Chandigarh to start direct flights to London from October

Chandigarh: The Chandigarh International Airport is likely to start direct flight service to London from October this year. This decision will come as a huge relief to the people of Punjab who want to travel to the United Kingdom.

“The authorities had a meeting with the British High Commission about starting the flight to London. Proposals have been sent and it is expected to start from October, as the process will take nearly eight months to complete. The direct flight will most likely be to the Heathrow Airport in London or Birmingham airport, which is around 170km from the UK capital,” Rakesh Dembla, chief executive officer, Chandigarh International Airport Limited (CHAIL), told Hindustan Times.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the Chandigarh International airport six years ago in 2015.

The airport currently has two international flights to Sharjah and Dubai as of now.

Dembla said the Sharjah flight was operational currently, while that to Dubai will resume from March 28, when the summer flight schedule will kick in.

28/02/22 India Today

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Agreement inked for air navigation services at upcoming Noida airport

 An agreement for the provisioning of air navigation services at the upcoming greenfield Noida International Airport was inked on Monday. The contract between the developer Yamuna International Airport Private Ltd (YIAPL) and statutory body Airport Authority of India (AAI) involves equipping Communications, Navigation, and Surveillance Systems and Air Traffic Management (CNS/ATM) at the upcoming greenfield airport near Delhi.

 CNS/ATM involves the utilisation of interrelated technologies such as satellite communications and varying levels of automation to achieve a seamless global air traffic management system for flight operations. One of the conditions of the airport's concession, the agreement defines terms and conditions for the provision of CNS/ATM services by AAI at the airport.

"The CNS/ATM agreement with AAI is another milestone in our journey towards the development of Noida International Airport, whilst ensuring cost-efficient aeronautical processes. We are looking to partner with AAI to ensure safe, efficient, and cost-effective ATM services for the airlines operating at NIA," said CEO YIAPL, Christoph Schnellmann.

"We are pleased to partner with Noida International Airport, to provide CNS/ATM to enable smooth and efficient operations at the airport. We are enthusiastically looking forward to the development of NIA as it will be a major milestone in Indian aviation as a second sustainable airport serving the National Capital Region," remarked member planning AAI, Anil Pathak.   As part of the agreement, AAI will procure, install and commission the CNS/ATM equipment to provide air traffic services for flights operations at Noida International Airport. The airport will plan and build all relevant aeronautical facilities according to national and international norms prescribed by the Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA), Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) and the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO). A joint coordination committee of NIA and AAI will monitor the implementation of the agreement.

28/02/22 Manish Pant/BusinessToday.in

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Patna airport records 26 times rise in footfall

The aircraft movement at Jayaprakash Narayan International Airport, Patna, increased by more than 9 times and the number of passengers by about 26 times in 2019-20 when compared to the period of 2004-05. The growing air transport activities in the state have translated into higher contribution of civil aviation sector to the overall economy of the state.

As per the Economic Survey Report of 2021-22 presented in the state legislative assembly on Friday, the contribution of civil aviation sector to gross state domestic product (GSDP) of Bihar has increased by 10 times in a decade, from Rs30 crore in 2011-12 to Rs300 crore in the fiscal 2020-21.

The state has, however, faced decline on different indicators in civil aviation sector during 2020-21 due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Nevertheless, despite the Covid-induced lockdown and other travel restrictions, the Patna airport recorded a footfall of 27.09 lakh passengers, 23,579 aircraft movements and 11.74 freights (in tonnes) in 2020-21, as per the data of Airports Authority of India (AAI)-Patna.

27/02/22 Faryal Rumi/Times of India

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FlyBig to start Indore-Gondia-Hyderabad flights from March 13

FlyBig Airlines chairman and managing director of the airline, Sanjay Mandviya on February 25 said that the airline is all set to commence the flight operations on the Indore-Gondia-Hyderabad route from here next month.

Mandviya said that all the formalities have been completed and the company is all set to commence the operations from March 13.

"The booking of tickets will start from March 1 and will be available both online and at the window. The fare is also very affordable as the services will be run under UDAN RCS (Ude Desh Ka Aam Naagrik- Regional Connectivity Scheme). The fare will be just Rs 1,999 for Indore-Gondia or Gondia-Hyderabad travel and the maximum fare would be around Rs 2600," Mandviya said.

Mandviya and Sunil Mendhe, who is the Lok Sabha MP from Bhandara-Gondiya seat, were addressing reporters at Birsi Airport, situated 18 km from Gondia city. Mendhe said that Union Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia would inaugurate the Indore-Gondia-Hyderabad flight from Indore. FlyBig Airlines is promoted by Gurugram-based Big Charter Private Limited.

27/02/22 ZeeNews

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Vadodara-Jaipur direct flight from March 1

Vadodara: There is some good news for airline passengers. A new flight connecting Vadodara and Jaipur will start from March 1.

Sources at Vadodara airport confirmed that the new flight on the Jaipur-Vadodara-Jaipur sector will become operational from March 1.

Jaipur will be the fifth destination that will get air connectivity from Vadodara. Currently, the airport witnesses nearly eight flight movements in a day connecting Vadodara to Mumbai, New Delhi, Bengaluru and Hyderabad.

The new flight is being started by Indigo Airlines. The flight will operate with ATR 72-500 aircraft with a seating capacity of 72 passengers.

27/02/22 Times of India

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Relief as first batch of students arrive at Kochi airport

Kochi: “We were lucky to be on the first evacuation flight and we are thankful to the government for bringing us home. But thousands of Indian students, including hundreds of our Malayali friends, are still stranded there and some of them are in the middle of the war zone fearing for their lives. We will be happy only if all of them are brought back safely,” said Greeshma Rachel Thomas, a native of Thiruvalla and a student of Bukovinian State Medical University in Western Ukraine, who landed at Kochi airport from New Delhi on Sunday afternoon after being evacuated from the war-hitUkraine.

The concern expressed by Greeshma for her friends and other Indian students in Ukraine was shared by almost all other evacuated students who landed at Kochi in three flights, one from Mumbai and two from New Delhi.

Many of the parents were tearful though all of them were happy to see their children again. Santhosh Kumar, father of Gaadha S, a native of Thevakkal in Ernakulam who studies at Bukovinian State Medical University, said that none of the students who were evacuated in the first two flights faced much difficulty other than connectivity issues and difficulty to withdraw cash from ATMs. “We are happy to see our kids. But all of them were in the ex treme west of Ukraine and did not face any horrors of the war.

As many as 44 students reached Kochi while 13 and 25 students landed in Kozhikode and Thiruvananthapuram in seven flights, taking the total number of evacuated Malayali students to 82 on the first day of Operation Ganga. 

27/02/22 Times of India

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Kolkata airport chalks out plans for Rs 130 crore terminal expansion project

Kolkata: Even as Kolkata airport emerges from the turbulence caused by the pandemic and braces for take off with surge in domestic flights and expected resumption of scheduled international flights, the airport operator has chalked out a two-pronged terminal expansion project. The cost of the development will be around Rs 130 crore.

“We will soon embark on a project to expand both the domestic and international wing of the integrated terminal to add more than 4,000 sq m or around 45,000 sq ft. This will augment the annual capacity of the integrated terminal from 26 million to 28 million,” said Kolkata airport director C Pattabhi.

The current terminal is spread over 2.3 lakh sq m or over 25 lakh sq ft. While it is spread across six levels, the addition will happen in the arrival and departure levels.

The airport will add a building module to the terminal’s international wing at the south-western end to redo the layout of the international departure and arrival floors.

“We are not adding any departure gate or aerobridge to the international wing. The additional space will help make the international wing more spacious and prepare it for a surge in flights and travellers,” the director said.

At present, the integrated terminal has 18 aerobridges of which 12 are in the domestic wing and six in the international wing.

27/02/22 Subhro Niyogi & Tamaghna Banerjee/ Times of India

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Flight operations from Deoghar airport to begin soon

The much awaited Deoghar Airport will be operational soon. The Airport Authority of India (AAI) has started preparation for the trial run of flights from the airport. The first flight taking off from the airport will be accorded water salute.  The Airport will be inaugurated after the Union Ministry of Civil Aviation finalizes the date of inauguration after completing all the formalities of technical NOC and trials are completed by DGCA of Deoghar Airport.

The landing spot of the flight has also been marked in the runway for water salute. Where will the fire brigade vehicles be stationed on both sides of the flight and how the water will be saluted, preparations have also been made. SpiceJet is the first airline to show interest in flying from Deoghar airport. SpiceJet may have the first commercial flight after the airport's inauguration. The officials of the Deoghar unit of the Airport Authority of India are busy completing all the technical preparations for the landing and take-off of the first flight.

The airport, once completed, will be the second airport in the State after Ranchi.  The airport will be capable of handling flights including large aircraft and is expected to boost regional connectivity and tourism.

This airport is being jointly developed by the Airports Authority of India (AAI), Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and the Jharkhand government. Prime Minister NarendraModi laid the foundation stone of this airport on May 25, 2018.

Earlier, last year Chief Minister HemantSoren has demanded Deoghar Airport to be named as Baba Baidyanath Airport. The Chief Minister in this connection has written a letter to Union Civil Aviation Minister JyotiradityaScindia to name the Deoghar Airport as Baba Baidyanath Airport.

27/02/22 Pioneer

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Mumbai Airport’s Arrangements For Indians Arriving From Ukraine

An Air India flight carrying evacuees from war-hit Ukraine is expected to land at the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport in Mumbai later today. The flight has reached the Bucharest Airport in Romania   

“Indian embassy in Ukraine and Romania are evacuating us from Ukraine to move us back to India. Since the time we landed here, the Indian embassy in Romania has been taking care of everything,” a student said as quoted by news agency ANI.

Meanwhile, the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport has blocked a special corridor for Indians arriving from Ukraine later in the day. They’ll be required to produce either a Covid-19 vaccination certificate/negative RT-PCR report on arrival.

In case any passenger is not able to show any of the documents at the time of arrival, they will have to undergo RT-PCR testing at the airport, where the cost would be borne by the airport.

These passengers would be able to leave the airport after testing negative. If any passenger is tested positive, they shall be clinically managed as per the protocols laid down by the government.

26/02/22 Ev Richard/VerveTimes

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Raipur airport to add one more aero-bridge

Raipur: The Swami Vivekananda Airport here will add one more facility for travellers as a third aero-bridge underwent trial on Thursday, Airport Director Rakesh Ranjan Sahay said.

Officials of the Airports Authority of India, Indigo Airlines, operations and fire departments and aircraft maintenance engineers approved the facility after the trial, he said.

As the next step, the trial documents will be submitted to the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) for final approval.

Sahay hoped that within the next fortnight, the aero-bridge would be opened to the public. Aerobridge boarding and deboarding is especially convenient for the aged and to people with reduced mobility.

25/02/22 Pioneer

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Investments worth Rs 2.3 Trillion expected for new greenfield airports in India by 2030: Praxis Report

Greenfield airports are slated to witness significant growth in the Indian airport infrastructure market through 2030 with the investment opportunity of Rs 2.3T(trillion) between FY2023- 30 and about 150,000 acres of land for development, according to a recent report by Praxis Global Alliance, a global management consulting and advisory services firm. With the growing demand for airports, India needs an average additional 34 airports by 2025, and about 125 airports by 2030 to meet the 350-400M(million) additional passengers demand forecasted by 2030.

The report on 'Airport Infrastructure' by Praxis suggests the Indian airport infrastructure sector is expected to grow at a steady CAGR as the Covid-19 clouds clear and demand increases. The report has evaluated the future growth potential of the sector with a focus on public-private partnerships (PPP).

India's air travel demand had grown at an 11 percent CAGR over FY16-20, primarily driven by growth in domestic air travel. However, Covid-19 impacted airport business resulting in an 85 % decline in international travel and more than 60 % decline in domestic travel in FY21. However, with recovery in business activities and the desire to travel, the domestic air traffic has been showing green shoots of recovery since the beginning of the second quarter of 2021 compared to the 2020 levels, cites the report.

Incidentally, cargo has outperformed passenger business throughout the crisis and that trend is expected to continue for a few more years down the line. This puts the cargo business in positive territory compared to pre-crisis levels, cites the report. Freight traffic reportedly witnessed steady growth till FY20 and dropped by 27% due to Covid-19 in FY21. It is on the road to recovery in FY22 and is expected to get back to pre-Covid-19 levels in FY23 and is projected to grow at 7% CAGR between FY23-30.

A hypothesis put forward in the report highlights that a total projected passenger traffic is likely to reach 690 million by 2030 and freight traffic is likely to reach 5.8MMT(million metric tonnes) by 2030. This translates to a requirement of 34 greenfield airports needed by 2025 and about 125 greenfield airports needed by 2030 to meet this projected traffic demand.

25/02/22 ITLN

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Bagdogra airport to shut in April

Siliguri: The Airports Authority of India has formally notified that flight operations at Bagdogra airport will remain closed from April 11 to 26 for refurbishing works on the sole runway.

The AAI announced the decision to keep the airport closed on its official twitter handle a couple of days ago.

A source said the state government had taken up with the AAI the concerns expressed by the travel industry and trade bodies over the closure during the peak tourism season coinciding with the Bengali new year.

“They have, however, decided to stick to their plan,” said a source.

The Bagdogra airport is a civil enclave, where the runway and the air traffic control are being maintained by the Indian Air Force.

Last month, the IAF had informed the AAI about the closure of the airport for resurfacing work of the final layer of the flexible portion of the runway. Airline companies, which operate flights at Bagdogra, started informing passengers about the closure.

“Passengers who have already bought tickets or have thought of flying from or to Bagdogra during this fortnight should revise their plans. That is why we have circulated the message through different media,” said a representative of an airline company posted in Bagdogra.

A hotel owner in Siliguri said senior state government officials had promised a few days back that they were in touch with the Centre on the matter.

“But so far, there has been no indication from the central government or the authorities concerned that the decision would be changed. The summer tourism season commences from April and closure of the airport would be a fresh setback for the sector that has taken a beating during the past two years because of the Covid-19 pandemic,” he said.

25/02/22 Telegraph

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All flights cancelled from Srinagar airport, Omar Abdullah- airlines doing robbery in broad daylight

Srinagar: Former Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir CM and National Conference (NC) president Omar Abdullah on Wednesday accused airlines of committing day-to-day dacoities due to increased fare rates after cancelling all flights to and from Srinagar due to bad weather. 

"Today all the flights were cancelled and those who had given 3 to 4 thousand rupees for their seats have been asked to book the tickets again. Suddenly the fare was increased from 12 thousand to 14 thousand. Even after that, there is no interference from the government." In response to Abdullah's tweet, the AAI tweeted that the options of refund and rescheduling have been offered by all airlines at no additional cost for all the flights cancelled today. The affected passengers can approach the concerned airlines call centre for refund or rescheduling."

Due to heavy snowfall and bad weather in the Kashmir Valley, all flights have been cancelled at Srinagar airport, which affected the air traffic to and from Kashmir on Wednesday. Kuldeep Singh, director of airports authority of India (AAI), Srinagar airport, said, "All flights of all airlines have been cancelled."

24/02/22 Arpit Birtharia/News Track 

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As visibility improves, flight operations resume at Srinagar airport

Srinagar: After remaining suspended for the entire day on Wednesday, flight operations at the Srinagar airport resumed on Thursday after an improvement in visibility. The air traffic to and fro Kashmir has started again after remaining affected for about two days due to bad weather following heavy snowfall across the valley, news agency PTI reported.

Kuldeep Singh, director, Airport Authority of India (AAI), Srinagar airport, told Greater Kashmir that visibility has improved to 1500M and flight operations are commencing at Srinagar airport. An official informed that after the visibility improved, Spicejet flight SG 160 landed at Srinagar.

The flight operations were disrupted for the second consecutive day on Thursday due to low visibility following heavy snowfall across the valley.

Officials told PTI that the flight operations have resumed at the Srinagar airport in the afternoon. The operations commenced after the visibility at the airport improved from about 800 metres in the morning to about 1500 metres. Earlier in the day, two flights were cancelled and all were delayed in the morning due to bad weather.

On Thursday morning, the official Twitter handle of Srinagar airport in a tweet said, "The visibility at our airport is 800M. All flights are delayed. The flight operations will commence on improvement of visibility." (sic)

24/02/22 India Today

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Raipur airport to add one more aero-bridge

Raipur: The Swami Vivekananda Airport here will add one more facility for travellers as a third aero-bridge underwent trial on Thursday, Airport Director Rakesh Ranjan Sahay said.

Officials of the Airports Authority of India, Indigo Airlines, operations and fire departments and aircraft maintenance engineers approved the facility after the trial, he said.

As the next step, the trial documents will be submitted to the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) for final approval.

Sahay hoped that within the next fortnight, the aero-bridge would be opened to the public. Aerobridge boarding and deboarding is especially convenient for the aged and to people with reduced mobility.

25/02/22 Pioneer

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Kol flight count set to soar by 50% in a month as carriers plan more ops

Kolkata: The flight count at Kolkata airport is set to soar by more than 50% in a month with daily flight operations set to increase by 140-150 movements (departures and arrivals) by March-end.

At present, the airport is clocking 260-280 arrivals and departures daily. This is set to climb to 300-320 in the next fortnight and then zoom past the 400-mark in a month, airline officials at Kolkata airport said.

“With Covid figures on the wane and people resuming travel, demand for flights are on the rise. We expect the number of flights during the summer schedule that kicks in on March 27 to match 2019 figures prior to the pandemic,” said an Airlines Operators' Committee representative.

An official of IndiGoAirlines, the largest carrier operating out of the city, said the airline would revive nearly all the domestic flights that it operated in 2019-end. The ramp-up will see the airline adding 10% more flights from March 2. Other airlines representatives, including SpiceJet, AirAsia India, Air India, Vistara and Go First said they also have plans to add flights before the summer holidays when revenge tourism is expected to take off in a big way.

Among the flights that will return include more frequencies to metros like Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Pune and Bengaluru. The state has lifted all curbs on flights from these cities.

At present, IndiGo has 156 flights into and out of Kolkata everyday, comprising 60% of the flight movements recorded at the airport. From next week, its flight movements in Kolkata will go up to 184. Prior to the pandemic, it operated 212 flights into and out of Kolkata daily.

IndiGo officials also said it would reinstate the 8.50pm Kolkata-Bangkok daily flight after two years from March 10. SpiceJet is also bringing back the daily flight to Bangkok around the same time. However, Thai carriers Thai Airways or Thai Smile haven’t announced resumption of flights to Kolkata yet.

In December 2021, Kolkata airport was fast moving towards normalcy with daily flight movements touching a pandemic high of over 390 before they hit an air-pocket when states including Bengal announced curbs to control the Omicron variant and keep the third wave in check. But with few hospitalizations and deaths, the bounce-back has been faster than the two earlier waves.

25/02/22 Subhro Niyogi & Tamaghna Banerjee/Times of India

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Delhi Airport's new arrival terminal becomes operational with the arrival of IndiGo flight from Goa

The newly-constructed arrival terminal T1 at Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport has become operational from February 24. The new arrival terminal welcomes the passengers with a new and enhanced arrival experience. Few designated domestic SpiceJet and Indigo flights will arrive at Terminal-1, the new arrival building. 

The new terminal has been developed by Delhi International Airport Limited (DIAL), a GMR Group-led consortium. The entire arrival operations of T1C will be shifted to the new arrival terminal at T1. It spans an 8000 square meter new arrival hall, equipped with four new baggage reclaim carousels. The Airport’s terminal capacity will increase to 10 million passengers per annum. 

DIAL has built the new state-of-the-art Arrival Terminal as part of Delhi Airport’s Phase 3A Expansion project, the large-scale development and modernization plan for Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport. 

24/02/22 Moneycontrol

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IndiGo flights to start from March 2 on Delhi-Gaya route

New Delhi: There is good news for the passengers of Gaya airport in Bihar. In fact, IndiGo Airlines is going to start its flights on the Gaya-Delhi route from March 2. Airport Director Bangajit Saha informed that IndiGo Airlines will resume flight services to Gaya-Delhi on March 2.

Airlines will soon release the flight schedule. There will be flights three days a week. According to this, 6E-2172 will arrive in Gaya from Delhi at 11:10 am and from here it will leave for Delhi back at 12:55 am. Domestic passengers will be very comfortable after the flight is operated on the Delhi route. 

Talking to the media, Gaya Airport Director Bangajit Saha said that if everything goes well and if the restrictions are lifted, the international flights will also start operations soon. At present, specially chartered flights are coming from Vietnam on February 26 and 28. International flights are banned till February 28. It is expected that the government can start operating regular international flights from March 1.

24/02/22 Arpit Birtharia/News Track

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New arrival terminal at IGIA’s T1 to be operational from today

Delhi: The newly-constructed state-of-the-art arrival terminal at T1 of the Indira Gandhi International Airport will be operational from Thursday. The Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA), operated by Delhi International Airport Limited (DIAL), has three terminals- T1, T2 and T3. The new arrival facility at Delhi Airport will receive passengers from IndiGo airline’s flight from Goa, 6E-6532. With the new arrival hall’s opening, the entire arrival operations of Delhi Airport’s T1 will shift from the existing facility to the new one, according to a PTI report. At present, the airlines- IndiGo and SpiceJet operate flights from T1.

However, departure operations will continue from the existing terminal, and will eventually be integrated with the new arrivals hall following the completion of the expansion works. The new arrival terminal, developed by DIAL, is part of IGIA’s ongoing phase 3A expansion project. According to DIAL, the facility would offer a distinctive experience with a contemporary zone for ‘meet and greet’, plush forecourt area, including landscaping as well as kiosks for food and beverage, retail and expanded parking space for cars.

24/02/22 Financial Express

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IndiGo to start flights between Kadapa & five cities from March 27 onwards

IndiGo on Thursday said it will start flights connecting Kadapa in Andhra Pradesh to five cities in southern India from March 27 onwards. "The airline will commence new exclusive flights between Kadapa-Chennai, Kadapa-Vijayawada, Kadapa-Bangalore, Kadapa-Vishakhapatnam, and new flights between Kadapa-Hyderabad," the airline said in a release.

Kadapa will be the 73rd city in the country to be connected with IndiGo flights, it noted.

While flights on Kadapa-Chennai, Kadapa-Vijayawada and Kadapa-Hyderabad routes will start from March 27, services on Kadapa-Bangalore and Kadapa-Vishakhapatnam routes will begin from March 29.

24/02/22 PTI/Economic Times

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Flight operation commencing as visibility improves at Srinagar airport: AAI

Flight operation to and fro Srinagar international airport is commencing with the improvement in visibility, authorities said on Thursday.  

 "Visibility has improved to 1500M. Flight operations are commencing at Srinagar airport,” Director, Airports Authority of India, Srinagar, Kuldeep Singh told GNS.   

 A number of flights were delayed due to low visibility at the airport and two have been already cancelled, officials said.  

 The flights cancelled include one each from Air India (3829) and GoFirst (G8 267), Airport Authority of India informed in a tweet. 

 Many passengers were left stranded at the airport as flight operations were hit adversely this morning due to poor visibility which delayed many departures or arrivals.  

 This comes a day after 41 flights were cancelled at the airport amid snowfall. 

24/02/22 Rising Kashmir

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Slump in passenger movement at Mysuru airport in January

Mysuru: After a record passenger traffic in December 2021, the Mysuru airport witnessed a huge slump in passenger movement in January 2022 due to Covid third wave.

The weekend curfews and restrictions on the tourism activities resulted in poor occupancy rates in the flights. The tourism activities, however, appear to be back on track now with the state government lifting all the restrictions including mandatory RTPCR negative test reports for the tourists from Kerala and Goa, which are two important tourist destinations in India.

Mysuru airport director R Manjunath informed that in January 2022, about 7,945 passengers utilised the airline services. This includes 3,683 arrivals and 4,262 departures. Flight movements from the airport were 160 arrival and departure each (total 320).

According to the Airport Authority of India (AAI) data, in December 2021, the total pax (the number of passengers carried by airlines) was 13,937. In January 2021, it was 14,946.

The flight movement also came down from 362 in December 2021 to 320 in January 2022. The industry stakeholders attribute this decline to the Covid third wave, which resulted in a record number of daily infections everywhere.

24/02/22 Shrinivasa.M/Times of India

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Ticket bookings for Indore-Gondia-Hyderabad flight to start from March 1

Gondia (Maharashtra): FlyBig Airlines, promoted by Gurugram-based Big Charter Private Limited, will start ticket bookings for the flight service on the Indore-Gondia-Hyderabad route from March 1.

     Lok Sabha member Sunil Mendhe gave this information on Wednesday.

     After a delay due to the outbreak of COVID-19, the flight operations are most likely to start from March 13, he said.

     The airport in Birsi near Gondia was constructed in 2008 and there was big demand of the people to start commercial flight operations from here, he said.

     The Modi government has allotted the slot under 'Ude Desh ka Aam Naagrik' - Regional Connectivity Scheme (UDAN - RCS) intending to connect all the centre where airport facility is available and has potential for operations of commercial flights, he said.

     The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has issued the licence to Birsi in September last.

     Airport Director K V Baiju has informed that almost all the required facilities have been put in place at Birsi airport.

     Ratan Ambhore, regional Head of FlyBig Airlines has also said that there is a possibility of starting the operations March 13 onwards and informed that its team is going to visit the Birsi airprot in the next couple of days.

23/02/22 PTI/The Week

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Srinagar passengers getting shafted by airlines, alleges Omar as flights cancelled due to snowfall

Srinagar: National Conference (NC) vice president Omar Abdullah Wednesday alleged that air passengers to Srinagar were getting “shafted” by airlines after all the day’s flights to and from Kashmir were cancelled due to snowfall, and people “told to rebook” at higher prices.

However, airport authorities said the options for refund and rescheduling at no extra cost for all the flights cancelled on Wednesday has been offered by all airlines.

“This is how passengers to Srinagar are getting shafted by airlines - all flights got cancelled today & people who had paid Rs 3000/4000 for their seats are told to rebook. Suddenly the same flights are being quoted at Rs 12,000/?14,000. Day light robbery & no government intervenes,” Abdullah tweeted.

All 41 flights to and from the Srinagar airport were cancelled due to bad weather in the wake of heavy snowfall.

However, responding to Abdullah’s tweet, the airport authorities said the options for refund and rescheduling “at no extra cost” for all the flights cancelled has been offered by all airlines.

23/02/22 PTI/Tribune

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Sharp rise in flights, passenger footfall in Guwahati airport

Guwahati: The number of both flights and passengers is showing a sharp rise at Guwahati airport. Within a span of weeks, as the number of air travellers has gone up two fold in the biggest airport in the northeast, airport officials said it has been heartening to see airlines adding more flights in the popular routes from the state capital.

"The latest addition is Vistara airline. Vistara, the world’s 4-star airline, has introduced a new flight from Guwahati to Bengaluru on weekdays, except Tuesday and Wednesday," said an official of the airport. She said the flight, introduced last year, had to be suspended due to the third wave of the pandemic. “Vistara has now decided to operate the route effective from February 15,” she added.

This is the latest addition of connectivity at Guwahati’s Lokpriya Gopinath Bordoloi International Airport which will help passengers from Guwahati to Bangalore, a route for which there is always a rush for tickets, she said. The airport official said it will send a positive signal to other operators which are willing to resume flights as the third wave has almost died down in Assam.

23/02/22 Kangkan Kalita/Times of India

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Thiruvananthapuram airport introduces taxi pick up points

Thiruvananthapuram: After several complaints by passengers, the Thiruvananthapuram Airport has set up dedicated pick-up points for app-based cab services at domestic and international terminals. People can now avail online cab services such as Uber and Ola from the airport. There are also prepaid counters with a fleet of 318 taxis available for passengers round the clock.

There were regular complaints from passengers about fleecing by prepaid taxi drivers. TNIE reported on the issue in November last year when actor Meera Nair expressed her experience on social media. She couldn’t book a cab online.  Meanwhile, prepaid taxis asked for an exorbitant amount for a short ride. Meera had said an autorickshaw driver informed her this happened regularly at the airport. Along with Meera, many people had raised similar complaints.

“Prepaid taxi counter facility has already been functioning at the airport. However, app-based taxi services with dedicated pick-up points have been introduced recently following the continuous demand of passengers. We have taken steps to ensure uninterrupted service round the clock,” said an airport official. The minimum parking fee in both terminals was also reduced to Rs 30 for 30 minutes recently.

23/02/22 New Indian Express

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IndiGo Adds Pantnagar As 72nd Destination

IndiGo announced Pantnagar as its next destination on the 6E network. The airline will operate ATR aircraft for 6E exclusive direct flights from Pantnagar to Dehradun, and new flights to Delhi as part of its summer 2022 schedule, w.e.f March 27, 2022.

These new flights will strengthen connectivity between Pantnagar and the national and the state capital cities. Pantnagar will be the airline’s 2nd destination in the state of Uttarakhand.

Sanjay Kumar, Chief Strategy and Revenue Officer, IndiGo said, “We are pleased to announce Pantnagar as our 72nd domestic destination and 96th overall destination. Pantnagar would provide easy access to Uttarakhand’s Kumaon region with tourist attractions like Jim Corbett, Nainital, Bhimtal; religious destinations including Haridwar and Rishikesh; as well as industrial hubs like Rudrapur. Pantnagar is also a leading destination for education in agriculture. Enhanced connectivity from Pantnagar, one of the key airports in the Kumaon region, will boost tourism, trade, and commerce in the state. We strive to consistently provide our signature on-time, courteous and hassle-free service at affordable fares, across our unparalleled network onboard our lean clean flying machine”.

23/02/22 T3

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Mumbai Airport To Handle Over 1,000 Aircraft Movements Daily Once Int'l Flight Services Normalise: ATC Guild

Mumbai: Mumbai airport is expected to handle more than 1,000 aircraft movements per day once regular international flight services resume, according to the ATC Guild.

Currently, the traffic at the Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport -- the country's second largest airport -- remains around 25 per cent lower compared to the pre-COVID period.

On June 7, 2018, the airport handled 1,003 aircraft movements in 24 hours.      Saifullah, Regional Secretary of the ATC Guild (India), on Tuesday said that from an average of 950 aircraft movements per day prior to the pandemic in March 2020, the airport currently handles over 700 arrivals and departures daily.

He is also the Regional Vice President-South-West Asia, International Federation of Air Traffic Controllers' Association (IFATCA).

India has the third largest airspace in the world. Over 60 per cent comprises oceanic airspace over the Arabian Sea, the Bay of Bengal and the Indian Ocean.

"We have around 700 plus movements per day, both arrival and departures, at present, which is still 25 per cent short of the aircraft movements we handled in the pre-pandemic times. A major chunk of this coming from the domestic sector as (a limited number of) international flights are taking place under the air bubble agreements," Saifullah said while briefing reporters on the occasion of 100 years of Air Traffic Control (ATC) operations.

22/02/22 PTI/Republicworld

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Hospitality Industry Urges Aviation Min To Avoid Flight Disruptions At Port Blair Airport

New Delhi: Hospitality industry body FHRAI on Tuesday said it has submitted a representation to Union Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia seeking his intervention to avoid disruptions in flight movements at the Port Blair Airport.

The Andaman & Nicobar Command has directed shutting down the only runway of Veer Savarkar International Airport in Port Blair for four days a week from March to May 2022 for its re-carpeting work and a NOTAM has been issued in this regard.

The Federation of Hotel & Restaurant Associations of India's (FHRAI) stated that the closure of the runway poses a serious threat to the hospitality and tourism industry in the Union Territory which has already suffered 75- 80 per cent revenue loss due to the pandemic.

22/02/22 PTI/Republicworld

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HYD Airport domestic cargo grows 35% in 2021; lists plans for 2022

GMR Hyderabad Air Cargo (GHAC) registered a domestic cargo traffic growth of 35 percent during the year 2021 with factors like "strategic geographic location, improved domestic air network, customers' preference for air cargo over other modes of transport and increasing popularity of e-commerce influencing," according to the South Indian Airport. The domestic connectivity at Hyderabad Airport expanded to over 65 domestic destinations by end of 2021, as opposed to 55 prior to the COVID outbreak in early 2020. 

 Pradeep Panicker, CEO-GMR Hyderabad International Airport (GHIAL), commented, "Even through a very difficult operating environment, Hyderabad Air Cargo terminal has registered a positive growth momentum which underscores Hyderabad's & Telangana's rising importance as a cargo and aviation hub. With the expected return to normalcy in international air connectivity during 2022, we are very bullish about the future prospects, and we will be making major investments into expansion and upgrade of our cargo terminal facilities to support the region's growth trajectory."

22/02/22 ITLN

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Drones, laser beams prohibited near Delhi Airport for 2 more months

Delhi: The Delhi Police have prohibited the use of unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) and the use of laser beams near the Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport for two more months. The decision has been taken in view of the serious security threat of a terrorist attack. It is also said to be hazardous for aviation safety. The area comes under the jurisdiction of the Sub-Division of Palam.

The present order will remain enforced for only two months, from February 12 till April 12. Currently, there are no rules and regulations to regulate the use of laser beams, especially in the open during night hours.

An order prohibiting these items from Delhi Police read that there have been frequent reports based on credible information that terrorists have plans to carry out terror attacks by using UAS including drones, para-gliders and hang-gliders, UAVs, aero-models. Therefore, its use by members of the public is prohibited.

Bijender Singh, Assistant Commissioner of Police, told TOI that incidents where pilots get distracted by laser beams when trying to land aircraft have been reported.

The presence of banquets, hotels, farm houses and restaurants in the area also uses a lot of lights in the area, including laser beams. This further leads to nuisance and visual distraction to pilots. It also poses a danger to the safety and security of passengers and the aircraft.

22/02/22 India Today

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Plea in claims unauthorised lab conducting COVID tests at Kerala's Calicut airport

Kochi: Two more NRIs have moved the Kerala High Court alleging that unauthorised Rapid PCR tests were being carried out at Calicut airport by a lab which was not approved by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR).

The high court issued notice to the Centre, state government, ICMR, Airport Authority of India and the Calicut Airport authorities seeking their stand on the plea.

With the direction, the court listed the petition for hearing on February 28 along with a similar matter where an NRI who was carrying a COVID-19 negative certificate was made to undergo Rapid PCR test at the same airport by the same lab and he tested positive for the virus.

In the latest plea, the petitioners -- Muhammed Arshad P K and Muhammed Shakeel K -- have said that their Rapid PCR tests by the lab, just before boarding their flights, found them to be COVID-19 positive even though both of them tested negative for the virus in RT-PCR tests undergone by them hours before their scheduled departure.

They were carrying the negative RT-PCR test certificates with them, yet the airport authorities forced them to undergo the Rapid PCR, they have claimed in their petition filed through advocate Manas P Hameed.

Their joint plea also claims that they tested negative for COVID-19 in the RT-PCR tests they underwent hours after the airport lab's results showed them as positive.

22/02/22 PTI/Deccan Chronicle

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Jewar Airport can do to Noida what Delhi Airport did to Gurgaon: Report

Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid the foundation stone on November 25, 2021 of what would be the fourth largest international airport in the world.

As part of the relentless efforts made by the Government of India to integrate and streamline air, rail and road connectivity of people, goods and services, with the advent of the Noida International Airport, Uttar Pradesh would become the only state in India to have five functional airports. 

Paving the way towards becoming a gateway to northern India, the airport would be able to facilitate trade as well as tourism in parts of India that it aims to connect by the time the first flight takes off from the airport by September 2024.

Situated at Jewar in Uttar Pradesh, the upcoming airport (Noida International Airport) would cater to all international flights and ease the burden put on the Indira Gandhi International Airport in recent years.

Apart from easing the burden and providing better connectivity, the project would also lead to a further inflow of investment (both foreign and domestic) as well as create widespread employment opportunities. With more than Rs 5,000 crore allocated towards the construction of the first phase of the project, more than one lakh employment opportunities are expected to be created on an accumulated area of nearly 3,000 acre.

In what is touted to be a significant benefit to those who reside in the National Capital Region (NCR), local products and produce are expected to become much more competitive, as access to international markets would naturally become easier and faster, thereby benefiting crores of people living in Delhi, Noida, Ghaziabad, Aligarh, Agra, Faridabad, among other nearby towns and cities as well.

In addition, it is expected that time consumed in warehousing and logistics would be reduced significantly, saving considerable time with the introduction of the concept of an integrated multimodal cargo hub as well. Since the airport terminal is expected to have a footfall of more than 1.5 crore passengers every year for the foreseeable future, the cargo hub would aid in the facilitation of smooth trade and operations.

It is expected that the completion of the project would further fast-track the construction of the Film City, the Medical Device Park and the Uttar Pradesh Defence Industrial Corridor. Interestingly, the airport would also become the first in India to operate with net zero emissions and entirely based on digital technology. In a new age India, the airport would give a fresh impetus to the development of a wide region.

Initiatives undertaken in the last few years have led to the realization of the common man`s dream of air travel under the UDAN scheme (`Ude Desh ka Aam Nagrik`). With a proactive government keeping a check on the timeline of the project along with the stated budget, it is widely expected that the target to complete the project by September 2024 would be met.

17/02/22 IANS/ZeeNews

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Odisha urges Centre for UDAN flights from Mayurbhanj

Bhubaneswar: Odisha government has urged the Centre to allow flight operation under UDAN scheme from Amarda Road Airstrip in Mayurbhanj district.

Chief secretary S C Mohapatra in a letter to defence secretary Ajay Kumar urged him to look into the matter and issue necessary instruction to DRDO for the use of Amarda Road airstrip for flight operation under RCS-UDAN. He hoped that DRDO will issue the no objection certificate in this regard at the earliest.

The airstrip was used during World War II and is now under the Defence and Research Development Organisation (DRDO), which is under the defence ministry.

Mohapatra in his letter on Monday said Odisha government has requested the ministry of civil aviation to include the Mayurbhanj air strip under the RCS-UDAN scheme looking at the huge tourism potential of the area.

The ministry has included Bhubaneswar-Amarda Road as a special RCS route under UDAN 4.1. Gsec Monarch has been selected as the airline operator for the route with seven flights per week using 9-seater aircraft, the chief secretary said.

Mohapatra in his letter said that north Odisha is deprived of any kind of air connectivity and the existence of Amarda Road airstrip near Rasagobindapur in Mayurbhanj district has a great significance for nearby places.

It will facilitate connectivity for tourists to places like Similipal National Park, Kuldiha Sanctuary, Chandipur and Talasari sea beaches, he said.

Such air connectivity will facilitate economic growth through trade, create job opportunities, increase revenue from taxes and foster community relationship with neighboring states and communities, his letter said.

Odisha government had earlier requested DRDO for the NOC to use the airstrip for commercial flight operation under RCS-UDAN. The permission has not been received and the proposed flight operation from the Amarda Road has been left in a limbo, official sources said.

15/02/22 PTI/Print

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Arunachal Governor, CM reaffirm mission to complete Greenfield Airport

Itanagar: Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu called on the Governor Brig (Retd) Dr B D Mishra at Raj Bhavan here, on Tuesday and discussed about developmental issues, education, law and order and ongoing projects in the state. The Governor emphasised that all the developmental projects must be implemented within the time frame to ensure appropriate utilization of the fund allotted. He also called for optimum utilization of the very limited non-rainy season working period for meeting the various construction finishing dates. Mishra suggested Khandu to identify and promulgated key result areas to boost the developmental progress of the state.

"The traditional knowledge, youth power and potential natural resources in the fields of horticulture, fisheries, animal husbandry and forests have to be harnessed scientifically with a sustainable endeavour. The benefits of government programmes and the natural resources should promote the socio-economic development of the indigenous folds," he said.

The duo also discussed about the progress of the Greenfield Airport at Hollongi, near here, and reaffirmed their mission for completing the project by August 15 this year. The Governor stressed on proper monitoring of the functioning and performance of educational institutions in the state. He said that to set a strong foundation for the youth, the higher education sector at university level has to be prioritised, adequately funded, streamlined and validated. "Private universities must be made accountable to follow the University Grant Commission norms in all aspects," the Governor added.

16/02/22 Sentinel

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AAI cancels order to reduce length of Calicut airport runway

 Kozhikode: The Airports Authority of India (AAI) has finally issued an order cancelling the procedures to look into the scope of reducing the length of the table-top runway in order to establish the Runway End Safety Area (RESA) at the Calicut International Airport.

In a letter to the Airport Director on Tuesday, AAI senior manager Mohammed Waseem said that the approved scope of work for “runway re-carpeting along with runway centre line lights, touch down zone lighting, modification of  localizer type directional aid (LDA) for providing RESA and relocation of glidepath issued on January 28 stands cancelled.” 

M.K.Raghavan, MP, attributed the development to the long struggle against the unsuitable proposal. Now, the current decision would give impetus to continue the struggle to resume the service of wide-bodied aircraft, he said.

Previously, Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia had given an assurance in the Lok Sabha that the length of the table-top runway would not be shortened. But Mr. Raghavan, who is also the co-chairman of the Calicut Airport Advisory Committee, had then pointed out a document in his possession issued by the AAI showing that officials had drawn up a proposal to establish the RESA after reducing the length of the runway.

Calicut Airport Advisory Committee chairman Abdussamad Samadani, MP, too welcomed the Union government decision.

Mr. Samadani and Mr. Raghavan met Union Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia along with Kerala MPs E.T. Mohammed Basheer, P.V. Abdul Wahab, Rajmohan Unnithan and V.K. Sreekandan in New Delhi and thanked him for the positive move towards Karipur.

15/02/22 The Hindu

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Better panels, engineering to prevent cracking of glass in airport’s new terminal

Remember the time Chennai airport’s brand new terminals made news for cracking or crashing of glass panels some years ago? To save the airport from such embarrassment, the Airports Authority of India (AAI) has now taken steps to control damage occurring to glass panels in the upcoming new integrated terminal built at a cost of ₹2,430 crore. 

Officials of the AAI said that due to the effect of the natural causes, the terminal buildings have been designed as unitised curtain wall systems — wherein the structure can tolerate any harsh weather conditions and ensures glass panels don’t become loose. 

“Instead of holding the glass panels using mechanical means, we have provided structural silicone sealants which are designed to hold the panels tight and firm. In case of any severe weather change too, these sealants will bear the stress. Also, to increase safety, we have used laminated glass panels everywhere. 

To reduce the risk of spontaneous breaking of the glass panels as impurities are present in the glass, all toughened glasses go through a heat-soak process,” an official said. There were instances of the staff or passengers accidentally ramming the glass. 

To prevent this, it was proposed to put up trolly fenders (a metal structure running at the bottom of a wall), the officials said. A part of the new integrated terminal building under construction will be opened in June and since passengers are looking forward to getting better facilities and infrastructure, it is imperative that such instances of glass panels breaking do not occur. 

In the existing domestic and international buildings, at least 40 glass panels broke, with a majority of them cracking due to impurities and others going down. The then Union Minister of Civil Aviation Ashok Gajapathi Raju ordered inspection to control this problem.

16/02/22 Sunitha Sekar/The Hindu

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Port Blair airport to remain close for 4 days a week, starting March 1

Here’s some important news for those planning a trip to the Andamans. The Port Blair airport or Veer Savarkar International Airport will remain shut for four days every week, starting March 1, 2022, to May 31, 2022. The announcement was made by the Civil Aviation Department of the Andaman & Nicobar administration. The main reason for the said closure is runway upgradation and re-carpeting work.

A number of daily flight operations are expected to be disturbed because of the renovation work. As of now, more than 12 daily flights operate in and out of the Port Blair airport. Before the world was hit by the COVID-19 pandemic, some 22 flights used to operate here.

The decision to close the airport has made the travel trade and association a little unhappy. The association thinks that the closure will hugely impact tourism in the region. Tourism is an important revenue generator in the region and the decision is likely going to impact the sector.

The Tourism Association of Andaman & Nicobar (TAAN) in a message stated, “Kind request to re-consider NOTAMN C0030/22 wef 01/03/2022 to 31/05/2022 reg RWY closure 4 days a week amidst AAI Port Blair Airport runway maintenance and upgradation work, which may deeply affect the lifeline of the islands.”

16/02/22 Times of India

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Arunachal Governor, CM reaffirm mission to complete Greenfield Airport

Itanagar: Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu called on the Governor Brig (Retd) Dr B D Mishra at Raj Bhavan here, on Tuesday and discussed about developmental issues, education, law and order and ongoing projects in the state. The Governor emphasised that all the developmental projects must be implemented within the time frame to ensure appropriate utilization of the fund allotted. He also called for optimum utilization of the very limited non-rainy season working period for meeting the various construction finishing dates. Mishra suggested Khandu to identify and promulgated key result areas to boost the developmental progress of the state.

"The traditional knowledge, youth power and potential natural resources in the fields of horticulture, fisheries, animal husbandry and forests have to be harnessed scientifically with a sustainable endeavour. The benefits of government programmes and the natural resources should promote the socio-economic development of the indigenous folds," he said. The duo also discussed about the progress of the Greenfield Airport at Hollongi, near here, and reaffirmed their mission for completing the project by August 15 this year. The Governor stressed on proper monitoring of the functioning and performance of educational institutions in the state. He said that to set a strong foundation for the youth, the higher education sector at university level has to be prioritised, adequately funded, streamlined and validated. "Private universities must be made accountable to follow the University Grant Commission norms in all aspects," the Governor added.

17/02/22 Sentinel

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This new hotel near Kullu airport could be your base to explore Parvati Valley

The road to Parvati Valley is lined with many hotels and homestays, but few, if any, offer the creature comforts that the ones towards Kullu and Manali now afford. This means an inevitable tradeoff between time on the road and the small luxuries (like a spa) that one would like on a holiday. A new hotel just off the Kullu-Manali highway and a 10-minute drive from Bhuntar airport is now offering a cosy base to explore the region.

Echor Palm Bliss Riverside Resort & Spa features 12 rooms. Choose carefully—just six rooms open up to views of the pool and the Parvati River. Each of them is kitted out with four-poster beds, a sit-out to enjoy your morning cup of tea, and a desk in case you’re carrying work along.

When the weather holds up, spend your days practicing yoga in the garden or swimming laps in the pool overlooking the river. In the winters, when the temperatures range between -10 to 10 degrees Celsius, cosy up in the spa with a steam room. You can also take the stairs down from the property and curl up by the bonfire or savour a candlelight dinner by the river. Get a taste of Himachali food at the Pyramid Club, which also serves dishes from around the world. The hotel also doubles up as a venue for an intimate wedding in the mountains, with 280sqm of indoor banqueting space and open-air lawns.

You may never want to leave the comforts of your room, but that’s a good thing since there are just a handful of things to do in Kasol. There’s a river-rafting spot 15 minutes away from the property, and the one-day Kheerganga Trek, which takes you deep into the Parvati Valley. The mysterious village of Malana is an hour away, and about 25km from the property is Manikaran Sahib, a pilgrimage site famous for its gurudwara and healing hot springs. If you’re up for a drive, Himachal’s picturesque Tirthan Valley is a three-hour journey.

15/02/22 Conde Nast Traveller

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First proposal to link two NCR airports — a 72km metro line

 Greater Noida: The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) has proposed a 72km high-speed corridor between the upcoming Noida airport in Jewar and Delhi’s IGI airport. The metro connectivity will be built in two phases and will have 13 stations in total between Jewar and New Delhi railway station. The corridor will then connect with Delhi’s Airport Express line to reach IGI.

In a presentation to officials of the Yamuna Expressway Industrial Development Authority (YEIDA) on Monday, a DMRC team said the first phase — 35km long — will have both underground and elevated portions and will connect Knowledge Park 2 on the Aqua Line with the Noida airport. This independent corridor will have an interchange at Knowledge Park 2 and there will be seven stations between them.

DMRC is likely to submit the detailed project report by March 31 and follow it up with a feasibility study of the second phase of the metro link. The second phase, sources said, was likely to be around 37km long and would span from Knowledge Park 2 to New Delhi railway station. The route is likely to run parallel to the Noida expressway and will have stations at New Ashok Nagar and Yamuna Bank.

“On Tuesday, DMRC gave a presentation of their proposal to connect Noida airport with Delhi’s IGI. The entire corridor will be 72km long. The first phase will be built from Jewar to Knowledge Park 2 and the second from Knowledge Park 2 to New Delhi railway station. The DPR for the first phase is likely to be ready by March 31,” said Arun Vir Singh, the YEIDA CEO. According to the sources, the 35km first phase of the corridor will cost around Rs 5,000 crore.

16/02/28 Meenakshi Sinha/Times of India

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Lounge facility for passengers launched at Thiruvananthapuram airport

Thiruvananthapuram: To ensure a seamless airport experience, a new lounge facility was launched at the TRV International Airport Ltd, Thiruvananthapuram.

The lounge 'The Bird' is located on level 1, near gate number 5, of the international terminal. It covers an area of 276 sq m and has 68 seats, according to a report published by The Business Line.

Every guest can find a preferred form of relaxation among the premium services on offer at the lounge and can have a comfortable time while waiting at the airport.

The lounge at TIAL, under the Adani Group, has stylish interiors which accentuate height, light and space and also offer a range of personalised services.

It will be open 24/7 and will provide Wi-Fi connectivity, a business centre and a flight information display system.

In addition to this, live counters and buffets for South, North Indian and continental cuisine are some of the major attractions.

16/02/22 India Today 

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Bangalore Airport awarded the PEER Platinum certification

Bangalore International Airport Limited (BIAL), operator of Bangalore International Airport (BLR) has been awarded the prestigious PEER (Performance Excellence in Electricity Renewal) Platinum certification by Green Building Certification Inc. (GBCI), the foremost authority on sustainability in building design, construction, and operations. This honour makes BIAL the first airport operator in the world to receive an outstanding score of 92/100 for its airport power infrastructure.

To ensure that the BLR Airport’s power system continues to support its sustainable development goals, BIAL sought PEER certification to analyse and improve the airport’s power system performance and was awarded the ‘Platinum Rating’ based on GBCI’s rigorous certification and review process.

GBCI is the one of the world’s leading sustainability and health certification and credentialing body and is responsible for administering the LEED green building program. BIAL has demonstrated exceptional performance through its commitment to build sustainably. About 98 per cent of the project’s distribution circuit is protected with distribution redundancy and auto restoration. It also has a 6.8MW onsite solar PV system that supports essential services during grid failure and long-term blackout and 100 per cent of its energy mix comes from renewable energy. 

Further to achieving permanent reductions in its energy demand and consumption, BIAL has implemented energy conservation programmes such as replacement of all CFL (compact fluorescent lamp)/ Halogen lights with LED fixtures, PLC (Programmable Logic Controller) based Terminal Light Automation System (TLA) to monitor and minimise the energy consumption of terminal lights, and Chiller Plant Optimizer (CPO) solution for monitoring the operation and optimising the chiller plant performance under various load conditions.

15/02/22 International Airport Review

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Domestic pax load down by 60% in Jan at MIA

Mangaluru: The fear of the Omicron variant of the SARS-CoV-2 virus forced air travellers to cancel their plans, which has resulted in a drop in 60% in the movement of domestic passengers at the Mangaluru International Airport (MIA), in the month of January. The domestic passenger footfall in December 2021 was 1,08,880, which dropped to 63,648 in January 2022.

According to those in the airlines business, the steep decline in domestic passenger movement was due to multiple factors, related to the third wave of the Covid-19 pandemic. The movement of international passengers has also seen negative growth, with a drop of 2,915 passengers, as against 31,279 international passengers in December last year.

“The movement of domestic air passengers, which was hit by the second wave of Covid-19, started to see a recovery from August, with 53,261 footfalls, that doubled by December, 2021. However, the decline started from the last week of December, and the numbers again moved back to a five-month low,” said a senior executive of an airline. “The main reasons for the negative growth in domestic passenger numbers is the Omicron variant, which resulted in night curfews and travel restrictions. Many travellers avoided flying, since it was informed that the variant is more contagious than earlier ones. However, the numbers started to pick up after the end of January.”

Domestic air traffic has reduced. In December, 953 domestic flights were reported, which reduced to 712 flights in January.

15/02/22 Times of India

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HC tells DGCA & AAI to file affidavits on expansion of Shillong Airport

Shillong: The Meghalaya High Court has asked the Airports Authority of India and the Directorate General of Civil Aviation to file affidavits and indicate the feasibility of expansion of the Shillong Airport to accommodate long-haul flights and larger aircraft to reduce time for visitors to reach the hill state.

“Both the Airports Authority of India (AAI) and the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) were required to file affidavits indicating the feasibility of expanding the Umroi airport to accommodate long-haul flights including Boeing and like aircraft,” A division bench headed by Chief Justice Sanjib Banerjee said in an order for a hearing conducted on Monday.

The Bench also pulled the authorities concerned saying that there was no feasibility report on expansion the airport to handle long-haul flights and larger aircraft during the hearing despite the state authorities incurring a huge amount on cutting obstructing hills at a distance away from the airport.

“It is submitted on behalf of the state that substantial expenses have been incurred for expanding the flat land beyond the runway on either side by cutting down the hills. However, it is possible that further hills have to be cut before a safe runway can be put in place to be able to handle Boeing and bigger aircraft,” the order noted.

The High Court Bench also noted that Meghalaya has rich prospects in developing tourism.

“If a plan of sustained development of the tourism industry is chalked out, upon monitoring and regulating the critical parameters, the local economy may get the necessary fillip, particularly since there is no big industry in the state. The boost of tourism in the state will also result in substantial benefit to the national economy,” it added.

As tourism is likely to gain momentum here, the court said that the two authorities to necessarily indicate the feasibility of expansion of the Umroi airport to accommodate larger aircraft than ATRs and the cost benefit analysis in respect thereof.

15/02/22 PTI/Print

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West Bengal: Daily Bengaluru flights after state lifts all restrictions on incoming flyers

Kolkata: The state government on Monday removed all restrictions on incoming flyers, both domestic and international, other than the need for them to be either fully vaccinated or furnish a Covid negative test report prior to the journey.

Following the latest decision, direct flights from Bengaluru can resume daily operations to Kolkata, Bagdogra and Andal near Durgapur. Since last two weeks, curbs had been placed on flights from Bengaluru with operations restricted to Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.

Taking a cue from the Union home ministry's decision to do away with quarantine requirement on foreign travellers, the state home department also announced that arriving passengers who are fully vaccinated or have undergone RT-PCR test conducting within 72 hours from the time of flight departure will not be required to quarantine at home for seven days.

“Reopening Bengaluru will mean around 60 additional flights a week. Going forward, the passenger count at Kolkata airport should witness a steady improvement,” Kolkata airport Airlines Operators’ Committee chairman Rahul Wadhwa said.

At present, the daily passenger count at Kolkata airport is hovering between 28,000 and 34,000 with 260-odd flights flying into and out of Kolkata. The average load is around 75%. In December 2021, the facility was clocking around 50,000 passengers daily with 390-odd flights in operation. In 2019, prior to the pandemic, the airport used to clock over 60,000 passengers daily on an average and saw 500-520 flight movements a day.

15/02/22 Subhro Niyogi & Tamaghna Banerjee/Times of India

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HC tells DGCA & AAI to file affidavits on expanding Shillong Airport

Shillong, Feb 15 (PTI) The Meghalaya High Court has asked the Airports Authority of India and the Directorate General of Civil Aviation to file affidavits and indicate the feasibility of expanding the Shillong Airport to accommodate long-haul flights and larger aircraft to reduce time for visitors to reach the hill state.

“Both the Airports Authority of India (AAI) and the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) were required to file affidavits indicating the feasibility of expanding the Umroi airport to accommodate long-haul flights including Boeing and like aircraft,” A division bench headed by Chief Justice Sanjib Banerjee said in an order for a hearing conducted on Monday.

The Bench also pulled the authorities concerned saying that there was no feasibility report on expanding the airport to handle long-haul flights and larger aircraft during the hearing despite the state authorities incurring a huge amount on cutting obstructing hills at a distance away from the airport.

“It is submitted on behalf of the state that substantial expenses have been incurred for expanding the flat land beyond the runway on either side by cutting down the hills. However, it is possible that further hills have to be cut before a safe runway can be put in place to be able to handle Boeing and bigger aircraft,” the order noted.

15/02/22 PTI/Print

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Land for greenfield airport at Bihta not possible: Govt

Patna: The stalemate over Bihta airport plan for commercial flight operations continues. While the Airports Authority of India (AAI) requires 199 acre more land for development of an international greenfield airport at Bihta airbase, the government on Monday ruled out any such possibility. The AAI needs more land even for floating a tender and commencement of work for the civil enclave and runway alignment.

KS Vijayan, general manager (engineering), projects, AAI-Patna, said they are waiting for 8 acre more land from the state government and approval from the public investment board to commence the work even as per previous plan. “Only after that, we will be able to call the tender,” he said.

Recently, civil aviation minister Jyotiraditya M Scindia had asked the states to provide additional land for construction of greenfield airports. During the Parliament session, he also said Bihar government needs to identify an alternate site for construction of a greenfield airport in case of non-availability of required land at Bihta. The AAI has made requisition for an additional 191.5 acre land for runway extension and installation of approach light and 8 acres for city-side development to accommodate wide-bodied aircraft for international operations from the airport.

15/02/22 Faryal Rumi/Times of India

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Patna airport’s new DVOR will be operational between March & Apr

Patna: The new terminal building of the Jayaprakash Narayan International Airport, which is undergoing an upgrade with the addition of high-tech equipment, is scheduled to open in December, 2023.

The city airport is replacing outdated equipment dating back 17 years with a sophisticated navigational aid, the Doppler Very High Frequency Omni Range (DVOR), and an instrument landing system (ILS), to ensure that aircraft safely land even in adverse weather conditions and operate on time.

The new DVOR is located on 16.5 acres of state-allocated land and will facilitate aircraft take-off and landing in inclement weather. It will be operational between March and April following its commissioning by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA).

“The final commissioning date for the new DVOR will be announced in due course. The communication, navigation and surveillance department of the Airports Authority of India oversaw the installation of the navigational facility,” sources told TOI, adding that the previous equipment was outdated and inoperable.

The DVOR equipment costs Rs 3 crore, and the total cost of electrical and civil engineering work required to install it is expected to be Rs 2.36 crore.

15/02/22 Faryal Rumi/Times of India

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Jyotiraditya Scindia discusses ways to develop major airports into international hub

Civil aviation minister Jyotiraditya Scindia on Monday held a detailed discussion with advisory groups of airports and airlines on ways to develop the country's major airports into international hub.

After taking over the reins of the ministry in July last year, Scindia has constituted various advisory groups as part of efforts to bolster the coronavirus pandemic-hit civil aviation space.

"Held a detailed discussion and charted out a step-wise course with the members of advisory groups of airports and airlines to develop Indian major airports into international hub airports, and eventually create a robust hub and spoke system for travel," Scindia said in a tweet.

14/02/22 PTI/Economic Times

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No RT-PCR test required for international flyers at Delhi Airport

Ministry of Health, Government of India, recently issued new travel guidelines for international arriving passengers in the country. Under the revised guidelines RT-PCR test is no more needed if a passenger is fully vaccinated. Now the Delhi Disaster Management Authority (DDMA) has directed health officials and district magistrates to ensure the Centre's revised COVID-19 guidelines for international arrivals are followed at the IGI Airport.

The Ministry of Health & Family Welfare on February 10 released detailed guidelines for international arrivals at airports and seaports in the country, doing away with the quarantine provision. According to the guidelines, all the passengers will show self-declaration form on arrival at the airport.

The passengers found to be symptomatic during screening will be immediately isolated and taken to medical facility under health protocol. If tested positive, their contacts will be identified and managed as per laid down protocol.

The protocol post arrival mandates that two per cent of the total passengers in a flight will undergo random testing at the airport. Such travellers in each flight will be identified by the airlines concerned, preferably from different countries.

They will submit the samples and will be allowed to leave the airport. If such travellers test positive, their samples would be sent for genomic sequencing. All travellers will self-monitor their health for next 14 days of arrival. Earlier, such travellers were required to undergo weeklong home quarantine.

14/02/22 ZeeNews

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Bengaluru airport sees nearly two-fold rise in rose shipments ahead of Valentine’s Day

Bengaluru: The Kempegowda International Airport in Bengaluru on Monday stated that airport cargo witnessed a near two-fold increase in rose shipments in the run-up to Valentine’s Day this year. The airport facilitated the movement of approximately 5.15 lakh kg of roses to 25 international and domestic destinations this year, compared to 2.7 lakh kg shipped in 2021.

The demand for roses in the domestic market during Valentine’s season has seen a considerable rise this year. “Domestic shipments have witnessed a significant improvement, having increased to 3.15 lakh kg (6.5 million stems) vs 1.03 lakh kg in 2021, recording over 200 per cent growth. Around 2 lakh kg (7.3 million stems) were exported to international destinations this year vs last year’s 1.7 lakh kg,” a statement from the airport read.

The top domestic destinations for roses include Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Guwahati and Chandigarh. Among the top international destinations are Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, London, Amsterdam, Kuwait, Auckland, Beirut, Manila, Muscat and Dubai.

14/02/22 Indian Express

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International passenger count drops by 50,000 at Kochi airport in January

Kochi: Even after retaining its position as the third busiest airport in India throughout 2021, the international flight operations at the Cochin International Airport (CIAL) have been once again hit by the third wave of the Covid-19, further resulting in a decline in the international passenger traffic at the Kochi airport.

As per the data by the Airport Authority of India, CIAL registered 3,01,338 international passengers during December 2021. The count dropped to 2,53,720 in January 2022, nearing a drop of 50,000 passengers.

According to a report published in the Times of India (TOI), a CIAL spokesperson said, “The decline in the international sector in January was due to the surge of Omicron cases, adding that the traffic figures are expected to rise.”

14/02/22 India Today

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Nellore airport Works to take off in April

Nellore: The residents can now cheer up as the government had recently approved the DPR submitted by Andhra Pradesh Airports Development Corporation Limited for phase-1 works of airport under PPP mode. With this greenfield airport is being constructed under Public-Private-Partnership (PPP) mode at Dagadarthi in 1,379.71 acres from April. Though the process of land acquisition for the proposed airport has been underway, requirement of land enhanced to 1,861.20-acre after a proposal to operate cargo flights was prepared. The airport will feature a new passenger terminal building, aircraft apron, singular runway, cargo handling and car parking facilities with an estimated cost of Rs 368 crore. It is designed to operate small ATR-72-600 type aircraft and will be able to handle about 200 peak hour passengers.

14/02/22 Hans India

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Kolkata: 2nd Covid test before Dubai flight shelved

Kolkata: The United Arab Emirates on Saturday withdrew mandatory requirement for passengers travelling from Kolkata to undergo an RT-PCR test within six hours before flight departure at the airport in addition to the RT-PCR test within 48 hours prior to departure.

Henceforth, flyers boarding Emirates, FlyDubai, IndiGo, Air India or any other direct fight to Dubai will undergo test only 48 hours before departure. Once Etihad commences flights between Kolkata and Abu Dhabi, the rule will be applicable.

13/02/22 Times of India

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‘No steps taken to reduce runway length of Calicut airport’

Kozhikode: Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia has given an assurance in Lok Sabha that the length of the tabletop runway of the Calicut International Airport will not be shortened to facilitate the expansion of the Runway End Safety Area (RESA) so as to resume the operation of wide-bodied aircraft, which remains suspended after the Air India Express flight crash at the airport in August 2020.

In a written reply to a starred question raised by M.K. Raghavan, Kozhikode MP, who is also co-chairman of the Calicut Airport Advisory Committee, Mr. Scindia said no proposals were chalked out to reduce the runway length at the airport.

Previously, a move was under way to reduce the existing runway length of the airport from 2,700 m to 2,540 m to increase the RESA by 240 m on both sides. Four years ago, the length of the runway was shortened from 2,850 m to increase the RESA on one side.

Mr. Raghavan said the Union Minister of State for External Affairs V. Muraleedharan had last week orally assured a delegation of MPs from Malabar that no steps would be taken to reduce the runway length.

However, Mr. Raghavan apprised the Minister of a document in his possession on an earlier directive issued by the Airports Authority of India (AAI) in this regard. He said the reply given by the Minister was incorrect and that the officials were misleading the Minister and the House.

12/02/22 The Hindu

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‘Four potential sites identified for second airport in Chennai’

Chennai: Parandur, Pannur, Tiruporur and Padalam are the four new potential sites that the State government has identified for the second airport for the city, the Ministry of Civil Aviation has said.

While responding to a question in the Lok Sabha, Minister for Civil Aviation Jyotiraditya M. Scindia said: “The Government of India has formulated the greenfield policy for construction of greenfield airport, for which the State government/airport operator has to identify site(s) and get the feasibility study conducted for construction of airport. The application is then sent to the Ministry of Civil Aviation in the prescribed format for site clearance and in-principle approval by the steering committee.”

Tiruporur will be the closest from the existing Chennai airport in Tirusoolam and the travel time is about a little over an hour while it takes nearly an hour-and-a-half to commute from the present airport to Pannur and Padalam, Parandur will be the farthest and it will be a two-hour journey from Tirusoolam.

Before the pandemic, the city airport grappled with severe bottlenecks as the terminals couldn’t handle the traffic, with passengers bearing the brunt of it. There was no end in sight for finalising a site for the second airport too as the possible sites were considered and there was no decision taken. Now, sources said, the State government has informed the Airports Authority of India (AAI) to soon delegate a team of officials for inspecting these sites and carry out a feasibility study. This study is done to know whether a specific site will have sufficient space for establishing all the infrastructure needed for the new airport and also to make sure there was no interference with the Tambaram Air Force traffic or has any other obstructions, sources said.

12/02/22 The Hindu

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Union minister calls for turning Odisha's WW2 airstrip to modern airport

Bhubaneswar: Union minister Bishweswar Tudu on Sunday said he is hopeful that the Centre will give its nod for turning the now-defunct Armada Road Airstrip in Odisha's Mayurbhanj district, which was operational during World War-II, into a modern airport.

Making an aggressive pitch for its revival, Tudu said the airstrip is located 225 km from state capital Bhubaneswar and only 90 km from the Kalaikunda air force station, and can be used for commercial and defence purposes.

I have taken up the matter with Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia. Both of them have found the place suitable for a modern airport as it is strategically located, Tudu told PTI over phone.

A team of experts from the Airports Authority of India has already visited the site, and we are hopeful that the authorities will soon accord a no-objection certificate, said the Union minister of State for Tribal Affairs and Jal Shakti.

The 1,000-acre piece of land in Rasgovindpur block falls under the purview of the defence ministry and it needs to be handed over to the civil aviation ministry, he said.

The Armada Road Airstrip, once it turns into an airport, will cater to an estimated 82 lakh people, mostly in north Odisha, south Bengal and east Jharkhand.

Tudu said the proposed airport will also address the requirements of key institutions like the Integrated Test Range at Chandipur in Balasore district and IIT-Kharagpur in West Bengal.

If the airstrip becomes operational, it can be used for both commercial and defence purposes, akin to the airports in Pune and Guwahati, he said.

The Rasgovindpur Airstrip (as it is known today) has a short but secret illustrious history, which has never been made public, said war historian Anil Dhir, adding, it had the longest runway in Asia, over 3.5-km long.

The station came into existence during the war as a forward airfield against the Japanese conquest of Burma. The large airstrip served its purpose well as a landing ground for planes and also as a training space for special bombing missions, the historian said.

13/02/22 PTI/Business Standard

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UAE passengers testing Covid positive at Chennai airport in a fix

Chennai: People flying to the UAE from Chennai airport are facing a hassle as the pre-departure rapid RT-PCR test is turning positive even when the mandatory regular RT-PCR taken 72 hours before departure is negative.

As repeat tests are often not done, people are forced to cancel the trip. A passenger had to cancel his trip thrice after a rapid test turned positive at the airport. The regular RT-PCR test he took in private labs soon after reaching home from the airport was negative.

Travel agents too said there have been a few instances when passengers had to cancel trips because the rapid test was positive. UAE insists that travellers from India should take a pre-departure rapid test at the airport.

N Ravi, who had to cancel his trip thrice last month, said: “There was hardly any exposure between the time I had given the regular RT-PCR test and reaching the airport. The staff at the labs at the airport did not accept my request to take a repeat test. This is a shock to many passengers.”

13/02/22 Times of India

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MIA bags Voice of Customer award

Mangaluru: Mangaluru International Airport has received the Airports Council International’s (ACI) The Voice of the Customer award, for the efforts put in by all the stakeholders and employees.

The airport was awarded for demonstrating relentless efforts in gathering passenger feedback on customer needs in 2021, and providing the best-in-class travel experience.

Launched in 2020, the ACI recognition acknowledges the continued efforts of the airports that remain committed to giving priority to their passengers, and ensuring that their voices were heard during the pandemic in 2021.

Throughout the pandemic, MIA complied with norms and protocols, in line with the Union and state governments, while prioritising the health and safety of its passengers.

The award also recognises various passenger-centric initiatives started in the past year, to facilitate safe and convenient travel during the pandemic, and the effectiveness of their initiatives through quarterly feedback surveys.

Touchless features like common use self-service (CUSS) kiosks for passengers to check-in and generate a baggage tag themselves, and e-gates that allow passengers to scan their boarding pass to proceed to security check, were installed.

13/02/22 Times of India

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Runway resurfacing in Ahmedabad sends airfare soaring 30-160%

Ahmedabad: Shailesh Shah has to travel to Delhi with his wife and elderly father for a social visit next weekend. When he checked for a flight, he was shocked to see the return flight fares at Rs 11,000 per person. A trip to Delhi would cost him a whopping Rs 33,000 for the flights for three people. Shah decided to defer his travel plan.

With most flights operating out of the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International (SVPI) airport during peak hours due to the ongoing runway resurfacing since January 17, airfares from the city airport have dramatically spiked, ranging from 30-160%.

The steepest spike is seen to Jaipur and Chennai with a roundtrip costing upwards of Rs 14,000 per person. This is followed by flights to Delhi and Bengaluru which cost upwards of Rs 10,000 per person and Mumbai-bound flights surging up to Rs 8,500.

Manish Sharma, president, Travel Agents’ Federation of India (TAFI) – Gujarat, said, “The number of flights has reduced due to ongoing runway resurfacing work and most are scheduled at peak hours during which airfares are generally high. Moreover, flight frequencies have also been reduced because of which the airfares have skyrocketed to some places.”

12/02/22 Niyati Parikh/Times of India

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Air travel from Kolkata airport picks up as Covid cases fall

Domestic air travel has started picking up once again as the receding third wave of Covid is prompting many to cast away fears of the disease.

Travel industry is hopeful that the number of international passengers will go up, too, following the health ministry’s announcement on Thursday easing restrictions for in-bound travellers.

The number of passengers and flights to and from Kolkata had taken a plunge during the third wave of infections.

With the number of daily new cases now going down rapidly, passenger footfall and flights have started going up again, said officials.

“In the last five days, we have seen a growth in the number of domestic passengers and flights,” C. Pattabhi, director of the Kolkata airport, said on Friday.

The daily passenger footfall at the airport has gone up from around 17,000 on an average to 30,000, said Pattabhi. The number of daily flights has gone up, too - from 160 to around 200 in the last five days.

“We are expecting a further growth in the passenger count after April, when the examinations are over, if there is no fresh surge in Covid cases,” Pattabhi said.

This newspaper reported in January that the daily passenger footfall at the airport had gone down from 50,000 to 25,000 during the third wave. It reduced further to 17,000 before picking up again.

However, the number of international passengers and flights is not going up, said officials.

Now, around 14 international flights are taking off from or landing at the Kolkata airport. The passenger count stands at a little more than 1,000. 

12/02/22 Sanjay Mandal/Telegraph

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Airport gets award for ‘best service’

Lucknow: Lucknow’s Chaudhary Charan Singh International Airport has been honoured with ‘The Voice of the Customer’ award by the Airports Council International (ACI). The award recognises the efforts of all stakeholders and employees in gathering passenger feedback on customer needs and providing a good experience.

Throughout the pandemic, CCS Airport complied with all government norms and protocols for the health and safety of passengers, it said.

Initiatives such as the common use self-service kioskss well as scan their boarding pass, were installed.

12/02/22 Times of India

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Passengers can now buy liquor at discounted rate at Delhi Airport

Delhi: At least six liquor shops containing a wide gamut of foreign and Indian brands may come up at the Indira Gandhi International Airport in Delhi soon. Passengers will soon be able to buy premium liquor at a discounted rate even if they are travelling on domestic routes.

Six liquor shops are expected to open at the three terminals of the airport in the coming days, the Times of India (TOI) reported. The officials said that the liquor stores would come up at the arrival and departure sections of terminals 1,2 and 3 and are expected to be operational by March.

The report suggests that the new liquor stores at the domestic section may be alternate to the international arrival terminal's duty-free shops. Under the new excise policy of the Delhi government, at least ten liquor shops can be opened at domestic and international terminals.

The Excise Department of the Delhi government has permitted licensees to shift their allotted liquor shops in non-conforming areas of the city to authorised market places in the same zones, reported news agency PTI.

There are 67 wards with non-conforming areas where licences were issued for opening liquor vents. Now, these 134 shops may shift to authorise areas and start operation as per decision taken after a report by a committee formed by the government," PTI reported.

The new excise policy also allows the stores to attract customers by offering them gifts and discounts, the TOI report said.

An official told TOI that people going to Gurugram and Haryana to buy liquor will now buy it in Delhi as alcohol is cheaper here after discounts.

"The airport is one of the best places to sell premium and expensive brands of liquor,"the official said.

11/02/22 India Today

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Air India committee members charge-sheeted in bogus sexual harassment case

Thiruvananthapuram: Members of an Internal Complaints Committee (ICC) of Air India were charge-sheeted by the Crime Branch of the Kerala police in a fake sexual harassment complaint against an Air India official in Thiruvananthapuram. Kerala gold smuggling case accused in the case.

A bogus sexual harassment petition filed against officer apron of Air India in Thiruvananthapuram, L S Sibu, was the basis for the case. It is said to be for the first time that members of ICC were charge-sheeted in such a case. Senior AI official and an independent lawyer were among the members of the ICC.

The Crime Branch found that a section of officials of Air India, AI-SATS (a joint venture firm of Air India and Singapore Airport Terminal Services) and members of the internal complaints committee conspired to trap Sibu using a bogus sexual harassment petition in 2015. Sibu had petitioned central agencies against corruption and manipulations in ground handling charges of AI-SATS. That was the provocation, Crime Branch sources said.

The Kerala High Court had earlier quashed the ICC report after it was found that the sexual harassment petition was a bogus one. All the 17 women employees whose signatures were given on the fake petition had disowned it. The ICC was found to have given a report against Sibu by impersonating a bogus complainant. Crime Branch sources said that the five-member ICC was found to have conspired with the others accused, who were AI-SATS employees.

Those charge-sheeted were Benoy Jacob, Swapna Suresh (gold smuggling cases accused), Deepak Anto, Sheeba K K and Neethu Mohan of AI-SATS and Internal Complaints Committee member and AI officials Uma Maheswarai S, Sathya Subramanian, R M S Rajan and Leena Vineetha and independent member of the committee advocate Sreeja Sasidharan. Swapna Suresh was found to have drafted the bogus petition.

11/02/22 Arjun Raghunath/Deccan Herald

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Authorities plan to make Srinagar Airport disabled-friendly

Srinagar: The Airports Authority of India, Srinagar, CISF and other stakeholders have got together in order to create facilities for safe and hassle free travel for travellers facing benchmark disabilities.

In a recent meeting held at Srinagar Airport, a local committee consisting of members from non-governmental organisations , dealing with issues related to persons with disabilities, was formed to ensure that Srinagar Airport is made disabled-friendly.

The meeting was organised by CISF, which is looking after the security of Srinagar airport. The meeting was chaired by Airport Director, Srinagar and in the presence of Commandant/CASO, CISF Srinagar Airport and Airport managers of various airlines such as Indigo Air Asia, Air India, Spice jet, Go first and Air Vistaara besides other officials of airport authority and CISF.

As per those present in the meeting, the objective of conducting the meeting was to provide facilities to travellers facing disabilities so that no traveller with disability face any inconveniences.

Among other issues discussed in the meeting includes, web accessibility in airline websites as per W3C guidelines so that persons with disabilities can have easy access to ticketing and feedback

“The airports should provide space for putting information on the websites while ticketing so that airline staff can arrange the facilities at par with their needs” reads minutes of the meeting.

The establishment of a common service point at the entry point of the airport so that passengers with disabilities are received at entry point and supported till boarding aircraft, was also discussed in the meeting.

10/02/22 Saqib Malik/Greater Kashmir

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No night-landing facility in 23 airports

New Delhi: As many as 23 operational airports in the country do not have night landing facility. The list of airports not having night landing facility also include Kushinagar International Airport in Uttar Pradesh which was inaugurated in October 2021 giving a major boost to Buddhist tourism circuit. 

Others in the list are Salem in Tamil Nadu; Shimla, Kullu and Dharamshala in Himachal Pradesh; Kalaburagi in Karnataka, and others.  Authorities do not permit the aircrafts to land at night at an airport which does not have night landing facility.

India has over 100 operational airports and officials said that the airports not having night landing facility are mostly those witnessing lower passenger traffic. Airports Authority of India, which manages most of the airports in India, takes up a particular one for consideration for providing night landing facilities, when airlines show an interest during night operations. 

Airlines have to apply with the Airports Authority of India to facilitate night landing facility in a particular airport and then process of offering the convenience starts. The upgradation of airports, including provision of night landing facility is a continuous process, which depends upon operational requirements, commercial feasibility, etc, and varies from airport to airport in the country, said the ministry of civil aviation in a recent Parliament reply.

The main requirement for night landing is that the runway approach lighting system which includes a series of light bars with strobe lights installed at the end of the runway.

10/02/22 New Indian Express

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Auriga Research expedites COVID testing at Bengaluru Airport with 50 new machines and staff of 250+ members

Bengaluru (Karnataka) [India], February 10 (ANI/NewsVoir): Auriga Research Private Limited, the largest NABL accredited testing lab in India, has upgraded its team strength to 250+ members to support 24x7x365 COVID testing at the Kempegowda International Airport in Bengaluru.

Operating throughout the pandemic, Auriga has, till date, facilitated hundreds of thousands of tests for both arrivals and departures, at the airport. The Rapid-PCR test method using the globally acclaimed Abbott ID delivers results in less than 15 minutes with 95% accuracy and is priced at INR 3000. Auriga also offers gold standard PerkinElmer High Throughput RT-PCR tests that deliver results in 5-6 hours, priced at INR 500, and Rapid Antigen tests that deliver results in 40 minutes, priced at INR 400, in compliance with the pricing by the Government of Karnataka.

Early in the pandemic, Auriga set up its real-time PCR lab at the airport with an investment of more than INR 2 Crores and was the first to offer Abbott ID Now facilities. After the resumption of flights, the situation worsened, and Auriga made a further investment of INR 50 lakhs to add multiple PCR machines and extractors, including increasing staff strength to manage the footfall smoothly, in a time-bound manner.

With the rise of the Omicron variant, it became necessary for arriving passengers from at-risk countries to be tested and cleared rapidly. So, when the number of passengers spiked, causing severe chaos at the airport, Auriga invested more than INR 1 Crore to install 50 new Abbot Rapid testing machines in just 36 hours. Auriga is carrying out the COVID-19 tests as per technically validated methods and regulatory guidelines.

Saurabh Arora, Managing Director, Auriga Research Private Limited, says, “Our team takes tremendous pride in the services we are providing the passengers at KIA and thank the BIAL team and GOK for their support throughout the pandemic. I thank all my team members who have gone above and beyond to maintain the service level despite the health risks and tremendous pressure on them.”

10/02/22 ANI/The Print

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Srinagar set to get disabled-friendly airport soon

Srinagar: The Airports Authority of India, Srinagar, CISF and other stakeholders have got together in order to create facilities for safe and hassle-free travel for travellers facing benchmark disabilities.

In a recent meeting held at Srinagar Airport, a local committee consisting of members from non-governmental organisations, dealing with issues related to persons with disabilities, was formed to ensure that Srinagar Airport is made disabled-friendly.

The meeting was organised by CISF, which is looking after the security of Srinagar airport. The meeting was chaired by, Airport Director, Srinagar and in the presence of Commandant/CASO, CISF Srinagar Airport and Airport managers of various airlines, such as Indigo Air Asia, Air India, Spice jet, Go first and Air Vistaara besides other officials of the airport authority and CISF.

As per those present at the meeting, the objective of conducting the meeting was to provide facilities for travellers facing disabilities so that no traveller with disabilities faces any inconveniences.

Among other issues discussed in the meeting include web accessibility on airline websites as per W3C guidelines, so that persons with disabilities can have easy access to ticketing and feedback.

Establishment of a restroom for women and children with disabilities. Easy scanning of wheelchairs and artificial limbs at the entry point so that a person using such aids appliances does not face inconvenience again and again at security checkpoints up to aircraft was also discussed.

10/02/22 India Today

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The New Shop comes to Ahmedabad Airport

The New Shop (TNS) — a 24/7 convenience commerce platform with retail and online stores offering food, FMCG, and hyperlocal deliveries — has opened its 38th store at the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport in Ahemedabad. The 450 sq. ft. store is located right at Landside of arrival hall at Terminal 1 and is visible to departing, arriving passengers, and meeters & greeters.

The store will provide quick service and cater to the immediate needs of all passengers before and after air travel like packaged food, chocolates, soft drinks, cigarettes, water, gifting items, etc. Open 24/7 and round the clock, the store will provide uninterrupted convenience to passengers, their guests as well as the airport staff.

Ahmedabad  Airport is one of the busiest and largest airport in the India. In fiscal year 2020-21, it handled about 3.64 million passengers, making it the seventh-busiest airport in terms of passenger traffic in India. The New shop is already serving 24/7 at the Lucknow Adani International airport and the launch of the new store at Ahmedabad airport will further its pan-India partnership with Adani airports. A TNS release said that The New Shop and Adani Airports are thrilled at the partnership and looking at a fast roll out of more stores across the other airports as well.

10/02/22   Indiaretailing

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