Vasco: The long-pending parallel taxiway alongside the runway at Dabolim airport will soon become a reality as a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between both stakeholders – the Navy and AAI – for a cost-sharing agreement will be signed within a month, followed by the start of the work, stated K S Rao, Director of Airport Authority of India (AAI), Goa. He also said that a detailed project report for the taxiway has already been submitted.
“AAI...
Showing posts with label Airports Jan 2016. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Airports Jan 2016. Show all posts
Saturday, February 06, 2016
Sunday, January 31, 2016
Fighter planes at airports to deal with 'balloon menace' in border districts
Jaisalmer: The balloons coming into Jaisalmer and Barmer districts from Pakistan side are becoming a threat to intelligence and security agencies.To deal with this challenge and any expected danger from across the border, special arrangements have been made at Jaisalmer and Barmer air force airports. A fighter plane was deployed at each airport on Saturday.
The radar indicated four balloons coming from across the border, and in this reference, on...
Telengana government focuses on new airports
Hyderabad: The Telangana government is focusing on new airports in the state. Although Kothagudem in Khammam district tops the list of the state government priorities in this regard other districts such as Adilabad, Warangal and Nizamabad are also under active consideration.
Khammam: The state government commissioned RITES Consultancy of Gurgaon for the pre-feasibility study for an airport at Punukuduchelka village in Kothagudem mandal of the district....
Council, society demand medium aircraft from Calicut airport
Kozhikode: The Malabar Development Council (MDC) and Calicut International Airport Development Society (CIADS) today demanded introduction of medium aircraft in domestic and internal sector from Calicut airport which was banned to operate E code wide body airport following ongoing re-carpeting work.
In a memorandum submitted to Civil Aviation Minister P Ashok Gajapati Raju, who was here to lay foundation of international arrival block, MDC President...
Safety, not big aircraft, is the priority, says Union Minister
Kozhikode: Union Civil Aviation Minister Ashok Gajapathi Raju made it clear here on Saturday that safety of passengers took priority over the demand to operate wide-bodied aircraft from Calicut International Airport with its present runway.
“I cannot stop or fly an aircraft. It is decided by the regulator (Directorate-General of Civil Aviation) after taking all aspects of safety into consideration. My ministry does not interfere in this,” he said...
GMC: Screen passengers at Attari, Amritsar airport for Zika virus
Amritsar: The microbiology department of Government Medical College (GMC), Amritsar, has suggested screening of passengers with flu-like symptoms at Sri Guru Ram Das Ji International Airport and Attari border as a preventive measure to halt the possible arrival of dreaded Zika virus in the country that is causing havoc in various countries and has already reached the Americas.
Apprehending that Zika virus could penetrate India through international...
DGCA inspector visits Kannur airport site
Kannur: An official of the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) visited the Kannur International Airport project site near Mattannur on Saturday for inspection of facilities mandatory for giving clearance for trial landing scheduled to be held in February.
DGCA Aerodrome Inspector Y.V. Subramanyan visited the site and inspected the facilities including the runway as part of giving the clearance. Trial landing will be held only if Kannur...
GMR milks radio Cabs
Hyderabad: GMR airport authorities are minting money by way of parking fees collected from cabs at the Rajiv Gandhi International Airport.
Enquiries by Deccan Chronicle revealed that GMR is earning about Rs 15 crore per year from parking charges and from its agreement of allowing Meru and Sky Cabs to operate from the airport.
Meru and Sky Cabs together make a minimum of 1,500 trips every day from the airport to various parts of the city and to...
Smuggled Cigarettes and Gold Seized
Chennai: DRI, Chennai seized 25 lakh sticks of Indonesia origin cigarettes worth Rs.1.9 crore at Madhavaram on Wednesday. Based on suspicion, officials from the DRI in Chennai examined an imported container labelled as carrying escalator spare parts, nuts and bolts. Detailed inspection resulted in detection of concealment of 25,63,200 Indonesian cigarette sticks in 178 carton boxes totally valued at Rs.1.94 crores.
These goods were...
Saturday, January 30, 2016
Air India pilot spots 4 flying objects in city airspace; ATC says will investigate
Mumbai: The 'sighting' of paragliders/balloons in Mumbai's airspace continues. Now, an Air India pilot on Friday claimed that he saw four such objects below the plane he was flying near Vasai.Friday's incident seems significant in view of the fact that a helium balloon flying at a height of about 25,000 feet in Barmer was shot down by an Air Force fighter jet after it was picked up on a radar on Republic Day. It happened amidst the high alert the...
Fliers from Mumbai will now have to fund Metro III project
Amidst opposition by several stakeholders, the airport regulatory authority on Friday ordered the levying of additional Development Fee (DF) on passengers departing from Mumbai airport in order to fund the Rs518-crore Metro III project connecting the airport with South Mumbai.The development will make flying expensive from Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport (CSIA) as passengers flying on domestic and international flights will be charged...
Centre & state should work together for airport project: Raju
Civil Aviation Minister Ashok Gajapathi Raju today suggested that both the Centre and State government should work together for speedy development of the Calicut International airport at Karipur, near here. Addressing an interaction session with the members of the Calicut Chamber of Commerce and Industry and later with mediapersons here, he said, "aviation is government of India subject; land is the state subject. So, both the Centre and State should...
'Calicut airport not for wide-bodied aircraft'
Kozhikode: The Calicut International Airport is not designed technically to operate wide-bodied aircraft, Civil Aviation Minister P Ashok Gajapati Raju today said.Talking to reporters after an interactive session with leading trade chambers in the city, he said at present the airport is not suitable to operate jumbo size aircraft.''We are governed by international civil aviation rules and we will have adhere by it,'' he saidDirector General...
Aerodrome inspector from DGCA examine KIAL site
Kannur: An Aerodrome Inspector from Director General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) , New Delhi, visited the Kannur International Airport Limited (KIAL) site in Moorkhanparambhu near Mattanur in Kannur district to examine the site, today.. KIAL Managing Director Chandramouli told UNI, that DGCA Inspector examined the infrastructure like runway and terminals for trial landing expected in the first week of February. He said the DGCA official left in the...
SC upholds award of Cebu airport deal to GMR-Megawide consortium
The Supreme Court has upheld the decision of the Department of Transportation and Communications (DoTC) to award the Mactan-Cebu International Airport (MCIA) modernization project to the consortium of Megawide Construction Corp. (MCC) and India’s GMR Infrastructure Ltd.In a recently released 39-page decision dated Jan. 13, the SC Third Division denied for lack of merit the April 2014 petition by Senator Sergio R. Osmeña III, a Cebuano, to stop the...
Construction work on at Shillong Airport
Shillong: Construction of the boundary wall and the road diversion at the Shillong Airport at Umroi will be completed by March.Informing this over phone on Friday, Sreekumar, GM (Engineering), Airports Authority of India regional office, said all the issues have been resolved and the construction work is progressing smoothly.Reacting to a query, he said the work for the expansion of the runway would start after the North Eastern Council clears the...
Mentally unstable man tells security his wife wants to blow up Mumbai airport's T2
The rising hoax cases seem to be creating a lot of trouble for the Mumbai airport security agencies. In yet another case, a mentally unstable man informed security officials at the city side of Terminal 2 (International terminal), that a woman had entered the premises with an explosive, and that she was on a mission to blow up the airport. However, when the woman, who was identified as a ground staffer, was caught, she revealed that the man was...
IndiGo boarding pass bungle leaves bureaucrat stranded at IGI Airport
Senior IAS officer Deepak Kumar, who was to fly to Tamil Nadu to prepare for Prime Minister Narendra Modi's upcoming visit to the state, was left stranded at the IGI Airport because of the boarding pass bungle.The airline staff expressed their inability to help the officer board the flight. Kumar missed his IndiGo plane while some other IAS officer travelled on his boarding pass on another flight to Kochi.Kumar, director general of ESI Corporation,...
Amsterdam Airport carries Hindu Vedas for passengers
Nevada: : Amsterdam Schiphol Airport, Netherlands’ largest and one of the world’s leading airports; carries Bhagavad-Gita, Vedas and other Hindu holy books.These are available to passengers in the Meditation Centre, located near the F-gates, which is open 24-hours a day for prayer or meditation or relaxing in silence or holding a group service.Distinguished Hindu statesman Rajan Zed, in a statement in Nevada (USA) today, thanking Schiphol, urged...
Duty-free shops at airports in non-metro cities like Amritsar, Jaipur, etc see uptick in biz
Mumbai: International flyers from smaller Indian cities are thronging duty free shops at airports in large numbers, shopping for single malts and premium perfumes. "Nowadays, customers from non-metro cities have become very well informed, and there has been a rise in the number of flyers from such cities over the past two years. A growth in their disposable income fuels their buying behaviour. All these have helped us in boosting sales in non-metro...
Airport at Kothagudem sought
Khammam: There is an imperative need to set up an airport at Kothagudem or a nearby place in the district to provide air connectivity to the industrial powerhouse of Telangana for ushering in all-round development in the State, said speakers at the annual meeting of the district Airlines, Rail and Bus Users' Association held at Gautaminagar in Aswapuram mandal on Friday.According to a press release, several senior officials and employees of the...
BIAL police solve abandoned suitcase mystery
Bengaluru: The Airport police cracked the case of the abandoned suitcase at the administrative block of the Kempegowda International Airport, which triggered panic among passengers on Friday.The police who analysed the CCTV footage found that Nagaveni, a housekeeping staff of Malaysian Airlines, had dumped the suitcase.After the police picked her up for questioning, she revealed that she was carrying trash collected from inside the airport in a...
Friday, January 29, 2016
Mangaluru-Bengaluru air connectivity to increase
Mangaluru: Those travelling between Mangaluru and Bengaluru will have flights almost every two hours from March 27.JT Radhakrishna, Airport Director, Mangaluru International Airport, told Business Line that Mangaluru will be connected to Bengaluru with additional three flights from March 27.At present, airlines such as Jet Airways, SpiceJet and Air Pegasus connect Mangaluru with Bengaluru. While Jet Airways operates six flights daily from...
Thursday, January 28, 2016
IGI on alert after threat calls, unidentified balloon
New Delhi: Three “threat calls” and a mysterious balloon threw the security apparatus at Indira Gandhi International airport into a tizzy Monday. Two flights — of Jet Airways and Air India — heading for Kathmandu were delayed and took off only after the aircraft were thoroughly checked.
The flights — AI 215 and 9W 260 — were scheduled to take off at 1.15 pm and 1.25 pm, respectively. “Two calls were received at my office at 1.05 pm and 1.10 pm....
Bhogapuram International Corpn to develop 2 no frills airports
Hyderabad: Bhogapuram International Airport Corporation Ltd has invited request for selection of developers for no frills airports at Dagadarthi in Nellore district and Oravakal in Kurnool district of Andhra Pradesh.
The Andhra Pradesh government has decided to take up these two Greenfield airports for development under the public-private partnership mode. Towards this initiative, Bhogapuram International Airport Corporation, created by the...
Man who panicked four airports does not remember making threats
The man who made a series of hoax calls to airports across the country has claimed that he does not remember making these calls. Sanjeev Mishra, the Pune-based animator, was questioned by the Bhubaneswar police on Wednesday, even as authorities discovered that he made the first threatening call from inside the police station of the domestic airport.
The 35-year-old got into a heated argument with a traffic constable near the airport on January 21....
Showing Hollande's flight, AAI says Chandigarh ready for int'l trips
Chandigarh: The Airport Authority of India (AAI) on Wednesday showed the visit of French President Francois Hollande as a proof of Chandigarh airport's capability to handle international flights.
Responding to a petition filed against the delay in starting international flights, the AAI submitted before the Punjab and Haryana high court that the new airport had all facilities, including two aero bridges, baggage conveyors, 48 check-in counters,...
Coast Guard gets space at Mangaluru airport for air squadron
Mangaluru: Coastal surveillance and security in the State will get a boost as a long-pending demand of the Indian Coast Guard to have space at Mangaluru International Airport for positioning its air squadron was fulfilled on Wednesday.
The Airports Authority of India handed over about 17,000 sq ft of space in its old terminal building at Bajpe to the Coast Guard on Wednesday, according to J.T. Radhakrishna, director of the airport.
The Coast Guard...
NGT asks Centre to fix norms on noise pollution near airports
New Delhi:The National Green Tribunal on Wednesday expressed its displeasure over government's failure to fix environmental norms on noise pollution in residential areas near airports across the country.
A bench headed by NGT Chairperson Justice Swatanter Kumar directed Ministry of Environment & Forests (MoEF), Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) and Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) to convene a meeting and take a clear decision...
Tiruchi airport to get 10 MW solar plant
Tiruchi: The airport here has decided to harness green energy for its power requirements as part of its effort to conserve power and protect environment.
The Airports Authority of India (AAI) management has given its approval for a proposal to establish a 10 mega watt capacity solar power plant at the airport. So, the airport authorities have entrusted the Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited the task of preparing a Detailed Project Report (DPR) for...
HAL gives nod to GoAir for diverting flights to Nashik airport
Nashik: The Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL) has given its nod to the proposal of private airline operator GoAir for diversion of flights at Ozar airport, near Nashik, as an alternate to Mumbai airport.
An agreement between the GoAir and HAL is to be signed shortly. The company will be able to use the Ozar airport, 20km from Nashik city, for diversion of flights thereafter.
Speaking to TOI, a senior official from GoAir said, "We have received an...
Hyderabadi held in Chennai airport for smuggling gold
Customs officials at Chennai International Airport terminaltoday arrested a 31-year-old man on charge of smuggling in gold in the form ofbiscuits, valued at Rs 30 laks, from Dubai. According to sources, the passenger, Rahmat (31),a native of Hyderabad, who was acting as a courier for an international group of smugglers, arrived by an Indigo Airlines flight from Dubai at 0530 hrs. On suspicion Customs officials examined his suitcase. They found ten...
1.5 kg gold seized at airport
Tiruchi: In a combined operation officers of the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) and Customs seized 1.5 kg of smuggled gold and apprehended an air passenger and a ground handling staff at the airport here on Wednesday.
The air passenger Murugesan and the ground handling staff Sathyaseelan were subsequently taken for inquiry upon seizure of the smuggled gold biscuits. Airport sources said the DRI officers received a tip off regarding smuggling...
Police register case in IGI hoax threat call
New Delhi: Delhi Police has registered a case pertaining to hoax calls following which two Kathmandu-bound flights were on Wednesday rounded at IGI Airport here minutes before departure.
"The FIR was registered late last night," DCP (IGIA) DK Gupta said on Thursday.
Police received four calls -- two at the DCP's office and two at IGIA police station -- claiming bombs had been placed in cabin baggage on the said flights.
"All the four calls were...
Wednesday, January 27, 2016
Multiple bomb scares disrupt flights across India. What's happening?
New Delhi: A Goa-bound Air Asia flight from Bengaluru was delayed after a bomb scare today. Flight I5 1721's departure was put on hold after a threat letter was found in the washroom of the Kempegowda International Airport.
This was the third incident of bomb scare on a plane today.
An Air India and a Jet Airways flight travelling from Delhi to Kathmandu were delayed earlier following a bomb threat call. Authorities said the caller, who claimed...
Air India and Jet Airways flights grounded following bomb scare
New Delhi: Two flights, one each of Air India and Jet Airways, were grounded today just before their departure for Kathamandu from here following a bomb scare.
Airport sources said that the two flights were halted after the Jet Airways security office at Indira Gandhi International Airport here received an anonymous call saying there was a “bomb threat” to Air India flight AI-215 and Jet Airways flight 9W 260.
The two flights were scheduled to take...
Passengers panic after bomb hoax scare at Kempegowda Intl. Airport
Bengaluru: Panic gripped passengers at Kempegowda International Airport Ltd. when the ground staff found a letter in a domestic flight stating that a bomb had been planted.
The Air Asia Flight, which landed at KIAL from Jaipur in the morning, was scheduled to fly to Goa at around 12.35 p.m.
The staff cleaning the flight found the letter and alerted the security guards.
Soon an alert was announced and the passengers checking into the flight to...
After Rajasthan's Barmer, suspicious balloon spotted near Delhi airport
New Delhi: A suspicious balloon has been spotted near Delhi airport.
The Gurgaon control room has informed Delhi airport security that the balloon was seen moving from Gurgaon towards Delhi's Aaya Nagar airforce station.
Delhi airport's Air Traffic Control (ATC) and the police have also been informed about the suspicious object.
At about 3.15pm today the patrol guards at Air Force Station located on Gurgaon Faridabad Road reported sighting a red...
False Alert, Says Delhi Police On 'Suspicious' Balloon At Delhi Airport
Delhi: A "suspicious" balloon reported at the the Indira Gandhi International airport in Delhi today belonged to the met office, Delhi Police said today.
An alert had been sounded after authorities received a call about a "big balloon" hovering over the airport today.
Police said the call centre of the Delhi International Airport Ltd (DIAL) received a call about spotting of the big balloon following which the airport was put on alert.
A senior...
Don't Throw Out Bhogapuram Airport Farmers: HC to AP
Hyderabad: Amid heated arguments that several ministers in the Chandra Babu Naidu government have played fraud with the process of acquiring land for the proposed construction of Bhogapuram International Greenfield Airport, Justice Vilas V Afzalpurkar of the Hyderabad High Court on Monday directed the AP state not to take away the land from the farmers whose land is under acquisition.
"Do not dispossess them until further orders," the judge said.
The...
Mopa airport is a massive land scam: GenNext
Margao: Asserting that the terms of the final bid for the shortlisted bidders of Mopa green field airport is against the interest of Goa, Generation Next (GenNext) President Durgadas Kamat has claimed it as “a money spinner for the developer.”
He said that the initially envisaged project is very different from what is now going to be developed.
Explaining how the project has become a money spinner, Kamat said, “Firstly, in terms of the total land...
Key airports' capacity to get saturated in 10 years
New Delhi: The Centre for Asia Pacific Aviation has said that key airports in the country will saturate in the next ten years and the government needs to start planning for alternative airports in the cities.
The report by the aviation think tank says that Bangalore and Hyderabad will saturate by FY26, Delhi and Kolkata will saturate by FY23 and Mumbai and Chennai will saturate by FY18.
"The government needs to consider this issue from a national...
Indigo deplanes 3 passengers in Ahmedabad from Mumbai flight
Ahmedabad: Three passengers, all family members, were de-boarded by Indigo officials from a Mumbai flight on Monday morning allegedly over unruly behaviour.
The Modi family, including Aashil Modi and his parents Kapil Modi and Avani Modi, were scheduled to board Indigo's 6E-214 flight for Mumbai. The Modi family not only lost tickets worth Rs 15,000 as Indigo did not refund them, but they also missed an important family function in Mumbai besides...
NGO surprised on refusal of stake to Goa govt in Mopa project
Panaji: A Goa-based NGO has expressed surprise over the state government's move to hand over land for the proposed greenfield airport in North district to a private entity when it does not hold any stake in the project as indicated by the Union Civil Aviation ministry.
"Union Civil Aviation ministry has indicated that Goa government will not hold any stake in the proposed greenfield airport at Mopa but will have representation on the Board of Directors...
Direct Flight for Pakistan to Guwahati, Afghanistan and Sri Lanka on Board Too
Chennai: Finally it’s official. As reported by Express, Pakistan will take chartered flights directly to Guwahati for the South Asian Games next month. This was decided after the Organising Committee got clearances from the Ministry of Home Affairs and Ministry of External Affairs, Express has learnt.
Pakistan who are sending a large contingent of around 450 (including officials) will arrive in two batches – one on February 2 and the other two...
HC notice on PIL on Jodhpur civil airport
Jodhpur: The Rajasthan High Court today issued notices to the Union of India apart from the state government and Airport Authority of India seeking replies to a PIL by February 10 about the need for a fully-functional civil airport in Jodhpur under the control of an independent body.
A division bench, comprising justice Govind Mathur and justice Nirmal Jeet Kaur, issued the notices while allowing a PIL moved by LIBRA India, a trust engaged in legal...
In transit
Major airports in the country have been late to the party of global airports, unlike Atlanta, Chicago, Dubai or Singapore which are hubs connecting one end of the world to another. However, in a case of better late than never, the Indian airports are now taking steps to becoming global hubs.
The Indian Government’s decision to allow private sector participation in domestic airports and the opening of the integrated domestic and international terminal...
Gold seized at airport
Thiruvananthapuram: he customs DRI department Wednesday seized 2.5 kilograms of gold which was found abandoned under the seat of an Air India flight. The gold was found in the flight which reached the capital city early Wednesday morning. The yellow metal was in the form of a biscuit and gold bar.
Three passengers have been taken into custody on suspicion for interrogation. One among the three is suspected to have smuggled the stuff.
Two weeks...
Tuesday, January 26, 2016
‘For stress-free boarding, air travellers must report early’
Mumbai: After a series of hoax calls and sightings of parachute-like flying objects over the past three weeks, a number of air security measures have been put in place in preparation for Republic Day on Tuesday.
"For now, no airport entry passes are being issued by the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security," said a source.
Other than the regular security arrangements, random checks are being carried out by airline and CISF security agencies, the source...
Indian-origin Briton deported from US due to 'skin colour'
London: A UK-based Indian-origin man who had travelled to the US from London on a business trip has alleged that he was held for 13 hours by the immigration officials and was deported because of his skin colour.
Amreet Surana, who works for a UK security company, was held in Detroit while trying to catch a connecting flight to the firm’s branch in Arizona.
Mr Surana, from Leicestershire in the Midlands region of England, said that he was stopped...
'Hypersensitive' city airport gets increased CISF security checks
Pune: Following the Pathankot attack, Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) will modify security at Pune airport, which is classified as hypersensitive, in order to be more vigilant.
"Ministry classifies airports under three categories, namely, sensitive, hypersensitive and normal. Pune comes under hypersensitive category. Hence, we have decided to beef up the security measures," said Sanjay Prakash, deputy inspector in general (DIG), CISF.
Compulsive...
Mumbai Least Punctual Airport in 2015: 1 in 4 Flights Delayed
Through 2015, the Mumbai airport was the least punctual among four private-run metro airports -- Delhi, Bangalore and Hyderabad being the other three .
The on-time performance (OTP) report showed that on an average, only 74.36% flights every month were on schedule in Mumbai. Hyderabad (84.06%) and Bangalore (82.47%) did better. Even Delhi, which handles about 100 more take-offs and landings a day than Mumbai, recorded an average on-time performance...
Airport to shelter surrendered militants
Shillong: After the underground outfit United A’chik Liberation Army (UALA) inked an “agreed text of settlement” with Meghalaya government. In the most surprising turn of events, Baljek Airport near Tura which has not seen the light of the day is under the scanner of the State government.
The project which was conceived in 1983 by the Meghalaya government but sanctioned by the Centre 12 years later, as the State government is devising a clever...
DGCA nod must for scheduled airlines operations from civil enclaves: Govt
To ensure safety, the government has decided that scheduled flights can operate only from aerodromes that are licensed by aviation watchdog DGCA. The licence requirement would also be applicable to defence aerodromes from where flights have scheduled operations.
The move comes against the backdrop of instances where some airstrips were found to be less safe for take off and landing of aircraft. While various norms are in place, the decision would...
IFR: change in flight timings from today
Visakhapatnam: The timings for operation of scheduled commercial aircrafts at Visakhapatnam International Airport have been changed from Tuesday (January 26) to February 7 to facilitate conduct of rehearsals and exercises by the Indian Navy as part of the forthcoming International Fleet Review (IFR).
“The operation of scheduled flights would be suspended for about three hours a day during different timings on each of the above days. The airline...
Poll ring in airport nod
New Delhi: The Akhilesh Yadav government has finally "accepted" the Centre's proposal to build a second airport near Delhi, sources in the aviation ministry said today, hinting at next year's Assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh as the likely prod.
The sources said the Samajwadi Party regime's nod for an airport in Jewar, 100km southeast of Delhi in the National Capital Region, came in a recent letter to civil aviation minister Ashok Gajapathi Raju...
Airport Police Arrests 8 for Duping with Forged Documents
Hyderabad: The Rajiv Gandhi International Airport (RGIA) police on Monday arrested eight persons, including a customer service agent at Jet Airways, for their alleged involvment in making fake and forged Visas, Protector of Emigrants (POE) documents.
According to police, the gang members were operating the illegal business by duping innocent people based in West and East Godavari, Kadapa and Nizamabad districts. Each agent has about 30 to 40 sub-agents,...
Monday, January 25, 2016
1,390 acres sanctioned for greenfield airport
Nellore: Officials have swung into action for completing the land acquisition process for the greenfield airport at Damavaram village of Dagadarthi mandal by the end of March.
More than 1,390 acres have been sanctioned for developing the airport at Dagadarthi, nearly 30 km from Nellore city and close to the Chennai-Kolkata national highway.
It has been a long-pending project in Nellore district, what with the industry and trade bodies demanding...
No explosives detected, Jet Airways Delhi-Kathmandu flight cleared for take off
New Delhi: Jet Airways Delhi-Kathmandu flight 9W 260 from the Indira Gandhi International Airport was cleared for take off on Monday evening, five hours after it was halted following a bomb threat.
This after no explosives were found on board during search operations. The threat call came about half an hour before the plane, carrying 104 passengers and seven crew members, was to take off for Kathmandu at its scheduled departure time of 1.25pm.
The...
Bomb threat to Kathmandu-bound Jet flight, aircraft grounded
New Delhi: A Kathmandu-bound Jet Airways flight with 111 people on board was today halted minutes before take-off from the IGI Airport here after a bomb threat and the plane was grounded and being searched thoroughly.
The bomb scare arose at a time when security is at an all-time high in view of the Republic Day celebrations tomorrow across the country and especially in Delhi.
This is the second incident in the last two days as on Saturday a GoAir...
No stake for Goa government in proposed Greenfield Airport
New Delhi: The Goa government will not hold any stake in the proposed greenfield airport in Goa but will have board representation, with veto powers, in the company that builds and runs it, civil aviation ministry officials have said.
This is departure from the practice of state government's being part owners of the greenfield airports, such as those in Hyderabad and Bengaluru and one proposed one in Navi Mumbai. "So, the state gets the golden...
Air statistics mirror Amartya flight slight
Nobel laureate Amartya Sen's lament about lack of industry reducing Calcutta from 18 flights to London a week to no air link with Europe soars on city-specific statistics: Delhi has 22 flights to Europe every day, Mumbai 12, Bangalore three and Chennai two.
Aviation industry experts said on Sunday that direct flights to Europe vanished from Calcutta along with the flight of capital, starting in the mid-1970s.
"There is no business case for airlines...
Slums near wall a security risk: Airport officials
Aurangabad: Mushrooming encroachments have aggravated Aurangabad airport's woes after fumes from burning garbage at Naregaon nearly impeded two landings last year.
Airport authorities complain that the residents of the encroaching slums often hop over the boundary wall, posing a serious security threat.
"The slums around the airport pose a grave security threat as they are located close to the area of aircraft operations. Recent instances of breach...
New York's JFK airport reopens after 'Snowzilla' with Air India flight
New York: A day after life-threatening monster snowstorm almost paralysed the entire US East Coast, the iconic John F Kennedy International airport here partially
resumed its services with Air India's plane being the first one to land at the airport.
Port Authority of New York and New Jersey said John F Kennedy International had its first arrival at 7:10 am yesterday as Air India flight landed on the tarmac.
The first departing flight left shortly...
Mangaluru airport handles record passengers in 2015-16
Mangaluru: Mangaluru lnternational Airport (MIA) has witnessed a record handling of passengers in 2015-16, expecting more than 16 lakh passengers in this year. There is a growth of 40% in international passengers and 15% in domestic passenger movements in his year and overall about 22% growth compared to previous year.
Mangaluru lnternational Airport is 12th largest airport handling the international passengers in India after Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai,...
Hindus commend SkyTeam for yoga rooms at Heathrow & Hong Kong airports
Nevada: Hindus have commended SkyTeam, global airline alliance with 20 member airlines, for launching yoga rooms in their lounges at London Heathrow and Hong Kong International airports, calling it a step in the positive direction.
Yoga Room at SkyTeam Exclusive Lounge at Heathrow terminal four provides yoga mats and video exercises in a tranquil space. Yoga Room announcement at Hong Kong Exclusive Lounge tells the users to “reset your body”. SkyTeam...
Owls Among 16 Species to Blame for Maximum Bird Hits Near Airports
Barn owls, red-wattled lapwings and little swifts are likely to have struck an aircraft in midair most often than any other bird in India, finds a one-of-a-kind study.
In addition to these three, the study found black kites and three bat species were also involved in most bird strikes. "Due to their flying ability at night, presence of bats at airports could be threatening," the report says.
Until now, it was difficult to identify the species...
25 kg crackers seized from Kuwait citizen at Karippur airport in Kerala
New Delhi: A fan of desi crackers in all probabilities a Kuwait citizen was found carrying 25 kg of crackers in his baggage during the security check at Karippur International Airport.
The couple had been on a holiday to Kerala. They landed at the Thiruvananthapuram International Airport on January 12, 2016. The 29-year-old Ali Ismail Sayyed Ahmed and his wife didn't know crackers were not allowed in planes it seems.
They were supposed to fly...
TDP 'proof' against arrested YSRCP MP falls flat
There seems to be a lot more twists and turns in the case against YSRCP MP Mithun Reddy that was imagined so far. It now turns out that there is no video footage of Mithun Reddy attacking the Tirupati airport official.
Mithun Reddy was arrested on charge of assaulting the official at Tirupati airport. YSRCP chief YS Jagan has dared the TDP Government to provide the evidence of the assault. Probably in response, the TDP leaders on Sunday released...
Sunday, January 24, 2016
Self-handling at airports to pose security risks, says GHAI
New Delhi: Allowing local carriers and charter operators to handle activities at airports on their own will pose safety and security issues unless stringent norms are in place, according to the ground handlers' association.
Ground handling, a key aspect of the aviation sector, generally refers to services provided to an aircraft while it is parked at an airport.
Under the draft civil aviation policy, which has been prepared after long-drawn consultations,...
Weather blues continue, fog grounds 2 flights, delays 5
Chandigarh: Two flights were cancelled while at least five flights were delayed due to poor visibility at the civil terminal of the Chandigarh airport here today. However, passengers stranded at the airport blamed the VIP visit of French president Francois Hollande and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the same.
Two flights of Indigo Airlines bound for Delhi at 4.30 pm were cancelled following poor visibility. While the ATC (Air Traffic Control)...
Area around Mohali airport virtually sealed
Mohali: Taking no chances, the Mohali police virtually sealed around two-kilometres radius of the Mohali airport area, deploying a large posse of policemen here today.
No untoward incident was reported, said Mohali SSP Gurpreet Singh Bhullar.
On the Airport Road from the Mohali side and the Zirakpur side, the police had laid nearly 10 nakas for security purposes. Only those persons were allowed to go towards the airport, who had to aboard flights...
3-D filmmaker arrested for bomb hoax calls to airport, railway stn
Pune/Nagpur: A 3D animation film maker from Pune, who claimed to have been ill-treated by the police at Sahar airport recently, was arrested for allegedly calling up the Bhubaneshwar airport early on Saturday, claiming that a bomb had been placed there. The hoax call resulted in the emergency landing of a Bhubaneswar-Mumbai flight at Nagpur airport.
The man also made a similar call to the police control room in Pune, saying that an explosive had...
Saturday, January 23, 2016
Elephant strays near Air Force airstrip in Purnea
Patna: An elephant entered Purnea’s Chunapatti Air Force airbase by breaking through its boundary wall on Friday, sending the district forest department and the local administration into a tizzy. The elephant strayed into Araria, near Purnea, from Nepal four days ago, police said.
The airbase is used for take-off and landing by the Air Force and special flights. The administration and local residents had not managed to drive out the elephant by...
Indigo airline passengers spend night at airport
Shamshabad: About 70 passengers of Indigo airlines spent the night at Rajiv Gandhi International Airport (RGIA) on Friday following heated arguments with the crew of the scheduled plane.
Airport officials said the plane was scheduled to depart for Raipur when the passengers and the crew had heated arguments. In protest against the crew's attitude all the 70 passengers disembarked from the plane. The plane left the airport without the passengers...
Chennai airport to get a travelator as part of expansion plan
Chennai: Years after it was originally planned, a travelator may finally come up at the Chennai airport as part of the phase II expansion.
Airport director Deepak Shastri said, “The travelator will connect the terminals with each other, provide connectivity to the terminals from the Metro Rail station on the Chennai airport premises and also to the multi-level car park on the premises. This will help passengers commute easily within the airport.”
Every...
Malaysia-bound flight fails to take off in Chennai
Chennai: A Malaysia-bound flight, carrying 160 passengers on board, failed to take off from here today following a technical problem, airport officials said.
The Malaysian Airlines was moving on the runway when the pilots detected the problem, they said.
The passengers were safely offloaded and provided with accommodation in various hotels in the city, they said.
23/01/16 PTI/Economic Tim...
Andal airport set to expand with more commercial flights
Kolkata: Come April 2016 and West Bengal could see expanded operations at the Andal airport, which will also be the country's first greenfield.
While the Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport (Kolkata airport) will continue to cater to the needs of the metropolis, the Andal airport, officially called Kazi Nazrul Islam Airport, in Burdwan district is poised to augment its domestic as well as international flight schedules.
Industry sources...
Dense fog at IGI, mercury hits new depths
New Delhi: The Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA) here saw flight disruptions on Friday due to fog and near zero visibility conditions for more than four hours in the morning. Delhi has been going through a continuous fog spell and conditions are not expected to improve in the next three to four days.
Nearly 50 flights were delayed by up to five hours.
“As no major western disturbance has been on the way till January 27, late night and...
Hunt for new airport land takes officials near old site
Pune: The site for the Pune international airport may well be around Rajgurunagar area in Khed taluka itself, with it being found as the most feasible site by the government after a survey conducted recently.
The land, which is being discussed is a little away from the old site at Rajgurunagar, which was cleared in 2008 for the proposed Pune international airport in the area.
With the project pending for a decade, Additional Chief Secretary PS Meena,...
Expansion of Mysuru Airport Runway Sought
Mysuru: Air Asia India CEO and Managing Director Mittu Chandilya stressed on the need for expanding the runway at the Mysuru Airport. He was speaking at the ‘Flying High’ event organised by the Mysore Chapters of Young Indians and the Confederation of Indian Industries, here on Friday.
“It is not possible for an Airbus A320 to land in and take off from the Mysuru airport. A runway above the National Highway can solve the issue. Such a structure...
Passenger detained in airport for carrying peacock feathers illegally
Chennai: Security officialsat Anna International airport here today detained a Singapore-bound passengeras he was found carrying 16 kg of peacockfeathers illegally.
Airport sources said the CISF personnel,while scanning his baggage found 16 kg of peacock.
When questioned, the passenger, identifiedas Murugan, said he was taking it in connectionwith 'Thai Poosam' festival in Singapore.
23/01/16 WebIndia1...
Foreign currencies seized at RGIA
Hyderabad: The officials of the Directorate of Revenue have seized foreign currencies worth Rs 1.19 crore from an passenger at Rajiv Gandhi International Airport on Friday.
Based on specific intelligence, the official intercepted an air passenger who attempted to board an Air Arabia flight (G9 459) to go to Sharjah in an early morning flight on Friday.
The passenger by then had cleared the immigration and security check when the officials stopped...
Friday, January 22, 2016
GoAir first domestic carrier to operate night flight to Port Blair
Mumbai: The Wadia group-promoted GoAir has become the first domestic airline to operate night flights to Port Blair's Veer Savarkar International Airport with the roll out of an commercial charter flight from Bengaluru.
GoAir's maiden commercial charter flight G8 1291 took off from Bengaluru around 11.15pm on January 20 and landed at Port Blair airport at 1.50am the next day, the airline said in a release.
As part of its charter operations, GoAir...
Booker Prize winner flays Delhi airport
Booker Prize 2015 winner Marlon James's first trip to India turned out to be a bitter one. The Jamaica-born writer poured out his woes as he caught a connecting flight to Jaipur from Delhi.
The first Jamaican to win the Booker Prize for his novel "A Brief History of Seven Killings", James described his harrowing experience in a Facebook post.
He said he got into a jeep to reach another terminal at the Indira Gandhi International Airport but "they...
India orders airports to ban visitor entry due to security concerns
India's Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS) has issued an order to all regional and international airports in the country to stop sale of entry tickets to visitors in the wake of growing terror concerns.
BCAS has ordered all the airports to immediately stop the sale of entry tickets to visitors. This move will bar visitors from accompanying passengers till inside the airport terminal.
Delhi International Airport Limited (DIAL), the company...
2 Iranian nationals held with 'fake' passport in Chennai
Chennai: Two Iranian nationals have been arrested at the airport here for trying to fly to London allegedly on fake passports, officials said today.
The two accused- a man and a woman aged 25 and 35 respectively --were detained late last night when they arrived to board a London-bound flight of a private alirline, police and Immigration officials said.
The duo had come here from Goa and were found in possession of 'fake' Israeli passports, officials...
Servant who stole money to fly home arrested
Mumbai: The dream of flying in an airplane landed a 20-year-old in jail. Monu Das, a salesman by profession, who stole Rs 2.38 lakhs to fulfil his dream of flying in an airplane was arrested by the Parksite police in Vikhroli on Thursday.
Four days ago, New look wine shop owner in Vikhroli had filed a complaint that one of his servants had fled with cash. The Parksite Police launched a manhunt and also went to Das's native place to nab him.
During...
Thursday, January 21, 2016
Now, AI flyer sees three ‘gliders’ near Mumbai airport
Mumbai: From his window seat, an Air India passenger spotted three white, triangular flying objects below the plane about 10 minutes before the aircraft touched down at Mumbai airport on Tuesday. With this report, the mystery of suspected hang- or paragliders deepened as two weeks in a row, these objects have been spotted flying at locations close to the airports at Santacruz and Juhu.
On January 13, a Pawan Hans pilot spotted six paraglider-like...
J P Alex takes over as Airports Authority of India executive director
New Delhi: The Airports Authority of India (AAI) today said J P Alex has taken over as executive director of operations.
He has more than three decades of experience in diverse areas of aviation, including air traffic management and airport design & planning.
"Alex has taken over as Executive Director, Operations, AAI at the corporate headquarters, New Delhi," AAI said in a statement.
20/01/16 PTI/Economic Tim...
Tigerair to have additional flights from Hyderabad, Tiruchirappalli to Singapore
New Delhi: No-frills carrier Tigerair will start additional flights from Hyderabad and Tiruchirappalli to Singapore between April 25 and June 15.
The carrier, a subsidiary of Singapore Airlines Ltd, has decided to operate one seasonal additional flight each from both places after seeing good response from passengers during peak seasons.
"From April 25 to June 15, 2016, the airline will increase flight frequency on its Hyderabad-Singapore route,...
Visitors barred from entering airport over security fears
Aurangabad: Friends and relatives accompanying travellers to the Aurangabad airport will now not be able to entry the lobby and lounge.
The decision to stop the sale of entry tickets to the relatives and friends of air travellers was taken on Wednesday after a review of the security arrangements in the run-up to the Republic Day. The city police chief visited the airport and reviewed the security arrangements with special focus on the anti-aircraft...
Runway-facing Taj rooms in Mumbai yet to open
Mumbai: Guests looking to grab a bird’s-eye view of jetliners taking off or landing at the Mumbai airport from the confines of a luxury room will have to wait for a few more weeks.
Indian Hotels Company-owned (IHCL) Taj Hotels Resorts and Palaces has only partially opened the recently-inaugurated luxury hotel, located a stone's throw away from the domestic airport in Mumbai.
Of the 279 rooms, only 141 rooms of the Taj Santacruz, Mumbai are currently...