Airports 22: What’s the flight plan, captain?

Kochi: Even as the state government has given approval for a greenfield airport at Sabarimala, data available with the Civil Aviation Ministry showed 22 technically operational airports run by the Airport Authority of India do not handle a single scheduled flight. Five of them are in South India. However, most of these airports carry out general aviation purposes and handle non-scheduled and training flights.

The Kerala Cabinet has approved the greenfield airport proposal and entrusted the Kerala Small Industries Development Corporation (KSIDC) to conduct a feasibility study. The data revealed the ministry had received 15 proposals to set up greenfield airports in the country during the last three years - five from Andhra Pradesh, two each from Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh, one from Gujarat, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Haryana, Telangana and Kerala. The ministry gave in-principle approval to three proposals from Andhra, site clearance approval for airports in Telangana and Rajasthan. The proposal from Kerala to set up an airport at Aranmula was approved initially but later turned down after the National Green Tribunal quashed the project’s environment clearance. Later the apex court upheld it.

In reply to P K Biju MP, Civil Aviation Minister Ashok Gajapathi Raju said necessary action for the execution of the greenfield project, including preparation of the detailed report, estimation of the project cost, financing arrangements etc, is the responsibility of the respective promoter. Biji Eapen, national president, IATA Agents Association of India, said all the airport promoters have been pinning their hopes in the UDAN (Ude Desh Ke Aam Naagrik) scheme, introduced by the Central Government, under which fares have been capped at `2,500 for hourlong flights.
17/02/17 Dhinesh Kallungal/New Indian Express

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Mumbai: Foreign currency and gold valued Rs 80 lakh seized at airport

In last two days, the air intelligence unit (AIU) at Mumbai Chatrapati Shivaji International Airport, booked two cases of foreign currencies and two cases of gold smuggling, with overall valuation of about Rs 80 lakh.
On February 1, based on profiling, the AIU officers intercepted one passenger namely Mohammed Jalal Mullakoyathangal holding Indian passport who was to depart to Sharjah, United Arab Emirates (UAE) by Air India flight.
Examination of his hand baggage resulted in recovery of 71 notes of Canadian Dollars of denomination 100 each and 88 notes of Pound sterling of denomination 50 each totally amounting to Rs 7,22,530. He had cleverly concealed the currency inside the layers of clothes in his hand baggage.
03/02/17 Virendrasingh Ghunawat/India Today

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'Chandigarh airport to be named after Bhagat Singh'

Chandigarh: Punjab and Haryana governments have finally agreed to name the Chandigarh international airport after legendary freedom fighter, Bhagat Singh. Punjab BJP unit president Kamal Sharma claimed that Haryana chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar has consented to this.
In a letter to the minister of state for civil aviation Mahesh Sharma, the state BJP chief has requested that the airport be named after the martyr before March 23, the martyrdom day of the legend.
Captain Bhupinder Singh, officer on special duty to Haryana CM, said the civil aviation secretary has no official confirmation on this, but they have no problem in the airport being named after the legendary freedom fighter.
Rechristening the Chandigarh airport after its upgradation as an international airport has been a bone of contention between Punjab and Haryana, the main stakeholders of the project. Completing nine years of SAD-BJP government, Punjab deputy chief minister Sukhbir Badal on Wednesday asserted that the development during the current regime has scaled a new high with 24x7 power supply, 4-6 laning of roads and airport connectivity.
03/03/16 Times of India

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Govt to develop 160 non-functional airports

New Delhi: Presenting the Union Budget 2016-17, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley on Monday announced to develop 160 non-functional airports across the country.
"In civil aviation, 160 non-functional airports to be developed at a cost of Rs 50-100 crore each and 10 of 25 defunct airstrips to be developed in partnership with state government," Jaitley announced in the Lok Sabha.
This development will be a part of a low cost airport plan, Jaitley said.

Across India, more than half of the 160-odd domestic-only airports operated by the Airport Authority of India (AAI) have not seen a scheduled flight this year, official data shows, though some are older airports designed primarily for chartered planes.
India's main hubs, meanwhile, are bursting at the seams, slowing airlines' ability to expand in a vast country where they should be supporting economic growth.
29/02/16 Sangeetha Ojha/IndiaToday.in

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Trial operations at Kerala's 4th international airport successful

Kannur (Kerala): The first trial operations at Kerala's fourth international airport Kannur on Monday were successful when an IAF aircraft landed at the airport that will open for commercial operations in September.
The Rs.1,892 crore airport is billed as one which will be the fastest completed airport in the country. Monday's operations were conducted two years after commencement of the construction work.

The 10-seater IAF Dornier aircraft flew in from Bengaluru. It was piloted by Air Marshal R. Nambiar, who along with his team and other officials, was received at the tarmac by Kerala Chief Minister Oommen Chandy and his senior cabinet colleagues.

Earlier, Chandy and his team arrived on a helicopter.

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation had given clearance for Monday's inaugural trial-run and the Chandy government, which had promised to the state that they would see this airport completed as per the time-table, made it a reality.

Kannur airport is located at Mattanur in Kannur district and, when ready, this would be the biggest airport in Kerala, beating the ones at Kochi, Kozhikode, and Thiruvananthapuram.

To start with, the airport will have a 3,400-metre runway that will be extended to 4,000 metres in the second phase.
29/02/16 IANS/New Kerala

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On the aviation map again… after 80 years

Kannur:  If one thinks that Kannur is all set to be on the aviation map as works are progressing at hectic pace at the site of the Kannur International Airport near Mattannur, one cannot be more wrong. Kannur was on the aviation map decades ago. And there cannot be a more opportune time for recalling the aviation legacy of Kannur than now when an aircraft is all set to land on the runway of the fourth airport of the State under construction in Kannur on a test flight.

The test flight marks the completion of a phase of the airport coming up in an area nearly 35 km from the district headquarters. What was a mere idea two decades ago and that even drew sceptical response from the public is now set to be a reality. If what Kannur International Airport Ltd. officials and the government promise can be an indication, the airport will be operational this year itself. Kannur will soon be on the international aviation map with the launch of commercial operation of the new airport under construction. But Kannur was clearly marked in the route of the country’s civil aviation that has a history of over a century.

The place of Kannur in the aviation history of the country is fleetingly captured by late industrialist and hotelier Captain Krishnan Nair in his memoir ‘Krishna Leela’ (DC Books, 2011). Expressing his sense of wonder and joy he had felt as a child when he went to the Kotta Maidan (Fort Maidan) to see the aircraft that landed there, he said that it was the sight of the aircraft that landed on the airfield at the Maidan that had triggered in him a dream of travelling in an aircraft. It may be recalled that during the initial period of discussions over the Kannur airport project, Capt. Nair had been keen to be involved in it as a promoter.

Capt. Nair in his memoir was recalling the public excitement when the first aircraft – DH 83 Fox Moth of Tata Airlines - landed on the airfield arranged at the sprawling esplanade at the cantonment area of the Kannur town over 80 years ago.

“It was probably in 1935 when J.R.D. Tata’s first aircraft from Karachi flew to Bombay and from there to Kannur on way to Kochi. That must be unknown to the new generation. The aircraft landed at Kotta Maidan. As children we went to the Kotta Maidan as if we were going to festival,” the late industrialist recalls in his memoir. Some of the children had wanted to touch the aircraft that day, but could not because of security personnel present there, he writes.
29/02/16 The Hindu

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Kannur airport to speed up development of road connectivity

Kannur: The fourth international airport in the State, coming up near Mattannur in Kannur, is set to boost fast-paced development of road connectivity in the region that has been lagging behind .

The region that once witnessed thriving maritime trade and commerce is looking forward to a massive development.

A major boon that the region is expected to have from the airport project is the development of several existing roads and the proposed greenfield road from Kannur to Mattannur. The State government has drawn up a plan to develop road connectivity to the airport.

The existing roads proposed to be developed into major roads linked with the airport are Kannur-Mattannur, Thalassery-Mattannur, Payyannur-Mattannur, Koottupuzha-Mattannur, Mattannur-Anjarakkandy- Thalassery, and Nadapuram-Thalassery.

The proposed greenfield road is marred by protests by local residents against land survey. The six-lane road is seen as a vital road infrastructure project. District Collector P. Bala Kiran has been tasked to convene a meeting of stakeholders to resume the survey stalled by protests.
29/02/16 The Hindu

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Odisha capital airport bags fourth position in AAI survey

Bhubaneswar: Biju Patnaik International Airport (BPIA) in Odisha capital bagged the fourth position in a national consumer satisfaction survey. Though it has bettered its position as compared to last year, the city airport had topped the list in 2013.

The Airport Authority of India (AAI) conducts a consumer satisfaction survey twice a year. For 2015, BPIA has acquired fourth position in India among 50 airports. According to the survey, while Bhubaneswar airport fulfils most of the criteria for coming first but substandard services in terminal two (T2) has pulled it down.

The survey is conducted among 50 airports based on 33 criteria among the passengers. The customer satisfaction index rated on a scale of five points, Bhubaneswar got 4.77 points in January to June 2015 and 4.79 in July to December, 2015. In six months, Bhubaneswar has got only 0.02 points more.

In this survey Raipur topped the list which got 4.82 points in January to June 2015, while in July to December, 2015 it has got 4.86 points.

Chandigarh is in the second place and Udaipur stands in the third place in consumer satisfaction. Agra with 2.20 marks is at the bottom of the rung. The minimum world standard is 4.14 marks, around 15 airports fail to qualify.
29/02/16 Odisha Sun Times

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Social activist writes to PM seeking airport in Ajmer

Mumbai: A social activist has written a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi for construction of airport in Ajmer saying it will benefit devotees visiting the shrine of famous Sufi saint Khwaja Garib Nawaz.

"Every month, near two lakh people from all castes and religions visit the Dargah of Khwaja Garib Nawaz at Ajmer in Rajasthan to seek the Sufi saint's blessings," said Mansoor Umer Darvesh in his letter.

In absence of an airport, those wishing to reach the shrine by air, have to take a flight to Jaipur and then travel by road for four hours to reach Ajmer, he said in the letter also addressed to Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje and Civil Aviation Minister Ashok Gajapathi Raju.

"This becomes very taxing for the devotees. If the Prime Minister takes interest in the construction of an airport there, lakhs of devotees who visit the shrine will be thankful to him," Darvesh said.
28/02/16 PTI/Business Standard

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Inexperienced Pilot to Blame for Air India Plane Crashing into Light Pole

The senior pilot in the cockpit of an Air India flight that rammed into a light pole at Mumbai airport three days ago was inexperienced.

The preliminary probe by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), the aviation safety regulator, into the accident that put 447 passengers of AI 191 at risk, showed that it was the pilot's second flight as commander.

On Friday, the DGCA handed over the probe to the Air Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB), a special air mishap probe cell.

Read more: Mumbai: ATC, 2 Air India pilots suspended after plane hits light pole

"Flying experience of a pilot is one of the crucial parameters in any air mishap probe," said a senior official with the DGCA. The official, however, added that the pilot has been a first officer with AI for more than a decade.

The AI spokesperson did not respond to HT's calls and a query sent over email about the DGCA's findings on the senior pilot's limited experience as commander of the flight.
28/02/16 Mcclatchy/AviationPros

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Agra activists demand international airport

Agra : A group of business leaders and social activists here on Monday demanded an international airport at Agra.
The group unanimously demanded upgradation of the existing Kheria airport as an international airport with modern amenities.

"Since there is a consensus of opinion there should be no hurdle. Agra being India's most important tourist centre, visited by millions of tourists annually, deserves (better) air connectivity," a senior corporator Shiromani Singh told IANS.

Before elections, Prime Minister Narendra Modi promised Agra an international airport, but he has forgotten, an activist Ekta Agarwal said.
29/02/16 New Kerala.com

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Chennai airport wall breaches to be fixed by March 31

Chennai: The repair work on the damaged boundary walls of the Chennai airport will be completed by March 31, said Deepak Shastri.

Speaking to DC, he said, “More than 60 percent of the repair work on the damaged walls along the riverside is over and by March 31 the rest will be completed. Work is going on in full force and all the breaches will be fixed”.
Work on the damaged walls began a month ago.

It may be recalled that after the floods there were as many as 17 breaches across the boundary wall that needed restoration. As a temporary measure, fencing was done in those areas to prevent entry of animals into the runway.
29/02/16 Rahul Sadhu/Deccan Chronicle

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ILS goes on stream at airport

Thiruvananthapuram: The Instrument Landing System (ILS) installed at the Thiruvananthapuram international airport here to guide aircraft to precision landing has finally gone on stream.

With this, the aircraft can land at the premier airport of the State at low visibility of even 800 metres.

The Air Traffic Control will not have to go for flight diversion from here to adjoining airports during inclement weather. The ILS has been commissioned and is guiding precision landings of the aircraft, Airport Director, George G. Tharakan told The Hindu .

The calibration of the ILS, procured from Selex ES U.S. by Airports Authority of India (AAI), was expedited following the August 18 ‘near crash’ of a Jet Airways flight from Doha after it was diverted from Kochi due to poor weather.

But, glitches were noticed after the system was put on trial run using a calibrating aircraft of the Airports Authority of India (AAI). The authorities zeroed in on the snag in the ILS t to the Glide Path, one of the three components of the ILS.
29/02/16 S. Anil Radhakrishnan/The Hindu

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CISF Report Exposes Major Gaps in Security at Delhi Airport

New Delhi: An agency that oversees security at India's top airports has pointed to gaping holes in the security apparatus at New Delhi's Indira Gandhi International Airport and called for urgent action to fix them.

The Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) has submitted a report to the government on the airport, India's busiest, in the backdrop of the 2 January attack on the air base in Pathankot, Punjab, by at least six Islamist militants who India said belonged to the Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammed terror outfit.

The first key finding of the report starts from the access road to the airport, run by a consortium led by GMR Infrastructure Ltd and spread over a vast area of about 5,000 acres.

The dividers meant to stop vehicular traffic on the access road, which act as the first line of defence, have been "out of order" for about three months, according to the report, a copy of which has been reviewed by Mint.

The automated licence plate recognition (ALPR) used for years as an access control function does not work. Not only that, the driver image-capture system that keeps a record of every person driving into the airport has also not been working.
29/02/16 Tarun Shukla/AviationPros

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Allahabad's airport to get civil conclave

Lucknow: Close on the heels of Centre giving go ahead for construction of a new terminal at Lucknow airport, UP government has sanctioned around Rs 290 crore for acquiring land for a civil conclave in Bamrauli airport in Allahabad.
The proposed civil conclave will act like an airport terminal building with facilities for domestic flyers. The airport, situated around 12km from main Allahabad city has only domestic flight operations. Currently, only Air India operates two direct flights, one each for Delhi and Mumbai.
The development, ahead of the UP assembly elections due in less than a year's time, is seen as an attempt to put Allahabad on the state's air travel/tourist map. According to sources in civil aviation department, the conclave is proposed to be constructed over an area of around 30 hectares (around 75 acres) alongside the airport, which is otherwise owned by the Indian Air Force.
State revenue department in February last year had estimated a compensation of around Rs 290 crore for acquiring land from owners on mutual consent.
Sources said the state government has given its nod to payment of compensation at the rate of Rs 9.5 crore for every hectare of land acquired. This will be apart from the registration fee. The compensation would be paid from the civil aviation expenses for financial year 2016-17.
29/02/16 Pankaj Shah/Times of India

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Flights to Nowhere Anger Carriers

New Delhi: The recent disclosure by the Airport Authority of India (AAI) of spending over `430 crore during the last 10 years on little-known airports with zero traffic has enraged private air carriers, who contend that political considerations have overridden issues confronting bigger airports such as infrastructural bottlenecks and better runways.

Gondia airport in Maharashtra, for example, got `207.58 crore for upgradation during the last 10 years, but has no operations. Similarly, `56.29 crore was pumped into Jalgaon airport in the state, thanks to former civil aviation minister Praful Patel, who represented Gondia in the Lok Sabha during the UPA regime.

The 15 smaller airports in question have had no commercial services during the last one decade. Traffic in the bigger airports in major metros, on the other hand, increased exponentially in as many years. IGI Airport in Delhi saw a 16 per cent jump, handling over 35 lakh passengers as of December last year. Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport in Mumbai handled 31 lakh passengers while Kempegowda International Airport in Bangalore saw 14 lakh passengers till December last year.
28/02/16  Samiran Sarangi/New Indian Express

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Fraport looks to exit Delhi Int'l Airport venture

New Delhi: Germany's Fraport is looking to sell its entire stake in DIAL, a joint venture that operates the Indira Gandhi International Airport in the national capital.

Fraport holds 10 per cent shareholding in Delhi International Airport Ltd (DIAL), a three-way joint venture where the majority is held by diversified group GMR Infrastructure.

According to a source, Fraport is looking to exit from the DIAL amid concerns that it was not getting returns on investment as expected. Specific details about the plan of the German entity, which operates Frankfurt airport, could not be ascertained.

When contacted, a Fraport AG spokesperson said, "It is not our policy to comment on speculation regarding our business partnerships".

A DIAL spokesperson said it does not wish to comment.

Currently, GMR holds 64 per cent in the airport venture while Fraport has 10 per cent and the remaining 26 per cent shareholding is with the Airports Authority of India (AAI).
28/02/16 PTI

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AAI plans new domestic terminal at Amausi airport

Lucknow: Almost four years after it was given international status, the Lucknow airport is all geared up to spread its wings in a big way. The Airport Authority of India (AAI) has decided to set up an all new terminal that would be almost four times the size of the present which is meant for domestic operations.
On March 11, the authority will appoint a project management consultant for the ambitious project estimated at Rs 880 crore. Airport director, Suresh Chandra Hota told TOI that the consultant would be appointed soon to carry out a detailed study before the authority goes ahead with the project.
AAI sources said the new terminal is expected to be an integrated one like the one in Delhi and Mumbai. It would not only replace the old terminal building which is currently used for international flight operations, essentially from the middle east, but would be merged with the existing domestic terminal.
Blueprint of the project, sources said, suggests that the new terminal will have the capacity to cater to 6 million passengers, as against 3 million by the domestic terminal. The domestic terminal which came into operations in June 2012, spreads over an area of around 20,000 sq metres.
28/02/16 Pankaj Shah/Times of India

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No naval enclave at Mopa: Def minister

Panaji: Union defence minister Manohar Parrikar, on Saturday, said that there won't be any naval enclave at the proposed greenfield international airport at Mopa. "Whatever has been written by chief minister Laxmikant Parsekar has already been processed and would be cleared before the tender is opened," Parrikar said.
When the state government approached the defence ministry for clearance for Mopa airport, the ministry granted clearance the same was granted with two clauses under which the state government has to make available a slot of at least one hour during the day for military flying in Mopa control zone. The other clause stated that the state government should provide an area to construct an apron, hangar and admin/technical building capable of handling at least two long range maritime reconnaissance (LRMR) (Boeing 737-800 equivalent) aircraft at a time. Parsekar has written a letter to Parrikar to drop the two clauses mentioned in the defence clearance.
28/02/16 Times of India

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Maldives, India look to expand air connectivity with Delhi, Mumbai flights

Government announced Saturday that negotiations have been carried out with airlines from India to begin direct flights between Male and Indian city of New Delhi and Mumbai.

Tourism minister Moosa Zameer, back from an official visit to India, told reporters at the Ibrahim Nasir International Airport that discussions were held with Indian authorities to begin direct flights between Male and the Indian capital and the neighbouring country’s commercial hub. Negotiations also were held with India’s flagship carrier Air India and IndiGo to expedite the plan, he added.

“There are no challenges to operating flights to Delhi and Mumbai. Indian Airlines [Air India] has expressed interest in that sector,” Zameer said.

The minister, however, admitted that existing agreements between Maldives and India have to be amended in order to begin the operations.
27/02/16 Ali Naafiz and Mohamed Yameen/Haveeru Online

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11,911 unattended items lie at Mumbai airport

Mumbai: The Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) has found a total of 11,911 unattended items like mobiles and wallets between May 2015 and January 2016 at the Mumbai airport collectively worth Rs 2.63 crore. CISF sources said that other than 10 to 15 thefts every month, they find items which are forgotten by passengers.
Out of the 11,911 items, 5,146 items worth Rs 1.17 crore were directly handed over to passengers by CISF. Apart from this, 4,133 unattended items worth Rs 89 lakh were handed over to the lost and found department of airport operator by CISF, from where passengers later claimed their valuables.
CISF official spokesperson, Commandant Hemendra Singh, said, “Ensuring security is the primary work of the force. We are also handling the lost and found work to help passengers. Several times, passengers forget their baggage at the airport and we locate it. Sometimes, with the help of CCTV cameras, we locate the baggage and hand it over to concerned passengers. We also tell passengers to write their names and mobile numbers on the bags to identify them if they are misplaced. We also have a lost and found website where we upload information about such things and passengers can claim their belongings there as well.”
28/02/16 Ashita Dadheech/Asian Age

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Panic at airport as banner falls

Mumbai: Passengers at the domestic terminal 1B of the Mumbai airport were in for a scare when an advertisement banner apparently slipped off the hands of a worker and fell off.
According to airport sources, no passenger was injured in the incident. However, a few of them complained about the incident to the airport authorities. The incident occurred around 5 am Friday. According to sources, the banner was being fixed on the wall near the security check area of the terminal and it fell down suddenly, startling passengers.
Sources said the banner slipped from the hands of the worker who was fixing it to the wall.
28/02/16 Asian Age

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Air passengers stranded in Thoothukudi

Thoothukudi: Air passengers had a harrowing experience at Thoothukudi airport in Vagaikulam on Saturday as an aircraft, which was scheduled to leave for Chennai, suffered a breakdown. The rear door of the flight could not be opened owing to some technical glitch, reliable sources from the airport said. Since there was no indication about the condition of the door, the cockpit had not received any clearance to take off the flight, which was about to depart at 10.30 a.m. Sixty two passengers were said to have booked tickets for their journey to Chennai. However, the stranded passengers were boarded in five buses, which carried them to the Madurai airport to board a Chennai-bound flight.
28/02/16 The Hindu

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Kempegowda International Airport first in country to receive CII's GreenCo Platinum rating

Bengaluru: Kempegowda International Airport (KIA), India's first greenfield airport to be built on private-public partnership, has been given a GreenCo Platinum rating by the Green Business Centre (GBC) by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), making it the first airport in India to receive its rating. KIA's operating company, Bengaluru International Airport Limited (BIAL) made the announcement on Sunday.
Launched in February 2011, CII's GBC atempts to certify a company on its environment friendliness and sustainability initiatives, instead of certifying a building or part of its operations. The award is evaluated on criteria like implementation of water saving projects, energy efficiency, renewable energy utilisation, greenhouse gas emission, waste management, green supply chain, and optimising three 'r's: reduce, reuse and recycle, among others.
28/02/16 Divya Shekhar/Economic Times

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Amritsar airport’s temporary cargo centre lies closed

Amritsar: The temporary perishable cargo centre of Sri Guru Ram Das Jee International Airport has been lying closed for the past three years after the withdrawal of London-Almaty-Amritsar flight by British Midland International (BMI) Airlines in October 2012.
The air transportation offered convenient way to deliver baby corns, snow peas, sugar snap, okra and other vegetables from Punjab and Himachal Pradesh to Europe.
Its non-operation of the cargo centre has also diminished a good source of revenue for the airport, which is incurring huge losses.
The main objective of providing Punjabi farmers, who are facing stagnation in traditional crops, an alternate source of income and divert them from vicious wheat-paddy circle remains unachieved. The temporary perishable cargo centre was established in July 2006. Meanwhile, the process to convert temporary perishable cargo into a permanent cargo centre at Amritsar airport has been stalled.
28/02/16 Tribune

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Mumbai airport's Terminal 2 to get a mall

To help the growing number of passengers better utilise spare time they may have while at the airport, the new integrated terminal, T2 is set to get a mall within the premises, a first for India. According to Mumbai International Airport Pvt. Ltd. (MIAL) officials, the daily footfall at T2 is 7,000 and expected to hit 19,000 once Jet Airways shifts its operations here in March. IndiGo is expected to follow in the second half of the year.
With 35 retail outlets already housed at the airport, 15 more will be added in March. “As passengers travelling to an international destination are required to complete all formalities well in advance, they have a lot of free time on hand before take off,” explained an airline official. Another MIAL official said, “Our aim is to make people aware that they will get to shop for everything at the terminal at the same price as any mall in Mumbai.”
28/02/16 Neha LM Tripathi/Mid Day

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Amaan Ali furious with airline staffers’ attitude in Nagpur

Well-known sarod player and son of legendary Ustad Amjad Ali Khan — Amaan Ali — had a harrowing experience at aba Saheb Ambedkar International Airport, Nagpur, recently. He narrated his woes in a chat with Nagpur Times.
There is anguish in Amaan's voice as he shares: "I performed at a concert in Nagpur on Thursday and reached Nagpur airport at 6 am on Friday morning (February 26) to board a 7.30 am flight to Delhi. The rule states that the airline counter is closed one hour before the departure, but I was appalled to see that no staffer was there at the airline's counter till one hour before the departure. World over, the rule is that airline staffers have to be available two hours before the flight. But it is not practiced at Nagpur. When the staffers finally sleepwalked, their attitude towards the passengers was humiliating. What hurt me the most was that there were senior citizens in wheelchairs who had spent a lot of money to travel by air and there was no attendant from the airline to help them. There were foreigners who would have carried a sad image along."
To rub salt to the injury, the staffers were quite callous towards his instrument, states Amaan.
28/02/16 Vinita Chaturvedi/Times of India

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Paramedical staff member held for lewd comments

Mumbai: The domestic airport police arrested a 32-year-old airport paramedical staff member late on Thursday for allegedly passing lewd comments at a female security officer of the airport.
Zobe Zala, the accused, was released on bail on Saturday. According to airport sources, the incident took place in the late hours of Thursday night at the domestic airport terminal of the city airport. A female official of Central Industrial Security Force (CISF), the government security agency which is deployed at airport, was making her rounds. When she approached the Medical Inspection Room of the domestic airport near T1C gate, Zala, posted as an assistant medical staff member, allegedly started passing lewd comments at her.
According to airport sources, Zala told the official he is in love with her and would do anything for her. Immediately after this two officials from CISF, including a female officer, along with the victim approached the domestic airport police station and filed a complaint.
28/02/16 Ashita Dadheech/Asian Age

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Cops detain elusive don's daughter at Chennai airport

Chennai: The Kancheepuram police have detained S Dhanalakshmi, 21, a BBA student in the UK, whose father Shreedhar Dhanapalan is wanted in several land deal cases in Tamil Nadu. Dhanalakshmi, who was in the city, was about to board a flight to Dubai via Colombo in the wee hours of Saturday when immigration officials, acting on a notice from police, detained her. Shreedar, according to police, has been operating from the Gulf country to broker big-ticket land deals in Tamil Nadu, often using force. A police officer said a team first picked up Dhanalakshmi who was on her way to Vellore on Friday evening. After a few inquiries, she was let off. The team informed immigration at Chennai airport to watch out for her leaving the country.
She was picked up from Chennai airport when she tried to leave to Dubai on a flight via Sri Lanka.
The Kancheepuram police questioned Dhanalakshmi and recorded statements from her about the whereabouts of her father. During questioning, she told police that she came to meet her relative and when she was headed for Vellore, police intercepted her car near Ranipet on Friday. After they confirmed Dhanalakshmi was in the car, they brought her to Kancheepuram police station where she was interrogated for about three hours.
28/02/16 Times of India

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Kerala CM Dedicates New CIAL Terminal to Nation

Nedumbassery: Chief Minister Oommen Chandy on Friday said the State Government would entrust the Cochin International Airport Limited (CIAL) with the task of constructing an air strip at Bekal and eight helipads in various parts of the State.
He was speaking after inaugurating the new international terminal (T-3) at the CIAL here.
The State Government will identify the land required for the project and hand over the same to CIAL Infrastructure - a subsidiary of the Cochin International Airport Ltd (CIAL).
CIAL International Terminal Completed in Record Time
"Air Kerala is a dream project of the State. The Central Government’s reluctance to waive the Rule-5/20, which mandates five years’ domestic flying experience and a fleet strength of least 20 aircraft for all airlines in the country, for flying abroad, has been a stumbling block for the project. However, the State Government will strive to implement the project by seeking exemption from the Central Government,” he said, adding that the CIAL would soon start direct flights from Kochi to Europe and Australia. “Work on eight small hydel projects and enhancement of capacity at the existing solar power plants are progressing,” he said, adding that the CIAL had proved its efficiency by completing the new international terminal well within the deadline and at a much lower cost, thereby setting a model for the entire nation.
CIAL managing director V J Kurian delivered the introductory speech, while CIAL executive director A M Shabeer presented the technical report.
27/02/16 New Indian Express

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CIAL International Terminal Completed in Record Time

Nedumbassery:  The new international terminal  inaugurated by Chief Minister Oommen Chandy here on Friday is a new episode in the illustrious journey of the Cochin International Airport Limited (CIAL).

The foundation stone of the new terminal (T-3) was laid on February 1, 2014, and construction of the building was completed in just 24 months, spending Rs 1,000 crore.  In comparison, construction of the 54-lakh-sqft Terminal- 3 at the New Delhi airport was completed at a cost of Rs 13,000 crore.   All the details of the tenders and expenditure related to the CIAL T-3 are available on the website www.cial.aero, which again is an initiative to ensure transparency.

“The Nedumbassery  airport, which started off 16 years ago with contribution from a German Malayali named Jose Maliekkal, handles more than 74 lakh passengers every year. The CIAL registered an income of Rs 414 crore in the last financial year, and a profit of Rs 144.58 crore. The CIAL has been paying dividends to shareholders without break since 2003-04. Till date, it has returned 153 per cent profit to investors,” said officials.

CIAL had set a new record in completing  rehabilitation of those displaced for the project, and is currently employing more than 6,000 persons. All of the 822 families who were displaced for construction of the airport were rehabilitated and the family members were given jobs.   Last year, the CIAL scaled another landmark by becoming the world’s first airport to be fully powered by solar energy. The airport is currently power-neutral - which means it does not consume power from the State’s power grid. Besides, more than 46,000 solar panels installed by the CIAL are generating more power than it requires every day.
27/02/16 New Indian Express

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Government mulling to and fro night flights in Kashmir

Srinagar: Authorities on Friday discussed modalities for starting to and fro night flights in Kashmir valley and a DGCA team is expected to arrive here next month to take stock of the facilities at Srinagar International Airport.

Asgar Hassan Samon, Divisional Commissioner, Kashmir, held a meeting to review the functioning of Srinagar airport and discuss modalities to start night landing of flights at the airport, an official spokesman said.
"The meeting was informed that the Indian Air Force had given the permission to start night flights at Srinagar airport in May 2013," Samon said. The airport frequently hosts night flights from non-scheduled aircrafts, state aircraft and some special flights.

"With the requirement of visibility of 1.3 kms, aircraft can land at Srinagar airport even during full moon nights," the spokesman said. Samoon noted the flights can be easily started upto 2200 hours.

The operating hours of the airport would be gradually extended in the near future when all the requirements for the facility are met, he said at the meeting. The spokesman added that a team of Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) is expected here next month to take stock of facilities at the airport.
26/02/16 PTI/Daily News & Analysis

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Cochin International Airport Limited to construct Bekal airstrip

Kochi: Chief Minister Oommen Chandy said on Friday that the State Government has decided to entrust Cochin International Airport Limited (CIAL) with the construction of the air strip at Bekal.

Inaugurating T3 – the new international terminal of Cochin international airport, the Chief Minister also said that CIAL would be roped in to set up eight helipads in different parts of the state.

CIAL has already started work on eight small hydel projects with a total capacity of 50 MW and is set to increase the capacity of the existing solar power plant by an additional 13.5 MW and will supply the surplus power to the KSEB grid.

Oommen Chandy also said that the State Government is continuing with its efforts to realise Air Kerala by getting the Union Government waive the 5/20 stipulation and start direct flights from Kochi to Europe and Australia.
27/02/16 Deccan Chronicle

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Singapore Airlines to scale up ops from Mumbai

Singapore Airlines (SIA) has said it will scale up operations from Mumbai with four new weekly flights from the country's financial capital to the city state in April to cater to the rising demand on the route.

The airline currently has two daily flights, one each in morning and evening, on the route, run by Boeing 777 and Airbus A380 respectively.

"The additions in frequency have been made to meet growth in demand for travel to and from India's business capital. With peak summer travel season approaching, increased flight connections will help the anticipated surge in holidaying traffic to Singapore and beyond," SIA India General Manager David Lau said in a release.
26/02/16 PTI/Business Standard

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GoAir hints at Surat ops, but needs long-term commitment

Surat: Surtis fliers are pinning their hope on GoAir to fulfill their flying dreams.
After SpiceJet withdrew from the Diamond City following the buffalo-hit incident in 2014, GoAir has shown interest to connect the city with important domestic destinations.
Senior officials from GoAir including the vice president (network and planning), Clayton Begido were in the city to attend a meeting hosted by the Southern Gujarat Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SGto discuss air connectivity issue and the potential at Surat airport on Friday.
GoAir senior officials gave an indication to start flight operations, provided they get support from the Airport Authority of India (AAI), Surti fliers, trade and industry associations and the travel agents.
"We see a huge potential to start our flight operations. It is easy to keep a flight but we want a long-term commitment and assurance from all the quarters," said GoAir's VP (network and planning), Clayton Begido.
27/02/16 Times of India

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IAF wants more security for Srinagar Airport

Srinagar: Indian Air Force (IAF) authorities at the Srinagar International Airport have sought increased presence of police in sensitive villages located around the airfield, citing security reasons.
According to sources, the matter was taken up by senior IAF officers with Kashmir's Divisional Commissioner during a meeting recently.
Air Force officers suggested the use of the state police's Special Operation Group (SOG) for this purpose.
27/02/16 ANI/Times of India

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Night flights at Sgr airport: Civil aviation DG’s nod for airlines only hurdle

Srinagar:  The only reason Srinagar airport is not operating night flights is that airlines are yet to apply for approval from the Director General Civil Aviation (DGCA), an official said.
Director Srinagar Airport RK Shinde told Kashmir Reader that night flights will operate the same day the five airlines operating flights to the Valley are given a green signal by the DGCA. After the approval, he said, flights can be operated till 10pm.
This basic infrastructure needed for operating night flights is in place. This includes the required runway length, runway lights and adequate staff at the aerodrome.
The Srinagar airport occupies a small corner of the massive IAF airbase. The airport land has actually been leased out to the AAI by the IAF and houses the terminal building where passengers check-in and depart. The AAI also controls the apron area (where an aircraft is parked) while the airspace and runway control is with the IAF.
27/02/16 Junaid Nabi Bazaz/Kashmir Reader

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No gate number on boarding pass: Airline fined 13K

Chennai: Airlines can't go scot-free if a passenger misses a flight because the boarding gate number is not mentioned on the ticket, a consumer body ruled on Thursday.
Rapping a private airline for the oversight, the district consumer disputes redressal forum, Chennai (South), directed it to pay compensation of Rs 12,500 to the passenger and refund him the ticket cost.
Thomas Findo of Mylapore, an accountant and managing director of a private company , had to attend a meeting at the union ministry of defence, New Delhi, and booked a to-and-fro ticket worth `12,293 with SpiceJet on January 8, 2012.
Findo said he reached the airport well before departure at 7.45pm and checked in. Airline staff issued him a boarding pass with seat number but not the gate number. They was asked him to wait near gate 6. While waiting, he twice asked staff about the departure gate and was told to wait.
Finally , he was not allowed to board the flight as the airline had used a different gate for boarding. When he requested for an alternate flight, the airline staff demanded Rs 21,000. Because of the missed flight, Findo said he suffered "tremendous mental agony and professional loss" so much so that his "reputation was spoilt."
26/02/16 Manish Raj/Times of India

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Advt hoarding falls down at Mumbai airport's domestic terminal; none hurt

Passengers on Friday morning created ruckus when an advertisement hoarding suddenly fell down at terminal 1B (domestic terminal) at the Mumbai airport. While no injury was reported, the passengers made a complaint to the Airport Authority. Around 5 am, a TimesOOH advertisement hoarding suddenly fell down while it was being fixed on the wall near new Security Hold Area at domestic terminal. While no injury was reported due to this incident, some passengers were upset with the airport operator and the people working on it. According to Airport officials, the 10×6feet hoarding was being put up when it slipped from the men's hands near passengers who were getting their security check done. The passengers then raised the issue and approached the Mumbai International Airport Pvt. Ltd. (MIAL) officers. Taking the incident seriously, airport officials called the GVK on duty manager to sort out the issue.
27/02/16 Neha LM Tripathi/Mid Day

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Dense fog hits air services, trains in Surat

Surat: Residents in the Diamond City woke up to dense fog on Friday morning with visibility reducing to just 50 m in several areas like Jehangirpura, Rander, Adajan, Pal and Sachin.
The fog also disrupted the flight operations at the Surat airport and lead to the delay in the running time of the trains from Mumbai and Ahmedabad
The Mumbai-Surat Air India (AI) morning flight was cancelled while the Delhi-Surat flight was diverted to Ahmedabad due to low visibility at the airport. Airport sources said the passengers travelling to Surat were given the option to travel either by train or hire taxi.
Similarly, the passengers bound to Surat from Delhi were flown to Ahmedabad. The flight, which usually arrives at around 8am, arrived late by more than four to five hours.
27/02/16 Times of India

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Cops detain elusive don at Chennai airport

Chennai: The Kancheepuram police have detained S Dhanalakshmi, 21, a BBA student in the UK, whose father Shreedhar Dhanapalan is wanted in several land deal cases in Tamil Nadu. Dhanalakshmi, who was in the city, was about to board a flight to Dubai via Colombo in the wee hours of Saturday when immigration officials, acting on a notice from police, detained her.
Shreedar, according to police, has been operating from the Gulf country to broker big-ticket land deals in Tamil Nadu, often using force. A police officer said a team first picked up Dhanalakshmi who was on her way to Vellore on Friday evening. After a few inquiries, she was let off. The team informed immigration at Chennai airport to watch out for her leaving the country.
She was picked up from Chennai airport when she tried to leave to Dubai on a flight via Sri Lanka. The Kancheepuram police questioned Dhanalakshmi and recorded statements from her about the whereabouts of her father. During questioning, she told police that she came to meet her relative and when she was headed for Vellore, police intercepted her car near Ranipet on Friday. After they confirmed Dhanalakshmi was in the car, they brought her to Kancheepuram police station where she was interrogated for about three hours.
27/02/16 A Selvaraj/Times of India

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10 years and Rs 438.4 crore later, 15 airports yet to be on flight map

Fifteen airports built by the Airports Authority of India (AAI) at a cost of Rs 438.4 crore are yet to receive their first scheduled commercial flight in a decade. The state-run authority spent the above mentioned figure in the past 10 years. The costliest of them has come up at Maharashtra's Gondia, former aviation minister Praful Patel's home city, and it alone cost Rs 207.6 crore.
Airports at Jaisalmer and Shimla, built at Rs 44.5 crore and Rs 39.1 crore respectively, have also been waiting for regular passenger flights for a decade.
Union aviation minister Ashok Gajapathi Raju gave this information in a reply to an MP's query.
"Airlines are free to operate anywhere in the country subject to compliance of ... guidelines.... It is, however, up to airlines to provide air services to specific places depending upon traffic demand, commercial viability and their company policy. The government does not determine route/schedule of airlines, including Air India," he said in awritten reply.
26/02/16 Times of India

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'Delhi, Mumbai airports collect over Rs 10,000 cr fee'

New Delhi: Delhi and Mumbai airports have collected more than Rs 10,139 crore in user development and passenger fee till December last year since their privatisation during 2006-07 period.

The airport in the national capital is operated by Delhi International Airport Ltd (DIAL) -- a joint venture where the majority stake is owned by GMR.

GVK group-led Mumbai International Airport Ltd (MIAL) operates the Mumbai airport.

In a written reply to the Lok Sabha, Minister of State for Civil Aviation Mahesh Sharma said DIAL has collected Rs 7,740.52 crore in user development fee/passenger service fee (facilitation) and parking fee during the period from March 2007 till December 2015.

Out of the total, Rs 7,375.42 crore came from "UDF/PSF (facilitation)" and the rest from parking fee, he said.

With regard to Mumbai airport, MIAL has collected a total amount of Rs 2,399.24 crore, including Rs 2,225.5 crore from "UDF/PSF (facilitation)," he added.
25/02/16 PTI/Business Standard

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Airport Authority seeks documents from GMR, GVK for audit of accounts by CAG

National airports operator AAI has sought documents from its joint venture partners --GMR and GVK -- for a CAG audit of the books of accounts of the Delhi and Mumbai airports.

Airports Authority of India (AAI) which holds 26% stake each in the two joint venture companies --DIAL and MIAL -- has invoked its right under a particular clause of the Operations, Management and Development Agreement (OMDA) while asking the public accounts watchdog Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) to audit the books of accounts of the two companies.

"AAI has appointed CAG as its representative to scrutinise the books of accounts of Delhi International Airport (DIAL) and Mumbai International Airport Limited (MIAL) to ensure that due government share is accruing to AAI," Minister of State for Civil Aviation Mahesh Sharma said in a written reply in Lok Sabha.

While DIAL is a 74:26 JV between AAI and a GMR-led consortium, MIAL is a 74:26 JV between AAI and GVK-led consortium. The AAI ceded control of both Delhi and Mumbai airports to DIAL and MIAL under a public-private partnership agreement in 2006.
25/02/16 PTI/Daily News & Analysis

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New international terminal at Cochin airport takes off today

Passengers at India's first green field airport at Co-chin in the southern Indian state of Kerala can expect to get a hassle-free travel with the commissioning of a state-of-the-art new international passenger terminal at the airport on Friday.

The new terminal known as T3 to be dedicated to the nation by Chief Minister Oommen Chandy has a peak-hour capacity to handle 4,000 passengers. The terminal will be able to handle 13-15 air-craft through aerobridges during the peak operation as against the current five aircrafts.

The 1.5 mil-lion sq ft two-level terminal built at a cost of Rs.10 billion provides for 112 check-in counters, in-line baggage screening facilities, 100 immigration counters, 19 boarding gates, six baggage conveyor belts, 15 aero bridges and fully covered alighting and boarding area be-sides a 50,000 sq ft walk through duty-free shop.

A modern parking bay, taxi-link to first floor of the terminal, advanced airfield ground lighting system and a modern X-ray-baggage screening as well as flyovers to-wards the terminal and its exit ex-tending to about half-a-km are the other features of the new terminal. The terminal offers passengers a real feel of traditional Kerala festival with its interior sporting a temple festival ambience. Fifteen real-size statues of elephants complete with caparisons and other accessories welcome the passengers on their arrival at the terminal.
25/02/16 T K Devasia/Khaleej Times

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Delay to affect airport expansion plan

Coimbatore: Of the 627.89 acres to be acquired for expanding the airport and runway, 134.32 acres belong to the Army, Navy and Air Force, and 31.67 acres belong to the State Government.

The remaining 461.9 acres of private land is owned by more than 4,400 people.

Meetings with land owners of 450.68 acres have been completed and all were a failure. Owners of 80 acres on the north-eastern side of the airport got a stay order from the Madras High Court in September last year against dispossession.
26/02/16 The Hindu

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Jet, IndiGo to move operations to T2 at Mumbai international airport

Mumbai: While full-service carrier Jet Airways is scheduled to move its operations to the new integrated terminal, T2, at Mumbai international airport in March, the country's largest domestic airline, IndiGo, is expected to follow suit in the second half of the year.
T2, inaugurated in February 2014, currently handles all international flights and all flights operated by Air India and Vistara. Jet Airways will shift its operations from the domestic terminal 1B to T2 from March 15. "Indigo is currently in talks with the airport operator concerning the shifting of their operations to T2. The airline is likely to shift operations in six to seven months," said an airline source.
With this GoAir and SpiceJet will be the only two airlines that will operate from domestic terminals.
26/02/16 Times of India

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GoAir officials' visit spurs hope for Surtis

Surat: The trade and industry bodies and the general fliers are expecting some good news on Friday when the top authorities from GoAir will visit the Diamond City.
The Southern Gujarat Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SGhas hosted meeting with the network and commercial team of GoAir. It has invited representatives of the trade and industry and travel agents to discuss connecting Surat with the potential routes across the country.
Last week, GoAir's technical team had visited city to assess connectivity from the city to the potential sectors.
The technical team members led by Kamal Kikani, general manager (operations) did a survey of the infrastructural development and the facilities available for the smooth operations of air services.
Sources said the team members were quite impressed with the development at the airport in the last one-and-a-half-year. The technical team members met the members of the airport associations and the airport director to discuss about the possible routes of operations from Surat.
26/02/16 Times of India

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Telangana govt finalise proposals for setting up new airports plan

Hyderabad: The Telangana state government has finalised proposals for setting up new airports in the state. The proposals had been lying pending for over 18 months due to uncertainty over their locations and land acquisition.

Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao has finally given his nod for land acquisition for setting up airports at Adilabad, Warangal, Khammam and Nizamabad, which will be submitted to the Union ministry of civil aviation for approval. However, the proposal on the Shamirpet airport has been kept pending.

While the Khammam airport has been proposed at Kothagudem, the Warangal airport has been proposed at Mamnoor. The government has offered to allot an additional 225 acres at Mamnoor in Warangal for restoration of the Nizam-era airport.
Mr Rao offered speedy land acquisition for the proposed airports and asked the Infrastructure and Investment department to pursue these proposals with the Centre.
26/02/16 L Venkat Ram Reddy/Deccan Chronicle

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No large aircraft for Karipur airport

Karipur: In  a major blow that could possibly sink the viability of Karipur airport in Malappuram, the Emirates Air has dismantled its check-in counters foreseeing complete suspension of the operation of large aircraft. The operation of big aircraft has been in a suspended mode since May 2015 citing safety norms. Even with the runway renovation nearing completion by November, large aircraft will probably not get the permission to operate from the airport any time soon.
Emirates Air had been maintaining the counters at a huge rent ever since the operations of its aircraft were suspended.This was apparently under the impression that once the renovations are complete the permission to ply may be renewed and services can resume by March 2016. But now with the work at its final stages and Emirates winding up its ground presence, things appear gloomy as this may mean large aircraft will not be given permissions to offer services any more. Emirates, for its part submitted a letter to the Airports Authority and dismantled the check-in counters at the airport. The DGCA had revoked the permissions to operate large aircraft from this airport citing the precarious condition of the runway. They categorically denied the permission to land large planes here unless the norms, namely, a 13,000 feet long runway and 90 meter Runway Rear End Safety Area (RESA) were met.
26/02/16 Mathrubhumi

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Beat the flying blues by hugging a golden retriever!

Mumbai: Flying isn’t everybody’s cup of tea. Some people actually dread it and start having anxiety attacks a couple of hours before the plane is about to take off. It is for this reason that the Mumbai Airport has teamed up with Pune’s Animal Angels Therapy Centre and deployed three Golden Retrievers who interact with flyers and calm their nerves.
According to Aakash Lonkar, the Director of the Mumbai unit of Animal Angels Therapy Centre, the dogs are trained in animal-assisted socialising from an early age. “We usually put the dogs through various situations i.e. a place with strangers, a place where there is noise, etc., so that the dogs get used to such an environment while they deal with passengers on a daily basis,” he explains.
The three golden retrievers: Goldie, Pepe and Sunshi have been at the airport for the past five months, operating every Friday, Saturday and Sunday. “Two dogs operate at a time, so that each animal gets adequate rest. Our team that comprises Gayatri Ayyer, Harshada Gokhale, Akansha Kotibhaskar and Jai Bapat ensure that everything goes smoothly. We are also in talks with the airport authorities to have more dogs within the premises so that they can interact with passengers for all seven days,” adds Lonkar.
26/02/16 Daily News & Analysis

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Turban removal not acceptable

New Delhi: The Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (DSGMC) general secretary Manjinder Singh Sirsa in a letter to the Union Minister of External Affairs Sushma Swaraj and the US Ambassador to India, Richard Verma told them that the removal of turbans during the security checks in America is not acceptable to the Sikhs.
In the letter, the DSGMC general secretary said that the removal of turban during the security check of Indo-Canadian Sikh Jasjeet Singh at American airport was unfortunate. He also said that on February 9, 2016, Mexican Airlines Company telling actor Waris Ahluwalia to remove his turban is also unfortunate.
25/02/16 Tribune

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Cial eyes direct flights to US, Europe

Kochi: With a new international terminal getting operational at the Cochin International Airport Ltd (Cial) on May 25, 2016, the authorities are trying to bring in direct flight connectivity from the US and Europe to Kochi.
Chief minister Oommen Chandy will inaugurate the new terminal, T-3, on Friday.
"At present, we do not have direct connectivity to the US and Europe, though Kerala attracts a large number of European tourists. At the moment, they either take a flight to Dubai or Mumbai before coming to Kerala. Our ambition is to ensure that Lufthansa, Swiss Air or British Airways start direct flights to Kochi," said Cial managing director V J Kurian.
To woo these players, Cial will be offering them free parking and landing for one year. "Our estimates say that these airlines will get on an average 300 passengers a day to Europe and US. But they fear that they won't get enough business class passengers," added Kurian.
26/02/16 Times of India

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New line to link Kannur airport

Kozhikode:  The railway budget has allocated two new lines for  Malabar  with  Rs 6,000 crore  for Nilambur-Nanjangud line and Rs 400 crore for Kannur-Mattannur line  connecting  Kannur airport.

Both the allocations are made under Extra Budgetary Resources (EBR) partnership mode which means both the state government and the union government have to bear the cost through the formation of  a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV).

For the Nilambur-Nanjangud line, survey has  already been done but the intervention of Metroman E. Sreedharan has resulted in the  recent decision of Union  railway ministry  to conduct a re-survey.
The route mooted by Mr Sreedharan had reduced  the distance between Nilambur and Nanjangud from 236 km to 156 km. The cost also came down from the previous Rs 4,266 crore to Rs 2,200 crore.
26/02/16 Deccan Chronicle

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Man held with live bullets at Indira Gandhi International Airport

New Delhi: A man has been arrested at the Indira Gandhi International Airport in New Delhi after two live bullets were recovered from his baggage, officials said on Thursday.

The incident occurred on Wednesday when personnel of Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) posted at the airport detected two bullets of .32mm calibre loaded in the magazine from the baggage of Vinay K.

He was supposed to take an Air India flight to Ahmedabad.
A man has been arrested at the Indira Gandhi International Airport in New Delhi after two live bullets were recovered from his baggage, officials said on Thursday.

The incident occurred on Wednesday when personnel of Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) posted at the airport detected two bullets of .32mm calibre loaded in the magazine from the baggage of Vinay K.

He was supposed to take an Air India flight to Ahmedabad.
26/02/16 PTI/Daily News & Analysis

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AI aircraft bangs into pole, whodunit quest on

A serious miscommunication between two Air India pilots and the air traffic control led to a Boeing 777's wing reporting structural damage and a high mast apron light pole being uprooted after the aircraft took a wrong taxiway on Tuesday morning. However, with neither party taking responsibility for the mistake, the whodunit stakes are high.

The Newark bound aircraft with 447 passengers on Wednesday continued to be grounded and under repair at the Air India hangar. Officials, while still awaiting a real valuation of the damage, informed that an inspection had indicated the damage was structural in nature and its cost calculation was less than minimum deductable amount (as pre-agreed with the insurance company). Thus, they indicated that the aircraft insurance would not take care of the loss. As per ATC records, the aircraft had arrived from Ahmedabad, and was assigned stand K5 at T2 before it took off with passengers for Newark. As per the record, the pilot reported some object while taxing from Taxiway Yankee 1 to 3. While an initial ground inspection did not reveal anything, some high mast frangible lights were later reported broken. Upon parking at stand K5 the wing damage too was reported.

Airline officials blamed the ATC for the miscommunication. DGCA officials, however, observed that the pilots operating wide-body aircraft should be aware of the appropriate taxiing lanes.
25/02/16 Aditya Anand/Mumbai Mirror

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Kannur airport braces for maiden trial landing

Elaborate arrangements are being made for the test flight at the Kannur airport project site here, on February 29. The event will be organised as a major public function by the Kannur International Airport Ltd (KIAL) and the district administration.

A meeting to review the arrangements for the trial landing of aircraft was held at the Collectorate here on February. The meeting, chaired by Rural Development Minister K.C. Joseph, had directed the district administration to arrange special KSRTC buses from Iritty, Thalassery and Kannur to enable people to reach the site near Mattannur to witness the exercise. KIAL Managing Director G. Chandramouli said the project site would be open to public on February 29.
25/02/16 The Hindu

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Aranmula stir’s French connection

Pathanamthitta: “Our fight against the proposed Notre-Dame-Des-Landes (NDDL) airport in the French administrative province of Brittany is very much akin to the one here at Aranmula. Both the popular agitations are aimed at protecting the remaining farmlands and the environment,” say Adelaide Rejov Mechain and Thomas Cadet from Brittany.

They came to Aranmula on Tuesday to study the situation here. Talking to The Hindu on Wednesday, Ms. Mechain and Mr. Cadet said they came to know about the Aranmula stir from a Human Rights Law Network office-bearer, Sandhya, in Kochi.

“As in the case of Aranmula, we too have around 300 landless people as occupiers of the farmlands that have been identified as the site for the controversial airport project in Brittany. They cultivate cereals there. We are grateful to the people of India because many organisations here have expressed solidarity with our cause,” they said. With the help of translators, they also interacted with a group of landless people later.
Ms. Mechain said the agitators in Brittany stood for the cause of keeping the fields for farming as well as grazing cows.
25/02/16 Radhakrishnan Kuttoor/The Hindu

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No problem in readmitting firm in RFP for Mopa airport, says Parsekar

Panaji: Chief Minister Laxmikant Parsekar on Wednesday said that his government has no problem in re-admitting Voluptas Developers, a firm originally selected along with four others, for participating in the Request for Proposal (RFP) for the construction of the proposed Mopa International Greenfield Airport, but later disqualified from this exercise.
It may be recalled that five firms namely Airports Authority of India (AAI), GVK Mumbai, GMR Airport, Essel Infra Mumbai and Voluptas Developers had qualified to participate in this exercise. Subsequently, Voluptas was dropped from the list, and it approached the Delhi High Court over the issue by filing a writ petition.
The High Court has issued notices to the state government as well as the Ministry of Home Affairs seeking their replies in this matter.
Speaking further, Parsekar said that the decision to disqualify the firm was taken following related recommendation of the Union Civil Aviation Ministry, as the firm had failed to get the mandatory security clearance from the Ministry of Home Affairs. “If the court desires, we have no reservation in re-admitting the firm,” he reiterated, stating that the choice with five firms would be much wider.
25/02/16 Navhind Times

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Airport may get big Cat to fight fog

Chandigarh: Finally, the union ministry of civil aviation and the ministry of defence are seriously considering to install a new Instrument Landing System (ILS) of category-III at the Chandigarh airport to facilitate the operation of commercial flights during poor visibility.
The chairman of the Airport Authority Of India (AAI) has also agreed to fund the project of installing the top version of ILS.
ILS (Cat-III) is an advanced navigation aid empowering aircraft to land under adverse weather conditions. The existing ILS (Cat-II) installed at the local airport is not adequate to help the flights landing at Chandigarh airport during winter season on account of poor visibility.
According to documents available with the TOI, the decision to consider the installation of ILS (CAT-III) was taken in a meeting held on December 1, 2015, at the air headquarters between chief of air staff and the secretary, ministry of civil aviation. The issue of installing improved version of ILS was actively considered and a study report has also been sought by the air force chief to record the necessity of CAT-III version, said sources.
25/02/16 Ajay Sura/Times of India

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GMR awarded damages in Maldives airport arbitration

Mumbai: An arbitration tribunal in Singapore has ruled in favour of the GMR group of companies on its dispute with the Maldives government on the airport project in that country.

GMR, the tribunal has decided, is entitled to payment of damages for termination of its contract in Maldives for the airport. This will include all the money it had borrowed from Axis Bank for the project. The payment is to be completed by the third quarter of this calendar year.

A subsidiary of GMR had signed an agreement with the government of that country and Maldives Airport Company Ltd for modernisation and operation of the airport in Male, the capital city, in 2010. The GMR company had won the right to build and operate the Ibrahim Nasir International Airport for 25 years, extendable by another 10 years. GMR had planned to invest a little over $500 million in the project, which included a debt component of $358 mn, arranged by Axis.

GMR stated the ruling in its favour came on Tuesday; the damages awarded would be in addition to those decreed in an earlier arbitration award of 2014.
25/02/16 Business Standard

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AAI conducts mock evacuation drill at Dabolim airport, response 'lethargic'

Panaji: In order to improve inter-agency coordination and eliminiate confusion of roles, the Airports Authority of India held a mock bomb contingency evacuation drill on Tuesday as part of routine exercises to improve safety and security at the Goa International Airport, Dabolim. During the mock drill, which was began at 9:30am, emergency evacuation procedures were followed and the bomb disposal team was pressed into service, AAI officials said.
As part of the drill, a dummy bomb was hidden in the kitchen of the airport. Following the visual identification of a suspicious object by an employee, the bomb detection squad's sniffer dog was pressed into service, a CRPF official said.
As part of standard operating procedure, various sections of the airport were cordoned off and evacuated.
All agencies including the Indian Navy, fire brigade, Goa Police, CRPF, airline companies and AAI staff participated in the mock drill. A debriefing was held after the drill to evaluate procedures, airport director Srinivas Rao said.
Sources said that despite announcements over the public address system calling passengers to evacuate the building, the response from employees and passengers was "lethargic".
25/02/16 Times of India

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CM to dedicate nation new terminal of CIAL tomorrow

Kochi:  Kerala Chief Minister Oommen Chandy will dedicate to the nation tomorrow the new International terminal,terminal 3 of the Cochin International Airport Limited (CIAL), the first airport in the world fully operated by solar energy.

The new state-of-the-art International terminal at CIAL, built with an area of 15 lakh sq ft, would be the largest three International airports in Kerala and second in South India after the Hyderabad airport.

The new terminal had an envisaged peak hour capacity of 4,000 passengers and was being built in two levels, with the ground level would house the arrivals lounge while the second level would be for departures.

The new terminal would enable handling of 13 to 15 aircraft through aerobridges during peak operations, as against the present international terminals capacity of handling only five aircrafts..

The new terminal would have 112 check-in counters, 19 gates and 15 aerobridges and as many as 1500 cars would be able to accommodate in the parking area, which would be equipped with the latest access control mechanism.
25/02/16 WebIndia123

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24x7 airport operations soon

Bhubaneswar: The Biju Patnaik International Airport here will have to keep the operations on 24X7 for three and half months to facilitate landing and takeoff of Kolkata-bound flights as renovation of one of the runways in Kolkata is underway.
Usually, operations at Bhubaneswar airport close at 10.30 pm. Winter is an exception, when airport authorities continue operations beyond 10.30 pm as flights from other neighbouring airports land here because of zero visibility due to fog at the scheduled destination. However, the headquarters of Airports Authority of India (AAI) has directed the Bhubaneswar airport officials to pull up their socks for additional duties.
According to airport sources, the round-the-clock operation will start from Friday (February 26) and continue till June 9, tentative date for completion of runway work at Kolkata. "The re-carpeting work of one of the runways is going on and we have been asked by AAI headquarters to keep the Air Traffic Control and other services open throughout the night except on Sundays," airport director Sharad Kumar told TOI.
25/02/16 Times of India

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Online taxi drivers march to CIAL

Kochi: All Kerala Online Taxi Drivers Union on Wednesday took out a march to Cochin International Airport Limited (CIAL) protesting denial of access to airport to pursue their profession.

The union alleged that online taxi operators had been stopped from taking trips from the airport in the last one-and-a-half years. Conventional taxi operators at the airport had stopped and even destroyed the cabs of online operators with the tacit approval of the airport management, the union alleged.
25/02/16 The Hindu

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City airport records delay of whopping 2 flights in a week

A day after a Mumbai-bound flight made an emergency landing at the city airport, a Chennai- bound flight of the same airline was delayed by 10 hours in the early hours of Wednesday. With this, the number of delayed departures from Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport, between February 18 and 24 touched a whopping 32. As per airport authorities, while the reasons for delay of the 32 flights differed as did the number of hours delayed, the number of hours delayed ranged between two hours to five hours from February 18 to 22. The airline companies who marked delayed departures included Indigo (11 flights), Spice Jet (10 flights delayed, 1cancelled), Jet Airways (2 flights), Air India (2 flights) and one Air Costa flight.

The time record, however, was broken after the cancellation of a SpiceJet flight on Tuesday morning due to a technical glitch as reported by the pilot. This was followed by a whopping 10-hour delay of a Chennai-bound flight on Wednesday morning. Replying to Mirror's query, Spice- Jet justified the delays, stating, "Flight SG-616 Ahmedabad-Mumbai had a technical issue soon after it was airborne. Keeping in view the safety of passengers on board, the pilot decided to return to bay as a pre-emptive measure. The technical issue was addressed immediately to ensure the aircraft was serviceable by evening. A replacement aircraft was put in service to cater to other flights out of Ahmedabad. Hence the flights which were delayed this (Wednesday) morning were due to the cascading effect of the above arrangement. The airline would return to schedule by this (Wednesday) evening."
25/02/16 Alok Brahmadatt/Ahmedabad Mirror

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Briton held at Kochi airport

Kochi: UK native Aron David (41) was arrested by Nedumbassery police on Wednesday after he tried to manhandle the CISF personnel at the Cochin international airport who tried to remove a prohibited article which he carried in his baggage.

Aron arrived at the airport to proceed to Thiruvananthapuram by an Indigo flight and when his baggage was subjected to screening, an automatic cigarette lamp was detected. When the CISF official tried to remove the lamp, Aron tried to manhandle him.

Aron also tried to manhandle the constables at the Nedumbassery station when he was brought to the station. Later he was put in a cell with high security. He is expected to be produced in the court after a medical examination to verify whether he uses drugs.
25/02/16 Deccan Chronicle

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Air India mishap: ATC, 2 pilots suspended after plane hits light pole in Mumbai airport

Mumbai: An air traffic controller (ATC) and two Air India pilots were suspended by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) after an Air India Boeing hit a light pole in Mumbai airport Tuesday, causing a two-and-a-half-hour delay to the flight.

The Boeing 777-300ER hit a light pole as it was about to take off from the Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport Tuesday. No damage was caused to the plane, but it had 447 passengers on board, which made the authorities take action.

The pilots accused the air traffic control (ATC) officer since a bigger taxiway was not assigned to the Boeing, but they were reprimanded by the DGCA for not asking for a bigger taxiway.

"Even if the ATC assigns a wrong taxiway, a seasoned pilot should stop the aircraft if he or she feels taxi clearance is not available," a senior DGCA official told Hindustan Times.

The government-owned airline confirmed the incident.
24/02/16 Asmita Sarkar/International Buiness Times

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Bangladeshi stranded at Kolkata airport

Indian daily The Statesman on Wednesday reported that a Bangladeshi national was stranded at the Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport in Kolkata on Tuesday evening, unable to fly to Dhaka due to bureaucratic bungling.

It says Ishrat Ara Karim (36), an Indian national married to a Bangladeshi man, entered India with a handwritten passport on 11 February for treatment of some neurological ailment.
The Indian High Commission in Dhaka had issued her the passport and allowed her to travel to India. Trouble for Ishrat Ara started when she went to catch the return flight to Dhaka this evening. Immigration officials allowed her to board the Air India flight. But the airline officials stopped her from boarding the flight on the ground that she didn't have a machinereadable passport with computerised entries, the Statesman also said.
24/02/16 Prothom Alo

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Jazzy B detained at Chandigarh airport allegedly with unaccounted cash

The Hindustan Times newspaper reports that Punjabi singer and actor Jazzy B (Jaswinder Singh Bains), a former resident of Vancouver, was detained at the Chandigarh international airport on Wednesday for allegedly carrying cash above permissible limits.
The newspaper claimed that its sources said he was carrying Rs.500,000 that was unaccounted for when he arrived at Chandigarh from Delhi on a GoAir flight. A team headed by a deputy director of the income tax and investigation department apprehended Jazzy, who is known for his songs ‘Romeo’ and ‘This Party Gettin’ Hot’ in which he collaborated with rapper-producer Yo Yo Honey Singh.
24/02/16 Voice

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Cochin Airport Staff Strike May Spoil a 'Smooth Flight'

Kochi: A section of ground-handling staff who launched an indefinite strike at the Cochin International Airport demanding payment of arrears of their wages and a renewal of the contract on working conditions and wages, have decided to intensify the strike in the wake of the official apathy towards their demands.

As part of strengthening the strike, which began on  February 15, the striking staff, attached to a private agency, have begun a relay indefinite strike in front of the airport. Anwar Sadat MLA, who inaugurated the agitation, said that he would apprise the Chief Minister about the details of the dispute between the company and the striking staff.
The representatives of the staff said in a press release in Kochi on Tuesday  that they would form a human chain in front of the airport on March 1 in protest against the apathy of the company in solving the stalemate.
Besides, all contract staff at the airport will also strike work on March 15.

As many as 230 employees, including 60 women, attached to the private firm, are on strike raising various demands.
23/02/16 New Indian Express

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No night flights for stranded despite Air Force permit

Jammu: Despite being granted permission by the Indian Air Force to fly during the night from the Jammu Airport, no airline has come forward to help the stranded passengers in Jammu.
Only one extra flight of Air India took off this afternoon with 150 Delhi-bound passengers. Hundreds of pilgrims and other passengers are stranded in Jammu for the past three days due to the Jat agitation in Haryana, leading to suspension of trains and buses to other parts of the country. The airlines have increased fares manifolds as air travel is the only mode of transport for stranded passengers.
The Jammu Airport does not allow night flight operations due to security reasons, but the IAF on Monday allowed the private airlines to fly at night to give relief to the stranded passengers in Jammu. Official sources at the airport confirmed that no airline had sent additional flights. They said because of the heavy rush of passengers, all tickets for Air India flights were sold with half an hour.
“The private airlines do not have extra aircraft in Jammu and they did not even send any aircraft from Delhi to clear the backlog of passengers in Jammu. However, Air India arranged one additional flight that accommodated only 150 passengers,” the source said.
23/02/16 Amit Khajuria/Tribune

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Air Odisha to start flight to Raipur

Bhubaneswar: After a month of successful intra-state flight operations, local carrier Air Odisha has decided to run a flight to Raipur, the capital of neighbouring Chhattisgarh. The carrier has given a proposal to the government requesting permission for the Raipur operations.
Raipur is a commercial hub and a large number of people from the state visit the city for trade purposes. The flight will help boost tourism and commercial travel and activities between the two states. "Bhubaneswar is a busy airport and flights often run full here. Raipur also has direct flights to some destinations - including Bangalore - that Bhubaneswar doesn't. The move will enable people to travel to Raipur to catch flights to Bangalore and to other cities," said Air Odisha founder Captain Santosh Pani.
On January 19, chief minister Naveen Patnaik flagged off Air Odisha's intrastate flight from Biju Patnaik International Airport. Currently, the airline has one aircraft that flies to Sambalpur, Rourkela and Jeypore from here. The state government is running the intrastate air service in collaboration with Air Odisha. The airline is planning to procure one more aircraft to meet the requirement.
23/02/16 Times of India

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Assam, Meghalaya people could use Sylhet airport

Dhaka: Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina yesterday said the initiatives on regional cooperation like BBIN (Bangladesh, Bhutan, India and Nepal) and BCIM-EC (Bangladesh, China, India, Myanmar Economic Corridor) will generate greater economic activities among neighbouring countries, accelerating their development.

Sheikh Hasina came up with the view when visiting Indian Air Chief Marshall Arup Raha met her at her office. Lily Raha, wife of Arup Raha, was also present.

Ihsanul Karim, press secretary of Prime Minister's Office, briefed reporters after the meeting.

"Once the sub-regional cooperation initiatives like the BBIN and BCIM-EC start functioning, these will create opportunities to generate more economic activities among the countries," said the prime minister.

Hasina said Syedpur Airport would be turned into a regional airport for airlifting cargos to the neighbouring countries.
She laid emphasis on increasing the number of border haats along the Bangladesh-India border, and said the residents of Assam and Meghalaya states could avail themselves of flights to and from London from Sylhet Osmani International Airport.
23/02/16 Unb/The Daily Star

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CSIA the first brownfield airport to receive ‘GreenCo Gold Rating’

The GVK Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport (CSIA), Mumbai, has become the first brown field airport to receive the ‘GreenCo Gold Rating’ by CII-Sohrabji Godrej Green Business Centre (GBC), based on an assessment carried out by its team.

‘GreenCo Rating’ system is a first of its kind framework evolved by CII to assess and analyse the environmental performance of a company’s activities and operations so as to achieve ecologically sustainable business growth. It is an industry benchmark for exemplary work in the areas of environmental management such as water conservation, waste management, gases emission, energy management, green supply chain, material conservation, recycling, and others.
22/02/16 Financial Express

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‘Security lapses visible at airport’

Mumbai: The security department of Mumbai International Airport last week received a letter from the local Sahar police station, raising several security concerns. The letter said that at various points of the city airport, security lapses are visible and the airport authority needs to work on them. The letter pointed out as many as four areas vulnerable to security lapses.
The letter, according to airport sources, states that the Sahar elevator road directly reaching the airport is very sensitive and affords views of
ITC Maratha, Grand Hyatt and J.W. Marriott Hotels along with the airport terminal building and multi-level parking building. Owing to this, it would be easy for anyone to attack these vital installations by rocket launcher or anything from this road so a seven to eight feet tall view cutter should be installed here.
The letter also raised concerns that with no strict security check at the entrance, any vehicle or person with luggage (read: explosives) can reach the terminal. Hence, there should be security check at the entrance area, it said.
The letter further stated that all vehicles coming to the airport should be checked. The parking area has only two explosive vapour detectors (VPRs) while it has eight gates for cars to enter. Hence, there is scope for security lapse.
24/02/16  Ashita Dadheech/Asian Age

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Flyers lost over 6,000 bags in three years

Ahmedabad: Recently , a family of 15 from Bihar after landing at Ahmedabad airport, to their horror found that half of their bags have not arrived. Only after constant follow-up with airline officials, they got their bags delivered to their hotel next day .This family was lucky , but several passengers lose their bags while travelling by air in the country . Security and safe delivery of baggage has become a big concern for flyers across the country .
Though airlines have expanded exponentially in the past few years with millions of people preferring to fly , in the same period problems of flyers have compounded too.
According to the data available from ministry of civil aviation, 6,806 complaints of lost baggage were registered against all the airlines from January 2013 to October 2015 operating on domestic routes across country . In 2013, around 2,626 complaints were registered followed by 2,245 in 2014 and 1,935 in 2015.
More than 45% of the total complaints related to lost baggage in the last three years were registered against Indigo airlines which has the highest market share of 36.8% in aviation sector in India. Indigo is followed by Jet Airways with 1,374 complaints and Air India with 883 complaints. Indigo has a fleet of 100 aircraft and has around 650 daily departures, connecting 34 domestic destinations, while AI and Jet Airways have a fleet of 118 and 115 aircraft respectively and operate above 400 departures daily .
24/02/16 Piyush Mishra/Times of India

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Airport sees 21% rise in passenger traffic

The Cochin International Airport saw a passenger traffic of 74.17 lakh during the whole of 2015, compared to the 61.05 lakh passengers during the previous year. This is an increase of 21 per cent.

Twenty-four airlines have their operations in Kochi and the airport saw a total of 56,196 aircraft movements during the last financial year, said a statement issued by Cochin International Airport Limited (CIAL) here on Tuesday.

The considerable size in passenger traffic prompted the airport authorities to build the new international terminal, which will be officially inaugurated on Friday.
The Cochin international airport occupies the fourth position in the country in terms of international passengers and the seventh spot in terms of total passenger traffic.
24/02/16 The Hindu

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Stray dogs are terror threat to Delhi airport, says DIAL

Stray dogs can be used by terrorists to launch 'fidayeen attacks' on the Delhi airport, authorities have said. The Delhi International Airport Limited has asked the South Delhi Municipal Corporation to relocate all stray dogs that roam around near terminal areas of the Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport, according to a report in Hindustan Times.
The letter comes in the wake of a terror attack on the air force base in Pathankot.
The airport authorities, however, could not be contacted for comments despite repeated attempts.
23/02/16 IBN Live

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Rescue of ragged runway

Calcutta airport's main runway is going for a long overdue overhaul from Friday after testing pilots' nerves for years, especially during take-off when maintaining the required speed to become airborne on an uneven surface is a skill no flying school teaches.

This will be the first overhaul of the primary runway in 12 years, a gap that aviation experts see as stretching critical passenger safety requirements.

According to a veteran pilot who has been challenged by the bumpy runway on multiple occasions, an Airbus 320 needs to achieve a speed of about 270kmph during take-off. "A pilot has to constantly monitor the speed indicator and the nose wheel has to go up as soon as the optimum speed is achieved. When you also need to watch out for undulations on a runway at the same time, it distracts from standard take-off procedures," he said.

Pilots have often complained about the surface of the main runway peeling off and the risk of a concrete fragment getting into the engine. But resurfacing of the runway, due since 2011, has been postponed at least thrice in three years because of red tape.

The last time a date had been fixed, the directorate-general of civil aviation (DGCA) kept the airport waiting for technical clearance. The green signal came only last week, based on which all airlines operating from the city were informed that resurfacing would start on February 26. The Category III-B Instrument Landing System approved for Calcutta would be installed simultaneously, officials said.

Back in 2013-14, the resurfacing plan had been postponed apparently because of a budget roadblock. The battered runway was then made usuble with some patchwork, just as many broken Calcutta roads are hurriedly repaired at the end of monsoon.
24/02/16 Sanjay Mandal/Telegraph

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Pawan Hans lands at Rohini heliport

Pawan Hans has completed trial test landing at Rohini, India’s first heliport in New Delhi, the company announced on 18 February. Operations at the heliport are expected to commence in May 2016.

Pawan Hans conducted the trial landing with an Ecureuil AS350 B3 helicopter to evaluate the landing Standard Operations Procedures and safety standards. The heliport houses nine parking bays, four hangers with a parking capacity of 16 helicopters and a terminal building with a capacity of 150 passengers.

The heliport will provide helicopter maintenance services, regular passenger services and landing and parking of helicopters. It will also be used for emergency medical services, disaster management, law and order surveillance and as a skill development centre for engineers and pilots.
23/02/16 Shephard News

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NSG conducts anti-hijacking drill to check preparedness

Mumbai: The National Security Guard team (NSG) on Monday performed a mock anti-hijacking drill at Mumbai airport from 1 pm to 5 pm.
These drills are conducted to check the preparedness of the airports security agencies and as many as 121 NSG personnel took park in it. The last such drill was conducted in October 2015.
An Air India aircraft was used, with 30 officers and 91 commandos entering gate number eight area of the airport. They then started rescuing dummy passengers. Two sniffer dogs also took part in the drill. The entire exercise was supervised by Colonel Sanjay Kumar of the NSG. Ambulances and fire fighters were also put on alert. During the drill, the NSG worked on vacating a bay and handling passengers while observing the preparedness for such situation.
24/02/16 AsianAge

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Toll-free number for Chennai airport soon

Chennai: A toll-free number for the Chennai airport may soon be made available for passengers.
Airport director Deepak Shastri said, “We are working on starting the toll free number soon. There is some work left to be done before it is launched. Passengers will be able to get information related to flights and other details.”
23/02/16 The Hindu

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Kannur airport in final stages of work, may become functional by year end

Kasargod: As per information gathered, works on the fourth international airport of Kerala at Kannur are in final stages, and that the airport is likely to begin functioning from December this year.
Towards this end, the first trial flight will be undertaken on February 29. Arrangements are being made to make some flights operational by September.

Out of 2,700 metres of runway here, 2,400 metres of runway is ready. Plans are afoot to use Code B aircraft for the trial flight. Although in normal course, building of an airport takes between five and six years, Kannur airport is getting ready within a period of two years. The total project cost of the airport is Rs 1,892 crore, and it is planned to begin cargo services here simultaneously. Although the trial flights were proposed during December last, the plan was postponed because of heavy rains which appeared in the region in October and November.

The airport, which is coming up at Mattannur near Kannur will be the fourth international airport of Kerala after Thiruvananthapuram, Kochi and Kozhikode.
23/02/16 Stephan Kayyar/daijiworld

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UAE expats welcome trial flight landing in Kerala’s 4th international airport

Expatriates from Kerala are excited about having a fourth international airport in their home state.

The Kannur International Airport (KIA) is all set to have its first trial landing of an aircraft on February 29. Expats from Malabar region cannot wait for the airport to be fully operational, as that would mean they can directly fly into their hometown.

The Director General of Civil Aviation has given clearance and a defence aircraft will touch down on the runway on the morning of February 29. The military plane will take off from the Karipur International Airport and land on the partially-completed runway. Full-fledged operation of international flights from KIA will commence from September 2016.

“KIA, which boasts a 4,000 meter runway when completed, is strategically positioned for both expatriates and business community from Malabar region. It can accommodate international travellers from Coorg and Mysore from the neighbouring state of Karnataka apart from serving those of the surrounding districts in Kerala, such as Vayanad, Kasargodu and Kozhikkodu, said Vinay Nambiar, UAE Country Head, Spice Jet.  “Today someone going to Coorg need to travel to Mangalore and then take a road journey of about six hours,” he added.

The expected flow of international passengers through the new airport by 2026 is 4.6 million passengers per year and a cargo movement of 60,758 tonnes per annum. The projected aircraft movement from KIA is 39,638 per annum with a peak hour aircraft movement of 18 flights.
23/02/16 VM Sathish/Emirates24|7

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Night flight passengers from Kolkata worry about conveyance

Port Blair: To fulfill the demand of the Islanders, the Administration has announced that a chartered flight in Kolkata –Port Blair-Kolkata sector will be operated every Thursday from the 25th of February, 2016.  As per the schedule, Air India will operate weekly one charter flight with a 144- seater Airbus during night hours.  The Air India flight AI 3707 will depart from Kolkata at 9 p.m. and reach Port Blair at 11 p.m.  On its return, the flight will depart from Port Blair at 11.40 p.m. to reach Kolkata at 01.40 a.m.

The initiative is appreciated by many, but the people of Bambooflat, Dundaspoint and the adjacent areas are quite worried.   The flight will depart from Port Blair airport at 11.40 p.m. but there is no DSS boat facility available from Bambooflat after 9.30  p. m. and the last boat which leaves from Chatham is at 9.40 p.m.  Also, the local passengers coming from Kolkata will have to wait at the airport or at Chatham even after reaching Port Blair.

Some people from Kolkata who live in Bambooflat said, “The chartered flight facility is very much appreciated but what bothers us is the boat timing.   We have to start early from home and wait for hours in the airport as there is no boat facility available after 9.30 p.m. from Bambooflat.
22/02/16 Razia Begum/Echo India

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