Cops play CCTV footage, court denies bail to trafficking accused

New Delhi Delhi Police on Tuesday played a 1.5-hour-long CCTV footage in a city court to prevent a Jet Airways employee, accused of operating a human trafficking racket at the Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA), from getting bail. Consequently, the petition of the employee — who was allegedly operating in connivance with an immigration official and a policeman — was rejected.The accused, identified as Manoj Sarpal, was arrested on April 3 on charges of providing fake boarding passes to passengers sent to him through an agent in Gujarat. “We checked the footage from CCTV cameras installed at the airport. In it, the accused is clearly seen handing over boarding passes to the passengers who have already been arrested,” said a senior police officer.

Police said they went to the Dwarka court where the accused had applied for a bail, and played the CCTV footage to prove their point. “We also presented the phone call details between Sarpal and the immigration officer to prove that the accused acted in connivance with them,” the officer said. On April 3, the Delhi Police arrested Chaman Azhar, posted as immigration officer, for allegedly facilitating the travel of passengers on forged immigration stamps. Four passengers, including three women, were also arrested. They belonged to Mumbai as well as different cities of Gujarat.

27/04/11 Vijaita Singh/ExpressIndia

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Mohali resident rounded up with ammo at airport

Chandigarh: A 36-year-old Mohali-based businesswoman, Meena Sharma, was rounded up for questioning on charges of possessing a live cartridge of .32 bore revolver at Chandigarh airport on Thursday. The ammunition was found in her handbag when she was scheduled to take a Jet Airways flight at 8:55 am for Hyderabad via Delhi.
SHO of Police Station-31 inspector Bakhsish Singh said the ammunition was found during scrutiny by the x-ray machine of Jet Airways airlines at the airport. The airlines staff detained her and called police.
Sources said though UT police gave a clean chit to Meena, claiming the cartridge had mistakenly been placed in her bag, Sharma had entered the airport after undergoing checks at the entrance. The ammo belongs to sub-inspector (SI) Parminder Singh of Nawanshahr police in Punjab. He is a cousin of Meena and had taken her bag some days ago while going for a training programme. He had mistakenly kept the cartridge in the bag then. Meena had taken back her bag only on early Thursday, cops added.
Meanwhile, SI Parminder Singh was also summoned to Police Station in Sector 31. He was told to carry his licensed .32 bore weapon and its cartridges.
30/04/10 Times of India

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India to help develop Palali airport

The Indian Government has agreed to assist Sri Lanka in the development of the Palali airport in Jaffna and the Kankesanthurai Port.
Indian High Commissioner Ashok K. Kantha conveyed this decision to Prime Minister D. M. Jayaratne when he called on the Prime Minister to congratulate him on his assumption of office and have discussions yesterday.
A press release by the Prime Minister's office said the Indian Government always desired to widen economic, social and cultural ties with Sri Lanka at all times. India was also willing to assist Sri Lanka in its resettlement program in the North.
30/04/10 Daily News, Sri Lanka

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Narrow escape for JetLite passengers

Mumbai : Passengers of a JetLite Lucknow-Mumbai flight had a narrow escape when a tyre of the plane burst while landing at Mumbai airport on Thursday evening, officials said.
"All passengers and crew aboard the S2666 Lucknow-Mumbai flight are safe and we are still awaiting details of this incident," an airline official told reporters.
"One of the four tyres of the aircraft deflated on landing on the runaway of Mumbai airport. All passengers have been deplaned and are safe," the official added.
A similar Incident occured in Austria on 28th April 2010 when its foreign Minister Michael Spindelegger had a narrow escape as two tyres of a plane he was on burst during the start procedure,neither Spindelegger nor any of his team were injured in the incident which occurred at the an airport in Czech capital Prague Airport .Experienced pilot Heinz Bleiweiss immediately abandoned the starting process after two tyres of the Dornier jet burst.
29/04/10 Samay Live

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India, UK boost Dubai Airport passenger numbers in March

Dubai: High passenger volumes generated by aviation traffic to and from India, UK, Iran, Germany and Pakistan has helped Dubai airport register a 21.8 per cent jump in air travellers since March.
According to a statement released by Dubai Airports, the airport authorities, this rise takes the total to a record 3,968,672 in the month, compared to 3,259,072 during the same period the previous year.
Passenger numbers increased in March due to the worldwide economic recovery, capacity increases by Emirates throughout its network, new routes launched by flydubai along with additional frequencies and routes offered by other airlines operating by Dubai International, the statement said.
However, the detailed breakdown of passenger nationalities was not available.
In the statement, Dubai Airports said that during the first quarter of the year, Dubai's international passenger traffic grew 20.4 per cent, while cargo volumes rose 26.4 per cent.
Commenting on the figures, Paul Griffiths, CEO, Dubai Airports, said: "The pace of the growth we're seeing is frenetic thanks to capacity increases, gradually improving economic conditions and rising consumer confidence.
"Although passenger numbers grew by 21.8 per cent, total aircraft movement rose just 9.6 per cent, indicating that load factors and average aircraft sizes had increased.
29/04/10 PTI/Economic Times

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Flights from Mumbai being delayed by new parking bays

Mumbai: A new apron at Mumbai airport, opened two weeks ago to increase parking space, has thrown off schedules of several domestic airlines. Situated four km from the domestic terminal, ferrying passengers on morning flights to the apron, Lima, takes a good 25 minutes – 10 minutes more than it did before to get to the apron near the international terminal.
When the buses need to make more than one trip, the delay is especially high. “This has a cascading effect on our schedules,” said one source.
To make up for this delay, the airlines are now requesting passengers to report a full two hours before their flights.
“In morning peak hours there is a large queue at security check as well. “We hope that if passengers come in earlier, we will be able to reduce the delays,” said an airline official.
Except Air India, all domestic airlines have been allotted night parking in the new apron, situated on the Kalina side near Kalpana cinema. Around 4-6 planes are parked here every night.
Interestingly, the Air Traffic Control (ATC) had objected to the opening of the apron, as planes parked there have to cross the active runway both on arrival and for take-off.
29/04/10 Aneesh Phadnis/Mumbai Mirror

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JK Govt, AAI at loggerheads with IAF

Srinagar: The proposed closure of Srinagar International Airport for 15 days on account of runway repairs has brought the Jammu and Kashmir government and the Airports Authority of India at loggerheads with the Indian Air Force.
According to officials, the Air Force, manning the runway of the Srinagar airport, was contemplating airport closure for 15 days during the peak tourist season and diversion of all the commercial flights to and from Srinagar to the Awantipora Air Force Base -30 kms from Srinagar. The move, however, has evoked sharp reaction from the state government and the Srinagar-based AAI authorities.
Pertinently, Srinagar International Airport, though a civilian airport, is under the operational control of the Indian Air Force, while all other civilian airports throughout the country are manned by AAI.
“The state government is against the closure of the airport. We have told them to do the necessary work without closing the airport. We feel that this can be done. The AAI has done it at a number of places. They have repaired and renovated runways without closing the airports. We have requested the Air Force not to make the runway unavailable for so many days,” said a senior official from the state's Civil Aviation Department, asserting that Awantipora was no alternative. “There is no infrastructure there. Everybody, including the private airlines, will find it difficult to shift the computer systems and other paraphernalia to Awantipora. And doing this in this age of e-ticketing is extremely difficult,” he told Greater Kashmir.
“We have said if worse comes to worst, you can do the work in September after the Amarnath Yatra. We are also seeking reduction in the number of working days. They can do the work overtime by deploying more machinery,” the official said.
He said the AAI and airlines have strongly opposed the closure move.
The Srinagar-based Air Force authorities, however, argue the delay in runway repair was not feasible. “We are doing it in the interest of public. The top layer on the runway has to be laid. If we delay it, then there will be engineering and temperature problems, which can affect the work later. It can fall on the next year then. So we have clarified our reservations to the state government,” said the Srinagar-based Air Officer Commanding of the Indian Air Force.
30/04/10 Faheem Aslam/Greater Kashmir

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Expansion, revamp of Lohegaon airport will be completed by June

Pune: Pending work pertaining to expansion and renovation of Air Force-governed Lohegaon international airport would be completed by June end of this year, the Airport Authority of India (AAI), Pune has said.In 2008, the air station, in its endeavour to live up to the standards of a global airdrome embarked on an estimated Rs 100 crore terminal expansion plan to decongest increasing surge of intercontinental passengers and commercial traffic thronging the airport.
Most of the expansion work on the East-West corridor of the airbase is complete except for some minor works related to glass fixing and other issues. “We are expecting all the work in all probability to be completed by the end of June tentatively,” AAI, Pune director, Captain Deepak Shastri said.
The delays are mainly related to supply of components such as glasses, fibers and wires that are used for giving final touches.
29/04/10 Sakaal Times

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Mohali airport to be built in 4 phases

Chandigarh: The Chandigarh International Airport in Mohali will be built in four phases and the first phase is likely to be completed by 2013. The airport is being built jointly by Punjab, Haryana and the Airports Authority of India (AAI).
According to the design of the airport, it will have a modular green building with a capacity of 1,500 passengers during peak hour. In addition to a cargo terminal, the airport will have three terminals. A metro station, shopping malls and restaurants will be part of the airport.
A presentation in this regard was made on Tuesday by the architect engaged by the AAI in Delhi. Board members of the joint venture company (JVC), which will oversee the construction of the airport, were present.
28/04/10 Harpreet Bajwa/Indian Express

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Aerodrome licence of Coimbatore Airport renewed

Coimbatore: Voice Controlled Communication System (VCSS) for reducing the noise and ensuring peaceful working atmosphere at the Air Traffic Control (ATC) of the Coimbatore Airport was dedicated by the Regional Executive Director of the Airports Authority of India (AAI), D. Devaraj.
Airport Director, M.R. Vasudeva told The Hindu that VCSS is primarily aimed at synchronising all telephone calls, calls on hotline and VHF transmissions on one screen i.e., a touch screen rather than all of them blaring at a given point of time.
The touch screen would enable the ATC staff to see the nature of calls on the screen and take them one by one depending on the importance and priority.
Mr.Vasudeva said that after the inspection by the Director General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), the aerodrome licence of the Coimbatore Airport has been renewed for the third consecutive year and is now valid till April 1, 2011.
28/04/10 V.S. Palaniappan/The Hindu

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Hyderabad airport lays down steep terms for duty-free shops

New Delhi/Mumbai: GMR Group has laid down fresh terms for firms looking to run duty-free shops at the Hyderabad airport, two people familiar with the matter said.
GMR Hyderabad International Airport Ltd (Ghial) will invite bids shortly for a duty-free operator after Nuance Group AG, the world's leading airport retail firm, decided to exit by end-May.
An executive at an international duty-free operator, who visited the Hyderabad airport on Monday as part of a tour of its retail facilities for potential bidders, said GMR has set “steep” financial terms for the contract winner, including a one-time fee of Rs30 crore to be paid within a few days of winning the bid.
“This is something new and very ambitious,” said the executive. “Even if you are aggressive and do extremely well, it will take five-seven years to recover the Rs30 crore down payment you make.”
The executive, who didn’t want to be named, said GMR will invite bids on a revenue-sharing basis for 15 years. The firm pledging the highest percentage of revenue share would win the contract.
An executive at Ghial confirmed the terms on condition of anonymity.
27/04/10 Rasul Bailay/P.R. Sanjai/Live Mint

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BIAL best airport on Indian subcontinent

Airports from rapidly growing destinations around the world have been awarded for their services in the inaugural Emerging markets Airports Awards on April 26.
The awards ceremony, which took place in Dubai, recognized the best places to fly to in the Middle East, Africa, Russia, Eastern Europe and parts of Asia, all areas that are experiencing significant growth in travel.
Tbilisi International Airport in Georgia took the prize for the best emerging airport in Russia CIS (Commonwealth of Independent States), Eastern Europe, Baltic Republic, while Tunisia's Monastir Habib Bourguiba International Airport was judged the best in Africa.
Bangaluru International Airport, which opened only two years ago, was the best airport on the Indian subcontinent, while Abu Dhabi International was awarded Best Emerging Airport in the Middle East. In March, Abu Dhabi was deemed the "most improved airport" globally by consumer ratings site SkyTrax.
Dubai took several awards in the ceremony - Dubai International Airport was recognized as the most environmentally friendly airport in the world's emerging markets,
The awards organizers hope that the ceremony can provide a boost to airports operating in the region, which are often overlooked in favor of larger destinations.
27/04/10 Independant, UK

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Airport Show puts spotlight back on region's growth

Dubai: The 10th Airport Show in Dubai that ran from April 25-27, highlighted the growth potential of the Middle East, North Africa and South Asia regions in the airports and aviation sector, and reiterated Dubai's standing as a premier destination for business negotiations in the region. The show attracted more than 4,700 attendees from 63 countries over three days.
"We are pleased with the results of this year's Airport Show that were reinforced with positive feedback from exhibitors and key industry leaders. The level of interest and engagement by the visitors at the event was outstanding," said Ara Fernezian, Group Exhibition Director, Reed Exhibitions. "A highlight of the event was our Hosted Buyer Program which represented 54 executives in the process of equipping and upgrading infrastructure of over 30 airports' across the MENA and South Asia regions."
Global and regional exhibitors, buyers and pavilion leaders from Jordan to the UK called the 10th Dubai Airport Show a successful business event, and expressed their confidence in the Middle East as a leading region driving the aviation and airport industry.
Mr. S. Sittarasu, Marketing Manager, Maharashtra Airport Development Company states: "India is making remarkable progress in the aviation domain and has major plans for airport expansion and building a solid infrastructure equipped with the latest innovations. Investment of about 100 to 125 million US dollars is already in process at airports that are expanding the Maharashtra state in India."
"We are specifically looking for airport equipment such as ground security, surveillance, airway navigation and radar systems", said Mr. Sittarasu. "This exhibition provided us the opportunity to discover the latest products and services in the industry."
27/04/10 Zawya.om

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New specialised force may replace CISF at airports

New Delhi: The government is examining a proposal to set up a dedicated aviation security force for the country’s airports. The proposed force will replace the paramilitary Central Industrial Security Force (CISF).
Civil Aviation Secretary M Nambiar recently reviewed a detailed presentation made by Ministry officials. “The idea is to have a dedicated aviation security force under a single command. It has been observed that multiplicity of command has led to confusion and has reduced accountability,” a Ministry official told The Indian Express.
The Ministry will draft a detailed note for the Union Cabinet in two months. According to officials, the Ministry will seek statutory backing for the force, and a Bill will be introduced in Parliament after the Cabinet approves the proposal.
The government has stepped up airport security after the 26/11 terror attacks, and recently decided to introduce full body scanners at all metro airports. As of now, airport security is handled by CISF, which reports to the Home Ministry.
27/04/10 Smita Aggarwal/Indian Express

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Shimoga Airport work to begin on May 15

Shimoga: Chief minister B S Yeddyurappa has said work on the proposed airport in Shimoga will start from May 15 and be completed as per schedule to add Malanad on India's air map.
Yeddyurappa said the government has selected land near Sogane village, 10 km from the city, for the construction of the airstrip. The project was postponed due to issues with the Hyderabad-based company, Mytas.
26/04/10 Times of India

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Shifty winds make landing risky at Chennai

Chennai: If you have ever felt that landing at Chennai airport is a jerkier experience than at any other airport, you are not without reason. Wind shear, which was initially suspected to be one of the reasons for an Emirates Airlines taking a plunge of more than 1,000 feet above Goa on Sunday morning, is the prime culprit here.
Chennai is prone to low level wind shear — a sudden shift in speed or direction of wind — especially during the summer months. Though considered an aviation hazard, the airport met department is struggling to make an efficient forecast of wind shear as pilots seldom report the experience, denying adequate data.
Wind shear at heights of 3,300 feet or less is considered to be dangerous for aircraft because it will lose its altitude unexpectedly, causing it to overshoot the runway. Pilots will be able to correct the altitude even after hitting a wind shear if they are flying sufficiently high. But, if the aircraft is flying at less than 1,000 feet, a wind shear can even cause a crash.
According to statistics, only 221 instances of wind shear have been reported by cockpit crew between 1987 and 2007 at Chennai airport.
27/04/10 V Ayyappan/Times of India

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ATC officers caught in turbulent weather

New Delhi: India’s airports are getting swankier by the day, but time stands still at the Air Traffic Control (ATC) offices across the country.
The ATC officers, who guide the landing and takeoff of aircraft, are badly understaffed and fatigued. And, so, the increasing incidents of near-collisions in the air should not come as a surprise.
There are 2,000 ATC officers in the country and there is a requirement for 800 more. Unlike their counterparts in the US and Europe, the ATC officers have to work seven days a week in a six-hour shift a day. They also have to do overtime for around 60 hours. “We work all seven days a week and do not get an off,” said an ATC official, who did not want to be identified.
“We also have to do overtime for around 60 hours a month and the payment for it is just 20 per cent of our normal wage,” added the official.
ATC officers in the US and Europe work for fixed 200 hours a month and they also get off days. An ATC officer’s job requires 100 per cent concentration and a break after every one-and-a-half hours. We do not get time to take a break during our shifts, which leads to fatigue and near misses in the air,” said another ATC source.
The Airports Authority of India (AAI) accepts the deficiency and says it is trying to address it. To bridge the deficit, AAI had decided to hire 400 retired ATC officers from the air force. But that has not yet happened.
27/04/10 Mihir Mishra/Business Standard

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Govt convenes meeting to discuss inter-state air connectivity from Surat

Surat: With a view to increase inter-state air connectivity from Surat to other destinations, the civil aviation department of the state government has convened a high-level meeting with officials of non-scheduled airline companies and Airport Authority of India (AAI) in Gandhinagar on May 5.
In a year or so, a few non-scheduled flight operators had envisaged interest in starting flight services connecting Surat with Rajkot, Bhavnagar, Mumbai, Delhi, Bangalore and Kolkata. But, the plans remained on paper because of some technical and other problems faced by the operators.
Official sources said the lone flight service between Surat and Delhi has been going on well since 2007. Some of the leading airways companies have conducted traffic surveys and field visits in the last one year, but they are yet to operate flights from Surat.
The meeting scheduled at Gandhinagar is likely to be attended by the representatives of Jet Airways, Luan Airways and other private operators.
Recently, the Gujarat government had launched a new civil aviation policy to focus on intra-state connectivity and to improve the airstrips and helipads in the state.
26/04/10 Times of India

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AI flight lands in 'full emergency' at Mumbai airport

Mumbai: A Chennai-bound Air India flight from the city airport with 87 passengers on-board landed safely in 'full emergency' here today after the pilot reported a technical snag in the aircraft, a Mumbai airport official said.
The flight IC-572 took off from the Chhtarapati Shivaji International Airport (domestic terminal) at 06.33 pm for Chennai.
After being airborne for around 20 minutes, it returned to Mumbai airport at 06.54 pm due to a technical problem, a Mumbai International Airport Limited (MIAL) official said.
26/04/10 Press Trust of India

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Five Firms Shortlisted for Rs 6900 cr High Speed Rail Link to Bangalore Airport

Bangalore: Five companies have been shortlisted by the Karnataka Government for the proposed High Speed Rail Link (HSRL) from Bangalore city to the Bangalore International Airport Ltd (BIAL) at Devanahalli proposed to be built at a cost of Rs. 6,900 crore, including land cost.
The five companies shortlisted for laying the 34-kms rail link are: Pioneer Infratech Pvt Ltd & Siemens Project Ventures; Lanco Infratech Pvt Ltd, and OHL Concesiones S L; L&T Transco Ltd; Reliance Infrastructure & CSR Nanjing Rolling Stock Co Ltd; and ITD-ITO Cem-Soma Enterprises Joint Venture.
Essential things such as request for proposals, detailed project report, concession agreement and manual specifications have been handed over to the short-listed firms.
The tender process for the ambitious project, which has been pending for long in view of the huge costs involved for providing an easy, convenient, cost-effective and state-of-the-art 34-kms HSRL from the heart of the city from Mahatma Gandhi Road to BIAL at Devanahalli within 25 minutes and from Hebbal Flyover to BIAL in 18 minutes, is over, said Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa,
26/04/10 Daijiworld.com

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UK mayor delighted at removal from India blacklist

London: Joginder Bal, the Indian-origin mayor of Slough in Berkshire in the UK, is delighted that the Indian government has removed him from a "blacklist" of alleged Khalistan activists, enabling him to visit India after years.
Bal, who earlier this month visited Punjab, had been deported from the Amritsar airport in 2007 because his name was on the "blacklist" of people who were involved in anti-national activities in the 1980s.
A recent review of the "blacklist" has led to his removal. He told the Slough media on his return from India: "I had dreamt of going back to India many times before, but every time I was turned back. It was hard for me, and it was all because I had taken part in demonstrations in Punjab."
26/04/10 PTI/Daily News & Analysis

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Over 200 Exhibitors Participate in Airport Show 2010

Dubai: Over 200 exhibitors from 34 countries are participating in the Airport Show 2010 that opened here Sunday, an official said.
The three-day exhibition showcases latest technologies and advances in the airport industry from around the world, and hosts industry professionals who will share their expertise and insights on enhancing the operational efficiencies of airports.
Ara Fernezian, group exhibition director at Reed Exhibitions Middle East, the organisers of the event, said that the robust participation of key industry players at the Airport Show 2010 reflects the growing international interest in the industry.
26/04/10 IANS/WAM/Daijiworld.com

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Jaypee Group to bid for Federa airport's infra projects

Mumbai/Ahmedabad: As Jaypee Infratech Limited(JIL), part of the Rs 7000 crore Jaypee Group plans to hit the markets with an initial public offering(IPO) to part fund its Rs 9739 crore Yamuna Expressway and integrated township project, Jaiprakash Associates Ltd(JAL), another group company, is all set to expand its presence in Gujarat.
"Around Rs 80 crore worth infrastructure tenders are to be released for the proposed international airport at Federa coming up near Navagam village near Dholera special investment region (SIR). We are interested in entering the bidding", said Manoj Gaur, executive chairman at JAL. He declined to give out further details.
27/04/10 Business Standard

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Civil Aviation official inspects Emirates plane

Kochi: An official of the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) completed the inspection of the Kochi-bound Emirates aircraft from Dubai, which experienced a major air turbulence prior to descent leading to injuries to as many as 23 people.
Dorairaj, Assistant Director of DGCA Chennai office, inspected the Boeing EK530 aircraft from last night till 4 am today, airport officials said.
There were 364 persons, including crew, on board the flight. The DGCA has already ordered an inquiry into the incident.
The UAE’s General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) has said it had also launched an investigation and was coordinating with Indian civil aviation authorities.
26/04/10 The Hindu

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Pune-Frankfurt flights resume service

While the volcanic eruption had brought air traffic in almost all parts of Europe to a standstill, operations resumed on Tuesday. In Pune, however the only flight to Europe, Lufthansa’s Pune-Frankfurt flight resumed operations from Sunday.
Pune has only two international flights at present. One of them is Lufthansa’s Pune-Frankfurt and the other one is Air India’s Pune-Dubai flight. However the Pune-Frankfurt flight had stopped operations because of the ash from Iceland’s volcanic eruption.
Finally when airspace got cleared, the airline started its long-route operations, including flights to India. But the Pune-Frankfurt flight did not start its operations from Tuesday as the airline wanted to make some changes in the existing aircraft.
Ketika Manohar, Consulting Associate, Lufthansa said, “Earlier the Pune-Frankfurt flight operated by Lufthansa had only business class seats. There were no economy-class flights. But looking at the market demands the airline officials decided to include some economy-class seats in the existing flight.
26/04/10 Anurag Bende/Pune Mirror

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Multi-lingual human interactive airport solution at BIAL soon

Bangalore: Moveo Systems, a provider of innovative next-generation human interaction solutions, has signed an agreement with Bengaluru International Airport Ltd to deploy a multi-lingual human interactive airport solution, claimed to be the first of its kind.
The Bangalore-based company will set up easy-to-use interactive and intuitive touch panel kiosks at strategic locations across the airport that will enhance the interaction levels with passengers, a release said on Monday. The kiosk will be a one-point of contact which will provide information regarding the airport services, the various food and retail options, airlines, immigration,
26/04/10 Business Line

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Emirates flight suffers air pocket fall, plunges several feet

Kochi: About 20 passengers and crew of an Emirates flight from Dubai to Kochi were injured today when the aircraft ferrying 364 people encountered severe turbulence while flying over Bangalore region shortly before landing at the airport here.
Immediately after the incident at 08.50 AM, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation launched an inquiry into the incident and grounded the plane.
The Boeing aircraft EK530 with 350 passengers and 14 crew members on board encountered a weather cloud near Bangalore. A short period of heavy turbulence prior to descent into India caused minor injuries to about 20 persons, Emirates said in a statement. "An inquiry has been ordered into the incident. DGCA is carrying out air safety investigation. The aircraft will leave the country only after it is certified," Directorate General of Civil Aviation Nazim Zaidi told PTI in New Delhi.
He said officials have started recording the statements of the injured, cabin crew and pilots as part of investigations into the incident.
Sources said the pilots requested for medical assistance while landing at the International Airport here.
25/04/10 PTI/Times of India

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Lack of air capacity hampers repatriation efforts

Tens of thousands of British passengers are still stranded abroad as the fallout from the volcanic ash plane groundings continues.
British airspace was reopened on Tuesday but airlines are still working through the backlog of cancelled flights, with some passengers facing a further week of waiting to return home.
The Association of British Travel Agents said it hoped to have repatriated more than 100,000 passengers by Monday.An estimated 10,000 are stranded in Egypt, 8,000 in India, 9,000 in Florida and 2,500 in Thailand, according to industry figures compiled by the BBC.
The skies over the UK and much of northern Europe were declared a no-fly zone for six days as a result of the ash cloud pouring from an erupting Icelandic volcano.
Virgin Atlantic boss Sir Richard Branson today criticised the Government for “overreacting” in banning all air traffic and is calling for them to compensate the industry. His airline is among those appealing to customers who are booked on flights for this weekend to volunteer to give up their seats to stranded passengers.
24/04/10 Robin Henry/Times Online, UK

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Another flight diverted to ferry IPL team

Mumbai: While the passengers of Air India’s Delhi-Coimbatore-Delhi flight were put on to different schedules on Tuesday, passengers of another AI flight last week were reportedly flown to their destination after an unscheduled transit stop in Jaipur to pick up IPL players.
According to reports, on April 12, Air India’s Delhi-Mumbai flight (IC-887) made an unscheduled stop at Jaipur to pick up Mumbai Indians, as the team was to play in Mumbai the next day.
Reports said the aircraft took off 45 minutes late from Delhi at 1pm. It landed in Jaipur at 2.20pm and after the Mumbai Indians boarded, flew to Mumbai much behind its arrival schedule at 3.05pm. Passengers were informed about the halt at Jaipur only after they boarded the aircraft in Delhi, said reports.
With charges of yet another AI flight being diverted, an Air India spokesperson said on Friday that diverting to Jaipur was part of its schedule for that day. ‘‘It was a scheduled operation via Jaipur. Passengers were informed about it at the time of flight booking,’’ the spokesperson said.
"Bookings for a flight can begin months in advance so how was it possible for the airline to inform passengers who booked themselves on IC 887 that this particular flight would be routed through Jaipur," said an official of the DGCA.
24/04/10 Times of India

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Mumbai airport puts curb on old flight records

Mumbai: Mumbai airport authorities on Friday put curbs on information being given out about old flight records.
The curb came on a day Civil Aviation Minister Praful Patel's daughter Poorna Patel landed in controversy over the diverting of Air India flights for IPL teams.
Poorna is alleged to have got Air India's April 20 flight from Delhi to Coimbatore aborted and redeployed as a chartered flight to ferry herself and some IPL players from Chandigarh to Chennai.
23/04/10 Headlines Today/India Today

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Panel for development of 3 NE airports

New Delhi: Expressing its concern at the state of airports in the Northeast, a Parliamentary panel has called for development of Guwahati, Dibrugarh and Teju airports and improvement of facilities.
The department related Standing Committee on Transport, Tourism and Culture on working of Civil Aviation Ministry in its report said that construction of a green field airport at Pakyong in Sikkim is in progress and 23 per cent of project work has been completed and that it is scheduled to be completed by January 2012. While Rs 80.50 crore has been allocated for construction of green field airports at Pakyong, Rs 20 crore has been earmarked for construction of green field airport at Itanagar.
23/04/10 Assam Tribune

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Passengers marooned in India blame BA for ticket chaos

Dozens of British passengers, still stranded by the volcanic ash which snarled international air traffic for six days, queued for hours in steaming heat at Delhi's Indira Gandhi airport in pursuit of scarce seats back to the UK. Not for the first time, they came away empty-handed with nothing more to look forward to than another night on the terminal floor or a trek back to the hotel and hours on hold with an airline reservations centre.
After a week in which air traffic in Britain and Europe returned to close to normal, long-haul travellers from Mumbai, Dubai, Miami and beyond found themselves left behind, frustrated at becoming the forgotten victims of the Icelandic eruption.
"The situation at the airport is really quite serious," said Elizabeth Atwell from west London, who is with a group of 12 trying to get home from Delhi with British Airways. "There is a very high terror alert and there are armed guards everywhere at the airport. It's impossible to get into the building without a ticket for travel.
"It is really difficult to talk to BA. People are paying backhanders to get into the terminal. The last time we were at the airport there were 65 people [in line for seats] and only two people were allowed on the plane because they were deemed emergency medical cases. There are thousands more outside waiting to leave."
BA in particular seemed to be attracting anger after it emerged that the airline is not giving priority to stranded customers and has placed spare seats on the open market.
Marooned passengers can take seats at no extra charge, but the problem seems to be in getting hold of them – with phone lines jammed for hours, website access patchy and staff providing conflicting information.
The airline insists it is doing everything it can. "We understand how frustrated our stranded customers feel," a spokesman said, adding that extra flights will bring passengers home from Delhi, New York, Hong Kong, the Maldives and Bangkok this weekend.
24/04/10 Robert Booth and Matthew Weaver/The Guardian, UK

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AAI to build Metro station at Chennai airport

Chennai: The Airports Authority of India (AAI) will construct the Metro Rail station that is planned in the airport complex, based on the design and alignment submitted by Chennai Metro Rail.
According to sources, Metro Rail decided to entrust AAI with the job because the structure was to come up on the airport premises and would have called for too much of coordinatation if it were to handle the construction. Metro Rail will deposit the money required for the construction with AAI.
“AAI has agreed to build the station,” said a senior official of Metro Rail. The design, location and alignment for the station are yet to be finalised and discussions are being held for the same.
Metro Rail wants the alignment of the elevated viaduct in such a way that passengers alighting from trains can access the first floor of the passenger terminals of the airport. As the airport expansion work is in progress, Metro Rail wants the station to be incorporated into the overall design of the new-look airport.
AAI is already constructing a flyover in front of the passenger terminals, which will also have a walkalator inside a tube-like structure underneath it. However, the airport has decided not to build the walkalator in the first phase. It is not clear yet whether the airport wants to incorporate the walkalator into the Metro station.
24/04/10 V Ayyappan/Times of India

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Son stopped from boarding flight with 91-yr-old mom

Mumbai: In yet another case of 'airline bullying', a Jet Airways passenger was not only not allowed to board, but officials let his 91-year-old mother on the flight, unattended.
On April 9, Manjar Badruddin Mistar (51), a businessman, was accompanying his mother Gulshan Morani to board a Rajkot-bound flight (9W 2007). "After the security checks, since my mother was in a shorter queue, she boarded the cab waiting for passengers.
I was in a longer queue, so I requested the airline people to let me accompany my mother, as she is wheelchair-bound. The staff asked me to keep quiet, and wait for my turn.
I was taken aback when one of the staffers told me that boardings were over. I pleaded with them, but they didn't let me board," said Badruddin.
"My mother had to wait at the Rajkot airport for three hours, I called my relatives and asked them to take her home.
24/04/10 Bipin Kumar Singh/MiD DAY

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Flight delay triggers protest at Kolkata airport

Kolkata: A Mumbai-bound Jet Airways flight got delayed indefinitely for several hours triggering protests from passengers at the N S C B international airport here tonight.
A Jet Airways spokesperson said the delay was due to some technical reasons. The 9W 2152 flight was scheduled to leave for Mumbai at 8:40 pm, he said.
23/04/10 Press Trust of India

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'Secret' visitor from Australia deported

Bangalore: A passenger from Australia was reportedly deported upon failing to mention the nature of his visit to India. He instead maintained that the visit was ‘secret’ after he arrived at the Bengaluru International Airport on April 16.
The passenger, Mohammed Qadir, who had arrived from Sydney via Singapore had written in the immigration form that the purpose of his visit was secret, following which he was deported to Australia. His passport details revealed that he had studied in Afghanistan and had also spent considerable time in Pakistan.
24/04/10 Express Buzz

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Cavotec to deliver fuel hydrant pits for Mumbai International Airport expansion

Global engineering group, Cavotec MSL, has received a landmark order to install 53 advanced fuel hydrant systems and related materiel at Mumbai’s Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport (CSIA) as part of the airport’s modernisation programme.
Cavotec is to supply 44 hydrant pits, including Cavotec Dabico Cla-Val hydrant valves, and nine DAB-24 pits for low point drains and high point vents. Low point drain pits remove non-fuel fluids and other contaminants that can accumulate in aircraft fuel pipelines. Deliveries are due for completion in early August.
CSIA, formerly Sahar International Airport, currently handles more than 25 million passengers annually, and is served by international carriers such as Emirates, Lufthansa, British Airways and Cathay Pacific. CSIA is also a domestic hub for several Indian airlines including Air India, Blue Dart Aviation, Kingfisher, GoAir, Indian Airlines, IndiGo, Jet Airways, JetLite and SpiceJet.
The fuel hydrant systems project is one element in the first phase of a two-stage expansion programme at the airport. Launched in 2006, the improvements are designed to meet booming demand in India’s rapidly expanding aviation sector. The plans include a new terminal, a new air traffic control system and new taxiways and upgrades of existing terminals.
23/04/10 Cision Wire

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Ailing airport sector spells the ground reality

Last week an international airline landing at Sahar Airport in Mumbai had to circle the sky for more than an hour before it was allowed to land. The flight captain told the exasperated passengers this is a perennial problem of the Mumbai airport as they have only one runway. At Chicago or London airport flight takes off and land every minute as there are more than five-six runways perhaps this lack of adequate runway is bleeding the Indian airline industry as precious fuel is wasted circling the sky.
For decades, nobody bothered about our airports. Airport activities were largely confined to four metros as there were just two airlines Air India and Indian Airlines both controlled by the government. They operated fewer flights, covered fewer destinations as fewer people could afford to travel by air. But liberalisation and entry of private operators changed the whole ball-game. What particularly boosted the airport sector was the introduction of low-cost fare.
22/04/10 CNBC-TV18/Moneycontrol.com

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IGI Airport to have body scanners

New Delhi : Air travellers in the country will now have to get their bodies fully scanned before they board aircraft, the Lok Sabha was informed today. However, the images will not be stored to ensure privacy of passengers.Installation of body scanners was in progress at the IGI Airport in Security Hold Area on a trial basis, Minister for Civil Aviation Praful Patel told the house in a written reply.
Screening of passengers will be done remotely and non-obtrusively and it would be ensured that female passengers were scanned by only female officers, he said. The cost of installing body scanners will be borne by airport operators.
22/04/10 Samay

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India Begins Pat-Down Search for Passengers Flying to U.S., U.K.

New Delhi: Passengers taking flights to the U.S., United Kingdom and Europe from any of the international airports in India will now have to face a pat-down search at the airport.
In the pat-down search, the security officer, in India’s case an officer from the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF), will run his or her hands over the passenger to detect weapons or other items.
The order is meant only for passengers going to the U.S., U.K. and Europe, while there will be no pat-down search for passengers to other international destinations.
An order to this effect was recently passed by the Ministry of Civil Aviation a few days after a member of the ground staff at the Thiruvananthapuram airport in Kerala was apprehended for planting a crude bomb inside a plane about to take off from the airport. There have been other recent incidents where security at the airport and inside the planes has been compromised.
Speaking to The Indian Express, a senior official in the ministry said that one of the reasons behind introducing the pat-down search at all the international airports was a request from U.S. security agencies that passengers on all West-bound flights, passing over the Middle East, be subjected to this search.
22/04/10 All Headline News

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International Airline violates security norms

At a time when security concerns loom day to day, TIMES NOW has discovered a blatant violation of security norms at the Indira Gandhi International airport in New Delhi. Our investigation exposes an international airline's clear disregard for rules by sub-letting its ground operations to an unauthorised local travel agency, in blatant violation of the airport ground handling policy of the IGI airport.
The IGI airport - the Capital's premier airport - has a passenger traffic of about 23 lakh a year. When TIMES NOW decided to check operations here, there was a shock in store.
This reporter obtained documents to show that a Korean airlines by the name Asiana Airlines, operating in India for the last 11 years, has been defying the security norms listed by the Bureau of Civil Aviation and worse, this has apparently gone on unchecked and unhindered for years.
Posing as candidates seeking a job at the aiport, our TIMES NOW reporter found that Asiana Airlines has entered into a contract with a local travel agency called R L Travels - without clearance by the Bureau of Civil Aviation.
In an RTI reply the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security has clearly mentioned that R L Travels does not have security clearance by the Aviation Ministry as a ground handling agency, nor is it authorised to issue Airport entry passes to employees of R L travels. In that case, how did the Ministry manage to overlook this lapse, and that too for such a long time?
22/04/10 Times Now.tv

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Airlines tiff likely to ground sky marshals

New Delhi: Flights to and from Kolkata could become vulnerable in the near future thanks to some of the airlines dilly-dallying over the maintenance of sky marshals.
Matters have come to such a flashpoint that Air India has threatened to pull out of arrangements unless the airlines pay up for providing "lodging and boarding" to the elite commandos who keep the sky safe.
Sky marshals are undercover law enforcement agents on board commercial flights to counter hijackings.
Since 2000, the air marshals have been operating on more than 40 domestic and international flights. All these years Air India has been bearing the lodging and boarding expenses of the sky marshals employed in all the carriers, including private.
This is because the National Security Guard (NSG), responsible for providing sky marshals for all flights taking off or landing in Kolkata, prefers to interact with one designated airline for better co-ordination.
The other airlines are in turn supposed to reimburse Air India for the expenses.
But it is learnt that Jet Airways and Kingfisher have failed to comply with their part of the agreement, leading to the stand-off.
22/04/10 Ajmer Singh/Mail Today/India Today

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AAI plans to levy development fee at non-metro airports

New Delhi: Flying from smaller cities, such as Aurangabad, Srinagar and Dehradun, is likely to become costlier with the state-owned operator, Airports Authority of India (AAI), proposing to levy a user development fee. AAI has sought the civil aviation ministry’s approval to levy user development fee or UDF ranging from Rs 250 to Rs 1,000 on those flying out from these airports, a government official said.
Airlines said the move will also hit traffic. “Air traffic on non-metro routes is still very low. Higher tariff would only act as a dampener,” an executive of a low-cost airline said.
AAI has sought the approval for a similar levy at Coimbatore and Madurai airports, along with several other smaller ones. While it has proposed a levy of Rs 500 on each domestic passenger flying out from these two airports, international travellers would have to fork out Rs 1,000 if the proposal is approved.
In case of Coimbatore airport the AAI has proposed to collect the fee for the next 10 years. At Madurai airport the levy is suppose to be for the next 15 years. UDF is a charge levied by airport operator to recover part of its investment made for upgradation of an airport.
22/04/10 Nirbhay Kumar/Economic Times

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Airport regulator seeks ministry view on carrier charges

New Delhi: India’s airport regulator may take another three months to decide on the charges that carriers pay at the country’s larger airports.
The Airports Economic Regulatory Authority, or Aera, which was expected to announce its decision around this month, has now sought the advice of the civil aviation ministry on the matter, said Yashwant Bhave, chairman of the regulator. Aera will await the government’s comments before drawing up tariffs.
“Each stakeholder has to be taken on board and government is certainly a very important stakeholder,” he said. Once the process is finalized, draft guidelines will be issued, he said.
Aera, which was set up late last year, is drafting fee policy at a dozen airports that get at least 1.5 million passengers every year. Airports and carriers are battling over the fee model to be followed.
Airlines and Aera prefer the so-called single-till model, which is followed at UK airports such as Heathrow and Gatwick, in which all principal activities, including aeronautical and commercial (or retail) functions, will be charged under a single window, keeping costs down. In contrast, the dual-till model has aeronautical or flying-related activities being charged under one head while the remaining activities are charged under a second till, resulting in a higher payout by carriers.
21/04/10 Tarun Shukla/Live Mint

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BSP urges PM to clear new airport at Noida

Lucknow: The Uttar Pradesh government has renewed its efforts to impress upon the Centre the need for developing a new international airport in Greater Noida.
Two dozen MPs belonging to the Bahujan Samaj Party on Wednesday called on Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to reiterate UP Chief Minister Mayawati's plans for an international airport at Jevar village in Greater Noida.
According to an official spokesman, "a delegation of MPs today gave a memorandum to the prime minister, urging him to give due consideration to the state government's proposal for setting up an international airport at Jewar, where sufficient land had already been identified and earmarked for the purpose."
Earlier in February, a similar delegation of BSP MPs had submitted a memorandum with the same request to Union Civil Aviation Minister Praful Patel . However, failing to elicit any response, Mayawati sought to reiterate her demand by sending a delegation to the prime minister with the same request.
The MPs were stated to have impressed upon the prime minister that the proposed international airport could be the best alternative to the existing Indira Gandhi International Airport at New Delhi that was completely saturated with the increased flow of air traffic.
21/04/10 Sharat Pradhan/Rediff.com

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AI flight in emergency landing

New Delhi: A Guwahati-bound Air India aircraft, with 73 persons on board, had to return to the national capital and land at Indira Gandhi International airport here under emergency conditions today after the pilot detected a technical problem shortly after take-off.
The glitch forced the aircraft to return and make an emergency landing at the airport after around 30 minutes of flying.
Sixty-eight passengers and a five-member crew were on board the aircraft.
The aircraft, a Canadian Regional Jet (CRJ), landed safely at the IGI airport here around 3.45pm.
The airline authorities thereafter shifted the passengers to another Guwahati-bound plane, also a CRJ aircraft.
21/04/10 PTI/The Telegraph

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SC lifts stay, 22 acres to be acquired for Pune airport runway

Pune: The Supreme Court on Wednesday cleared the way for an additional runway at the Lohegaon International Airport, which is also an Indian Air Force base, by lifting a stay on the land acquisition. The district collectorate will now acquire 22 acres for the purpose.
District Collector Chandrakant Dalvi said, in a news release, that the apex court had turned down a petition filed by Achla Resorts Pvt Ltd against the land acquisition.
The proposal for the additional runway was put forth jointly by the Defence Ministry and the Airports Authority of India (AAI) in March 2004. Following clearance from authorities, the District Collector had initiated proceedings to acquire land for the same. The private landowner, whose land was to be acquired for the project, had unsuccessfully moved the district and the high courts against the acquisition.
22/04/10 Indian Express

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AAI to start work when the other end of the main runway at Chennai is in use

Chennai: Works to link the parallel taxiway of the secondary runway to the main one at the Chennai airport are expected to be delayed as the Airports Authority of India has decided not to cordon off a portion of the main runway at the Guindy end. Now, works will be carried out only when the Pallavaram-end of the airport is used for landings.
When works began on April 2, around 916 metres at the Guindy end were cordoned off. But as the landing aid was not moved to the new touchdown point, airlines complained to the Directorate-General of Civil Aviation (DGCA).
So, the works were suspended though a notam had informed airlines that 916 metres of the main runway at the Guindy end wouldn't be available for landing between 11 am and 5 pm till April- end.
The AAI then held talks with the airlines but failed to convince them either about allowing flights to land without landing aid or about rescheduling timings to further restrict use of the runway.
22/04/10 V Ayyappan/Times of India

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European airspace opens partially; relief for passengers

New Delhi: The partial opening of European air space on Tuesday provided some relief to air travellers stranded at various airports around the country. An official statement issued states that there are about 9,000 Europe bound passengers around the country waiting to be transported by Jet Airways and Air India alone.
EUROCONTROL expects 14,000 flights to take place today in European airspace, representing half of scheduled air traffic, its Web site said. EUROCONTROL, the European Organisation for the Safety of Air Navigation, is an intergovernmental organisation made up of 38 Member States and the European Community.
Jet Airways is operating four daily flights to the US and Canada through Athens in an effort to transport stranded passengers. Sources said passengers were being taken to Athens and from there being taken by road to other destinations in Europe.
Air India has resumed flights to Chicago, New York and Newark from Mumbai and Delhi. In a statement late this evening, the state-owned airline said that it was hopeful of operating two of its Boeing 777 aircraft from Heathrow to Delhi and Toronto which have been grounded at Heathrow airport for the past couple of days.
21/04/10 Business Line

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Nuance to exit duty-free shop JV at Hyderabad airport

Mumbai/New Delhi: The world’s leading airport retail firm,Nuance Group AG, is exiting its duty-free shop at the Hyderabad international airport due to sluggish sales, said a senior executive of the group’s local arm and a top airport official.
The group is considering exiting its duty-free store at the Bangalore international airport as well, the senior executive said on condition of anonymity.
This will effectively put an end to Nuance Group (India) Pvt. Ltd, a joint venture (JV) it formed in 2007 with India’s second largest listed retailer Shopper’s Stop Ltd, which runs both the duty-free outlets.
The current operators of the duty-free shop will exit from the Hyderabad facility,” said P. Sripathy, chief executive of GMR Hyderabad International Airport Ltd (GHIAL), which operates the Hyderabad airport.
The move was confirmed by two other executives who work for the JV partners, who did not want to be identified.
Faced with Switzerland-based Nuance’s impending exit, the GMR Group, which also operates the New Delhi international airport, is planning to float fresh tenders for a duty-free shop at the Hyderabad airport.
“We are going to issue by this week an expression of interest and request for proposals for this duty-free shop,” Sripathy said.
Nuance Group (India) does not reveal sales figures, but it had been expecting revenue of up to $240 million (around Rs1,070 crore) over seven years.
21/04/10 P.R.Sanjai and Rasul Bailay/Live Mint

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Thousands stranded in Indian airports

The Icelandic volcano which erupted a week ago is still causing chaos and now Europe's troubles have spilled over substantially to India. Over 41,000 passengers have been stranded at Mumbai and Delhi international airports as the volcanic ash cloud from Iceland continues to disrupt flights in and out of Europe.
The Directorate General of Civil Aviation or DGCA has said that several days would be required to clear the backlog. Data from the DGCA indicates that altogether 41,435 passengers have been stuck in limbo at the two international airports.
In Mumbai, thousands remain stranded at the international the airport as disruptions in flight services continued there for the fourth day.
All flights to destinations like London and Paris remained cancelled on Monday, although Air India and Jet Airways resumed some of the flights through other routes.
Accommodation has been one of the major worries for the passengers, some of whose visas have expired thus making it impossible for them to leave the airport premises. This is even as airlines have stopped footing the bill for food and other essentials, calling it a situation of 'natural calamity'.
As hotels near Mumbai airport are packed to the brim, passengers have been forced to stay outside the departure terminal.
To deal with the situation, the Civil Aviation Ministry has set up a control room that would coordinate with the External Affairs Ministry, the DGCA and the airlines flying out of India and would function 12 hours a day from 8 am until the situation becomes normal.
20/04/10 Times Now.tv

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L&T plans to bid for airport projects:report

Larsen & Toubro is planning to bid for construction of airports in Oman, Abu Dhabi and at a couple more places, according to a report. The company has been involved in building infrastructure projects in West Asia for the past few years.
The report stated that the bidding process for some projects is expected to be completed in 2010.
20/04/10 India Infoline

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Confusion on runway, but disaster averted

Mumbai: In a major procedural goof-up by air traffic control (ATC) at Mumbai airport, a Kingfisher flight was permitted take-off while a GoAir flight that had landed was still on the runway.
While the directorate general of civil aviation (DGCA) has ordered a probe, a blame game is in full swing.
At 1.36pm, Kingfisher’s Mumbai-Bhavnagar flight IT 4123 (an ATR 72-500) with 30 passengers and crew was cleared for take-off by ATC.
Just then, GoAir’s Delhi-Mumbai flight G8-230 landed on runway 09/27.
The Kingfisher pilot heard ATC instructing the GoAir pilot to vacate the runway from taxiway N7.
“Our pilot, who was given permission for take-off, proceeded to do so while the GoAir flight was still on the runway,” said a Kingfisher official.
The GoAir pilot could not stop the aircraft on taxiway N7 and went towards taxiway 8, which was closed for construction work. So he proceeded to taxiway 9, vacating the runway.
“When the ATC official realised that the GoAir plane was still on the runway, he asked the Kingfisher pilot to abort take-off. Thankfully, the plane was under 130 knots per hour and the pilot could reject take-off. The plane exited the runway through taxiway N4,” said a source.
Meanwhile, another Kingfisher flight — Delhi-Mumbai IT 308 — was given permission to land by ATC.
20/04/10 Naveeta Singh/Daily News & Analysis

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Direct Nepal flight on cards

Kathmandu-based Buddha Air has plans to start flights between Calcutta and the Nepalese capital.
Buddha Air has been designated by the Nepalese government to operate flights to India following a revised air service agreement between the two countries.
“We are exploring the possibility of starting operations from Calcutta, Patna and Lucknow in the next three to four months,” said Bijendra K. Mehrotra, the country manager of Buddha Air.
Mehrotra met officials of Calcutta airport on Monday. “We told them about the parking bay and other facilities that can be provided. It will be convenient if the airline takes a slot in the afternoon or early evening,” airport director R. Srinivasan said. Airline officials said they were in the process of getting regulatory approval from the directorate general of civil aviation and airport space from the Airports Authority of India.
20/04/10 The Telegraph

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Around 450 AI passengers stranded at Paris airport

Paris: Over 450 Air India passengers are stranded at Paris airport with flights remaining suspended for fifth day today as ash clouds from an Iceland volcano continued to wreck havoc over the vast swathe of European continent.
Another 200 passengers may add to the list if the carrier fails to operate its flight on Wednesday. These 450 passengers were to board their flights on Friday and Sunday.
Air India operates flights on Wednesday, Friday and Sunday from Paris.
19/04/10 Luxmi Devi/Press Trust of India

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Tamil Nadu ready to help Prabakaran's mother

Chennai: The State government is ready to write to the Centre to provide treatment in Tamil Nadu to Parvathi, the ailing mother of LTTE leader V. Prabakaran, if she expresses her willingness to return, Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi told the Assembly on Monday.
“We are ready to consider the request and write to the Centre. I will inform the House what the Centre says,” he said replying to a special calling attention motion moved by the Opposition, barring the AIADMK. The members of the party were absent when the issue was discussed.
Mr. Karunanidhi said he was not aware of the arrival of Ms Parvathi in Chennai to get treatment. The State government had not received any letter from her or those who were helping her, though there was a correspondence between her and the Centre. Mr. Karunanidhi said when he was informed about the problem at midnight he immediately contacted the airport. But he was told that Ms Parvathi had been deported.
The Hindu had reported that she landed at the Chennai airport by a Malaysian Airlines flight around 10.30 p.m. on Friday. However, immigration officials, following instructions from the Centre, deported her to Malaysia by the same flight.
According to the Chief Minister, Ms. Parvathi was denied permission because the previous AIADMK government, on May, 5, 2003, had written to the Union Home Ministry recommending that the “re-entry of Prabakaran's parents Velupillai and Parvathi Ammal may not be desirable in view of their association with the LTTE leader and the Tamilar Desiya Iyakkam, banned organisations.”
19/04/10 The Hindu

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Airports Authority of India may levy landing fees on more airlines

New Delhi: The Airports Authority of India (AAI), a body that owns and operates most airports across the country, plans to levy landing fees on some aircraft which have been exempt from such a charge till now. This move, if cleared, will help the beleaguered Authority to improve its revenues even as it hurts some airlines at select routes.
But at the same time, the Airport Regulator wants to soften the blow for airlines at two of the largest airports in India-Mumbai and Delhi-by refusing a proposal of increasing airport charges at these two locations by 10% each.
AAI has proposed charging landing fees from aircrafts having seating capacity of less than 80 passengers and being operated by scheduled domestic operators. Such aircraft have been exempt from landing and parking charges at Indian airports till now. Giving this information in Lok Sabha on Thursday, Civil Aviation minister, Praful Patel said he has asked AAI to commission a study and get a clearer picture on this proposal.
The waiver of landing charges for 80-seaters andother concessions in Route Navigational Facility Charges (RNFC), 15% reduction in landing charges for domesticflights etc. were allowed by AAI from 2004 at all airports.
Meanwhile, the Airports Economic Regulatory Authority (AERA) appears to be batting for embattled airlines. In a consultation paper posted on its website, the Authority has rejected demands by both, Mumbai and Delhi International Airports, to raise base airport charges by 10%. If these charges are implemented after the consultation process is over, airlines will have to shell out more for using airport facilities and therefore suffer further margin erosion.
19/04/10 Sindhu Bhattachrya/Daily News & Analysis

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Ash cloud forces Katrina Kaif to return home

On Thursday night the ash cloud that drifted from the erupting volcano in Iceland enveloping major parts of Europe and paralyzing air traffic all the way to India, played havoc with Katrina's travel plans.
Katrina Kaif was to travel to London on Thursday night to be with her family. She found herself stranded at Mumbai's International Airport waiting for the flights to resume. Alas, that was not to be. And the bitterly disappointed actress finally returned home to Mumbai.
Until Sunday night, Katrina was desperately trying to find other means of travelling to London.
19/04/10 One India

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Delhi Airport website gets a new look with more features

The website of the Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA) in Delhi has got a swanky new look that it says is designed to cater to all the needs of a traveller to the national capital.
Among other features, the website has live flight information, SMS alerts on flight schedules, on line cab booking, meta search facility for hotel and airline booking, interactive airport maps, route planners to Delhi city and information on Delhi and its surroundings.
According to press release from Delhi International Airport Limited (DIAL), with the launch of Terminal 3, the new website will align itself to the services offered in the future. "We hope we cater to the needs of the passenger in the best possible way," it said.
DIAL has entered into partnerships across all segments to provide information and convenience to people who pla to fly to Delhi. The website has been developed and is being maintained by ePagemaker, an online solutions company.
19/04/10 NetIndian

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Terror alert for flights to West

New Delhi: India’s security agencies have warned that terrorists are planning to attack flights going to western countries from the country’s airports.
After receiving this input from intelligence agencies, the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS) has issued a nationwide alert and directed heads of civil aviation security in different parts of the country to mount security preparedness at all the airports.
Besides asking airline operators to be vigilant, the agencies involved in airport security have been directed to carry out “100 per cent search of passengers and manual checking of carry-on baggage”.
The security agencies have also been asked to carry out "secondary security checks at the ladder point of aircraft in respect of all flights from India to western countries,” the alert said.
18/04/10 Manish Tiwari/Hindustan Times

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Low-cost flight to Bangkok

Air Asia, a Malaysia-based low-cost carrier, plans to start flights between Calcutta and Bangkok soon. “We have approached the civil aviation ministry in India and expect to start operations by the middle of next year,” Tony Fernandes, the group chief executive officer of Air Asia, said in Kuala Lumpur.
The three existing daily direct flights between Calcutta and Bangkok are operated by Jet Airways, Thai Airways and Kingfisher. Air India Express, too, operates flights to Bangkok three days a week while Biman Bangladesh and GMG Airlines fly on the route through Dhaka.
Fernandes thinks Air Asia will have an advantage over Indian operators flying to Bangkok because of its “excellent” network. “We have connections from Bangkok to various other southeast Asian destinations, including Singapore and Kuala Lumpur, which others don’t have,” he pointed out.
Fernandes also announced plans to spend $200 million for setting up budget hotels in India in the next two years. One such hotel may come up in Calcutta.
19/04/10 The Telegraph

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‘Grounded’ at IGI, halting in CP

New Delhi: As all flights to Europe and Canada were cancelled owing to volcanic eruptions in Iceland, harried passengers took shelter in hotel lobbies in the city.
At Hotel Radisson Marina in Connaught Place, more than 40 people were packed in the lobby — their Friday morning Air India flights to Canada and London were cancelled.
Many complained of “shabby treatment” at the airport. A couple said they were stuck at the airport for eight hours after being told their flight would take off shortly.
Tariwal, a 70-year-old from Ludhiana, said his Toronto flight on Friday morning was cancelled and “for a very long time, there was no information about it”.
Another passenger, Jasbir Singh, 31, was worried about expenditure every extra day in Delhi would entail.
As families suffered in uncertainty, the first relief came at 5 in the evening. Air India announced flights from Delhi, Mumbai, Ahmedabad and Amritsar to London, Frankfurt, Chicago, New York, Washington, Toronto and Newark and vice versa will resume from Monday.
18/04/10 Hamari Jamatia/Indian Express

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Overseas passengers stranded in Mumbai

Mumbai: Gesine Adam from Germany had Rs. 100 in her purse on Saturday. A bottle of water at Mumbai's Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport costs Rs. 30. A phone call back home would cost her Rs. 40. Waiting outside the departure terminal, Gesine was among the hundreds of passengers stranded at the airport, after flights to Europe, the U.S. and Canada were grounded owing to vast clouds of volcanic ash over the European airspace.
Gesine and her friend Briggitte Hirschegger from Austria were waiting since Friday night for their Lufthansa flight. “We have no money. The terminal has no Internet connectivity, no restaurants. And, it has a very expensive telephone booth. We had biscuits and water at night. A stay in the Mumbai hotels is expensive, so we slept at the airport. We faced much difficulty just to come out of the airport and breathe fresh air,” she said.
“Our flight was re-scheduled at 6 a.m. on Saturday. But in the morning they told us it's delayed again. We have no food, no water, no information,” said Briggitte, who was travelling with her teenage son.
According to a spokesperson of the Mumbai International Airport Limited (MIAL), 15 departures and nine arrivals were cancelled on Friday night, adding, “Airlines have made necessary arrangements for passengers.”
Praveen Bhupia, a non-resident Indian (NRI) from London and travelling Jet Airways would strongly disagree. He was livid that the airport authorities charged him Rs. 60 for a seat in the waiting area. “I have made my own arrangements. They [airline] have been very unhelpful. There is no help with accommodation. Customer service is zero. I came to India for a holiday; it was a good holiday, until now.”
More than amenities the thing the travellers desired the most was information.
Passengers continued calling the customer support numbers in vain. Many have anxious families and jobs to get back to. An airport staff told The Hindu that the airlines themselves had no information to pass on, unless the update was conveyed from the European and other authorities.
18/04/10 The Hindu

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New domestic terminal opened at Mumbai

Mumbai: India's civil aviation market is today the ninth largest in the world from being a virtual non-entity some years ago and it can be among the top five in the world in the next few years, according to Union minister for Civil Aviation Praful Patel. Speaking at the unveiling of the new domestic passenger terminal 1C at the Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport (CSIA), developed by the GVK Group-led consortium, Mumbai International Airport Ltd. (MIAL), Mr. Patel commended the management of GVK for re-developing the airport which, as a project, was “very constrained in terms of encumbrances and encroachment.” There were more than 80,000 families living in the periphery of the Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport (CSIA).
The Civil Aviation Minister responded by saying that in the north-eastern states, the Central Government provides a reverse subsidy of Rs. 35-40 crore annually for inter-state connectivity.
A section of departing passengers checking in at terminal 1A and 1B will be facilitated through terminal 1C, the second level of which has a large security hold area for passengers post check-in. Designed with a high roof and glass façade, the area has a seating capacity of around 900 passengers. It also has around 10,000 sq. ft. of retail space including a 4,250 sq. ft. common lounge for all airlines where passengers can relax. The CSIA is one of India's busiest airports having recorded passenger traffic of 25.6 million in 2009-10 and cargo traffic of 5.51 lakh tonnes. MIAL is now implementing a master plan to have an integrated passenger terminal (terminal 2) at Sahar Airport (the international airport) ready by 2013 to cater to 40 million passengers annually.
17/04/10 The Hindu/Ramnath Subbu

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Central panel gives nod to international airport at Kushinagar

New Delhi: A central panel has given the nod to Uttar Pradesh's proposed international airport at Kushinagar to cater to tourists from countries like Japan and China who want to visit the Buddhist circuit.
Giving its approval to the Rs 525 crore proposal, the Environment Appraisal Committee (EAC) of Environment Ministry in a recent meeting also asked the project proponent to incorporate the features of local Buddhist architecture in and around the area of the terminal building.
The Mayawati government has plans to acquire 425 acre of land, including farmland, and develop the Buddhist circuit in a public-private partnership (PPP) mode on a design-build-finance-operate-transfer (DBFOT) basis to boost its tourism sector, sources said.
At present, there is an air strip in Kushinagar, close to Nepal border, and is used in emergencies.
Kushinagar is a famous destination for Buddhist pilgrims from across the world with almost forty thousand tourists from China, Sri Lanka, Burma, Thailand and parts of India visiting the holy city every year.
18/04/10 PTI/Daily News & Analysis

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Visa row Britons stuck in India

Two church groups claim they are effectively under house arrest in a hotel after becoming stranded in India due the UK airspace closure.
Fourteen people from two Hampshire churches were due to board a connecting flight to Heathrow in Delhi on Thursday after a trip to Nepal.
They were put up in a hotel by their airline, but the authorities say this has broken their temporary visa terms.
They are refusing to go back to the airport where their passports are held.
The groups say thousands of people are stuck there and supplies are running low.
The Foreign Office said it was doing all it could to help people stranded abroad. All UK flights have been suspended due to volcanic ash drifting over the UK from an eruption in Iceland.
Chris Kilby was on the trip with the Southampton and Winchester family churches.
He said: "They can fly us to Hong Kong, Bangkok or to Katmandu, where we have come from, or leave us at Delhi airport.
"At the moment at Delhi airport there are probably thousands of people, very few toilets, no water or food left and there is fighting breaking out apparently.
17/04/10 BBC.co.uk

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Test flight to Sahnewal a success

Sahnewal: Air India’s test flight between New Delhi and Ludhiana landed successfully at the Sahnewal Airport on Saturday.
A team of seven observers led by Engineer Devi Charan and two pilots Captain Sanjay Gupta and Captain Mangola came in the 48-seater plane. The observers said they did not find any difficulty in landing. They said everything went perfect and the same report would be submitted to the Airport Authority of India, which would further decide on a regular Ludhiana-Delhi flight schedule.
The regular flights are slated to start from the first week of May, though the exact schedule is yet to be fixed.
It had been a long pending demand of city residents to resume flights from the Sahnewal Airport, which were suspended a few years ago due to its small runway.
A group of Akali leaders led by former MP Sharanjit Singh Dhillon and Chief Parliamentary Secretary Harish Rai Dhanda reached the airport on Saturday with a cake and siropas to greet the Air India team.
18/04/10 Raakhi Jagga

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Visa on arrival soon for 16 more countries

Mumbai: The ministry of external affairs may soon extend visa-on-arrival to 16 more countries including France, Germany, South Korea, Belgium, Sweden, Vietnam, Chile, Mexico, Argentina, Brazil, Spain and the Netherlands. This facility, introduced in January 2010, is at present available to tourists who arrive from Finland, Japan, Luxembourg, New Zealand and Singapore.
The Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai and Kolkata airports can issue this visa.
Of the 3 million or so foreign tourists who visit India every year, about four per cent can opt for a visa on arrival. This number is expected to go up to nine per cent, about 22,500 a month, with maximum visas issued to France and Germany. It is not known if the facility will be extended to USA and UK, which remain the biggest source of tourists to India. While 16.5 per cent of tourists to India come from US, 15 per cent come from UK.
Despite about 12,500 passengers every month being eligible for visa on arrival currently, the Delhi and Mumbai airports, which together account for 45 per cent of the total air traffic in the country, receive only around 650 passengers a month who opt for this facility.
An executive of Delhi International Airport said the airport has been sounded out to this effect by the ministry.
18/04/10 Sneha Kupekar/Business Standard

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Prabha’s mother denied entry to India

The ailing mother of Sri Lanka's slain Tamil Tiger leader Velupillai Prabhakaran has been denied entry to India for medical treatment, the Press Trust of India reported Saturday.
Former LTTE leader Velupillai Prabhakaran's mother who was trying to enter India for medical treatment was turned away at the Chennai airport last night. She was arriving from Malaysia but prevented from leaving the aircraft.
Ms. Parvathi in her early 80s is suffering from paralysis and was in a wheelchair.
18/04/10 Sunday Times, Sri Lanka

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Air travel chaos till next week

New Delhi: The volcanic ash over Europe has led to major disruptions of flights going to Europe and US at the Delhi international airport. Disruptions are expected to continue till next week. Worried passengers are lining up not knowing when will they fly next to their destinations in Europe and US. To add to their woes some of the airport officials are passing the buck to the respective airlines and the uncertainty of the next available flight is making the situation chaotic.
Meanwhile, about 900 passengers are stranded at Mumbai's Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport due to the closure of European airspace. The passengers, most of whom were to fly by Jet Airways, are demanding priority booking from the airline which it is not offering. All Kingfisher flights to and fro Heathrow have been cancelled.
17/04/10 NDTV.com

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Frankfurt horror for Indian passengers

London: Passengers from Calcutta headed for London yesterday on Air India’s flight 111 via Delhi have had their journey severely disrupted as a consequence of the volcanic ash from Iceland spreading across the skies of northern Europe.
Their flight was diverted to Frankfurt when their aircraft was unable to land at Heathrow after UK air space was closed at noon yesterday.
“At Frankfurt, Indian passengers found they were not allowed to leave the airport to be taken to hotels because they did not have visas for Germany,” a source disclosed.
He added: “I believe this problem was later solved.”
The passengers will have to stay put in Frankfurt until Heathrow starts functioning again but, according to a statement today from Lord Adonis, the British transport minister, “it is likely that significant disruption to most UK air services will continue for at least the next 48 hours – this is an unprecedented situation and the safety of the travelling public is my first priority”.
With Frankfurt now closed, the Indians are now trapped in Germany and cannot return to India, either.
Air India’s flight to Mumbai could not leave Heathrow at 9.45am today because “it’s a turnaround flight and the flight from Mumbai, which should have got in at 7.20am, did not leave India”.
Passengers have been besieging the airline seeking alternative bookings “but there is nothing we can do until we know when the planes can take off again. Some people have been saying there has been an over-reaction by the UK authorities but where safety is concerned, we just cannot take a chance,” the source emphasised.
16/04/10 Amit Roy/he Telegraph

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Volcano effect: Hundreds of passengers stranded in Mumbai Airport

Mumbai: Hundreds of air passengers are facing huge delays on Chhatrapati Shivaji Intarnational Airport at Mumbai as international air service disruptions intensified after a cloud of ash from a volcano in Iceland spread across Europe.
All the Air India flights from Mumbai to the United States of America, Canada, and London have been called off.
The flights flying towards India are also delayed indefinitely, thus, causing inconvenience to the passengers moving to and fro.
Iceland's second volcano eruption in less than a month began under the Eyjafjallajokull glacier in the south of the country on Wednesday.
Between 700 and 800 people were evacuated from their homes in the remote, lightly populated area 125 kilometres east of Reykjavik, as melted glacier water caused massive flooding.
Last month, the first volcano eruption at the Eyjafjallajokull glacier since 1823 -- and Iceland's first since 2004 -- briefly forced 600 people from their homes in the same area.
Iceland lies on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, the highly volatile boundary between the Eurasian and North American continental plates.
16/04/10 ANI/Daily India.com

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Chaos at Mumbai's international terminal

Mumbai: Confusion reigned at the international airport on Friday, when over 50 passengers of the cancelled Jet Airways flight to London refused to leave the airport terminal until the airline promised to give them priority booking when the flights resume.
Some passengers also alleged that the airline’s attitude was reckless and they did not bother to provide food, water, or accommodation.
Sandeep Chatterjee, 42, spent more than 20 hours at the Sahar international terminal of Mumbai airport since his flight was cancelled. “I checked in at 11pm on April 15 as the airline repeatedly said that the flight will depart on time at 1.15am on Friday.It was during departure that they announced that the flight has been cancelled and that we have to fend for ourselves,” said Chatterjee, who owns an advertising agency in the United Kingdom and Dubai.
17/04/10 Naveeta Singh/Daily News & Analysis

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Alliance Air proposes Ludhiana-Delhi link

Chandigarh: The largest industrial town of Punjab—Ludhiana may get its much awaited air link to New Delhi as Alliance Air, a sister concern of Air India proposes to run one flight from the Sahnewal airport.
A team of officials from Alliance Air has completed the inspection of the airport for viability of a flight and it is expected to submit the survey report soon. Industrialists of the town have been demanding an air link from a long time. Earlier, Kingfisher Airlines had also announced a New Delhi-Ludhiana flight, which had failed to take off.
Official sources in the civil aviation department, Punjab told FE, “If all goes well then the proposed flight should take off in May as required infrastructure is in place. After getting permission for upgrading of the domestic airport, night landing facilities will be commissioned at the airstrip shortly. The state government has also proposed to provide additional seven acre to the Airports Authority of India (AAI) here at isolation bay for aircraft perceived to have security issues will be constructed. Besides, navigation facilities will be added, which will integrate the airport by distance-measuring equipment at very high frequency omni range. It helps the pilot to take correct angle while in space”.
Ludhiana airport is spread over 120 acre and the terminal has the capacity to handle arrival and departure of two commercial flights besides small aircrafts daily.
17/04/10 Swarleen Kaur/Financial Express

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Kingfisher officials bent security rules for their boss

New Delhi: Kingfisher Airlines chairman Vijay Mallya was recently in the eye of a storm for skipping security check at the Delhi airport.
But it seems officials of his airline, too, don't mind flouting a few rules to ensure that their boss flies the good times.
A complaint regarding violation of norms by two Kingfisher officials is pending with the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS), which is also investigating the alleged security breach by Mallya at the Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport a few weeks ago.
Sources in the BCAS said a few months ago, two senior security officials of Kingfisher sought permission from the CISF, responsible for security at airports across the country, to enter the security hold area (SHA) to see off Mallya.
But the CISF denied them permission.
The duo then decided to tweak the rules.
The sources said "they asked Kingfisher officials to issue dummy boarding passes in their names. They entered the SHA carrying the boarding passes and went to see off Mallya to his jet." Both the officials had blue passes, so they could enter the airside through the staff gate. "They planned to dump the boarding passes while returning, but were caught before they could do that," the source added. The matter was reported to the police.
After being issued the boarding pass, a passenger is not allowed to come out of the airport. "Only if a passenger gives a valid reason, such as in case of a medical emergency, does the CISF allow the person to come out of the airport.
But for that too, there is a proper procedure of offloading. In this case, the Kingfisher officials didn't board the plane, but flouted the rules to chat with their boss," the BCAS source said.
17/04/10 Faizan Haider/Mail Today/India Today

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Ahmedabad zoo crocodile comes to Chennai

Chennai: After nearly a four hour journey an eight foot long female Tomistoma crocodile weighing 85 kg that was airlifted from Ahmedabad zoo landed in Chennai on Friday, under an animal exchange programme.
The reptile meant for the Madras Crocodile Bank, packed in a wooden crate which had provisions for breathing, was loaded in the cargo portion of a scheduled Air India aircraft IC-982 at Ahmedabad around 7.50 a.m.
Around 11.30 a.m. the aircraft landed at the Chennai airport and it was taken to a remote parking bay from where the crate with the crocodile was shifted to a trolley. Then it was brought to the domestic cargo delivery section of the Air India at Meenambakkam where it was handed over to the Crocodile Bank authorities.
17/04/10 The Hindu

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Secretary Civil Aviation Reviews OMDA Implementation at The Delhi Airport

Secretary Ministry of Civil Aviation, Shri M.M. Nambiar, today reviewed the implementation of the Operations, Maintenance & Development Agreement (OMDA) at the IGI Airport, Delhi. The Director General of Civil Aviation, Shri N. Zaidi, Chairman Airports Authority of India (AAI), Shri V.P. Aggarwal and other members of the OMDA Implementation Oversight Committee (OIOC) were also present.
The Committee visited the Terminal-3 (T3) of IGI Airport and reviewed its preparedness for inauguration on 3 July 2010. The Committee also visited the Airport Operation Control Centre, and expressed satisfaction at the progress of work at both places.
DIAL has completed all its Mandatory Capital projects that had to be completed by 31 March, 2010. Airport Service Quality (ASQ) rating of IGIA has been 4.16 in December, 2009 as against the rating of 3.2 in December, 2007. Globally IGIA was ranked by ACI as 32nd airport out of 140 airports in service levels as in December, 2009 as against 101 rank out of 101 airports as in December, 2007. IGIA occupied World’s 4th Best Airport and APAC’s Most Improved Airport for ASQ in the 15 to 25 million passengers category by the Airports Council International (ACI).
Rehabilitation work for Runway 28/10 has commenced from 2 April, 2010. Further, satisfactory progress has taken place on the areas of Airport Connectivity and Airport Utility Issues. Extensive trials for Operational Readiness and Airport Transfer (ORAT) is being carried out for smooth transition to T3.
The OIOC was briefed about the T3 opening plan. It has been envisaged that following the inauguration, on July 14, 2010, all international passenger operation will shift from T2 to T3. On July 31, 2010, all Full Service Domestic Airlines alongwith their low cost arms operating in T1A and T1D will migrate to T3, i.e. Air India, Jet Airways, JetLite, Jet Connect, Kingfisher and Kingfisher Red will migrate to T3 and Go Air will migrate from T1A to T1D. Spicejet, IndiGo and Go Air will migrate to T3 from T1D a few months later.
16/04/10 PRESS RELEASE/Press Information Bureau

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Aircraft at no Collision Risk: AAI

The Airports Authority of India (AAI) has said that contrary to media reports there was no serious collision risk between the Air India IAC-941 from Hyderabad to Delhi and the Kingfisher flight KFR-3345 from Delhi to Bhubneshwar on 5 April, 2010 (not 6 April, 2010 as has been reported).
The flight Kingfisher 3345 which departed from Delhi for Bhubaneswar was climbing to Flight Level 250 and the Indian Airlines 941 from Hyderabad to Delhi was descending to flight level 160 and the both the aircraft were under radar control. At the time of incident both the aircraft were approximately at about 35 miles south of Delhi. A predicted conflict alert was generated in the Controller’s display when the Kingfisher flight was climbing through FL 175 [17500 feet] and the Indian Airlines Flight IAC 941 descending through FL 186 [18600 feet]. Both the aircraft at this stage were separated by 1100 feet and 7 nautical miles [NMs] away from each other laterally as against the standard requirement of 1000 meet in vertical dimension and 3 NMs in laterally. Immediately the controllers had initiated corrective action to avoid a potential conflict by giving suitable radar vectors. However, while executing the avoiding maneuvers by the aircraft, the vertical separation between the two aircraft has reduced to 700 feet as against the requirement of 1000 feet.
As both the aircraft involved in the incident were on different flight paths, one inbound approaching for landing and the other departed from IGI Airport, Delhi and corrective action was also initiated by the Air Traffic Controllers, even though there was a breach of separation while executing the avoiding maneuvers by the aircraft, however, there was no risk of collision.
As per standard practice, the air traffic controllers involved have been de-rostered while necessary investigations are being carried out.
15/04/10 PRESS RELEASE/Press Information Bureau

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Two air traffic controllers suspended

New delhi: Two air traffic controllers (ATCs) at the Indira Gandhi International Airport, who were handling aircraft that came “dangerously close” over the Delhi airspace earlier this month, have been suspended till further investigations.
In a statement on Thursday, the Airports Authority of India (AAI) said the ATCs were de-rostered as per standard procedure when necessary investigations were being carried out in the April 5 incident involving Air India and Kingfisher Airlines planes.
The national carrier, however, denied involvement of their aircraft in the incident.
The AAI, however, maintained there was “no serious collision risk” when the vertical separation between the Air India flight IC-941 from Hyderabad to Delhi and Kingfisher Airlines’ Delhi to Bhubaneshwar flight IT-3345 came down to 700 feet as against the required 1,000 feet. The two planes were on “different flight paths” — one was approaching for landing and the other for take off. A conflict alert was generated at the ATC display when the Kingfisher aircraft was climbing to 17,500 feet and the Air India aircraft was descending to 18,600 feet on April 5 when they were about 35 nautical miles south of Delhi.
16/04/10 Indian Express

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In-principle approval for eight greenfield airports

The Minister of Civil Aviation, Shri Praful Patel informed the Lok Sabha today that so far 'In-principle' approval for setting up of Greenfield airports has been granted by the Government to the Government of Goa for Mopa on 5 May 2000; Government of Maharashtra for Navi Mumbai on 6 July 2007 & Sindhudurg on 29 September 2008; Government of Karnataka for Bijapur, Gulbarga, Hassan & Simoga on 25 June 2008; Government of Kerala for Kannur on 19 February 2008.
In addition, the Government of India has also received various proposals for setting up of Greenfield airports from various State Governments - Greater Noida (2002), Kushinagar (2009) from Government of Uttar Pradesh; Chakan near Pune (2002), Shirdi & Solapur (2009) from Government of Maharashtra and Dholera (2009) from Government of Gujarat.
15/04/120 PRESS RELEASE/Press Information Bureau

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AAI Seeks withdrawal of concessions for smaller aircraft

The Airports Authority of India (AAI) has sought the withdrawal of waiver of landing charges for aircraft having seating capacity of less than 80 passengers and being operated by scheduled domestic operators. This information was given by the Minister of Civil Aviation, Shri Praful Patel in Lok Sabha today.
The Ministry of Civil Aviation has directed Airport Authority of India (AAI) to commission a study on the various aspects to get a clearer picture of the proposal.
The waiver of landing chrges in respect of aircraft with pasenger seating capacity of less than 80 seats and other concessions in Route Navigational Facility Charges (RNFC), 15% reduction in Landing Charges for domestic flights etc. were allowed by Airports Authority of India w.e.f. February, 2004 as per the recommendation of Naresh Chandra Committee. These concession /incentives are applicable at all airports.
15/04/10 PRESS RELEASE/Press Information Bureau

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Air India only airline to take off for London

New Delhi: All flights except those of Air India from the Indira Gandhi International Airport in New Delhi to London’s Heathrow Airport, were cancelled in the wake of a volcanic eruption in Iceland.
Three flights, one each of Virgin Atlantic (VS-301), Kingfisher Airlines (IT-001) and Jet Airways (9W-122), to the Heathrow airport were cancelled after the flight operations there were badly affected due to ash from the volcano, an airport official said. Only Air India flight (AI-111) operated as per schedule.
“We operated our flight to London as we did not have any official information about the closure of Heathrow Airport...,” an airline official said.
A Kingfisher spokesperson said, “We are providing full refund to those who do not wish to travel. Also we are providing the facility of rebooking without any charges to the passengers.”
15/04/10 PTI/Live Mint

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