Showing posts with label Airports Aug 2021. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Airports Aug 2021. Show all posts

Tuesday, August 31, 2021

Private airport operators expected to spend Rs 42,000 cr on capacity expansion: Crisil

Private airport operators are expected to spend around Rs 42,000 crore on capacity expansion over the five years through fiscal 2026 as they are confident of air traffic growth in the long term, Crisil Ratings said on Tuesday.

The amount will be more than double the capital expenditure (capex) they incurred in the previous five financial years, it said.

According to Crisil, the confidence on capex stems from the strong long-term fundamentals and regulated tariff structure, which allows pass through of capex costs and thereby keeping the risks low.

Prior to the pandemic hitting the country in early 2020, private airports were bursting at their seams, operating at over 115 per cent of their design capacity. It was around 175 million passengers on a design capacity of about 150 million passengers, as per the ratings agency.

The high operating rate was due to strong annual growth of over 8 per cent in air traffic between fiscals 2016 and 2020, Crisil said, adding the operating rates took a massive hit in fiscal 2021 as the pandemic and the subsequent economic slowdown led to traffic nose-diving by around 65 per cent.

Though the current fiscal also started with a more virulent second COVID wave, prospects of economic recovery look brighter with the infection rate easing, vaccinations gathering pace, and the government continuing its thrust on infrastructure development, it said.

31/08/21 PTI/Economic Times

Bangladesh airline pilot who took ill mid-air dies at Nagpur hospital

Nagpur: Captain Nawshad Ataul Quaiyum, the Biman Bangladesh Airlines pilot who took ill while steering a Dhaka-bound flight from Muscat, Oman, on Friday, following which the plane had to make an emergency landing in Nagpur, died at the city’s Kingsway Hospital on Monday.

The flight BG 22 was carrying 122 passengers on August 27 when Quaiyum fell ill after which the co-pilot of the plane landed the aircraft at city’s Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar International Airport. An alternative arrangement was made for the passengers later in the day to fly back to Dhaka.

Quaiyum, 45, was rushed to the Kingsway Hospital, where he was stated to be in a coma till he breathed his last. A hospital source said, “He had lapsed into a comatose state following a stroke.”

It couldn’t be known whether Quaiyum died of a brain stroke followed by a heart attack or the other way round as hospital officials said they had no authority to talk about the issue.

A Bangladesh news portal, bdnews24.com, quoted Biman Bangladesh Airlines’ spokesperson Tahera Khandaker as saying, “We have heard from the hospital that he is no longer with us.”

31/08/21 Indian Express

Monday, August 30, 2021

Plans on to build high-speed rail link between Bengaluru city and airport: Basavaraj Bommai

Bengaluru: Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai has said that plans are on to build a high-speed rail link between Bengaluru city and Kempegowda International Airport (KIA).

“We have plans to connect Bengaluru airport with the city centre with a high-speed train. KIA will become a unique airport, connected by three railway lines with the Metro, and the suburban and the high-speed train,” he said on Sunday after inaugurating the new 7.5 km-long Western Extension Line under Phase-2 of Namma Metro from Mysore Road Metro Station to Kengeri Metro Stations. Union Minister of Housing and Urban Affairs Hardeep Singh Puri was also present on the occasion.

The plan for the high-speed rail link was originally proposed in 2001-02, during the tenure of the S M Krishna-led Congress government. Later in 2008, the state government had considered introducing a high-speed rail link between MG Road in the Central Business District(CBD) and the airport at a  proposed cost  Rs 6689 crore. The proposed 37km high-speed rail link (HSRL) project was to reduce the commute time to the airport to around 20 minutes.

In 2013, the proposal again came up right after the then CM Siddaramaiah had taken an eight-minute, 50km high-speed train ride from Shanghai Central to the Pudong International Airport during his visit to China. But the proposed plan did not proceed due to the high costs involved and land acquisition issues.

Meanwhile, after Bommai spoke about the plan on Sunday, sources in the Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL) and the urban development department told the Indianexpress.com were not aware of any such plan to revive the proposed project.

31/08/21 Darshan Devaiah BP/Indian Express

Sunday, August 29, 2021

More flight services to Europe on cards: CIAL

Kochi: The Cochin International Airport Limited (CIAL) has initiated discussions with major airlines to improve direct flight services to European countries. There is a huge demand for direct services to London and Frankfurt and efforts are on to lure airlines operators to launch direct services to these cities. 

As an initial step, CIAL has waived parking and landing fees for airlines operating in the European sector.

The airport handles around 1.85 lakh passengers in Kochi - Europe sector a year and on an average nearly 900 passengers transit through Kochi to European destinations. A survey conducted by CIAL in 2019 had revealed that the demand in the Kochi-Europe sector is set to rise and there is a huge potential for direct flight operations. There is demand for services in Kochi-US transit sector and Australia.

29/08/21 Aishwarya Prabhakaran/New Indian Express

Vijayawada airport ready to accept VVIP landings

Vijayawada: VVIPs flying in special aircraft can now land at the Vijayawada International Airport, which passed an ‘overshoot flight’ test. This means the President or the Prime Minister flying on the aircraft with the designated call sign ‘Air India One’ or in other large aircraft can land in the airport.

A Boeing 777 aircraft recently carried out the ‘overshoot flight’ successfully to test the technical viability and functioning of instrumentation for landing and take-off, on the extended 3,360-metre runway at the Vijayawada airport.

Vijayawada airport authorities say that following successful conduct of ‘overshoot flight’, they are ready to facilitate operation of large aircraft carrying VVIPs and passengers.

The Airports Authority of India recently extended the Vijayawada airport runway to 3,360 metres from the 2,286 meters, extending it by 1,074 metre to facilitate landing and take-off of large aircraft.

Vijayawada airport authorities say that following successful conduct of ‘overshoot flight’, they are ready to facilitate operation of large aircraft carrying VVIPs and passengers.

29/08/21 Deccan Chronicle

Sgr airport records highest ever passenger footfall in single day

Srinagar:  Srinagar International Airport on Saturday witnessed highest ever passenger footfall in single day in the history of the airport.

Director Srinagar airport, Kuldeep Singh told Rising Kashmir that 78 to and fro flights operated at the airport on Saturday in which 10,944 passengers travelled.

"It was a historical day in the journey of Srinagar Airport. A total number of 10,944 passengers arrived and left in a single day !

This is in stark comparison with average 7,500 passengers per day before COVID," he said.

About the details, around 5575 arrived, while 5369 departed from the airport on Saturday alone.

Earlier on Friday, 8515 passengers traveled on 74 flights.

The Srinagar International Airport has become the first in India to cross 100% pre-covid passenger arrival while it has witnessed 33% growth in the same this year, officials said on Friday.

Srinagar Airport has become the first airport among 72 airports in India to achieve more than 100 percent pre-Covid traffic.

Kashmir's tourism industry is witnessing a boom after hitting the lowest in the last two years. In the month of July and August, Kashmir has seen maximum tourist arrivals.

29/08/21 Irfan Yattoo/Rising Kashmir

Saturday, August 28, 2021

Delhi Airport sees gradual growth in passenger traffic numbers: Report

Mumbai: Delhi Airport has seen a gradual growth in passenger numbers in line with the recovery in air travel demand, as around 90,000 passengers travelled per day through the facility during the first 10 days of this month, according to a White Paper by GMR.

This is five times more than the mid-May passenger volumes when Delhi Airport handled around 18,000 travellers per day. The number by the end of June 2021 increased to about 62,000 passengers per day, the White Paper released on Friday said.

According to GMR, with the improvement in COVID situation and the high level of vaccinations being achieved, domestic traffic is expected to reach pre-COVID level by the end of FY23. However, given the situation, international traffic could attain pre-COVID levels only by FY24.

In July, the airport handled around 2.29 million passengers, which is 60 per cent less than the 5.80 million passengers handled in the same month in 2019. Similarly, air traffic movements in July were also 45 per cent less at 20,800 compared to 37,700 services operated in July 2019, as per the White Paper.

Once the severe impact of the second COVID wave eased, people felt the need to travel to their respective homes/base locations, thereby Visiting Family and Relatives (VFR) travel has pushed up the passenger numbers, according the White Paper, which also observed a slight pickup in business travel demand (with gradual opening of offices).

"But it is still very much subdued. The leisure travel (tourists) has also picked up, with the opening of tourist destinations across the country," it said.

The government allowing airline companies to operate up to 72.5 per cent of their total domestic capacity also resulted in gradual increase in passenger traffic. From June, the government started relaxing capacity from 50 per cent to current levels of 72.5 per cent, GMR said in the White Paper.

27/08/21 PTI/Outlook

Centre to monetise Hubballi airport; move draws flak

Dharwad: The Union Ministry of Civil Aviation has identified 25 airports in the country under the Airport Authority of India (AAI) for monetization under the National Monetization Pipeline (MNP) and the Hubballi Airport is in the list.

The details have been placed on the NITI Ayog’s website. Monetization in effect means handing over of the listed airports to private sector.

The Union Ministry of Aviation says monetization is proposed to be done in four phases between 2022 and 2025. It is aimed at augmenting financial resources for infrastructure development. The larger objective is to focus on monetization of these 25 airports, while bundling of smaller airports may be explored based on market testing of transactions and investor feedback, the NITI Ayog said and added that the overall capital expenditure is valued at Rs 20,782 crore.

Hubballi Airport is the only airport from Karnataka in the list. The proposal is to privatise it in the third phase - 2023-2024. The airports at Chennai, Vijayawada, Tirupati, Vadodara and Bhopal are to be privatized during the same year.

The aviation ministry expects revenue of Rs 4,193 crore From Hubballi airport the ministry expects a capital expenditure of Rs 130 crore. It is the third largest airport in the state with increased number of flights and passengers under Udan scheme.

However, the Centre’s move has attracted criticism. “The Union government has started privatizing railways, BSNL, Life Insurance Corporation of India and now airports. This will be a move against public interest because private operators who come with profit motive will exploit the end users.” said Ramanjanappa Aldalli, district president of Socialist Unity Center of India (Communist).

28/08/21 Times of India

Land not an issue for expansion of airports in Bihar: Minister

Patna: Two days after Union civil aviation minister Jyotiraditya M Scindia sought intervention of CM Nitish Kumar for expansion of airports in the state listed under the Centre’s RCS-UDAN scheme, state information and public relations minister Sanjay Kumar Jha on Friday said state government has provided land sought by the civil aviation ministry for various airports, including Bihta, Darbhanga and Purnia. He said it is now the responsibility of civil aviation ministry and Airports Authority of India (AAI) to start the development works.

“State government has provided 108 acres of land to civil aviation ministry at Bihta for construction of a modern civil enclave and other utilities for commencing commercial flight operations from the airbase. The land was acquired after the state cabinet passed a proposal in this regard. Now, the work has to be carried out by civil aviation ministry and AAI,” Jha told TOI.

The state cabinet headed by CM Nitish had on November, 2016, sanctioned Rs 260.74 crore for acquisition of 120 acres of land at Bihta airbase. Of the 120 acres of land, 108 acres is proposed to be utilised for development of civil enclave and the remaining 18 acres would be used by state government for development of amenities, including a VIP lounge, a hotel and a hangar.

As per initial plans, AAI had planned to commence the construction of first block of the proposed civil enclave at Bihta airbase in 2019 with an expenditure of Rs 500 crore. However, no work has started yet.

With regard to additional land sought for installation of new equipment at Patna airport, Sanjay Kumar, additional chief secretary of state cabinet secretariat department, said 16.5 acres of land has already been handed over to AAI and process is underway for transferring another 22 acres of land.

28/08/21 Piyush Pripathi/Times of India

SriLankan Airlines’Trichy-Colombo service from Sept 2

Trichy: SriLankan Airlines will resume its services between Colombo and Trichy, which had been suspended for more than 18 months due to the Covid-19 pandemic, from September 2. The airline said it will operate a weekly service on Thursdays. It had been operating 14 flights a week before suspending operations in the last week of March 2020.

According to airline sources, flight UL 131/132 would arrive in Trichy at 10 am and leave at 11 am every Thursday. In a statement to its trade partners, the airlines stated that it has resumed acceptance of passengers travelling on tourist visa from India. The protocol with guidelines of Covid-19 with a change in the approval process and quarantine measures for those travelling on tourist visa has been circulated and it should be strictly followed by the partners.

Accordingly, a negative RT-PCR test done within 72 hours of travel is mandatory for travellers age above 2 years who must also undergo a PCR test upon arrival at the destination. Though all international airlines suspended their service to Trichy amid pandemic, travel agents said this situation has created an opportunity for Trichy to handle several flights from various foreign destinations that had not yet started services.

28/08/21 Times of India

Scindia writes to Maharashtra CM seeking intervention for airport development

Mumbai: Union Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia has written to the Maharashtra Chief Minister seeking his personal intervention for developing airports at Kolhapur, Solapur, Akola, Gondia, Amravati and other areas in order to strengthen aviation infrastructure in the state.

The Airports Authority of India (AAI) has started the expansion of airports at a cost of Rs 20,000 crore in the next four to five years to meet the growing passenger demand in the country.

In a letter to CM Uddhav Thackeray, Scindia said that AAI has projected land requirements of 234.21 acres at Akola airport for development of basic strip and additional infrastructure. Of this only 149.95 acres has been handed over to AAI.

At Aurangabad, 182 acres is required for runway extension and parallel taxi track to make it suitable for operation of Code “E” type of aircraft. Since Aurangabad is located close to Ajanta and Ellora caves, there is tourist traffic from Buddhist countries.

At Gondia in Vidarbha, 47.6 acres is required at the airport for diversion of village road and city side development. This airport also houses a flying school.

At Kolhapur in western Maharashtra, 64 acres is required for runway extension and installation of approach lights for development of airport and operation of AB-320 type of aircraft. Devotees visiting Tirupati come here to worship Goddess Mahalaxmi.

27/08/21 Yogesh Naik/Indian Express

Domestic traffic expected to reach pre-Covid levels by end of FY23: DIAL

National capitals IGI Airport operator DIAL expects domestic traffic to reach pre-Covid levels by the end of FY23.

Accordingly, DIAL, expects the gradual rise on the back of improvement in Covid situation and the high level of vaccinations being achieved.

"We may expect the domestic traffic to reach pre-Covid level by the end of FY23," DIAL said in a whitepaper.

"However, given the situation, we do not see International traffic reaching pre-Covid levels, until FY24."

Besides, it expects the increase in vaccination pick up across the globe and lower number of Covid cases in India to allow for relaxation in international travel, which will increase more flights and add new destinations.

"We may see adoption of common travel pass based on vaccination and testing status for International travel in coming months."

On the current situation, DIAL said after a low during the second wave of Covid-19 pandemic, the air travel segment is showing signs of revival.

27/08/21 IANS/Economic Times

Pune airport to remain shut for two weeks in November after Diwali

In a recent update, the Pune Airport will remain closed for 14 days in November for re-carpeting purposes. The airport will be shut down for passengers after Diwali. The Airports Authority of India (AAI) and Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) will finalise the dates for re-carpeting work of the runway. During this time, no flight movement would be allowed.

According to an official, the airport is currently waiting for the Indian Air Force to announce the dates as they are the ones who manage the airport's runway. The official said that the re-carpeting needs to be completed without any further delay.

Pune Airport was recently opened after remaining closed due to the pandemic for a long time. The airport got operational after the number of COVID-19 cases came down from October 26 last year though most of the flights were not operational and timings of the airport were from 8 AM to 8 PM.

Apparently, the re-carpeting project was supposed to begin in September last year and the authorities had decided to shut the airport from April 26 to May 9. However, the project got postponed due to transportation of vaccines.

27/08/21 Times of India

No change in nomenclature of LGBI airport, says AAI

Guwahati: The AAI (Airports Authority of India) has assured the family members of Bharat Ratna Lokapriya Gopinath Bordoloi of retaining the present name of the Borjhar airport in the city. The Central Government had named the Borjhar airport after the first Chief Minister of Assam — Bharat Ratna Lokapriya Gopinath Bordoloi. It is now known as Lokapriya Gopinath Bordoloi International (LGBI) airport.

But a newspaper advertisement was doing the rounds in the social media where it had been mentioned that Adani Guwahati International Airport invited "parties to participate in the e-tendering process for provisions of various non-aeronautical services at the airport". The Adani Group will take over the operation of the LGBI Airport in October this year.

Amidst this prevailing uncertainty, Bolin Bordoloi, son of late Bharat Ratna Lokpriya Gopinath Bordoloi on Wednesday met the Airport Director of LGBI Airport Ramesh Kumar and discussed the issue in detail.

During the discussion the AAI authority explained that as per the contract norms only the operations of the LGBI Airport have been leased out to Adani Group. But the Central government — through AAI — will retain the technical operations and ownership rights. Hence, the name 'Lokpriya Gopinath Bordoloi International Airport' — already okayed by the Union Cabinet and approved by Parliament — stands unchanged.

28/08/21 Sentinel 

Peekay Group ties up with BACL to develop 3D printing facility at Bengaluru airport city

Mumbai:  Kerala-based Peekay Group has signed a pact with Bengaluru Airport City Ltd (BACL) to develop a 3D printing technology facility at the airport city that is being developed at the Bengaluru airport premises, according to a statement released said on Friday.

A wholly-owned subsidiary of Bangalore International Airport Limited (BIAL), BACL was formed to develop the airport city at the Bengaluru airport, consisting of business parks, health district, retail dining and entertainment village.

Besides, it will also house concert arena, convention and exhibition centre, knowledge park, hospitality and central park.

The facility, planned by Peekay Group, will house a production centre as well as an experience zone to learn 3D printing and ideate for innovative solutions, as per the statement by BIAL.

In addition, it will be used to train technology experts, upgrade skills, increase awareness of various 3D printing applications, which will help in engaging youngsters in this new era of technology-driven manufacturing, BIAL said.

Peekay Group ties up with BACL to develop 3D printing facility at Bengaluru airport city

"Peekay is driven by a purpose to create value for all its stakeholders. We are moving ahead with its purpose and vision with this current investment with BACL," K E Shanavaz, joint managing director of PeeKay Steel Castings.

He added that Peekay is investing in a standalone technology centre at the airport city to diversify its business into new areas like aerospace, healthcare, renewable energy and transform itself as a tech-driven manufacturing company globally.

27/08/21 PTI/New Indian Express

Scindia requests 4 states, Puducherry to expedite matters related to aviation infrastructure

New Delhi: Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia has requested the chief ministers of Puducherry, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal to expedite matters related to aviation infrastructure such as land allocation for airports.

Centre-run Airports Authority of India (AAI) has embarked upon development and expansion of airports in the country at a cost of Rs 20,000 crore in the next four to five years in order to meet the growing passenger demand in the country, the Civil Aviation Ministry said.

In a letter to Puducherry Chief Minister N Rangasamy, Scindia said the AAI needs 161.5 acres land -- 104 acres from the Tamil Nadu government and 57.5 acres from the Rangasamy''s government -- to extend the runway at Puducherry airport and make it suitable for operation of ATR72 and Q400 aircraft.

However, the land is yet to be handed over to the AAI by the two governments, he added.

Scindia wrote a separate letter to Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin, requesting him to hand over 88 acres of and that is needed by the AAI for infrastructure works at the Chennai airport.

Moreover, he told Stalin that 642.18 acres of land is required at the Trichy airport by the AAI for runway extension, basic strip, apron, terminal building and associated infrastructure.

"However, only 40.93 acres has been handed over to AAI. Remaining 642.18 acres is yet to be handed over (at the Trichy airport)," he added.

Scindia said the Tamil Nadu government may give their consent to provide 100 per cent VGF support for international UDAN operations on Coimbatore-Colombo, Coimbatore-Dubai, Coimbatore-Singapore, Coimbatore-Kuala Lumpur, Madurai-Dubai, Madurai-Colombo and Madurai-Singapore routes.

"On receipt of the consent of the state government for 100 per cent VGF support, routes will be put up for bidding by the airlines," he mentioned.

In his letter to Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot, Scindia said 145 acres of land is needed at the Udaipur airport, 58.55 acres at the Bikaner airport, 55.9 acres at the Jodhpur airport, 51 acres at the Uttarlai airport for infrastructure works that have been planned.

He said an amount of Rs 94 lakh is outstanding on part of the Rajasthan government as viability gap funding (VGF) share for Regional Air Connectivity Fund Trust (RACFT).

28/08/21 PTI/Outlook

Centre's national monetization plan may help Hubballi Airport spread its wings

Hubballi: With the central government considering the monetising of the Hubballi Airport in the next two years, experts are hoping the move will help with more facilities and connectivity. 

Under the national monetization plan (NMP), the union government is planning to monetise 25 airports including Hubballi and aiming to raise Rs 20,782 crore within four years. Hubballi Airport is one of the busiest airports in the state and connects important destinations such as Bengaluru, Mumbai, Chennai, New Delhi, Kochi, Hyderabad and other places in the country. 

As per regular travellers, the airport requires much more facilities to facilitate more routes from the city. As it is maintained by the Airport Authority of India, it requires time to develop the airport and to generate revenue too. There will be much delay in coordination and implementing new things which will result in a delay in development and air passengers will not get world-class facilities here. Till now the airport authorities are not able to introduce an online taxi booking service and the passengers are being charged more money by the private cab providers.

27/08/21 Arunkumar Huralimath/New Indian Express

Passenger footfalls at city airport surge

Ahmedabad: Reflecting a clear revival in travel, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International (SVPI) airport reported a 48% surge in passenger movement in July 2021 versus June. According to data by Airports Authority of India (AAI), 3.45 lakh passengers travelled from the city airport in July 2021 – up 48.2% against 2.33 lakh passengers in June 2021.

With new flights launched and existing ones operating on schedule, even the aircraft movement for both domestic and international flights saw a surge. During the same period, aircraft movement grew from 2,378 flights in June to 3,264 flights in July.

Travel and hospitality industry sources attribute the surge not just to the consumer confidence growing back but a gradually improving sentiment for both corporate travel as well as leisure.

In fact, with greater passenger movement, hoteliers across Ahmedabad are getting a major cushion with increased occupancy. “Not just leisure travel but even corporate movement has seen a surge. Company delegates who need to travel for on-site requirements are now arriving into the city in greater numbers taking our occupancy levels at par with the pre-pandemic times ,” said Jay Sudhakaran, general manager, Novotel Ahmedabad.

28/08/21 Times of India


AAI keen on tapping domestic cargo potential in Tirupati

Tirupati: After launching the air cargo services at Tirupati International Airport recently, the Airport Authority of India (AAI) has now focussed on increasing the demand for its services as it has several advantages.

Eyeing the local business potential as well as from other neighbouring districts, it wants to increase the cargo services at the pilgrim city.

With the major advantage of transporting the goods to many destinations on the same day itself, the air cargo will go a long way in facilitating the economic growth in the region. The farmers who want to transport perishables and e-commerce companies are also expected to make use of the facility to increase their business activities.

AAI cargo logistics and allied services (AAICLAS) operates the services. The CFO of AAICLAS visited the airport a couple of days ago and deliberated with the Chamber of Commerce delegation in a bid to assess the cargo potential here.

Disclosing the details to The Hans India, Airport Director S Suresh said that the CFO has expressed hope that cargo bookings from Tirupati may speed up soon. Apart from AAICLAS, airline operators and other stakeholders of the airport should proactively work to tap the complete potential of domestic cargo.

It may be noted that currently each flight is being used for the transport of passengers and cargo together. But when the demand for air cargo surges, there is a chance of operating dedicated cargo flights, which may be possible as it is having electronic clusters, the integrated business city and other advantages within its vicinity.

The president of Tirupati Chamber of Commerce A Manjunath said that the business community will certainly make use of the facility. In fact, the Chamber was asking for such a facility for a long time. He said that during their discussions with CFO of AAICLAS, they were apprised of the advantages and other details.

28/08/21 V Pradeep Kumar/Hans India

Thursday, August 26, 2021

MIAL raises Rs 7,200 cr via NCDs and foreign loans, refinances debt

Mumbai: Gautam Adani-owned Mumbai International Airport (MIAL) has raised around Rs 7,200 crore via non-convertible debentures (NCDs) and loans from foreign lenders to refinance its debt.

The capital-raise happened last month and around Rs 6,500 crore of loans owed to domestic lenders were repaid. CRISIL has withdrawn the rating for MIAL’s debt on receipt of a no-due certificate from banks, it said earlier this week.

Last month, the Adanis completed the acquisition of MIAL from GVK Group. In the same month, the airport company’s board approved proposals to issue and allot redeemable NCDs worth around Rs 4,000 crore to banks and financial institutions, including Barclays Bank, Deutsche Bank, JP Morgan, and Standard Chartered Bank. The rest was raised through loan, said a source in the know.

The debentures carry a coupon rate of 10.75-12 per cent, have a tenor of 12-25 months, and are secured by pledge of Adani Group’s 74-per cent stake in MIAL and charge over various assets.

While JP Morgan Securities invested Rs 1,500 crore, Barclays Bank, Standard Chartered, and Deutsche Bank invested Rs 1,127 crore, Rs 900 crore, and Rs 500 crore, respectively, in debentures.

Along with payment of overdue loans, Adani Group has also infused around Rs 700 crore in MIAL for capital expenditure and finance purposes.

“The group’s investment plans for airports foresees a recovery in the sector to pre-Covid-19 levels by 2023-24. The group is also working on a long-term finance plan for Mumbai airport and expects to be put in place by November,” added the source.

26/08/21 Aneesh Phadnis/Business Standard

Airport at Pantnagar University: Uttarakhand high court asks aviation secy to appear

Nainital: The Uttarakhand high court on Wednesday directed the Union civil aviation secretary to appear before it after the Centre failed to reply to the court’s notice that sought its response on a plea challenging a proposed airport at GB Pant University of Agriculture & Technology.

In November last year, the government had acquired 1,072 acres of land belonging to the varsity for expansion of the Pantnagar Airport. Soon after, a public interest litigation (PIL) was filed by a US Nagar resident, Keshav Kumar Passi, arguing that the proposed airport would end up splitting the university campus into two.

The petition argued that the districts of Nainital and US Nagar have over 76,000 acres of barren land which could be used for airport expansion but the government had chosen land belonging to the university which is a “hotbed of agriculture research”.

On Wednesday, the division bench of Chief Justice R S Chauhan and justice Alok Kumar Verma was informed that the state has furnished its response, but the Centre was yet to file its affidavit. This was despite the case being listed for hearing half a dozen times.

In the last hearing on July 28, the Centre’s standing counsel had told the court that he has no instructions from the government on the matter. The court had then asked its registry to inform the Centre about the fact that the counsel had pleaded “no instructions” and gave four weeks to “engage the services of any other counsel of its choice”.

The division bench has now asked the civil aviation secretary to be physically present in court during the next hearing on September 15.

26/08/21 Prashant Jha/Times of India

Hyderabad airport handles next generation temperature controlled cargo containers

New Delhi: Airport infra major GMR Group Thursday said its Hyderabad air cargo unit has become the first in India and South Asia to handle “Next Generation Envirotainer Releye® RLP Containers”, temperature-controlled air cargo containers. GMR Hyderabad Air Cargo (GHAC), a division of GMR Air Cargo and Aerospace Engineering Limited, said it handled a shipment using these containers.

GMR Hyderabad International Airport CEO Pradeep Panicker said: “We are pleased to partner with Envirotainer to introduce the advanced Releye® RLP containers in the India market, being the first one to do so. The new containers will offer an unparalleled value proposition to air cargo shippers and consignees in the region, thanks to their advanced features and capabilities. Our Envirotainer Hub at Hyderabad Air Cargo terminal is now fully ready to receive and dispatch these next-generation containers on behalf of our esteemed customers.”

“With Hyderabad region being home to one of the largest concentrations of Covid-19 vaccine manufacturing globally, the introduction of the Releye® RLP containers in the market will further strengthen the global supply chain for the movement of these vaccines,” the group said in a statement.

26/08/21 Saurabh Sinha/Times of India

Wednesday, August 25, 2021

Goa: 5 lakh trees to be planted around upcoming international airport as compensation for ones cut at site, says CM Pramod Sawant

The Goa government has tied up with the central government's Indian Council of Forestry Research and Education to plant five lakh trees to compensate for the trees, which had to make way for the upcoming international airport project at Mopa plateau in North Goa, Chief Minister Pramod Sawant said on Wednesday.

"The cabinet has cleared the proposal. Five lakh trees will be planted as compensation for the trees cut at the Mopa international airport site," Sawant said.

The Goa government has tied up with the central government's Indian Council of Forestry Research and Education to plant five lakh trees to compensate for the trees, which had to make way for the upcoming international airport project at Mopa plateau in North Goa, Chief Minister Pramod Sawant said on Wednesday.

"The cabinet has cleared the proposal. Five lakh trees will be planted as compensation for the trees cut at the Mopa international airport site," Sawant said.

"We have tied up with the Government of India's Indian Council of Forestry Research and Education to plant the trees surrounding the airport site. As per the agreement, the trees will also be taken care of in the future," Sawant said.

Sawant told the Goa legislative assembly earlier this year that 54,176 trees had been cut at the Mopa plateau to make way for the aviation project.

This upcoming airport, whose cost is estimated to be Rs. 2.615 crore, is a joint venture between GMR and the state government.

25/08/21 IANS/Free Press Journal

Tuesday, August 24, 2021

Hyd airport recommences flight services to Male

Hyderabad: GMR Hyderabad International Airport Limited (GHIAL), on Sunday said it has recommenced direct flight services from Hyderabad to Male, Maldives. IndiGo flight 6E 8108 departed from Hyderabad airport at 2.20 pm (IST) and arrived at Maldives’ Velana International Airport at 4.30 pm (IST). Initially the flights will operate three times a week (Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday) and its frequency will increase to four times a week from October 15 (Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and Sunday).

Commenting on the development, Pradeep Panicker, CEO, GMR Hyderabad International Airport Ltd, said, “This is an enticing vacation destination for vacation travelers from Hyderabad. Airlines have shown keen interest in adding new flight routes and connecting more exotic international destinations from the city of pearls.”

William Boulter, chief commercial officer, IndiGo said, “This new service will cater to the increased demand for international holiday travel demand from Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. We are committed to providing an affordable, on-time, safe and hassle-free travel experience onboard our lean clean flying machine.”

23/08/21 Times of India


Flier finds trolley bag ripped, items stolen on Kolkata - Bengaluru flight

Kolkata: A software engineer from Bengaluru flying back home after celebrating Rakhi with her sister in Kolkata was shocked to find his checked-in baggage ripped from inside and some articles missing.

The engineer working with a US multinational retail corporation has levelled allegations of theft against the airline’s ground staff and took it upon social media to highlight the issue as the Airports Authority of India as well as the airline began separate enquiries to find out exactly how the mishap took place.

“I am a frequent flier but have never experienced such an act before. The soft trolley bag looked perfectly fine from outside when I had collected it from the conveyor belt after getting down at Bangalore airport. I didn’t even bother to open it on Sunday after reaching home. When I opened it on Monday, I found it ripped open from the inside. Thankfully, I didn’t have anything valuable inside or else it could have been catastrophic,” said Chandan Prakash, who had lodged a complaint over Twitter with the AAI and IndiGo airlines, in which he was flying.

Prakash shared multiple photographs and a video of the grey zip closure soft trolley on his Twitter handle tagging AAI, IndiGo airlines and Kolkata airport as he wrote: “Need immediate help & attention. Travelled Kolkata-Bangalore yesterday, things have been stolen from check-in luggage with the precision of a thief by your airport staff member”.

The bag’s primary chamber was locked with a combination lock. But the miscreants had unzipped the outer unlocked chamber and had ripped the inner clothing material with a sharp object to get access inside the bag. Airport officials said they are checking the CCTV footage.

Acting on his complaint, IndiGo replied on his video post terming the incident as serious. The airline later issued a statement saying: “We are investigating the matter with reference to this complaint and our customer relations team is already in touch with the passenger.”

24/08/21 Tamaghna Banerjee/Times of India

Daily passenger volume triples at Hyd airport

Hyderabad: Daily passenger volume flowing through the Hyderabad International Airport has tripled in two months, the airport operator said on Tuesday.

The airport handled more than seven lakh passengers in July. From around 10,000 passengers on June 1, the number of passengers almost tripled and crossed 29,000 on a single day on July 18.

The airport witnessed more than 6.8 lakh domestic passengers and over 50,000 international travellers in July.

According to GMR Hyderabad International Airport Limited (GHIAL), as the national vaccination numbers are moving higher, demand for air travel is gradually picking up across sectors.

The Hyderabad Airport saw an increase in the number of flights across domestic sectors. The airport recorded a substantial rise in Air Traffic Movements (ATMs) in July. From just over 100 on June 1, the ATMs gradually increased and reached 288 on July 25. More than 8,000 ATMs were recorded from the Hyderabad International Airport in July.

With stringent hygiene, digitalisation and safety standards in place, travellers are gaining confidence and are taking to air travel. The airports have been busier in recent weeks with airlines adding new flight routes connecting cities to new travel destinations besides reviving the old ones, the operator said.

24/08/21 IANS/Daijiworld

Andaman MP demands resumption of Chartered Flight Service between Car Nicobar and Port Blair

Port Blair: The lone Member of Parliament of Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Mr Kuldeep Rai Sharma has requested the Minister of Civil Aviation, Government of India to resume the chartered flight service between Port Blair and Car Nicobar.

In a letter addressed to the Minister of Civil Aviation, the MP, Mr Kuldeep Rai Sharma pointed out that way back in 1984 Indian Airlines used to operate flights between Port Blair and Car Nicobar which discontinued after five to six months. Again on 24 July 2014, a chartered flight service between Port Blair – Car Nicobar sector was started. Later, this chartered flight service was also discontinued in August 2016 due to the withdrawal of the CRJ type aircraft from Alliance Air’s fleet.

The Member of Parliament mentioned that the chartered flight service between Port Blair and Car Nicobar was immensely helpful for the people of Andaman and Nicobar Islands, especially for the residents of Car Nicobar Island and Government Servants and hence there was always a heavy rush for tickets. This flight service was equally helpful for students and patients too.

Considering the importance of such a faster mode of transport connecting Nicobar District, the MP requested the Minister of Civil Aviation to resume Chartered flight service between Port Blair- Car Nicobar by extending the trip of any regular aircraft from Mainland to Port Blair up to Car Nicobar, at least twice in a week.

24/08/21 UNI

DIAL inks pact with Medanta hospital to set up Covid care centre at Delhi Airport

New Delhi: The Delhi International Airport Limited (DIAL) will set up a dedicated Covid Care Centre (CCC) at IGI airport’s Terminal 2 for their employees and their family members. A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) has been signed with Medanta hospital for providing the medical assistance and the care centre is expected to be operational from September.

Videh Kumar Jaipuriar, DIAL’s CEO said, “GMR is obligated to keep the airport operational and functional at all times. Since the onset of the Covid pandemic, many of our employees have had to suffer to avail healthcare facilities. With this set-up, we are extending our support to help in predominantly admitting GMR’s employees and their family members, as they are crucial for airport operations. The centre will be isolated as a containment zone and will adhere to all applicable guidelines and norms.”

“It is important to strengthen access to treatment during these unprecedented times. Making quality healthcare available round-the-clock, within the safe confines of this exclusive set-up will ensure that no GMR employee or their family member is left untreated,” said Dr Naresh Trehan, Chairman and Managing Director, Medanta.

An official of DIAL said keeping in mind the third wave of covid, the facility is being set up with various necessary healthcare facilities for its employees and their family members, including children, who are feared to be impacted by the third wave of the pandemic. “This state-of-the-art healthcare centre will help isolate, clinically treat, clinically support asymptomatic, mild and mild to moderate covid positive employees of GMR and their family members, till they would shift to a hospital and be discharged from the centre,” the official said.

24/08/21 Indian Express

Covid care centre at IGI Airport’s T-2

New Delhi: The Delhi International Airport Limited (DIAL), which operates IGI Airport here, on Monday said it had signed an MoU with Medanta hospital to set up a Covid-19 care centre at the civil aviation facility for its employees and their families. It is expected to be operational by September.

24/08/21 Tribune

At Least 10 Evacuees from Afghanistan Test Covid-19 Positive at Delhi Airport

At least 10 evacuees from Afghanistan tested Covid-19 positive after their arrival at the Indira Gandhi International airport here on Tuesday, according to people coordinating evacuation efforts with the Indian government. An Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) official said 81 people, who arrived from Afghanistan on Monday and Tuesday, have been sent to the ITBP's quarantine facility at Chhawla in south-west Delhi.

According to an office memorandum issued by the Union Health Ministry on Monday, people arriving from Afghanistan have to undergo a mandatory minimum 14-day institutional quarantine at the ITBP facility. Any person testing positive or detected as symptomatic shall be shifted to dedicated Covid Care Centre or Covid hospital of NCT of Delhi, the memorandum read.

Kanv Bhalla, an entrepreneur coordinating rehabilitation efforts on behalf of New York-based philanthropist Mandeep Singh Sobti, said, All 78 people, who arrived from Kabul via Dushanbe, underwent Covid-testing at the IGI airport. Of them, around 10 have tested positive. Sobti and Paramjeet Singh Anand through their Sobti Foundation have been making efforts to rehabilitate these distressed Afghans in coordination with the government of India, Bhalla said.

Some people have tested positive for the infection. However, there is no clarity on their count, said Puneet Singh Chandhok, president of the Indian World Forum, an organisation coordinating evacuation efforts with the Ministry of External Affairs and the Indian Air Force (IAF). Sources at the LNJP Hospital said two Indian nationals, who were among the people brought to India from Afghanistan, have been admitted to its Covid ward after testing positive. "These two patients are male and their condition is stable. They were brought to the LNJP Hospital yesterday," an official source told PTI.

24/08/21 PTI/News18.com

CISF personnel who stopped Salman Khan at airport 'rewarded' not penalised

On August 19, a CISF officer -- ASI Somnath Mohanty of Rayagada, became the talk of the town after a video of him stopping Bollywood superstar Salman Khan from entering the Mumbai airport and instructing him to follow the security protocol went viral on the internet. Salman was leaving for Russia to shoot for his upcoming film 'Tiger 3' opposite Katrina Kaif.

In the viral video, the officer stopped Salman who was walking towards the airport terminal to enter it, and gestured for him to first get clearance from the security checkpoint.

Days later, media reports claimed that the officer was in trouble for his actions and that his phone was seized after he spoke to the media about the 'viral video', which was a breach of protocol. A New Indian Express report quoting another CISF officer who claimed that the officer's phone had been confiscated to ensure that he does not speak to the media about the incident.

However, issuing a statement of sorts and clarifying the buzz around the CISF personnel being in trouble, the official Twitter handle of the CISF put out a tweet mentioning that the officer in question was 'suitably rewarded for exemplary professionalism'.

"The contents of this tweet are incorrect & without a factual basis. In fact, the officer concerned has been suitably rewarded for exemplary professionalism in the discharge of his duty. @PIBHomeAffairs," read the CISF's tweeted in response to one such news report that claimed the officer was penalised for his actions against the superstar. 

24/08/21 DNA

Construction firms start work at Noida airport site in Jewar

Greater Noida: Construction companies engaged by the Zurich AG subsidiary started work at the site of the Noida International Airport on Monday. Sources said Yamuna International Airport Private Limited, which is mainly supposed to build the terminal building, is targeting a deadline of the third quarter (July–September) of 2024. On Monday, earth movers and construction equipment were brought to the site as the companies set up their base in Kishorpur. A site office will also be set up and arrangements are being made for power connection.

Sources said the companies would start with clearing and grubbing work. “Clearing and grubbing is required to remove all the vegetation and roots of old trees. Bushes, shrubs, agricultural fields, stumps, stones and boulders have to be cleared before levelling work starts,” said an official of Noida International Airport Limited, the UP government’s special purpose vehicle for the project. Ponds and wetlands will also need to be filled before the soil is compacted with power rollers.

The work was preceded by a brief religious ceremony on Monday morning. Sweets were distributed among the employees and security personnel who have been deployed at the site to prevent any kind of encroachment.

Sources said the contractors and engineering companies were waiting for Rakshabandhan, which marks the end of the sawan month and the start of an auspicious period according to the Hindu calendar. The date of the launch ceremony, meanwhile, is yet to be fixed.

24/08/21 Shalabh/Times of India

Monday, August 23, 2021

New integrated terminal building at Andaman's VSI Airport to be ready by June 2022

Port Blair: The construction of the new integrated terminal building of the Veer Savarkar International Airport here is likely to be completed by June next year, a top airport official said.

Currently work is going on in full swing for the new world class terminal building that is being built at an estimated cost of Rs 417 crore, the official said.

Veer Savarkar International Airport, Director, Jameel Khaliq told PTI that 83 per cent of the construction of the new terminal building of Airport has been completed.

The Airports Authority of India has set a target date of June 2022 for the completion of the project.

The new terminal building, once complete, will also give a boost to the UDAN (Ude Desh ka Aam Naagrik) that aims to enhance connectivity to India's unserved and under-served airports.

Besides, the terminal will also provide new employment avenues for islanders and be major boost to the modern infrastructure in these islands.

The scheme has received significant interest from leading domestic carriers and startup airlines due to the various fiscal and monetary incentives therein and the three-year exclusive right to operate on the allotted RCS (Regional Connectivity Scheme) routes, said the official.

The new integrated terminal building of the airport, being built in an area of 40,000 square metres, will be able to handle 1,200 passengers -- 600 domestic and 600 international passengers-- at a time during peak hours.

23/08/21 PTI/New Indian Express

Bengaluru's Kempegowda International Airport Bags Award for Best Airport Staff in India and Central Asia

Indian airports have yet again made their mark as the Kempegowda International Airport Bengaluru has bagged the Skytrax World Airport Award 2021 for the best airport staff in India and central Asia. The award was a result of the collaborative efforts from the members and staff that made the ecosystem and the services of the airport stand out.

In a press release issued on Saturday, Hari Marar, CEO and MD, Bangalore International Airport Limited (BIAL), said, “A big applause goes to our passengers who appreciated our work and voted for us to become the receiver of the award. This is truly a fabulous award for everybody working at the BLR airport ecosystem.”

“The award holds particular significance as it comes in the light of the COVID-19 challenges that hit the aviation industry pretty hard. It adds further impetus to our pursuit of excellence,” he added in the statement.

The Kempegowda International Airport was in the news recently when it achieved a vital sustainability goal by becoming 100 percent water positive, which signifies that the BLR airport replenishes more than it consumes. The water positive journey started in 2019 when the Water Positive Index (Water replenished / Water consumed) was measured at 1.37. In July 2021, the airport achieved a cent percent water positivity. On August 7, 2021, the KIA added another feather to its hat when it started using IoT (Internet of Things) tech to monitor temperature-sensitive cargo in one of its terminals.

23/08/21 News18.com

Air India to operate weekly Indore-Dubai flight from September 1: Jyotiraditya Scindia

Air India will start operating a weekly flight between Indore in Madhya Pradesh and Dubai in the UAE from September 1, Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia said on Monday. Scindia is Rajya Sabha member from Madhya Pradesh.

"Great news for the people of Indore! Air India is going to start new services between Indore and Dubai that will operate once a week (on Wednesday) currently," the minister said on Twitter.

Financial bids for disinvestment-bound Air India are likely to be received from qualified interested bidders (QIBs) by September 15, Minister of State for Civil Aviation V K Singh had said on July 22 in Lok Sabha.

The Centre had invited Expression of Interests (EoIs) for Air India on January 27, 2020. The last date of submission -- after multiple extensions due to COVID-19 pandemic -- of EoIs was December 14, 2020. 

23/08/21 PTI/India TV

A colourful expression of patriotism at Amritsar airport!

FICCI FLO’s city chapter in collaboration with artist Smiley Chaudhary, unveiled a mural at the Shri Guru Ram Das Jee International Airport (SGRDI) Airport, dedicated to the 75th Independence Day. Made entirely out of the waste from the fashion industry, using waste fabrics, threads and other organic material, this mural has been designed by Smiley Chaudhary and her team, under the aegis of Manjot Dhillon, Chairperson, FLO, Amritsar.

“This quintessential piece of sustainable art boasts India’s rich cultural heritage that works in tandem with the most advanced methods in order to build a nation that takes its glorious past as the stepping stone to a futuristic tomorrow. The waste fabrics and material used from fashion industry is a statement to move towards sustainability in the fashion industry while keeping in mind the post Covid-19 world,” said Smiley. Smiley has created murals from waste material earlier too.

Manjot Dhillon, said, “This mural is dedicated to our country and its empowered women who have not left any arena untouched by their limitless potential. I wholeheartedly thank my team members for their invaluable cooperation and contribution in the making of this piece of art that manifests the eternal beauty of a sustainable world.”

23/08/21 Tribune

Chandigarh International Airport to remain closed for five hours everyday until Sept 18

The Chandigarh International Airport is going to be closed for five hours everyday until September 18. The airport has however said that no civil fight operations would be affected due to the closure. The Chandigarh airport is closed for five hours every day due to maintenance work on the runway, and installation of runway lighting system.

According to the Airport Chief Executive Officer, Ajay Bhardwaj, the airport is currently closed from 11 pm to 4:30 am.

Bhardwaj said in a statement, “Runway closure has been sought by the air force for installation of lights on the runway and annual maintenance. Work is already going on and we hope that the new powerful lighting system will be made functional by September 18.”

He also said that the last flight arrives from Bengaluru at 10:05 pm, and then departs for Bengaluru at 7:15 am. There are no scheduled flights during the closure time. The airport has a total of 32 flights operating.

The airport’s runway length was also worked on, as it increased back in 2018. During that time, the airport was closed from February 12 to 16, and no flights were operating here during that time.

22/08/21 Times Travel

Air India cancels flight to London from Kochi due to 'technical issues'

Kochi: An Air India flight to London from Kochi airport with 182 passengers was cancelled at the last minute on Sunday after reporting technical issues.

Air India AI 149  flight which was about to depart today at 1:20 pm when the technical issues were reported. The flight will now depart only on Monday morning, a statement by Cochin International Airport Ltd said. All the  182 pax were shifted to hotels. The airport gave further explanation.

The flight arrived from London's Heathrow airport Sunday morning at 3:05 hours. The direct flights from Kochi to London resumed last Wednesday when an Air India Dreamliner AI150 landed at Kochi airport with 221 passengers on board.

Air India planned to start three direct flights from August 22 (today) to London on Sunday, Wednesday and Friday. The direct flights to London come after the United Kingdom moved India from its Red to Amber list, a categorization facilitating international travel during Covid time.

22/08/21 New Indian Express

Most states go slow in allotting land for airport projects, Andhra Pradesh stand out

New Delhi: Most state governments have been slow in allotting required lands for airport projects which could lead to time and cost overruns.

Andhra Pradesh, however, stood out on the list with the state government handing over almost all the required land for both Tirupathi and Vijayawada airports.

As per data compiled by the Ministry of Civil Aviation, states such as Assam, Bihar, Gujarat, Rajasthan, Karnataka and Madhya Pradesh could not provide land as projected by public sector Airports Authority of India (AAI).

22/08/21 UNI

Delhi HC Directs Release of NRI Couple Detained at the Airport Pursuant to LOC

The Delhi High Court Monday directed the release of an NRI couple, residing in the United Kingdom, who were allegedly detained at the airport here upon their arrival pursuant to a look-out circular issued in an FIR registered in 2016. Justice Rekha Palli directed that subject to the couple filing an affidavit that they would not leave the country without prior notice to the court, no coercive steps would be taken against them on the basis of the LOC till the next date of hearing on October 8.

Consequently, the respondent and all other authorities at the Airport are directed to forthwith permit the petitioners to leave the airport, if detained in pursuance of the impugned Look-Out Circular, the judge said.

The court was informed that they were detained at the airport upon their arrival since Monday morning.

The court also issued notice on the plea of the couple challenging LOC and sought counter affidavits from the Centre and Delhi Police within three weeks. Counsel for the couple Chetan Lokur submitted that there was absolutely no justification for issuance of any LOC against his clients who are senior citizens and have been detained at the Indira Gandhi International Airport upon their arrival since Monday morning.

The petition alleged that the couple came to know about the LOC at the time of their arrival and were detained without food, water, or access to the medicines, which irrespective of the LOC is a grave and serious violation of the fundamental rights of the petitioners.

23/08/21 PTI/News18.com

Sunday, August 22, 2021

Afghan crisis forces Air India to shed passenger luggage at Delhi airport

Mumbai: Air India is leaving behind some 50 bags at the Delhi airport as it flies to the US, reducing what it carries after the closure of Afghanistan’s airspace increased flight time by at least 30 minutes.

Air India flies the Boeing 777 and 787 aircraft to New York, Newark, Chicago, Washington and San Francisco. While the San Francisco flight takes the eastern routes, the other four usually cross Afghanistan into Central Asia and Russia. After the Afghan airspace closed on August 16, Air India's Europe and US bound flights are taking a southern route via Pakistan and Iran into Central Asia.

Air India is uplifting an additional 5-8 tonnes of fuel due to change in route. This has led to payload restriction, contributing to the airline’s reason to leave passenger behind bags and cargo at Delhi. The problem is acute on the Chicago route, which has a longer flying time than New York and Newark.

Along with the changed route, Air India's generous baggage policy has become a challenge for the airline. It allows two bags of 23 kg for economy class passengers and students are allowed a free third bag.

Passengers have taken to Twitter and other social media platform to complain about their luggage. Students are troubled as they carry household items for their new residences abroad. Some passengers complained that there was no response from Air India’s customer care number.

22/08/21 Aneesh Phadnis/Business Standard

‘Last scheduled flights to Kabul met with ATC’s radio slience’

Chandigarh: Air India Delhi-Kabul flight AI 243 last Sunday — among the last scheduled commercial services to the Kabul airport before the city fell to Taliban — was met with radio silence on approach. Piloted by Captains Aditya Chopra and Ashutosh Ahlawat, the Airbus A320 with 40 passengers on board kept hovering around the besieged city while waiting for clearance to land from the air traffic control (ATC). An Emirates Boeing 777 from Dubai was also holding at 28,000 ft near Kabul around the same time. It headed back to the UAE without landing in Kabul.

Sources say the crew on board was unaware of the events unfolding on the ground. “When the aircraft was holding over Kabul, the ATC stopped responding. It was not before well over an hour that the crew was given the go-ahead to land,” say sources.

“Possibly there were no air traffic controllers at Kabul ATC at that time. The pilots had no clue what to do and where to go. Since the approach to Kabul is busy, they had to be vigilant for other aircrafts amid the ATC’s radio silence,” say sources. AI 243 finally landed in Kabul after 2 hours and 13 minutes at 1.33 pm (local Kabul time). An event-free flight takes just under an hour.

The Indian Commercial Pilots Association, union of erstwhile Indian Airlines pilots, has applauded the crew operating AI 243/244 last Sunday. “We salute the dedication of our Air India of AI 243 (Captains Aditya Chopra and Ashutosh Ahlawat), who went beyond the line of duty, amidst tension and turmoil to bring our citizens back home safely from Kabul. Jai Hind,” it had tweeted.

The 162-seater A320 was fully booked on the return flight to Delhi as AI 244. But only 129 passengers managed to reach the airport. This was possibly the last scheduled flights out of Kabul. AI was the only Indian carrier with scheduled flights to Kabul. The next day, non-defence aircraft were barred from Afghan airspace.

22/08/21 Times of India

Free Polio vaccination drive for Afghanistan returnees at Delhi airport

New Delhi: A vaccination drive is being carried out at the Delhi airport to inoculate Afghanistan returnees with free Polio Vaccine.

Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya has said, “We have decided to vaccinate Afghanistan returnees with free Polio Vaccine, OPV & fIPV, as a preventive measure against Wild Polio Virus.”

“Congratulations to the health department team for their efforts to ensure public health,” added Mansukh Mandaviya.

India on Sunday evacuated 168 people, including 107 Indians, from Kabul in a military transport aircraft of the IAF.

Separately, a group of 135 Indians, who were earlier evacuated from Kabul to Doha in the last few days by the US and NATO, also returned to India.

22/08/21 India Today

Saturday, August 21, 2021

GMR to transform Nagpur airport into a modern aviation hub

Nagpur: Following a ruling by the Nagpur bench of Bombay High Court, GMR announced on Friday that it is pleased to take up the responsibility of developing and transforming Nagpur airport in the Vidarbha region of Maharashtra into a modern aviation hub.

The existing facilities at Nagpur airport have been operating close to their maximum capacity, handling a total of about three million passengers and 9,500 metric tonnes of cargo during the financial year 2019-20.

GMR plans to develop the Nagpur airport in phases to have a capacity of around 30 million passengers annually.

In the first phase, over a four-year period, GMR will construct a new greenfield integrated terminal with the initial capacity of handling four million passengers per annum, associated aeronautical infrastructure including taxiways, a new car park and approach road and a new cargo terminal.

At the same time, the existing passenger terminal will be refurbished to enhance its capacity, improve passenger facilities, introduce modern technology and upgrade the overall ambience to cater to the traffic and operational requirements of the interim period.

GMR will focus on replicating its successful upgrade efforts at the Delhi airport in India and Cebu-Mactan international airport in the Philippines to take Nagpur airport to the next level.

Beginning with an initial capacity of 20,000 metric tonnes annually, GMR will also develop cargo facilities at the airport.

21/08/21 Ashish Pandey/India Today

BJP workers and IndiGo officials come to blows in Madhya Pradesh at launch of new flight

Bengaluru: A scuffle broke out between Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) workers and officials of IndiGo at the Dumna Airport in Madhya Pradesh’s Jabalpur Friday during the launch of a new flight route by the airline.

A video shared by journalist Tarun Shukla on Twitter showed that the party workers and the airline’s representatives came to blows at the launch, forcing police officers at the airport to intervene.

According to a News18 report, the uproar was caused because of the inadequate arrangements at the airport, including lack of drinking water and chairs.

The report noted that G.S. Thakur, president of the BJP’s Jabalpur wing, and vice-president Jai Sachdeva took offence at the lack of arrangements and the situation escalated when they took it up with IndiGo officials. Videos of the incident have since gone viral on social media.

The BJP leaders had gathered at the airport for the launch of a new IndiGo flight on the Jabalpur-Delhi route, which was flagged off by Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia and Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan after the scuffle.

“It gives me immense pleasure to announce that in the last 35 days we have commenced operations of 44 new flights in Madhya Pradesh, out of which 26 aircraft movements have been attributed solely to Jabalpur,” said Scindia, at the launch.

20/08/21 Angana Chakrabarti/Print

Madhya Pradesh: Flight for Jabalpur to depart from city at 7.45 am

Indore (Madhya Pradesh): The city is going to get the daily direct flight for Jabalpur from August 28. IndiGo airlines has release the schedule of the flight operation here on Friday.

According to the airline flight 6E-7742 will depart from the city at 7.45 am and land at Jabalpur airport at 9.20 am. In return flight 6E-7745 will depart from Jabalpur at 3.05 pm and land here at 4.40 pm.

TK Jose, MP Chapter chairman of Travel Agents Federation of India (TAFI) informed the at the initial level the passengers are showing a good response in book the tickets for Jabalpur and return journey.

21/08/21 Free Press Journal

Bhuntar airport runway awaits extension

Kullu: The matter of extension of the runway of the Kullu-Manali Airport at Bhuntar has been hanging fire for long. Many proposals and surveys concerning the runway extension have been conducted but these have remained only on paper.

A team of senior officials of the Union Ministry of Civil Aviation had on March 6 carried out a survey to explore the possibility of runway extension. There is a proposal to increase the length of the runway from 1,052 metres to 1,712 metres by diverting the Beas.

At present, an ATR-72 aircraft by Alliance Air, a wholly-owned subsidiary of national carrier Air India, having 70 seats was being operated to Kullu. The aircraft is allowed to ferry only around 20 passengers from Kullu due to the load stipulation because of a short runway. The airline generally charges above Rs 22,000 for a Kullu to Delhi ticket and over Rs 20,000 for Kullu to Chandigarh travel to meet its expenses.

Travel agents say that the extension of the runway is a must to enable medium-size aircraft to operate and ferry more passengers. They say that this will encourage other airlines to start operations in this sector, thereby reducing the airfares, which in turn will promote tourism and boost the economy of the region.

They add that Alliance Air is charging exorbitant fares because of the monopoly and the airfares are out of the reach of the common man.

21/08/21 Abhinav Vashisht/Tribune

Over 60 cities added to aviation route since 2016

New Delhi:  Jabalpur in Madhya Pradesh got air connectivity with Delhi and Mumbai on Friday. It will be connected to Indore and Hyderabad next week. Bhavnagar in Gujarat got connected with Delhi, Surat and other cities, when a private airline launched 14 new flights on Friday. 

Over 60 smaller cities have been added to the country’s aviation map under the government’s Regional Connectivity Scheme, which was launched in 2016, with a view to enable air operations on unserved routes connecting regional areas, promote balanced regional growth and make flying affordable for masses.

Flagging off flights on Friday, Union Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia said, “Aviation, that was a distant dream for the common people, is now becoming accessible. In the last 35 days, we have commenced operations of 44 new flights in Madhya Pradesh, of which 26 aircraft movements have been attributed solely to Jabalpur.”

Budget carrier Indigo said that after Bhopal and Indore, Jabalpur and Gwalior will be the third and fourth stations in Madhya Pradesh. Spicejet announced 14 new flights including 12 industry-first non-stop flights. While SpiceJet will be the first airline to connect Bhavnagar-Delhi, Bhavnagar-Surat, Gwalior-Jaipur, Kishangarh (Ajmer)-Mumbai, Pune-Tirupati and Varanasi-Dehradun, the airline will also launch a non-stop flight connecting Bhavnagar with Mumbai. A spokesperson said it is one of the major regional player operating 63 daily flights under the Regional Connectivity Scheme.

On August 12, Bareilly in UP got a flight connecting Mumbai. On March 8, it became the 56th airport to commence operations under the UDAN scheme. On August 4, the first direct flight between Imphal and Shillong was flagged off.

Ministry officials said more than 360 of a total of 780 awarded routes have started connecting smaller cities and metros. A senior official said over 100 airports and heliports are to be developed by 2024. Nine airports have been developed in 2019-20 and 26 are to be developed in 2020-21. Twenty each are to be developed in 2021-22 and 2022-23.

21/08/21 Kumar Vikram/New Indian Express

Every district in MP to have airstrip: Chouhan

Bhopal: Announcing that every district of the state will have a airstrip chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan urged union civil aviation minister Jyotiraditya Scindia to rename Jabalpur airport after Rani Durgavati, as per officials.

Born in Chandel Rajput dyanasty, Rani Durgavati ruled Gondwana from 1550 to 1564.

The CM announced that with airstrip in every district ‘Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s dream of connecting small cities with air facility will be realised’.

Requesting the union Civil Aviation minister Jyotiraditya Scindia during a virtual programme held at the CM House in Bhopal, to rename Jabalpur airport after Rani Durgavati the CM said this would be honour to the sentiments of the people.

Chouhan said, “Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s resolve is that even a citizen wearing ‘Hawai Chappal’ should have access to air travel facility. We want this to begin in India as soon as possible. The UDAN scheme is an attempt to realize this resolve. Union civil aviation minister Scindia is engaged in fulfilling this objective with full dedication and dynamism. When Scindia took charge, 424 flights per week were being operated from different places of Madhya Pradesh, but now it has increased to 588 per week.”

20/08/21 Free Press Journal

AAI mulls shifting international arrivals to new building in Chennai

 Chennai: As work to build a new airport terminal is getting over, the AAI has started discussion with airlines, customs, CISF and other agencies regarding moving international arrival operations to the building.

The integrated terminal which is coming up between the existing domestic and international terminals will be ready to commission early next year. The major work is over and interior and cladding work is going on.

An Airports Authority of India (AAI) official said "The discussions to shift the facilities including baggage carousels, counters, offices, shops and other utilities from the international arrival to the new building will be speeded up in the coming weeks," he added.

"Almost all facilities will have to be shifted to the new integrated terminal building because the existing international arrival old building will be demolished and rebuilt. International flights will be received in the new building till rebuilding work is completed."

He also said that a migration plan would be prepared soon so that all agencies will be ready to move when the building is commissioned. "This is being done early on as demolition of the old arrival building should start on time," said an official. AAI has set a deadline of December 2022 to finish rebuilding of the international arrival. It will be merged with the integrated terminal.

21/08/21 Times of India

Instant RT-PCR facility at Lucknow airport

Lucknow: Passengers boarding international flights at Lucknow airport can now avail the facility of on-the-spot RT-PCR test.

The airport officials have installed 30 real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) machines.

Airlines have made it mandatory for passengers to carry RT-PCR hard copy at airport before boarding international flights. Booths have been setup at the airport to collect RTPCR samples on the arrival of passengers from international destinations. SC Hota, chief airport officer, Amausi airport, said, “Rapid RT-PCR test booth with 30 machines have been installed at Terminal 1 of Lucknow airport.”

21/08/21 Times of India

Madhya Pradesh: Flight for Jabalpur to depart from city at 7.45 am

Indore (Madhya Pradesh): The city is going to get the daily direct flight for Jabalpur from August 28. IndiGo airlines has release the schedule of the flight operation here on Friday.

According to the airline flight 6E-7742 will depart from the city at 7.45 am and land at Jabalpur airport at 9.20 am. In return flight 6E-7745 will depart from Jabalpur at 3.05 pm and land here at 4.40 pm.

TK Jose, MP Chapter chairman of Travel Agents Federation of India (TAFI) informed the at the initial level the passengers are showing a good response in book the tickets for Jabalpur and return journey.

21/08/21 Free Press Journal

Friday, August 20, 2021

GMR to transform Nagpur Airport into a modern aviation hub

Hyderabad: Consequent to the ruling by the Nagpur bench of Bombay High Court, GMR has announced it will develop and transform Nagpur Airport into a world-class aviation hub.

Nagpur is the biggest economic hub in the Vidarbha region of Maharashtra and the city’s strategic location in Central India makes it well suited to act as a major aviation gateway for passengers and cargo traffic. The existing facilities at Nagpur Airport have been operating close to the maximum capacity, handling a total of about 3 million passengers and 9,500 metric tonnes of cargo during FY20.

GMR envisages development of the Nagpur Airport in phases to an ultimate capacity of around 30 million passengers annually, representing a capacity increase of over 1000 per cent over the coming years.

The first phase of development will see GMR initiate a transformation of the Nagpur Airport over a 4-year period, including the construction of a new Greenfield integrated terminal with initial capacity of handling 4 million passengers per annum, associated aeronautical infrastructure including aprons and taxiways, new car park and approach road, and a new cargo terminal. At the same time, the existing passenger terminal will be refurbished to enhance its capacity, improve passenger facilities, introduce modern technology and upgrade the overall ambience.

GMR will focus on replicating its successful upgrade efforts in Delhi Airport in India and Cebu-Mactan in Philippines to take Nagpur Airport into the next level.

Nagpur is also well placed to be developed into a major cargo hub, leveraging the city’s strategic geographic location, strong multi-modal connectivity with major economic centres across the country, and supportive government and policy environment.

For Nagpur Airport, beginning with an initial capacity of 20,000 MT annually, GMR will pursue a cargo development vision modelled on its own experience at Delhi and Hyderabad.

20/08/21 Business Line

Madhya Pradesh: Integrated cargo complex to come up on ten-acre land at airport

Indore: An integrated cargo complex including the much-awaited centre for perishable cargo (CPC), domestic and international cargo movement facility and E-commerce service will be developed at Devi Ahilyabai Holkar Airport on a ten-acre plot of land. Airport administration has started taking suggestions from the stakeholders of the facilities.

In line with the announcement of Union Civil Aviation minister Jyotiraditya Scindia about developing the cargo facility in a bigger way, the Airport Authority of India Cargo, Logistic and Allied Services Company Limited (AAICLAS) called a meeting of its stakeholders at the airport’s conference hall on Thursday.

It was attended by Pithampur Audhyogic Sangathan president Gautam Kothari, AIMP president Pramod Dafaria, FIEO’s national managing committee member Suber Rampurawala, Clearing House Agent (CHA) president Anurag Vijayvargiya and airlines representatives. The meeting was inaugurated by Prabhodh Chandra Sharma, officiating airport director.

RCS Dabas, AGM (AAICLAS) informed that an integrated cargo facility centre is being developed on the ten-acre land available opposite to the International Cargo Centre and close to the airport road.

20/08/21 FreePressJournal

Aviation Minister Scindia flags off SpiceJet’s first direct flight on Bhavnagar-Delhi route today

SpiceJet airline launched 14 new flights including 12 industry first non-stop flights. SpiceJet will be the first airline to connect Bhavnagar-Delhi, Bhavnagar-Surat, Gwalior-Jaipur, Kishangarh (Ajmer)-Mumbai, Pune-Tirupati and Varanasi-Dehradun. The airline also plans to launch a non-stop flight connecting Bhavnagar with Mumbai.

Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia flagged off the inaugural SpiceJet flight from Bhavnagar to Delhi virtually in the presence of MoS Civil Aviation, General (Dr) VK Singh (Retd), Aviation Secretary Pradeep Singh Kharola and CMD of SpiceJet, Ajay Singh, while Gujarat CM Vijay Rupani attended the event virtually. The inaugural flight took off from Bhavnagar at 3:45 PM today.

Ajay Singh, Chairman and Managing Director, SpiceJet, said, “The airline is committed to enhance regional connectivity. We will also be connecting Bhavnagar with Mumbai. Bhavnagar is the sixth big city in Gujarat where SpiceJet will fly to. Home to the world’s largest ship-breaking yard, Bhavnagar has great potential for both business and leisure travelers and the increased air connectivity will help further boost trade and tourism.”

While flights from Bhavnagar to Delhi and Mumbai will operate on all days except Tuesdays, the airline will connect Bhavnagar with Surat and Pune with Tirupati thrice-a week.

Flights between Jaipur and Gwalior and Kishangarh (Ajmer) and Mumbai will operate four days a week and those between Varanasi and Dehradun will operate on all days. SpiceJet will be deploying Q400 aircraft on these routes.

20/08/21 Sameer Dixit/ETNowNews.com

Milestone in Aviation: Direct flight between Tezu & Guwahati starts

Itanagar: In a landmark milestone achieved in the Aviation history of Arunachal Pradesh, Chief Minister Pema Khandu Thursday flagged off the first scheduled flight of Flybig Airlines from the Tezu Airport in Lohit District of the Himalayan State to the Gateway to the Northeast -- Guwahati. This is the second flight service started by the Airline from the State. The first service started between Pasighat and Guwahati on May 24 this year. Attending the inaugural flight ceremony virtually from Itanagar, Khandu said that this is another feather in the cap of Aviation sector in the region, a sector that did not attract much attention from the Central government before Modi came to power, informed an official communiqué.

"Operationalisation of the Tezu Airport will boost the connectivity of Eastern Arunachal, and that will facilitate easy and fast accessibility to economical activities, business and health services to the people," said Khandu.

As Arunachal Pradesh shares international borders with three countries – Bhutan, Tibet-China and Myanmar -- Khandu said that starting of flight service from Tezu attains much significance.

"A large chunk of the Indian Army and paramilitary personnel are serving in different parts of the State. Now they will also have a faster travel option to and from home," he added.

On the occasion, the Chief Minister announced that all Army and Paramilitary personnel availing the Flybig flights from Tezu and Pasighat will pay only Rs 75 (one way) as fare till December 31 this year. The gesture from the airline company is in commemoration of India's 75 years of Independence.

20/08/21 Sentinel


Aviation Minister Scindia flags off SpiceJet’s first direct flight on Bhavnagar-Delhi route today

SpiceJet airline launched 14 new flights including 12 industry first non-stop flights. SpiceJet will be the first airline to connect Bhavnagar-Delhi, Bhavnagar-Surat, Gwalior-Jaipur, Kishangarh (Ajmer)-Mumbai, Pune-Tirupati and Varanasi-Dehradun. The airline also plans to launch a non-stop flight connecting Bhavnagar with Mumbai.

Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia flagged off the inaugural SpiceJet flight from Bhavnagar to Delhi virtually in the presence of MoS Civil Aviation, General (Dr) VK Singh (Retd), Aviation Secretary Pradeep Singh Kharola and CMD of SpiceJet, Ajay Singh, while Gujarat CM Vijay Rupani attended the event virtually. The inaugural flight took off from Bhavnagar at 3:45 PM today.

Ajay Singh, Chairman and Managing Director, SpiceJet, said, “The airline is committed to enhance regional connectivity. We will also be connecting Bhavnagar with Mumbai. Bhavnagar is the sixth big city in Gujarat where SpiceJet will fly to. Home to the world’s largest ship-breaking yard, Bhavnagar has great potential for both business and leisure travelers and the increased air connectivity will help further boost trade and tourism.”

While flights from Bhavnagar to Delhi and Mumbai will operate on all days except Tuesdays, the airline will connect Bhavnagar with Surat and Pune with Tirupati thrice-a week.

Flights between Jaipur and Gwalior and Kishangarh (Ajmer) and Mumbai will operate four days a week and those between Varanasi and Dehradun will operate on all days. SpiceJet will be deploying Q400 aircraft on these routes.

20/08/21 ETNowNews.com

Thursday, August 19, 2021

MIA shows growth in domestic traffic

Mangaluru: The Mangaluru International Airport (MIA) has shown a massive growth in its domestic traffic with both arrivals and departures picking up pace in the first fortnight of August as compared to the same periods of June and July, with gradual re-opening of airports by various states and starting of flight services.

Latest data shows that 12,717 passengers departed from MIA from August 1 to 15 as compared to 7,784 passengers on July 1 to 15, a jump of 63 per cent. In the same period of June, there were 4,989 departures. Similarly, 13,924 passengers arrived in the first fortnight of August as compared to 8,495 passengers in July 1 to 15, a rise of 64 per cent. In the same period of June, there were 3,818 arrivals at the airport, a release from the MIA said.

MIA has worked relentlessly through the pandemic and has continuously provided uninterrupted connectivity to travellers while creating a safe environment for passengers and personnel, the release said. The gradual opening of offices across India is complemented with an increase in the flight capacity, which has been the other factor for sequential growth of services from the airport.

Air India Express started flights to the UAE on Wednesday after the MIA provided world class Rapid RT PCR facility at the airport in association with Apollo Diagnostics. As per the health requirements for the UAE-bound passengers, each passenger must have a negative rapid RT-PCR test conducted at the airport within six hours of boarding the flight.

19/08/21 PTI/Outlook

Atlanta Airport in talks with Mumbai, Delhi airports for trade corridors

Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport is in talks with Mumbai International Airport and Delhi International Airport in India to form trade corridor using cargo community systems as informed by the US airport’s director of air service development Elliott Paige

He was speaking in the latest episode of STAT Media Group’s weekly video series Logistics Tech Dialogues, presented by Kale Logistics Solutions and was responding to a question on how do we create more networks similar to the trade and logistics corridor set up between Atlanta and Amsterdam Airport Schiphol using cargo community system.

Atlanta Airport has a sister airport programme, where they sign an agreement with airports in high growth cities that are target markets for both passenger and cargo and can provide connections to the region they're located in. “So we've been working on those for a number of years. Airports like Shanghai Pudong International Airport and Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport are examples of that. We're looking to sign one with, either Mumbai or Delhi,” he said.

“I see JFK doing it with London Heathrow, Miami has been doing it with Brussels, Houston with Brussels. This kind of network of airports is already happening and it's about relationship building,” he added.

He also reported that the airport has a lot of pressure from the Indian community in Atlanta to push for both passenger and cargo flights. “They're my friends. So I'm trying to push that and also with my friends in India,” he said.

19/08/21 Libin Chacko Kurian/ITLN

British Airways Doubles India Flights Amid Strong Demand

British Airways has doubled its flights out of India as the government further eases its capacity caps. Starting this Monday, BA is flying 20 weekly flights from five cities: New Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore, Chennai, and Hyderabad. The Indian government has offered British carriers 34 weekly flights from India, with the remaining 14 going to Virgin Atlantic.

According to The Times Of India, British Airways has unveiled its new schedule from India, weeks before the lucrative university travel season kicks in. The decision also comes after India further increased weekly flights from the UK from 30 to 60 and now 68 every week. India’s move to the amber list has prompted a wave of travel in August, leaving passengers scrambling for limited seats.

British Airways has secured rights for 20 weekly flights out of India, flying from all five of its destinations. New Delhi will see daily flights through August before dropping to five times a week in September. Mumbai will see five weekly flights through the next two months.

Bangalore will also see five weekly flights in August before dropping to just two in September. Hyderabad will have three flights every week, and Chennai will only see services resume in September with twice-weekly flights.

19/08/21 Pranjal Pande/Simple Flying

Wednesday, August 18, 2021

Mangaluru Airport to Begin Flight Services to Gulf Countries From Today

Enhancing its international flights services, the Mangaluru International Airport (MIA) said it will begin the flight services to the Gulf countries from Wednesday. The services will resume as the UAE Civil Aviation Ministry clear the RT-PCR test facility arranged at the airport.

Issuing a statement, the Mangaluru International Airport (MIA) said that first Air India Express flight will leave from the airport on Wednesday, four months after the UAE imposed restrictions on travellers from India.

The Mangaluru International Airport (MIA) also added that the rapid RT-PCR test facility was set up at the MIA with active support from the district health department authorities and the deputy commissioner’s office. Moreover, the MIA has also associated with Apollo Diagnostics to set up the test laboratory at the airport.

The MIA said that the Apollo has provided a team of expert pathologists, state-of-the-art equipment and stringent quality processes to conduct the rapid RT-PCR tests at airport.

18/08/21 India.com

Additional 36 flights to operate soon from Bhubaneswar airport

Bhubaneswar: As many as 36 additional flights will begin operating from Biju Patnaik International Airport, Bhubaneswar to Jammu and Kashmir, Gaya, Patna and Shirdi. The flights are expected being operational during the winter season.

The proposal was made by various airlines at a meeting of the Airport Advisory Meeting which was held on Tuesday. The airline companies have promised to provide the necessary services after the required permission is given.

Sources said that IndiGo Airlines has proposed to operate 24 additional flights while Air India has proposed for eight flights and Air Asia for four flights.

It has been proposed to connect Odisha with three pilgrimage sites of India and some other countries including Arab region. It has also been proposed to increase airline capping by 80%, added sources.

18/08/21 Kalinga TV

Floodgates at junction where Mithi river flows into airport stops entry of water

Mumbai: Installation of floodgates by BMC’s storm water drain department at the junction where Mithi river flows into the Mumbai international airport has stopped the ingress of water into the airport.

Operations at the international airport have been affected on various occasions due to water accumulation on the runway after heavy rainfall. The Mumbai International Airport Limited had repeatedly asked the state government for a solution to this issue.

Additional Municipal Commissioner (Projects) P Velrasu said, “Two gates and three pumps, having a capacity of 1,000 cubic metre per hour to pump water, were installed earlier this year on the airport drain where it meets Mithi river. The steel screens arrest the entry of floating material into the river and for operation of gates, electric actuators have been provided. These gates and pumps are manned round the clock.”

Velrasu added that installation of pumps have ensured no flooding in the area during heavy rainfall this year. The gates were built at a cost of Rs 40,78 lakh. Hiring of the pumps, along with operation and maintenance of the gates for two years, will cost the BMC an additional Rs 1.45 crore.

18/08/21 Yogesh Naik/Indian Express

Mangaluru Airport to Begin Flight Services to Gulf Countries From Today

Enhancing its international flights services, the Mangaluru International Airport (MIA) said it will begin the flight services to the Gulf countries from Wednesday. The services will resume as the UAE Civil Aviation Ministry clear the RT-PCR test facility arranged at the airport.

Enhancing its international flights services, the Mangaluru International Airport (MIA) said it will begin the flight services to the Gulf countries from Wednesday. The services will resume as the UAE Civil Aviation Ministry clear the RT-PCR test facility arranged at the airport.

The Mangaluru International Airport (MIA) also added that the rapid RT-PCR test facility was set up at the MIA with active support from the district health department authorities and the deputy commissioner’s office. Moreover, the MIA has also associated with Apollo Diagnostics to set up the test laboratory at the airport.

18/08/21 India.com

Tuesday, August 17, 2021

Indian men’s and women’s hockey teams hosted by AirAsia India on their flight home from Delhi to Bhubaneswar

Bhubaneswar: The entire Indian men’s and women’s hockey teams were hosted and celebrated by AirAsia India on their flight I5-834 from New Delhi to Bhubaneswar today, while returning to their home ground as champions after their spectacular Olympic performance. The team is attending a felicitation ceremony organised by the Chief Minister of Odisha, and the teams will be flying back on AirAsia India I5-835 on 18th August, 2021.

17/08/21 Orissa Diary

Mangaluru airport's rapid RT-PCR test gets approval from UAE, flights to Dubai from Wednesday

Mangaluru: With the UAE Civil Aviation Authority giving nod of approval for the rapid RT-PCR test conducted at the Mangaluru International Airport (MIA), expats can heave a sigh of relief as low cost carrier Air India Express will be commencing its first flight (additional) to Dubai via Thiruvananthapuram on Wednesday.

This will be the first flight to depart from MIA to Dubai almost after four months of UAE government banning flights from India.

Though the UAE permitted expats to fly from India from August 5, airlines could not operate from MIA since rapid RT-PCR test, one of the chief requirements for travelers to enter UAE, was not available here. The rapid RT-PCR facility started on Monday and the UAE’s approval of the test was received by airlines on Tuesday.

Airline sources said Air India Express’ Wednesday flight to Dubai was planned in haste and they would be lucky to fly out with even half the numbers as the passengers would be hard pressed to get RT-PCR test results by the time flight departs 2.45pm from MIA. Also, being an additional flight, it’s a one-stop flight via Thiruvananthapuram (TRV) which will take 6.15 hours to reach Dubai.

"Those expats that know of this flight might be able to make it as the test has to be taken on Tuesday morning to get the results by evening," said an airline official.

17/08/21 Stanley Pinto/Times of India

IndiGo announces Gwalior as its 70th domestic destination

To strengthen regional connectivity, airline major IndiGo on Monday announced Gwalior as its 70th domestic destination. The airline will operate ATR aircraft for direct flights from Gwalior to Delhi and Indore from September 1 onwards.

In a statement, the airline said that direct connection with Gwalior will also strengthen the city's overall air accessibility across India through the '6E network'.

Sanjay Kumar, Chief Strategy and Revenue Officer, IndiGo, said: "We are committed to offering affordable, on-time, safe, and hassle-free travel experience onboard our lean, clean flying machines."

17/08/21 IANS/India TV

A sustainable flight path

Back in 2012, when the Kerala State Electricity Board hiked grid tariffs from ₹4 to ₹7 a unit, a large commercial establishment like the Cochin International Airport saw its annual electricity bill almost double to ₹12 crore. The power hike disrupted the business viability plan for India’s first greenfield airport—which started operations in 1999—under the Public-Private Participation (PPP) model. With over 18,000 investors from 30 different countries, Cochin International Airport Ltd (CIAL)—Cochin airport’s parent company—in a bid to lower its power bill, decided to shift towards solar power.

What began as an economic imperative snowballed into a green initiative like no other. In 2015, Cochin airport became the first in the world to be fully powered by solar energy. With an installed solar power capacity of 40 MWp (Megawatts-peak), the airport has achieved cost savings of approximately ₹40 crore per annum and has avoided CO2 emissions of more than 45,000 metric tons. Over the next two decades the airport estimates that it would avoid CO2 emissions of more than 9 lakh metric tons, which it says is equivalent to planting 90 lakh trees or not driving 2,400 million miles!

Sustainability is the need of the hour, and India’s aviation sector is embracing it with open arms. While there have been early adopters like Cochin International Airport, the Covid-19 pandemic has made sure that the pace of adoption is hastened by all stakeholders.

In fact, with the pandemic having ravaged through India’s aviation sector, which is presently in the red, CIAL’s cost savings hold it in good stead. According to aviation research firm CAPA India, Indian Airlines are projected to lose $4.1 billion and airport operators nearly $1 billion in the ongoing fiscal on account of air traffic disruptions due to the pandemic-led lockdown measures.

For fiscal 2021, India’s largest airline, IndiGo, reported a net loss of ₹5,806 crore as against a net profit of ₹233 crore in the previous fiscal. InterGlobe Aviation, which runs the airline IndiGo, says its quarterly net loss jumped to a high of ₹1,147 crore in the January to March quarter from ₹871 crore a year earlier as the second wave of Covid-19 infections battered demand. The on ground situation could worsen given the buzz around a possible third wave of infections. CAPA India expects domestic and international air travel to rebound to the pre-Covid-19 levels only by the third quarter of fiscal 2023 and by the end of fiscal 2024, respectively.

So far, all stakeholders in the aviation industry admit that the sudden onset of the pandemic in early 2020 accentuated the need for better efficiencies, including reducing the impact on the environment. Their thought process was simple: bringing in sustainability will increase viability for airlines and airports in a hostile aviation industry. “The pandemic presented multifarious challenges for the aviation industry, while also bringing attention to climate change. There is a dire need to take sustainability in our stride,” says Christoph Schnellmann, CEO, Yamuna International Airport Private Limited, the company that is building the greenfield Noida International Airport. “Sustainable operations are not only good for the environment but they also enable higher efficiency, including cost and time savings,” he adds.

But what comes first? Does sustainability lead to efficiency or do efficient operations fund sustainable equipment and practices? Ronojoy Dutta, Wholetime Director and CEO, Inter-Globe Aviation, is curious whether this is a classic chicken and egg story. At IndiGo, though, he says, the answer is that sustainability brings efficiency, which generates ROI (return on investment) on the investment over a period of time. “If we are looking at reaping the benefits of tech-enabled sustainable practices three to five years down the line, we need to start now,” says Dutta, emphasising that the airline has leveraged time and resources in the last year to become “leaner” and “cleaner”. On an ongoing basis, the airline has been investing in a new, more energy efficient aircraft fleet, replacing its older generation of Airbus 320 CEOs with NEO aircraft, which will reduce fuel burn by 15%.

16/08/21 Anshul Dhamija/Fortune India

MADC completes extension of Shirdi airport, work for night-landing facility

Mumbai: Making use of the two lockdowns since last year when flights to the temple town of Shirdi were shut down, Maharashtra Airport Development Company (MADC) has recently completed the extension of the Shirdi airport, from 2,500 metres to 3,200 metres. Work for the night-landing facility has also been completed. The project cost Rs 41.85 crore.

Shirdi, where the resting place of 19th-century spiritual figure Sai Baba is located, sees lakhs of devotees every year at the Sai Baba temple. The Shirdi airport started commissioning on October 2, 2017. It had 13 arrivals and same number of departures each day until the lockdown was imposed last year.

MADC Managing Director Deepak Kapoor told The Indian Express, “We decided to make use of the time we had and completed the extension of the runway and the night-landing facility. The labour force in Shirdi comes from Karnataka and most of them went away when the lockdown was imposed. We got labourers from local areas, extended the runway by 700 metres and constructed two additional taxiways. There was a demand from airlines like Indigo, SpiceJet and Air India for a longer runway so that they could bring bigger aircraft.”

Kapoor added that a lot of devotees arrive at Shirdi from Hyderabad, Vijaywada and Chennai and the airport witnesses the traffic of four to five flights from these sectors along with two to three flights from Bengaluru and one each from Bhopal, Delhi and Indore. Besides, there are regular flights from Mumbai. Shirdi is the fourth busiest airport after Mumbai, Pune and Nagpur. In terms of passenger load, it’s third airport after Mumbai and Pune.

16/08/21 Yogesh Naik/Indian Express

Monday, August 16, 2021

Pune to get 5 new flights connecting to tier-2 cities by end of month

Pune: Starting this month, several airlines are introducing new flights connecting Pune to tier-II cities. According to the airline sources, this initiative has been taken to witness the needs of the people.

For employment opportunities, people migrate from smaller cities to more extensive areas. The ease in negotiating slots in smaller airports has encouraged airlines to take this step even during the pandemic.

The Pune city recently introduced three new connections - Nashik, Belagavi, and Surat. Now, the city airport will have direct flights to Ranchi, Thiruvananthapuram, Amritsar, Gwalior (from August 20), and Tirupati. The Pune-Goa flight would also resume soon.

An airport official told The Times of India, "Ranchi is a new sector for the airport, and there was no direct flight from here earlier. But now, new connections are being introduced. With Amritsar, Thiruvananthapuram, and Tirupati also getting connected, we expect passenger traffic to rise."

Another airline source added that they have witnessed several people from smaller towns traveling to cities, most likely for employment. Profit is a primary concern for any airline before introducing flights, and profits don't always come from passenger load.  

16/08/21 Mirror Now Digital/TimesNowNews.com

IndiGo will start service of new routes between Delhi, Gwalior and Indore from September 1

Low-cost carrier IndiGo will start daily flights connecting Gwalior with Indore in Madhya Pradesh and Delhi from September 1, the company said in a statement on August 16.

Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia on August 13 in a series of tweets said that InterGlobe Aviation runs IndiGo airlines will start operating new flight routes between Delhi-Gwalior and Indore-Gwalior on a daily basis from September 1.

The announcement by the minister comes just a day after IndiGo had on August 12 flagged off its first Bareilly-Mumbai flight that would operate under regional connectivity Ude Desh ka Aam Nagrik (UDAN) scheme.

"The Bareilly airport has been upgraded for commercial flight operations under UDAN. Bareilly is the 8th airport of Uttar Pradesh after Lucknow, Varanasi, Gorakhpur, Kanpur, Hindon, Agra, and Prayagraj," the Ministry of Civil Aviation said in a series of tweets on Thursday.

IndiGo in a press release on Thursday said that its new flight from Bareilly marks the progress on its plan to connect seven key regional destinations in the country in 2021.

Earlier this month, the airline had announced to start direct flights to the Jabalpur from Mumbai, Delhi, Hyderabad and Indore from August 20. Moreover, four more flights from Madhya Pradesh town will commence from August 28.

 The airline will operate flight services from Bareilly to Mumbai four days a week while from August 14, it will operate flights to Bengaluru three days a week.

16/08/21 Moneycontrol