Chennai airport had highest loss of Rs 189 crore among airports in 2021-22

The Chennai airport incurred the highest loss among public airports in India in the 2021-22 financial year, according to a reply by the Union Civil Aviation Ministry in Rajya Sabha. The reply had listed 124 airports run by the Airport Authority of India (AAI), along with the details of profit or loss made by them in the past three financial years. According to the data provided, the Chennai international airport incurred the highest loss of Rs 189.85 crore followed by Dehradun (loss of Rs 98.02 crore) and Agartala airports (Rs 80.67 crore).

The reply was given to questions raised by Rajya Sabha MP from Rajasthan Neeraj Dangi. He had raised three questions: State/Union Territory-wise details of loss-making airports in the country along with the reasons for such losses; details of losses suffered by these airports during the last three years; and details of steps taken or being taken by the government to make these airports profitable. In his reply, Minister of State for Civil Aviation VK Singh said that the losses incurred were mainly due to low revenue generation. This hindered airports from meeting the total expenditure, including maintenance cost of the respective airports. “The COVID-19 pandemic has also adversely impacted the revenue of airports during FY 2020-21 and FY 2021-22,” he said.

The minister also added that the AAI has been taking steps to make these airports profitable “by enhancement of non-aeronautical revenue by award of contracts through Master Concessionaires, optimum utilization of commercial space for revenue enhancement, city side development, Revenue Share Model for select commercial contracts and utility cost optimization like LED replacement, Solar panel installation etc. AAI has also taken steps to enhance aeronautical revenue in the form of increase in airport charges at non-major airports.”

10/02/23  Azeefa Fathima/News Minute

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Air India SATS-Zurich Airport to build integrated multimodal cargo hub at Jewar

Air India SATS will set up an integrated multimodal cargo hub at the upcoming Jewar airport in Uttar Pradesh in partnership with Zurich Airport, Tata Group Chairman N Chandrasekaran said on Friday. In his address at the UP Global Investors Summit, he said Air India has plans to connect every part of UP to the rest of India and potentially to important destinations of the world.

"I am happy to say that we are going to build an integrated multimodal air cargo through Air India SATS with our partner Zurich Airport in the new Jewar airport," Chandrasekaran said.

Air India SATS is the ground handling services arm of Air India.

Chandrasekaran said the group's hotel business "sees tremendous opportunities in the state because of the tourism that's going to come, both religious tourism as well as wildlife and other aspects that attract tourists".

"Air India has a detailed plan to connect every part of UP to the rest of India and potentially to important destinations of the world," he added.

He said Tata Group already has a significant presence in UP through steel, automotive, retail, financial and power firms along with TCS.

"Eighteen companies of Tata Group are deeply present (in UP)," he said, adding 50,000 people are employed.

"We are on a huge expansion across all our companies in the state...We are already having huge investments in Noida, both from a TCS point of view and also from Air India point of view," he said without detailing investments on it.

10/02/23 PTI/Economic Times

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Aurangabad air cargo service halted as airport fails security test

Aurangabad: The bureau of civil aviation security (BCAS) - the apex body responsible for framing standards and measures regarding the security of civil flights at airports across the country - has stopped air cargo service at the Aurangabad airport after the facility failed to adhere to the prescribed security norms.

The BCAS order has forced business houses to shift their consignments to other nearby airports (at Pune or Mumbai). On average, several metric tonne of cargo is loaded from the Aurangabad airport. This also added to the revenues of the airlines involved.

A senior BCAS official told TOI, "Despite repeated warnings, the security parameters were not being met, compelling us to completely stop air cargo services from Aurangabad airport. The day the airport meets the parameters, we will resume the services."

The matter has been confirmed by Aurangabad airport director D G Salve, who had initially claimed not to be aware of the issue. Later, he said, "The airlines have failed to get clearances necessary to meet the security parameters, due to which the air cargo services have been stopped. You should speak to them (the airlines)."

When contacted, officials heading the airline services operating from Aurangabad pointed fingers at the airport authority of India (AAI) and said that the training for the employees deployed at security scanners is AAI's duty.

A couple of days ago, a body had to be flown out to another destination. However, as air cargo services have been shut, the body had to be taken by road to Pune, from where it was flown out, revealed an airport employee.

10/02/23 Mohammed Akhef/Times of India

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Kempegowda International Airport of Bengaluru partially shut for 10 days-

 The Kempegowda International Airport (KIA) has announced the partial closure of operations for 10 days from February 8 to February 17 in the wake of Aero Show 2023 in Bengaluru’s Yelahanka.

“There will be airspace closure for civil flights operation at BLR airport as per the below schedule. For queries on revised/changed flight schedules, please connect with your respective airline,” informed Bangalore International Airport Limited (BAIL) through its Twitter handle and also shared the schedule.

Bengaluru airport: Flight timing and schedule from Feb 8 to 17

February 8, 9, 10, and 11- Commercial flight operations will be partially closed between 9 am to 12 pm and from 2 pm to 5 pm.

February 12 and 13- Commercial flight operations will be partially closed between 9 am to 12 pm.

February 14 and 15- Commercial flight operations will be partially closed between 12 pm to 2.30 pm.

February 16 and 17- Commercial flight operations will be partially closed between 9 am to 12 pm and from 2 pm to 5 pm.

10/02/23 Sarmeeli Mallick/ET Now

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Donyi Polo: 1st greenfield airport of Arunachal records steady growth

Guwahati: Less than three months after its inception, Donyi Polo Airport, the first greenfield airport of Arunachal Pradesh, and the first such facility in state capital Itanagar, has operationalised many new routes while witnessing a steady growth in the passenger footfall.

The average daily footfall at the Donyi Polo airport, which was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on November 19, 2022, counts to 280 passengers (according to data of January 2023) and operates six flights on six days a week, barring Wednesday. 

The first commercial flight at the Donyi Polo airport, Indigo airlines with A-320 type of aircraft, began its services on Itanagar-Kolkata sector from November 28, 2022, a landmark moment in the civil aviation history of Arunachal Pradesh.

The flight connecting Kolkata and Mumbai from Itanagar was inaugurated by Union minister of civil aviation Jyotiraditya M. Scindia via video link, which was joined by chief minister Pema Khandu, deputy chief minister Chowna Mein and other state government dignitaries. 

Similarly, other regional airlines also started flights from Donyi Polo in Itanagar, including the much-awaited air connectivity in between Itanagar-Guwahati which was started by Flybig airlines from January 15, 2023 under the regional connectivity scheme- UDAN, which us also the government of India’s flagship programme, promoting regional air connectivity by making flying affordable for the common citizen.

10/02/23 B Sadanand/East Mojo

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Passengers miffed as IndiGo changes Pune flight schedule

Dharwad: People who were upset with the withdrawal of several air services from Belagavi airport to Pune and other cities in the country were relieved when IndiGo announced that it will start air service from Hubballi to Pune from February 4 and the service will be available twice a week-on Saturday and Sunday.

The first flight on Saturday (February 4) was full and people were elated with the prospect of reaching Pune within an hour. However, those who had booked tickets for the Hubballi-Pune direct flight for coming Saturday were disappointed when they received a message from IndiGo saying there is a change in the itinerary due to ‘operational reasons’.

The airlines said the itinerary had been revised. According to the original schedule, the flight was to leave Hubballi at 6.30pm and reach Pune at 19.35pm. The revised schedule says the flight will leave Hubballi on Saturday at 7.50am and reach Hyderabad at 9.25am. It will leave Hyderabad at 4.20pm and reach Pune at 5.25pm.

IndiGo has given the passengers an option to either accept the changed itinerary or to cancel the booking promising full refund at no cost.

10/02/23 Times of India

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IndiGo Delhi flight departs 6 hours behind schedule

Pune: An IndiGo flight to Delhi from the city took off six hours behind schedule on Thursday.

What made matters worse for the passengers was that they had to wait inside the aircraft for an hour after boarding, before the flight departed. The flight (6E5004) was scheduled to take off from Pune at 8:50am and reach Delhi by 11:10am.

A flyer told TOI that she had completed the check-in and security checks when she received a text message from the airline about the delay. "We then go to know from the ground staff members that there was some problem with the aircraft in Delhi, leading to the delay. Some flyers might have got the message before they left home so could set out late, but I reached the airport around 6am," she said.

An IndiGo spokesperson said, "IndiGo flight 6E 5004 from Pune to Delhi was delayed due to a technical problem. Passengers are being offered alternative options as per the process. We regret the inconvenience caused to the passengers," the statement from the airline, said.

10/02/23 Times of India

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Over 500 posts of Air Traffic Controllers currently vacant

New Delhi: In a written reply to the Lok Sabha on Thursday, the Ministry of Civil Aviation said that more than 500 posts of Air Traffic Controllers (ATCOs) are currently vacant in the country.

The Ministry said in its reply: "As on January 31, 2023, the sanctioned strength of Air Traffic Controllers in Airports Authority of India (AAI) is 4,211 against which 3,692 ATCOs are in place."

As per Civil Aviation Requirement (CAR) of Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), additional number of ATCOs required by AAI is 381 with cumulative additional requirement of 1,392 and 1,697 on December 31, 2023 and December 31, 2024, respectively, it added.

The AAI has three training institutes -- Civil Aviation Training College (CATC) in Prayagraj; Hyderabad Training Centre (HTC); and the National Institute of Aviation Training And Management (NIATAM), Gondia.

The existing combined capacity of the above training institutes is 575 for freshers/new recruits which is sufficient to cater to requirements of AAI.

Hence, no proposal for opening a new institute for the purpose is in the pipeline, said the Ministry.

It further informed that in the year 2019, 3,049 CISF posts were abolished at 61 airports leaving it with a strength of 27,218.

Subsequently the CISF strength has been augmented to 36,122 at 66 airports, which is almost 33 per cent more of the remaining strength of force in the year 2019.

The recruitment of sufficient manpower/ATCOs for smooth functioning of air traffic management is a continuous process, which is undertaken by the AAI based on the requirement of various airports.

The vacant posts of ATCOs are filled through direct recruitment as well as internally through departmental examination.

09/02/23 IANS/Times of India

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Adani’s winning bids for six airports: Former privatisation panel head explains key policy changes

The handing over of six government-owned airports to the Adani Group has become a hot topic following Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's address in the Parliament on February 7.

CNBC-TV18 spoke to the chairman and some members of the panel that decided on the airport privatisation plan. They deny any wrongdoings in the process and defend the relaxation in certain criteria to bring in more participation from domestic players. They say Adani Group was given all six airports as it emerged as the highest bidder among all bidders for all six airports.

"The rules were changed by the government and Adani was given six airports. After that India's most strategic, profitable airport — the Mumbai airport was taken away, and hijacked from GVK by agencies. By exerting CBI, ED pressure the Indian government handed the airport into Adaniji's hands," Rahul Gandhi had said.

The Adani Group owns and operates seven airports in India, six of which have been transferred for 50 years under the privatisation project. The group took over the prized Mumbai International Airport from GVK in July 2021.

Gandhi accused the Narendra Modi-led government of tweaking rules regarding airport privatisation to favour the Adani Group.

The issue dates back to November 2018, when the Cabinet approved privatisation of six airports. A PPP Appraisal Committee (PPPAC) was formed as a competent authority to decide on the criteria and provisions of this project.

In its meeting on December 11, 2018, the PPPAC took two crucial decisions that paved the way for Adani Group's foray into the airports business.

09/02/23 Madeeha Mujawar/CNBC TV18

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Aviation Ministry Takes Measures to Avoid Bird Strike at Airports

On Thursday, Jyotiraditya Scindia, the minister of civil aviation, said that all necessary steps had been taken to address the problem of bird strikes near airports and emphasised the need to maintain clean spaces. There have been instances where birds have struck aircraft during takeoff or landing as well as in mid-air.

"As far as bird hits are concerned, we have put in place all measures at airports, which includes the bird dispeller, sound guns and other methodologies that will keep birds away from airport areas," the minister said.

While briefing reporters here about the initiatives taken by the government over the last nearly nine years for wildlife conservation, Scindia also mentioned the Swachh Bharat initiative in the context of bird hits.

"...Why do birds come to certain places, especially airports. It is not because they make their homes there but more because the fact that they are attracted to some objects in that area. Therefore, to keep areas clean and make sure that birds do not cluster around areas of transportation through which there may be a threat to airlines, it is very important for us," he said.

09/02/23 ZeeNews

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Land acquisition delays operation of new airport in Vellore

Land acquisition process is holding up the commissioning of the new airport in Vellore as the State government has not taken any decision on the compensation package for the residents.

The development comes after the Union Minister of State for Highways and Civil Aviation, V.K. Singh, inspected the under construction airport five months ago in October 2022. As per the requirement, the Airports Authority of India (AAI) needed 10.72 acres of private land especially between the new airport complex and the national highway to construct parking space, waiting halls for travellers and visitors and service lanes.

“There is no progress on the land acquisition for the new airport. The State government is yet to take a decision on the compensation package,” a senior official told The Hindu. 

Being built on a 97-acre plot, the new airport comes up at Abdullapuram, a small village that was once the capital town of a local chieftain a few centuries ago. At present, the airport has a runway, which is 850 metres long, taxiway, ground handling equipment, air traffic control (ATC) and aviation information receiving facility, terminal building and oil depot.

The old airstrip, which can operate only eight-seater aircraft, is expanded to operate 20-seater planes that would connect major airports like Bengaluru, Chennai and Hyderabad. The AAI has also decided to seek the assistance of VIT University’s civil engineering department in expanding the narrow airstrip for landing of bigger aircraft like A320.

09/02/23 The Hindu

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Now joint air service from Nashik to Indore-Kolkata News Jani

Nashik: The schedule of IndiGo flight service from Ozar Airport has been announced starting from March 15. With the launch of this air service, the people of Nashik will get the facility of air travel from many cities of the country including Indore, Kolkata, Chandigarh, Hyderabad. This service will benefit many sectors of the district like industry, agriculture, tourism, religious etc.

Till October last year, Ozer airport was served by three airlines namely SpiceJet, Alliance Air and Star Air to five cities namely New Delhi, Ahmedabad, Pune, Belgaum and Hyderabad. However, both the companies abruptly stopped the service at the end of October, citing the expiry of the ‘Adaan’ scheme, so currently only the ‘SpiceJet’ service operates to New Delhi and Hyderabad. Due to the cooperation of the major organizations of the tourism industry, the ‘Indigo’ company is starting the flight service from Ozar from March 15, for which the bookings have already started.

09/02/23 Jani

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Several Flights From Guwahati Airport Diverted Due to Alarming Air Pollution

Air pollution in Guwahati has increased to an alarming level, forcing many city-bound flights to be diverted due to low visibility arising from a thick cloud of dust.

A senior Airport Authority of India (AAI) official said on Thursday that two SpiceJet flights and one of Air Asia had to land in Kolkata’s Netaji Subhash International Airport instead of Guwahati.

Akasa Air and Flybig airlines also diverted their flights to other places.

At 7 p.m. on Wednesday, the Air Quality Index (AQI) in the city stood at 293 under the “poor" category.

Sharad Gokhale, a professor at IIT Guwahati, said: “The PM 10 level suddenly shot up to 1,000 yesterday (Wednesday) from a daily average of 270-280. The PM 2.5 level also rose to 200."

According to Gokhale, the dusty wind and thick fog were responsible for this unforeseen rise.

“A lot of construction work has been going on in the city. The wind speed was also high, along with dense fog. All of these factors accounted for the rise in air pollution levels here," he said.

09/02/23 IANS/News18.com

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Number of Airports in India to Cross 200 Mark in Next 6 Years: Aviation Minister Scindia

The Civil Aviation Ministry has drawn up plans to boost air connectivity by taking the total number of airports operating in the country to over 200 over the next five-six years under its vision of increasing the 'width and depth of air penetration,' Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia said here on Saturday. Scindia, here on a brief visit, said in its 67 years of independence the country saw only 74 new airports being built while in the last 8.5 years it has been increased to 147 under the Prime Minister Narendra Modi rule.

"We are just one short of doubling that number. The 148th airport will be also completed this month itself which means that what India took 66-67 years to build and under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi that has been done in a period of nine years." he told reporters. Scindia said the Ministry has envisaged to take the number of airports operating in the country to over 200 in the next five to six years.

"Another 50 additional airports, waterdromes and heliports have been sanctioned in the budget (presented by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman). Under UDAAN scheme, we were building 100 airports and now we will build 150 airports, waterdromes and heliports in the next couple of years to come," he said.

Stressing that the air connectivity in the country cannot be focused only by expanding international routes, he said air connectivity should be expanded to tier-II and III cities. "Under the Ude Desh Ka Aam Naagrik (UDAN) scheme we have introduced small aircraft scheme last year which will be only sub-20 seater aircraft. These are all not ATRs not Boeing or Airbus not big aircraft. These are sub-20 seater aircraft so that the penetration is down to the grassrootslevel," he said.

Scindia said such aircraft were currently being operated in Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, NorthEastern States and advanced landing grounds have been activated on the border of Arunachal Pradesh so that there is 100 per cent penetration.

"The 'mantra' of Prime Minister Narendra Modi is that air penetration must encompass across the length and breadth of the country," he said. To a query about the greenfield airport at Parandur near Chennai, he said the Ministry was in discussion with TIDCO (Tamil Nadu Industrial Development Corporation Ltd) and was examining the project proposal. It would issue the 'site' and 'in-principle' approval through the Airport Authority of India and Directorate General of Civil Aviation.

04/02/23 PTI/ZeeNews

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Cochin International Airport Completes Trial of First Phase of 'Digi Yatra'

The Cochin International Airport Limited (CIAL) has successfully completed a trial of the first phase of Digi Yatra, which would enable a biometric boarding system for seamless passenger movement. Its implementation would enable e-gate at the first-level security points which would facilitate the passengers' entry to the terminal by showing their bar-coded boarding pass at the kiosks, CIAL said. Union Civil Aviation Minister Jyothiraditya Scindia visited CIAL's facilities on Saturday and expressed satisfaction with the maintenance of the airport. Software for the e-boarding pass system has been developed in-house by the IT Department of CIAL.

"Digi Yatra enhances the passenger experience by eliminating the need for verification of tickets and ID at multiple touchpoints and achieving better throughput through existing infrastructure using a digital framework including the use of facial recognition technology," CIAL said in a release. Major airports in the country are at various stages of implementing Digi Yatra, the initiative launched by the Ministry of Civil Aviation which would enable a biometric boarding system, seamless passenger movement.

Appreciating the upkeep of the Kochi airport, its cleanliness and the adoption of technology, Scindia said the airports should adopt digital interfaces at all passenger touchpoints to ensure a better experience for the passengers.

"All signage and information kiosks should be electronic and digitised. They should be interactive, multilingual and easily identifiable. Considering that to provide passengers and customers with a better experience, systems and services must be upgraded," Scindia said. CIAL managing director S Suhas explained the facilities at CIAL to the Union Minister.

05/02/23 PTI/ZeeNews

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Greenfield airport must in Bihar: Patna HC

Patna: The Patna High Court on Saturday held that the state essentially requires a greenfield airport as an alternative to the existing ones as the risky nature of Patna airport owing to its short runway and placement limits in town violates the fundamental rights of easy and safe travelling as provided by Constitution to the citizen of India.

The division bench of Chief Justice Sanjay Karol and Justice Partha Sarthy, while disposing of a PIL filed by one Abhijeet Kumar Pandey, directed the central and state governments along with the Airports Authority of India to take a final decision in this matter within three months.

“It is undoubted that the access of air travel to people other than in positions of privilege, either inherited or earned, is a recent development, more so after the Covid-19 pandemic, in so far as Bihar is concerned and, thus, with the widening of this scope, a corresponding widening must also follow in terms of protection of the rights of travellers. As we have noted earlier, the NCAP, 2016 places great emphasis on the safety and security of travellers,” court remarked.

A greenfield airport, as defined by the ministry of civil aviation, is conventionally referred to as an aviation facility developed on vacant land or previously undeveloped land as an airport whose commissioning, planning & construction process is carried out from the scratch/grassroots level and carries all technological and service facilities of international standards.

05/02/23 Times of India

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British woman accuses two staffers of Goa airport of extortion

Panaji, Feb 5 (PTI) A 62-year-old British national has complained to the Airports Authority of India (AAI) and Goa Police against two staff members of the airport at Dabolim in the coastal state of allegedly extorting money from her to provide her wheelchair service, police sources said on Sunday.

When contacted, the Goa international airport’s director SVT Dhanamjaya Rao said they are looking into the complaint and will take action deemed fit after completing the enquiry.

The Dabolim police said no formal offence has been registered so far in the matter.

The complainant, Katherine Frances Wolfe, who has mobility challenges, was travelling from Goa to London’s Gatwick airport by TUI Airways flight TOM031 on January 29 following a visit to the coastal state, sources in the state police department said.

When the woman arrived at the Dabolim airport, its manager arranged for two men to assist her with her wheelchair and baggage.

“The two men that were supposed to be assisting Katherine stopped her in a random space in the airport, where she was helplessly surrounded by both of the men towering over her, angrily telling her, ‘if you do not pay us, then we will just leave you here’,” the complaint claimed.

05/02/23 PTI/Print

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India’s first airport drive-in theatre, aqua golf facility at RGIA soon

Hyderabad: India’s first airport drive-in theatre and an aqua golf facility will soon open its doors to the city at Rajiv Gandhi International Airport Aero Plaza.

The large screen is expected to be setup in the forecourt of the Passenger Terminal Building and several cars can fit into the screening area at once to watch a movie. Besides, aqua golf is like a driving range, but instead of a green, you have a lake and the balls float. The aim is to hit balls into targets located on the lake.

Aeroplaza, spread over two floors, was inaugurated last year for passengers. It also houses India’s first airport brewery, country’s second and Hyderabad’s first free roaming VR gaming experience, local and international F&B brands, Go Karting, and supermarkets.

RGIA is currently undergoing expansion, which increases the total area from 10,569 sq m to 29,685 sq m and can cater to 34 million passengers each year.

The airport expansion project also features a Ground Service Equipment (GSE) tunnel, which is claimed to be the first of its kind for any airport in India. 

05/02/23 Sowmya Sangam/Telegrfaph

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Noida International Airport: Swiss company to pay Rs 10 lakh per day fine if...

The construction work for the Noida International Airport (NIA) is in full swing. The state-of-the-art facility will become operational by October 2024. The airport will be built in four phases over several decades. The fourth phase of the expressway will be built by 2050. However, the tentative date for the construction of Phase 1 of the Noida International Airport at Jewar is by October next year. The airport will have millions of passengers every year.

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath recently said the Noida International Airport will be in active service by early next year. However, as per the agreement between the government and Zurich AG, they will deliver the airport by September 29, 2024.

Zurich AG is constructing the airport which will be the biggest in the country when fully operational in the next few years.

Yogi Adityanath said the efforts of the government is to start at least two runways to start operations on the Noida International Airport. 

The airport is jointly owned by the UP government, Noida Authority, Greater Noida Authority and the Yamuna Authority.

Tata Project Limited has bagged the engineering and construction contract for the Jewar Airport.

05/02/23 DNA

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Chennai airport to be expanded by taking over AAI colony, Air India colony

Chennai: The Airports Authority of India (AAI) is planning to further expand Chennai airport by building a satellite terminal on the northern side of the main runway and by expanding the airside by taking over the AAI colony and Air India colony near GST Road.

The work is likely to be taken up after the ongoing expansion of the terminals are completed to boost the passenger capacity to 35 million a year.

A new terminal is ready for opening and an extension of the new one will be completed by end of 2024.

AAI chairman Sanjiv Kumar said that in addition to building one more terminal, which will be completed by end of 2024, the authority was also planning to increase the airside capacity by reconfiguring the communication and navigational equipment and by taking over the AAI colony and the Air India colony so that the capacity of the airport can be increased to 50 million passengers a year.

"We asked for land and will be able to build one more terminal in the northern side with a new approach road," he added

An official said that the new approach road will come from the Tambaram bypass road. AAI had been keeping a few options ready for a few years to add more capacity to the existing airport because the second airport may take time. The existing airport and the new one at Parandur will be used together, said Union minister of civil aviation Jyotiradiya Scindia.

05/02/23 Times of India

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Goodbye, Boring Layovers! India Gets Its First Movie Theatre Inside Airport Complex in Chennai

Long layovers at Chennai Airport won’t have to be boring anymore as PVR Cinemas flagged off their first-ever cinema hall inside an airport complex in the country.

The five-screen cinema hall will be housed in the Aerohub complex in Chennai. Travellers will now be able to catch a movie while they wait for their flight.

The airport cinema would have a seating capacity of 1200 and is reportedly equipped with 2K RGB+ laser projectors, digital stereoscopic projection, and advanced Dolby Atmos high-definition immersive audio.

“Get a taste of 5-star entertainment at your favorite Chennai airport! Presenting India’s first ever cinema in the airport complex! A 5-screen property at PVR Aerohub in Chennai, Tamil Nadu,” PVR Cinemas said in a tweet after the cinema launch.

The Chennai Airport also shared the news on their social media account, providing a glimpse of the one-of-a-kind theatre.

This would be PVR’s 12 cinema halls in Chennai. The company has 53 cinemas spread across the state.

04/02/23 News18.com

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Fate Of Mysuru-Sindhudurg Flight Hinges On Feb. 5 Ticket Bookings

Mysore/Mysuru: The fate of Alliance Air flight between Mysuru and Sindhudurg in Maharashtra hinges on the occupancy of Sunday (Feb. 5). Not a single ticket was booked for the inaugural flight from either of the directions on Wednesday (Feb.1) and as such, the inaugural flight was cancelled.

Airport sources told Star of Mysore that only two or three tickets have been booked from Mysuru to Sindhudurg for the Feb. 5 flight.

 “People of Mysuru are not at all familiar with Sindhudurg and Mysuru is in no way connected with that place in Maharashtra. We have conveyed the sentiments of Mysureans to Alliance Air. If there are no encouraging bookings for the Feb. 5 flight, that too will be cancelled and the ticket money will be refunded,” Airport authorities said.

 The Mysuru-Sindhudurg flight is scheduled to be operated on Wednesdays and Sundays and will leave Hyderabad at 2 pm to reach Mysuru at 4 pm. From Mysuru, it will reach Sindhudurg at 5.30 pm. In the return direction, the plane will leave Sindhudurg at 6 pm and reach Mysuru at 7.30 pm and proceed towards Hyderabad on the  same day.

 Soon after the announcement of the Mysuru-Sindhudurg flight, the travel and tourism stakeholders in Mysuru said that the flight served no purpose. They instead demanded an additional flight to Goa and new flights to Kochi, Coimbatore, Tirupati and Shirdi to boost those sectors.

 The Mysuru-Sindhudurg-Hyderabad flight could be converted to Mysuru-Kochi-Hyderabad flight and this makes more sense and the route has the potential, they reasoned.

04/02/23 Star of Mysore

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Mysuru-Bengaluru Flight Stopped Since November 2022

Mysuru: There has been no Mysuru-Bengaluru flight since Nov. 2022 (exactly from Oct. 31, 2022), leaving the sector in limbo. At present, the Mysore Airport handles flights only to four destinations — Hyderabad, Chennai (two flights), Goa and Hubballi. Even the Mysuru-Belagavi flight has been cancelled. 

Meanwhile, Alliance Air, the regional arm of Air India, has announced twice-a-week (Wednesdays and Sundays) direct flight service between Mysuru and Sindhudurg Airport in Maharashtra from tomorrow.

Earlier, Alliance Air operated flights between Mysuru-Bengaluru connecting Kochi (Cochin).

The Alliance Air flight from Kempegowda International Airport (KIA) in Bengaluru to Cochin International Airport           was diverted to Mysuru for the convenience of Mysuru-Bengaluru travellers and commuters to Kerala.

However, due to poor response, the operator cancelled the Mysuru route. Now the route is treated as a direct flight from KIA in Bengaluru to Cochin.

Sources from Mysore Airport told Star of Mysore this morning that all bookings were cancelled on the Mysuru-Bengaluru route after Oct. 31, 2022. Though the airlines operated well within the scheduled timings, there has been a lack of response for the Mysuru route.

Except for some businessmen from Kerala in Mysuru, there were not many takers for the flight. Even the Bengaluru-Mysuru section of this aircraft received a lukewarm response, sources added.

31/01/23 Star of Mysore

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Akasa Air To Start Daily Varanasi Flights From Bengaluru Starting Feb 18

Akasa Air is set to add Varanasi as its 14th destination on route network. The airline will operate non-stop daily flights between Varanasi and Bengaluru starting February 18, 2023 with a ramp up of frequency on the route from March 1. Varanasi will also be connected to Goa by a daily flight via Bengaluru (with no change of aircraft required at Bengaluru) providing seamless one-stop connectivity between the two popular tourist hubs.

The launch to Varanasi will be Akasa Air’s second destination in Uttar Pradesh, after flights from Lucknow connecting Mumbai and Bengaluru started at the end of December 2022. Within six months of commencing operations, the airline has built a strong national presence with its growing network connecting metros to Tier-II and III cities, with a fleet expansion plan that adds one new aircraft in operation every 15 days.

Commenting on the announcement, Praveen Iyer, Co-Founder and Chief Commercial Officer, Akasa Air, said, “We are delighted to strengthen our nation-wide connectivity and announce our second destination in Uttar Pradesh with Varanasi. This is the 14th destination on our fast-expanding network. The city is a popular cultural hub of India and a place of pilgrimage for many devotees.’

01/02/23 TravelBizMonitor

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Delhi's airspace to get relief, new heliport set to come up in Gurgaon soon

New Delhi: Delhi’s neighbouring Gurgaon will soon have a heliport with six landing spots, terminal for hundred passengers, hangars and repair facilities.

Haryana’s deputy chief minister Dushyant Chautala on Tuesday said the process to set up the heliport in Gurgaon’s sector 84 was in its final stages.

He was speaking after meeting officials from the Central Government Organisation Pawan Hans, Air India, State Aviation Department at Haryana Bhawan in New Delhi.

The heliport is a part of Air India’s larger initiative to invest around Rs 35,000 crores in Haryana.

The heliport, which will provide a new option to Delhi’s airspace, is part of the state government’s efforts to facilitate better air connectivity between Haryana and its neighbouring states.

The state government wants to connect Hisar, Ambala and Karnal to cities across Punjab, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Rajasthan, Jammu and Kashmir and Uttar Pradesh, under the Union government’s regional connectivity scheme.

Primarily there is a plan to connect Hisar to Jaisalmer, Jaipur and Agra, and Ambala to Varanasi and Gorakhpur, under the RCS, Chautala said.

“The state is moving fast in the aviation sector and we are working on several schemes,” said Chautala, who also holds the civil aviation portfolio. “With the construction of this heliport, there will be a reduction in aviation traffic in Delhi and surrounding areas and Delhi’s air space will also get a new option.”

01/02/23 First Post

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50 additional airports, heliports to be revived, allocates Rs 3,114 crore to aviation ministry

To improve regional air connectivity, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Wednesday (February 1) said the government will revive 50 additional airports, helipads, water aero drones and advanced landing grounds.

The FM Nirmala Sitharaman also allocated Rs 3,113.36 crore to the union civil aviation ministry.

The FY22 Union Budget had allocated Rs 10,667 crore for the civil aviation ministry for 2022-23. Out of the total allocation, Rs 600.7 crore has been earmarked for the regional connectivity scheme UDAN (Ude Desh ka Aam Naagrik), while Rs 9,259 crore goes to AI Asset Holdings Ltd for servicing the loans transferred to the special purpose vehicle (SPV) for the financial restructuring of Air India.

An amount of Rs 165 crore has also been set aside for the medical benefits of retired Air India employees, the Budget document said.

In FY21 Union Budget, the civil aviation ministry was allocated Rs 3,224 crore, however, the government incurred high expenses during the divestment of Air India and, as a result, the revised expense for the civil aviation ministry during 2021-22 stood at Rs 72,652 crore.

Out of the total revised figure for 2021-22, the allocation towards Air India loans, grants in aid to Air India for cash losses during the COVID period and towards Air India Assets Holding Company for re-payment of dues and borrowings of the airline stood at Rs 68,501 crore.

In the Budget for 2021-22, the government had allocated Rs 600 crore for the UDAN scheme, but the total expenditure rose to Rs 994 crore.

01/02/23 Jomy Jos Pullokaran/CNBC TV18

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