Srilankan airlines increases frequency to Chennai

SriLankan Airlines has enhanced of its flights to Chennai from Colombo by the addition of a fourth flight. This flight will operate daily from the 16th of April. The addition of this flight brings the total frequency of flights between Sri Lanka and India to 86 flights per week. This announcement reinforces the significance of the Indian market and specifically Chennai for the airline.

The purpose of re-launching these flights is to increase frequency of the airline, providing passengers with added convenience.

Commenting on the occasion, Saminda Perera, General Manager Sales Worldwide stated, “Chennai is a key market for us and one of the fastest growing cities in Southern India. While we have always received a strong response from this market, Chennai serves as a key business hub for all multinational corporations. This daily flight will cater to growing business, corporate and leisure demand between Srilanka and Chennai.”
14/04/15 TravelTrandsToday

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Aircraft from Karachi lands in Indore airport

Indore : Security agencies and senior officials of the city airport administration swung into action when an aircraft landed at DeviAhilyaBaiHolkarAirport on Tuesday afternoon.
The aircraft was on a non-scheduled flight, and after thorough investigation, it was allowed to fly back to Nagpur from where it was diverted to Indore. Its last destination was Karachi in Pakistan.
As soon as the Air Traffic Control (ATC) tower received message that an aircraft from Karachi was coming to the City airport, though it was diverted from Nagpur airport where maintenance work of the airstrip was in progress, a high alert was sounded at the airport by the security and other agencies.
Sources told this correspondent that the non-scheduled chartered plane ‘Jarada’ was landed at City airport at 1.50pm. Suddenly, Airport Director RN Shinde, CISF Deputy Commandant H Narayan, SP (west) Abid Khan, IG Indore and customs and IB officials were informed.
30/04/14 Manish Upadhyay/Free Press Journal

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GSPCB issues show-cause notice to airport

Panaji:  Goa state pollution control board (GSPCB) has issued a show cause notice to the Airports Authority of India management for discharging sewage and waste water from the airport facility at Dabolim into a nearby storm water drain.
The member secretary of the board, while issuing the notice, to be replied within seven days, noted that the airport facility was being operated without obtaining consent to operate of the board as required under the Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974.
The new airport terminal at Dabolim had been recently inaugurated and after board officials held an inspection of the premises on April 17, 2014, it was found that the water act was being allegedly violated.
30/04/14 Times of India

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Mock drill at Indore airport

Indore : A mock drill was conducted at city airport on Tuesday afternoon. Airport sources made it clear that the real time mock drill means it was conducted along with normal arrival and departure of passengers, so that a real picture could emerge.
As per the mock drill, an unattended bag was seen at the exit gate by a loader. A team of CISF personnel cordoned off the area. The BDDS team detected the bomb and all passengers were evacuated from the place and all the gates were closed.
30/04/14 Free Press Journal

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Man returns to IGIA to see off wife for third time, assaults CISF men

New Delhi: A 36-year-old property dealer was arrested at the Indira Gandhi International Airport on Tuesday on charges of assaulting Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) personnel in charge of airport security.
The man, who had come to see off his wife, was reportedly in an inebriated state, police said.
According to airport officials, the incident was reported at 1 am at Terminal 3 when the accused, identified as Kush Mehra, came to see off his wife, who was to leave for Canada. Mehra is a South Delhi-based property dealer.
“Mehra was in an inebriated state and after seeing off his wife, he left only to return a few seconds later to see her off again. He requested the CISF staff to allow him inside to meet his wife. The security personnel, however, told him that they could ask his wife to come out and meet him. Meeting over and goodbyes exchanged, Mehra left, only to return to meet his wife again,” an airport official said. CISF officers, however, refused his request and told Mehra that they cannot allow it. This reportedly angered Mehra, who became aggressive and began assaulting the CISF personnel.
30/04/14 Indian Express

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Man caught with gold at airport

Kochi: The air intelligence unit of the customs seized over 43 sovereigns of gold worth Rs 10.57 lakh from a passenger at the Cochin international airport on Tuesday.
The gold was seized from Jabir Uthen Mavungal (28), a resident of Cheroor in Malappuram district. According to customs officials, he arrived at Cochin airport from Dubai via Doha by Qatar Airways at 3.10am on Tuesday.
Officials found him wearing a leather belt with a thick metallic buckle. They found the buckle unusually heavy and an examination by a gold assayer found 24 carat gold in the buckle. He was later released.
30/04/14 Times of India

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AAI told to create blueprint for low-cost airports

New Delhi: There's good news for air travelers fed up with paying hefty user charges to fly in and out of prohibitively expensive airports like those in Delhi and Mumbai. Aviation secretary Ashok Lavasa has directed Airports Authority of India (AAI) to create a blueprint for next-gen low-cost airports. He has asked authority for doubling its non-aeronautical revenue in a year.
Lavasa, who is known for his environmental concerns, has asked AAI to keep the air conditioning and security area to the barest minimum in its blueprint for budget airports as these two items account for a lion's share in an airport's overall expenses. "The steel-and-glass structure for airports copied mindlessly from the cooler west for airports in India has led to AC power bills shooting up like crazy. That's a mistake that cannot be replicated at budget airports or they would not turn out to be low-cost models," said an official. AAI, which is among a long list of key aviation agencies kept headless by UPA-II, has, however, been told not to compromise on the technical and security-related issues.
29/04/14 Saurabh Sinha/Times of India

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New Doha airport all set for ‘inaugural landing’

Doha: A new chapter in Qatar’s aviation history begins with the “inaugural landing” at the state-of-the-art Hamad International Airport (HIA) at 10am tomorrow.
Some 10 airlines, including budget carriers, will move operations to HIA from 11am tomorrow. They are Biman Bangladesh Airlines, Fly Dubai, Air Arabia, Iran Air, Air India Express, Yemenia Yemen Airlines, Pakistan International Airlines, Nepal Airlines, Syrian Airlines and Pegasus Airlines.
The first “commercial landing” at HIA will be at 11-15am tomorrow.
All airlines, including the national carrier Qatar Airways, will entirely move to the new Hamad International Airport (HIA) from 9am on May 27.
The new airport can be accessed through the Ras Abboud – Wakrah highway.
Mowasalat will operate two public bus routes to and from Hamad International Airport, HIA said. For the time being, complimentary shuttle service will be provided between Doha International and Hamad International airports.
Hamad International Airport’s tranquil waterside setting provides a perfect backdrop for its stylish architectural design, underpinned by advanced airport systems.
Situated on reclaimed land, the passenger terminal complex is 600,000 sq m in size and is the “largest building” in Doha.
28/04/14 Pratap John/Gulf Times

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Malindo Air begins service from Kochi to Kuala Lumpur

Kochi: Malaysia's hybrid airline Malindo Air has launched its daily service from Kochi to Kuala Lumpur.
The inaugural flight took off from the Cochin International Airport last night, Malindo Air CEO Chandran Rama Muthy said on Tuesday.
Kochi is Malindo Air's fifth destination in India and the tenth international destination for the one-year-old carrier. The flight is operated on the airline's brand new 180-seater Boeing 737-900ER.
The airline in collaboration with Tourism Malaysia is organising a Malaysia Travel Fair at 'Lulu Mall' here.
Visitors to the fair will get exclusive promotional rates only available at the fair as the carrier intends to woo more visitors from Kochi to Malaysia for 'Visit Malaysia year 2014,' the airline said.
29/04/14 PTI/Economic Times

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'Plane crash' at Mangalore airport claims '6 lives'

Mangalore: Even as the May 2010 aircrash is still fresh in the minds of Mangaloreans, the Mangalore airport witnessed another ‘disaster’ at 4 pm on May 29, 2014, claiming six ‘lives’ just outside the airport, following which all the disaster fighting mechanisms, viz., Airport Authority of India (AAI), Central Industrial Security Force (CISF), Karnataka State Fire and Emergency Service (KSFS), District Disaster Management Committee, Ambulance services, Medical aid rushed to the spot as a part of rescue operation.
The 67 passengers who were in the ill-fated flight were immediately categorized --- those who need immediate care, delayed care, minor care etc according to the gravity of the injuries they ‘suffered’.
It was heart-rendering to witness the screaming and scrambling of the injured ones with burnt flesh melting out of their body. Quite a few were wincing in pain on the ground unable to get up. The entire area was choked with stink of burnt flesh and metal parts. The fire and rescue personnel and medical aid team shifted the injured in no time to the nearby make-shift tents and provided first-aid. They were taken to nearby hospitals thereafter.
It was the once in a two year mock drill unfolded at the outer of the airport, to check the preparedness and efficiency of the authorities concerned to deal with a major disaster situation. In the exercise, a miniature-model of an aircraft was put on fire.
29/04/14 Deccan Herald

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Jet must pay Rs 147-crore service tax in 8 weeks

The Central Excise and Service Tax Appellate Tribunal (CESTAT) has passed an order against Jet asking it to pre-deposit around Rs 147 crore for non-payment of service tax within eight weeks, reports CNBC-TV18’s Aastha Maheshwari. As per the CESTAT order, the private carrier has not paid taxes on services that it received from some of the foreign companies. These include software firms which provided services related to database access, seat reservations and flight bookings. According to Section 66A of the Finance Act, if the service provider is situated abroad, then the Indian company which is getting the service is expected to pay the tax. The investigation pertaining to this case started in 2005.
28/04/14 Aastha Maheswari/CNBC-TV18/moneycontrol.com

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Jet Airways probes how drunk flyer took wrong flight from Mumbai airport

Mumbai: Jet Airways has begun investigations into the security goof-up that led to a confused passenger boarding the wrong flight despite not having a boarding pass.
The incident, reported by TOI on Monday, took place on April 25, when an inebriated Jet Airways passenger bound for Nagpur boarded the flight to Rajkot instead.
Liju Verghese had landed in Mumbai airport from an international flight, and was to board the 4.11pm Jet Airways flight 9W 2165 for Nagpur. He cleared the CISF check at domestic terminal 1B and with the stamped boarding pass and a handbag, proceeded to the security hold area. Meanwhile, a boarding call was made for JetKonnect Mumbai-Rajkot flight 9W 4079 scheduled for a 3.25pm departure from gate number A2 of domestic terminal 1C.
29/04/14 Times of India

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Fliers rejoice, new facilities coming soon at Pune airport

Pune: Once the Modernisation of Airfield Infrastructure (MAFI) project finally completes at Pune's Lohegaon airport, it promises to become more passengers friendly. With an aim to offer better facilities to the passengers coming to the airport, canopy, food outlets, 24X7 doctor and ambulance service and additional space in the passengers lobby will be in place. The airport will also have more than 25 check-in counters, additional sniffer dogs, and four additional baggage scanners.
Speaking about the new facility, Pune airport director, Manoj Gangal said, "We have been working to provide better facility to the passengers. The tender for the food outlet has already been rolled out and, soon we will have new food outlets which will cater to the needs of passengers as they will have a wide range of variety to choose from."
Gangal added, "We have added four new baggage scanners in the existing two. So passengers will not have to wait for a long time for their baggage to be screening, security hold area has been re-oriented for faster flow of passenger system."
He also said, "Soon the Pune airport will also have 24X7 ambulance and doctor service, which will help to provide primary medical facility to the passengers during emergency. Moreover we have four sniffer dogs to ensure that the security is not hampered at any given point of time."
29/04/14 Anuj Ismail/Daily News & Analysis

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Father-son duo arrested for selling 'civil aviation ministry land' for Rs 12 crores

New Delhi: A real life Khosla ka Ghosla, a film about a simple middle-class man duped of his life's saving by a land shark, has played out in the Capital but not without a happy ending. The Delhi Police's Economic Offences Wing (EOW) has arrested a father-son duo - Ramesh Chand Aggarwal and son Neeraj - for selling land belonging to the Ministry of Civil Aviation in Lodhi Colony to a victim for Rs.12 crore.
They had floated a fake company named Maha Maya Builders and had duped many investors of crores of rupees on the pretext of selling them land in 'prime location' at 'reasonable rates'. Investigators said more people associated with them were likely to be arrested in the coming days. "They started identifying disputed properties as well as vacant government land. They found one such government land in A-2, Karbala Lane, Lodhi Road, which belonged to the Ministry of Civil Aviation. They first removed the government hoarding from the land and then prepared fake property documents. A Delhi-based businessman named Ajay Chaudhary was then sold the land," an investigating official said.
Initially happy with the deal, Chaudhary sensed something was amiss when the accused reportedly started avoiding him. He then approached the police and a case was registered with the EOW.
28/04/14 Mahender Singh Manral/Mail Today/India Today

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AAI to plug security loopholes at Gannavaram airport

Vijayawada: Expecting a considerable increase in flight operations post-bifurcation, the Airports Authority of India (AAI) is leaving no stone unturned in beefing up security at Gannavaram airport. It will plug all loopholes and take measures to ensure foolproof security to passengers.
Airport Director B.G. Patil, in coordination with the Assistant Commissioner of Security of Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS), had recently convened a meeting to discuss security measures.
The authorities felt that the height of the existing five-and-a-half feet perimeter wall of the airport had to be increased by four feet. Also, barbed fencing should be put in place to restrict entry of unauthorised persons to the airport premises.
The need for strengthening the perimeter wall has become a necessity as a portion of the existing wall collapsed during the last monsoon.
“We face this problem every rainy season. We have to take necessary steps to prevent reoccurrence of such incidents in future,” said a police officer associated with airport security.
28/04/14 M. Srinivas/The Hindu

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Man caught with 450 star back tortoises at Trivandrum International Airport

Emigration officials at Trivandrum International Airport (TIA) on Monday intercepted an air passenger hailing from Tamil Nadu trying to smuggle 450 star back tortoises - estimated to fetch $500 in the illegal market - into Bangkok via Malaysia and Colombo.
The carrier, Abdul Rahman, from Ramanathapuram, managed to pass undetected with the tortoises as they were hidden in his check-in baggage bound for Sri Lankan Airways, but was caught as he fumbled about his final destination while going through emigration check.
"The man had a visa for Malaysia but insisted that he was travelling to Bangkok which set off alarm bells as Bangkok has visa on entry. The immigration official took him aside and flagged him down to the customs officials. At the customs holding area the man seemed jittery. He had nothing on his person but something didn't quite add up. When we asked the airline to bring his bag, which was already on its way to the airplane, we noticed that the entire bag was full of star back tortoise hatchlings," said a customs official.
29/04/14 Times of India

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Gold smuggler intercepted at Thiruvananthapuram airport

Thiruvananthapuram: Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) intercepted Chennai native Kaffeel Adarasan (32), who arrived at Trivandrum International Airport from Maldives via Singapore, while he was trying to smuggle 1kg gold into the country.
The DRI received a tip-off pertaining to the passenger, who is said to have taken longer to disembark from the aircraft as he was busy trying to dislodge the gold that was stuck to his seat.
"1kg gold was taped to his seat with a black adhesive. While People of Indian Origin (PIO) are allowed to bring up to 1kg gold into the country by declaring it and paying 10% duty, this passenger is not entitled to bring gold as he is a tourist who exited the country for three days. Only PIOs with minimum six months stay abroad are entitled to this. The passenger has accepted his mistake," said a DRI official. Alternatively, PIO (male) are allowed to bring in duty-free gold worth Rs 50,000 into India. For women the limit is Rs 1 lakh. Carrying gold over and above this limit is subject to duty. Passengers must declare the gold on arrival and pay duty, around 4% of notified value in case of gold bars bearing serial number, weight and manufacturer's name and 10% in case of any other kind of gold, including jewellery.
29/04/14 Times of India

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Man held with gold worth Rs 52 lakh

Ahmedabad: Customs department on Sunday morning held two men for smuggling gold worth Rs 52.56 lakh at Sardar Vallabhbhai International airport. Ajmer resident Abdul Hussain Saifuddin was caught with 1,754 grams of gold concealed in the side strips of two trolley bags at the city airport.
According to sources, Saifuddin is a first-time carrier. This is the fifth such incident in this month and 26th incident of gold smuggling since January 2014. Customs also detained Ahmedabad-based Kanubhai Soni, who had come to receive delivery of the smuggled gold at the airport.
Saifuddin arrived from Dubai in Air Arabia flight G-09 on Sunday morning and was intercepted and diverted to red channel for detailed examination of his baggage. Acting on a tip-off, customs officials had detained Saifuddin. "Saifuddin had concealed gold weighing 1754 grams in the side strips of the trolley bag in wire form," said a customs official.
28/04/14 Piyush Mishra/Times of India

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Gold smuggler intercepted at Thiruvananthapuram airport

Thiruvananthapuram: Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) intercepted Chennai native Kaffeel Adarasan (32), who arrived at Trivandrum International Airport from Maldives via Singapore, while he was trying to smuggle 1kg gold into the country.
The DRI received a tip-off pertaining to the passenger, who is said to have taken longer to disembark from the aircraft as he was busy trying to dislodge the gold that was stuck to his seat.
"1kg gold was taped to his seat with a black adhesive. While People of Indian Origin (PIO) are allowed to bring up to 1kg gold into the country by declaring it and paying 10% duty, this passenger is not entitled to bring gold as he is a tourist who exited the country for three days. Only PIOs with minimum six months stay abroad are entitled to this. The passenger has accepted his mistake," said a DRI official.
Alternatively, PIO (male) are allowed to bring in duty-free gold worth Rs 50,000 into India. For women the limit is Rs 1 lakh.
29/04/14 Times of India

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Gold buckle seized from air passenger

Kochi: Customs officials today seized a gold buckle weighing 349.5 gm and valued at about Rs 10.57 lakh from a passenger who arrived here today from Dubai via Doha.
The seizure was effected from Jabir Uthen Mavungal (28), who reached here by a Qatar Airlines flight, Airport sources said.
29/04/14 PTI/Business Standard

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Strike holds up cargo worth 250 crore at Mumbai airport

Cargo worth about Rs250 crore is stuck at the Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport, with nearly 700 workers refusing to work since Friday, citing poor work conditions.
Led by Vijay Chitre of the Shiv Sena-affiliated Bhartiya Kamgar Sena, the workers claim that lack of adequate infrastructure at the cargo section, which has been compounded by a new Customs notification, was making them slog for long hours and leaving them stressed.
"Seven people have lost their lives in past 3-4 months due to stress. We have brought it to the attention of airport operators, Customs, and others. However, all our pleas have fallen on deaf ears," said Chitre.
Under the new notification by Customs department, the prescribed load for manual lifting of cargo has been increased to 350 kg as against the earlier figure of 150 kg.
The protesters say manual handling of the additional load from the main entrance is eating up a lot of time. "It is not only inhuman but also violates international laws. Our demand is that cargos over 150 kg should be mechanically lifted from Gate no 4, which will also take very less time, as was done earlier," said a worker.
28/04/14 Shahkar Abidi/Daily News & Analysis

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Expansion of Gannavaram airport Long-pending Issue

Gannavaram: Despite its proximity to Vijayawada, Gannavaram Assembly constituency in Krishna district, lags in development. Locals are of the opinion that the development of the IT park at Kesarapalli village and the expansion of the Gannavaram airport would help to usher in development in the constituency.
Former chief minister the late YS Rajasekhara Reddy laid the foundation stone for the IT park, which was developed on an area of 1.75 lakh square feet under the public-private partnership at a cost of `70 crore. The project was inaugurated in 2010 but has been facing teething problems since then. It has managed to attract only four small and medium IT companies, which occupied only 15,550 square feet and provided a ray of hope to youngsters with respect to employment. For reasons unknown, the job opportunities have not been realised.
28/04/14 New Indian Express

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Bumpy ride to runway repair

Calcutta: Calcutta airport’s worn-out main runway would have to make do with another round of patchwork as the plan to resurface the pockmarked tarmac has been postponed.
In its present state, the runway is a bumpy ride for aircraft with years of patchwork leaving the surface uneven.
Of the 3,627-metre stretch, only 600 metres on either side of the main runway — the touchdown zones where planes land — have had repairs. The work was completed on March 31 but pilots and passengers continue to complain about bumpy take-offs and landings.
The main runway was scheduled to be resurfaced this summer after a study by the Central Road Research Institute last year revealed damage to various portions of the tarmac. The report recommended giving the runway a new surface and laying a sheet of synthetic fabric under the bituminous layers to prevent rainwater from percolating down.
The overhaul was to start by the end of 2013 and be completed before the start of monsoon, but sources said the Rs 60-crore project was yet to be cleared by the Airports Authority of India in Delhi.
The green signal, when it comes, would require the authorities to coordinate with airports abroad before imposing restrictions on emergency landing and take-off for the duration of the project. Calcutta airport handles higher number of overflying aircraft compared to other Indian cities.
28/04/14 Sanjay Mandal/Telegraph

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Tadepallugudem residents Demand Setting up of Airport

Tadepallugudem: Tadepalligudem Assembly constituency is a typical example of the callousness of government officials’ failure to develop the segment. In spite of the presence of infrastructure for road and rail connectivity, industries and higher educational institutions including the horticulture university, the constituency is still deprived of safe drinking water and underground drainage system. Traffic issues and problems related to old and new flyover bridges in Tadepalligudem town still plague the residents.
The constituency, which largely comprises Tadepalligudem town and its surrounding areas, is one of the major economic hubs in the district. The town boasts of an onion market which is famous all across the country.
Drinking water issue is one of the main problem in the constituency.  “The government sanctioned several drinking water projects but they have not been implemented due to the political rivalry between parties which do not want their opposition to get credit for solving the drinking water problem,” said J Krishnamachary, a goldsmith in the town. The rivalry has also led to the delay in the construction of the  underground drainage works for which `62 crore was sanctioned five years ago. As a result the town sports the look of a garbage bin and the number of cases of vector-borne diseases has also gone up.
28/04/14 New Indian Express

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Akhilesh Yadav, wife have narrow escape as bird hits chopper

Lucknow:  Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav had a narrow escape Sunday when his chopper was hit by a bird, officials said.
 Mr Yadav was accompanied by his wife Dimple Yadav, the MP from Kannauj, and Public Works Department Minister Shivpal Singh Yadav. He was returning from Saifai after attending the funeral of his uncle Ratan Singh Yadav when the incident took place.
 Officials said an eagle hit the front window pane of the private chopper at an altitude of 3,000 feet, 12 km away from the Lucknow airport.
 The pilots of the helicopter, however, managed to safely land the chopper at the airport.
 Several ambulances, fire tenders and officials were rushed to the airport, officials told IANS.
28/04/14 IANS/NDTV

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Nagpur Improvement Trust seeks police help to raze airport wall encroachments

Nagpur:  The Nagpur Improvement Trust (NIT) is set to send a letter to the police for providing protection to deal with the unauthorized structures near the airport boundary wall in Sonegaon. Last time when the NIT had tried to raze the unauthorized structures after having given a notice, a mob had obstructed them.
"We have already sent an application in this regard last year but are yet to receive a reply. Hence, we will be sending a letter reminding them about our request by Monday or Tuesday," said AK Gaur, executive engineer (west), NIT.
Mihan India Limited (MIL), the operators of Nagpur's Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar International Airport, and the NIT had together found 28 unauthorized structures that had come up actually touching the airport boundary wall in Sonegaon.
28/04/14 Aparna Nair/Times of India

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Rs 6cr fake Indian notes recovered at Dhaka Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport

A consignment of forged Indian currency notes of Rs 6.40 crore was recovered at Dhaka Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport yesterday less than two months after the arrest of a smuggler of such fake currencies in the capital.
Tipped-off, a team of customs intelligence searched the airport's cargo section around noon and recovered the Indian currencies.
Those have been brought here from Pakistan in a Qatar Airways cargo flight, said Nur-e-Alam Siddiqui, assistant superintendent of police in the Armed Police Battalion.
“We found six bundles of Indian currencies with the same serial number. This made us suspect that these are fake,” said Moinul Khan, director general of customs intelligence.
On March 3, Detective Branch of police arrested a smuggler identified as Mokhlesur Rahman with fake notes of Rs 1.5 lakh, which exposed a smuggling network operating from Pakistan to India, using Bangladesh as a transit point.
He was about to transport them to Sylhet, where they are in huge demand among illegal cow traders and narcotics dealers, Jahangir Alam, assistant commissioner of DB police had told The Daily Star.
28/04/14 The Daily Star

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Three Sri Lankan women held, gold seized at Bangalore airport

Bangalore: Three Sri Lankan women, who allegedly tried to smuggle in gold, were apprehended by the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) personnel at Kempegowda International Airport (KIAL) here on Saturday night. Gold weighing 1.169 kg in the form of bullion and jewellery was recovered from them. The arrested women were identified as Nagoor Adumai Fatima (45), Ayub Fatima Roshana (43), and Mohammed Iftikhar Fahmeeda (48), who arrived on a Sri Lankan Airlines flight UL-173 from Colombo at 2.50 a.m.
The three women passed through immigration and Customs clearance but CISF personnel from the Crime and Intelligence Wing, who had been trailing them after they observed their suspicious behaviour, caught two of them when they were removing something from their shoes and transferring it to the handbag at the arrival terminal. All the three women were taken to the Customs interrogation room, where officials recovered the gold.
The gold haul comes close on the heels of a similar instance of gold smuggling by passengers arriving on Sri Lankan Airlines, which was busted at the airport here earlier this month. A security official and a manager with the Sri Lankan Airlines were found to be part of the smuggling ring.
28/04/14 The Hindu

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Maldives has to pay about $300 mn to GMR, says president

The Maldives has to pay a compensation of about $300 million to India's GMR for the premature termination of the agreement to develop the Maldives main international airport, President Abdulla Yameen Abdul Gayoom said on Saturday.
The president's comments come a day after GMR officials said that it stood by its compensation claim of $1.4 billion from the Maldives.
After returning to Male from Singapore, the president told local reporters at the airport that the Maldivian government could terminate the contract as it "damaged state and national interests". But since GMR had carried out some of the development works at the airport, the government has to pay compensation, he said.
"I doubt whether [the arbitrators] would decide to include, in the compensation payment, GMR's projected profit by running the airport for 25 years. … We believe that the compensation would amount to about $300 million or less," the president said.
President Yameen stressed that the compensation payment would affect the state budget, but added that $300 million is a "manageable" sum. The state owned Maldives Airports Company Limited (MACL), which now runs the airport, is "saving up" that sum, he said.
The president's comments come a day after GMR officials said it stood by its compensation claim of $1.4 billion from the Maldives.
27/04/14 Ahmed Naif/Haveeru Online

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Faster landings at Mumbai airport set to cut delays

Mumbai:  In the first week of May, pilots and air traffic controllers at Mumbai airport will begin an experiment, the first of its kind in India, to make aircraft land on and take off from a single runway in much quicker succession. Under a carefully choreographed sequence, even as an aircraft would enter the runway to touch down, another would be lifting off at the other end.
To keep a runway thus occupied, the controller and the pilots involved will think ahead and plan their moves down to split-second precision. Once they become confident at the game, the airport will save 20 seconds per landing. That may not sound like a lot, but then again, the airport handles about 350 landings in 24 hours and the precious seconds saved during peak hours would eventually be registered by passengers.
"The new procedure will be launched on May 5. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation has instructed the procedure to be put on a trial basis for three months," said an ATC official. If successful in Mumbai, the procedure may be replicated in other congested airports like Delhi and Bangalore. While Mumbai may be the first airport to carry out the trial in India, airports like London's Heathrow and New York's JFK, and the one in Newark have been following the practice for more than a decade. In the UK, it is called 'land-after procedure'. In Mumbai, it is being called 'landing clearance based on anticipated separation'.
27/04/14 Manju V/Times of India

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Bullet found in baggage, SP’s Bijnor LS candidate held at IGIA

New Delhi: Samajwadi Party Lok Sabha candidate from Bijnor, Shahnawaz Rana, was arrested at the Indira Gandhi International Airport on Wednesday evening for carrying a bullet in his hand baggage. He was released on bail thereafter.
Deputy Commissioner of Police (IGIA) MI Haider said, “Rana was arrested after he was found to be in possession of a bullet in his baggage. He disclosed that he had an arms licence valid in UP, but since he did not have permission to carry any bullet or weapon, he was arrested and released on bail. He has been booked for violating licence conditions and Sections of the Arms Act.”
Rana was reportedly travelling from Delhi to Dubai by a Jet Airways flight. The CISF staff, during baggage screening, noticed the bullet and detained him.
“His bag was opened for a physical check by security personnel after they noticed something suspicious during screening. A bullet of .38 bore revolver was recovered. He was handed over to police after that,” an airport official said.
The official said Rana claimed that he was unaware of the presence of a bullet in his bag.
Rana is a resident of Muzaffarnagar, UP. Officials said he was arrested since he was unable to produce any documents to support his possession of the bullet.
27/04/14 Indian Express

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Six kg gold seized at Tiruchi airport

Tiruchi: About 6 kilos of gold attempted to be smuggled in through the Tiruchi Airport were seized by officials of the Customs Air Intelligence Unit on Friday.
According to sources, the seizures were made in three cases. In the first instance, about 424 grams of gold concealed in the handle of a trolley bag by a passenger, Mohamed Haneefa, who arrived here from Kuala Lumpur was seized.
27/04/14 The Hindu

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Afghan police thwarts heroin smuggling to India from Kabul airport

Afghan border police forces successfully thwarted an attempt to smuggle 2 kilograms of heroin from Kabul International Airport to the India.
Gen. Haq Nawaz Haqiar, commander of the Afghan border police forces in Kabul Airport said two smugglers were also arrested in connection to the smuggling plot.
He said the smugglers had inserted the heroin inside capsules and were looking to smuggle it to India.
The interior ministry of Afghanistan following a statement said the two drug smugglers are custody of the police forces and have been introduced to judiciary institutions.
This comes as another individual was arrested along with 854 grams of heroin from Kabul International Airport last Monday.
Afghanistan has been the greatest illicit opium producer in the entire world and opium production has been on the rise since the US-led invasion in 2001 despite billions have been invested by international community in counter-narcotics projects.
26/04/14 Khaama Press

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Nod for Chennai airport’s secondary runway

Chennai: Nearly three years after its completion, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) on Friday cleared the secondary runway of Chennai airport for operations.
The runway built at a cost of Rs. 450 crore may be opened for operations in about 15 days, according to officials of the Airports Authority of India (AAI).
Airport director H.S. Suresh said the extended runway would run to a length of a little over 2,300 metres.
He added that the runway would make it possible to conduct maintenance for the primary runway without suspending flight operations.
As part of the Rs. 2,000-crore Chennai airport expansion, the secondary runway was to be extended to 3,400 metres.
After such a huge investment and delay, it was unfortunate that only about 2,300 metres would be available for operations, an AAI official said.
25/04/14 P. Oppili/Sunitha Sekar/The Hindu

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Night birds find new perch at B'lore airport

Bangalore:  Trust Bangaloreans to find unique places to hang out. The latest attraction seems to be the entry lounge area of the Kempegowda International Airport (KIA), with many locals and tourists making a beeline for it.
A tight security zone that is also alcohol-free, people of all ages are seen enjoying flavoured tea, coffee or snacks here. Though airport officials do not keep track of the number of visitors, they acknowledge the fact that more people have been visiting the lounge area over the years. “The headcount has definitely increased.
We see bikers coming in the evening or late at night to relax. Teenagers even organise birthday parties here and college students usually meet over coffee and snacks. Despite the extended night life during weekends in the City, we see a rush here,” said an airport official.
What’s more interesting is that even though sale or consumption of liquor is not permitted at the lounge, it does not act as a deterrent for crowds. An airport security officer said that no one has ever been detained or questioned for misbehaving or consuming alcohol here.
The airport has been a crowd-puller since it became operational in May 2008. Earlier, visitors, especially from the outskirts of the City, would come to watch planes land and take off. People from other parts of the State, for instance, the north Karnataka regions like Gulbarga, Raichur, Bijapur and Bagalkot, as also border areas like Hindupur of Andhra Pradesh, come to enjoy the spectacle and the snacks as well.
25/04/14 Bosky Khanna/Deccan Herald

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425.15 gm Gold Seized at CIAL

Nedumbassery: The Air Intelligence Unit of the Customs Department at the Kochi international airport has seized 425.15 grams of gold from a passenger from Kuala Lumpur, the Customs Commissioner said on Friday. Sheik Abdulla, 49, of Ramanathapuram, Tamil Nadu, who arrived by Air Asia flight AK 39 from Kuala Lumpur by 11 pm on Thursday, was apprehended and detained by officials. Officials said that two thin pieces of gold, each weighing 120 grams, were recovered from the telescopic handles of his travel bag.
26/01/14 New Indian Express

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Customs arrests man with Rs10 lakh gold in rectum

Mumbai: The Air Intelligence Unit (AIU) of the airport customs on Thursday held a woman for allegedly attempting to smuggle in gold bars worth over Rs10 lakh, by concealing them inside her rectum.
The AIU officials said that the woman, Soni Lachumal, was intercepted after she arrived on a Thai Airways flight from Bangkok.
“Four pieces of gold, concealed in her rectum, were recovered. The bars weighed 387 grams,” said Kiran Kumar, deputy commissioner (AIU).
The official said that in a case some months back, an accused died after a capsule containing drugs burst inside his body.
The official said that they have come across many cases where passengers have been found to smuggle in gold and other contraband by concealing it in the rectum.
26/04/14 Shahkar Abidi/Daily News & Analysis

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Foreign currency worth Rs 60.24L seized

Kozhikode:  Customs officials at Karipur Airport have nabbed a passenger for carrying unaccounted foreign currency worth Rs60.24lakh while travelling abroad on Thursday.
Mohammed Koya Najeeb (45), who had arrived at the airport to fly to Sharjah was taken into custody after it was found that he was carrying foreign currency far exceeding the limit in his baggage.
25/04/14 Times of India

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DGCA plans to shut doors on low fuel landings

New Delhi: In a highly controversial move, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has recommended that "fuel emergency" will not be recognised at Indian airports for making an emergency landing.
A top DGCA official told M AIL TODAY on Thursday that airlines generally carry less than the required amount of fuel so that they can carry more cargo and make money, but this jeopardizes the lives of passengers.
"Airlines are expected to carry at least 1.5 times the fuel that is actually required during a particular flight. We have noticed that many airlines generally carry less fuel than what they are actually required to do for a flight," the official said.
"This weight is adjusted with the cargo and that is how airlines make good money as air cargo charges are very high. However by doing so they (airlines) compromise on safety," the DGCA official said.
The DGCA's recommendations released on Thursday state: "AIP (Aeronautical Information Publication) shall be amended to indicate that the term fuel emergency would not be recognised at the Indian aerodromes."
25/04/14 Sanjay Singh/Business Today

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Mysore airport to be expanded

Bangalore: To exploit Mysore’s tourism potential, the State government has decided to expand the Mysore Airport by acquiring 84 acres of additional land. Addressing presspersons here on Thursday, Minister for Infrastructure and Information Roshan Baig said that the government had asked the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) to realign the existing road to enable the government to acquire the land.
The Airport Authority of India, which has reserved funds for expansion of the airport, has made it clear to the government that it will not take up expansion work until the Mysore-Nanjangud stretch is realigned. Though the airport in Mysore was not economically viable, it was decided to expand the airport taking into consideration future growth of the city and flow of tourists, Mr. Baig said.
25/04/14 The Hindu

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GMR continues to pursue its $1.4 billion compensation claim against Maldives

Bangalore-based infrastructure company GMRBSE 0.39 % said on Friday that it will not change its compensation claim of $1.4 billion from the Maldivian government over the termination of a contract to develop and operate the Male International Airport.
GMR's statement came after Maldivian media quoted President Yameen Abdul Gayyoom as saying that the island nation will try to reduce the compensation amount to GMR.
"We believe that the government will have to pay compensation to GMR at any cost," President Gayoom was quoted by Maldivian news portal 'Haveeru Online'. "We're trying to get the sum that we have to pay lowered- we're trying to get it reduced to a more plausible sum."
GMR and the Maldivian government are currently in arbitration before the Singapore Court of Appeal. The Bangalore-based company's contract was unilaterally scrapped by the then Maldivian government headed by President Mohammed Waheed whose government alleged irregularities in the bidding process which GMR had won.
25/04/14 Debabrata Das/Economic Times

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AAI orders probe into revenue share from merchandising

New Delhi: The Airports Authority of India (AAI) has initiated an inquiry into a complaint filed against AVA Merchandising Solutions Pvt Ltd, a Delhi-based company that provides in-flight shopping, advertisements and customer loyalty programmes to various airlines.
The contract between AAI and AVA Merchandising Solutions, under which the latter has set up collection centers at around 30 AAI airports in the country against which it is required to share with the state-owned airport operator an amount of Rs 3 lakh or 13 per cent of its gross turnover on a monthly basis, whichever is higher. The complaint, filed by a former employee of AVA Merchandising, a copy of which is with The Indian Express, alleges under-reporting of sales by the firm that has resulted in a loss in the revenue share for AAI.
An AAI Vigilance Department official confirmed that an investigation has been ordered on the basis of the complaint forwarded to it. “An inquiry has been ordered and allegations made in the complaint are being verified, both internally and externally,” the official said. The official added that a preliminary investigation report on the issue is in the process of being filed.
25/04/14 Indian Express

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Calicut airport runway: tenders for re-carpeting work soon

Kozhikode: The Airports Authority of India (AAI) will invite tenders for re-carpeting of the runway of the Calicut airport after obtaining a report from the Central Road Research Institute (CRRI) next month.
The CRRI, a constituent of the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), has been entrusted with the technical study for repairing the tabletop runway of the airport. Tenders would be called for on the basis of this report, the Airport Director Peter K. Abraham, told The Hindu on Thursday.
He said that the CRRI team had already commenced its study.
“We expect its report by a month. The cost of the project will be prepared based on the report. The re-carpeting will not affect the flight operations,” he added.
The Union Civil Aviation Ministry had already decided to allot Rs 40 crore for strengthening the entire runway (9,383 feet) of the airport. This was after a high-level team led by T.S. Chandramouli, Executive Director (Engineering), AAI examined the runway last year.
25/04/14 Biju Govind/The Hindu

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Relief to passengers, winter fog may not play spoilsport for flyers in Delhi

New Delhi: In a relief to passengers flying in and out of New Delhi's Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA), the country's civil aviation ministry has said that new measures will be implemented by October this year to make sure that there will be no more flight diversions due to winter fog. The plan is to make IGIA a “zero diversionary” airport soon.
Among the 27 recommendations given by a committee set up under the Director General of Civil Aviation in January this year that are now being adopted, all operators, including foreign airlines, shall deploy only Cat IIIB compliant aircraft along with qualified flight crew during winter season to/from IGIA.
“Operators must ensure adequate capacity build-up in terms of aircraft capability and crew qualification well in time before the onset of next fog season. All scheduled airlines shall provide their detailed Cat III status indicating aircraft and crew numbers through a consolidated return to DGCA every year,” an official statement said.
24/04/14 Financial Express

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Mangalore airport clocks 21.5% growth in passenger traffic

Mangalore: Mangalore International Airport has recorded a growth of 21.51 per cent in passenger handling during 2013-14. It has handled 12.55 lakh passengers in 2013-14 against 10.32 lakh in 2012-13.
A press statement by JT Radhakrishna, Director of Mangalore International Airport, Airports Authority of India, said that for the first time the number of passengers handled at the airport has crossed the 12.5-lakh mark.
The number of international passengers using the Mangalore airport increased to 4.13 lakh during 2013-14 from 2.67 lakh in the previous fiscal, recording a growth of 54.68 per cent.
Air India Express and Jet Airways connect Mangalore International Airport with many destinations in the Gulf region.
25/04/14 AJ Vinayak/Business Line

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India’s GoAir to Save Fuel with EGTS Electric Taxiing System

Honeywell and Safran have signed a memorandum of understanding with GoAir, one of India’s leading low-cost carriers, to support the advancement of the EGTS electric taxiing system, a technology that can save airlines up to 4% block fuel consumption per flight.
EGTS uses electric motors on the main landing gear to enable the aircraft to push back autonomously and taxi without using its main engines to improve operational efficiency and reduce emissions.
“At GoAir, we are constantly looking for innovative ways to lower costs for our passengers while improving their flying experience at the same time,” said Giorgio De Roni, CEO, GoAir. “This agreement allows us to actively participate in the system’s development — a technology that we believe has the potential to not only save fuel and reduce costs, but also improve aircraft turnaround times and lower noise and emissions in the airport environment.”
25/04/14 Asia Travel Tips

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Married man goes 'missing' from airport, found later with lady love!

Kundapur: In an amusing incident, a married man who went 'missing' from Mangalore International Airport on April 17, has been found in Neralakatte, residing with a lady with whom he allegedly has a love affair.
Mohammad Khaleed, a resident of Gundmi who was supposed to fly to Dubai on work went 'missing' from the airport, and a week later, was found in a house with a woman.
Khaleed, a father of three children, reportedly fell in love with a lady from a different religion. It was said that Khaleed had even gone to the extent of marrying her after deserting his wife. When Khaleed’s family learnt that he was involved in an extramarital affair they asked his friends to convince him on snapping the relationship and going abroad.
On the advice of his friends, he got ready to go to Dubai on April 17 and find work. He came to Bajpe airport and stayed back in the airport, telling his family that there was a day's delay in the flight. During this time he changed his mind and left the airport, and went to reunite with his lover.
Meanwhile, as the family back home did not hear from him again, they grew anxious and filed a missing complaint in the Bajpe police station.
Khaleed's photos were published in newspapers and seeing them, the residents of Neralakatte informed the police on the whereabouts of Khaleed, who had rented a house to stay with the woman.
25/04/14 Silvester D'Souza/Daijiworld.com

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DGCA panel suggests steps to avoid flight diversion due to fog

New Delhi: In a bid to check fog-related diversions from IGI Airport, a DGCA panel has recommended several steps like upgrading of neighbouring alternative airports, meteorological facilities and runway radar coverage.
It has recommended that airports near Delhi like Jaipur, Lucknow and Amritsar, should be upgraded to Category-IIIB level of Instrument Landing System, which has a runway visibility range of 150 feet or almost near-zero visibility condition. CAT IIIB is operational at the IGI Airport.
A total of 289 flight diversions were caused due to fog in the last three winters from Delhi airport - 57 in 2011, 89 in 2012 and 143 in 2013. It is expected that after the recommendations of the DGCA panel are implemented by the stakeholders the chances of such diversions would come down drastically, officials said.
The committee, set up in January and headed by DGCA Joint Director General Lalit Gupta, also recommended that all airlines would have to annually provide details on how many of their aircraft were equipped to operate under CAT-IIIB situations and crew members trained to fly in such conditions, officials said.
24/04/14 PTI/IBN Live

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Troubled Airports Authority of India pins hope on new government

New Delhi: The new government will have to sort out the mess in the Airports Authority of India (AAI) that has been created during the tenure of civil aviation minister Ajit Singh.
Senior AAI officials told M AIL T ODAY that there are serious differences between AAI management and the aviation minister on how airports should be run.
AAI chairman V. P. Agarwal had to abruptly leave in January this year as he reportedly refused to toe the line of the ministry of civil aviation (MoCA).
Agrawal had risen from the AAI ranks to head the orgainsation. The AAI does not have a full- time chairman since January 1 this year.
Joint secretary in MoCA, Alok Sinha was given additional charge as the AAI chairman.
Interestingly, under Singh's tenure organisations under MoCA have been handed over to IAS officials instead of promoting professionals within the orgainsation.
24/04/14 Sanjay Singh/Business Today

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Ktk govt to ask GMR to withdraw objections on Bidar airport

Bangalore: Karnataka Infrastructure Minister Roshan Baig today said he would be holding talks with the GMR Group during his visit to Delhi on April 29 to ask them to withdraw their objection to operation of facilities available at Bidar airport.
"I will try to convince them to lift their objections against operation of facilities available at Bidar airport," he told reporters here.
The GMR Group had objected to the operation of facilities at Bidar airport in northern tip of Karnataka citing distance factor from Hyderabad Airport, Baig said.
He also said the state government was ready to hand over maintenance and operation of Bidar Civilian Airport facilities to the GMR Group, which operates Rajiv Gandhi International Airport in Hyderabad. "We are ready to hand over maintenance and operation of Bidar Airport facilities to them," he said.
He also said he would meet officials of the Civil Aviation Department, Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) and Defence Ministry in this regard and also on the issue of improving air connectivity across the state.
24/04/14 PTI/Business Standard

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Mandakalli airport gets centre's nod for upgrading

Bangalore: Following clearance from the Union Ministry for Civil Aviation, the State government has decided to upgrade the Mandakalli airport in Mysore by acquiring 80 acres of additional land, said Minister for Infrastructure Development R. Roshan Baig here today.
Speaking to media persons, Baig also declared that the project would be executed jointly by the Central and State Governments and added that the Ministry of Surface Transport has been urged to provide the required land.
24/04/14 Star of Mysore

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Chakulia airstrip of the times of WWII awaiting revamp

Jamshedpur:  The historic airstrip situated at Chakulia in Baharagora Assembly constituency, situated some 40 kilometres away from Jamshedpur, is lying in shambles in want of government care.
Once used in the Second World War, this airstrip resembles a barren land abandoned by the authorities concerned since last many years.
The airstrip was used as a military airbase from 1942 till 1945 during WWII. Its main runway is 7284 metre long and 100 metre wide. Compared to it, the Birsa Munda Airport in Ranchi is merely 2713 long and 45 metre wide. The Chakulia airstrip is thus three times larger than the Birsa Munda Airport. Spread over an area of 400 acres, it has the capacity of accommodating 10 aeroplanes and 25 helicopters.
But despite its huge capacity, the state government has long been neglecting this heritage site. Now most part of the land around the airstrip is used as a grazing place for cattle and a garbage disposal site by factories and local residents, sources said.
24/04/14 Avenue Mail

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HC stays Akola airport expansion

Nagpur: The high court here on Wednesday ordered status quo on proposed expansion plans for Shivni airport in Akola after Vidarbha Association for Research Technology and Development in Agricultural and Rural Sector (VART-DARS) filed a PIL through its president Balwant Bhatkal.
A division bench of Justices Bhushan Gavai and CV Bhadang gave the order in respect of possession and the status of the land of Dr Panjabrao Deshmukh Krishi Vidyapeeth (PDKV) while issuing notices to respondents.
According to counsel for petitioners Firdos Mirza and Tejas Deshpande, PDKV's executive council had resolved that it had difficulties in transferring land for the airport expansion in its meeting on January 22 last year. They cited TOI report of August 31 last year that PDKV would lose its important infrastructure and projects if the land were taken away.
The university wrote to the collector too that depriving it of said land would have adverse effect on important research projects.
24/04/14 Vaibhav Ganjapure/Times of India

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Gate to stop VIP misuse of airport emergency lane

Nagpur: Continuing misuse of emergency lane in city airport's Drop and Go zone has led authorities to construct a new gate that will be locked at the entrance of the lane. This follows declaration made in September 2013 converting the erstwhile VIP lane into emergency lane by Mihan India Limited (MIL), the airport operator.
Even six months later, the emergency lane has not been completely effective in achieving its objectives. The main aim of this conversion was to stop the parking of VIP and other vehicles in the lane nearest to the terminal building. The parking of vehicles in close proximity of the airport building was viewed as a security threat by the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS) during its security review. Also, keeping the lane free would allow easy entry of vehicles such as fire tenders, ambulances and police vehicles during an emergency.
However, it is not uncommon to see VIP and police vehicles parked at leisure in the lane. This includes not only police vehicles on duty but also those that come to fetch or drop off senior government officials or politicians. The private security of the airport and the traffic police have failed to ensure that the emergency lane remains vacant.
24/04/14 Aparna Nair/Times of India

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Mihan crisis: Abhijeet softens, but MADC turns down offer

Nagpur:  As the Mihan power supply imbroglio entered the courtroom, Abhijeet Group, which has snapped the connection to this SEZ, offered to temporarily resume supply at old rates during a high court hearing on Wednesday. A directive issued by Maharashtra Electricity Regulatory Commission (MERC) calling for state-owned power utility MSEDCL to take over power supply has been challenged in court by a group of investors in Mihan.
Abhijeet Group expressed willingness to restart supply till MERC issues a final verdict in the case, so that consumers do not face inconvenience. However, the move was countered by Maharashtra Airport Development Company's (MADC) counsel. The lawyer representing this state government agency and the developer of Mihan-SEZ opposed the move, saying this would lead to disparity among the industrial units.
In lines with the MERC directive, three consumers, which includes MADC itself, have already applied for a connection from MSEDCL. The other two are Tata Consultancy Services and another Tata group company, TAL Manufacturing Solutions.
24/04/14 Shishir Arya/Times of India

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False ceiling falls at old terminal at Chennai airport

Chennai: In the fourth such incident in the airport here since last month, a portion of false ceiling collapsed at the old Anna International terminal today.
About ten panels of the false ceiling near bay number 28 came crashing down around 3.30 am. However, none was injured in the incident, airport sources said.
A statement from Airport Authority of India said the slabs measuring 2 feet x 2 feet fell in the international arrival area, which is due for renovation.
"At the time of the incident there was no movement of passengers and the place was cleaned in an hour," it said.
The airport has been witnessing a spate of mishaps such as false ceiling falling and glass panels cracking at its new domestic and international terminals, built at a cost of over Rs 2,000 crore and inaugurated by Vice-President Hamid Ansari in January 2013, raising questions about the quality of the construction.
23/04/14 PTI/Economic Times

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Extra flights to India make Abu Dhabi airport busy

Dubai: With six new destinations and 71 extra flights to India, Abu Dhabi International Airport recorded busiest summer in its history this year.
The number of weekly flights available for business travellers and tourists have increased by 18 per cent compared to last summer, from 1,052 to 1,242, a statement released by the local news agency WAM reported.
Around 14 extra flights per week would fly from Abu Dhabi to Hyderabad, Chennai and Bangalore. There will be 10 new services to Mumbai, eight to Cochin and seven to Delhi on a weekly basis.
24/04/14 PTI/Economic Times

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TSR urges Jet Airways to reconsider decision

Visakhapatnam: The decision of Jet Airways to take Vizag off their route network with effect from May 31 has caused concern among various sections of the people.
Rajya Sabha Member T. Subbarami Reddy has expressed shock in a letter to Jet Airways Chairman Naresh Goyal. Describing the decision as ‘hasty’, he sought reversal of the decision. He has said that Visakhapatnam is among the four fastest growing cities in India and the largest in Andhra Pradesh after bifurcation.
He has sought reconsidering of the decision and adding of new services on the Delhi-Vizag-Chennai sector in the mornings and Chennai-Vizag-Delhi in the evenings and extension of the Hyderabad-Abu Dhabi service to Visakhapatnam. He is optimistic that these services would be economically viable besides providing passenger convenience.
“It’s their (Jet Airways) policy matter but we appeal to other airline operators like Air Costa and Indigo to start operations from Vizag and benefit from the huge growth potential of the city. There are no flights from Hyderabad to Vizag after 4.30 p.m. and this is essential to those going on business trips and returning at the end of the day’s work,” feels G. Sambasiva Rao, past president of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CII), Vizag.
24/04/14 The Hindu

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Cat, pigeon blamed for Chennai airport tile fall

Chennai: You’ve all heard of cat-and-mouse games. Here’s one with a twist: a cat chased a pigeon in the middle of the night at the Chennai airport’s old international terminal and managed to cause 10 false ceiling tiles come crashing down.
“A pigeon was in the space between the false ceiling boards and the actual ceiling, when a cat started chasing it. As it chased the bird, the ceiling tiles may have loosened and fallen down,” said an AAI spokesperson.
The tiles fell over the corridor which leads to the arrival gate which passengers use to enter the airport after getting off planes. The 2x2 feet tiles had been installed well over a decade ago and were set to be overhauled along with the old terminal buildings. The last time ceiling panels fell at the airport was nine months ago, when a large 10 foot section crashed down at the new domestic terminal. It caps off a torrid month for AAI as glass breaks have become thrice-a-week affairs.
24/04/14 New Indian Express

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Turning pad work gets underway at airport

Thiruvananthapuram: The Airports Authority of India (AAI) has awarded work for the standardization of turning pad at Trivandrum International Airport(TIA). The work is expected to commence within 10 days after obtaining mandatory clearances from Civil Aviation.
The AAI has issued notice to airmen between 10.30am and 6am for carrying out the construction work. Two airlines operating large aircrafts, Emirates and Air India, have revised their flight schedules as the construction will reduce the Take-off Run Available, said an AAI official.
AAI had invited tender notice for standardization of turning pad, which is to widen the existing turning pad in both ends of runway 14-32 at the TIA at a cost of Rs 14.72 crore in September. The turning pad will take at least a year to complete. There are other developmental works scheduled to take place shortly at the TIA, which is part of the Rs 106.24 crore developmental work sanctioned by the Union government for TIA last year.
23/04/14 Sangeetha Nair/Times of India

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Growing ammo seizures at Delhi airport

New Delhi: Arrests from Delhi's Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA), in a little over two years, of over 100 passengers, who had managed to sneak firearms and ammunition aboard Delhi-bound flights, has set off alarm bells for Delhi Police, who say the number of such incidents is rising.
One hundred and four passengers - 16 foreigners and 88 Indians - were arrested from the IGIA between January 2012 and April 2014.
The majority of the violations took place on domestic flights and, in most cases, the culprits were either from Bihar or Uttar Pradesh who were guilty of carrying live cartridges, while in some cases, one or two weapons were also recovered.
According to Deputy Commissioner of Police (IGI Airport) M.I. Haider, one of the most shocking incidents involved the arrest of a New York Police Department (NYPD) officer, Manny Encarnacion, 35, who was arrested for carrying live cartridges in his bag.
"I wonder how he managed to clear security checks and scanners at the US airport with the live bullets in his luggage," a baffled Haider remarked while speaking to IANS.
23/04/14 Rajnish Singh/Daijiworld.com

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420kg of red sandalwood seized, 9 Chinese detained

Ahmedabad: Customs department on Tuesday evening detained nine Chinese nationals and recovered 419.5 kg of red sanders (red sandalwood) worth Rs 8.3 lakh at Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport.
The Chinese nationals were trying to smuggle red sanders by air route via Singapore. "A group of nine passengers going to Singapore by Singapore Airlines Flight no SQ-531, all Chinese nationals, were held for possessing prohibited items," said a customs official.
The Chinese nationals were carrying heavy wooden blocks and garlands of wooden beads containing 146.4 kg and 273.1 kg of red sanders respectively. The items have been confiscated by customs and legal process has been initiated.
"Red sanders are in huge demand in China. It is used for making musical instruments, cosmetics and costly furniture for five star hotels abroad," said the official.
24/04/14 Times of India

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Philippines signs airport pact with GMR despite legal issues

Bangalore: Various ongoing legal issues notwithstanding, the GMR-Megawide consortium on Tuesday signed the concession agreement with the Philippines’ Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC) and Mactan Cebu International Airport Authority (MCIAA) for expanding the Mactan Cebu International Airport (MCIA).
The concession agreement was signed after the consortium paid $320 million as upfront premium.
According to a statement from GMR Infrastructure, this marks the beginning of a transition phase before the operations of MCIA are formally handed over to GMR-Megawide later in the year.
After giving a bid of $320 million, the GMR-Megawide consortium had emerged as the highest bidder for the MCIA project in the international bidding process, which culminated in December. DOTC had formally issued the Letter of Award to the consortium on April 4.
23/04/14 Business Standard

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All airlines to operate from Hamad International Airport from May 27

Doha: Starting 9 am on May 27 this year, all airlines are set to operate from Hamad International Airport (HIA). The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) issued a circular yesterday, informing country managers of airlines of this decision.
It was announced earlier that 10 budget airlines would start operating from the new terminal from April 30. These include Biman Bangladesh Airlines, Fly Dubai, Air Arabia, Iran Air, Air India Express, Yemenia Yemen Airlines, Pakistan International Airline, Nepal Airline, Syrian Airline and Pegasus Airline.
The airport is expected to handle around 8700 passengers per hour and up to 19,500 bags an hour. It will have the largest free span hangar, which will enable it to handle multiple aircraft configurations and a dual runway system built for the world’s largest aircraft such as the A380. Apart from a greater capacity to accommodate more flights and passengers, it will also have a wide range of facilities for passengers including retail and F&B outlets capable of serving over 90,000 meals a day.
The airport opening has been stalled several times in the past. The big launch scheduled for April 1, 2013 was cancelled in the last minute, as authorities said safety standards were not met.
22/04/14 Just Here

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Air India to shift Pune-Dubai service to Sharjah

Pune: Air India Express, a low-cost airline subsidiary of national carriers Air India (AI), will shift its Pune-Dubai direct flight service to Sharjah from May 1 in view of the partial closure of runway at the Dubai International Airport.
"With partial runway closure at Dubai airport from May 1 to July 20, flights between Dubai and Pune, Amritsar, Lucknow, Trichy and Jaipur will operate to and from Sharjah," Air India Express said in a notice put on its website. The airline has advised customers to check their websites for detailed flight timings.
In an official release, Dubai Airports said all systems would undergo a comprehensive runway upgrade as part of the project to boost safety, service and capacity levels at the world's second busiest international airport.
23/04/14 Vishwas Kothari/Times of India

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Cochin Airport plots ambitious duty free expansion at new international terminal

Cochin International Airport Ltd has begun work on its new international terminal, with completion expected by mid to late 2016. And the company has pledged an impressive commercial offer, including close to 40,000sq ft of duty free space. The expansion is in anticipation of rapid growth in passenger numbers. These hit 5.39 million in the latest financial year, up by more than +10% year-on-year.
The new terminal will measure 1,500,000sq ft with the capacity to handle 4,000 passengers during peak hours. This is the biggest expansion of the airport since it began operations in 1999.
Airport Director A.C.K.Nair said: “CIAL has decided on a major expansion considering the passenger growth. We started the construction of a new International Terminal and this is expected to be completed within 30 months. This terminal is to cater to the needs of at least the next 15 to 20 years. We are also creating more retail area in the terminal to maximise the commercial revenue.”
Alpha Kreol India, a joint venture with World Duty Free Group, has managed Cochin International Airport’s duty free business since 2002.
22/04/14 Dermot Davitt/Moodie Report

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Aero-bridge installed Biju Patnaik International Airport

Bhubaneswar: The Biju Patnaik International Airport has got the requisite permissions form the Air Authority of India (AAI) to build a lower area control centre (LACC) in its premises to have more control over flights. Sources said the proposed centre would ensure better control of aircrafts flying up to a height of 25,500 feet making air travel in them safer. “Earlier, the total control was with Kolkata. But under space harmonisation, we are now given the permission to have lower area control and approach control. Kolkata will control the aircrafts flying over 25,500 feet high,” said Airport Director Sharad Kumar.
23/04/14 Odisha Diary

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Networkplay enters into an exclusive partnership with T3 IGI Airport

Mumbai: Delhi International Airport (Private) Limited and India’s leading digital media solutions company, Networkplay, have entered into a long-term partnership to create a first-of-its-kind Airport–TV Network within Terminal 3(T3) – Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA), Delhi. Commissioned in the year 2010, T3 is the world’s eighth largest passenger terminal.
 The Airport-TV Network will air world-class HD-content to entertain, inform and relax the T3 traveller before they board their flight. Placed strategically to engage a captive audience, these TV Screens will offer world-class edutainment content to passengers, who spend between 40-90 minutes on an average, waiting to board their flights. The Airport-TV Network will air a good mix of short-form and long-form content, keeping in mind, the dwell time and content consumption habits of a premium traveller on the move. The Airport-TV Network covers over 125, 42-inch or more HD-Television screens located at ambient dwell opportunities within T3 near the boarding area, baggage reclaim area and at other captive locations.
22/04/14 India Television

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Bombay High Court shocked by Airports Authority of India's attitude in denying child-care leave

Mumbai: The Bombay High Court pulled up the Airports Authority of India (AAI) for not considering the plea of a woman employee who had sought child-care leave as prescribed by the government norms, to take care of her daughter who suffers from learning disability.
"We are surprised at the adversarial stand of the AAI ....We are shocked by the attitude of the AAI. As an employer you should have taken a sympathetic approach," said the division bench of Justices V M Kanade and Anil Memon.
The court was hearing a petition filed by S Mangala, Deputy General Manager (Aviation Safety), AAI, seeking implementation of child care leave norms recommended in the Sixth Pay Commission in 2008.
The Judges reserved the order after hearing both sides. Mangala approached the High Court after her request for leave for attending to her 12-year-old daughter was rejected.
22/04/14 PTI/Economic Times

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Childcare leave: Bombay high court raps AAI for not being sympathetic to woman employee

The high court has rapped the Airport Authority of India (AAI) for not being sympathetic to an employee who had sought two years' childcare leave, as prescribed by the Union government, to take care of her 12-year-old daughter who has learning disability.
"We are surprised at the adversarial stand of the AAI.... We are shocked by its attitude. As an employer you should have taken a sympathetic approach," said justice VM Kanade.
A division bench of justices Kanade and Anil Memon was hearing a petition by S Mangala, AAI deputy general manager (aviation safety), seeking implementation of childcare leave as recommended in the Sixth Pay Commission in 2008.
Mangala approached the high court after AAI had rejected her request for childcare leave.
Ajay Khaire, the AAI counsel, argued that their policy did not include childcare leave. "We have increased maternity leave from 135 days to 180 days. But there is no provision for childcare leave," said Khaire.
Ravi Shetty, counsel for Union government, said that several public sector undertakings had their own policies and benefits for employees and did not follow Central government guidelines.
23/04/14 Urvi Mahajani/Daily News & Analysis

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Chinese gangs implicated in India gold smuggling

Mumbai: A Dubai based Chinese mafia appears to be playing a key role in gold smuggling incidents, especially in South India, customs officials in India say.
Over the last few months, customs officials at the Rajiv Gandhi international Airport in Hyderabad, have detained more than 50 passengers and recovered approximately 80 kilograms of gold. On April 1, about 7.70 kilogram of gold was seized from two passengers by the Directorate of revenue intelliegence sleuths, which was the first instance to alert the investigating team about the role of the neighbouring nation.
"Though it sounds incredulous, investigators have come across enough evidence to indicate that Chinese gangs are hiring operators in other countries and smuggling gold into Hyderabad, Kerala and other Indian cities," said Kalyan Revella, Assistant Commissioner, Customs and Central Excise, at Hyderabad.
Revella said that his investigators had found passengers from Dubai, Singapore and Malaysia carrying illegal gold into Hyderabad. "During the course of the investigation, most of them disclosed that they had been handed the gold to smuggle into the city. They were to get a commission of $8,254 (Rs 500,000) per 1 kilogram," he said.
"Based on the confessions of detained passengers, we have investigated the cases and got some leads that some middlemen were hired by gangs based in China, who were targetting other gangs in Singapore, Malaysia and Dubai. The motive of the gangs is to smuggle gold to India, and the middlemen lure passengers by offering attractive commissions," Revella added.
22/04/14 Mineweb

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Jet Airways to pull out of Vizag?

Visakhapatnam: Jet Airways withdrew its Vizag – Chennai flight on Monday. The airline was also said to be planning withdrawal of its flights to other destinations from Vizag by May 31. The Jet – Etihad deal seems to be working against the interests of Vizag, which forayed into international operations only a couple of years ago.
It may be recalled that the Dubai-based Etihad Airways acquired a stake in Jet Airways for over Rs.2,000 crore in April 2013. The airline was said to be keen on operating only on the trunk routes.
The airline is also downsizing its staff, and in Delhi alone, it reportedly sacked 40 employees and more layoffs were expected in the coming days.
The airline is planning to withdraw its flights to Kolkota, Mumbai and Bangalore . The airline was also said to have written to the Airports Authority of India (AAI) announcing its decision to vacate the rooms provided to it (Jet Airways) by June 20.
22/04/14 B Madhu Gopal/The Hindu

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Bids invited for upgrading Chennai, Kolkata airports

Less than three years back, the Airports Authority of India (AAI) spent 2,015 crore and 2,324 crore on upgrading Chennai and Kolkata airport respectively. Now, yet again, the Ministry of Civil Aviation (MCA) has initiated the process of calling private contractors for upgrading the two airports. This despite the fact that Committee of Infrastructure, headed by the prime minister, in 2006 decided that the two airports will not be privatised. The Planning Commission and the Parliamentary Standing Committee in their reports had raised objections on the privatisation plan of the ministry.
Of the total 111 airports with AAI, only four of them are listed as profit making: Chennai, Kolkata, Goa and Calicut airports. Chennai and Kolkata were expanded and upgraded by AAI three years back. The AAI had then increased the runway length and developed the car parking area. At Chennai airport, a cargo terminal with new modern import cargo complex was also developed. At Kolkata airport, the AAI had upgraded the terminal building and strengthened the runway and developed aircraft parking spaces.
Three years down the line, the MCA has yet again called for a fresh bid for upgrading the airport and other city side infrastructure. This time the ministry wants to give these airports to private operators to re-do the terminal building and develop the city side infrastructure on the lines of Mumbai and Delhi airport.
21/04/14 Daily News & Analysis

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Govt begins process of appointing full time AAI chairman

New Delhi: Almost three months after the post fell vacant, government has begun the process of appointing a full-time Chairman of the Airports Authority of India (AAI) with the Public Enterprises Selection Board (PESB) seeking qualified candidates for the post.
After the sudden exit of V P Agrawal who held the post for five years, Alok Sinha, a Joint Secretary in the Civil Aviation Ministry, took over as the acting AAI Chairman on January 24.
Agrawal, who still has one-and-a-half years of service left, had risen from the AAI ranks to head the airports body.
Sinha, who handles airport-related matters in the Ministry, was given additional charge of the post till a full-time chief was found.
As per the PESB, the AAI Chairman would be appionted for a period of five years or till the date of superannuation, whichever is earlier. Applications have been invited till May 21 from government officers as well as chiefs of public sector units for the post, official sources said.
Agarwal, whose term ended in December last year, had been asked to continue in the post from January one till further orders, but was removed 23 days later.
21/04/14 mydigitalfc.com

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GMR may bid for Ahmedabad airport's privatisation

Ahmedabad: Infrastructure and aviation major GMR Group may bid for the upcoming privatisation of the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport at Ahmedabad, said its group chairman GM Rao.
Speaking on the sidelines of a convocation ceremony at the Entrepreneurship Development Institute of India (EDI) here, Rao said, "We may bid for the Ahmedabad airport privatisation whenever the bid opens." Rao was the chief guest at EDI's 15th convocation ceremony for its 'Post-Graduate Diploma in Management - Business Entrepreneurship' and 'Post-Graduate Diploma in Management - Development Studies'.
When asked about the revival in economy, Rao stated that India was on its way to recovery. "Slowdown is a temporary phase. Next year will be a very good year for India," said Rao.
Along with Rao, MS Raghavan, president of EDI and MD of IDBI Bank Ltd. was also present at the convocation ceremony.
21/04/14 Business Standard

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Jet discontinues Ahmedabad flight

Bhopal: State government's initiative to rope in new airlines to make Bhopal a central hub by reducing VAT on aviation turbine fuel (ATF) has failed to attract airlines. After scrapping up connectivity to Chennai and Hyderabad the latest casualty is the Ahmedabad-Raipur flight services.
Jet Airways that operates the Ahmedabad-Bhopal-Raipur service has decided to discontinue its flight from Monday. Now, Bhopal airport is connected only with Mumbai and Delhi with six daily flights.
Sources said that the decision to discontinue Ahmedabad flight was taken after Jet Airways shifted its base from Ahmedabad to Kolkata.
Now, Bhopal has no connectivity with Raipur. One cannot go to Raipur from Bhopal, instead one can return from Raipur to Bhopal as the Mumbai-Bhopal Jet Airways evening flight comes via Raipur.
Recently, SpiceJet had discontinued its services to Delhi and Hyderabad from Bhopal. SpiceJet was the only air carrier offering, which provided connectivity from Bhopal to southern part of the country.
21/04/14 Times of India

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Kangana Ranaut gets stopped by custom officials at Delhi airport

New Delhi: Bollywood queen Kangana Ranaut had to face an embarrassing situation when the customs officials at Delhi's Indira Gandhi International airport stopped her over undeclared, expensive bags.
A leading publication reports that she was stopped by the officials for not paying custom duty on some expensive goods.
The incident took place when Kangana was returning from Dubai on March 30 along with her sister Rangoli. The publication also reported that since they didn't have enough cash, they had to wait for two-and-a half-hours at the airport.
21/04/14 India Today

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Bigger participation at the Airport Show

The fast approaching Airport Show will see a bigger hosted buyer programme. The 14th edition will take place from 11-13 May 2014 in Dubai. This event has already attracted 71 hosted buyers, up from 60 last year.
The organisers confident about reaching the 100 mark by the time the event takes off. Last year’s hosted buyers programme had gathered 20 aviation authorities from 13 countries. In Airport Show 2013, there were a total of 1,128 pre-arranged meetings between hosted buyers and exhibitors and 52 meetings.
21/04/14 Travel Daily Media

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Air France-KLM increases cargo flights to Chennai, Mumbai

New Delhi: Air France-KLM-Martinair Cargo, the air cargo business of Air France-KLM Group, has added one more weekly cargo flight from Chennai to Amsterdam and two more weekly cargo flights from Mumbai to Amsterdam, said Christophe Albert Boucher, Vice-President, Asia and Middle East. Earlier, there were 3 cargo flights a week from Chennai and Mumbai had two flights. “We have decided to not only maintain but reinforce the presence of full freighters in India. The first few flights have been full,” Boucher said in a press conference. He pointed out that the increase in fights would see 40 tonnes a week being added in Mumbai, while the cargo capacity from Chennai is likely to increase by 20 tonnes.
“The idea is not to increase capacity tremendously but get a set up where we can better optimise our presence. The idea is to maximise the profitability of the flight,” Boucher said.
20/04/14 Business Line

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Gold worth Rs 16L seized at airport

Nagpur: Customs officials have seized gold worth Rs 16 lakh from a passenger at Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar International Airport. The passenger, Ashraph Alli Mohammed Memon, was travelling by Air Arabia Flight G90415 from Sharjah to Nagpur.
Memon holds an Indian passport (Z 2900690). On arrival at Nagpur airport on Sunday morning, customs officials intercepted him on suspicion. He was found to be carrying white coated gold wire and chain, together weighing about 625.31 grams.
21/04/14 Times of India

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Abhijeet Group alleges flip-flop by MADC

Nagpur:  Even as the ambitious Mihan-SEZ remains without electricity for two days in a row, it is now learnt that the Maharashtra Airport Development Company (MADC) had a month ago given a written consent to Abhijeet Group for procuring cheaper power from open market and supply it to the units operating here. This could have perhaps solved the power crisis temporarily. However, the MADC, which had issued the letter on March 13, is now not agreeing to the method of power purchase adopted by the group.
MADC's vice-chairman-cum-managing director Tanaji Satre has preferred not to comment on the issue. Abhijeet, on the other hand, termed MADC's stance as "mere nit-picking".
A senior officer in Abhijeet told TOI that based on the MADC letter the company went ahead in tying up with Tata Power to purchase around 2.5MW of power at Rs 5 - a rate cheaper than what is to be charged by the MSEDCL which is now set to take up the distribution. However, when the deal was clinched, MADC raised an objection and withheld the final approval.
20/04/14 Shishir Arya/Times of India

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Polls delay international flight take off from Bhubaneswar

Bhubaneswar:  Trial run of international flights at Biju Patnaik International Airport here is unlikely before third week of May, official sources said.
Earlier, the airport authorities had targeted third week of March for dry run.
They have cited two reasons for the delay. Airlines, which have evinced interest to fly aircraft, are yet to complete traffic survey. Secondly, the operation can start only after election model code of conduct is lifted. The Union cabinet on October 30 had accorded international tag to the airport.
The Air Asia had evinced interest to fly its international flights from the city to Kuala Lumpur at a meeting at Airports Authority of India (AAI) regional office, Kolkata, on January 20. But it is yet to complete traffic study (expected flow of passengers). "The airline has sought permission from ministry of civil aviation for starting operations," said airport director Sharad Kumar. He further said election outcome will dictate how early the international operations start.
20/04/14 Times of India

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GSPCB: New Dabolim terminal operating without legal clearance

Panaji:  The recently inaugurated new airport terminal at Dabolim, managed by airports authority of India (AAI), is currently functioning without proper clearance to operate under the Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act 1974 and Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act 1981. This came to light when the Goa state pollution control board (GSPCB) officials inspected the premises. GSPCB is likely to issue show-cause notice for violations of the above mentioned Acts.
GSPCB officials inspected new airport terminal on Thursday following the growing number of reports in newspapers regarding the discharge of dirty water from the new airport terminal into a nullah.
When contacted, GSPCB chairman Jose Manual Noronha, said, "The AAI doesn't have consent to operate the new airport terminal under Air and Water Acts. The board will issue a show-cause notice to the AAI for operating the airport terminal without consent to operate".
20/04/14 Times of India

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High import duty pushes up gold smuggling at IGI

New Delhi: There has been a manifold increase in the seizure of smuggled gold at Delhi airport. In 2013-14, the customs department seized 352kg gold worth Rs 94 crore-52 times more than in 2012-13. Officials estimate that only a 12th part of the gold smuggled through the airport is detected, pointing to a massive jump in smuggling last year following the sharp increase in import duty on the yellow metal.
On March 16, 10 Afghan nationals, nine of them women, were caught with 38.4kg of undeclared gold-a record for Delhi airport-worth Rs 10.6 crore. Less than two weeks later, on March 28, a Syrian national was caught with 18 gold bars weighing a kilo each. The haul was valued at Rs 4.95 crore-a record for a single courier.
20/04/14 Suhas Munshi/Times of India

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It's there in the ticket where to board your flight

Despite it being clearly mentioned on their tickets, scores of Air India passengers who have booked their flights in some international-turning-domestic flight, land up at the domestic terminal, only to realise that they have to board their flight from the newly-constructed T2.
On Tuesday, 23 passengers missed their flight. Airport officials said that on an average, more than 10 passengers faced a similar problem.
According to airport sources, such goof-ups have been going on ever since the state-of-the-art Terminal 2 (T2) opened to public over two months ago. All international operations take place at T2. In addition to this, international flights connecting domestic destinations also start from there.
Normally, all domestic flights, including that of Air India, take off from the domestic terminal at Vile Parle. Hence, many passengers who are required to report at T2 end up there.
19/04/14 Shahkar Abidi/Daily News & Analysis

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Technical study of Karipur airport runway begins

Kozhikode: The Central Road Research Institute (CRRI) has commenced the technical study to determine the quantum of strengthening required for repairing the runway of the Karipur airport, which an earlier CBI probe has found to have constructed with substandard material.
The Airport Authority of India (AAI) has awarded the consultancy contract to the CRRI to conduct the technical study, which would form the basis for recarpeting of the entire stretch of the runway proposed by the Union civil aviation ministry.
The CRRI will recommend the thickness of the re-carpeting that needs to be carried out at the runway and the material to be used in the tarmac strengthening.
It would also look at how to address the issue of development of cracks and peeling off of runway surface during monsoon.
19/04/14 KR Rajeev/Times of India

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Another glass panel breaks at Chennai airport

Chennai:  A portion of a glass panel in the domestic VIP lounge of the airport here developed cracks today.
Officials cordoned off the area soon after the incident was brought to their notice, airport sources said.
Arrangements have been made to replace the glass, they said.
This is the latest in a series of such incidents of the collapse of false ceiling, glass doors and panels and granite slabs at the new domestic and international terminals of the airport, built at a cost of over ?2,000 crore and inaugurated by Vice-President Hamid Ansari in January 2013.
19/04/14 PTI/Business Line

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Lid off 363 gold seizures at IGI Airport

New Delhi: Indira Gandhi International Airport has witnessed 52 times more gold seizures in the financial year of 2013-14 as compared to 2012-13, while the yellow metal is being smuggled via newer and innovative methods.
The Customs department at IGI Airport said that it has seized 352 kilograms of gold between April 1, 2013 and March 31, this year. Three hundred and sixty-three cases of gold seizures were registered during this period. The gold that was to be smuggled into the country was worth Rs 98 crore.
In the financial year of 2012-13, the Customs had seized 6.8 kilograms of gold at the airport that was worth Rs 1.5 crore. The seizures were lesser in 2011-12, when the Customs had recovered 2.1 kilograms of gold worth Rs 0.6 crore.
Sources in the Customs department at the airport said that the ratio of seized versus unseized gold is 1:12, which is an indication to the amount of gold that is illegally hitting the Indian markets. The data has been collected from the department.
There have been several attempts to smuggle gold at IGI Airport this year. The Customs department caught 10 Afghan nationals, including nine women, on March 16 this year for allegedly trying to smuggle 38.4 kilograms of gold. The seized gold is worth Rs 10.6 crore, which has been the highest seizure this year from a passenger at IGI Airport.
19/04/14 Shaurya Karanbir Gurung/The Tribune

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12 Gold biscuits inside Indian businessman's tummy stun doctors

A 63-year-old Indian businessman approached doctors in a Delhi hospital earlier this month, complaining of difficulty defecating and vomiting due to swallowing a water bottle cap following a fight with his wife. What doctors found instead were 12 gold biscuits weighing a total of 396 grams - all this stored inside his stomach.
The doctors at Sir Ganga Ram Hospital in Delhi discovered about the gold bars when they did an X-ray of the patient, what they thought earlier were just symptoms of acute intestinal obstruction. Good thing, the bars have been removed earlier, if not there will be serious complications.
Dr. Ramachandra revealed it was the first time he recovered gold from a patient's abdomen and he said it was unbelievable.
The doctors said the wealthy businessman, who has business in Chandni Chowk, was a known patient there. The patient, who is a diabetic, already went through four stomach surgeries - gall bladder removal, incisional hernia and appendicitis, so the latest operation was rather critical.
"It was a tedious three-hour-long operation. He is an old patient and we had to be careful," Dr. Ramachandra said.
Reports say the businessman indeed swallowed the gold biscuits weighing 33 grams each, so he could smuggle them from Singapore to India about 10 days ago. Surprisingly, he managed to escape airport security checks. The gold biscuits have been estimated to worth Rs 12 lakh. The plan was to eventually get rid of the biscuits from his stomach through his stool, but the biscuits wouldn't leave his small intestine despite having tried to use laxatives and to drink lots of fluids. He also didn't eat for 10 days in the hope that it would come out that way.
The case has been reported immediately to officials, who later confiscated the gold and went to question the businessman.
19/04/14 Lori Sandoval/Tech Times

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Naidu Vows to Build Airport, Growth Zone

Vizinagaram: Announcing several sops to the people, Telugu Desam Party supremo Nara Chandrababu made a whirlwind tour of Vizianagaram district covering Bobbili, Parvathipuram, Gajapatinagaram and Vizianagaram Assembly constituencies on Thursday.
Naidu, as a part of his party election campaign, addressed several public meetings and conducted roadshows. Mentioning local problems, Naidu assured people that the TDP government would solve all the pending problems and his only government could develop Seemandhra.
Soon after coming into the government, Naidu said he would take up construction of an airport between Srikakulam and Vizianagaram and development of an Industrial Growth Corridor at Bobbili and an old age home in each district. He will provide one job to each family and `5 meal to all the weaker sections, he said. He also promised that his government would sanction housesites and also construct houses at a cost of `1.5 lakh each.
18/04/14 New Indian Express

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Nagpur airport old terminal building front reeks of urine

Nagpur: As one reaches the two-wheeler parking opposite the cargo sorting area near the old terminal building at Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar International Airport, Nagpur, a whiff of urine smelling air hits one's nostrils.
A part of the shed has been cut out by some miscreants, probably to facilitate easy entry into the bushes behind it, which seems to be the source of the smell. Also, a look around will present a forlorn picture as the remains of packing material are often scattered around one of the entrances to the building.
While, on one side the airport officials maintain that it is not the regular staff that urinates in the open in their premises, the fact remains that there are no usable toilets on the ground floor of the old terminal building. Of the two toilets which are there, one is in such a dilapidated condition that it cannot be used, and the other is generally kept locked, thus rendering both of them useless.
"There are toilets on the first floor which can be used by everyone, but people don't use it. While this area is also important, we have to prioritize our spending and right now, we are renovating the rest rooms for the passengers in the new terminal building," said P Anil Kumar, senior airport director.
18/04/14 Aparna Nair/Times of India

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Defence enclaves for Kannur airport

Thiruvananthapuram: The Indian Navy, the Indian Air Force (IAF), and the Indian Coast Guard (ICG) will set up separate defence enclaves on the campus of the upcoming 800-hectare Kannur airport to augment air surveillance along the coast.
Land will be provided by Kannur International Airport Ltd. (KIAL), the fourth international airport in the State coming up in the Keezhallur panchayat and the Mattannur municipality at an estimated cost of Rs.1,542 crore.
Each of the services will get four hectares of land on long-term lease, against a token rent. The land identified is besides the operational apron of the airport and the enclaves will have taxi link to the 3400-metre runway.
The area for the enclave had been notified in the master plan of the airport. Defence officials had given the nod in view of the strategic location of the proposed airport and proximity to the coast.
KIAL and the Ministry of Defence (MoD) were in the last stages of talks regarding the terms and conditions of setting up the Naval Air Enclave, official sources told The Hindu. The KIAL board had approved the proposal to give land to the Navy.
18/04/14 S Anil Radhakrishnan/The Hindu

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