that the NTRO was not meeting its needs”. Even in March 2014 we heard similar complaints from Sukhma district in Chhattisgarh where Maoists killed 15 policemen, that the police were finding it difficult to coordinate with NTRO’s $220-million worth drone fleet to locate Maoist formations.
22/09/15 Vappala Balachandran/Quint

Read More

Ahead of Modi’s US visit, Govt clears military helicopters deal with American aviation giant Boeing

New Delhi: Ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to the US, the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) today cleared a multi-billion dollar deal for 22 Apache attack helicopters and 15 Chinook heavy-lift choppers with American aviation giant Boeing. “The deal for Apache and Chinook (helicopters) has been cleared,” government sources said. The CCS met after a Cabinet meeting, they said. Many in the defence sector had expected the deal, valued to be over USD 2.5 billion and pending since 2013 following finalisation of cost negotiations, to be signed during the visit of US Defence Secretary Ashton Carter in June this year.
The deal for Apache is “a hybrid one”, with one contract to be signed with Boeing for the helicopter and the other with the US government for its weapons, radars and electronic warfare suites.
22/09/15 PTI/Indian Express

Read More

He flew 57 sorties in a month

He flew 57 sorties in one month, helped the Indian Army in troop induction, evacuation of the injured, air-dropped supplies besides carrying out offensive operations against the Pakistani hideouts.

Wing Commander M.D. Aiyanna (retd.) of Kodagu now settled in Mysuru was then a 23-year-old Flying Officer who saw action early in his career after being inducted into the Indian Air Force on April 18, 1964.

He also had the distinction of flying the then President Dr. S. Radhakrishnan who visited Srinagar and surrounding areas during the peak of war, and later Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri.

Speaking to The Hindu in the run up to the 50th anniversary of the 1965 war, Aiyanna recalled that he was stationed at 109 Helicopter Unit at Chandigarh and got orders to assist the Indian Army in the Kutch area.

“This was before the actual hostilities began on ground sometime in August. We moved to the north of Bhuj in Gujarat and assisted the Indian Army in troop deployment before leaving for Chandigarh in June,” said Wing Commander Aiyanna (retd.).
23/09/15 R. Krishna Kumar/The Hindu

Read More

Swiss-made aircraft to join training fleet at FIS

More than a dozen Swiss-made Pilatus PC-7 Mk II – basic trainer aircraft are expected to join the training fleet at the Flying Instructors’ School (FIS) at the Air Force Station at Tambaram in a couple of months.

“The simulator training for the new basic trainer aircraft has commenced for senior pilots at an enclosure within the campus since June this year. The aircraft are expected to come to Tambaram in a couple of months,” an officer at FIS said.

The two-seater is expected to soon phase out Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL)-made Kiran (HJT-16) aircraft.

“Though several Pilatus PC-7 Mk II aircraft have already joined the Air Force Academy at Hyderabad for training, this is the first time the aircraft from Switzerland would be brought to Tambaram for training,” he said, adding the hangar to house the new trainer aircraft was being constructed.
23/09/15 Dennis S. Jesudasan/The Hindu

Read More

To attract youth, IAF to put on air show in Nagpur

Nagpur: : As a part of the 83rd Anniversary celebration of the Indian Air Force, the 'Air Fest-2015' will be held on September 27 at its Headquarters Maintenance Command in Vayusena Nagar here.

The objective is to motivate the local youth to join IAF, an Indian Air Force statement said here.

The air show will include a formation flypast by MI17 V5 helicopters and Avro aircraft, aerial display by powered Hang Glider and Aero Modeling.

'Akashganga', the sky diving team of IAF comprising para jumpers of Paratroops Training School, Agra, will also exhibit its skills, said Wing Commander Samir Gangakhedkar, Defence PRO, in the release.
22/09/15 PTI/Economic Times

Read More

Despite long standing ties with India, Russia may sell Su-35 Flanker-E fighter to Pakistan

New Delhi: In what would potentially be the largest defence deal between the two countries, the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) is in talks with Russia to buy Su-35 'Flanker-E' fighter aircraft, say IHF Janes reports.

A senior Pakistani government official shared the information while responding to Russian media reports that Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov had said talks were underway for an unspecified number of Su-35s, which follow a recent agreement to provide Mi-35M 'Hind E' attack helicopters to Islamabad.

Though no decision has been made yet and no terms of the deal have been disclosed, discussions between the two countries shows Russia's willingness to sell advanced hardware to Pakistan despite Moscow's longstanding ties with India.
23/09/15 Prameya News7

Read More

Plan to reserve air tickets for last minute flyers stalled?

The Civil Aviation Ministry's plan to reserve adequate number of seats at an affordable fares for the last minute customers flying in some emergency situations seems to have been aborted.
As per a report in the Calcutta Telegraph, the “emergency quota” plan mooted by Union Aviation Minister Ashok Gajapathi Raju cannot be implemented because of inability to “define emergencies or verify the claims of such travellers”
Secondly, the carriers also could not “come up with how an emergency should be defined”, the paper said. Thirdly,  the verification of the genuineness of requests and the deadline to hold such emergency seats also remained a matter of confusion for the airlines, the paper said.
22/09/15 Zee News

Read More

Air taxi to connect cities in UP, Raj & Chhattisgarh

Indore: Air taxi services by state's tourism department a joint venture between MP Tourism Development Corporation and Mumbai-based firm, Supreme Transport Aviation is likely to expand its wings and connect destinations in three more states. With this air taxis would now be flying across 6 states.

According to president and CEO of the firm, Ammeet K Agrawal, air taxi would also be plying in new cities which include Jaipur, Agra, Varanasi and Raipur. "We are trying to extend our inter-state connectivity to Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh other than Gujarat and Maharashtra. We have presented route maps and schedule of aircraft to the MP government which approved it," said Agrawal.

Planes would be flying in 16 cities out of which 6 are out of MP and 10 within. These cities are Indore, Bhopal, Khajuraho, Jabalpur, Gwalior, Satna, Rewa, Umaria (Bandhavgarh), Birwa (Kanha National Park), Sidhi, Raipur, Jaipur, Agra, Varanasi, Ahemdabad and Nagpur, he informed.
21/09/15 Pallavi Nair/Times of India

Read More

Vistara CEO: Scrap 5/20 rule to let Indian aviation soar

Tata-Singapore Airlines' joint venture, Vistara, that started operations in January this year is the third carrier to fly on foreign direct investment (FDI) following the relaxation of the key aviation rules in 2012. Vistara CEO Phee Teik Yeoh in an interview with Nirbhay Kumar shares his growth plan and necessary policy action steps. Excerpts:

In a major relief, jet fuel prices have come down nearly 41 per cent compared with last September. This has made airfare affordable leading to high air traffic growth. Given this, would you accelerate your expansion plans?

While cost of fuel is important, it is just one of the elements influencing our operational plans. From the beginning, Vistara has followed a strategy of measured and sustainable growth which is a strategic combination of customers’ demand, commercial viability and mandatory obligations. Our keen focus on maintaining both service and operational excellence is working well for us and we stay undeterred on this path.

The reduction in the ATF pricing has been a great relief for the entire industry since it constitutes almost half of operational costs. Yet, we cannot predict the price stability or take it for granted. Airlines still continue to face high operating cost and debilitating taxes in India. Today, we are offering 245 weekly frequencies to a total of 10 destinations and we have recently opened bookings for Bhubaneswar and Varanasi. Vistara will offer daily double flights on the Delhi-Bhubaneswar-Delhi route starting October 1, and daily flights to Varanasi from October 21. In our next phase of expansion, we will expand our current fleet of six aircraft to nine by the end of this year.

Going ahead, where do you plan to deploy more capacity — trunk routes or tier-II cities?

Our capacity deployment is based on an interplay of market demand for full service, commercial viability and mandatory obligations. As a full service airline, our primary focus is to serve the corporate and leisure travel market. We are thus flying to destinations which have a clear demand for our services and this includes both metros and non-metros.
21/09/15 Nirbhay Kumar/mydigitalfc.com

Read More

Govt clears multi-billion dollar deal for military choppers

New Delhi: Ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to the US, the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) on Tuesday cleared a multi-billion dollar deal for 22 Apache attack helicopters and 15 Chinook heavy-lift choppers with American aviation giant Boeing.
"The deal for Apache and Chinook (helicopters) has been cleared," government sources said.
The CCS met after a Cabinet meeting, they said. Many in the defence sector had expected the deal, valued to be over USD 2.5 billion and pending since 2013 following finalisation of cost negotiations, to be signed during the visit of US Defence Secretary Ashton Carter in June this year.

The deal for Apache is "a hybrid one", with one contract to be signed with Boeing for the helicopter and the other with the US government for its weapons, radars and electronic warfare suites.
The US has been pushing for this contract as it will further bolster American presence in the burgeoning defence market of India.
22/09/15 PTI/India Today

Read More

India's fuel product consumption increases 6.9% in August 2015

India's fuel product consumption or sales increased 6.9% to 13.792 mt in August 2015 over a year ago. Petrol sales jumped 10.6% to 1.67 mt, while naphtha sales galloped 16.3% to 1.11 mt. Sales of diesel advanced 6.3% to 5.44 mt and LPG improved 7.9% to 1.55 mt. Consumption of bitumen moved up 52.7% to 0.24 mt, while that of petcoke gained 4.6% to 1.23 mt. The consumption of aviation turbine fuel (ATF) rose 5.1% to 0.49 mt, and other products 20% to 0.58 mt. However, the consumption of fuel oil declined 3.7% to 0.54 mt, while that of kerosene also fell 3.2% to 0.57 mt and lubricants 27% to 0.24 mt, in August 2015.
21/09/15 Capital Market/Business Standard

Read More

Airlines may be allowed to handle ground operations under new civil aviation policy

New Delhi: The government is likely to allow airlines to handle ground operations on their own in the country's airports, a key change of stance that will meet the demand of carriers and end a court case on the matter.

The change will be part of the new civil aviation policy, which will be put up in the public domain for discussions by the end of this month.

The government had proposed in 2007 that airlines should outsource ground handling services to one of three agents, including an Air India subsidiary, at the airports of New Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, Hyderabad and Bengaluru. The airlines opposed the move and went to court, seeking continuation of the existing system.

"The policy will allow airlines to continue doing ground handling themselves. The case in courts will immediately end as the government agrees to their demand," said a senior civil aviation ministry official, who did not want to be identified.
21/09/15 Mihir Mishra/Economic Times

Read More

Kochi hospitals gear up for air ambulance service

Kochi: With health minister V S Sivakumar announcing that the air ambulance service will be operational within two months, hospitals in the city will have to look at various options to avail the facility for organ transplants. In the central zone, 14 hospitals from Ernakulam, Kottayam and Thrissur are doing organ transplant with the approval of Kerala Network of Organ Sharing (KNOS).

While the first heart was done using a navy aircraft, doctors are unsure as how the service will be made effective and viable for operators. "For hospitals in the city, the Nehru stadium would be an ideal a landing point. It is the heart which has a time limit of four hours. But if other organs are also transferred with it, then it is a viable option," said Dr Jose Chacko Periappuram the surgeon who was involved in the first air ambulance aided organ transplantation in Kerala.
20/09/15 Sudha Nambudiri/Times of India

Read More

Aerospace Innovation Summit to Take Place in New Delhi 16 October 2015

Boeing and the Indian Institute of Technology Bombay are to convene a summit on aerospace innovation in New Delhi on 16 October 2015.

 Bringing together thought leaders and stakeholders from government, industry, academia and research institutions, the summit will focus on India’s role in the second century of aerospace by exploring ideas that are redefining the future of aerospace and examining the transformative nature of new technologies in space and aviation.

The event is part of a special series of forums and celebrations Boeing is organizing around the world as it approaches its centennial in 2016.

The Boeing story began in 1916 after Bill Boeing flew in a barnstormer’s floatplane over Lake Washington, later remarking, “I think we can build a better one”.
20/09/15 Asia Travel Tips

Read More

Bihar polls: DGCA issues instructions for charter operators

New Delhi:  Campaigning in the upcoming Bihar polls by national leaders is going to face a new challenge -- the limited capacity of Patna airport for handling charter flights. The Patna runway can handle a maximum of 10 flights (five arrivals and as many departures) an hour with the airport open from 7am to 9:15pm.

"The airport has four parking bays for schedule airline aircraft (mainly Boeing 737 and Airbus 320) and one for the smaller charter aircraft. So only one charter plane and come and go at a time. four schedule airlines between themselves operate 180 flights a week," said a senior official of the directorate general of civil aviation (DGCA) who held a meeting with charter operators recently.
19/09/15 Saurabh Sinha/Times of India

Read More

Number of air travellers on a rise in AP: Report

Vijayawada: The number of air passengers from Andhra Pradesh has witnessed a growth of around 52 per cent as against about 18 per cent in the country.

The AP government yesterday released a report on the progress of various departments for the first five months of the current financial year at 2-day District Collectors Conference, chaired by Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu.

As per the report, the total passengers that travelled from 5 existing airports -- Tirupati, Rajahmundry, Visakhapatnam, Vijayawada and Kadapa -- stood at 10,40,320 as against 6,83,861 for the same period of the last financial year.
19/09/15 PTI/Economic Times

Read More

Differently-abled gives wings to his dream, builds own aircraft

Mumbai: His obsession with helicopters began as a toddler. When helicopters came to spray pesticides in rubber estates in the neighbourhood, in Idukki district of Kerala, the three-year-old Saji Thomas ran out in excitement. His mother followed him scolding. She feared the loud whirring would turn him hearing-impaired, not realising her child could hardly hear.

But nothing could stop this hearing- and speech-impaired school dropout from giving wings to his dreams – building and flying an aircraft. At 45, Saji has already built two light-weight aircraft, first just a model and the second that can fly, and is looking to build the third one. He could be a prized possession for any of the world's leading aviation companies like Boeing or Airbus, where innovation and cost effectiveness is the mantra for manufacturing.
A potential poster boy for the Make-in-India campaign is but struggling to make his both ends meet. Ever since he built his first aircraft 11 years ago, in 2005, he is running from pillar to post, seeking a licence for his aircraft so that it can be test flown.

In 2014, Saji took his second aircraft (he calls it Saji-X-Air-S) in a truck to Manimuthar, a flying club in Tamil Nadu. He taxied it on the runway and took it off to a small height since he is not allowed fly above 20 ft. The flight took place under the guidance of a retired IAF wing commander, SKJ Nair.

"He brought his aircraft to the flying club, one evening. I have flown it to see its fitness. It is a perfect aircraft but we cannot fly it unless there is a registration. For a registration, it is mandatory that Saji needs to have the qualification and the aircraft parts have be purchased from authorised companies," says Nair.
Saji has in fact used a bike engine and other low-cost materials for first aircraft as he could not afford to buy expensive parts from authorised dealers. For the second aircraft built with a 65 HP hirth German engine, the aircraft weighs 265 kg and can fly up to a height of 10,000-13,000 feet. Industry experts said the aircraft can be used for sports aviation, recreation and training purposes. It has a speed of 140 km per hour. For an hour's flight, the plane needs 16 litres of petrol. It can fly non-stop for 2-2.5 hours.
19/09/15 Manju AB/Daily News & Analysis

Read More

Modi government plans to cap airfares to make travel affordable for common man

India may witness a mobile phone like revolution in the skies, as the Narendra Modi government is planning to make air travel affordable for common man by putting a cap on airfares at Rs 2,000 or Rs 2,500 per passenger on short distance flights.

The government will bear the extra charge if the cost incurred by an airline exceeds the proposed limit on air tickets. The amount will be paid by levying a cess on national and international flights.
A proposal being weighed by the civil aviation ministry will permit carriers to bid for license to operate flights between many small towns and cities where the travel time is one hour. The proposal has already received in-principle approval from Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

India can emerge as the world's third-largest aviation market if the country enables its 300 million middle class people to travel by plane "at least once a year" by initiating the above measures, a senior civil aviation ministry official, told The Economic Times.
19/09/15 Besta Shankar/International Business Times

Read More

Aviation a potential area for cartelisation, says CCI's Chawla

New Delhi: The Competition Commission of India is not looking at the issue of net neutrality at present, its Chairman Ashok Chawla said on Friday.

"We are keeping a watch on the Government working on the policy. First the sector regulator needs to be clear on the exact definition of net neutrality. Then we can look at the behaviour in the market," Chawla said.

He was addressing the media at the Indian Women's Press Corps here.

CCI is again probing the aviation players and looking at whether cartelisation exists among the top four-five players. "We had looked at it in the past, but found no evidence," Chawla said, adding that theoretically it could be a potential area for cartelisation.
18/09/15 Business Line

Read More

Boeing, IIT to hold aerospace summit in October

US aerospace major Boeing and the Indian Institute of Technology in Bombay will convene a summit on aerospace innovation in New Delhi on October 16 to bring together thought leaders and stakeholders from the government, industry, academia and research institutions.
The focus of the summit will be on India’s role in the second century of aerospace by exploring ideas that are redefining the future of aerospace and examining the transformative nature of new technologies in space and aviation.
The event is part of a special series of forums and celebrations Boeing is organizing around the world as it approaches its centennial in 2016. The Boeing story began in 1916 after Bill Boeing flew in a barnstormer’s floatplane over Lake Washington, later remarking, “I think we can build a better one.”
18/09/15 Financial Express

Read More

RAW Will Contest Doval’s Plan to Shut the Agency’s Aviation Wing

The Research and Analysis Wing (RAW), India’s external intelligence agency, will not allow the government to wind up its aviation and satellite imaging asset, the Aviation Research Centre, The Quint has learnt.
Highly-placed sources in India’s intelligence community revealed that reports which suggested that the government had taken a decision to shut down ARC are “not true”.
A source said to The Quint,
"There has been no decision so far and the RAW leadership is going to put forth its arguments before the government, that it would be unwise to wind up the ARC which has proved to be of immense value to intelligence gathering even as the use of TECHINT [technical intelligence] has grown in recent years and will most certainly expand in the years to come".
Media reports indicated that National Security Advisor (NSA) Ajit Doval’s plan involves doing away with the ARC and transferring its aircraft and electronic assets to the National Technical Research Organisation and the Indian Air Force.
18/09/15 Chandan Nandy/The Quint

Read More

Relook Air India's right of first refusal: Assocham to government

New Delhi: Lobbying for domestic private airlines, industry body Assocham today urged the government to reconsider the 'first right of refusal' granted to national carrier Air India on new routes, to enable corporate-run carriers expand their international network.

"Air India's First Right of Refusal on new routes should be relooked with the objective of private airlines getting fair opportunities to expand their international routes," Assocham said in a paper jointly prepared with Yes Bank.
The paper also called for tweaking or abolishing all together the current norms for international operations by domestic airlines on the grounds that it would "equip Indian commercial airline operators with long term financial security and international quality standards".
18/09/15 PTI/Economic Times

Read More

PM Narendra Modi favours scrapping of 5/20 rule for Indian airlines

New Delhi: Vistara and AirAsia India may soon be able to fly international, as Prime Minister Narendra Modi has favoured scrapping of the 5/20 eligibility rule that bars Indian carriers from flying overseas until they complete five years of domestic service and have a fleet of 20 aircraft.

The PM made his views clear during a meeting on August 25 to discuss the new civil aviation policy, which is being formulated. Removal of the 5/20 rule is part of the proposals. The meeting was also attended by ministers of civil aviation, finance and skill development & entrepreneurship, as well as top officials of the aviation ministry.
Modi told the meeting that the rule should go and no alternative should be introduced, said an official who attended the meeting.
18/09/15 Mihir Mishra/Economic Times

Read More

Airlines roll out discounts in abundance to woo customers

Flash sales in the aviation business are not uncommon. While the low-cost carriers frequently roll out discounted fares, full-service carriers are rather conservative who resort to them for boosting sales during lean months. In India, almost all major airlines woo passengers with discount fares. IndiGo, Jet Airways and Air India have fewer flash sales whereas in SpiceJet and AirAsia India they are more frequent.
SpiceJet, which was acquired by Ajay Singh early this year, has been consistently coming out with discounted fares in order to increase its occupancy. For instance, it has recently announced 3-day flash sales giving 10 per cent (if booking is done online or through call centre) and 15 per cent (booking through mobile app) discounts. The deal is available on 20 routes, including Bengaluru-Delhi, Ahmedabad-Mumbai and Mumbai-Kochi.

Since May, the Gurgaon-based airline has rolled out six flash sales. During the same period, its passenger load factors (PLF), an industry metric for measuring seats occupied as a percentage of total available seats, has skyrocketed to reach the highest in the industry.
17/09/15  Manu Kaushik/Business Today

Read More

RAW to shut down its covert air wing, assets will go to NTRO and IAF

Plans have been firmed up to shut down the Aviation Research Centre (ARC), India’s premier imaging-intelligence organisation, highly-placed government sources have told The Indian Express. The plans, backed by National Security Advisor Ajit Doval, envisage that the ARC’s aircraft and electronics assets will be divided between the National Technical Research Organisation and the Indian Air Force. The organisational restructuring is primarily meant to enhance intelligence-gathering on China’s military capacities in the Tibet plateau, by integrating satellite-based data gathered by the NTRO with aircraft-based imaging conducted by the ARC. NTRO’s imaging capacities, sources said, would be significantly enhanced by the acquisition of ARC electronic suites which are equipped with cloud-penetrating radar, something the satellites it now operates do not possess.
Flying from bases at Charbatia in Orissa, Sarsawa in Uttar Pradesh, Tinsukia in Assam and Palam in Delhi, the ARC operates a fleet equipped with Russian IL-76s, AN-32s, General Dynamics Gulfstream IIIs and Global 5000 jets. It is also equipped with Russian-manufactured Mi-17 and Indian-made Alouette II and III helicopters. The organisation is largely staffed by officers on deputation from the armed forces.
18/09/15 Praveen Swami/Indian Express

Read More

65 flypast set to shut city airspace

New Delhi: Several domestic and international flights to and out of Delhi have been rescheduled for the next three days with the airspace over the capital to be closed 70 minutes daily in view of preparations for the “commemorative carnival” to mark the 1965 Indo-Pak war’s 50th anniversary. The IAF is expected to stage a spectacular flypast that includes its frontline fighter Sukhoi-30 MKI aircraft over the capital on Sunday.
According to news agencies, state-owned carrier Air India has changed the timings of as many as 58 flights including 12 international services during the period, while other airlines have also rescheduled several flights.
“Delhi airspace up to 50 miles will remain closed for commercial flights between 4 pm and 5 pm from September 18 to September 20,” Airport Authority of India (AAI) sources confirmed.
18/09/15 Asian Age

Read More

India's big-ticket 36 Rafale deal: Stuck in negotiations

New Delhi: Five months after India announced the deal to purchase 36 Rafale fighter jets "off the shelf" from France, much of the expectations from the big-ticket deal appears to have evaporated due to protracted negotiations that look set to continue for some more months While voices from both sides say there is hope for the deal being concluded by December this year, on the French side there is some frustration at the long-winded nature of the negotiations.
The deal for purchase of the 36 Rafale jets, by Dassault Aviation, was announced during Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Paris in April. India decided to purchase the 36 jets from Paris in a flyaway condition in a government-to-government agreement. The Indian Air Force, which badly needs to replace its aging fleet of Soviet MIG aircraft, was looking forward to the new planes.
17/09/15 One India

Read More

Govt takes a step back on scrapping '5/20 rule'

New Delhi: Uncertainty looms over rules governing airlines flying abroad, even as the government is unlikely to scrap these in the draft civil aviation policy.

A committee of secretaries chaired by Cabinet Secretary P K Sinha held its first meeting on Wednesday to give final shape to the much-awaited policy. Secretaries from the finance, home and external affairs ministries attended the meeting to discuss issues mainly related to the fiscal aspects of the policy.

The government had refused to take a stand on whether to abolish the existing rule on airlines flying abroad, government sources said. This would delay plans of new airlines Vistara and AirAsia India to fly on international routes.
17/09/15 Somesh Jha/Business Standard

Read More

This election, paragliders fly on pamphlet duty

Patna: With the Bihar elections inching closer, parties are on a chopper hiring spree. And, taking their campaign to innovative heights, this time some of them may even use powered paragliders or paramotors to airdrop pamphlets.

Aviation sources claim the number of helicopters that could take off from Patna airport and touch down every day during peak campaign time can be between 15 and 20.

A Delhi company will introduce paramotors for quick campaign-material airdrops. Captain Ankit Gupta, the company CEO, says these two-seater machines can be booked for such drops. "This is the first time such aircraft will be used for poll campaigns in Bihar. Talks are on with a national party to ink a contract. One such paramotor can be hired for Rs 1.2 lakh per event. Typically, each such booking is for 10-15 days," Gupta said. The use of choppers during elec- tions is common and this time too they'll criss-cross Bihar skies. "Helicopters help cover large distances in less time. We can address eight to nine public meetings on a single day," said BJP state president Mangal Pandey.
17/09/15 Sayantanee Choudhury/Times of India

Read More

Hospital wants to use drones to transplant organs

Chennai: India's leading centre for heart transplants, which has achieved a significant milestone of carrying out over 50 successful heart transplants, is toying with the idea of deploying drones to transport the organs.

Dr K.R. Balakrishnan, director, cardiac sciences, Fortis Centre for Heart Failure & Transplant, at Fortis Malar hospital here, told Khaleej Times on Wednesday that the issue of transporting crucial organs such as the heart is becoming extremely difficult in India.

"We have been using air ambulances for transporting hearts from different cities in south India to Chennai for transplants, but the industry is unorganised," he said. "In fact, it is worse than hiring autorickshaws. Operators fix prices arbitrarily and it is frightening the way prices are raised." Even the facilities for patients are atrocious inside the aircraft.

Dr Balakrishnan said that a viable alternative is for hospitals to join hands and operate drones to transport hearts and other organs along a well-defined corridor in cities such as Chennai, which has emerged as the heart transplant capital of India.
17/09/15 Nithin Belle/KhaleejTimes

Read More

No paragliding during Ganpati festival

Mumbai: The Mumbai police has sent notices to the owners of drones, helicopters, air-missiles and paragliders asking them to stop their operations during the Ganesh festival. The prohibition notices have been issued after intelligence reports regarding possible terrorist strikes in Mumbai through air.
According police officials terrorists or anti-social elements may attack using remote controlled drones or air missiles. “Therefore we have decided to stop the activities of such devices during the festival,” an official said.
Joint CP Deven Bharati said, “We will take action if anyone is found violating the notices. We have prohibited the usage of these devices till October 1. We have taken this decision for the safety of our city. ”
17/09/15 Asian Age

Read More

Rationalise air fares, find new model: Civil Aviation Minister

The civil aviation ministry on Tuesday asked airlines to suggest models for self regulation to rationalise air fares both on domestic and international routes. The move comes on the back drop of Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressing ‘serious concern’ over the steep hike in airfares, particularly during the festive season. Senior officials in the ministry of civil aviation met representatives from the airline industry on Tuesday. Aviation is the second sector after telecom where the PMO has stepped in to provide better experience to consumers. During the PM’s visit to UAE in August, people raised the issue of high fares to India during the festive season.
Civil aviation minister Ashok Gajapati Raju said, “We have asked the airlines to come up with a model to ensure that fares do not go unreasonably high. The airlines have been asked to come back with their respective models and this will be discussed again after a period of 8 to 10 days.”
16/09/15 Indian Express

Read More

Fare regulation: Govt asks airlines to give suggestions

Domestic airlines will state before the Union government the steps they will take to regulate fares, especially in the festive season and on particular routes. The Centre feels the “high prices” of air tickets are giving the sector a “bad name” and airlines should create a mechanism to keep these in check.

Mahesh Sharma, minister of state for civil aviation, said the government would consider putting a cap on ticket prices if it failed to reach a consensus with carriers on the matter.

The ministry had called a meeting with chief executives of domestic carriers to discuss the issue. This is the second time in three months that the ministry has taken up the matter with airlines.

“Though airfares are within the basket in almost all sectors, the issue is giving a bad name (to the sector),” Civil Aviation Minister Ashok Gajapathi Raju told reporters after the meeting.
16/09/15 Business Standard

Read More

Caught for forgery, aviation regulator grounds senior Taj Air pilot for 3 months

Aviation regulator DGCA has barred a top-ranking pilot of Taj Air, which flies chairman Emeritus of Tata Sons Ratan Tata and chairman Cyrus Mistry among others, from flying for three months.

The action against Capt Kunal Kapoor comes after the Director General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) found that he had forged the signature of the company's doctor in fitness papers for himself and two of his colleagues. Mirror was the first to report this in its edition dated September 15.

The DGCA on Tuesday issued orders punishing Capt Kapoor, a co-pilot and a cabin crew. The other two too face a similar suspension term, for keeping quiet despite being aware of the forgery.

During a surprise check of medical records maintained by non-scheduled operators, DGCA officials last week found violations by pilots of Taj Air, Kestrel Aviation and Aerotech Aviation.

Subsequently, the regulator also suspended one pilot from Vile Parle based Kestrel and two from Delhibased Aerotech.
16/09/15 Aditya Anand/Mumbai Mirror  

Read More

DGCA suspends two pilots who fly Ratan Tata and Cyrus Mistry jet

New Delhi: Aviation regulator DGCA has suspended two pilots of Tata Group’s Taj Air, a non-scheduled airline that flies Chairman Emeritus Ratan Tata and Chairman Cyrus Mistry among others, for allegedly falsifying medical records.
Besides chief pilot and co-pilot of Taj Air, a cabin crew member has also been suspended. All the three have been suspended for three months, sources at the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) said.
“The chief pilot was found to have falsified medical records of pilots and crew. This pilot had signed on behalf of the doctor,” the DGCA source added.
When contacted, a Taj Air spokesperson said, “The safety of our passengers is of paramount importance. We are currently investigating the matter and will continue to cooperate with the DGCA. We take such matters very seriously and appropriate action will be taken in case of any non-compliance.”
16/09/15 PTI/Financial Express

Read More

PM refuses to intervene in aviation disputes

Prime minister Narendra Modi seems disinclined to meet airline chiefs who wanted an early audience with him to discuss a clutch of industry issues, including contentious 5/20 rule for flying overseas, ahead of finalsing the draft aviation policy.

In response to a request by IndiGo co-founder Rahul Bhatia on behalf of industry lobby Federation of Indian Airlines (FIA), PMO has instead referred the matter to the nodal aviation ministry for appropriate action. IndiGo, country’s largest private airline by passengers flown, has a fleet size of 97 aircraft.

FIA members include Jet Airways, SpiceJet, GoAir and Indigo. They have been opposing the proposed move to relax the eligibility criteria for launching international operations. Bhatia had in his August 25 letter to the prime minister had argued against the proposal.
16/09/15 Nirbhay Kumar/mydigitalfc.com

Read More

Now, enter new flying machine in electioneering

With the dates for Bihar assembly elections inching closer, private helicopter firms are having a gala time. Politicians and political parties are on a chopper-hiring spree for their election campaign. This year, some of them may use paramotors for the first time in Bihar for dropping pamphlets and campaign materials from the air in quick time.

Aviation experts claim the number of helicopters that can be seen at the Patna airport during the peak campaigning period over the next few weeks can be anywhere between 15 and 20. Political parties are spending huge amount on hiring choppers.

Atom Aviation Services Pvt Ltd, a Delhi-based company, is going to introduce new machinery for speedy election campaign. Captain Ankit Gupta, the company CEO, said the two-sitter paramotor is a kind of glider which could be booked for an event per day. "This is the first time when a paramotor is going to be used for poll campaign in Bihar. We have one paramotor. Talks with a national political party are on to ink a contract. The paramotor could be hired at Rs 1.2 lakh per event. A paramotor can be used for dropping of pamphlets and other campaign materials. However, the booking is usually done for 10-15 days," Gupta said.
16/09/15 Sayantanee Choudhury/Times of India

Read More

Bihar polls: DGCA asks non-scheduled players to follow norms

New Delhi: Ahead of Bihar polls, DGCA has directed all chartered flight operators to strictly follow norms and ensure that normal airline operations are not hit at Patna airport, which has less landing and parking capacity.

During election time, the number of politicians and related people, including VIPs and VVIPs, opting for chartered flights is usually high.

Assembly elections in Bihar would be held in five phases between October 12 and November 5.

In a meeting with Non-Scheduled Operator Permit (NSOP) holders, the regulator asked them to ensure that all regulations, including those related to carrying VIPs, are strictly followed while flying to Bihar, sources said.
15/09/15 PTI/Economic Times

Read More

Cloud-seeding for Pune district’s catchment areas starts today

Pune: In what could bring respite for people in Pune district that has recorded deficient rainfall this monsoon, authorities plan to undertake cloud-seeding in parched areas from Wednesday. “Moisture-laden clouds will be cloud-seeded,” stated an advisory issued by India Meteorological Department and Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM) based in Pune. However, officials said permission from the Indian Air Force had been sought for necessary flight operations from the Lohegaon airport and a green signal was awaited. Once the nod is granted, cloud-seeding could commence towards Wednesday afternoon, they said.
16/09/15 Nisha Nambiar/Indian Express

Read More

Put an end to fire sales if you want lower airfares: captains of Indian airlines

New Delhi: Captains of India's airline industry are expected to register their discomfort at predatory prices in a meeting slated with top officials of the Ministry of Civil Aviation on Tuesday. Yes, you read that right. Instead of ministry officials reading them the riot act on high air fares, the chiefs of some airlines may turn the tables by requesting the government to put an end to what are commonly known as "One Rupee" fares.
Speaking on condition of anonymity, the chief of an LCC told CNBC-TV18 that if the government wants air fares to not jump manifold when tickets are booked at the last minute and also during festivals etc., it must first control the tendency of some airlines to do fire sales and selling inventory below cost. He said this breeds unhealthy pricing practices, puts airlines' cost-yield equation in peril and forces them to then jack up last minute fares.
Officials at a full service airline have also earlier indicated they would be happier if predatory fares become history.
Top ministry sources had earlier pointed out that they would be favourbaly inclined to consider putting an end to fire sales and predatory offers if the airline industry falls in line as far as the prime minister's directive is concerned. These sources had also indicated that they will ask airlines to significantly lessen the gap between average and highest ticket price on a sector. As of now, the highest price could sometimes be even 10 times the average - officials want this gap narrowed to maybe twice or thrice the minimum average fare.
14/09/15  Sindhu Bhattacharya/First Post

Read More

New civil aviation policy in advanced stage: Minister

Coimbatore: The proposed new civil aviation policy was under advanced stage of preparation and the draft would be placed in the public domain for eliciting opinions, Civil Aviation Minister Ashok Gajapathi Raju Pusapati said today.
The ministry would place the draft on the internet and seek suggestions and opinions from the public. Thereafter, the policy would be finalised in 15-20 days, he told reporters at the airport here.
To a question about introducing more international flights, particularly to Coimbatore, Raju said several countries had signed bilateral agreements, but not operated any flights.
His ministry would try to negotiate and execute the agreements.
On the incidents of collapse of glass panes and false ceiling in Chennai and Goa airports, the minister said "it was due to shoddy construction."
When asked whether the ministry would order a probe, he said: "Definitely it is shoddy construction. Why should I investigate. Can you prove that it is not shoddy?"
About the delay in expansion of Coimbatore Airport, he said land acquisition was a state subject and once it was over, the work would begin.
14/09/15 PTI/Times of India

Read More

Senior Taj Air pilot in the dock over fake fitness papers

Mumbai: A senior executive pilot of Taj Air, Tata's aircraft charter business, is in the dock after it was revealed that he had forged the signatures of the company doctor in his own breathalyser examination papers before a recent flight.

In mid-August, Captain Kunal Kapoor, who is also copilot to Ratan Tata, chairman Emeritus of Tata Sons, whenever the latter flies his Falcon 2000, was found to have fudged the signatures of the empanelled doctor, who was not present on duty.

According to a Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) report, the executive pilot used forged papers to clear himself, the co-pilot and a cabin crew member of breathalyser checks.
15/09/15 Aditya Anand/Mumbai Mirror

Read More

6 drones to man visarjan spots

Mumbai: Mumbai police will press into service six drones to monitor crowds during Ganesh visarjan at Girguam Chowpatty, Shivaji Park, Juhu Chowpatty, Versova, Madh Island and Marve beach. Last year, cops had used two drones at Juhu and Girgaum. This time round, drones will be fitted with high-resolution cameras.
Police officials said the civil aviation ministry gave its clearance for the drones but with restriction on how high they can fly. Officials refused to divulge details of the height, though.
Police have outsourced the task to a private electronic company that specializes in drone shoots for movies, marriage ceremonies and other parties. The experts along with cops will operate the drones, which will be monitored from makeshift control rooms in respective areas.
Police have banned flying of drones in the city, particularly on the eve of the coming festive season.
14/09/15 Ahmed Ali/Times of India

Read More

Mumbai firm brings seaplane to Kochi

Kochi: Three years after the government's ambitious seaplane project was stalled, a Mumbai-based seaplane operator has brought its aircraft to the state to benefit from the state's early bird incentive.

MEHAIR's seaplane, with the call sign VT-MHB, landed at the Cochin International Airport at 1.15pm on Sunday.

Minister for tourism A P Anilkumar said the seaplane would start operating only after taking fishermen into confidence. A demonstration flight for fishermen would be conducted in 10 days, he said.
14/09/15 Times of India

Read More

Indian Air Force plans for future wars with a separate UAV cadre

The Indian Air Force is considering the creation of a separate cadre for unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), considering threat perceptions and anticipated future warfare scenarios,  reported a leading daily.

According to reports, a proposal is being vetted by the Air Headquarters and the IAF is considering separate cadre that will include missiles, air defence and other weapon systems.

There are also possibilities that for the first time candidates will be selected for these specific cadres like fighter, transport and helicopter pilots are picked.
13/09/15 Daily News & Analysis

Read More

Army microlight aircraft in Jaipur to mark '65 war

Jaipur: The army's microlight expedition team, commemorating 50 years of the 1965 war, arrived here today with a fleet of three microlight aircraft. The expedition led by a team of Army Adventure Wing was flagged off on September 5 from Mhow in Madhya Pradesh.

It took off from Hisar this morning and touched down at a privately owned airfield "Go Fly Zone" near Shahpura. After an hour, the team left for Kota, where it is to perform at an air show on an island lake. The expedition involves a cross-country flight over a distance of 3,250 km in about 13 days. The team has already flown for about 2,200 km covering Bhuj, Jodhpur, Bikaner, Suratgarh, Bhatinda and Hisar.
14/09/15 PTI/Times of India

Read More

Let IAF test-fly fifth-generation fighter aircraft, India asks Russia

Ahead of PM Narendra Modi’s visit to Mos cow in December, India has asked Russia to allow IAF test pilots to fly its fifth-generation fighter aircraft (FGFA) to evaluate its capabilities.

“Flight-testing will help decide the way forward on the collaboration between the two countries on the FGFA. All options, ranging from an off-the-shelf purchase of 60-65 jets to joint production, are on the table,” said a top defence ministry official on Friday.

The fact that India needs an FGFA, which combines stealth, super-cruise capability, super-maneuverability data fusion and multi-sensor integration on a single fighter, in the years ahead cannot be disputed.

For a country that is yet to even make its first indigenous fighter (the fourth-generation Tejas) fully-operational, the choice is limited While the FA-22 ‘Raptor’ of the US is the world’s only fully-operational FGFA as of now, the Russian Sukhoi T-50 and the American F-35 ‘Lightning-II’ Joint Strike Fighter are the ones undergoing final developmental tests.
13/09/15 IBC World News

Read More

Fewer foreign trips this festive season

Kolkata: Five weeks to go for Durga Puja holidays, but the usual buzz about overseas travel during the season seems to be missing.

The travel trade industry in Kolkata, which banks on the festive season to garner nearly 18-20% of the annual revenue from domestic and foreign trips, is desperately hoping that business would pick up over the next couple of weeks. "It has been a rather insipid season. There has been no movement in August and very few confirmed bookings till now. Usually, seven out of every 10 enquiries materialize into business around this time of the year. But this season, it's been the other way round, with only three out of 10 enquiries for a holiday being confirmed," said Travel Agents Federation of India chairman (east) Anil Punjabi.

The bomb blast at Erawan shrine that ripped through central Bangkok on August 17 seems to have scared off holidayers from one of the most popular tourist destinations. One in every five out-bound traveller from Kolkata usually ends up visiting Bangkok, as it is an inexpensive destination and only three hours away.
13/09/15 Times of India

Read More

The man who came close to operating an airline from Kolkata was once a mill worker

Kolkata: From a mill worker to a millionaire employing 300 persons, Raj Kumar Gupta has come a long way, scaling the heights by first constructing a residential apartment building at Rishra in West Bengal’s Hooghly district at a time when no one thought that people would buy flats to live in that locality.

It was in 1984 that he saw a vacant land during a morning walk near his house and decided to construct apartments there. So he bought the eight cottah of land for Rs 1.25 lakh and constructed the high rise, never to look back in business and life.

One of his greatest regrets has been the Mukti Airways which failed to take-off. He lost a decade in trying to launch his private airline service after the aviation industry witnessed a boom in the early 1990’s.

“Advertisements regarding the launch of airline companies used to appear regularly in newspapers. I was fantasized and an idea stuck me to have my own airline. But I was ignorant of the fact that it was not a cakewalk. I was confident and had a firm belief in turning the impossible into possible.”

His dream, for which he gained the requisite technical knowledge and devoted a decade of his life, came crashing down because of a negativity in the airline sector and the Harshad Mehta scam that had a major effect on the economy of the country.

“I tried hard and spent a lot of money and time, but it couldn’t get through. The foreign airline companies backed off and the plan was shelved,” he says looking visibly disappointed by the failure.
12/09/15 G Singh/Weekend Leader

Read More