India’s first inaugurated heliport in inaugurated in Delhi’s Rohini

New Delhi: Built by Pawan Hans Limited, a Public Sector Undertaking of the Ministry of Civil Aviation, India’s first heliport has been inaugurated in north Delhi’s Rohini on Tuesday. Union Civil Aviation Minister Ashok Gajapathi Raju inaugurated the heliport.
Pawan Hans Ltd Chairman and Managing Director B P Sharma said, “The heliport has come up at an investment of Rs 100 crore.”
The heliport has a terminal building having capacity of 150 passengers, four hangars with parking capacity of 16 helicopters and nine parking bays. It also has a maintenance, repair and overhaul facility.
The heliport will play an important role in providing various helicopter services ranging from offshore transport, connecting remote & inaccessible Islands of Andaman & Nicobar and Lakshadweep promoting heli-tourism in India.
Delhi’s LG said, “I am glad to learn that the Pawan Hans Ltd has developed Nation’s 1st Integrated Heliport at Rohini, Delhi to take the growth story of aviation in India to new horizons.”
The heliport will be used for providing services for disaster management, emergency medical services, law and order surveillance.
“Rohini facility is India’s first integrated facility for rotor wing aircraft including their landing and takeoff. It has a terminal building that can cater to 150 passengers per day besides separate air traffic control (ATC), fire and fuelling services,” Sharma said.
Earlier in February 2016, Pawan Hans carried out trial sorties from the heliport and had planned to go for full scale chopper operations from May.
It is expected to reduce congestion at the Delhi Airport.
28/02/17 Indian Express

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India’s first integrated heliport: 10 things you need to know

New Delhi: India, now has an integrated heliport. Union Civil Aviation Minister Ashok Gajapathi Raju inaugurated the new facility today, on February 28.

Here are some of the facts that you should know about the heliport:
1. The dedicated heliport has been built in New Delhi by state-owned Pawan Hans. Pawan Hans has carried out the Rohini heliport project for the Civil Aviation Ministry.
2. The heliport had been undergoing successful trail runs for a year.
3. The integrated heliport has come up at an investment of Rs 100 crore.
4. The heliport, set up at Rohini area of North Delhi, consists of a terminal building having a capacity of 150 passengers, four hangars with a parking capacity of 16 helicopters and nine parking bays.
5. The heliport has a maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) facility also for the upkeep of Pawan Hans fleet as well as for third-party maintenance work.
6. Rohini facility is India’s first integrated facility for rotor wing aircraft including their landing and takeoff. It has a separate air traffic control (ATC), fire and fuelling services area.
7. Pawan Hans had successfully carried out trial sorties from the heliport in February last year and had planned to go for full-scale chopper operations from May.
8. The commencement of services from here is also expected to reduce congestion at the Delhi Airport, which currently handles about 40-50 helicopter arrivals and departures on an average per day besides the large-scale fixed-wing operations.
9. The heliport will also be used for operating services for disaster management, emergency medical services, law and order surveillance as well as a centre for the skill development of pilots and engineers.
10. Rohini heliport will also promote regional air connectivity through helicopters in the northern region, once the regional connectivity scheme is fully functional.
28/02/17 Financial Express

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Chettinad Group ready to support efforts for mini airport

Madurai: The Chettinad Group has offered to support the efforts of Karaikudi Chamber of Commerce and Industries to establish a mini airport in this town and build a world class cricket stadium at Kanadukathan.

Addressing the golden jubilee celebration of the chamber here on Sunday, M. A. M. R. Muthiah alias Ayappan, Managing Director of Chettinad Group, said an air strip was available at Chettinad and the group would support the effort being taken by the chamber for establishing a mini airport.

The chamber, in 2013, had urged the then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to sanction a mini airport for Karaikudi after he announced that the government proposed to promote 100 new mini airports in anticipation of heavy demand for air travel in future.

Mr. Muthiah said the Chettinad Group proposed to build a modern cricket stadium inside the Annamalai Polytechnic, named after Annamalai Chettiar, the group’s founder. He also assured to set up suitable industry in the town while responding to a plea to this effect made by local MLA and leader of the Congress Legislature Party KR. Ramasamy.
27/02/17 The Hindu

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Several airports remain unused in India, says Ashok Gajapathi

Visakhapatnam: Union Minister for Civil Aviation P Ashok Gajapathi Raju suggested better utilisation of the airports under Airport Authority of India as 70 of 125 airports are operational and rest left to cattle grazing. India has 400 airports including many in the private sector.

Addressing an interactive session organised by CII Visakhapatnam chapter, the minister said tax on aviation contributes to the economy as much as Rs 11,000 crore and Rs 3,350 crore to the State exchequer every year. More will be added with increased air connectivity.

It is since two and half years, the ministry has been working on the regional connectivity which generates lot of interest in different sectors. Also as part of improving the connectivity, there are 44 airlines which have been given destinations to connect within India.
In the near future, there will be approximately 35 new destinations likely to be added. The Minister stated that after bifurcation, Andhra Pradesh is one of the lowest in the aviation tax. It has seen a tremendous growth in the passenger traffic with Vijayawada at 71 per cent, Vizag 65 per cent, Tirupati and Rajahmundry 51 per cent each.
28/02/17 Hans India

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Did you know? Every 9 in 10 AAI airports are running a loss

The Airports Authority of India (AAI) is making losses at 90 percent of the airports it operates, reports Business Standard . This is due to a lack of aviation activity at the airports, with 30 of the 109 loss-making airports under it completely bereft of any aircraft traffic. The government's regional air connectivity initiative is planned around bringing these airports back into use by subsidising airlines to fly to such locations. Only 13 of the 125 airports under its belt are currently profit making. The AAI earned Rs 10,824 crore as income in the financial year 2016, out of which, a third came from revenues made by private airports. The Delhi International Airport has to pay 45.99 percent of its revenues to AAI, while the Mumbai International Airport shells out 38.7 percent. The public sector entity also receives consession fees of 4 percent of revenues of the Hyderabad and Bengaluru airports. AAI attributes the losses to low traffic at airports which translates into meagre revenues. With revenues at a minimum, the airports always end up with higher expenditures over revenues.
28/02/17 Moneycontrol 

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Losses at airport likely to touch Rs 49 cr in current fiscal

Losses of the Sri Guru Ramdas Jee International Airport are likely to touch Rs 49 crore in the current fiscal ending on March 31, compared to last year’s nearly Rs 35 crore.
Airport director Venkateshwar Rao categorically said, “It does not mean that the economic health of the airport is bad, as it includes operational cost, capital investment for development and depreciation. At present, development works over Rs 110 crore are underway at the airport”.
He said the annual footfall of passengers at Sri Guru Ramdas Jee International Airport is likely to cross over a record 15 lakh this financial year (2016-17), which will qualify it to be declared as a major airport.
He said that Business Development Cell of the Ministry of Aviation has sought expression of interest for the airport’s city beautification plan. As per this, a five-star hotel and a three-star hotel with a food and beverage hub will come up in the airport complex. Besides, a multi-layer car parking facility would also be set up.
He said that two more aero-bridges would be constructed by September while an equal number of these are already available.
27/02/17 The Tribune

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Air India case: Supreme Court asks tribunal to decide Delhi International Airport charges, puts 2-month deadline

The ministry of civil aviation has made a proposal to the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet to extend the tenure of the current bench of AERAAT (Airport Economic Regulatory Authority Apellate Tribunal) by a year — till March 2018 — for quick resolution of the issues regarding the decrease in tariff at the Delhi International Airport (DIAL). This is pursuant to the Supreme Court asking AERAAT to decide on the appeals against the tariff orders of Airport Economic Regulatory Authority (AERA) as expeditiously as possible, preferably within two months.
Air India, while moving the apex court seeking implementation of the reduced tariff for the second control period at DIAL, had raised the issue with regard to the tenure of the current bench of AERAAT expiring on March 8. The SC has now kept the matter for further hearing on April 24. In May 2016, the Supreme Court had asked AERA to decide on the matter within three months by August 2016. Solicitor General Ranjit Kumar appeared for Air India while senior counsel Abhishek Manu Singhvi represented DIAL.
The tenure of the current bench of AERAAT will come to an end by March 8 this year and while hearing the matter on February 23, the appellate tribunal asked for an assurance from the civil aviation ministry for extending the term till the appeal is disposed of.
28/02/17 Malyaban Ghosh/The Financial Express

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New air route to West Asia will cut down flying time

A new air route to West Asia from Tiruchi international airport is to be introduced soon to cut down flying time and save precious fuel for airlines operating in that sector.

The Air Space Management of the Airports Authority of India (AAI) has conceived and drawn up the new route which has been approved by the Air Headquarters in New Delhi.

The new Air Traffic Services (ATS) route has been approved following a series of high-level discussions between the AAI and the Indian Air Force authorities along with the Air Traffic Control units of Chennai, Tiruchi, Bengaluru, Coimbatore, Thiruvananthapuram and Madurai airports.

Under the new ATS route, overseas flights operating in the Tiruchi – Dubai-Tiruchi and Tiruchi – Sharjah – Tiruchi sectors would pass through the airspace of Sulur Air Force station, Coimbatore and Calicut to join the ‘Mike-300’ international air route bound for West Asia.
27/02/17 R Rajaram/The Hindu

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Extension work at Bihta runway begins

The Patna district administration has begun groundwork for the extension of the runway at Bihta airbase where construction of a civil enclave for commercial flight operations is expected to start later this year.
The length of the runway at the airbase at present is 8,000 ft which is targeted to be increased to 9,500ft. Officials in the Bihta circle office claimed that the survey of land to be acquired for runway extension had been completed.
"We recently had a meeting with the Indian Air Force officials deputed at the Bihta airbase as the runway is proposed to be extended in 2017-18. Based on the discussions at the meet, we have completed the survey of the required land and will soon proceed with the corresponding acquisition process," said an official in the Bihta subdivisional office.
The Patna district administration is expected to start the disbursement of funds to people whose lands will be acquired for development of the civil enclave on the western side of the Bihta airbase. At least 120 acres of land is to be acquired and handed over to the Airports Authority of India (AAI).
28/02/17 The Times Of India

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Passengers stranded as IndiGo cancels flight to Bengaluru

More than 100 passengers were left stranded at the Lohegaon airport here after the Bengaluru-bound IndiGo flight, which earlier failed to arrive from Bengaluru due to bad weather condition there, was cancelled at the last moment on Monday morning.
The incoming flight was scheduled to reach Pune from Bengaluru at 6.50am and later leave for Bengaluru at 7.30am.
Amit Pathak, who was waiting at the Pune airport for the flight, tweeted to IndiGo's twitter handle (@IndiGo6E), "Stranded. 6e391 cancelled."
Another flier who was coming to Pune from Bengaluru, tweeted "IndiGo6E flight delayed due to bad weather and cancelled as Pune airport won't give permission to land in Pune as it's a defence base."
IndiGo airlines claimed that prompt steps were taken to assist passengers both in Pune and Bengaluru, but sources said several passengers were inconvenienced due to the cancellation of the flights.
In Pune, passengers were told about the cancellation of the flight after the check-in process was completed and boarding passes were handed over.
28/02/17 Joy Sengupta/The Times Of India

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Chandigarh International Airport: Wi-Fi facility likely to start from March-end

Chandigarh: Passengers at the Chandigarh International Airport are expected to get Wi-Fi service by March-end. Officials on Monday said the state-run BSNL is likely to start the Wi-Fi service at the airport by the end of March, more than a year after Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the new terminal in 2015.
The Airports Authority of India recently awarded the work of Wi-Fi installation at the Chandigarh International Airport to the BSNL. J S Sahota, general manager, BSNL telecom district, Chandigarh, said: “We are in process to get the Wi-Fi equipment from our head office. We are expecting to start the service in the next one month.”
He said after the start of the service, the passengers would be provided free access to Wi-Fi initially for sometime. Later, it would be chargeable. “Those who want access will be provided an option to recharge it online to continue its usage,” Sahota said.
The Airports Authority of India is already facing criticism from the passengers over lack of infrastructure at the new terminal, which was constructed at a cost of Rs 1,400 crore.
28/02/17 Adil Akhzer/Indian Express

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HC seeks info on airport facilities

Srinagar: The State High Court today asked Ministry of Civil Aviation to inform the court by tomorrow as to what steps have taken for providing facilities to the passengers.
The High Court comprising Justice Ramalingam Sudhakar and Justice Ali Mohammad Magrey sought fresh status about steps taken on necessary facilities at International Airport Srinagar by tomorrow and keep the matter on board for tomorrow for seeking fresh instructions from the concerned authorities.
The Division Bench was hearing suo moto proceedings on the issue for providing all necessary facilities to the passengers, travelling to and fro Kashmir by air and in this regard court has already arrayed Ministry of Civil Aviation, Airports Authority of India, Air Commodore Indian Airports as also Chief Secretary of the State as respondents in the PIL.
Court had previously directed the authorities to take immediate steps for providing all necessary facilities to the passengers, travelling to and fro Kashmir by air. “It is further provided that whatever steps, required to be taken for providing the facilities to the passengers and ensuring their smooth travel, shall be taken forthwith”, DB directed and sough compliance report from all these authorities by or before next date of hearing which has been fixed by the court in the week commencing from December 26.
27/02/17 Daily Excelsior

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Flight schedules go for a toss in the fog at KIA

Fog made a surprise appearance at the Kempegowda International Airport (KIA) on Monday, delaying several flights in the morning. The last instance of fog at KIA occurred on February 15, the second day of Aero India.

According to officials, 46 flight departures and 25 arrivals were delayed as the airport shut operations between 5:09 a.m. and 5:50 a.m., and again between 6:35 a.m. and 7:28 a.m. Two flights had to be diverted to other cities.

KIA sees more than 50 flights departing between 5 a.m. and 8 a.m. At present, the runway is closed every day between 10:30 a.m. and 5 p.m. in order to carry out upgrade work. Partial operations are possible on some days.
As a result, the morning flights out of the city see a lot of passenger traffic.
28/02/17 The Hindu

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Airport trolleys: The numbers don’t add up

Kolkata: The trolley trial at Kolkata airport has left many a passenger fuming, the airport operator fumbling and the outsourced contractor frustrated. Yet, the vexed problem that has been mystifying everyone for over a decade-and-a-half can easily be explained through simple arithmatic.
Around 50,000 passengers use the airport daily, around half of them flying out and the other half flying in. Of the passengers, around one in five carry check-in luggage and require trolleys. That pegs the daily trolley usage count at Kolkata airport at 10,000.
In the arrival section, the duration of trolley use per passenger is 45-60 minutes. That is the time it takes to retrieve the bag from the carousal or conveyor belt and then walk down to the foyer to take a transport.
On the other hand, the duration of trolley use per passenger in the departure section is much higher at 60-90 minutes, depending on how early the passenger arrives prior to the flight.
28/02/17 Times of India

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Tight security at airport as coffin arrives

Hyderabad:  Heavy security was deployed at the Rajiv Gandhi International Airport (RGIA) on Monday as Srinivas Kuchibhotla's family anxiously waited to receive the body of the young engineer who was shot dead at a bar in Kansas on February 22.
Apart from CISF personnel, onlookers said that teams from the Hyderabad Police (City and Traffic) too were positioned at various points around the airport to keep curious crowds at bay.
An Indian Airlines flight (AI 619) flew in the body from Mumbai around 9.46 pm, an hour after its scheduled arrival time. Sources indicated that Srinivas' wife Sunayana Dumala and another friend of the couple arrived on the same flight.
While the media was kept a clear distance away from the airport arrival terminal, it was learnt that P Mahender Reddy, the state transport minister, was at the site to attend to the family and facilitate the passage of the body from the cargo area into a waiting ambulance.
28/02/17 Times of India

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Man carrying 95 pistol cases nabbed at Ahmedabad airport

Ahmedabad: Security alarm bells went buzzing at the city airport when a man carrying 95 pistol cases in his luggage was apprehended while checking in to board the Ahmedabad-Kolkata Indigo 6E237 flight on Monday.

Sanjay Sakaria (Patel), director of a casting manufacturing company--Always Technocast Pvt Ltd (ATPL)--in Shapar industrial area near Rajkot, was stopped by security personnel when his luggage threw up images of pistols when scanned.
Sakaria was handed over to Sardarnagar police along with three boxes containing the 9 mm calibre pistol frames. Sakaria was later released by police after he produced documents proving that the consignment was legal and meant for delivery at the Ishapore Rifle Factory in West Bengal.
D B Waghela, joint commissioner of police in sector-2 in the city, said, "Sakaria was apprehended from the city airport after airline staffers suspected him of illegally carrying weapons. He was let off after he produced licence to supply to the Indian Army."
28/02/17 Times of India

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Delhi's iconic Centaur Hotel to be razed for aircraft parking

Centaur Hotel, a city landmark built for the 1982 Asian Games, will soon be consigned to history.
The Delhi International Airport Pvt Ltd (DIAL) says the site of the hotel will be needed by December 2019 — by when it would have completed 37 years— to make way for aircraft parking bays as part of the terminal 3 expansion plan. "The site is not needed for the fourth runway as that will be built slightly ahead of it towards the existing third runway (29). But we have to make additional parking bays and the Centaur site is needed for that," said a senior airport official.
Run by Air India, the 376-room Centaur was a landmark when it opened because of its glitzy interiors. Its glass elevators visible from the central lobby, a novelty back then that only Le Meridien at Janpath boasted of, were a big hit. Today, it is a pale shadow of its original self due to years of mismanagement and poor upkeep. Despite its prime location, flyers began patronising other five-stars in Delhi and Gurgaon. AI is likely to ask for land elsewhere in the 4,608-acre IGI Airport complex in lieu of this site.
Meanwhile, the lifespan of another 1982-era structure at IGI Airport — terminal 2 — that was to be demolished in 2020 to make way for a brand new T4, may get extended. T2 served as the international terminal from 1982 to 2010, when T3 opened.
In 2010, T2 was mothballed and the Delhi International Airport Pvt Ltd (DIAL) has now made it ready to handle domestic flights of some low cost carriers (LCCs) which will be shifted here from T1. T1 is currently used for all domestic arrivals and departures of IndiGo, SpiceJet and GoAir. The combined traffic of these three airlines is more than the built capacity of T1 and DIAL is in talks with the three LCCs to shift a couple of them to T2 to decongest T1 as well as get space at T1 to begin expansion work there.
27/02/17 Saurabh Sinha/The Times Of India

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Centre mulls dedicated cargo airport for Telangana, UP

New Delhi: The Centre is considering a proposal each from Telangana and Uttar Pradesh for setting up a ‘dedicated cargo airport.’

Telangana wants a dedicated cargo airport to be built in northern Hyderabad, while Uttar Pradesh is seeking the green signal to construct one such airport in the western part of the state, official sources said.

The Centre has informed these two states that the Airports Authority of India (AAI) had appointed a consultant to study and suggest name(s) of airport(s) or site(s) in the country that can be ‘developed’ or ‘converted’ as ‘dedicated cargo airport(s)’ – which may also be termed as ‘merchant airport(s).’

The AAI, subject to the Centre’s approval, would facilitate the construction of such dedicated cargo airport(s) once the site(s) and plans are finalised, and after finding that the same would be geographically suitable for air transportation, the sources said. They added that the cargo airport(s) may also act as ‘air cargo hub(s)’ in the country.
26/02/17 Arun S/The Hindu

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As skies congest, airlines grab parking slots

Mumbai: Apprehending unavailability of operational slots in near future due to congestion at some of the major airports in the country, most domestic airlines are seeking additional slots for those routes even though they might not actually need them.

This has not only resulted in overcapacity on certain such routes but is also helping the passengers get lower fares due to the intense competition.

According to the aviation experts, Mumbai, Delhi, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, etc, are some of the most important trunk sectors, having huge demand. For example, most of the airlines have a flight almost every hour on Mumbai-Delhi route during the peak hours, generating greater number of seats on offer for travelling.

"At congested airports, the airlines tend to preempt slot booking and use it later," said Rajeev Jain, CEO of Mumbai International Airport Limited (MIAL) which runs Mumbai's Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport (CSIA).
Moreover, the airlines later on request for change in routes depending upon the demand in future, which is easily granted, aviation experts reveal.
27/02/17 Shahkar Abidi/DNA

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Work on Bhogapuram airport will begin soon : Aviation Minister

Visakhapatnam: Visakhapatnam as a modern growing industrial city needs a new international airport and therefore the Centre has taken up the project at Bhogapuram in Vizianagaram district. Work on the project will begin once the land acquisition process is completed, Civil Aviation Minister P. Ashok Gajapati Raju, has said.

He was interacting with members of the local branch of the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) here on Monday. He said, "The Collector of Vizianagaram district has told me that most of the lands have been acquired for the project," he said. The project falls in Vizianagaram Lok Sabha constituency, represented by the minister himself.

He said the Civil Aviation Ministry was spending more than Rs. 1,500 crore on improving the Rajahmundry, Vijayawada and Tirupati airports in the state. "We are extending the runways at Gannavaram (Vijayawada) and at Madhurapudi (Rajahmundry) airports. We are also creating other facilities and also improving the Tirupati airport. Nightlanding facilities are being created at these airports to improve connectivity," he said.
27/02/17 CH.R.Sarma/Business Line

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Fog hits flights at Bengaluru's Kempegowda Airport

Bengaluru:  The arrival and departure of several flights, including international ones, was delayed on Monday early morning at the Kempegowda International Airport due to severe fog.

As fog settled in the airport from 5 am, early morning flights to and from Mumbai, Delhi, Cochin, Chennai were delayed. This had a cascading effect and led to delays down the line. The delays have been going on for a month due to fog. It is to be noted that KIA witnesses heavy traffic in the morning and there are a minimum of 50 departures between 5 to 8 am.

Passengers had to wait for 2-3 hours to get to board their respective flights. Airport officials had a tough time accommodating the delayed flights as the airport has been temporarily shutting the runway till March 31, between 10.30 am to 5 pm, for the construction of runway and taxiways.
27/02/17 New Indian Express

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Lohegaon airport terminal expansion works begin

Pune: The expansion work of the Lohegaon airport has begun with the front area of the terminal building being extended by around six feet.
The work began after defence authorities gave an in-principal approval to provide around 18 acre of land for the airport, in addition to 15.84 acres alloted last year. "The airport will see many projects in connection with expansion in the coming days," sources at the airport said.
"At present, the expansion work of the current terminal building of the airport has started. Besides the arrival and departure gates, the entire structure of the front side of the building is being extended to almost five to six feet. The area that witnesses the passengers walking and lining up to enter through the arrival will also be extended to almost around eight feet. Through this, the area inside the terminal building that sees a lot of works like baggage check units etc, will be increased," an airport official told TOI requesting anonymity.
27/02/17 Joy Sengupta/Times of India

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Alternative road to airport to be ready in three months

Bengaluru: The alternative road to Kempegowda International Airport from Begur, which is currently a kaccha road, will be fully ready in the next three months.

PWD principal secretary Lakshminarayana M said the government has already acquired private properties along the 1.5-km, 6-lane stretch at a cost of Rs 15 crore.

This 1.5-km mud road from Begur near Mylanahalli cross to the airport road is the gateway to the airport from Bengaluru east. It was thrown open to the public ahead of air show a fortnight ago.

“As soon as the mud settles down, the work on asphalting will begin,“ Lakshminarayana said.
27/02/17 Naveen Menezes/Economic Times

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Madurai airport all set to fly high

Air India was the only operator flying its aircraft out of Madurai three decades ago. However, when the Centre came up with open sky policy in the early 1990s, private players started trickling in.

Till a decade and a half back, only three air services were available out of Madurai airport. Air India was operating to Mumbai with a touchdown in Chennai, and Jet Airways was flying two flights to Chennai.

But, a combination of factors have now seen that the tier II airport has been well-connected, in fact, with more number of flights to Chennai than another other tier II cities of the State.

It has got at least 10 flights to Chennai, with three transit flights to Mumbai and Delhi. Besides, the city has air links to other metros like Hyderabad and Bengaluru.

From Sunday, Jet Airways is offering another flight service to Delhi via Mumbai. This is the only direct flight to Mumbai from Madurai.

In the next three days, IndiGo will add two more services from Madurai – one to Chennai and the other to Delhi via Chennai.

“Ever since the Madras High Court Bench came to Madurai, the number of regular fliers has increased. A lot of advocates are flying in and out,” said S. Rethinavelu, senior president, Tamil Nadu Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

Similarly, sporadic development of small and medium-scale industries in food processing, garments, plastic and rubber sectors has led to an increase in the number of domestic passengers.

“The next generation industrial leaders have realised the comfort of travelling by aircraft, which saves them time,” he added.

However, R. Sriram, a leading travel agent, attributed the growth to the advent of low-cost airlines like Air Deccan. “Till Air Deccan came to Madurai, flying was confined to the affluent or the top business class. The no-frills service that offered the lowest airfares encouraged more new fliers,” he added.
26/02/17 S.SundarMadurai/The Hindu

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Nagpur airport gets ACFT to attend crash fire in 2 mins!

Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar International Airport at Nagpur has been equipped with latest Airfield Crash Fire Tender that is capable to air crash or accidents site inside airport operation area within nick of time, so as to save more lives.

MIHAN India Ltd., the operator of the Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar International Airport, Nagpur has newly imported a Panther Airfield Crash Fire Tender (ACFT) from M/s Rosenbauer International, Austria. The order was placed for two ACFT’s to the manufacturer. The first ACFT was delivered on Februay 6, 2017. The cost of each vehicle is 5.6 Crores.

These ACFT’s (Panther) are manufactured by M/s Rosenbauer International, Austria and are best in class Rescue and Fire Fighting vehicle which is equipped with the latest Fire engineering technology.
27/02/17 Nagpur Today

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DIAL’s grand plan for Aerocity high street runs into trouble

New Delhi: The city airport operator's plan to have a high street dotted with food and beverage outlets, upmarket shopping plazas and a pedestrian walkway at the hospitality district has run into rough weather. Airports Authority of India (AAI) has asked Delhi International Airport Pvt Ltd (DIAL) to immediately stop construction work on the central street of its hotel area for alleged violation of norms and building more than allowed.
DIAL has been told their request, dated November 30, 2016, for setting up of F&B outlets, shops, toilets etc in the central pedestrian street has been examined and that there is no provision for these in the approved layout plan. "However, it has been found at site, on physical verification, that DIAL has gone ahead with the construction work without prior approval from AAI in gross violation of (agreement)," said AAI's GM (finance) V Vidya, in a letter dated February 9, 2017, to DIAL CEO I P Rao. "You are hereby directed to immediately stop the construction activities...and show cause explaining the circumstances under which the construction activity is being carried out at site...failing which action shall be taken as deemed appropriate," said the letter.
DIAL says it will reply to AAI and that it has an ambitious plan for the hospitality district's central street. The 'beautification' will start from the tunnel under the main runway between Terminal 1 and T3 and the work will be completed by year-end. "In 2008, we had got a plan approved for the hospitality district under which beautification of the common area was to be done by us while the hotels were to be built by successful bidders. The original plan provided for a very modest pedestrian street, just a pathway for people. We wanted to enhance the look and feel of the area for which Netherland's well-known town planner KuiperCompagnons was appointed," said a DIAL official.
26/02/17 Saurabh Sinha/Times of India

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Chandigarh: 36 flights in a single day and counting

Chandigarh: For the first time, since it began its operations, the Chandigarh International Airport has started operating 36 flights on a single day. As per the latest schedule issued by the Airport Authority of India (AAI), the first flight arrives at the airport around 7.15 am and the last flight departs at 9.35 pm daily. According to the new schedule, the maximum flights that operates from Chandigarh is Delhi, Mumbai and Bengaluru. While in 2006, only three flights were operating per day, the number has now reached to 36 after several airlines introduced flights to several new destination since last year, said airport authorities.
Chandigarh Airport CEO Sunil Dutt told Chandigarh Newsline that this “is a good sign for the growth of the airport”. “Yes, the airport is operating 36 flights for the first time. Our goal is to introduce more flights from the city, so that it gets connected with rest of the country. Recently, four new direct flights have been introduced and we are getting an overwhelming response,” he said, adding, “The airlines should review their business plans from the airport because there is huge potential for them.”
Airport sources said that after launching direct connectivity to Pune, Hyderabad, Chennai and Leh, the authority has already approached various airlines to start flights to Goa and other destinations such as Kolkata, Lucknow,Patna, Ahmadabad. “Patna is an important destination because of the religious factor. We are approaching airlines about it,” said a senior official, adding that starting a flight to Goa is “difficult as slots are not currently available at the Dabolim Airport.”
26/02/17 Adil Akhzer/Indian Express

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SoBo to get direct connect to new airport via MTHL

Navi Mumbai: The road route through the 22-km Mumbai Trans Harbour Link (MTHL) will provide direct connectivity to passengers from south Mumbai to the upcoming international airport.
The SoBo motorists can take a left turn from Shivaji Nagar, Ulwe to head for the western side of the airport.
Cidco chief engineer, K K Varkhedkar said, "The MTHL will drop in Ulwe at Shivaji Nagar from where one arm of the coastal road, via an interchange, will directly connect to the airport. The other arm will connect JNPT.'' Total length of the two arms of the coastal road is 10. 1 km.
The airport connectivity via Ulwe will be done under phase I and the JNPT connect in phase II. A 5.7-km stretch of the coastal road will connect MTHL to Aamra Marg, that will help motorist to access Palm Beach Road at Kille junction.
Just before the coastal road connects to Aamra Marg, there will be a bifurcation near the upcoming Targhar railway station, which is described as airport link. Targhar is one of the several railway stations on the upcoming Nerul-Uran railway corridor.
26/02/17 Times of India

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E-toilets: Airport officials decide to give it a second thought

Visakhapatnam: The authorities of Visakhaptnam International Airport are giving a second thought to the proposal of setting up e-toilets outside the terminal building, saying that it is not cost-effective.
Airport director Vinod Sharma said that owing to higher maintenance cost, permanent toilets would be a better option and they will hold discussions with the civil engineers and operation in-charge on the proposal again on Monday.
Earlier, the airport officials mooted several plans to improve the passengers’ amenities in view of the considerable rise in the passenger traffic. As part of the exercise, e-toilets were planned near the terminal building.
The site inspection by the team from Eram Scientific Solutions Private Limited was completed last month and two sites have been selected for construction of e-toilet project. The approximate expenditure was put at `12 lakh.
“However, six permanent toilets instead of two e-toilets at the same site can be constructed at the same cost,” said Air Port director Vinod Sharma.
Further, the per month average maintenance cost for the proposed e-toilets has been estimated to be somewhere between `8,000 and `10,000 and the staff for regular cleaning will be deployed by the contractor himself.
26/02/17 New Indian Express

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Flyers caught in crossfire on baggage stamping

New Delhi: Air travellers were a puzzled lot on Friday morning. Thanks to the beginning of a long weekend, they predictably saw massive rush at India's busiest airports. But amid that chaos, they found to their surprise Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) putting "security checked" stamps on their hand bag tags. This, a day after the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS) had said this practice will be discontinued at Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Ahmedabad and Cochin airports.
TOI had in its Friday edition front-paged the CISF-BCAS tussle on this issue due to which stamping is unlikely to stop in a hurry. While finding out the cause of this disagreement, it has now emerged that the two agencies have locked horns earlier too. The seeds of the same lie in the dispute between their parent ministries - aviation (BCAS) and home (CISF) — over who should be in charge of aviation security.
"Baggage stamps have a small number which state the counter where the same was X-rayed. The idea is to trace who was the person who screened the same if it is later found that the bag had something dangerous in it. Now 100% CCTV coverage can do the same job. If a cabin bag is found to have something dangerous in it later on, the CCTV footage can show who went wrong in screening," said a person while explaining the dispute between the two agencies.
25/02/17 Saurabh Sinha/Times of India-

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Collision between aircraft averted at Ahmedabad airport

New Delhi:  In yet another case of an air miss, an incident between IndiGo and a SpiceJet aircraft was averted at Ahmedabad airport.

According to official sources, the incident occurred on Friday evening when a SpiceJet flight had to abort take-off at the last minute as an IndiGo plane could not clear the runway due to the presence of rabbits on the airstrip at the airport.

The matter has been reported the aviation regulator, Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA).

According to sources, the SpiceJet pilot saw Indigo flight was still on the runway whereas it was supposed to be off the runway by then. They were asked to enter backtrack and wait departure clearance.

However, a moment later air traffic control at Ahmedabad intervened. The pilot of Indigo reported that there were some rabbits on the runway and this required the ATC to advise SpiceJet to hold position, forcing the pilot to abort take-off at the last minute.

As the IndiGo pilot stopped the aircraft, the nose of the aircraft was still on taxiway and tail of aircraft still on the runway. While SpiceJet pilots maintain in their report that the IndiGo aircraft wasn’t cleared off the runway when SpiceJet was ready to take off.

Both the pilots reported ATC about the incident to the DGCA.
25/02/17 New Indian Express

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Mohali Bans Kites Flying Around Chandigarh International Airport

Mohali administration has imposed a ban on flying kites and sky lanterns within 2 km radius outside the boundary of Chandigarh International Airport. The ban has been imposed till 22nd February 2017. Taking into consideration the safety of flights and passengers, the decision has been taken by the administration. After the functioning of the Chandigarh International Airport everyday some or the either decision has been made to ensure the security of the airport and the passengers.
The ban has been imposed for the security reasons in or nearby airport, so that to minimize the possibility of mishappenings. After the request letter of the civil aviation department stating that the kites and sky lanterns could be a danger for the planes and should be banned with immediate effect.

• It may happen that kites may come in contact with the engine of the planes.
• It may create problems for the pilots to see flight paths.
• It may cause accidents

It can also be a trouble for plane landing and taking off.
Mohali administration has issued an order to impose the ban as soon as possible. And the directions are also given to the police officials to look whether the ban has been implemented properly or not.
25/02/17 Chandigarh Metro

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Speed corridors planned for Navi Mumbai international airport

Navi Mumbai:  The east-west take off and landing of the Navi Mumbai Internation Airport (NMIA) will have entry and exit points at both ends. Several speed corridors to the airport will make an octopus-like grip all across Mumbai.
Cidco has planned an interchange at Kalamboli traffic junction and a cloverleaf around 2km away on NH-4B that will help those coming from Mumbai, Pune, Thane and Mumbra on the eastern end. Loop roads at Kille junction on Palm Beach road on the western end will help motorists going towards Chembur, the central suburbs, Thane and beyond.
The special purpose vehicle for the project—Mumbai JNPT port road company limited in which JNPT, NHAI and Cidco are equity holders will float a tender in March to appoint a technical consultant to suggest the designing of the infrastructure.
Chief general manager Cidco (airport and transport), Soma Vijay Kumar, told TOI on Friday, "We have suggested the infra projects as it would enable smooth and seamless vehicular movement."
24/02/17 Sanjay Banerjee/Times of India

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Pune needs two airports, new one in 3-4 years: CM Devendra Fadnavis

Pune: Chief minister on Friday said the city would require two airports. While the construction of the new state-of-the-art airport at Purandar would be completed in three or four years, the existing international airport at Lohegaon would be expanded, he observed.
Replying to a text message by TOI about the expansion of the Lohegaon airport, the chief minister said, "We require both airports. The expansion can be done in a year."
Fadnavis' reaction comes a couple of days after defence minister Manohar Parrikar gave an in-principle nod to transfer 18 acres of defence land to the Lohegaon airport for its expansion. In May last year, the ministry of defence had approved the transfer of 15.84 acres to the airport. But the actual transfer is yet to be done.
The chief minister had said during the announcement of the Purandar airport late last year that the facility would be ready by 2019. But earlier this week, Pune's guardian minister Girish Bapat said the airport would take five years to come up and so the expansion of the Lohegaon airport was necessary.
Of late, authorities have been stressing on the expansion of the Lohegaon airport apparently because land acquisition for the Purandar airport and announcement of the compensation package for those giving up their land are pending. Last week, senior officials of the Mumbai region of the Airports Authority of India (AAI) came to Pune to discuss with the Indian Air Force authorities the land transfer process and the expansion of the airport.
25/02/17 Joy Sengupta/Times of India

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Come March, 50 daily flights to arrive at Srinagar Airport

Sringar: After taking a nosedive due to last year unrest, air traffic to Kashmir may witness more than cent percent increase with a record number of 100 flights scheduled in and out at the Srinagar Airport beginning March.  
Seven airlines operating to Srinagar in their new schedule submitted to Director General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), New Delhi, have increased their number of flights to Srinagar taking the total count of daily arrivals to the capital city to 50.
The number of in an out flights, due to a drop in passenger flow to Srinagar had witnessed a sharp decrease to 40 after killing of Hizb Commander Burhan Wani on July 8 last year. Prior to the unrest 76 in and out flights were operating at the Srinagar Airport. However, if the new proposal goes as it is planned, the number of new daily flights to and from Srinagar will be 100.
Director, Airports Authority of India, Srinagar, Sharad Kumar told Greater Kashmir that the scheduled 100 in and out flights at Srinagar Airport is a “milestone” and a “challenge” for which infrastructure at the airport is being upgraded. “The check-in counters have been increased and the boarding gates also have to be increased in order to cater to the increased passenger flow. If things fall into place as planned and the submitted schedule is followed by the airlines then this would be for the first time that we will have 100 flights operating at the Srinagar International Airport,” Kumar said.
25/02/17 Saqib Malik/Greater Kashmir

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Goa: Airport Authority of India turns down Navy’s request to cut down summer flights

Panaji: Airport Authority of India (AAI) has turned down the request of the Indian Navy to reduce frequency of flights at the Goa International Airport during the summer schedule which comes into force from April. “There was a request from the Indian Navy to cut down the number of flights during the summer schedule. But we have not agreed,” Goa Airport Airport Director BCH Negi said on Saturday.
The Goa airport, located in Dabolim, is managed by Indian Navy, which is part of its INS Hansa base near Vasco. Indian Navy has been conducting routine sortie of its flights from this facility.
According to sources, Navy wants to increase its timing of sortie during the summer schedule, following which it has written to the AAI.
“At our level, we have requested to maintain the flight schedule as it is. Indian Navy had given a written request to curtail the number of flights but it is not agreed,” he said. “I don’t know what is being decided at (the) higher level. Even Airlines have refused to cut down the number of flights,” he added.
25/02/17 PTI/Indian Express

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Parallel taxi track at airport completed

Thiruvananthapuram: Improving the runway capacity at Trivandrum International Airport, the construction work of Parallel Taxi Track (PTT) has been completed. Airport Authority of India (AAI) will begin the work to get approval from the directorate general of civil aviation (DGCA) for the 1,880-meter long PTT constructed parallel to the runway.
To get the approval, safety assessment needs to be completed for which AAI has to clear any obstruction at 48-meter distance from the PTT. Relocation of a temporary structure near the PTT and road diversion in the international terminal were some of the work to be taken as part of safety assessment. And a report on the same will be submitted to DGCA.
The PTT constructed at Rs 62 crore will reduce the time taken by an aircraft on the runway and also helps save fuel for airlines.
An aircraft occupies the runway for seven to eight minutes to land and to vacate the runway. The aircraft which reaches the end of the runway, while landing has to turn and return to the middle of the runway to enter the path to parking bay.
Airport director George G Tharakan said after commissioning the PTT will help increase the runway capacity (flight movement in an hour) of the airport.
25/02/17 Times of India

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Flight from Coimbatore to Mumbai takes 6 hours

A trip from Coimbatore to Mumbai usually lasts no longer than two hours by air. But on Thursday, more than a hundred passengers on board Indigo flight 6E 453 were livid when the same journey took them six hours.
The flight, which took off from Coimbatore airport at 8 am, was expected to land at 9:55 am. But according to passengers who were on board the plane, while it was descending into Mumbai and about to land, the captain took it back up. "He made an announcement saying that because there was congestion on the runway, the flight had been delayed," said Chikita Kukreja, a Mumbaikar who was on board the flight. "My husband was worried as to why I hadn't landed, and was frantically trying to get in touch with Indigo to find what the hold up was about."
Harshit Shah, an employee of CEAT in Mumbai who was also on the same flight, said, "After hovering above Mumbai for nearly 45 minutes, he tried to land, but again pulled out. This time an announcement was made saying visibility conditions were low, but when we looked out, we could not see any impaired conditions. After pulling out, a third announcement was made stating that the flight was being taken to Ahmedabad for an emergency landing, as it was low on fuel."
At Ahmedabad, the flight was stalled for nearly two hours. Cabin crew and staff tried to appease angry passengers by giving them free food. Finally, after two hours, the flight took off for Mumbai, and landed in the city a little after 2 pm. According to the passengers, no proper explanation was given by the captain, as to why the flight had been delayed.
25/02/17 Gaurav Sarkar/Mid Day

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Flights to Goa to get costly as Navy cuts aircraft movements at Dabolim

New Delhi: Brace for costlier flight tickets to and from Goa for six months starting April this year as the Indian Navy has reduced flight movements at Dabolim airport, which it controls, by more than 10 per cent.

Coming amid a surge in international and domestic passenger traffic, the reduction in flights will lead to higher ticket prices as supply dwindles.

"The Indian Navy has informed us that they will reduce the number of flights allowed between 12:30 and 15:30 by about 15 flights due to operational reasons. It is a reduction of about five flights per hour from 15 flights per hour allowed earlier," said an Airports Authority of India (AAI) official, who did not want to be identified.

Commercial operations at the naval facility are managed by AAI. The airport is also shut for four hours daily for training exercises conducted by the navy. Travel industry executives said the curbs will act as a drag on passenger growth, which was 25.1 per cent in January from the year earlier, a rate that's reckoned as among the highest in the world.
25/02/17 Mihir Mishra/Economic Times

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Delhi Airport to have air trains

Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport will soon be at par with New York's JFK, London Heathrow, Hong Kong and Zurich airports as per as Air Train is concerned. This is a dedicated metro corridor that helps people to commute from one terminal to other. Now passengers coming from T3 to T1 or vice versa need to take AC buses available for terminal transfers, which take 30 minutes for each trip. However after the air train is built, the transfer wouldn’t take more than 12 minutes.

From 2020, T2, which is the old international airport would be a brand new terminal T 4 and would share the load of traffic. This initiative of air train was supposed to be started in 2020 along with the new terminal. However with the volume of traffic at Delhi airport increasing every quarter the authority plans to begin the work at the earliest. Delhi International Airport Pvt Ltd (DIAL) would start expanding T1 and laying the fourth runway from July this year.
25/02/17 Business Insider India

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Stamping of cabin baggage tags happening despite govt order

New Delhi: Defying Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BcAS) order issued yesterday, the CISF, which guards all key airports in the country, is stamping cabin baggage tags at Delhi and Mumbai airports in the country causing inconvenience to passengers.

BCAS, the aviation security wing of the government, had announced yesterday that passengers flying out of Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Ahmedabad and Cochin would not have to tag their cabin baggage, as the provision of stamping of baggage tags has been removed at these airports.

"Heavy congestion at BOM prior to security this morning. Tag stamping still on. Pax (passengers) reminded not to carry liquids >100ml in cabin baggage," Vistara Chief Strategy and Commercial Officer said on Twitter.
24/02/17 Mihir Mishra/Economic Times

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Chandigarh International Airport: Instrument landing system develops snag, can hit flights

If the city sees bad weather in the coming days, it can disrupt flight operations at the Chandigarh International Airport. Reason: The Airport Authority of India has extended the notam (notice to airmen) till February 27, after the instrument landing system (ILS) installed on the runway developed a problem last week. With the notam enforced, an aircraft cannot land with less than 2,400 metres visibility instead of 1,200.
Notam is a written advisory for the airlines about the circumstances relating to the state of flying.
Airport sources said that the orders had been extended till February 27 evening. “The glide part of the ILS last week developed a problem and the airlines were communicated about it. The order will now remain in place till 8 pm on February 27,” an airport official said.
He said if the city sees bad weather in the coming days, there would be delays in the flight operations. “No flight can land if the visibility goes below 2,400 metres,” said the official.
When contacted, a senior Chandigarh International Airport Limited (CHIAL) official told Chandigarh Newsline that the “problem has been fixed” and they were now waiting for a special flight from Delhi, for the calibration which is mandatory after the repair and also to allow the aircraft to land at 1,200 metres.
“A special flight comes from Delhi for this job. The flight had come recently, but due to some permission, it couldn’t complete the work. We are expecting the flight to come soon to Chandigarh, following which again 1,200 metres visibility would be applicable for the airlines,” the official said.
While the runway of the Chandigarh International Airport is controlled by the Indian Air Force, the CAT I instrument landing system (ILS) equipped on the runway belongs to the Airports Authority of India.
24/02/17 Adil Akhzer/Indian Express

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Scare at Mumbai airport after power bank in hand luggage explodes

A mobile power bank kept inside the hand baggage of a passenger blasted at Mumbai's Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport (CSIA) leading to scare at the terminal on Friday morning.

According to the airport officials, the power bank belonged to a SpiceJet passenger who was about to fly to Mangalore on flight SG479.

"The passenger was in the airport toilet when the power bank blasted inside his bag which was kept near the toilet door," said an airport insider.
24/02/17 Shahkar Abidi/DNA

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Begumpet airport owes Rs 16 crore in property tax, slapped red notice

Secunderabad: After pestering the Airports Authority of India (AAI) for years over payment of property tax, the Secunderabad Cantonment Board (SCB) finally served a 'red notice' on the highest defaulter in its limits, the Begumpet airport, for not coughing up Rs 16.36 crore.
Threatening to attach the sprawling property if pending dues are not paid immediately , tax wing officials of the SCB said they were fed up with sending constant reminders.They gave the AAI a month's time to pay up.
"We served notices under section 100 of the Cantonment Act 2006," SCB chief executive officer, SVR Chandra Sekhar told TOI.
In the notice, it is mentioned that Begumpet Airport owes Rs 16,36,30,276 crore in property tax. If the airport authorities fails to pay again, either a warrant of distress will be issued or the property attacjed, said the CEO.
24/02/16 Sunil Mungara/Times of India

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Fund crunch slows down Greater Noida airport plans

New Delhi: An airport at Greater Noida’s Jewar, on the southeastern fringes of India’s capital, was first suggested 16 years ago: The wait will get longer after the local government said it even lacks funds to finance a crucial study on the project.
The government in Uttar Pradesh, India’s most populous state that is now in the process of electing its local legislature, cited lack of money to conduct an 'obstacle study' at the proposed airport site. "An obstacle study would not cost more than few lakhs and it is difficult to believe that the state government does not have that kind of money," a senior official at the Airports Authority of India told ET.
The state government last month wrote to the federal aviation ministry about its inability to conduct the study that ascertains whether the proposed site has any obstacle to cause obstructions in flight movements. The decision to conduct the study at the proposed site was taken in July during the last aviation ministry meeting on the Jewar airport.
24/02/17 Mihir Mishra/Economic Times

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At an airport used by IAF helicopters, farmers cultivate produce right by the runway

Malda: The Malda Air Port, located a few kilometers away from the India-Bangladesh international border, does not witness much air traffic. A tiny bungalow-like concrete structure serves as its terminal and the aerodrome attends to Air Force helicopters, small aircraft and the occasional passenger flight. Flight operations, though rare, take place around four times every week.
However, what really stands out about this 140-acre facility is that nearly half of the land at this airport is used by farmers to cultivate produce. The farming, which has been going on for more than a year now, doesn't take place near or besides the airport. It takes place inside the facility.
Local farmers have turned more than 60 acres of the airport, which has a 3,600-foot runway, into a cultivation ground. And perhaps more surprisingly, the farmers have been able to do so with the active support of authorities with the airport in-charge boldly claiming that the farmers aren't a security threat. Arobindo Saha, the official in charge of the Malda Air Port, told India Today that the government has given the farmers the land to cultivate and that he is not in a position to raise any opposition considering that higher authorities have given permission. But, interestingly, in his conversation to India Today, Saha indicated that he personally sees no reason to oppose the farming.
According to Saha, instead of posing a security threat, the farmers are actually a form of security as they look after and guard the land. And in any case, the area is a not a high-security zone, he adds. However, Saha also told us the the farming will soon come to an end.
24/02/17 Manogya Loiwal/India Today

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Shoppers Stop sells nearly entire 5% in airport retail venture

New Delhi: Retail chain Shoppers Stop has sold almost its entire 5 per cent stake in airport retail venture Nuance Group Fashion & Luxury Duty Free Private for an undisclosed sum.
“The company’s shareholding in Nuance Group Fashion and Luxury Duty Free Private Ltd (NGFL) has been reduced from 5 per cent to 0.00035 per cent of the paid-up share capital of NGFL,” Shoppers Stop said in a regulatory filing.
Started in 2006, Nuance, through its joint venture with Shoppers Stop Ltd, has been present in the Indian travel retail market for over five years now.
24/02/17 PTI/India.com

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Maha Shivratri: Mumbai airport showcases world's largest Trimurti made of margarine!

Mumbai: On the occasion of Maha Shivratri, Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport in Mumbai exhibited the World's 'Largest Margarine Structure'. On Friday, Terminal 1 of the airport housed a giant Trimurti made of margarine.

The 1500 kg structure standing tall at 12 ft long, 10 ft broad and 10 ft high, was created with margarine (butter substitute) and displayed in a temperature-controlled glass cubicle at the domestic arrivals at Terminal 1. The theme of the structure reflects the trinity of supreme divinity, in which the cosmic functions of creation, maintenance, and destruction are personified as a triad of deities, Brahma the creator, Vishnu the preserver, and Shiva the transformer.
24/02/17 DNA

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Advisory body surveys Surat airport for traffic potential

Surat: CAPA India, South Asia's leading aviation advisory and research institution, has started a survey to assess air traffic potential of the Diamond City.
Sources said the research team members from CAPA India were in the city to get a sense of the airport's potential and also met various industry organizations in the last two days. CAPA - Centre for Aviation- is a leading provider of independent aviation market intelligence, analysis, reports and data services, covering worldwide developments on a daily basis. The institution offers an extensive range of information services developed by global team of writers and analysts covering an entire spectrum of commercial aviation.
CAPA India team members were in the city on an invitation extended by the city-based 'We Want a Working Airport at Surat' (WWWAS), a social media group fighting for air connection for the city.
'WWWAS' member Linesh Shah said, "CAPA India is a leading name in the aviation research and analysis. Its team members were in the city to study the potential of air traffic from Surat and also met various stakeholders. The report prepared by CAPA India will be used by commercial airline companies to explore air traffic potential of the Diamond City."
24/02/17 Times of India

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MoD approves 18 acres of land for Pune airport's expansion

Pune: In another move as part of the expansion of Pune airport at Lohegaon, the defence ministry approved 18 acres of land, as announced by defence minister Manohar Parrikar at a meeting in Delhi on Wednesday.

Earlier, the MoD had approved 15.84 acres of land for expansion and this was handed over to airport authorities on May 15, 2016. According to sources at the Airports Authority of India (AAI), “It is the part of another 30-acre plot, which will constitute phase II. The meeting was held with AAI officials and the Indian Air Force (IAF) on February 13.”

When contacted Ajay Kumar, director of Pune airport, said, “The 18 acres of land were allocated considering the traffic at the airport. The AAI has already approved Rs 408 crore for a new terminal building equipped with high-tech infrastructure, to be built in a 35,000 sq m space.”
23/02/17 Pune Mirror

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Navi Mumbai Airport: Full-fledged construction to begin after monsoon

Mumbai: While the Mumbai International Airport Ltd (MIAL) led by GVK has won the bid to build the Rs 16,000 crore Navi Mumbai Airport project, sources said full fledged construction work will likely begin only after monsoon. Sources indicated that the bidder may need 4-5 months’ time to make financial arrangements for the project.
Abhay Chautala Detained, Says Leaders Opposing SYL Canal Won’t Be Allowed To Enter Haryana

Last week, the GVK, which operates the Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport in Mumbai, won the bid by offering 12.60 per cent of the annual gross revenue generated by the airport to the City and Industrial Development Corporation (CIDCO), higher than the 10.44 per cent offered by GMR Airports Limited, which operates the Delhi International Airport.
Officials from the CIDCO said the Cabinet will soon take a decision about awarding the project to the successful bidder. “Since the code of conduct is likely to get over on February 23, the cabinet decision will happen anytime before the budget session of the state assembly,” said an official.
The official added that the financial closure of the bidding process will happen within 180 days.
23/02/17 Vishwas Waghmode/Indian Express

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Air Asia flight to Malaysia from Odisha capital gets cheaper, booking starts

Bhubaneswar: The long wait to fly to Malaysia from Odisha capital at lower price is over now, as the Air Asia started booking for the tickets from today.
Three years after getting the international status, the international flight from Biju Patnaik International Airport to Malaysia is set to be operated from April 26.

“All you need is 4 hours, RM99 & the passion for adventure! Cause we’re now flying to #Bhubaneswar! Book now @ http://bit.ly/Tw_BBI”, tweeted Air Asia today.

The Air Asia offers lowest fare for flight from Bhubaneswar to Malaysia at cost of Rs 999 (all inclusive fare). The flight between Bhubaneswar and Malaysia will be operated four days a week. It will take around 3 hours to reach the destination from Bhubaneswar, official sources said.

The Bhubaneswar airport authority has also provided the permissions following Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) to Air Asia.
23/02/17 Odisha Sun Times

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Air India Moves Supreme Court Seeking Cut in Delhi Airport Charges

New Delhi: State-owned Air India Ltd on 24 January moved the Supreme Court seeking reduction in charges at Delhi airport, court documents showed.

In its petition, Air India said Delhi International Airport Ltd (DIAL), run by GMR Infrastructure Ltd, is recovering Rs300 crore every month through these charges, and at this rate, by March 2019, it would have collected a total of Rs17,157.15 crore against the originally targeted Rs7,709.61 crore. This would be an excess collection of Rs9,447.54 crore over and above the target revenue, Air India said in its petition seen by Mint.

The Federation of Indian Airlines (FIA), which includes IndiGo, SpiceJet, GoAir and Jet Airways, and controls nearly 90% of the domestic market share may support Air India, a person aware of the matter said, asking not to be named.

"In a nutshell, the airlines as well as the users have been fastened with a massive liability which otherwise is unwarranted in law due to operating stay (by Delhi High Court), without being afforded even an opportunity to be heard," the airline said.

Delhi airport, which was modernized for nearly Rs13,000 crore in 2010, recoups part of this amount by charging passengers and airlines. Domestic passengers departing from DIAL are charged about Rs564 while international passengers are charged Rs1,301. Airlines pay their share through higher landing, parking and aircraft housing charges.
23/02/17 AviationPros

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No stamping of hand bags at seven airports

New Delhi:  Air travellers will no longer need to get their hand bag stamped with "security checked" at seven major airports- Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Ahmedabad and Cochin.
In a major relief to flyers, the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS) Thursday issued an order doing away with stamping hand bag tags with "immediate effect." Issued with approval of BCAS chief Rajesh Kumar Chandra, the aviation security circular (4/2017) says, "The present system of stamping hand baggage tags at pre-embarkation security check points for seven airports... shall be dispensed with immediate effect."
The BCAS and Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) had carried out non stamping at several airports+ for domestic flyers late last year. That trial was done successfully and a final decision was to be taken after Republic Day.
The aviation ministry is keen to extend no-stampimg to more airports. The aim then is to stop stamping boarding cards too and take the next step to introduce biometric boarding.
23/02/17 Saurabh Sinha/Times of India

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200-ft-high flag post sans aviation obstacle lights

Aurangabad: In a major violation of air traffic safety rules, the authorities concerned have not yet put aviation obstacle lights on a 200-foot-high flag post at the historic Kala Chabutra near Kranti chowk.
The district administration, in association with the Chamber of Marathwada Industries and Agriculture (CMIA), Swami Ramanand Tirth Sanshodhan Sansthan, an NGO, and other leading bodies of traders and industrialists, is developing the spot at a cost of about Rs 3 crore .
The yet-to-be illuminated flag post — tallest man-made structure in the city — was built about three to four months ago and poses a serious threat to aircraft and helicopters that regularly fly over the city.
Gupreet Singh Bagga, CMIA president, said all the required permissions for the flag post have been availed and that the lamps will be illuminated soon after getting a power connection. "It will be a 24x7 illuminated structure, but right now we do not have power backup at the spot," he told TOI on Tuesday.
22/02/17 Niraj Chinchkhede/Times of India

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Dabolim’s new encroachers are a stone’s throw away from landing planes

The picture tells its own story. In fact IS the story. Look at the plane flying so low over this sudden shanty right under the flight path. There are people who appear to be migrants who have set up camp there. There is cooking going on. And if the picture is zoomed, you see a bird flying, obviously drawn to this sudden activity and cooking
If the dangers of encroachment and the hazards of  this activity around the airport need any evidence, this is the signifying picture which speaks more than a million words
Herald visited the site where migrants have illegally encroached upon a private land and have erected their shanties right under the flight path. 30 odd migrants’ families had erected temporary huts using tarpaulin sheet and other cloth material. They were cooking their food in open and were disposing off their daily waste in same area which in turn was attracting birds in the air.
Surprisingly none of them were even carrying any identity proof with them but they were seen enjoying the view of landing aircrafts that were flying over their heads and very less distance from the ground.
This poses a serious threat since the aircraft can easily be targeted by flinging stones given the distance from the ground.
It was also brought to the notice of Herald that many of these labourers have been working as daily wagers, while few female members among them are involving in begging in Vasco town. Locals said that during the day time, these migrants partly dismantle their shanties and erect the same in the evening so that their presence does not catch the eyes of the concerned authorities.
Shockingly even the local elected representatives from the Chicalim Panchayat acknowledges the fact that the presence of migrants who have been illegally living under the flight path could be dangerous.
Panch member from Dabolim ward, Kamla Prasad Yadav claimed that the local Panchayat body has made some efforts to remove these hutments and had asked the police force to avoid law and order situation during removal of shanties. However, he said the police is yet to provide them support in resolving the issue. Similar concerns were even raised by the Chicalim Sarpanch Neelima Naik, who also assured that Panchayat would do everything to ensure that these encroachers are evacuated on priority.
23/02/17 Herald

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Heavy fog leads to diversion of fighter aircrafts to Tiruchi airport

Heavy fog led to the diversion of four Sukhoi fighter aircrafts of the Indian Air Force to the Tiruchi international airport in the early hours on Wednesday.

The four fighter aircrafts was to have landed at the Thanjavur Air Force base when they were diverted to the Tiruchi international airport due to heavy fog on Wednesday. The aircrafts landed at around 1 a.m. one after the other.

After visibility became clear hours later, the four aircrafts left Tiruchi for Thanjavur Air Force base, the airport sources said.

Poor visibility at the Tiruchi airport also led to the delayed arrival of the Tiruchi-bound Sri Lankan Airlines flight from Colombo. The flight which was scheduled to land at Tiruchi at 8.55 a.m. arrived late by one-and-half-hours, the sources said. The aircraft landed here at around 10.35 a.m.
23/02/17 R. Rajaram/The Hindu

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Airport says bye to its canine copes

Mumbai: The Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) deployed at the Mumbai airport is bidding farewell this month to four highly-trained members who have rarely taken off days in their 10 years at the Bomb Disposal and Detection Solution Squad (BDDS). The retirees – Gold, Deena, Tyson and Lenovo, all Labradors – are part of the 12-member dog squad which are trained to detect explosives in baggage at the highsecurity airport.

“Some of them are very fit and active and can continue in service. But since government norms mandate that they retire when they turn 10, we have to let them go,” said a CISF official.

While Gold, a male Labrador retired on February 17, Deena, a female Labrador is retiring today. Tyson and Lenovo, both male Labradors will retire on March 1 and 2 respectively. CISF will induct four more dogs soon to maintain the strength of the dog squad.

The 12-member dog squad has four females and includes Labradors, German Shepherds and Cocker Spaniels, all brought in as sevenmonth-old pups. After induction, the dogs were assigned individual handlers, who raised the pups, trained them and have been accompanying them on duty since they turned one-and-a-half-years-old.
23/02/17 Aditya Anand/Mumbai Mirror

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Flight services from Jaisalmer face clearance hurdle

Jaisalmer: The regular flight service in Jaisalmer, which was to start from February 20, has once again delayed due to dispute between airlines company and air force. The air force has refused to give clearance to the airlines company for not fulfilling the conditions of passengers' safety and prescribed standards.
The Supreme Airlines, on the contrary, has alleged that air force had not given clearance purposefully and has sought reply by sending notice to air force for delaying their scheduled flight operation from February 20. The airlines has threatened air force for taking legal action if the latter don't reply within 24 hours.
The Jaisalmer airport is lying ready for four years, and Supreme Airlines had announced to start air service between Jaisalmer, Jodhpur and Jaipur from February 20 and even website bookings were also started for the said purpose.
Officers of airlines and airport author were talking about the first will reach Jaisalmer on Monday and tour operators and agents were excited to welcome passengers of the first flight. Even after waiting for hours, the flight, which was to land in Jaisalmer at 11.55pm from Jodhpur, didn't arrive and it was announced later that there was no flight on Monday.
23/02/17 Times of India

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Madurai airport attracts more flights

Madurai airport will get three more services – two on Madurai-Chennai sector with one transit flight to Delhi and the third providing a direct connectivity between Madurai and Mumbai with onward flight to Delhi.

The new services will also see entry of a new airliner, Indigo, to set its foot in Madurai with two flights with effect from March 1.

The low-cost airline would operate a flight between Chennai and Madurai and tanother one between Madurai and Delhi with a touchdown in Chennai. The airline would operate a bigger aircraft, Airbus A320, with a capacity of 180 passengers.

“With availability of additional capacity on Chennai-Madurai sector, air fare is likely to fall down drastically,” said N. Sriram, a leading travel agent.

Though the minimum fare in the sector starts at ₹1,200-₹1,500, the average fare is about ₹4,000. “Still, the fare touches anywhere between ₹15,000 and ₹18,000. We hope this high fare will fall in the coming days,” he added.
23/02/17 S Sundar/The Hindu

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Two flights at same level, scanner on airport near-miss

An air controller's split second delay in assessing a situation and giving clear instructions to pilots of three aircraft put passengers of two flights in peril this December.
The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) is investigating the "serious incident" that took place this winter. Pending the report, the controller in question has been shunted out of the air traffic control (ATC) tower.
On the morning of December 11, the controller at the tower in Kolkata airport had three aircraft on his hands. An Emirates flight to Dubai and an IndiGo Airlines flight to Hyderabad were taxiing for take-off from the main runway while a SilkAir flight from Singapore was approaching to land at the airport.
A routine affair at that time of the day, the controller asked the Emirates aircraft to line up from Taxiway K and gave it clearance for take-off. The IndiGo flight was asked to queue up and was next in sequence to hit the runway and take off. The SilkAir flight was around 6 nautical miles from touch down and approaching the landing strip at 320 kmph.
For some reason that is cur rently being looked into, the Emirates flight stood at the Madhyamgram end of the runway for one minute and 15 seconds before starting its take-off run. The rapidly approaching SilkAir aircraft was now 2 nautical miles of touchdown.
23/02/17 Subhro Niyogi/The Times Of India

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GIPL bags repeat order from Cochin Airport

New Delhi: Tech firm Ganges Internationale (GIPL) today said it has bagged the second project order of 11 MW module mounting structures from cochin Airport.

"GIPL is again selected to install a big project of capacity 11 MW module mounting structures by Cochin Airport. GIPL invested Rs 5 crore during manufacturing and installation of module mounting structures," a GIPL statement said.

According to the statement, while, 11 MW is a ground mount repeat order, the pilot tracking project is the first-of-its-kind to get installed at an Indian Airport.

Tracking systems (for sunshine) have been in the foray for a while, across all international airbases. It has slowly crept into the Indian Aviation environment through Cochin's interest in checking the feasibility of such system, to ensure a streamlined experience at the airport, it said.
23/02/17 Outlook

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AAI pays Rs 560 cr to govt as interim dividend

New Delhi: Airports Authority of India (AAI) today declared an interim dividend of Rs 560 crore for the fiscal year 2016-17.

The public sector undertaking had paid a dividend of Rs 482.21 crore to the government for the previous financial year and posted a net profit of Rs 2,537 crore.

An interim dividend amounting Rs 560 crore was presented to Civil Aviation Minister P Ashok Gajapathi Raju by AAI Chairman Guruprasad Mohapatra today, an official release said.

The state-owned airport operator's topline had surged eight per cent to Rs 10,824 crore in FY16 on account of higher passenger traffic and aircraft movement.

AAI manages 125 airports in the country, including 11 international aerodromes, besides providing air navigation services.
22/02/17 PTI/Business Standard

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AAI wants better upkeep of areas around airport to prevent bird hits

Madurai: With two incidents of bird hits reported at Madurai airport last year, Airports Authority of India has raised its concern over the poor upkeep of the area around the airport that attracts birds.

During Airport Environmental Management Committee meeting held at the airport on Tuesday, AAI officials pointed at dumping of garbage in Perungudi. The garbage is not often promptly removed, thus attracting birds.

In the process, the birds come close to the airport and result in bird hit. “Both bird hits occurred while the flights were landing and hence the aircraft did not face much damage,” Airport Director V.V. Rao told The Hindu.

Besides, the officials said burning of garbage on the southern side of the airport was also a matter of concern. The smoke emanating from the burning garbage also attracted birds, Mr. Rao said.
21/02/17 S. Sundar/The Hindu

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Will Coimbatore ever get to fly high ?

A city that got an airport and air connectivity six decades ago and was connected to international destinations six years back now struggles with two issues that threatens to ground even its overall growth.

The two challenges are related to expansion of the existing airport and getting more number of direct flights to other countries, especially Dubai.

Coimbatore International Airport, which is now spread over 420 acres, needs another 627.89 acres for a wider and longer runway, new terminal building, etc.

Bottlenecks in the acquisition of the total additional land have crippled expansion plans of Coimbatore International Airport (CIA) for almost 10 years now. It still lacks the mandatory width for the runway based on which Director General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) issues licence to Airport Authority of India (AAI) to run an airport.

Airport Director G. Prakash Reddy told The Hindu that DGCA is extending the licence every two years for over the last 10 years though CIA is yet to meet DGCA requirement for basic strip, i.e., 150 metres on either side of the runway from the centre line. At present, it is just 75 metres wide on either side.

This is a basic safety requirement, he explains. The DGCA licence will expire in April this year though AAI hopes that it will be extended further not to affect operations at the airport.

Even if about 35 acres is made available in the first phase, the basic strip could be widened. Have a new and bigger building could be taken up in the next phase and in four or five years when it would be completed, the final expansion works could be taken up.
22/02/17 The Hindu

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Civil aviation minister Gajapathi Raju launches SKYREV360

The Airports Authority of India is looking beyond national boundaries and interests and is undertaking newer business initiatives by exploring global aviation markets for providing consultancy, construction, management services, export services and undertaking operations abroad in relation to airports, air-navigation services, ground aids and safety services beyond national borders.

AAI is venturing into unexplored business territories with an aim to generate more and better business opportunities and to maximise and enhance non-aeronautical revenues.

In one of its innovative business opportunities, the AAI in collaboration with IATA, came out with a unique comprehensive e-billing solution comprising of data gathering, invoicing and collection called SKYREV360.

This unique system is one of its kind and would help ANSP?s and Airport Operators world wide in avoiding revenue leakages, reducing redundancies, reduction in disputes, easy integration with all external systems and also help in curtailing the debt collection period to the minimum. The system is compatible to any of the radar systems in the world and can be hosted on cloud servers too.

The SKYREV360 was globally launched by Civil Aviation Minister Ashok Gajapathi Raju in the presence of R.N.Choubey, Secretary Civil Aviation, Dr. Guruprasad Mohapatra, Chairman AAI, S. Suresh, Member Finance, AAI and other senior officers and delegates from 19 countries.
22/02/17 ANI/DNA

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Vizag airport records 2 million fliers in 2016

Visakhapatnam : Visakhapatnam Airport has crossed a major milestone by handling 2.1 million passengers including both domestic and international during the 2016 calendar year. The airport witnessed footfalls of 21.01 lakh in 2016 as compared to 14.7 lakh in 2015, registering a growth of around 42%. Incidentally, Visakhapatnam Airport witnessed more than 2 lakh footfalls in a single month four times in 2016 whereas it had touched a maximum of only 1.56 lakh passengers in a month in 2015.
Domestic traffic has continued to increase in 2016 even as international passenger traffic declined due to the pull out of Malindo Air, which was opera ting flights between Vizag and Kuala Lumpur, in February 2016. While domestic air traffic in 2016 was around 20 lakh as against 14 lakh in 2015, international air passengers at Vizag dropped from 1.1 lakh in 2015 to around 1 lakh in 2016. Vizag Airport handled around 50 flights on an average each day in 2016 as compared to around 40 flights on an average in 2015.
22/02/17 Times of India

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Low airfare beckons: Flyers up 29.9% at Patna airport

Patna: The Jayaprakash Narayan International (JPNI) Airport, Patna, registered 29.9% growth in passenger flow between April and September last year, according to the latest Airports Authority of India (AAI) report.
As per the AAI figures, Patna airport handled 15,23,395 passengers between April and December, 2016 against 11,72,566 during the same period previous year. In terms of monthly passenger movement, it handled 1,86,704 flyers in December last year against 1,32,292 in the same month in 2015.
Senior Patna airport officials attribute the increase in passenger traffic to more flights and low airfare. "Around 10 flights operated from Patna airport in 2012-13. The number has now increased to 23 and is likely to reach 26 in March and 32 flights by June. The airfare on various sectors have also come down recently, making it well within the reach of flyers. Besides, a large chunk of floating population in Bihar keeps flying from Patna airport," JPNI Airport director Rajendra Singh Lahauria told TOI on Tuesday.
22/02/17 Times of India

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AAI shines in Vadodara and Vijayawada with new activities

Airport Authority of India (AAI) inaugurated a new integrated terminal building at Vadodara airport, whereas at Vijayawada airport, there was a ceremony conducted for the runaway which is suppose to strengthen and extend runway there.

In Vijayawada airport, Chandrababu Naidu, chief minister of Andhra Pradesh; M Venkaiah Naidu, union minister of parliamentary affairs, urban development, housing & urban poverty alleviation; P Ashok Gajapathi Raju, union minister of civil aviation; Bandaru Dattatreya, Union Minister of State of Labour & Employment, were present on the occasion.

Others present on the occasion include Y S Chowdary, union minister of state for earth sciences, science & technology; R N Choubey, secretary (CA); Guruprasad Mohapatra, chairman, AAI and other dignitaries.
22/02/17 FreePressJournal

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Could Kannur eat into Mysuru’s tourism?

Stakeholders in the Mysuru tourism industry believe that some percentage of tourists may circumvent Mysuru and visit Kodagu in Karnataka, Wayanad in Kerala, and Ooty in Tamil Nadu — three of the main hill stations in South India — using an alternative route soon, with the Kannur International Airport, Kerala’s second greenfield airport, coming up under public-private partnership.

Kannur is around 80 km from Madikeri, which is a popular hill station with ample home stays for tourists to unwind.

According to tourism stakeholders, the road connectivity from Kannur to Madikeri is good and this may boost tourist arrivals to the ‘Land of Coffee’.

“The itinerary of tourists may change to some extent once the airport becomes operational. Mysuru may not be the base point for tourists as it was now for visiting Madikeri, Wayanad or Ooty. Tourists will get a new travelling route — fly to Kannur, travel by road to Madikeri, Wayanad and Ooty (via Gudulur),” says B.S. Prashanth, president of the Mysuru Travel Mart.

Mysuru has many tourist attractions but the city still needs something new that can draw tourists in all seasons and encourage them stay a couple of days. Evenings must have some events for keeping tourists busy and entertained, he said.
22/02/17 Shankar Bennur/The Hindu

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Unhygienic toilets at Srinagar ‘international’ airport

Srinagar: With the unclean toilets, the Sheikh ul Alam International Airport here have come under severe criticism with the passengers alleging it to be a reason of immense hardships.
The travelers travelling via different airlines had accused the authorities of ignoring their plights and demand immediate redress of genuine grievances.
It is worth to mention here that Sheikh ul Alam International Airport is juggling the 2nd rank in the world having sophisticated and well-built Airport besides having all the necessities for travelers inside its auditorium.
The passengers said that the International airport is lacking basic facilities for those who had to wait to wait outside for their flight or the attendants who visit there to receive or see off them.
“The toilet in the Airport is very unclean thereby exposes the tall claims of the authorities,” Muhammad Majid, one of the traveler said, adding that “the airport is lacking the basic facilities as well,” he said.
He said that when he entered into the toilet to attend the nature’s call, there was no flusher point. “Besides, I found cigarette bits and other tobacco products in and around toilets making toilets useless and incommensurate for passengers and their attendant,” he said.
22/02/17 Kashmir Monitor

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Jayant Sinha: Demand soaring, India needs to triple airport capacity

New Delhi: Citing the rising demand of domestic aviation in the country, Union Minister of State for Civil Aviation, Jayant Sinha today stated that the construction of new greenfield airports and new terminals in Pune and Delhi will meet the demand. Speaking at an interview with CNBC TV18, Jayant Sinha further mentioned the need to triple airport capacity in the country. The aviation minister said that the ministry has a detailed plan for 30 airports for fifteen years.
Stating that the aviation sector in the country has grown extraordinarily over the years, Sinha claimed that several safety measures had also been undertaken along with the steps to grow industries. Sinha further said that while the aviation ministry have several initiatives to ensure growth in the number of commuters, issues relating safety and security are primarily focused. The Union Minister also said that he is working on amending Airport Authority of India (AAI) Act to monetise its land bank for the development of airports and is also outsourcing terminals for brownfield airports.
21/02/17 Financial Express

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Cial seeks direct flights to Europe

Kochi: With the new terminal (T3) set to launch in March, the Cochin International Airport Ltd's (Cial) search for an airline to provide direct flight connections from Kochi to Europe still continues with no certain answer yet.
Airport director Chandrakumaran Nair A said that they were holding talks with three airline companies looking into the possibilities of direct flights.
"Lufthansa would be ideal for Cial, as it would connect Kochi with Frankfurt airport. Frankfurt will serve as an ideal connection point between different European airports," he said.
Nair said that they were looking mainly to connect Kochi with Heathrow airport in London or Frankfurt airport as these are two most frequented European destinations for passengers travelling to Europe from Kochi. At the launch event of Air India's Dreamliner aircraft connecting Kochi and Dubai, Air India's director (commercial) Pankaj Srivastava said about the possibility of Dreamliner connecting Kochi and Europe. He said he has no qualms about instating a direct flight from Kochi as long Cial is able to guarantee full capacity for their flights.
"As per a survey conducted by Cial a couple of years ago, around 900-1,000 passengers fly from Cial to Europe daily," said Nair.
21/02/17 Times of India

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Perishables centre officially launched at India's Kempegowda airport

Air India SATS Airport Services has officially launched AISATS COOLPORT, India’s first integrated on-airport perishable cargo handling centre, at Kempegowda International Airport, Bengaluru.

The 11,000 sq m facility is designed to meet handling requirements for perishable cargo such as pharmaceuticals, fruit, vegetables, flowers, meat and seafood.

It is able to handle up to 40,000 tons of cargo per annum and offers end-to-end cold chain benefits including refrigerated trucking services, cool trolleys and thermal blankets, as well as temperature controlled container handling.

The trial operating period of AISATS COOLPORT, which extended from October 2016 to January 2017, saw a 27% growth in perishable tonnages in comparison to the same period last year.

During those months, 4,653 tonnes (import and export) of various temperature-sensitive and perishable cargo – both import and export freight – was handled through the AISATS COOLPORT facility.
21/02/17 Aircargonews

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AG nod to Shillong airport facelift, but no runway expansion

Shillong: The Advocate General of Meghalaya has opined that development work at the Shillong Airport can continue even as a litigation pertaining to land acquisition is pending in the Supreme Court.
Ri Bhoi Deputy Commissioner C.P Gotmare said the district administration had sought the opinion of the Advocate General on the airport’s infrastructure development.
The High Court of Meghalaya,    while taking exception to the undue delay in expanding the airport at Umroi, in December 2015 set a deadline of four months to complete the project.
But the order was stayed by the apex court last May after some land owners of Nongsder, who did not receive the compensation amount, moved the Supreme Court.
“Now we have written to the PWD to direct the concerned contractor to take up necessary development work at the airport,” Gotmare said, adding that the district administration is now keen to complete all the construction work at the earliest.
There is one area at the isolation bay of the airport that is under dispute and the runway expansion of the airport cannot take place unless the dispute is settled. The disputed area is near the boundary wall of the airport.
21/02/17 Shillong Times

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IGIA bags prestigious award for social media strategy

Delhi: Want to find a phone charging point or reschedule a flight? Have a query about the parking facility or want to report an unclaimed item? Fret not, for the Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA) authorities are just a tweet away. In fact this, among other traveller-friendly social media initiatives, has made the airport bag the ‘Overall Social Media Strategy Award- 2016’.
The award was presented by the representatives of CMO Asia, a global body that aims to promote the best marketing practices worldwide, and World Brand Congress in Mumbai last week.

The IGIA has also become Asia’s most interactive airport on social networking sites, leaving behind the best-regarded Changi airport in Singapore. The Delhi International Airport Limited (DIAL) claimed that the airport receives more than 1,500 queries on social media in a month, which are attended to with utmost priority, the officials said.
Commenting on the achievement, DIAL CEO IP Rao said: “Winning such a coveted award is a testimony of our efforts to make passengers’ experience at the Delhi Airport truly world class. Last year, the Delhi Airport social media assets generated almost 7.5 crore impressions through Facebook and Twitter alone. During our 10th anniversary campaign, we emerged as the most popular airport page on Facebook. Today, Delhi Airport has the second-highest fan base among airports worldwide, and a Klout Score comparable to the topmost global airports.”
21/02/17 Anvit Srivastava/DNA

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Over to Hisar: New airport and aviation hub coming soon

Hisar: Good news for the city: Hisar would soon get an airport. A feasibility report and the Centre’s approval have come in to air-link this counter-magnet city to other parts of the country. Capt DK Punia, executive director of Haryana Institute of Civil Aviation, said that initially the city would be linked to Delhi, Chandigarh and Jaipur. “The small distance air services would begin in the first phase. The 20 seat and 40-seat airplanes would be available on these routes,” he said. Flights to Mumbai, Ahmadabad and other far-off cities would start in the next phase.
Plus, the Haryana government has expedited work on the Integrated Aviation Hub in the city. The government thinking is that besides a rise in demand for airport connectivity, there is urgent need for expanding services such as maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) and Fixed Base Operation (FBO). An official spokesman said the project would be developed over 3,000 acres adjoining the existing Hisar airfield which will also have features such as aircraft parking and transit facilities, an aerospace park and an aviation training centre.
With an existing airstrip of 4,000 feet, spread on 3,000 acres of government owned land, the Haryana government has invited ‘global expression of interest’ for developing the proposed integrated aviation hub. Due to its close proximity with neighbouring airports and states including the National Capital region, Hisar could also serve as a potential location for commercial development, the official said.
19/02/17 Deependar Deswal/Tribune

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GVK starts reducing debt to fund Navi Mumbai airport

Mumbai: The promoters of Mumbai International Airport Ltd (MIAL) has started reducing the huge debt of its parent company GVK Power & Infrastructure (GVKPIL) to fund the Rs 17,500 crore greenfield Navi Mumbai International Airport.
The Hyderabad-based company, which has a debt of around Rs 25,000 crore, including certain non-performing loans, has begun the process with certain assets being partially monetized to reduce the debt.

A Issac George, director & chief financial officer, GVKPIL, told DNA Money, "In the next fortnight, the transaction pertaining to the sale of 33% stake in Bangalore International Airport Ltd (BIAL) to Fairfax Holdings will happen. All approvals have come in. This transaction would raise around Rs 2,200 crore for the company to repay existing debt."

"As on December 31, 2016, GVKPIL had accumulated losses and the company has incurred losses during the preceding two years. The company has delayed payment of loans and interest and certain loan accounts have been classified as non-performing by banks," said GV Krishna Reddy, chairman & managing director, in the Q3 result statement.
20/02/17 Ateeq Shaikh/DNA

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