Report sans QR code: Couple denied boarding at Bengaluru airport

Bengaluru: A couple en-route to the Maldives for their honeymoon was denied boarding at Kempegowda International Airport (KIA) after they produced a handwritten RT-PCR negative report issued by the health department of the Nagpur Municipal Corporation which didn’t feature a quick response (QR) code. The civil aviation ministry mandates a Covid negative report with QR code for international travellers.

Chartered accountant Bhavesh Gehani, 26, and college lecturer Urmila Nagpal, 24, from Nagpur tied the knot on December 6, 2021 and planned to fly to the Maldives for their honeymoon.

As per a pre-booked holiday package worth Rs 2.5 lakh, the two landed at Bengaluru airport on December 9, 2021 to catch the Air India AI 265, a direct flight to Male scheduled to take off at 2.55pm.

But a shocker awaited the couple. “We produced a hard copy of the RT-PCR negative report issued by the Nagpur corporation to the ground staff of Air India along with the negative report ascertainment text from the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) website. But we were not allowed to travel further as the staff demanded a report with QR code,” Bhavesh said.

Faced with the possibility of their honeymoon being disrupted, the couple desperately tried to download their reports with QR codes from the ICMR portal at the Bengaluru terminal but were unsuccessful due some technical issues. By then, the Air India staff began the process of removing their bags from the plane.

“Finally, we managed to retrieve the reports from the ICMR portal and produced them at 2.30pm before the departure gate staff, who denied us boarding. My wife and I pleaded with them to allow us as we were heading for our honeymoon but they refused to listen,” said a dejected Bhavesh who had to reschedule the trip.

Forced to cancel the tickets on Air India to Male, the couple booked an IndiGo flight the following day by paying Rs 46,000 one way. The couple has approached Air India for a refund claiming the rules on RT-PCR test reports were unclear to passengers and questioned as to how a government health department’s report was not acceptable for air travel.

31/12/21 Petlee Peter/Times of India

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Indore: Woman vaccinated four times tests Covid positive at airport; stopped from boarding flight

New Delhi: A woman, who was vaccinated four times, tested positive for coronavirus at the Indore airport following which she was prevented from boarding Air India’s Dubai-bound flight on December 29.

As per the report, the 44-year-old Dubai resident has already taken four doses of two different vaccines against COVID-19.

Indore Health Department’s Medical Officer Dr Priyanka Kourav told PTI, “As per the standard practice, rapid RT-PCR tests are conducted during the weekly Indore-Dubai flight and as part of it, 89 passengers were tested today. A woman among them was found infected with coronavirus."

The woman had arrived in Mhow town near Indore in Madhya Pradesh 12 days back to attend the marriage of a close relative, the official said.

She had taken two doses each of Sinopharm and Pfizer’s anti-COVID-19 vaccines between January and August, the official said.

As of now, the woman is asymptomatic. But, she informed the airport’s health staff that she was suffering from a cold and cough four days back, said Dr Kourav said.

30/12/21 India Today

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Coronavirus no threat as Tiruchy airport terminal project on track for Dec 2022 completion

Tiruchy: Even as concerns are raised over the rise in Covid-19 cases delaying works, the construction of the new passenger terminal at the Tiruchy international airport, which took a hit during the earlier waves of the Covid-19 pandemic, is on track for completion by December 2022.

Senior airport officials said that they are already following strict protocols at the worksite and that their team has almost finished 69 percent of the new terminal.

This comes when during the first wave of the pandemic, the airport had taken special permission from the district administration and went ahead with some of the major terminal works by following Covid-19 safety measures. Though the airport managed some works then, the shortage of raw materials caused inconvenience.

In the second wave shortage of industrial oxygen affected the terminal’s roofing fabrication. But even during the time, the airport team kept the works going by taking up completion of the rest. Officials said this has helped them to finish about 69 percent of the terminal construction works this December.

31/12/21 Jose K Joseph/New Indian Express

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Why India’s airports haven’t taken off

The airport is the most stable part of the aviation value chain. As per DGCA, there are 206 domestic airports in India. According to earnings data for airports, their collective losses were ₹2,882.74 crore in FY2021, (loss of ₹465.91 crore in FY19) reflecting the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Read the other reasons too, for the losses >>

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Security checks at India’s Bengaluru airport stalled after man refuses to remove his Rolex watch for screening

Some travellers can be very hard to please. They have their own opinion on rules at airports and refuse to budge from their position, remaining as stubborn as ever. This causes problems not only for the security personnel at the airports but other flyers too.

As happened with a passenger at Bangalore’s Kempegowda International Airport (KIA) on Tuesday. Security checks were held up briefly after a man refused to remove his expensive Rolex watch and place it on a tray for the mandatory screening process of passengers by Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) personnel.

According to sources at the airport, the man, who was boarding a Vistara flight to Delhi, declined to remove Rolex Submariner and maintained that it was worth Rs40 lakhs (about Dhs200,000) and that it might get stolen during the screening.

The argument stalled security checks and senior CISF officers had to intervene.

However, CISF personnel stood their ground and warned the man that they would not allow him to board his flight if he refused to cooperate even as he boasted about his contacts in New Delhi.

The passenger finally agreed to cooperate and removed his watch for security clearance.

No case was registered against the man and he was let off with a warning, according to Indo-Asian News Service.

30/12/21 Gulf Today

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The cheapest airport Covid test you may not be aware of

Mumbai: For close to a month now, passengers undergoing rapid Covid tests at the Mumbai airport have been unknowingly opting for the costlier tests as the cheapest test priced at about a thousand rupees less is not listed on the airport websites for pre-booking.

On December 14, the Maharashtra government had capped the price of Covid tests. Its notification offered three options for rapid tests; 'Abbot ID' and 'Thermo fisher Accula' had their prices capped at Rs 1,975. The third one called the 'Tata MD3 Gene Fast/Tata MDFX' is an indigenous product and its price was capped at Rs 975, making it the cheapest option for a rapid Covid test. However, neither the Mumbai airport website nor the Air Suvidha website (handled by the Delhi airport) lists the 'Tata MD3' test as an option for pre-booking.

"The express (rapid) tests have been available in the market from the first week of December," said Girish Krishnamurthy, CEO, TATA Medical & Diagnostics Ltd (MDs).

"Tata MDs indigenously developed express RT-PCR tests... Our fast RT-PCR 3 Gene and Tata MD XF are approved by ICMR and are variant-proof, including Omicron," he said, adding they were in "discussions with airport authorities and laboratories to ensure that passengers are given access to select an affordable express RT-PCR test."

30/12/21 Manju V/Times of India

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Air India Express’ shuttle bus drops 13 int’l passengers at domestic arrival

Chennai: In an unusual incident, around 13 passengers, who had arrived by a Sharjah-Chennai Air India Express (IX 636) flight, were dropped at the domestic arrival terminal at the city airport by a shuttle bus of the airline close to midnight on Tuesday. The flight arrived around 11.30pm.

The passengers found that they were at the wrong terminal after they could not find the immigration counters. Meanwhile, the airline staff who were present at the terminal found something amiss and alerted their counterparts who take care of international arrivals. The passengers were taken to the international terminal to process immigration procedures and other arrival formalities.

An Airports Authority of India (AAI) official said that the driving permit of the driver of the shuttle bus has been seized and action would be taken for the error.

Sources said that international passengers need to undergo immigration and customs clearance before entering the city and the error must have resulted in people walking out of the airport without any such checks. There are no checks at the domestic terminal.

30/12/21 Times of India

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Pune airport’s daily passenger traffic improves, crosses 20,000-mark

Pune: The daily passenger traffic at the city airport has climbed steadily in the past few days to around 20,000, indicating that fears of Omicron have not stopped people from travelling yet.

On December 24, the total passenger movement at the airport stood at 22,500, the highest since flights resumed operation in May last year after the first lockdown. Similarly, on December 23, the total passenger movement at the airport stood at 20,450.

On December 26, the traffic stood at 21,103. And on December 20, the daily passenger traffic was 20,443. Then, on December 12, the traffic was 20,328.

“On December 23 and 24, the total flight movements at the airport were 140 and 144, respectively.

Crossing the 20,000-passenger mark is imthe flight movements have increased after the airport became round-the-clock operational from December 1 after more than a year. Before the Covid-19 pandemic, around 28,000 to 30,000 passeng- ers travelled daily while the total flight movements were around 170,” an airport official said.

Airport officials had earlier said that once the facility became operational round the clock after the runway recarpeting work, passenger traffic would witness a major climb, touching pre-pandemic levels by early next year. But since December1, the daily passenger traffic on most days remained limited to 15,000 to 18,000 despite increase in the number of flights.

30/12/21 Joy Sengupta/Times of India

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Feasibility study of airport at Hosur: Govt floats tender

Krishnagiri: The Tamil Nadu Industrial Development Corporation Limited (TIDCO) has floated a tender, inviting consultants to study the feasibility of setting up an airport at Hosur.

It would be the responsibility of consultants to assess the demand, undertake air traffic forecasting and identify potential sites for setting up the airport.

Interested consultants could get the proposal document from TIDCO on all working days till January 28, 2022, between 11am and 5pm by submitting a demand draft for Rs 15,000 that is drawn in favour of Tamil Nadu Industrial Development Corporation Limited, payable at Chennai.

There is also an option to download the form on www.tidco.com and https://tntenders.gov.in and the payment should be made while submitting the proposal.

“Pre-bid meeting will be conducted on January 11, 2022, at 3.30pm. The last date for submission of bids is on or before 3pm on January 31 when the opening of technical bids will be conducted at 3.30 pm at TIDCO office,” said a TIDCO official.

The local residents and industrialists, meanwhile, welcomed the state government’s move.

K Rajarathinam, an industrialist, said the airport would boost the development of the city. “The industrial units in Hosur town often receive delegates from abroad. They are now forced to travel to Bengaluru or Chennai to fetch or drop them. After setting up the airport, the Airport Authority of India should consider operating international flights to and from Hosur.”

30/12/21 Times of India

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Man refuses to remove costly watch for screening at Kempegowda International Airport

Bengaluru: High drama prevailed at Kempegowda International Airport (KIA) on Tuesday evening after a man refused to remove his wristwatch, which he claimed was very expensive, and place it on the tray for the mandatory scanning of passengers' belongings by Central Industrial Security Force (CISF).

The situation held up security checks for a brief period before officials arrived and screened the timepiece citing security protocol.

According to sources in the security team at KIA, the incident occurred around 5.45pm when the Delhi-bound passenger, who was scheduled to board a Vistara flight, reached the CISF security ring at the airport where passengers must undergo frisking and scanning of hand-held luggage.

"As per rules, all boarding passengers must place electronic and metal items, including watches, cellphones and belts, and in some cases even shoes, on the security belt for computer scan by CISF personnel. The male passenger was asked to place his wristwatch on the security tray but he vehemently refused," said the source.

The man is said to have shouted at the CISF personnel on duty in Hindi stating that he will not remove the watch from his wrist as it is worth Rs 40 lakh and could be stolen during the check. The passenger's adamant behaviour stalled the security screening for a while. Senior CISF officers reached the spot as he flaunted his contacts in places in Delhi and demanded that he get security clearance wearing his expensive wristwatch.

What rules say

As per Bureau of Civil Aviation Security guidelines 2020, passenger items with over 30 grams of metal will be flagged on a door frame metal detector, which is used at airports including KIA. Meanwhile, the hand-held metal detector can catch as much as 0.5gm of metal content in an object when screened.

"In this case, it was the duty of the CISF personnel to scan the watch as it was beeping in the passenger's possession," the officer added.

30/12/21 Petlee Peter/Times of India

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Noida airport: Farmers want more landowners to attend govt camps

Greater Noida: A large number of farmers from the six Jewar villages that are likely to be impacted by the second phase of the Noida International Airport project are expected to participate in the camps to be organised by the district administration from January 7 next year.

To finalise their next strategy, farmers had recently approached advocates and experts and were informed that under the provisions of the Land Acquisition Act, 2013, the administration assumes that a landowner who does not visit such camps -- where consent is noted down -- is in favour of the project.

Advocate Saurabh Yadav told TOI that under the Act it is believed that the one who wants to register their protest will take extra effort to visit the camp and mention their objection or reservations in writing. “The person protesting has to register his objections before the administration or the acquisition agency in person, otherwise it is assumed he/she is willing to give up the land,” Yadav said.

Farmers have now taken initiative to create awareness about the provisions of the Act among the landowners, urge them to visit the camps and submit their dissent note in writing to oppose the project.

30/12/21 Times of India

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AAI team visits Kailashahar Airport to explore feasibility for resumption

The six-member AAI team led by joint general manager (Operations) Dubdulal Chowdhury on Tuesday inspected the old airport and also Hiracherra tea estate, an alternative place for setting up a greenfield airport in presence of District Magistrate (DM) of Unakoti, Uttam Kumar Chakma.

Later, they held a meeting with the DM, Sub-Divisional Magistrate of Kailashahar, Shanti Ranjan Chakma and Vice-Chairperson of Kailashahar Municipal Council, Nitish Dey as part of a feasibility study on setting up a greenfield airport at Hiracherra tea estate instead of reviving the old airport.

The AAI team visited the old airport and the proposed site - Hirapur tea estate - to conduct a feasibility study on setting up a greenfield airport, the District Magistrate said.

 “We had a detailed discussion on setting up a greenfield airport at Hiracherra tea estate because the old airport is so small and possibility of expansion is very remote because of land scarcity”, he said.

However, the AAI team is “not satisfied” with the possible site for establishing greenfield airport at Hiracherra tea estate because the place is hilly, which doesn’t suit the AAI’s guidelines for setting up a new airport, the DM said.

“They said they will submit a comprehensive report to the higher authority to take a final call on Kailashahar Airport”, Chakma added.

After visiting the proposed site, the AAI team told reporters that they will submit the report to the higher authority within next few days.

29/12/21 Nagaland Post

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International airport at Silchar soon, formalities complete: MP

Silchar: Silchar will get an international airport soon as various formalities related to the project have been completed, local MP Rajdeep Roy said on Tuesday.

Roy, a BJP MP, told the media that the Centre has given an affirmative response to the construction of an international airport in Silchar and that various formalities regarding its materialisation have been wrapped up. “Issues related to the site selection are there, but they are expected to be resolved very soon,” he said.

“The airport would be set up in an area spread over 870 acres and the announcement of the mega project would be made by chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma in January,” Roy said.

South Assam has a domestic airport at Kumbhirgram, 29 km from here. Built by the British as an RAF station in 1944, it is also a civil enclave airport as it is under the control of the Indian Air Force. It is the fourth busiest airport in the Northeast after Guwahati, Agartala and Imphal.

29/12/21 Times of India

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20 Foreign Returnees Test COVID Positive At Bengaluru Airport

Bengaluru: At least 20 foreign passengers have tested positive for Covid-19 at the Kempegowda International Airport (KIA) in Bengaluru, sources said on Wednesday. Of the 20 infected, seven came from Paris; five each from London and Frankfurt; and one each from the UAE and Kuwait. The nationality of the last person was yet to be ascertained.

Airport authorities are on high alert as most of the infected passengers, who are currently in isolation, came from high-risk countries. Their samples have been sent for genome sequencing. 

29/12/21 IANS/India.com

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Hosur may get its own airport as Tamil Nadu commissions study

 After a failed attempt, the Tamil Nadu government has renewed its efforts to set up an airport in the industrial hub of Hosur, located just outside Bengaluru, with the border town emerging as a hub for electric scooters and their accessories like batteries.

The fresh endeavour is being spearheaded by the Tamil Nadu Industrial Development Corporation Limited (TIDCO), which on Wednesday sought proposals from consultants to undertake demand assessment, air traffic forecasting and identification of potential sites for setting up the airport.

The state’s efforts in 2018 to launch services from a private airport owned by Taneja Aerospace and Aviation in Hosur failed due to a slew of factors, including the location falling within 150 km of the Bengaluru International Airport. Though Hosur was part of the ambitious UDAN scheme, there has been no forward movement.

The new study will identify at least three potential sites for setting up the airport, analyse air traffic growth trends in the past decade in nearby airports, forecast traffic for the next 30 years and assess the catchment area of the proposed airports.

“TIDCO has called for consultants to conduct a feasibility study on identifying a location for an airport in Hosur. The study will take a detailed look into all factors,” Pankaj Kumar Bansal, chairman and managing director of TIDCO, told DH.

He said the consultant will study the feasibility of launching flight operations from the Taneja Aerospace complex in Hosur, besides other options.

Another senior official told DH that the study will focus more on the location of the airport and its feasibility. The official said the government feels an airport is essential for Hosur since it is one of the favourite destinations for investors.

“Bengaluru city may be close to Hosur, but not its airport. We feel Hosur should have an exclusive airport given its status as an industrial hub which will only grow in the coming years. The distance from Bengaluru airport to Hosur is also a factor. We are exploring all possibilities,” the official said.

29/12/21 Deccan Herald

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AAI team visits Kailashahar Airport to explore feasibility of resumption of air service

A team of the Airports Authority of India (AAI) visited the Kailashahar Airport in Tripura's Unakoti district to explore the feasibility of resumption of air service, officials said here on Wednesday. The airport located near the Indo-Bangla border has been shut down since the early 90's on account of lack of adequate passengers.

The six-member AAI team led by joint general manager (Operations) Dubdulal Chowdhury on Tuesday inspected the old airport and also Hiracherra tea estate, an alternative place for setting up a greenfield airport in presence of District Magistrate (DM) of Unakoti, Uttam Kumar Chakma.

Later, they held a meeting with the DM, Sub-Divisional Magistrate of Kailashahar, Shanti Ranjan Chakma and Vice-Chairperson of Kailashahar Municipal Council, Nitish Dey as part of a feasibility study on setting up a greenfield airport at Hiracherra tea estate instead of reviving the old airport.

The AAI team visited the old airport and the proposed site - Hirapur tea estate - to conduct a feasibility study on setting up a greenfield airport, the District Magistrate said.

"We had a detailed discussion on setting up a greenfield airport at Hiracherra tea estate because the old airport is so small and possibility of expansion is very remote because of land scarcity", he said.

29/12/21 PTI/Economic Times

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CM urged to intervene, speed up Trichy airport runway expansion

Trichy: Aviation enthusiasts and activists have sought the intervention of chief minister M K Stalin in the expansion of the runway at the Trichy international airport, which has been dragging on for more than a decade. They also urged the trade, commerce and tourism fraternity in Trichy to give a clear insight to the local ministers on this issue.

The airport terminal has exhausted its capacity owing to the increasing international and domestic traffic. As per the proposals made by the Airport Authority of India in 2010, they had sought 12,500 feet of land to enable the airport to handle wide-body aircraft, which would enhance passenger and cargo handling capacity.

However, the process of acquiring the required land from defence and state government has been going at a snail’s pace, enthusiasts said.

There is no second opinion that all the airports in the state should be developed. But, when compared to other airports, Trichy international airport is second to Chennai in earning revenue as well as foreign remittance to the state. So, the state government should give due preference to expand the existing runway of Trichy airport, H Ubaidullah, an independent researcher on aviation, said.

“Acquisition of defence land is required for the overall expansion of the airport, which includes the construction of the new terminal building. There is no connection between the defence land and the runway expansion. If the land owned by local people was acquired, the expansion work can be started on the very next day. So, the state government should do the needful to acquire the required land,” he stressed.

29/12/21 Times of India

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Tripura: AAI team visits Kailashahar Airport to explore resumption of service

Agartala: A team of the Airports Authority of India (AAI) visited the Kailashahar Airport in Tripura’s Unakoti district to explore the feasibility of resumption of air service, officials said here on Wednesday.

The airport located near the Indo-Bangla border has been shut down since the early 90’s on account of lack of adequate passengers.

The six-member AAI team led by joint general manager (Operations) Dubdulal Chowdhury on Tuesday inspected the old airport and also Hiracherra tea estate, an alternative place for setting up a greenfield airport in presence of District Magistrate (DM) of Unakoti, Uttam Kumar Chakma.

Later, they held a meeting with the DM, Sub-Divisional Magistrate of Kailashahar, Shanti Ranjan Chakma and Vice-Chairperson of Kailashahar Municipal Council, Nitish Dey as part of a feasibility study on setting up a greenfield airport at Hiracherra tea estate instead of reviving the old airport.

The AAI team visited the old airport and the proposed site – Hirapur tea estate – to conduct a feasibility study on setting up a greenfield airport, the District Magistrate said.

We had a detailed discussion on setting up a greenfield airport at Hiracherra tea estate because the old airport is so small and possibility of expansion is very remote because of land scarcity , he said.

However, the AAI team is “not satisfied” with the possible site for establishing greenfield airport at Hiracherra tea estate because the place is hilly, which doesn’t suit the AAI’s guidelines for setting up a new airport, the DM said.

29/12/21 PTI/East Mojo

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Flyers to Kolkata stranded on Mumbai airport bus for 45 minutes, see flight take off

Kolkata: Five persons travelling to Kolkata from Mumbai were left stranded in an airline bus in the Mumbai airport apron area for over 45 minutes on Monday morning when the driver refused to budge. They eventually saw the 5am flight take off.

One of the stranded passengers, Baby Koerie, who works as a domestic help in Mumbai and had borrowed Rs 7,500 from her employer to buy the air ticket so that she could attend her mother’s funeral, could not reach on time due to the bungling. Despite repeated pleas by her and requests from other passengers, who were stranded, to put her on a flight operated by another airline, the GoFirst ground staff remained unmoved. The passengers finally reached Kolkata via Bengaluru around 2.30pm instead of 7.30am.

Veterans in the industry termed the incident as bizarre but admitted it exposed a loophole in the boarding system. While a headcount used to happen at the step ladder point earlier, that has been done away with. Now, passenger tickets are scanned at the bus gate. Thereafter, passengers are deemed to have boarded the flight.

“The pilots or cabin crew weren’t even aware that the five passengers weren’t on the flight. There was clearly a communication gap between the ground staffer, who manages passengers boarding the bus, and the driver,” said a veteran airline official.

A Go First spokesperson said the concerned employee has been taken off duty/suspended pending investigation of the incident. “Go First has a zero-tolerance policy and it is mandatory for all employees to comply with the company’s rules, regulations, and policies,” the statement read.

29/12/21 Times of India

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RT-PCR tests at Mumbai airport, 7-day home quarantine mandatory for UAE returnees, says BMC

Mumbai: Passengers arriving in Mumbai from the United Arab Emirates will have to undergo an RT-PCR test as well as mandatory 7-day home quarantine, the metropolis' civic body said on Wednesday. The decision was taken after Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) Commissioner IS Chahal chaired a virtual meeting with civic officials, deans and medical superintendents of hospitals.

This online interaction took place after Chahal held a meeting with Maharashtra tourism and environment minister Aaditya Thackeray earlier in the day, a civic release said.

On December 24, the civic administration had made RT-PCR tests mandatory for passengers landing here from Dubai, which has now been extended to the entire UAE, it said.

Chahal has also asked officials to make separate arrangements of 500 beds each at NESCO and BKC Jumbo Covid-19 centres to quarantine international travelers who have no symptoms and do not need medical treatment, it said, adding that travelers ready to pay will be permitted to stay in the hotels.

"At the airport, regular RT-PCR tests should be performed on patients found to be infected with Covid-19 in the rapid test. If the test is negative, then segregation should be done as per prevailing rules. If the test is positive then the decision should be taken for isolation or hospitalization as per the prevailing rules. Samples of regular RT-PCR tests should be sent for genome sequencing," the release informed.

It said Chahal has directed the administrative wards to appoint flying squads to ensure guidelines set for new year events, parties and celebrations are strictly followed.

29/12/21 PTI/Times of India

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Surat airport under threat of winged visitors

Surat: The Surat airport is a home of as many as 96 species of birds that flourish inside the airfield, a report by the Salim Ali Centre for Ornithology and Natural History (SACON) has revealed.

Not only birds, which pose a big bird-hit risk, the airport is home to mongooses and venomous snakes too. According to the data presented in the interim report, there have been 88 incidents of bird hits in the last five years at the Surat airport, which also has several prawn farms in the vicinity.

Most of the bird hits were recorded during September, October and November.

The interim report was submitted to the Airports Authority of India (AAI) and SACON will present the strategies to manage the wildlife now.

Security at the airport had become a serious issue after the infamous incident of a private airline’s aircraft crashing into the buffalo on the runway in 2014.

Study was conducted after AAI invited SACON to take up a comprehensive study at selected airports to understand the bird community of the selected airports, identify the problematic birds and suggest mitigation measures to reduce the bird and wildlife-related hazards to aircraft. Surat airport was suggested by AAI among the first five airports where such studies were required and get scientific suggestions to mitigate the risks.

28/12/21 Times of India

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Khandu expresses satisfaction over progress of Hollongi airport construction work

Itanagar: Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu Tuesday expressed satisfaction over the progress of construction work of a greenfield airport at Hollongi near here, despite challenges arising out of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Khandu who visited the site of the ambitious project, 15 km from here, told reporters that work on 1,500 metres of the 2,300 metre-long runway has been completed. 

Earlier the completion target of the project, the foundation of which was laid by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, was November 2022 which has been changed to August 2022.

Once commissioned, the airport will be the first in the state with a runway of 2300 metres, suitable for the landing and take-off of Boeing 747 aircraft.

“This is a dream project of the entire population of Arunachal Pradesh. We need to thank the Central government for extending all-out support in fulfilling the dream …We also need to appreciate all the agencies that are working day and night to meet the deadline despite hurdles,” he said.

Presently, no airport exists in the vicinity of Itanagar, the closest one being Lilabari Airport in Assam, which is at a distance of 80 km from here.

Mentioning that a pre-fabricated terminal building would be in place by early next year, Khandu said, “The building will be temporary while construction of a permanent building will continue. Once the permanent structure is ready, the temporary one will be utilised as cargo area.” The chief minister also said that keeping in view the possibilities of future expansion, the government has acquired about 500 sq metres of land beyond the runway while the Kokila river that runs along the airport boundary is being diverted.

“There are no external hurdles and work is going on smoothly. The agencies are working on a few internal issues,” Khandu said.

Later, the chief minister held an internal review meeting with all project stakeholders during which he was informed that the passenger terminal, with an area of 4,100 sq metres, will be able to handle 200 passengers during peak hours. While the acquisition of the required five acres of land on the Assam side, shifting of 132 KV power grid line, and diversion of Kokila river are going on, about 74 per cent work has been done on building the four-lane approach road to the airport, which would be completed by January 31 next.

28/12/21 Print

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Leopard caged near Porbandar airport

Rajkot: A leopard was captured near the Porbandar airport on Monday morning. According to the forest department, the area from where the leopard was captured is about a kilometre from the airport. The leopard was seen in the CCTV footage and its pug marks were found on Sunday evening. Following this, the forest officials set up cages was captured it. The leopard will be kept under observation before being released in the Barda area after medical examination.

28/12/21 Times of India

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Bangalore Metro: Preliminary work on metro link connecting airport begins

Bangalore: The Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL) has started the preliminary work of constructing a metro link to the Kempegowda International Airport (KIA). The ambitious project is set to be completed in 2024, as per the deadline set by BMRCL.

Multiple locations on the National Highway (Bellari Road) that connects to the Bangalore airport have been partially barricaded. The contractor for the elevated metro project has also deployed heavy machines to carry out the work.

"Preliminary work is going on. Meanwhile, the contractor is working on setting up labour camps, casting yards, and others. Machines and resources are also being mobilised for the work," said Anjum Parwez, Managing Director of BMRCL, as quoted by The Hindu.

Mr. Parwez further added that “The project will be expedited in the stretch where the trees are not coming in the way of the alignment. The service road on Airport Road is one stretch where tree removal is not required for taking up the project,”

Under phase 2A of the project, the BMRCL will be constructing a metro line starting from the Central Silk Board to the KIA via K.R. Puram, Nagawara, and Hebbal. This project phase has already commenced on the Outer Ring Road, from K.R. Puram to Trumpet. It has been planned that the project will be executed in three packages.

27/12/21 India Today

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Dues of four airlines to AAI rose over twofold since January 2020

New Delhi: Dues of four major domestic airlines -- IndiGo, SpiceJet, Go First and AirAsia India -- to the Airports Authority of India (AAI) more than doubled between January 2020 and October 2021, according to internal AAI documents.

Air India, however, continues to be the domestic carrier with the highest amount of dues to the AAI. As per the documents, Air India's dues to the AAI have increased from Rs 2,183.71 crore as on January 1, 2020, to Rs 2,362.36 crore as on October 31, 2021.

An airline has to pay various charges like air navigation, landing, parking etc to the AAI to use facilities at any of its more than 100 airports. Both Air India and the AAI work under the Civil Aviation Ministry.

The government had on October 8 announced that the Tata Group has won the bid to acquire Air India. The Centre is expected to hand over Air India to the Tatas in the first half of 2022.

India has six major domestic carriers, IndiGo, SpiceJet, GoAir, AirAsia India, Air India and Vistara, which owed the AAI a total of Rs 2,306.59 crore as on January 1, 2020, the AAI documents -- which has been accessed by PTI -- noted.

The dues of these six major domestic carriers taken together increased by 14.29 per cent to Rs 2,636.34 crore by October 31, 2021, the documents added.

Vistara and IndiGo have clarified that all their dues have been cleared, while SpiceJet said its dues are well within credit limits.

India's largest carrier IndiGo owed Rs 80.69 crore as in October 2021, as against Rs 33.21 crore in January 2021, they mentioned.

SpiceJet's dues with the AAI increased from Rs 69.93 crore in January 2020 to Rs 146.75 crore as on October 2021, the AAI documents noted.

Go First, which was previously known as GoAir, saw its dues to the AAI increase from Rs 15.62 crore in January 2020 to Rs 39.06 crore in October 2021, the AAI documents showed.

AirAsia India's dues to the AAI increased from Rs 1.47 crore in January 2020 to Rs 3.58 crore in October 2021, the documents noted.

Vistara's dues to the AAI increased from 2.65 crore in January 2020 to Rs 3.9 crore in October 2021, according to the documents.

27/12/21 PTI/Business Standard

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Flyer traffic from Mumbai to non-metros soars beyond pre-Covid times

Mumbai: Rajkot is air-linked with Mumbai by an hour-long flight that has nothing in particular to make it stand out, except when Covid is factored in.

When all domestic flights that operate out of Mumbai are considered, it is this city in Gujarat, along with a handful of others, that have surpassed their pre-Covid passenger traffic numbers. Rajkot has clocked the highest growth in passenger traffic—107%—when pre-Covid January 2020 numbers are compared with the current traffic.

“With the ease in travel restrictions across India and more and more travellers being double vaccinated, Mumbai airport has witnessed over nine domestic destinations surpassing pre-Covid levels,” said Mumbai International Airport Ltd (MIAL). Leading the growth trajectory is passenger traffic from Tier-II and Tier-III markets, it added.

In the first 15 days of December, about 16,000 passengers flew between Mumbai and Rajkot, which was a 107% gr-owth as compared to the pre-Covid period—the first 15 day of January 2020. Jabalpur in Madhya Pradesh comes in second with a 73% growth as co-mpared to pre-Covid times, according to MIAL data. But when the December data is co-mpared to January 2019 data, Jabalpur’s passenger traffic growth stands at 98%, the highest among this lot. Then there is Vishakhapatnam with a 68% growth (January 2020 vs December) and the rest are Aurangabad, Chandigarh, Gorakhpur, Kandla, Madurai and Srinagar.

For sure, all these cities register a much slimmer volume of passenger traffic than, say the bigwigs like Delhi, Bengaluru, and Panaji which are yet to surpass their pre-Covid numbers. Their smaller base numbers also explain the stupendous growth percentages these nine cities have registered. “Nevertheless, it is a clear indicator of the rising popularity of flights to non-metro destinations out of metros,” said an airline official. “The demand has far overtaken supply, which is why passengers to non-metros end up paying almost double the price for their flight tickets as compared to those who fly to metros, even when these tickets are booked in advance.”

27/12/21 Times of India

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5 ways to beat long waiting hours at airport

Remember Tom Hanks in The Terminal and how he devised ways to survive his endless wait at the airport?

If you too find yourself stuck at the airport (obviously not in the same way), either waiting for a delayed flight or a connecting flight, then you too can do a few things to pass the time.

Here are some things you can do >>

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5-year-old, 3 other UK flyers new ‘Omicron’ suspects in West Bengal

Kolkata: The Omicron suspect count in Bengal increased by four on Sunday with two men aged 44 and 24, a 31-year-old woman and a five-year-old girl, who arrived in Kolkata from London, testing positive for Covid.

All of them have been put under institutional quarantine, a state health department official said. The four suspects flew in Air India flight AI-164 from Heathrow in London. The flight had 198 passengers while 180 of them — aged above five years of age — underwent tests.

“Four flyers were found positive for Covid-19 at the airport. Their samples will be sent for genome sequencing on Monday,” said health services director, Ajay Chakraborty. The four were initially directed to the dedicated isolation facility for Omicron suspects at the state-run Infectious Diseases and Beliaghata General Hospital (ID&BG). They were later transferred to private hospitals on request. The 44-year-old man admitted to the Dhakuria unit of AMRI is a resident of Kaikhali while the 24-year-old man and the 31-year-old woman, both residents of Shyambazar, are admitted to AMRI’s Salt Lake unit.

27/12/21 Sumati Yengkhom & Tamaghna Banerjee/Times of India

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Vizag-Singapore flight services from Wednesday

Visakhapatnam: Vizag airport will operate flight services to Singapore from December 29. Scheduled international flights were withdrawn in March 2020 due to the Covid-19. Subsequently, international flights were operated to and from Vizag international airport under Vande Bharat Mission to help stranded Indians in various countries.

Director of Vizag airport, K Srinivasa Rao, said the flight will be operated thrice a week. Initially, authorities will allow only students, businessmen and employees and tourists can’t fly. Scoot Airlines has started bookings for the flight.

27/12/21 Times of India

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Passing-out parade of CIAL rescue and fire force batch held

Kochi: The passing out parade of the new members of the Airport Rescue and Fire Force (ARFF) of Cochin International Airport Limited (CIAL) was held here on Sunday. Thirteen junior assistant trainees who completed a four-month training programme will join CIAL’s 105-member ARFF.

CIAL selects candidates having diplomas in electrical engineering after various examinations. The ARFF training programme is conducted at the Airports Authority of India’s centres in Delhi and Kolkata. 

However, the training could not be conducted there this time due to Covid. So, CIAL’s Aviation Academy took over the training programme and obtained accreditation from the ICAO.

27/12/21 New Indian Express 

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Financial support of Rs 1,465 cr given to airlines for UDAN flights, Alliance Air tops the chart

New Delhi: The government has provided a total financial support of about Rs 1,465 crore to airlines under UDAN scheme to make flights affordable for common man. 

 As per official data, Alliance Air has received Rs 418 crore in viability gap funding (VGF) from the government for operating UDAN flights. Regional operator Turbo Megha Airways has received a VGF of Rs 372.74 crore from the government to run affordable air services. 

 RCS-UDAN (Regional Connectivity Scheme - Ude Desh Ka Aam Nagrik) seeks to make the dream of flying possible for even those in low income bracket. Since smaller cities are not commercially viable for airlines to operate flights, government provides a viability gap funding (VGF) or subsidy to make routes profitable and at the same time affordable. 

 Ministry of Civil Aviation launched RCS- UDAN in October 2016 to stimulate regional air connectivity and make air travel affordable for the masses. Under the scheme, eligible airlines get concessions from central government, state governments and airport operators to reduce the cost of operations on regional routes. They get financial support (VGF) to meet the gap, if any, between the cost of airline operations and expected revenues on regional routes.

 Among the major UDAN flight operators, SpiceJet has received a total VGF of Rs 273.42 crores over the years. The country's largest carrier IndiGo has got Rs 258.10 crores financial support for operating UDAN flights. Deccan Charters Pvt Ltd and Ghodawat Enterprises Pvt Ltd have received VGF of Rs 5.27 crores and Rs 81.34 crores respectively. As many as 13 air-operators have so far received financial support under UDAN scheme.

 "UDAN has transformed the way people travel in Tier-2 and Tier-3 cities. Under UDAN, the Airports Authority of India (AAI), the Implementing Agency, has awarded 948 routes to connect hitherto unserved/underserved areas, tourist destinations, North Eastern Region, etc,” Minister of State for Civil Aviation VK Singh said in written reply to a question in Rajya Sabha last week. “Out of these 948 awarded routes, 403 UDAN routes have commenced connecting 65 UDAN airports including 2 Water Aerodromes and 8 Heliports, as on 14.12.2021," he further said. 

 26/11/21 UNI

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From January, over 69 crore Covishield doses transported from Pune airport

Pune: More than 69.58 crore doses of the Covishield vaccine, weighing over 19 lakh tonnes, have been transported from the city airport despite its infrastructural constraints between January and December 23 this year.

“Everyone, including the airlines, their officials and cargo handlers, have played an important role in the transportation of the vaccines from Pune to different parts of the country,” a senior airport official told TOI.

The transportation of the Covishield vaccine, manufactured by the Pune-based Serum Institute of India (SII), began in January this year, with the first consignment leaving the Pune airport for Delhi on SpiceJet and Air India flights. Officials at the Kool-ex Cold Chain Limited — the firm in agreement with the SII for transportation of the vaccines — maintained that only small consignments of the vaccine were being sent via air, while large consignments were being sent via road in temperature-controlled trucks.

“The cargo hold area of the airport is small. We have been pushing for shifting the spot to a 2.5-acre plot belonging to the Indian Air Force. The process is on, but taking time. However, despite the constraints, we have been able to successfully transport the vaccines from Pune to both domestic and international locations,” the official said.

26/01/21 Times of India

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Spice Jet resumes flights on Chattogram-Kolkata route since Jan 6

Chattogram: After remaining suspended for eight months due to the Covid-19 pandemic, Chattogram-Kolkata direct flight of Spice Jet will resume on January 6 next, officials of the airlines said.

"Spice Jet will operate flights on Chattogram-Kolkata route four days per week under the India-Bangladesh Bubble agreement," officials at the airlines' Chattogram office told the FE on Saturday.

They said flights will be operated on Sunday, Monday, Wednesday and Thursday.

"The first flight of Spice Jet will leave Kolkata on Saturday at 7:30am (local time) and reach Shah Amanat International Airport in Chattogram's Patenga 50 minutes later at 8:30am BST (Bangladesh Standard Time), they stated.

The aircraft will leave Shah Amanat International Airport the same day at 11am BST and reach Kolkata at 11:50am local time, said the officials.

26/12/21 Financial Express

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SpiceJet Passengers Protest Outside Lucknow Airport After Saudi Arabia-bound Flight Gets Cancelled

New Delhi: Dozens of Saudi Arabia-bound passengers were left in the lurch at Lucknow’s Chaudhary Charan Singh Airport after the flight in which they were supposed to travel got canceled. As per the reports, the SpiceJet flight—SG 9575, bound to Saudi Arabia, got canceled suddenly.

Passengers claimed that the flight was canceled without any prior notice from the airport. While some of them protested alleging grave inconvenience, few others were seen entering into an argument with the airport staff.

Earlier last month, similar chaotic scenes were witnessed at Patna airport after passengers created a ruckus as a SpiceJet flight (SG-392) to Mumbai, got delayed. The passengers had claimed that the flight was rescheduled with any prior notice to them.

Speaking to media persons, Bhupesh C H Negi, the director of the city airport had told media persons that SpiceJet’s Patna-Mumbai flight was rescheduled due to some technical problems.

26/12/21 Times of India

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PM Modi to Visit Tripura on Jan 4, Inaugurate New Terminal Building at Agartala Airport

Agartala: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will arrive in Tripura on January 4 to inaugurate a new terminal building of Maharaja Bir Bikram (MBB) Airport here, Chief Minister Biplab Deb said on Saturday. Union Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiradiya Scindia and senior officials of Airports Authority of India (AAI) would also be present at the programme, he said.

The New Integrated Terminal Building (NITB) has been built at a cost of Rs 3,400 crore. “I have received a call from the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) confirming the PM’s visit to Tripura to inaugurate the new terminal building of MBB Airport, second busiest in the Northeast. Besides, he will also address a public rally at Vivekananda Ground on the same day," Deb told reporters.

Earlier, AAI chairman Arvind Singh had visited the state on December 15 to review the progress of work being undertaken at the terming building. The NIBT, with 20 check-in counters, will be able to handle 1,200 passengers, including international fliers, in a day, officials said.

25/12/21 PTI/News18.com

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Why are you barring government buses from entering Delhi airport, Punjab Minister Amarinder Singh Raja Warring asks Kejriwal

Amritsar: Transport Minister Amarinder Singh Raja Warring on Saturday sought to know from the Delhi chief minister why his government was not letting Punjab's state-owned buses travel up to the Delhi international airport.

Meeting Arvind Kejriwal outside a hotel here, Warring alleged that private buses that charge almost thrice the fare were, however, being allowed to ply all the way to the Indira Gandhi International Airport.

“Volvo buses of the State Transport Undertaking have been barred from plying to the Delhi airport despite charging only Rs 1,200 per passenger. Private buses on the other hand have been given all permissions and they are openly 'looting' Punjabis by charging Rs 3,000 to Rs 3,500 per passenger," Warring told Kejriwal. 

The Punjab minister was particularly referring to buses run by an influential family.

"By doing so, Kejriwal is supporting the transport mafia, which has been looting Punjab," an official communique to the media from Warring's office, read.

Warring said 13 letters were written to the Delhi chief minister but he was pretending to be unaware of the issue.

"After assuming office as the transport minister, I wrote a letter to Kejriwal on October 7, 2021, asking for a suitable date and time for a meeting to resolve this long-pending issue. My predecessor Razia Sultana, too, had written several letters to Kejriwal but all in vain," he stated.

25/12/21 Tribune

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Domestic cargo ops at MIA delayed due to BCAS

Mangaluru: The domestic cargo operations at Mangaluru International Airport had been stopped for many months as the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS) is yet to give clearance for the starting of the services.

The Domestic Cargo Terminal is functioning under AAI Cargo Logistics and Allied Services Company, a subsidiary of Airports Authority of India.

Selva Kumar M, cargo manager, MIA said domestic cargo was handled by a private firm till June 25, 2020. After it wound up operations, the operations were carried out along with international cargo. However, there were objections from the Customs Department since domestic cargo cannot be handled at international cargo facilities. A new facility was set up close to the MIA.

“We have fulfilled all criteria laid down by the competent authorities. An advanced dual-view X-ray inspection system and explosive trace detector machine has been installed along with a surveillance system. It was completed months ago and are awaiting final clearance from BCAS. We are ready to handle any amount of domestic cargo once it is approved,” said Selva Kumar, adding that low cost carriers used to ferry around six tons of cargo every day from MIA.

Selva Kumar said that 90% of domestic cargo received at MIA comes from a security press in Manipal. The cargo is received at the cargo terminal and segregated sector wise. Later, it is sent via road to Kempegowda International Airport and after fulfilling criteria, later it is shipped across the country. “As a result of cargo moving to KIA, it is delayed for 12 hours. There will be no more hassles once MIA Domestic Cargo is given permission and becomes fully functional,” added Selva Kumar.

26/12/21 Kevin Mendonsa/Times of India

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CISF adds more bite to its security setup at KIA

Six super-efficient and exceptionally intelligent canines, all of them, Belgian Malinois breed, have just completed their training and are set to be inducted into one of the units of the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) of the Kempegowda International Airport. Bengaluru will become the first airport in the country to have this breed put on security duty. 

According to CISF sources, five are female and they have been specially trained to sniff explosives. “They will be inducted into the Airport Security Group (ASG), a unit of the CISF, into its K-9 dog squad. With the induction of the six Malinois, seven out of our 15-strong canine squad will be the Belgian ones,” a top official said. Gracie, Laika, Lily, Rambo, Daisie and Bella have undergone training at the Dog Breeding and Training School of the CISF at Taralu, he said. The CISF canine squad at the airport comprises of Labradors, German Shepherds, Golden Retrievers, Cocker Spaniel and one Malinois.

The breed shot to international fame after Cairo, a Belgian Malinois, helped the US Navy SEAL team track and kill former Al Qaeda chief Osama Bin Laden in Pakistan. Another Malinois, Conan, played a key role in the death of Abu Bakr al Baghdadi, ISIS leader in Syria during a commando raid on October 27, 2019. 

“The dog is known for its excellent nose work and high levels of alertness. It will help us to detect bombs and even the slightest amount of explosives,” another official said.  “It works every efficiently in challenging situations. The ASG in Bengaluru is the first airport in the country to induct Belgian Malinois in its squad,” he said. 

26/12/21 S Lalitha/New Indian Express

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Visually challenged artistes sing carols at MIA

Mangaluru: Festive fervour was evident at the Mangaluru International Airport (MIA) on Christmas. The notes of Christmas carols that 15 visually challenged artistes from Shree Sharadha Andhara Geetha Gayana Kala Sangha, Sringeri in Chikkamagaluru district sang, provided a vibrant experience for the passengers. Sarvamangala Trust, Mangaluru, which empowers the differently abled, trained these artistes.

The place next to the tastefully lit Christmas décor at the departure hall of Mangaluru International Airport, served as the platform for the artists to showcase their talent. The carols sung by them, soaked passengers in the Christmas spirit. Denver Roche, a professional singer, who worked with these artistes for the past month, anchored the event.

Muthuraj from Sarvamangala Trust played the joyful Santa Claus, and handed treats to passengers and others present at the airport. The passengers bought the limited-edition Christmas gift hampers consisting of greeting cards and other stationery items, that the trust had readied. Proceeds from the sale of hampers went to the trust, to impart competitive training to the differently abled.

26/12/21 Times of India

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Fog delays 35 departures at KIA, one flight diverted to Kerala

Bengaluru: Fog-related visibility issues continued to play spoilsport with the travel plans of air passengers at the Kempegowda International Airport on Thursday. The departure of 35 flights were delayed due to the poor weather conditions.

While 19 flights used the new South Runway’s CAT-III Instrument Landing System (ILS) to land safely, one incoming Air India flight from Kuala Lumpur was diverted to Kannur in north Kerala, airport officials said.

Several flights were delayed on Wednesday, too, with two incoming airplanes being diverted to Chennai. Although flight disruptions are relatively low this season compared to the previous years, the current issues are attributed to some crew not trained to handle CAT-III handling. Besides, the old North Runway has not been upgraded to CAT-III.

24/12/21 Rasheed Kappan/Deccan Herald

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Flight Operations At Delhi Airport Remain Normal Despite Low Visibility Amid Very Poor AQI

The flight operations at Delhi airport remained normal despite low visibility on Saturday morning. The passengers have been requested to contact the airline concerned for updated flight information. Delhi International Airport Limited (DIAL) told ANI, "Low Visibility Procedures are in progress at Delhi Airport. All flight operations are presently normal. Passengers are requested to contact the airline concerned for updated flight information". 

Meanwhile, the overall Air Quality Index (AQI) in Delhi stands at 398, which indicates 'Very Poor' category. Notably, an AQI of 0-50 indicates acceptable air quality, 51-100 indicates satisfactory air quality, 101-200 indicates moderate air quality, 201-300 indicates poor air quality, 301-400 indicates very bad air quality and 401-500 indicates severe/hazardous air quality. SAFAR had earlier predicted an improvement in the air quality from November 21, however, the sudden drop in temperature has now affected Delhi air quality negatively. SAFAR has issued an advisory to avoid outdoor physical activity and prolonged exertion in view of the poor air quality. 

As the cases of the Omicron variant of Coronavirus are growing rapidly across the globe, thousands of flights have been cancelled around the world during Christmas time. More than 3,000 flights, scheduled for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, have been cancelled around the world, as airlines cited the spread of the new variant, which is wreaking havoc on flight crews and other employees, reported The Washington Post citing FlightAware website. The report stated that travel within, into, or out of the United States accounted for more than 20% of those cancelled on Friday.

The Union Health Ministry on Saturday informed that a total of 415 Omicron cases has been reported in 17 States/UTs of India so far. The total number of persons recovered is 115. However, India has suspended scheduled international passenger flights till 31 January 2021. Meanwhile, most of the State governments has issued fresh guidelines for passengers arriving in the states. Union Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan on Friday said that Omicron, with a doubling time of 1.5 to 3 days, is spreading fast and the world is witnessing the fourth surge of COVID-19 and asked India to be on guard.

25/12/21 Astha Singh/Republicworld.com

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7-Day Quarantine Mandatory For Dubai Passengers Arriving In Mumbai

Mumbai: Mumbai residents arriving from Dubai will have to undergo seven-day home quarantine, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) said on Friday.

The travelers who live in other parts of Maharashtra will be able to leave Mumbai on arrival from Dubai, but their transport will be arranged by the collector, it said.

The order was issued by city municipal commissioner IS Chahal.

"Every resident of Mumbai, if coming from Dubai International Airport to Mumbai airport, will compulsorily undergo seven days of home quarantine after arriving in Mumbai," it said.

The local ward officer will subject the person to RT-PCR test after seven days, and if it is negative, the person will monitor himself/herself for another seven days.

If the test comes out positive for coronavirus, "laid-down procedure will be followed such as shifting the person to COVID-19 treatment ward," the order said.

The decision was taken because many passengers fly to Mumbai after switching flights at the Dubai airport, the order said.

24/12/21 NDTV

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Omicron fallout: Domestic arrivals at IGIA from high Covid case states to be randomly tested now

New Delhi: Domestic travellers flying into Delhi from states reporting high Covid cases will now be randomly tested at the airport and they will be allowed leave after giving their sample. Passengers who test positive will need to quarantine at home or a dedicated Covid centre for 10 days. These are among the heightened surveillance steps that will be taken at Delhi Airport in wake of the Omicron surge, according to the Union aviation ministry. The surge in cases may also bring back suspension of serving/selling inflight meals and beverages by airlines.

“Thermal screening will be done for all passengers upon arrival. If you are travelling on a connecting flight and not leaving the airport in transit station then please refer to the detailed guidelines of the respective final destination arrival state…. All passengers must download Aarogya Setu App,” the ministry tweeted state-wise regulations for Delhi.

The random testing requirement for domestic arrivals in Delhi was Tweeted on Thursday evening. Clarity is still awaited on who will conduct this test and whether selected passengers will need to pay for the same. Airport sources say they are trying to get the logistical details for the new requirements for domestic passengers.

The 2% of international arrivals from non-at-risk countries who are randomly selected for RT-PCR tests, for instance, are not required to pay for the same and that cost is borne by the airport operator.

Meanwhile, airline officials say Omicron domestic air traffic has recovered somewhat after a “very bad” impact in the first two weeks of this month following the news of Omicron breaking out in November-end. “Forward bookings to travel beyond 15 days have dropped by about 10% after the new variant’s scare. Fewer people are booking in advance due to the uncertainty,” airline officials say.

23/12/21 Saurabh Sinha/Times of India

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GMR aviation arm enters Indonesia, to operate Kualanamu Int'l Airport

New Delhi: GMR Airports Netherlands, a step-down subsidiary of GMR Airports, has entered into shareholders' agreement and share subscription agreement for operating the Kualanamu International Airport in Indonesia's Medan.

The company entered into these agreements on Thursday with Angkasa Pura II (AP II), the state-owned enterprise and the bidding authority for the airport. On the same day, the company received the letter of award for the project, GMR Group said in a statement on Friday.

With the signing of the agreement, GMR entered into a 49:51 per cent partnership with AP II.

GMR said it will transform the airport into a western international hub of Indonesia.

"The project scope includes operation, development, and expansion of the airport over a period of 25 years. Kualanamu International Airport is an operating airport with healthy cash flows," it added.

Medan is the fourth largest urban area in Indonesia and is the capital of North Sumatra province, with a population of over 3.4 million.

24/12/21 IANS/Daijiworld

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Su Venkatesan, Scindia spar over Madurai airport

Madurai: Madurai MP Su Venkatesan’s recent statement on Union Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia turning down the request to upgrade Madurai airport as an international one and to include it in Bilateral Aviation Safety Agreement (BASA) sparked a heated debate between the two on social media. 

Venkatesan and Virudhunagar MP Manickam Tagore recently called on Scindia in New Delhi and submitted a written representation signed by seven MPs from south Tamil Nadu. In their letter, the MPs requested the Union Minister to include Madurai airport as a point of call in BASA and to elevate it as an ‘international airport’. 

In his statement sharing Scindia’s response to the plea, Venkatesan, on Tuesday, said the Union Minister declined the requests saying TN already has three international airports while a few northern States have just one.

Following backlash from various quarters, Scindia, on Wednesday, wrote on Twitter, “Shocked and disappointed by the gross misrepresentation of facts. Some States in both North and South India (like Uttar Pradesh and Kerala) have more than one international airport. Hence, the statement quoted by the MP is baseless.”

The decision to grant international status is dependent on several factors including passenger demand, he said. The Minister further wrote, “The MP’s insistence over according international status to the airport is incomprehensible as international flights are currently being operated at Madurai airport.”

Reacting sharply to Scindia’s tweet, Venkatesan, on Thursday, tweeted, “Why is he shocked?” Reiterating the union minister’s refusal to upgrade Madurai airport as an international one during their meeting, the MP wrote, “He said that at least five chief ministers were demanding second international airports and their demands were still not met.”

24/12/21 New Indian Express

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GMR Group says NCLT approves non-airport demerger plan

New Delhi: GMR Infrastructure on Thursday said it has received an approval from the Mumbai bench of National Company Law Tribunal on the demerger of its non-airport businesses.

"The Hon'ble National Company Law Tribunal, Mumbai Bench (Tribunal) has sanctioned the composite scheme of arrangement amongst GMR Power Infra Limited (GPIL), GMR Infrastructure Limited (GIL) and GMR Power and Urban Infra Limited (GPUIL) and their respective shareholders (Scheme) under Sections 230 to 232 of the Companies Act, 2013," the company said in a statement.

"The Tribunal after hearing the company petition filed in this regard has, by its order pronounced on December 22, 2021 sanctioned the scheme, wherein the appointed date is April 1, 2021," it added.

With an aim to deepen its business, the group had in 2020 announced its plans to restructure its various business verticals and list its airports business separately.

23/12/21 Daijiworld

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COVID-19: Civil Aviation Ministry issues guidelines for domestic, international passengers visiting Delhi

Union Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) has issued fresh guidelines for domestic and international passengers travelling to Delhi in view of the rising cases of COVID-19.

"Attention travellers! Travelling to Delhi? Take a look at the latest State-wise Quarantine Guidelines. Take all the necessary measures and be a #COVID_Hero #TravelSafeTravelMindfully," said the ministry in a tweet.

As per the guidelines, thermal screening of all passengers will be done on arrival. Random sample collection will be done for passengers arriving from states witnessing a spurt in COVID-19 cases. People will only be allowed to exit after the sample collection.

"If you are travelling on a connecting flight and not leaving the airport in transit station then please refer to the detailed guidelines of the respective final destination arrival state," added the ministry.

Passengers who test positive for the virus will be quarantined at home/Covid care centres/community health centres/hospital for 10 days.

International arriving passengers can check out detailed guidelines at: https://www.aai.aero/sites/default/files/aaiupload/AAI_Statewise_Quarant ine_Guidelines_22_Nov.pdf

All domestic passengers have been advised to download the Arogya Setu app as per the guidelines.

23/12/21 ANI/Economic Times

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Air India Express Flights On Indore-Sharjah Route From Mar 27: Aviation Minister

New Delhi: Air India Express will start operating flights on Indore-Sharjah route from March 27 next year, Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia said on Friday.

On October 8, the Centre had announced that Talace Private Limited -- a wholly-owned subsidiary of Tata Sons -- has won the bid to acquire Air India and its subsidiary Air India Express.

Air India is expected to be finally handed over to Talace in the first half of 2022.

"Today we have taken an important step towards the dream of connecting Madhya Pradesh with the world," Mr Scindia announced on Twitter.  A new flight of Air India Express between Indore- Sharjah will be started from March 27, 2022, he mentioned.  "Hearty congratulations to the people of Madhya Pradesh and Indore," he added.

24/12/21 NDTV

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Gautam Adani seeks $1 billion in bonds to refinance Mumbai airport debt

Billionaire Gautam Adani is seeking to raise as much as one billion dollars through a bond sale in January to refinance debt of Mumbai’s international airport, according to people familiar with the matter.

Barclays Plc., JPMorgan Chase & Co. and Deutsche Bank AG are among the banks arranging the bond sale to raise funds for Adani Airport Holdings Ltd., the people said, asking not to be named as the information is private. The proceeds will be used to refinance a rupee loan taken earlier this year, they said.

The Indian tycoon took control of the country’s second-busiest airport in July after buying out 50.5% from GVK Airport Developers Ltd. and 23.5% from two South African companies. Adani Airports will operate, manage and develop eight airports in India, it said in its latest investor presentation.

Deliberations are ongoing and details of the fund raising could still change, the people said. Representatives for the Adani group didn’t immediately respond to emails seeking comments. Spokespersons for Deutsche, Barclays and JPMorgan declined to comment.

22/12/21 Baiju Kalesh and Suvashree Ghosh/ Bloomberg/Economic Times

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Demand for upgrading Madurai airport sparks debate between civil aviation minister and Madurai MP

Madurai: Remarks by Madurai MP Su Venkatesan on civil aviation minister Jyotiraditya Scindia turning down many of the demands put forward by him and Virudhunagar MP Manickam Tagore in person to the minister at his office in Delhi on Tuesday have spared a strong debate between Scindia and Venkatesan in the social media.

Venkatesan tweeted quoting the minister as saying making Madurai the fourth international airport in Tamil Nadu is not justified since North Indian states have only one international airport. GST paid by TN last year is higher than those collectively paid by 21 states and Union territories,’ the tweet stated. It also marked the minister in the same, prompting the minister to respond to it the same night.

‘Shocked and disappointed by the gross misrepresentation of facts here,’ Scindia began his five tweets. Some states in both North (Uttar Pradesh) and South India (Kerala) have more than one international airports, he said and termed the MP’s statement baseless. Decision to grant international status depends on several factors like passenger demand and proximity to other international airports in the state, he stated.

“In fact, we aim at multiplying the current number of airports in India,” he said. Noting that international flights are already operational at the Madurai airport, the MP’s insistence over according international status is incomprehensible and contrary to the allegation, Scindia said and concluded that his ministry assured support to increase the number of international flights for Madurai by requesting Indian carriers to fly abroad from the city.

Venkatesan responded to the minister, saying that he shared with the media the minister’s efforts to operate flights to Abu Dhabi, Muscat, Singapore and Kuala Lumpur from Madurai and welcomed it. “We are committed to transparency and we did not hide any information in our media briefing,” he said and asked why the minister is shocked and what is false in his remarks?

The MP reiterated the minister’s refusal to make Madurai an international airport as TN already has three airports and several states in North India had only one. “He said that at least five chief ministers demanded a second international airport and their demands were still not met. Our question is: What is the problem in declaring Madurai as an international airport?” the MP asked.

23/12/21 MK Ananth/Times of India

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MPs from south seek development of Madurai airport for night operation, international flights

Madurai: Seven MPs from the south Tamil Nadu urged civil aviation minister Jyotiraditya Scindia to develop the Madurai Airport.

The representation signed my MPs Su Venkatesan (Madurai), S Manickam Tagore (Virudhunagar), Karthi P Chidambaram (Sivagangai), K Navaskani (Ramanathapuram), P Velusamy (Dindigul), Dhanush M Kumar (Tenkasi) and V Vijay Vasanth (Kanyakumari) was submitted by Venkatesan and Manickam.

The key demand was making the airport functional 24x7. Madurai is not only the second largest city in Tamil Nadu but also the gateway to the 14 central and southern districts if the state. The Madurai – Tuticorin industrial corridor will get substantial boost only if the region is adequately connected to several foreign destinations through the airport, Venkatesan said. It is affected by unavailability of central industrial security force personnel at night.

Alleging non-cooperation of the Airport Authority of India as reason for inability to operate flights from 10 pm to 6 am by not declaring it a round the clock operational airport, the MPs said that this is despite the fact that the airport is handling much more number of domestic and international passenger traffic than certain other airports in the region. This resulted in diversion of many new flights scheduled for Madurai to other airports.

The MPs also said that Madurai airport should be declared as an international airport so that it will bring several additional infrastructural facilities. Noting that the union government had declared Coimbatore, Vijayawada and Tirupathi as international airports, Madurai Airport with much higher international passenger traffic is still a Customs Airport that is handling international flights.

Lack of comprehensive international connectivity at Madurai is critically retarding industrial, export, tourism and economic growth in this part of the State, they said. The MPs pressed for Madurai to be included as a ‘Point of Call’ in Bilateral Air Services Agreement (BASA) with neighbouring countries as the city is the gateway for fourteen south and south central districts that have a population of 2.33 crore that is 29% of the state’s population.

22/12/21 MK Ananth/Times of India

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1 in 5 testing Covid positive at Delhi's IGI airport with Omicron variant

New Delhi: Nearly one out of every five travellers testing Covid-positive at IGI Airport is infected with the Omicron variant, tests conducted at Institute of Genomic and Integrative Biology (IGIB) show.

IGIB is one of the lead labs where genome sequencing is being carried out to identify the variant responsible for Covid-19 in international travellers. A senior scientist said every day 15-20 samples were being sequenced at IGIB and nearly 20% were positive for the Omicron variant.

The first case of Omicron was detected in Delhi on December 2 in a 37-year-old man who had returned from Tanzania. In the last 20 days, this number has gone up to 57. Three new cases of this variant, which is three times more transmissible than the Delta variant, were confirmed in the last 24 hours.

Initially, the Omicron variant was limited to international travellers, but epidemiologists said the sudden spike in Covid-19 cases over the past week suggested that it may have spread in the community too. “We have 17 Omicron patients admitted in the hospital. Of them, three have no travel history,” a senior doctor at Lok Nayak Hospital told TOI. The state-run hospital is designated for isolation and treatment of Omicron cases in Delhi.

The capital accounts for nearly 27% of the total 213 cases reported in the country. After Delhi, Mumbai has maximum (30) cases among all metropolitan cities.

Dr Suresh Kumar, medical director of Lok Nayak Hospital, said Delhi and Mumbai both had the busiest airports where hundreds of international travellers arrived daily. That was the reason behind the high number of cases in the two cities. He added that most Omicron patients were either asymptomatic or had mild symptoms.

23/12/21 Durgesh Nandan Jha/Times of India

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Int'l travellers who test COVID positive at the airport will not be allowed to go to their destinations: West Bengal health dept

International travellers who test positive for COVID-19 after their RT PCR tests at the airport on their arrival to the city will not be allowed to progress to their destinations, West Bengal health department said on Wednesday. "These passengers must be put in separate isolation in any of the health facilities identified for this purpose. Any traveller testing positive for COVID-19 on a later date, who has a history of travel in the last 14 days to a country at risk for Omicron will be subjected to a similar isolation measure as above," the health department directed.

The department said that the airport authorities must ensure that the specimens of the tests are collected on the arrival of the international passengers and sent to the School of Tropical Medicine for genome sequencing.

There should an enclosure, a room or a ward, for separate isolation exclusively for the COVID affected and there should be no mixing with other positive cases.

"The isolation should have separate toilet and bathroom so that there is no mixup with other cases within the facility," the order said.

According to the order, if the report is negative for the Omicron variant the person may be discharged as per the discretion of the treating physician with intimation to the health department.

22/12/21 PTI/Economic Times

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International air courier operations likely from Tiruchy airport soon

Tiruchy:  Are you a person who ends up spending a lot of money to send various materials to your friends or relatives living abroad? Good news is on the horizon as international courier rates from the city are likely to drop as air courier services are likely to start soon from Tiruchy airport. Airport officials on Tuesday held discussion with Customs officials regarding international courier operations.

"We are expecting that the Customs would soon start taking steps for issuing custodianship for Express Courier Cargo Service (ECCS) in Tiruchy airport. After issuing the ECCS, any international courier operator wishing to start operations from Tiruchy airport can approach the Customs. In fact, even at this stage, international courier operators can approach the Customs for starting operations from the airport," a senior official said.

The Tiruchy airport is already reporting good cargo movement to West Asian countries, Singapore and Malaysia. Therefore, courier operators also expressed the view that the air courier operations are likely to get good response from Tiruchy. At present, several courier operators are sending their international courier through Bengaluru or Chennai.

"From 2012, we are trying to start air courier operations in Tiruchy airport. Even during 2012, several major operators such as United Parcel Service had expressed willingness to land their aircraft in Tiruchy. Even now, several major courier operators are interested in starting their operations here. The starting of air courier is likely to create jobs for at least 100 people.

23/12/21 Jose K Joseph/New Indian Express

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Mahakal temple in MP proposes 'prasad' counter at Indore airport

Ujjain: The administration of the famous Mahakaleshwar temple here in Madhya Pradesh has proposed to make available its 'prasad' at the Indore airport and Ujjain railway station, an official said.

The boxes of laddoos, prepared as 'prasad' (holy offering to God) at the temple's kitchen, are currently available for sale only in the religious complex here.

It is proposed that a counter of this 'prasad' be opened at the Indore airport and the railway station here, the temple's administrator, Ganesh Dhakad, said on Wednesday.

Letters in this regard have been written to the authorities concerned, he said.

The temple management provides the laddoos at the rate of Rs 300 per kg, on no profit-no loss basis, he added.

The Mahakaleshwar temple, dedicated to Lord Shiva, is one of the 12 'jyotirlingas' in the country.

23/12/21 PTI/India Today

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Kushinagar-Jammu flights to begin soon

Kushinagar: Flights from Kushinagar airport for Jammu will startsoon.

A.K. Dwivedi, director, Kushinagar International Airport, said that the flight would be started with a 70-seater aircraft and later a Boeing plane will be used if the number of passengers increase.

Around 20 districts of Uttar Pradesh and west Bihar will be benefited with the new flight as, apart from people in the army, devotees going to Vaishno Devi will also be able to reach Jammu in less time.

“The discussions between Airport Authority of India and air service provider companies are in the last phase and the flight for Jammu may start in February,” said Dwivedi.

Meanwhile, the flight for Mumbai from Kushinagar has been postponed since December 19 due to the weather conditions and less number of passengers. Spice Jet is planning to restart the flights for Mumbai around the festival of Holi.

The Kushinagar airport, the state’s third international airport after two international airports in Lucknow and Varanasi, was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on October 20.

The first domestic flight from Kushinagar international airport took off on November 26 and SpiceJet has started operating flights on Delhi-Kushinagar-Delhi route for four times a week.

22/12/21 Kalinga TV

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Scoot Airlines: Vizag to Singapore sector launched

Scoot Airlines has opened bookings for its flights from Vizag to Singapore. They are scheduled to begin on 29 December 2021. 

Till date, Indigo Airlines and SpiceJet Airlines have been operating flights from Visakhpatnam to Singapore. They have been operating non-stop, single stop, and two stop flights from Visakhapatnam International Airport (VTZ) to Changi International Airport, Singapore (SIN).

Since March 2020, many flights have been cancelled due to the COVID -19 pandemic. While a  few international flights have been operated from Visakhapatnam International Airport, under the Vande Bharat Mission (VBM), during the pandemic. Later the Vande Bharat Mission(VBM) flights were operated from Gannavaram Airport in Vijayawada. 

The new Scoot Airlines flight is going to run thrice a week from Vizag to Singapore under the Air Transport Bubble Agreement. India and Singapore have resumed passenger flights from November 29, 2021, under the Air Transport Bubble Agreement. Air India, IndiGo, Singapore Airlines and Vistara Airlines have announced flights between the two countries since the air bubble agreement has been made. They follow the  Vaccinated Travel Lane (VTL) Facility guidelines while operating the flights to ensure the safety of the passengers.  These guidelines include vaccination certificate checks and COVID-19 tests.

22/12/21 Yo!Vizag

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6 international arrivals test positive for Covid-19 at Bengaluru airport

Bengaluru: Six international passengers who have tested positive for Covid-19 have been sent to home isolation in a designated hospital in Bengaluru, Health department sources said on Wednesday. These passengers, including three women, arrived to KempeGowda International Airport this morning. They arrived from Frankfurt, Paris and Kuwait. The authorities have sent their samples for genome sequencing and their results are awaited. The state Health department has tightened vigilance at international airports in the state in the backdrop of Omicron fears.

As many as 19 cases of Omicron variant have been reported in the state and results are awaited for many more samples of the primary and secondary contacts of these persons. Since Christmas and New Year celebrations are around the corner, the authorities have initiated strict vigil on international passengers especially from high-risk countries.

22/12/21 IANS/Hans India

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Airports Authority of India officials inspect Malda airport

A joint team of the Airports Authority of India (AAI) and the state transport department inspected the existing infrastructure of Malda airport on Monday, after chief minister Mamata Banerjee earlier this month said that her government was working to start regular flight services from Malda.

A two-member team of AAI led by Dhananjay Tiwari, a deputy general manager of AAI, along with two officials of the transport department, surveyed the runway of the airport here and other facilities at the site.

Senior officials of the Malda district administration, including two additional district magistrates (ADMs), were present. 

The ADMs explained the plan of the district administration to make the airport functional as it was asserted by Mamata while attending the Malda district’s administrative review meeting earlier this month. 

“We studied details of the airport and will share our opinions with the district administration,” Tiwari said after the visit.

Sources in the administration said the team has suggested extension of the runway up to 2.3km, which as of now is only 1.1km long.

“This was also mentioned by the chief minister. She had categorically said at the meeting that the length of the runway has to be increased by another kilometre or so. Also, the chief secretary of the state and the district magistrate had visited the site to find out availability of the land that is required for the runway,” said an official.

If the runway is extended, planes with the capacities for 70-odd passengers can operate from the airport, he added.

  “If flight services are introduced from here, the travel time between Malda and Calcutta will reduce to around 30 minutes or so,” the official added.

21/12/21 Soumya De Sarkar/Telegraph

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Surat airport to get CISF cover from December 28

 Surat: The Surat airport will finally get the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) cover from December 28, meeting the long-pending demand of aviation activists and local businessmen.A total of 226 trained male and female security personnel will be deployed at the airport whose security was till now handled by the state police, a top official confirmed to TOI.

In 2019, the union home ministry had approved the demand for CISF. Looking at the increase in passenger traffic as well as the number of flights from Surat, the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS) has agreed to deploy CISF here.

Deployment of CISF will also help the airport attract more airlines.

Sources said following the approval of CISF deployment in 2019, the airport authorities started making arrangements for the facilities of the security personnel like housing etc. However, due to the Covid-19 pandemic and lockdown, the plans got delayed.

CISF has different wings and they train their personnel looking at requirements of the place of deployment.

One of the wings is the Airport Security Group (ASG). They are fully trained to provide safety to people as well as the entire airport infrastructure.

21/12/21 Times of India

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Nellore admin keeps tight vigil at Chennai airport on foreign returnees

Nellore: Following a report of first case of Omicron in Vizianagaram district, the administration alerted the medical and health department and tightened vigil at the Chennai International Airport for screening and to follow up health status of foreign returnees. A team consisting of three doctors and six health assistants were deputed at the airport for round-the-clock monitoring of foreign returnees and alerting the district administration in case of any Covid positive case reports.

The details of air passengers are being uploaded on the website of state government where state authorities pass on the data to district administration for necessary action. The team members were provided with test kits for conducting medical tests for passengers from risk countries.

In fact, earlier, lack of keen monitoring was a setback for increasing cases in the district. On their way to the district, majority returnees were meeting many people, travelling by a cab or train, coming to home and visiting houses of relatives. Even though airport authorities were alerting the administration, there was no proper supervision on the movements of foreign returnees and the situation finally resulted in huge number of cases in the first wave.

21/12/21 PV Prasad/Hans India

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Noida International Airport: UP govt acquired 52 hectares land to rehabilitate displaced farmers, says Centre

The state government of Uttar Pradesh has acquired about 52 hectares of land for around Rs 716 crore for the rehabilitation of families that have been displaced due to the upcoming Noida International Airport Project in Jewar, Minister of State for Civil Aviation V K Singh said on Monday. The foundation stone of the international airport was laid by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on November 25 in Jewar, Uttar Pradesh. In his written reply to a question in Rajya Sabha, the Minister of State for Civil Aviation has said the government of India, in the year 2018, had granted “In-Principle” approval to the UP government for setting up of Noida International Airport in Jewar.

The responsibility of the airport project’s implementation including funding of the project rests with the concerned airport developer,i.e. UP government w.r.t Jewar international airport project, Singh further stated. The Uttar Pradesh government has informed that displaced families’ rehabilitation due to Noida International Airport project has been conducted in accordance with the provision of the Land Acquisition Act, 2013. As per the state government, they have allotted developed plots by establishing a new Sector equal to 50 per cent of the total inhabited area and they have also ensured that a minimum land area of 50 square meters is allotted to each displaced family.

As per 3074 displaced families’ demand, they have been allotted developed plots and the state government of Uttar Pradesh has made arrangements to provide necessary basic facilities as well as infrastructural facilities. After project completion, the Noida International Airport will be the second international airport to come up in Delhi NCR. The airport project will help decongest the national capital’s Indira Gandhi International Airport. The upcoming Jewar airport is said to be strategically situated as it will serve the people of cities including Noida, Ghaziabad, Delhi, Agra, Faridabad, Aligarh along with other neighbouring areas.

21/12/21 Devanjana Nag/Financial Express

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AAI initiates ₹25,000 cr capex plan to upgrade and develop airports in next 4-5 years: V K Singh

New Delhi: The Airports Authority of India (AAI) has initiated a capex plan for development, upgrade and modernisation of various airports in the country.

Minister of State in the Union Ministry of Civil Aviation V K Singh told the Rajya Sabha that the AAI has taken up development of new airports and expansion/upgrade of existing ones at an estimated cost of around ₹25,000 crore in the next 4-5 years.

In addition, three Public Private Partnership (PPP) airports at Delhi, Hyderabad and Bengaluru have taken up an expansion plan to the tune of ₹30,000 crore by 2025. These projects are at various stages of planning/development.

On Monday, the Minister said the capex includes setting up of Greenfield airports; expansion/ modification of existing terminals and new terminals; expansion/strengthening of existing runways, aprons; and air navigation services (ANS) works like control tower, technical block etc.

Per the FDI Policy, 100 per cent FDI is permitted in scheduled air transport service, domestic scheduled passenger airline (automatic up to 49 per cent and government route beyond 49 per cent) subject to sectoral and other applicable conditions.

Under the Greenfield Airport Policy, 2008, which provides guidelines for establishment of new Greenfield airports, an airport developer – including the State government – willing to establish an airport is required to send a proposal to the Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA). There is a 2-stage process for approval of the proposal that include ‘site-clearance’ stage and ‘in-principle’ approval stage.

In accordance with this policy, MoCA has accorded ‘in-principle’ approval for setting up of 21 Greenfield airports — Mopain Goa, Navi Mumbai, Shirdi and Sindhudurg in Maharashtra; Kalaburagi, Bijapur, Hassan and Shimoga in Karnataka; Datia(Gwalior) in Madhya Pradesh; Kushinagar and Noida (Jewar) in Uttar Pradesh; Dholera and Hirasar in Gujarat; Karaikal in Puducherry; Dagadarthi and Bhogapuramand Oravakal in Andhra Pradesh; Durgapur in West Bengal; Pakyong in Sikkim; Kannur in Kerala and Hollongi (Itanagar) in Arunachal Pradesh. Of these, eight airports — Durgapur, Shirdi, Sindhudurg, Pakyong, Kannur, Kalaburagi, Oravakal and Kushinagar — are operational.

20/12/21 Business Line

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AAI team to visit 3 defunct north Bengal airports, check readiness for operationalisation

A delegation of Airports Authority of India (AAI) will visit three defunct airports in north Bengal this week and scrutinise the readiness of the facilities and report to the Centre, which will then take a call on operationalising those, a senior state government official said on Monday. The West Bengal government wants to quickly operationalise the Coochbehar, Balurghat and Malda airports, he said.

"Necessary work has been started by the district administrations. The AAI delegation will visit and scrutinise the three airports, and then report to the Centre for its nod to operationalise those," he said.

Over 90 per cent of the work at Balurghat airport at Mahinagar in Dakshin Dinajpur district is completed, the official said.

Balurghat MP and state BJP president Sukanta Majumdar said that talks are underway with various airlines for commencing commence flight services from the airport.

"If AAI officials find Balurghat airport suitable, then flight services will recommence from there. The Centre is keen to reopen this airport," he said.

A senior official at the state secretariat said that the airport at Coochbehar is very old and runway extension is a problem there.

"The runway will be extended from 1,069 metres to 1,800 metres, for which a portion of a nearby river is required. The district administration is trying hard to find a solution by constructing a culvert over the river in consultation with authorities concerned," he said.

20/12/21 PTI/Economic Times

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Gaya airport: Proposed cargo terminal to facilitate quick transportation of agri produce

Gaya: The proposed cargo terminal at Gaya airport would facilitate quick transportation of organic agriculture produces from Gaya and other adjoining districts into the market across India and abroad too.

The civil aviation ministry has proposed to connect Gaya airport along with Darbhanga airport with the second phase of agriculture flight operations. The ministry has shortlisted total 53 airports including Gaya and Darbhanga in Bihar in the agriculture flights 2.0 scheme. Officials claimed that Gaya has been selected for organic agriculture produces.

Under this scheme, the organic agriculture produce growers would be getting exemption from landing, parking and route navigation charges.

Officials claimed that by providing air route connectivity, the government aims to facilitate quick transportation of the produces to the market. The aim is to protect the agriculture produces from getting destroyed. All agriculture produces will be transported to a common place from where they will be ferried to different market places.

District agriculture officer Sudama Mahto said, “There is a huge potential for organic farming in the district. The agriculture department is promoting organic farming through government and non-government agencies besides, voluntary organizations. The initiative to transport organic products by air route will provide market for the organic farm produces.”

Already on religious and spiritual map of the country, Gaya will emerge on national trade map after the cargo terminal becomes functional.

19/12/21 Times of India

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SpiceJet flights in Bengaluru likely to get affected due to bad weather

Budget airline SpiceJet on Sunday said that owing to bad weather in Bengaluru, all arrivals, departures and consequential flights may get affected.

Urging travellers to keep a check on their flight status through the booking website, the carrier tweeted a link on its official Twitter handle.

Meanwhile, the Karnataka government recently revised COVID rules for international passengers landing at the state's airport in view of the concerns over the Omicron variant of coronavirus.

According to the airport rules, all foreign passengers will be tested for COVID-19 and will have to undergo requisite home quarantine.

Travellers who have been tested negative on arrival at Bengaluru airport will go under quarantine for seven days and will be tested again after seven days.

Furthermore, 2 per cent of the travellers from countries that do not come under the 'at-risk' category will undergo random testing at the airport on arrival. Bengaluru International Airport will bear the cost of random testing of such passengers.

19/12/21 BusinessToday.in

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Superjumbo aircraft to return after 20 months

Mumbai: In yet another indicator of return to normalcy, Singapore Airlines (SIA) on Friday announced that it will operate its Mumbai flights with A380 superjumbo aircraft from next month. Around the same time, Swiss too will start non-stop flights between Mumbai and Zurich. International outbound travel from India to Singapore is expected to pick up in the coming weeks. Early this month, India took Singapore off the list of ‘at-risk’ countries. With this, passengers arriving from Singapore don’t have to undergo on-arrival Covid test or week-long home quarantine. But to fly into Singapore on VTL flights, passengers have to present digital proof of double vaccination.

The 471-seater superjumbo will return to India after a 20-month hiatus. “Starting January 10, the A380 will replace the Airbus A350-900 on the Singapore Airlines’ vaccinated travel lane (VTL) flights between Mumbai and Singapore. From February 14, SIA will operate the A380 in place of the Boeing 787-10 on its VTL services between Delhi and Singapore,” said Singapore Airlines on Friday. Said an airport official: “Domestic air travel has almost bounced back to pre-Covid levels, we hope international travel catches up in the first half of next year.”

18/12/21 Times of India

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Amritsar: Flight operations resume but CAT-III yet to become functional

Amritsar: With improvement in visibility, flight operations resumed at Sri Guru Ram Dass Jee International Airport here on Friday. However, the runway visibility range (RVR) equipment was yet to start functioning properly.

The airport authorities claimed that no flight has been cancelled or diverted as category of instrument landing (CAT)-II system got functional. “The Met Department arranged requisite equipment on Friday and the operation resumed with visibility of 350 metre. Yesterday, the CAT-I got operational after 3 pm and we were able to operate flights with 800-meter visibility. On Friday evening, CAT-III also got functional, but it is under observation. By tomorrow, it will start functioning on 50-meter visibility,” said VK Seth, director, Sri Guru Ram Dass Jee International Airport Amritsar.

Due to technical snag in RVR equipment, 24 international and domestic flights from Sri Guru Ram Dass Jee International Airport were cancelled and nine flights were diverted on Thursday as CAT-III was not functioning during heavy fog in the region. A large number of passengers faced inconvenience at the airport. The activists concerned with the airport criticised the authorities for not making prior preparations for foggy weather. 

17/12/21 Charanjit Singh Teja/Tribune

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Kothagudem airport not in UDAN list: Centre

Hyderabad: The Ministry of Civil Aviation said Kothagudem airport does not figure in the tentative list of the underserved and unserved airports of the Regional Connectivity Scheme (RCS) – UDAN (Ude Desh ka Aam Nagrik) scheme document.

In reply to a question by TRS MP Nama Nageswara Rao and other Members in Lok Sabha, Union Minister of State for Civil Aviation VK Singh said UDAN was a market driven ongoing scheme. AAI, the implementing Agency, has been conducting bidding under UDAN periodically with an aim to award routes to the Selected Airline Operators (SAOs) for connecting more unserved and underserved airports across the country.

An airport, which is included in the awarded routes of Regional Connectivity Scheme (RCS) – UDAN (Ude Desh ka Aam Nagrik), requires upgradation or development for commencement of RCS operations is developed under “Revival of unserved and underserved airports” scheme. The Government of India has approved a budget of Rs 4,500 crore for revival of existing unserved, underserved airports or airstrips of the State Governments, AAI, Public Sector Undertakings and Civil Enclaves. So far, Rs 2,062.50 crore funds were released under this scheme, he said.

AAI has awarded 948 routes under UDAN and of these 403 routes have commenced, connecting 65 UDAN airports including two water aerodromes and eight heliports as on December 14, 2021. So far, the SAOs have operationalised two) UDAN routes in West Bengal and Forty UDAN routes in Telangana.

18/12/21 Telangana Today

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Delhi Airport Recreated in Mumbai for Taapsee Pannu's Film

Taapsee Pannu announced the release date of Mithali Raj’s biopic, Shabaash Mithu, on the cricketer’s birthday on December 3. The coming-of-age tale of women’s cricket in India as witnessed by the most successful woman cricketer, Shabaash Mithu is scheduled to release o February 4, 2022.

The film, directed by Srijit Mukherjee, chronicles the highs and lows, setbacks and moments of euphoria of Mithali’s life with Taapsee essaying the titular role. The actress wrapped up the shoot for the film last month just after Diwali. Sharing the news, the 34-year-old actor took to Instagram and posted a picture announcing the wrap. “I was 8 when someone made me dream that one day, cricket won’t be just a gentleman’s game. Even we will have our team, an identity. ‘Women in Blue’. We are coming soon. #ShabaashMithu It’s a film wrap! Get ready to cheer for the World Cup 2022!#WomenInBlue,” Pannu wrote.

Even as the release date looms large over them, News18.com has now learnt that the makers of Shabaash Mithu are pulling out all stops to ensure that the Taapsee starrer turns out to be one of the best sports biopics. The makers are currently completing the patchwork for which the makers have recreated the Delhi international airport in Mumbai.

A source reveals, “A huge set - including a replica of the Delhi international airport- has been erected at the Ruby Tower in Dadar area of South Mumbai. The shoot went on for a couple of days from early morning till late evening. There were some important sequences in the film where the crowd is seen cheering up the rather dejected cricketer. The shoot involved a lot of junior artists despite which all the necessary Covid protocols were being followed."

18/12/21 News18.com

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