Bombay HC Asks for Pre-Hearing Deposit of Rs 1 L for PIL Seeking Marathi Signage at Mumbai Airport

Adivision bench of the Bombay High Court comprising Acting Chief Justice SV Gangapurwala and Justice Sandeep Marne has asked a petitioner to deposit a sum of Rs. 1 lakh to check the bonafide of the public interest litigation that sought directions to be issued to Mumbai Airport Authority owned by businessman Gautam Adani to display all signboards in the Marathi language along with English.

The PIL was filed by a trust named Gujarati Vichar Manch which sought implementation of the circulars issued by the Ministry of Home Affairs, Department of Official Language. The circular stated that usage of Hindi and regional language should be at par with that of English language on signage and indicators at public places.

The trust had made representations before the airport authority for compliance with the circulars of the Home Ministry. However, this was rejected, stating that the airport was designed considering all aspects of travel and global standards and therefore the signboards were not required to be modified.

The plea states that the petitioner is aware of the importance of English in the global landscape but is only seeking recognition of the official and regional language which is an emotional issue for citizens of any nation. The plea reads,

“It (language) has a great unifying force and is a powerful instrument for national integration. The proliferating usage of the English language should indeed not be synonymous towards undermining of our official and regional languages.”

31/01/23 News18.com

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Noida Jewar Airport: Rs 4000 crore to be distributed for Noida International Airport

The construction work for Noida International Airport is in full swing. The Yamuna Authority and the district administration are in talks with farmers for the land acquisition for the second phase of the upcoming Jewar Airport. Around Rs 4000 crore will be handed over to the region's farmers for land acquisition.

The Uttar Pradesh government, Noida Authority, Greater Noida Authority and the Yamuna Authority will pay up for the construction work. All the three authorities have a stake in the Jewar Airport. The Yamuna Authority has already paid Rs 400 crore to the district administration.

A total of 1,365 hectares of land is needed for Phase 2 of the Noida International Airport. 1,181 hectares of land will have to be taken from local farmers. Apart from the three authorities, UP's civil aviation department also has a stake in the airport, reported Tricity.

Jewar International Airport will be constructed on 6200 hectares of land. It is being built in four phases. The first phase will be built in 2024. The second phase will be constructed by 2032. The third phase will be finished by 2037 and the fourth phase by 2050. After the fourth phase, it will cater to 70 million people. A total of Rs 29,560 crore will be spent on the mega project.

01/02/23 DNA

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Heliport to be set up in Gurugram, Delhi's air-space will get a new option

Chandigarh: Haryana deputy chief minister, Dushyant Chautala said that soon a heliport will be set up in Sector-84 of Gurugram. With the establishment of this heliport, Delhi's air-space will get a new option and it will also prove to be a good connectivity to the cities of the states adjoining Haryana.

Similarly, under the Regional Connectivity Scheme (RCS), various cities of Haryana will be connected with the cities of northern states. He said that Haryana is moving fast in the aviation sector and is also working on several schemes in this regard.

The deputy chief minister, who also holds the portfolio of civil aviation department, was presiding over a meeting of officers of Central government Organization Pawan Hans, Air India, State Aviation Department etc. at Haryana Bhawan in New Delhi on Tuesday.

Additional chief secretary, aviation department, Ankur Gupta also participated in the meeting through video conferencing. Along with this, Advisor of the civil aviation department, Dr Shaleen, Director of Pawan Hans, R K Singh, Director of Air India Aviation Training Academy, Sunil Bhaskaran along with representatives and officers of aviation sector organizations were present.

In the meeting, Dushyant Chautala informed that a heliport will soon be set up in Sector-84 of Gurugram to provide helicopter services to the people of Haryana and NCR and the process is in the final stages. In this meeting, extensive discussion took place on various topics with the officers of Pawan Hans, a Central Government organization, to set up the heliport.

It was informed in the meeting that a provision has been made to make a terminal for 100 passengers in the heliport to be set up in Gurugram. This heliport, located along the Dwarka Expressway in Gurugram, will have various facilities, including hangars, parking to accommodate small and large helicopters and repair facilities, etc.

In the meeting, the deputy chief minister said that with the construction of this heliport, there will be reduction in aviation traffic in Delhi and surrounding areas and Delhi's air space will also get a new option. He informed that this heliport will have a runway of 300 meters, 6 landing spots and parking also. He said that this heliport will also facilitate quick landing and takeoff of helicopters. He said that apart from the night facility, other options were also discussed in today's meeting to make this heliport operational 24x7.

31/01/23 Ajay Sura/Times of India 

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All Air India, Several Other Flights Cancelled At Srinagar ‘International Airport’ Amid Snowfall

Amid fresh snowfall in Kashmir Valley including Srinagar, most flights have been cancelled and others have been delayed so far at ‘International’ airport here on Monday.

Confirming it, Director, Airport Authority of India (AAI), Srinagar Airport, Kuldeep Singh said that all Air India flights for today have been cancelled due to bad weather. Also, he said, three flights of Vistara (UK 644 SXR DEL having estimated time of departure at 11:35 a.m, UK 611 SXR IXJ (ETD 12:35) and UK 612 SXR DEL (ETD 15:40) have been cancelled. Also, he said, five Spicejet flights (SG 8963 and SG 8161, SG 951 SXR-BOM, SG 8963 SXR-IXJ, SG 8161 SXR-IXJ), three Indigo flights (6E 2981/2982, 6E 2356/2356, 6E 6022/6163) and one GoFirst (G8911/G8913) have also been cancelled. A senior official of the airport told GNS that there was a possibility of more flight cancellation.

Earlier Director AAI Srinagar said visibility at the airport was only 200 M and increased to 500 M. However, he said, there is continuous snowfall. The weather warning is upto 11:30 p.m., he said.

30/01/23 Rising Kashmir

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Air India Express from Sharjah makes emergency landing at Cochin International Airport

Kochi: The passengers of an Air India Express flight from Sharjah to Kochi and their relatives faced tense moments on Sunday evening after the flight reported a suspected hydraulic failure. An emergency was alerted at the Cochin International Airport at 8:04 pm after the Air India Express flight with 193 passengers and six crew detected a suspected hydraulic failure.

“Full emergency was declared at 2004 hours (8:04 pm),” said a communication from the Kochi airport. Everyone heaved a sigh of relief after the aircraft landed safely at 8:26 pm. “Aircraft landed safely at 2036 hours,” it said. The CIAL statement said there was no diversion of flights or runway blockage due to the incident.

This is the second emergency landing at Kochi airport in recent times. Last month, a SpiceJet flight from Jeddah (Saudi Arabia) bound for Kozhikode with 197 passengers, including six crew, onboard had an emergency landing at the Cochin International Airport on December 2 following hydraulic failure. 

An emergency was declared in the airport at 6:29 pm after the SpiceJet-SG 036 flight, which was scheduled to land at Kozhikode airport, was diverted to Kochi. The Spicejet flight landed safely at 7.19 pm on the runway after an emergency landing situation.

30/01/23 New Indian Express

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Airports Authority of India encouraging local artisans through AVSAR scheme

Kolkata: With an aim to promote India's rich culture, art and crafts, the Airport Authority of India has taken the initiative to allot space to self-help groups at its airports for selling and showcasing the locally produced goods.

This step has been taken in line with the vision of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to encourage the talent of women artisans and craftsmen and provide them with the right opportunities. The name of this scheme is - "AVSAR", Airport as a Venue for Skilled Artisans of the Region.

Several operational airports have set aside 100-200 square feet for the stalls where Self Help Groups get access for up to 15 days.

Domestic and international passengers are supporting regional handicrafts men, artisans, and women by purchasing local goods right at the airports. About 27 airports run by the Airports Authority of India have so far allowed self-help groups to sell and display their own goods.

At one of the busiest airports in Eastern India, Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose International Airport in Kolkata, local craftsmen and artisans have been given stalls Under the AVSAR program. One can purchase items made by women artisans, such as handbags, scarves, stoles, shoes, cups, etc., as well as items that are connected to the culture of West Bengal.

Kona Mondal, a woman artisan at the stall said, "I never thought that I would get space at this airport. Both international and national passengers are buying my products".

A passenger and customer appreciated the initiative and said, "Especially products are very good and the costs are superb. Everyone can purchase them. I was just passing by and saw them and I really liked them. I bought several items".

29/01/23 ANI/Times of India

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Industry expects Budget to provide thrust to UDAN, help more airports

Along with the increase in air traffic, the country has witnessed growth in the aviation infrastructure especially in terms of more routes and development of airports. Keeping in view the past growth in the air traffic, Industry expects that the upcoming Budget will give wings to the aviation sector.

The ambitious regional connectivity scheme UDAN (Ude Desh ka Aam Nagrik) is one such scheme of the government and it is going to add more feathers to its cap in the coming time. While 453 routes have already been started under the scheme connecting cities across the country and operationalising 70 airports, more routes and airports will be added to the list with the rising demand in affordable air travel.

The UDAN scheme is applicable for a period of 10 years from the date of its notification. The government has set a target to operationalize 1,000 UDAN routes during the currency of the scheme and to revive and develop 100 unserved and underserved airports, heliports, water aerodromes by 2024.

Suprio Banerjee, Vice President & Sector Head - Corporate Ratings, ICRA Limited, said: "Focus on continuing improvement in regional connectivity through regional connectivity scheme (RCS) has been an ongoing focus of the government and we expect that to continue. Improving existing infrastructure and capacity at some key airports besides setting up newer airports has also been the need of the hour. Further, connectivity with the underserved/unserved airports to boost tourism needs improvement."

Similarly, development of new airports as well as airport infrastructure has also recorded corresponding growth and Industry experts said that the momentum will continue in the next financial year. The total number of airports has nearly doubled from 74 in 2014 to over 141 in 2022.

29/01/23 IANS/Business Standard

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Deadline to choose consultant for Parandur airport extended

Chennai: Tamil Nadu Industrial Development Corporation (TIDCO) has extended the deadline for submitting bids to select consultants to prepare Detailed Techno Economic Report for the Greenfield Airport in Parandur to February 6. While floating the tender, the corporation had fixed January 6 as the deadline.

The consultant selected has to obtain statutory clearances and assist in conducting bid process management for proposed development model for the greenfield airport. Official sources told TNIE the dates have been extended, as little more time is required for the preparation of the bids. G Subramanian, secretary of Ekanapuram Village People and Farmers Welfare Board, said the villagers in and around Parandur whose land is being acquired for the project are monitoring the development.

The extension of the deadline comes at a time when Ekanapuram and other villages passed a resolution for the fourth time, on Thursday, opposing the airport. The villagers have also been conducting protests during the night.

The focus of the villagers towards the selection of consultant gains prominence as one of the clauses of tender is that the consultant will re-assess the land requirement. Under the proposed 104-week contract, the consultant will also determine phase-wise development of the project besides clearly delineating the exact extent of land parcel required for the first phase of the project development. This will be one of the critical facets, as the state requires 4,563.56 acres of land spread over 13 villages for the project. 

28/01/23 C Shivakumar/New Indian Express

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Construction of Gujarat’s new Greenfield airport in full swing, 95 per cent earth work completed

New Delhi: From railways to aviation, the infrastructural development of the country is progressing rapidly. It has been the constant endeavor of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to provide world-class infrastructure and transport facilities across the country. In this context, the transformation and expansion of airports have been undertaken from time to time by the Airports Authority of India (AAI) and other Airport Developers.

Recently, AAI has undertaken the construction work of New Greenfield Airport in Gujarat. The location of the new airport is approximately 30 km from Rajkot city and on the Rajkot-Ahmadabad highway. The new airport is being built at a cost of Rs 1,405 crores. More than 95 percent of earth work have been completed.

28/01/23 Anish Mondal/Financial Express

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Bengaluru Airport selects AISATS to develop greenfield logistics park

Air India SATS Airport Services (AISATS) has been selected by Bangalore International Airport (BIAL) to design, build, finance, operate & maintain a greenfield logistics park at the Kempegowda International Airport, Bengaluru (BLR Airport / KIAB) for a period of 15 years. The upcoming logistics park to be developed on 8.2 acres will be a world-class warehousing facility comprising of a general warehouse, bonded warehouse, consolidation centre, cold-storage facility, office spaces and other amenities such as Bank / ATM facility, business centre, cafeteria etc. AISATS will also provide value-added services including manpower and equipment rentals on an hourly or pay-per-use basis for loading/offloading, labelling, packaging, bulk-breaking etc.

27/01/23 Stat Trade Times

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Digi Yatra App to be Implemented at Kolkata, Pune and Vijayawada Airports Soon

After a successful rollout at Varanasi airport, the Union government is adopting Digi Yatra at Kolkata, Pune, and Vijayawada airports, according to Airports Authority of India Chairman Sanjeev Kumar on Thursday. The app is meant to make travelling through airports a smoother and faster process for passengers. It is to be noted that AAI has been rolling out the app in a phased manner and will later implement the same in other airports.

During the celebration of the 74th Republic Day at Delhi`s AAI-ATC (Air Traffic Control) services building, the AAI chairman said, "Digi Yatra is an important step that we have been able to implement after 3-4 years of hard work. The AAI had been effectively involved under the ministry, and with the help of private operators, we have made an ecosystem ready where software is made separately, and hardware is kept at the airport so that passengers could have a faceless identification and travel faster."

"Whenever passengers come to the airport, they go through the security check at first, then at check-in and inside another security check at the boarding gate. At these places, they had to show their IDs and boarding cards. The chairman said that Digi Yatra has taken a huge step in implementing seamless, paperless travel without these documents," the chairman said. 

"We are happy to have been able to implement this at Varanasi airport, and many passengers have been able to use it," the chairman said, adding, "More than 25-30 percent of passengers have been using this service at Varanasi airport." He said, "We request passengers who haven`t used to use it to use this hassle-free and paperless travel."

27/01/23 Zee News

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Belgian Malinois breed dogs join canine squad of CISF in Mangaluru International Airport

Two dogs of Belgian Malinois breed joined the canine squad of CISF that overlooks the security of the Mangaluru International Airport (MIA).

Max and Ranger are the two dogs that joined the CISF canine squad. Max stood first and Ranger was second in the training that was held at the dog breeding and training centre of CISF at Taralu in Bengaluru, a release from the MIA here said.

The dogs were welcomed in a grand manner by the Airport Security Guards (ASG) wing of CISF.

The guards also gave a demonstration about defence tactics.

Kishore Alva, executive director (projects and corporate business) was the chief guest at the Republic Day celebrations. Chief officer of airport security Kishore Kumar and others were present. 

27/01/23 Telegraph

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CSMIA installs 2D Barcode readers to ease passenger movement

Mumbai’s Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (CSMIA) has installed 2D Barcode readers at the entry gates of Terminals 1 and 2, aimed at proving its commitment to understanding passengers' requirements for a hassle-free travel experience. Starting January 26 2023, CISF officers manning CSMIA’s Terminal entry gates will scan the barcodes of the ticket or boarding pass instead of manually checking the flight tickets. CSMIA implemented the 2D barcode readers to expedite entry into the terminal, while improving customer satisfaction.

With over 900+ flight movements per day, the airport welcomes approximately 150,000 passengers a day. The goal for CSMIA is to improve efficiency and expedite the passenger journey. This new addition is not only a security enhancement but also an efficiency improvement measure, both of which are critical for an airport which handles approximately 48 million passengers annually.

26/01/23 Times of India

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Lucknow international airport will remain closed for night flight operations for four months!

As per the latest news reports, the Chaudhary Charan Singh International Airport in Lucknow will not be operating any night flight operations for four months. Referring to this, airport officials in the know-how added that night flight operations will remain suspended from February 23 to July 11.

If reports are to go by, there will be no flight operations between 9:30 pm and 6 am during this period.

The Lucknow airport, during this period, will be undertaking the expansion and upgradation work of its existing runway (airside) to prepare for future challenges with the rise in number of passenger and cargo flow.

Revealing more about this, an airport spokesperson added that during the four-month period, the airport will be undertaking various construction activities to upgrade the infrastructure on the airside, which will include new ground lights for aircraft operations, introduction of three new link taxiways, runway end safety area made of sand and aircraft turn pad expansion.

The airport official added that they have already informed the airlines about non-availability of the runway for 8.5 hours for them to facilitate the passengers accordingly.

26/01/23 Times Travel

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Akasa Air commences services from Hyderabad

Hyderabad: India’s newest airline, Akasa Air has announced its arrival into Telangana with the launch of its 13th domestic destination in Hyderabad. The airline on Tuesday announced that it will operate two daily flights between Hyderabad-Goa and Hyderabad-Bengaluru, with its first flight to RGIA scheduled to land on Wednesday. In an interview with Deccan Chronicle, Praveen Iyer, Co-Founder and Chief Commercial Officer and Belson Coutinho, Co-founder and Chief Marketing & Experience Offices, Akasa Air, open about the essence of the new airline and talk about the values it carries from destination to destination. 

The interview >>

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AAI chairman says will implement Digi Yatra at Kolkata, Pune, Vijayawada airports

Airports Authority of India Chairman Sanjeev Kumar on Thursday said the Union government is implementing Digi Yatra at Kolkata, Pune and Vijayawada airports after the successful implementation at Varanasi airport.

During the celebration of 74th Republic Day at Delhi's AAI-ATC (Air Traffic Control) services building, the AAI chairman said, "Digi Yatra is an important step that we have been able to implement after 3-4 years of hard work. The AAI had been effectively involved under the ministry and with the help of private operators, we have made an ecosystem ready where software is made separately and hardware is kept at the airport so that passengers could have a faceless identification and travel faster."

"Whenever passengers come to airport, they go through security check at first, then at check-in and inside another security check at the boarding gate. At these places, they had to show their IDs and boarding cards. Digi Yatra has taken a huge step in implementing a seamlessly, paperless travel without these documents," the chairman said.

"We are happy to have been able to implement this at Varanasi airport and many passengers have been able to use it," the chairman said, adding, "More than 25-30 per cent passengers have been using this service at Varanasi airport."

He said, "We request passengers who haven't used to use it, to use this hassle-free and paperless travel."

Digi Yatra envisages a traveller pass through various checkpoints at the airports through a paperless and contactless processing, using facial features to establish his identity which could be linked to the boarding pass.

26/01/23 ANI/Economic Times

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Mumbai Airport Installs Barcode Scanners to Read Boarding Pass for Quicker Passenger Flow

Uttar Pradesh Tourism minister Jaiveer Singh has mounted a blistering attack on the Samajwadi Party, saying that SP leaders are making objectionable remarks on 'Ramcharitmanas'. He also questioned party chief Akhilesh Yadav's silence on the controversy.

Calling them narrow-minded, he said it reflected in their behaviour. "The BJP has a large heart-this is evident from the fact that we gave Padma Vibhushan to Mulayam Singh Yadav even though he had ordered firing on kar sevaks in Ayodhya. Our leaders have a big heart and forgiving nature," he told reporters in Etawah.

He further said, "When Kalyan Singh died, Akhilesh, who lives at a stone's throw, did not go to his residence to offer his tributes to the late leader. But when Mulayam Singh passed away, Kalyan Singh's son Rajveer went to offer his tributes."

Asked to comment on SP MP Dimple Yadav's demand for Bharat Ratna for Mulayam Singh Yadav, the minister said, "When she becomes Prime Minister, she can do it. Our good wishes are for her."

26/01/23 ANI/Zee News

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5G ban in India’s airports set to be reviewed

India’s Department of Telecommunications (DoT) has said it intends come up with a decision on whether to lift a ban on 5G around airports – but not until it has carried out a detailed study.

A Financial Express report quotes a ministry representative as saying that DoT is taking into consideration all views but that the ruling came after the civil aviation ministry flagged certain concerns with regards to operations of aircraft. “Since it’s a matter of public safety, DoT will conduct a detailed study before taking a decision further,” said the official.

Late last year DoT instructed operators to disable 5G base stations in the mid-band (3.3GHz-3.6GHz) within two kilometres from both ends of the runway and almost a kilometre from the centre line of the runway.

Not too surprisingly the Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI), wrote to DoT last month to suggest allowing 5G base stations to be turned back on.

It points out that aircraft altimeter systems run on C-band airwaves from 4.2Ghz and above, and not the 3.30-3.67GHz spectrum that is being used for 5G services in India, so interference should not be an issue.

Confusingly the civil aviation regulator, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation, has said that it didn’t want the 5G base stations shut off, and that there was no mention of any specific service area around airports in a communication it had sent to the telecom ministry. It explained: "We have not forbidden 5G near airport but have asked them to operate only at lower power.”

24/01/23 Vaughan O'Grady/Developing Telecoms

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Chandigarh gets second flight to Goa

Mohali: A new flight to Goa has been made operational from the Shaheed Bhagat Singh International (SBSI) Airport here.

The flight left for the Mopa International Airport at 7.17 am and returned to Chandigarh at 11.30 pm today. This is the second flight connecting the city to Goa. The existing flight to Goa’s Dabolim Airport will also remain operational. With this, the number of arrivals and departures have touched 94 here.

Mopa is located in North Goa, known for its beaches, forts and nightlife. The state’s second international airport was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in December.

25/01/23 Tribune

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Fully-automated parking system installed in Thiruvananthapuram airport

Thiruvananthapuram: A fully-automated parking system has been installed at the Thiruvananthapuram International Airport. According to airport officials, it will enhance the safety and security of passengers and their vehicles while also providing a seamless experience.

The system uses self-ticket dispensers to generate the slips. Users need to produce this at the exit booth to learn the prescribed parking fee. The payment can be done digitally or in cash. A pre-payment counter is also operational in front of the arrival area.

Plans are also afoot to introduce FASTag to further improve the convenience of passengers. TIAL had recently ramped up features at its facility by installing several CCTV cameras, an EV charging station, and an eco-car wash.

25/01/23 New Indian Express

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Passengers complain of airport chaos

Jaipur: Passengers at Jaipur airport complained of chaos due to heavy traffic and lack of management. Filmmaker Onir took to Twitter and said, “Absolutely chaos at security checks at Jaipur Airport. Too few counters to deal with the number of passengers. Tempers flying high.”

In the past few months, footfall has been increasing continuously at the airport due to tourist season, long weekends and JLF.

25/01/23 Times of India

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Mumbai Intn'l Airport introduces first batch of EVs

New Delhi, Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (CSMIA) introduced its first batch of Electric Vehicles (EVs) on Wednesday.

To reduce dependency on fossil fuels, CSMIA has introduced 45 EVs by replacing its existing fleet of fossil fuel powered vehicles. This is part of the airport's commitment to reduce its carbon footprint and to promote sustainable transportation.

CSMIA intends to replace all its combustion-powered vehicles with electric vehicles as part of its Operational Net Zero mission by 2029.

According to a CSMIA spokesperson, this move is a step towards CSMIA's Operational Net Zero plan, which aims to reduce the airport's environmental impact.

In addition to the 45 EVs being introduced in January, CSMIA is also exploring the deployment of 60 more EVs in the next fiscal year, including ambulances, forward command post, security and airside operations & maintenance utility vehicles.

25/01/23 Times of India

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Poor planning grounds Chennai airport’s high-flying plans

Chennai:   A few days ago, former WHO chief scientist Dr Sowmya Swaminathan landed at Chennai airport and took a metro rail train to the city. She posted on social media: “Taking the clean, efficient and environmentally friendly Chennai Metro from the airport. Need to improve access from domestic terminal to Metro station, especially for people with luggage.”

Like her, several people take to social media almost daily to suggest that facilities can be better. The Airports Authority of India (AAI) is taking ad hoc steps but there will be no permanent solutions in the near future because of the way the terminals, multi-level car parking, space for pick-up and drop of passengers, connection to airport metro station were planned and designed around 15years ago, with no user inputs.

With the proposed airport at Parandur likely to take at least 10 years, passengers will have to live with the constraints. The number of passengers has touched around 50,000 a day and the number of flights 400 a day, at par with pre-Covid levels, but the airport is not able to cash in.

Airlines prefer to start new routes — the muchneeded direct flights to the US and Australia — from Bengaluru. The airport is suffering because one mistake led to another, said a former airport official. AAI has already spent `4,000 crore – `2,000 crore for the terminals commissioned in 2013 and another `2,000 crore for new ones being built – to modernize and boost passenger capacity from 20 million to 30 million.

Mohan Chandramouli, a retired airlines official who served at Chennai airport, said AAI had been doing quick-fixes without a vision. “It left everything to field officials with limited expertise.” The airport didn’t ensure buildings (at Manapakkam and Kolapakkam) complied with NOC norms though the second runway was extended 12 years ago.

“They are asking residents now to demolish obstacles.” “Pilots, airlines or safety experts were not involved in design and planning. AAI is resorting to trial and error methods. The international arrival terminal with one baggage ramp into the basement for arrival and departure baggage is shortsighted.”

25/01/23 V Ayyappan/Times of India

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Adani-Owned Ahmedabad International Airport Plans Development, Expansion Projects

Sardar Vallabhbhai International Airport (SVPI) at Ahmedabad has planned a slew of development and expansion projects to cater to future passenger traffic demand, the private airport said on Tuesday. The facility, owned by Adani Group, currently has the terminal capacity of 8-million passengers annually, while it is expected to handle 20-million passengers per annum by 2025-26 thereby necessitating the expansion work, which include a new integrated terminal building and refurbishment of existing terminals, it said.

According to the company, while the majority of the capex projects are related to development of airside and terminal capacity matching with projected exponential passenger growth, it is also pertinent to understand that the existing terminal infrastructure is not fully sufficient to handle the current and extraordinary growing demand.

In the current financial year, the passenger movement at the SVPI is expected to be around 12-million, the company said.

In addition to the planned works that are in keeping with the enhancement of terminal infrastructure, some of the initiatives that have already been executed, the airport operator said.

24/01/23 PTI/ZeeNews

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Failure of Departure Control System forces flyers to queue up for hours at Bengaluru airport

Bengaluru: The collapse of the Departure Control System (DCS) across airports in the country including Bengaluru for nearly an hour delayed the check-in procedure for thousands of flyers leaving from Kempegowda International Airport on Wednesday.

There was a huge rush to leave the City today due to the Republic Day holiday on Thursday and the approaching weekend prompting the airport operator to make it compulsory for all to bring the printed boarding pass to the airport.    

People were being checked in manually across KIA, said a top airport source. “Navitaire (Digital platform) was not working from 1.20 pm to 2.19 pm on Wednesday. The DCS at Indigo was restored at 1.40 pm and at Air Asia at 1.51 pm. Akasa Airlines was also impacted. The application got back to normalcy nearly an hour later,” the source explained.

A source from airport operator, Bangalore International Airport Limited confirmed there was a brief issue with the `GoNow’ software, which was rectified later.  

However, due to the cascading impact of the glitch, some passengers were affected for more than three hours. Meanwhile, airlines were bombarded with complaints from flyers with one individual drawing a parallel with the railway station due to the huge crowds piling up.

Rajendra kumar, Data Science Engineer at Abu Dhabi, departing from Bengaluru tweeted this: “#BLRAirport #AAI_Official #AkasaAir passengers are standing from last 3 hours for check-in , poor management from Akash airlines. Giving excuses of Server down and doing manual check-in.”

 Sumit Sharma, a coder at  Dell said, “First fix your existing operations then go for other ones. From more than 1 hour people are waiting in check-in queue at Bengaluru airport and Your staff has no regrets about this Chaos. Who will be responsible for this inconvenience? Will never ever travel in your airline.”

25/01/23 New Indian Express

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Fog disrupts operation of flights at Raja Bhoj Airport

Flight operations at Raja Bhoj International Airport were affected as dense fog enveloped the State capital on Monday. Air India’s flights to Delhi and Mumbai were diverted to Indore due to fog in the morning.

However, after an hour when the visibility improved after some time, these flights landed at Bhopal airport. During this, the passengers had to face difficulties.

At the same time, Indigo flight also reached Bhopal after some delay. The city was covered with dense fog due to clouds since Monday morning, due to which air traffic was affected. According to information, Air India flight number AI-633 from Mumbai to Bhopal has been diverted to Indore due to bad weather. The flight landed at Indore airport at 7:15 am. Flight number AI-435 from Delhi to Bhopal was also not given green signal to land at Bhopal airport and has been also diverted to Indore due to bad weather.

24/01/23 Hitavada

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Bird strikes on aircraft at Thiruvananthapuram airport a never-ending menace

Thiruvananthapuram: Poultry waste dumping and the functioning of illegal slaughterhouses near the Thiruvananthapuram airport have become a headache for pilots landing aircraft on the runway, due to occasional bird strikes. 

Though the rate of bird strikes saw a decline during the last two years because of low air traffic movement (ATM) owing to Covid, the issue still persists, putting the lives of passengers and residents at risk.  As per the data provided by the airport authorities, 15 incidents of bird strikes on aircraft were reported in 2022, while in 2020 and 2021, 14 cases each were reported. Though the bird strike rate last year was 5.46%, it was at 11.11% and 8.63%, respectively, in 2020 and 2021. Though the city corporation has been warned and advised many times to come up with a solution, there has been no positive response. 

Recently, the airport environment management committee, led by the transport secretary in charge of aviation, Biju Prabhakar, strongly criticised the local body for not resolving the long-standing issue. 

“Though bird strikes on aircraft are common at airports located near the sea, the rate of the issue here is higher due to frequent waste dumping and illegal slaughterhouses functioning in the area. We are trying our best to clear the dumped waste by burying it. There are times when we need to burst crackers near the runway to scare off the birds. But what we need is a permanent solution to the menace. A government-level intervention is needed in the issue,” said an airport official. 

23/01/23 K Krishnachand/New Indian Express

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IndiGo begins daily flight service from T’Puram to Kolkata

 In a major boost to the air connectivity between Thiruvananthapuram and North Eastern states, IndiGo has started a new one-stop daily flight service from Thiruvananthapuram to Kolkata. The flight (6E-6169) departs from the Thiruvananthapuram domestic terminal at 1.40pm and arrives in Kolkata at 6pm via Chennai. The return flight (6E-563) departs Kolkata at 8.15am and arrives at Thiruvananthapuram at 1.05pm. 

Earlier, passengers had to take two flights to travel in the Thiruvananthapuram-Kolkata sector. With the new service, the travel time has been reduced from 7.30hours to 4.30 hours. A non-stop service from Thiruvananthapuram to Kolkata is also under consideration. The weekly air traffic movement from Thiruvananthapuram airport is set to increase in the coming months, thereby bringing more connectivity to the capital. The new summer schedule will be effective from March 27, and this will have a multitude of new flight services with weekly traffic accelerating.

23/01/23 New Indian Express

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IndiGo to change red-eye flights from Goa to leisure friendly schedule

IndiGo is re-timing Goa-Nagpur red-eye flight to a leisure friendly schedule, with effect from February 01, 2023. Flights which depart late at night and arrive early in the morning are called as red-eye flights.

The airline will also commence operations between Amritsar-Hyderabad via Goa, effective from the same day.

In a press release, the airline said that these new additions have been introduced in the winter schedule to cater to the increasing demand and provide ease of accessibility, during the peak travel season to Goa.

23/01/23 Economic Times

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Australian airline Qantas adds 8 Indian cities with IndiGo Codeshare Agreement

Australian airline, Qantas stated on Friday that it is increasing its codeshare agreements with IndiGo, the biggest airline in India. In August of last year, Qantas travellers flying to Bengaluru and Delhi could seamlessly connect to other well-liked spots, including large cities like Mumbai and Chennai or iconic locations like Pune and Goa.

The Lockheed Constellation made seven stops when Qantas introduced its version of the Kangaroo Route to London in 1947. Two of those stops were on the subcontinent, passing through Karachi in Pakistan and Calcutta (Kolkata) in India. Direct flights between the two cricket-loving countries have occasionally been hard to come by despite the sizable Indian diaspora in Australia. However, it now appears that Qantas has recovered its zest for these routes.

Eight more cities are now accessible to Qantas travellers under the second phase of the deal. This means that Qantas passengers can connect to 21 Indian cities from Bengaluru and Delhi. Customers of Qantas have access to the domestic IndiGo network more freely, and more than 250 new flights are now available for booking.

It can often be challenging to change from an international to a domestic flight, but Qantas and IndiGo have planned for that and made it straightforward. Customers of Qantas flying on IndiGo can bring the same amount of luggage as they did on their flight from Australia and enjoy complimentary food and beverages while on the flight.

On connecting IndiGo flights operated with a QF code, Qantas Frequent Flyers can earn and use points. Additionally, IndiGo will take into account any applicable tier-based perks, such as priority check-in and priority baggage, that are provided to Qantas Silver, Gold, Platinum, and Platinum One frequent traveller.

According to Qantas Chief Customer Officer Markus Svensson, passengers have shown the new routes to India to be highly popular. The codeshare agreement with IndiGo, Svensson continued, had enhanced the travel experience for Qantas customers between Australia and India, and the new destinations will provide them with even more choices.

Eight round-trip flights by Qantas are offered each week to connect passengers from Australia to IndiGo aircraft in India. It operates four round-trip flights per week from Melbourne International (MEL) to Delhi Indira Gandhi International (DEL), and four round-trip flights per week from Sydney Kingsford Smith (SYD) to Bengaluru Kempegowda International (BLR).

23/01/23 NRI Affairs

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DGCA sets new rules for duty timings of air traffic control employees

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) rejected the Airports Authority of India (AAI) proposal to provide relaxation for airports with fewer flights in order to enable it to overcome a manpower shortage and instead issued new rules for the duty hours of air traffic controllers, as per a report in .

Although a version of these rules was initially announced in November 2020, the AAI found it challenging to comply with them because it required more staff to offer the required rest period. Since then, it has requested exemptions five times and suggested various duty hours for four distinct types of airports based on the volume of air traffic they handle: large airports, or those with more than 400 flights per day, as well as airports with up to 100, 30, and 10 flights per day.

The “watch duty time limitations and rest requirements”  set forth by the DGCA on January 11 for controllers state that an air traffic controller's shift cannot last longer than 12 hours. A controller may only be given a duty assignment that totals no more than 48 hours in a week or 180 hours in a month. A controller needs 12 hours of rest in between each duty period, according to the aviation regulation. A controller can only be rostered for a maximum of six days in a row, says the report.

Further, they are required to take a 30-minute break every two hours. However, at airports where the workload is less than half the airport's capacity the break can be taken on pro-rata basis - to last 45 or 60 minutes after three or four hours.

The DGCA has for the first time outlined the responsibilities of the Air Traffic Service in-charge for ensuring implementation, including publishing a roster five days in advance to give controllers time to plan their rest and ensuring they do not perform administrative tasks after their shift has ended.

23/01/23 Moneycontrol.com

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Thiruvananthapuram airport likely to be Haj embarkation point

Thiruvananthapuram: In the wake of persistent demands raised by the Haj pilgrims of South Kerala and South Tamil Nadu, the Thiruvananthapuram airport is likely to become a new Haj embarkation point in the state. As part of it, the Thiruvananthapuram International Airport Limited (TIAL) wrote to the Haj Committee of India two weeks ago. 

The TIAL is optimistic about including the airport as the new embarkation point in the state, as the Kerala State Haj Committee has also recommended to the Haj Committee of India that it include Thiruvananthapuram airport as the new embarkation point. 

At the moment, the only departure point is Kochi airport.Karipur airport, which was previously a key embarkation point for pilgrims from North Kerala, was recently removed from the list of embarkation points due to the 2020 accident and the pandemic. However, in addition to Karipur airport, the Hajj Committee of India is expected to incorporate Kannur airport as a new embarkation location this year. 

“We have sent a request to the Haj Committee of India to include Thiruvananthapuram airport as the new embarkation point as many pilgrims, especially senior citizens, could not travel to Kochi for boarding flights to Jeddah. There are many pilgrims from southern Tamil Nadu demanding an embarkation point here. So we are expecting a positive reply from the Hajj committee so that we can add more flights from here to Jeddah and Riyadh, “ said a source close to TIAL. 

16/01/23 K Krishnachand/New Indian Express

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Birsa Munda Airport, Ranchi gets ILS

New Delhi: The Airports Authority of India has commissioned Facility Performance Category-I Instrument Landing System (ILS) for Runway-31 at its Birsa Munda airport at Ranchi in Jharkhand.

According to officials, the new ILS replaced the existing facility that had completed its recommended life span. The airport has been witnessing a steady increase in passenger movement.

With a project cost of approximately Rs 5.67 crore, the new ILS has been commissioned with effect from January 9, for operational use at the airport. The complete installation, alignment, testing and flight inspection of the new system has been done in-house by AAI's Radio Construction and Developments Unit/Flight Inspection Unit (RCDU/FIU).

The new ILS that has been installed at the airport catering to higher passenger movement is manufactured by M/s Indra (Normarc), a leading manufacturer of Radio Navigational aids systems in the world. The new facility has an improved ILS Localizer Antenna System that will help in precision approach of all aircraft landing at the airport in all weather conditions.

16/01/23 IANS/Investing.com

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Air France flight from Bengaluru to Paris makes emergency landing at Vienna, flyers stranded

Bengaluru: Over 100 flyers on board an Air France flight from Bengaluru to Paris on Sunday morning, had to make an emergency landing at Vienna in Austria, due to a technical glitch. Most of the passengers on board the AF203 are on the way to US or Canada, and opted to fly via Paris. 

They are now stranded at Vienna airport for over ten hours (as of 9.30pm IST) without food, water or information from Air France, they said. They could be sent to Paris soon.  Their travel appears to be jinxed. They were to take a Vistara flight (UK-866) from Bengaluru to Mumbai at 9.40pm Saturday, and switch to an Air France flight to Paris. Hari Krishnan, an IT product manager in Bengaluru, whose brother’s family is on board the flight, told TNIE, “They were given the option to directly board an Air France flight from Bengaluru to Paris (AF 203). Unfortunately, now they are stranded and in bad shape in Austria,” he said. 

He has been reaching out to the Ministry of External Affairs, Air France, and Directorate General of Civil Aviation, requesting for help. His brother Prabhu Seeba and sister-in-law Priti Kustagi are struggling to manage their 10-month-old girl and 6-year-old boy. Kustagi, a project manager in Dallas, said, “Our flight departed at 2.15am Sunday from KIA, and we would have reached Paris in 1.5 hrs, when the Captain made an announcement that due to a technical glitch, an emergency landing was being made at Vienna.” 

On reaching the airport, the passengers were asked to remain seated and engineers came on board to set right the issue.  “After 90 minutes, we were told to deplane and then taken to the terminal,” she said. “There was no information from anyone at Air France or any support forthcoming,” she charged. Inside the terminal, the passengers had an issue with immigration staff as they did not have a Schengen visa. 

"We have not been given food, water or information. I am terribly worried as baby food for my infant is running out,” Kustagi added.

16/01/23 S Lalitha/New Indian Express

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Meghalaya Government Engages SpiceJet For Shillong-Delhi Flight Service

The Meghalaya Transport Corporation (MTC) on Saturday signed an agreement with SpiceJet for operating direct flights between Shillong and Delhi, officials said.

The flights will operate twice a week on Monday and Friday, they said.

"SpiceJet approached the state government and offered to operate the Delhi-Shillong-Delhi flights on its own as per the extant terms of MTC. SpiceJet has a total fleet of 23 Bombardier Dash 8 Q400 aircraft. The same aircraft will be deployed for the Delhi-Shillong-Delhi route," an official of the CM's office said in a statement.

The flights are expected to start operating from February 2023, it added.

SpiceJet is looking forward to fulfil the commitment of the state government and to meet the aspirations of the citizens of Meghalaya with direct flights between Shillong and Delhi, the statement said.

An initiative to operate direct Delhi-Shillong-Delhi flights was undertaken by the state government in 2020.

15/01/23 Outlook

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Bengaluru Airport Terminal 2 Opens For Domestic Flights

Bengaluru’s brand-new Terminal 2 at Kemepegowda International Airport (KIA) has commenced services. The sustainability-focused terminal officially opened on Sunday morning with Star Air performing the inaugural flight, a short service to Kalaburagi (GBI), which departed at 08:40. The Embraer regional jet made a quick turnaround, touching back down in Bengaluru at 11:25.

The 250,000 square meter terminal was initially opened by Prime Minister Narendra Modi back in November 2022. Flights had been planned to begin in December but were pushed back to mid-January following construction delays.

During its first few months of operations, as airlines shift to the terminal, Terminal 2 will exclusively operate domestic services. Star Air is currently the only airline operating out of the terminal, though AirAsia, Air India, and Vistara are set to launch flights over the next few weeks. The terminal is expected to provide capacity for up to 25 million passengers annually.

Quoted by the Times of India, Bengaluru Airport managing director and CEO Hari Marar celebrated the opening as a historic day for the airport.

“The new terminal will initially carry out domestic operations and in the next 15 to 30 days other airlines will begin operations from here too. The T2 will gradually turn into a fully domestic terminal by the end of March and the beginning of the next financial year will see international operations.”

Bengaluru’s glossy new sustainability and innovation-inspired terminal reflects the city’s designation as the Garden City and Silicon Valley of India. Harnessing technology and environmentalism, the airport has constructed a unique interior and exterior for the building, featuring garden-inspired décor nestled between 10,000 square meters of green walls and hanging gardens.

15/02/23 Molly Russell/Simple Flying

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Airports under UDAN scheme to get comprehensive armed security cover

More than 60 airports operational in tier-two and tier-three cities under the Centre's regional connectivity scheme UDAN will soon be brought under a comprehensive anti-terror security cover of armed CISF personnel with the deployment of around 1,650 troops, officials said. The proposal is awaiting final policy sanction from the home ministry. The bureau of civil aviation security (BCAS), in consultation with the ministry of civil aviation and the CISF, finalised the proposal for the "very important security measure" required for the safety of passengers taking flights from small air terminals across India.

Some airports such as Shimla which are under the regional connectivity scheme, are being guarded by the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) while the rest are secured by various state police forces or their special armed units and there is no uniform policy.

The regional connectivity scheme was launched under the name of UDAN (Ude Desh ka Aam Nagrik) on October 21, 2016, by the Union government to stimulate regional air connectivity and make air travel affordable to the masses residing in tier-2 and tier-3 cities and towns.

The civil aviation ministry is the regulating agency while the Airports Authority of India (AAI) is responsible for implementing the ambitious scheme of the Narendra Modi government.

According to the fresh blueprint accessed by PTI, 57 security personnel will be deployed at each of the airports operational under the UDAN scheme, with 27 armed personnel drawn from the CISF and the rest sourced from certified private security agencies.

15/01/23 PTI/Economic Times

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Theft racket operating at Indira Gandhi International Airport terminals busted, eight nabbed

New Delhi: A police team busted a theft racket operating inside Indira Gandhi International Airport terminals, arrested eight people and seized jewellery worth over Rs 10 lakh from their possession, officials said.

The eight accused were working as loaders with various airlines and ground handling agencies operating at IGI Aiport, New Delhi, officials said.

“Gold and silver jewellery of approximately Rs. 10 lakhs, 6 branded watches, Apple I- Phone, Cash Rs. 1,15,000 and other articles have been seized from their possession,” officials said.

“With their arrest, 4 Cases of baggage theft registered at IGIA unit have also been solved,” the police added.

“On January 11, the team of Police station IGI Airport with the help of the vigilance department of the Airlines apprehended one loader namely Deepak Pal S/o Satya Prakash who attempted to pilfer from the registered check-in baggage of a passenger who was to board the flight,” police added.

Subsequently, a case under sections 379/511 of IPC was registered and an investigation was taken up, officials said.

“The accused Deepa was brought to the Police Station, interrogated, and subsequently arrested in the present case. He disclosed that he was working as a loader in a ground handling assistance providing company, since 2018,” the police said.

“As the salary of Rs 18000 was not enough for him he started committing petty thefts from the baggage of the passengers whenever he got an opportunity. Slowly and gradually he came in contact with 07 other loaders and ground handling staff of other airlines and agencies. As they all were living in close vicinity and were working in almost the same timing shifts, they all in active connivance and with ulterior motives formulated a gang and started committing baggage theft at a large scale,” accused Deepak told police.

“Looking at the gravity of the matter, a dedicated team of police officials comprising Inspector Sumit Kumar, Insp. Satish Yadav, SI Mukesh Kumar, SI Sandeep, SI Prashant, SI Sanjeev Chaudhary, HC Vishwajeet, HC Birju, and W/Ct. Mohini under the leadership of SHO, IGIA Yashpal Singh and overall supervision of ACP, IGI Virender Mor was constituted,” police added.

“The team worked meticulously and through the assistance of technical surveillance, the team located the whereabouts of all the suspicious loaders. Simultaneous raids were conducted at the whereabouts of all the loaders and all the seven other loaders were arrested,” Police said.

Police have identified the accused as Gautam Kumar S/o Ram Bir Singh, Moshin Khan S/o Ibrahim Khan, Rahul Yadav S/o Ashok, Yashwinder S/o Sube Singh, Pappi Kumar S/o Kalu Ram Neeraj Kumar S/o Omprakash, Kamal Kumar S/o Suresh Kumar.

14/01/23 ANI/Print

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MIA set to boost operational efficiency, expand facilities for best in-class experience to users

Mangaluru: The journey is more important than the destination. It is a very well-known fact that airports are the fundamental component for economic growth of a nation. Airports allow the economy and society to flourish and develop. To do so, airports need funds to develop itself to enhance holistic passenger experience.

In this connection, Mangaluru International Airport (MIA) Limited had moved The Airports Economic Regulatory Authority of India (AERA) seeking revision in aeronautical tariff for a control period of 5 years from April 1, 2021, up to March 31, 2026. MIAL had pitched for revision of airport charges including user development fee (UDF) from passengers flying in and out of this coastal city to give them the best in-class experience.

This move will not only aid the on-going expansion, but also help with identified new investments, which are necessary for safety, security, passenger convenience and optimal utilization of the airport.

The airport has seen no major capital improvement and expansion since 2009. Also, it has been over 12 years since the last tariff revision for the airport, which happened in September 2010. The revision of the charges would be compensated by user experience of a world-class airport. A case in example here are various PPP airports such as Delhi, Mumbai, Hyderabad, and Bengaluru.

UDF at Indian airports has traditionally been levied on departing passengers, barring for a brief period at Delhi’s IGIA over a decade back when arriving flyers also had to pay this charge. And the outcome is known to one and all, seen and witnessed too as IGIA prides itself in being the best airport in India and Central Asia for the past three consecutive years as adjudged by Skytrax World Airport Awards. This award is considered as one of the highest honors in the aviation and airport industry.

14/01/23 Daijiworld

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How A Theft Racket Run By Luggage Loaders At Delhi Airport Was Busted

New Delhi: A police team busted a theft racket operating inside Indira Gandhi International Airport terminals, arrested eight people and seized jewellery worth over ₹ 10 lakh from their possession, officials said.

The eight accused were working as loaders with various airlines and ground handling agencies operating at IGI Aiport, New Delhi, officials said.

"Gold and silver jewellery of approximately ₹ 10 lakhs, 6 branded watches, Apple I- Phone, Cash ₹ 1,15,000 and other articles have been seized from their possession," officials said.

"With their arrest, four Cases of baggage theft registered at IGIA unit have also been solved," the police added.

"On January 11, the team of Police station IGI Airport with the help of the vigilance department of the Airlines apprehended one loader namely Deepak Pal S/o Satya Prakash who attempted to pilfer from the registered check-in baggage of a passenger who was to board the flight," police added.

Subsequently, a case under sections 379/511 of IPC was registered and an investigation was taken up, officials said.

"The accused Deepa was brought to the Police Station, interrogated, and subsequently arrested in the present case. He disclosed that he was working as a loader in a ground handling assistance providing company, since 2018," the police said.

"As the salary of ₹ 18,000 was not enough for him he started committing petty thefts from the baggage of the passengers whenever he got an opportunity. Slowly and gradually he came in contact with seven other loaders and ground handling staff of other airlines and agencies. As they all were living in close vicinity and were working in almost the same timing shifts, they all in active connivance and with ulterior motives formulated a gang and started committing baggage theft at a large scale," police quoted the accused, Deepak, as saying.

"Looking at the gravity of the matter, a dedicated team of police officials comprising Inspector Sumit Kumar, Insp. Satish Yadav, SI Mukesh Kumar, SI Sandeep, SI Prashant, SI Sanjeev Chaudhary, HC Vishwajeet, HC Birju, and W/Ct. Mohini under the leadership of SHO, IGIA Yashpal Singh and overall supervision of ACP, IGI Virender Mor was constituted," police added.

"The team worked meticulously and through the assistance of technical surveillance, the team located the whereabouts of all the suspicious loaders. Simultaneous raids were conducted at the whereabouts of all the loaders and all the seven other loaders were arrested," police said.

14/01/23 ANI/NDTV

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Meghalaya govt engages SpiceJet for Shillong-Delhi flight service

The Meghalaya Transport Corporation (MTC) on Saturday signed an agreement with SpiceJet for operating direct flights between Shillong and Delhi, officials said here.

The flights will operate twice a week on Monday and Friday, they said.

"SpiceJet approached the state government and offered to operate the Delhi-Shillong-Delhi flights on its own as per the extant terms of MTC. SpiceJet has a total fleet of 23 Bombardier Dash 8 Q400 aircraft. The same aircraft will be deployed for the Delhi-Shillong-Delhi route," an official of the CM's office said in a statement.

The flights are expected to start operating from February 2023, it added.

SpiceJet is looking forward to fulfil the commitment of the state government and to meet the aspirations of the citizens of Meghalaya with direct flights between Shillong and Delhi, the statement said.

An initiative to operate direct Delhi-Shillong-Delhi flights was undertaken by the state government in 2020.

Initially, Big Charter Pvt Ltd (FlyBig) was engaged to operate the flights.

FlyBig had deployed Bombardier Dash 8 Q400 aircraft on the route which were initially chartered from SpiceJet. However, FlyBig later expressed its inability to continue the operations. Subsequently, the state government held several deliberations with FlyBig and also explored other alternatives.

14/01/23 PTI/Economic Times

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Terminal 2 of Bengaluru's KIA airport gears up for debut flight on Sunday morning

With the countdown to the maiden flight from Terminal 2 on Sunday at 8.40 am by Star Air fast approaching, massive security checks are being undertaken by security agencies to ensure complete safety before the launch. 

Airport operator Bangalore International Airport Limited plans to scale up operations gradually at T2 to ensure the early phase of operations remains smooth. The largest airline operating from Bengaluru, Indigo Airlines, also plans to stay put at Terminal One for now, said sources.

Star Air will fully shift its operations to the new terminal. It only operates the Embraer 145 aircraft that has a maximum passenger seating capacity of 50 plus two cabin crew. VIPs including a few MPs and MLAs will be part of the debut flight but their names were kept under wraps citing security reasons.

"Our first flight (S5-117) from KIA to Kalaburagi has been fully booked. These are business jets operated under the Regional Connectivity Scheme and we want our passengers to experience the spectacular Terminal 2. So we have decided to shift all our operations here," said CA Boppanna, Head of Airport Services at Star Air.

An airline spokesperson claimed its second departing flight from the terminal had received good bookings but refused to divulge details. S5-101 to Hubballi will depart at 11.55 am and reach HBX at 12.55 pm.

Friday saw massive anti-sabotage checks carried out by the dog squad and the Bomb Detection and Disposal Squad. 

14/01/23 S Lalitha/New Indian Express

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Flight operations affected at Srinagar airport several flights cancelled due to snowfall

Srinagar: Air traffic to and fro Kashmir was affected on Friday as several flights were cancelled due to snowfall across the valley, officials said here.

    The fresh snowfall started early morning and continued till last reports came in.

    While the higher reaches of Jammu and Kashmir experienced moderate to heavy snowfall, the areas in the plains received light to moderate snowfall.

    “The flight operations at Srinagar airport have been suspended till further notice due to continuous snowfall and low visibility,” Director, Airport Authority of India (AAI), Srinagar Airport, Kuldeep Singh, told PTI.

    He said the flight operations took place in the morning, but had to be suspended after 10 am due to low visibility and snowfall.

    Most of the airlines, including, Air India, Air Asia, Indigo, Spice Jet and Vistara, have cancelled all their remaining flights for the day due to the bad weather, Singh said.

    Other airlines also have cancelled several of their flights, he added.

    The inclement weather has also resulted in the closure of the Srinagar-Jammu national highway – the only all-weather road connecting Kashmir valley with the rest of the country, the officials said.

13/01/23 The Week

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Delhi: Dense fog amid cold wave causes flight delays at IGI Airport

Dense fog caused up to six aircraft from Delhi's Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGI) to be delayed, according to airport officials. Delhi-San Francisco/Kathmandu, Delhi-Chandigarh-Kullu, Delhi-Jaipur, Delhi-Dharamshala-Chandigarh, Delhi-Shimla-Dharamshala, and Delhi-Dehradun were among the aircraft routes impacted by the heavy fog. 

Already reeling under a cold wave since the beginning of the new year, residents in the national capital on Friday woke to a chilly morning with a thick layer of fog. Safdarjung recorded a minimum temperature of 5.9 degrees Celsius around 6.10 am.

According to the Meteorological department, the visibility in Palam was recorded at 100 meters at 6.10 am. As was forecast, dense to very dense fog was observed over parts of Punjab, Northwest Rajasthan, Jammu division, Haryana, Chandigarh and Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, and Tripura."Dense/Very Dense Fog layer (in the white patch) extends from Punjab to Bihar across Haryana, Delhi, and Uttar Pradesh," tweeted the India Meteorological Department. 

13/01/23 ZeeNews

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Day flights at Kozhikode airport to be rescheduled to night for 11 months

Malappuram: The runway of the Kozhikode airport will remain closed from 10am to 6pm from Sunday as part of recarpeting work. The work is expected to be completed by November and, all daytime flights will be rescheduled to night.

Not even delayed flights will be allowed to land during these eight hours unless it is an emergency, said an airport official. The delayed flights will be cancelled.

“Recarpeting work becomes vital as we have found minor cracks on the runway surface. To enhance the safety standards of the airport, centreline lights and full-fledged touch-down zone lights will be installed on the runway. Though the full-fledged lights are not mandatory, it will help further improve the safety standards of the airport,” said a source.

Meanwhile, the state government has initiated measures to acquire land for developing the runway end safety area (RESA). The 4(1) notification for land acquisition has been issued. The Centre for Management Development, Thiruvananthapuram, will conduct the social impact assessment as part of acquiring 14.5 acres of land. The government has asked the agency to complete the assessment within four weeks.

“The agency will prepare reports on the loss that people will have to bear following the land acquisition. Based on it, the compensation amount will be finalised,” said a source with the airport. 

“Normally, the social assessment will be over only in eight weeks. In this case, the government asked the agency to complete it in four weeks. The move will speed up the procedure,” the source said. 

13/01/23 New Indian Express

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AirAsia Connects Surat To Major Cities Across India

AirAsia India, a joint venture of Tata Sons and AirAsia Investment Limited, has announced that it will begin flight operations from Surat with Bengaluru, Delhi and Kolkata and connecting itineraries to Bhubaneswar, Kochi, Guwahati, Goa, Hyderabad, Ranchi, Lucknow, Chennai, Jaipur , Visakhapatnam and Srinagar from 3th March, 2023.

However from Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh flights will be from the 5th of August, Lucknow will be the 18th airport in the AirAsia India network.

According to the details shared by the airline, it will be operating daily direct flights from Lucknow to Bangalore, Goa and New Delhi from 5th August 2022, and to its other two hubs, Mumbai and Kolkata from 1st September 2022, with a total of 112 weekly direct flights connecting Lucknow to these cities.

The flights will also connect Lucknow through convenient one-stop itineraries to other airports on its network, such as Srinagar, Kochi, Hyderabad, and Guwahati.

12/01/23 Vibes of India

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Pune Airport mulls restarting Pune-Mumbai flight, expert says service a ‘necessity’

Three years after it wound up unceremoniously with the closure of Jet Airways in 2019, Pune Airport officials are working towards persuading airlines to restart direct air service between Pune and Mumbai.

As per officials of Airports Authority of India (AAI), they have started talks with the airlines to get them on board to start the service. Officials said that they have started working in this regard as there is considerable demand for such a service. They are also in contact with the Mumbai International Airport to gauge a time slot for the service.

Jet Airways used to operate a flight service between Pune and Mumbai. However, after the airline shut shop in April 2019, no other airline provided the service. Soon, the pandemic started which disturbed the sector in an unprecedented manner. The air traffic from Pune Airport has now normalised with daily aircraft movements and passenger footfall breaking all-time records during the recently-concluded festive season.

12/01/23 Atikh Rashid/Indian Express

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AAI says Trichy airport upgradation works to be completed by June

The Airports Authority of India (AAI) on Thursday said the upgradation works, including the construction of a new passenger terminal building, at Trichy airport, will be completed by June. The new terminal building being constructed at a cost of Rs 951 crore is designed to process 2,900 passengers during peak hours. Spread across an area of 75,000 square metres, it will have 48 check-in counters and 10 boarding bridges.

In a release, AAI said the airport expansion project includes a new apron, associated taxiways, isolation bay to make the airport suitable for Multiple Apron Ramp System. The construction of a control room, supporting equipment rooms, terminal RADAR, RADAR simulation, automation facilities, VHF, AAI offices and meteorological offices are also part of the project.

Besides, the project includes a four-lane elevated access road connecting the terminal building to the city.

12/01/23 PTI/Economic Times

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DGCA says operations normal at all Indian airports, no cause for concern amid air traffic disruptions in US

Aviation regulator DGCA on Wednesday said operations are normal at all airports in the country, and as of now, "there does not seem to be a cause for concern" amid air traffic in the United States getting affected due to a technical failure in the system. An official at Air India, which operates direct flights to five American cities, said there could be some delays for its flights from the US due to possible runway congestion.

Hundreds of flights across the US were grounded early morning on Wednesday following a technical failure in the system that provides safety info to flight crews.

Normal air traffic is resuming gradually in the US, with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) saying it is continuing to look into the cause of the initial problem.

A senior official at the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) said operations are normal at all airports in India and "as of now, there does not seem to be a cause for concern".

The official also said that Air India flights to New York, Chicago and San Francisco landed safely.

Air India operates around 51 weekly flights to various cities in the US.

The airline, which is the only Indian carrier having direct services to the US, flies to New York, Newark, Chicago, Washington and San Francisco.

It has flights from Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru and Hyderabad.

11/01/23 PTI/Economic Times

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Drunk man publicly urinates at departure gate of Delhi airport, abuses other passengers

New Delhi: In another pee-gate, a passenger in an inebriated state publicly urinated in front of the departure gate of the Delhi airport, police said on Wednesday

The passenger, identified as Jauhar Ali Khan, was caught urinating at departure gate number 6 of Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport Terminal 3 by the airport staff. The drunk man also allegedly abused other passengers.

According to Delhi police, the incident took place on January 8.

Khan, who was scheduled to board a flight for Dammam from Delhi, was arrested and later released on a bail bond.

The incident came to light amid huge outrage over the Air India urinating incident. Shankar Mishra, a Mumbai-based businessman, had in an intoxicated condition urinated on an elderly woman passenger during an Air India flight from New York to Delhi on November 26, 2022. He was arrested on Saturday and was sent to judicial custody for 14 days.

11/01/23 Siddhi Gaharwar/TimesNow

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IndiGo, Coimbatore airport among world's 20 most punctual airlines, airports: Report

The country's largest airline IndiGo and state-owned Coimbatore airport are among the 20 most punctual airlines and airports globally, according to a report.

When it comes to On-Time Performance (OTP) in 2022, IndiGo is ranked 15th while Coimbatore airport is at the 13th position, as per the report by aviation analytics firm OAG.

IndiGo and the Airports Authority of India (AAI)-owned Coimbatore airport are the only Indian airline and airport, respectively, in the OAG's Punctuality League report released on Wednesday.

Among the 20 most punctual airlines globally, IndiGo is at 15th place with an OTP of 83.51 per cent in 2022. It is a steep jump from the 54th position in 2019 when the OTP was 77.38 per cent.

The list is topped by Garuda Indonesia with an OTP of 95.63 per cent, followed by Safair (95.30 per cent) and Eurowings (95.26 per cent) at the second and third spots, respectively.

Among the top 20 mega airlines by OTP, IndiGo is at fifth place in the list, topped by All Nippon Airways (88.79 per cent).

"IndiGo (6E) has moved up the rankings, from tenth in 2019 to fifth in 2022. India's biggest carrier has seen frequency increase over this period, now operating 8 per cent more flights than in 2019," the report said.

In the league of the top 20 most punctual low-cost carriers, IndiGo is at the sixth position.

11/01/23 PTI/Deccan Herald

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Bengaluru airport’s Terminal 2 to begin domestic operations on January 15

Airline operations at the much-awaited Terminal 2 of Bengaluru’s Kempegowda International Airport (KIA) will begin on January 15. While the only airline that will run on the day is the Star Air, other domestic airlines will begin operations in a few days.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi had inaugurated Terminal 2 of the airport on November 11 last year.

“We are delighted to announce the commencement of operations from the all-new T2 at Kempegowda International Airport, Bengaluru. Our passengers have been using Terminal 1 since the start of our operations in January 2019. We are excited to be the first airline to make a transition to this new and state-of-the-art terminal on the cusp of our 4th anniversary,” said Simran Singh Tiwana, CEO, Star Air.

The first Star Air flight from Bengaluru to Kalaburagi is scheduled to take off at 8:40 am on January 15.

“We are ready to welcome customers of Star Air at our newly inaugurated Terminal 2, offering a distinctive and enhanced travel experience for the passengers. The new terminal will soon be opening doors to passengers of other airlines as well. This will be done in a phased manner as and when the facilities and processes for smooth transition of airlines from T1 to T2 are completed,” said Hari Marar, MD & CEO of Bangalore International Airport Ltd (BIAL).

The terminal, for which planning began in 2018, is equipped to handle at least 25 million flyers annually. The phase 1 of Terminal 2 was built at a cost of Rs 5,000 crore. It is spread across 2,55,000 sq m. Once phase 2 is ready, airport officials said, the terminal can handle 20 million more flyers. Combining Terminal 1 and Terminal 2, the airport will be able to handle at least 65 million flyers annually, according to the officials.

11/01/23 Indian Express

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Delhi weather: Three flights diverted to Jaipur due to very dense fog

Delhi fog: Three flights have been diverted to Jaipur, instead of landing in Delhi due to very dense fog and low visibility on Monday. Two of three flights that have been diverted are SpiceJet and one is Air India Express, as per a Delhi airport official.

Below are the details of the three flights diverted from Delhi to Jaipur:

Air India Express (136): Sharjah to Delhi

SpiceJet (194): Ahmedabad to Delhi

SpiceJet (8937): Pune to Delhi

As many as 118 flights were delayed for departure and at least 32 arrivals were delayed due to the bad weather. Around 29 trains are running late by at least two hours or more. Many Rajdhani Expresses and Mail Express trains including Howrah and Rajdhani have been delayed.

Delhi has been under a spell of cold wave, as have other parts of Northern India. Safdarjung in Delhi recorded a minimum temperature of 3.8 degree Celsius, while Palam recorded a minimum temperature of 5.8 degree Celsius, as per IMD.

Dense to very dense fog has been observed in many places over Delhi, Chandigarh, Punjab and Haryana. In fact, visibility recorded in Delhi’s Safdarjung and Ridge at 8:30 am was 25 mt, while in Palam it was 50 mt. Punjab’s Bhatinda and Uttar Pradesh’s Agra recorded visibility of 0 mt, while Amritsar and Patiala recorded 25 mts.

09/01/23 Anwesha Madhukalya/Business Today

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Alliance Air Starts Commercial Flight To Rourkela

Commercial flights to Rourkela – one of the two cities hosting this year's Men's Hockey World Cup – have begun. A successful trial run was conducted at the airport on December 30th, and Alliance Air will now be connecting the town with Bhubaneshwar with a daily service.

On January 7th, flight Service between Bhubaneswar (BBI) and Rourkela (RRK) began under the government's regional connectivity scheme called UDAN. Alliance Air operated the flight, deploying one of its ATR aircraft, which was flagged off by India's Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia.

According to Alliance Air's website, the daily service between Bhubaneshwar and Rourkela has a scheduled departure time of 14:55 and arrival of 15:50. The return leg leaves RRK at 16:15 and land in BBI at 17:10. One-way fare on the route start at ₹2,830 ($34).

Odisha's Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik was happy with the development and said that the new service would offer seamless connectivity to sports fans coming to celebrate hokey in the state.

Before this, Rourkela's airport was mainly used for private flights and struggled to start commercial operations, mainly due to inadequate infrastructure. Work to upgrade it was slow, and the condition of its apron and taxiway had raised questions last year about whether the facility could be operational before the tournament.

09/01/23 Gaurav Joshi/Simple Flying

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Indigo flight from Hyderabad was the first aircraft to land at Goa’s Manohar International Airport

An Indigo Airlines flight from Hyderabad was the first aircraft to land at the recently inaugurated Manohar International Airport (MIA) in North Goa on January 5, an official from the airport said on Monday.

At least 11 arrivals are expected at the new airport on day one of operations, the official said, adding that IndiGo, Go First, Vistara and Akasa Air are in the process of setting up ticketing counters.

Indigo flight 6E 6145 landed at the facility from Hyderabad at 9 am on Thursday January 5, a spokesperson from MIA said. The domestic operations started from Thursday onwards, while international flights are expected to commence soon, he said.

“International operations are expected to commence from the MIA soon and we will announce the details in due course of time,” the spokesman said.

09/01/23 Anithya Balachandran/Business Traveller

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Union Home Secretary Reviews Delhi Airport Infrastructure Issues; Discusses Ramping Up Of Capacities

Union Home Secretary Ajay Bhalla on Monday reviewed the steps taken to revamp infrastructure at Delhi's IGI airport that include ramping up capacities, close monitoring and revised scheduling of air slots and de-cluttering of immigration counters.

    Top officials of the Ministry of Civil Aviation, Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS), Central Industrial Security Force (CISF), and Airports Authority of India (AAI), Bureau of Immigration, Delhi Police, DIAL-GMR and security agencies attended the meeting.

    The meeting was informed that a steady ramping up of capacities had taken place since the last review meeting held on December 15, 2022 and a number of important steps have been taken, an official statement said.

    It was also informed that close monitoring and revised scheduling of air slots reduced incidents of bunching of flights and additional counters have been made functional along with posting of adequate manpower to facilitate quicker immigration. 

    Baggage scanners have been increased by doubling up the capacity in domestic bay, immigration counter area has been de-cluttered and the Delhi Police has increased deployment for traffic lane management, the statement said.

    It was also informed that on the basis of a stakeholder committee evaluation, the DIAL-GMR has revised a modern layout plan for the immigration bay. 

    This is likely to be completed in three months without causing any disruptions in the present immigration clearance time.

    The proposal includes setting up of documentation and biometrics booths in walkways to avoid cluttering in the immigration bay.

09/01/23 PTI/Outlook

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IndiGo to make Goa’s new airport its largest ever new base station

Goa’s newly inaugurated Mopa airport began operations from Thursday and IndiGo is all set to make this airport its largest ever new station base with 12 daily flights from eight different cities and 168 weekly flights, giving a boost to tourism and better connectivity to the coastal state.

The Mopa airport which is also called as Manohar International airport was inaugurated with an IndiGo flight from Hyderabad that landed at this new airport on Thursday morning. This flight was followed by the Delhi to Goa inaugural flight which landed at this airport around 10 am.

The Sunday Guardian was onboard the Delhi to Goa inaugural flight operated by IndiGo and the enthusiasm both within the passengers and the crew on board the flight was palpable where passengers were warmly welcomed on the flight by the crew and several goodies presented by the airlines to the passengers on board.

Some of the passengers that The Sunday Guardian spoke to said that they were excited to be a part of the inaugural flight operated by the budget carrier IndiGo out of Delhi and to Goa as many had never been on any inaugural flight and they said that being on the first flight to Goa’s new airport was a “surreal” experience.

Mopa airport is the second airport that the coastal city has received in recent history and has a huge potential to change the tourism landscape of Goa that sees a huge footfall of tourists throughout the year. Goa is a leisure travel destination not only for Indian tourists but also for foreign tourists that flock the beaches of Goa throughout the year. This airport is located on the northern side of Goa and is a full-scale airport, unlike the Dabolim airport in South Goa which is a naval airbase and is being used for restricted civilian operations. The Dabolim airport also has no operations in the morning hours as the naval air exercises are carried out during that part of the day, which had been an impediment towards the growth of air network for the tourist state.

This airport has the potential to handle 4.4 million passengers per year and enhanced cargo operations. While addressing the press at the Mopa airport, Peter Elbers, CEO of IndiGo said the new airport has a huge potential and gives the airlines an opportunity to expand its network and cater to more traffic.

“The old airport in Goa (Dabolim airport) had almost reached its potential and this new airport was the need of the hour. This new airport in North Goa will be able to boost tourism in the state and there is a huge demand that is coming from this state. With this airport now in operation we as IndiGo are expecting to carry 15 lakh passengers to Goa within the first year.” Elbers said.

IndiGo began its operations to this airport on Thursday with 16 daily flights from eight different cities like that of Hyderabad, Delhi, Mumbai, Pune, Chennai, Jaipur and Ahmedabad.

Elbers also clarified that the existing operations of the airlines at the Dabolim airport in South Goa will remain unchanged and that the operations at the new airport are in addition to the existing flights that IndiGo already has at the South Goa airport.

08/01/23 Sunday Guardian

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Tiruchy International Airport nets Rs 50 crore in FY 2022-23

Tiruchy: The Tiruchy International Airport netted a profit of `50 crore in the financial year of 2022-23, MP Si Thirunavukkarasar told reporters on the sidelines of a meeting held by the Airport Advisory Committee to assess the services at the airport on Saturday.

"We are one of the airports that registers high turnovers in the country. The airport has been witnessing high footfall; therefore, we anticipate more income in the coming months. Also, the works for the new terminal would be completed by June this year," said MP Thirunavukkarasar said.

Extension of air connectivity to major cities, including Delhi, Mumbai, Kochi and other international destinations from the airport was under discussion during the meeting. Of now, the airport's service spans Kuwait, Singapore, Sharjah, Malaysia, Sri Lanka, Dubai, Doha, Muscat and Abu Dhabi. In the domestic sector, the airport offers connectivity to Chennai, Bengaluru and Hyderabad.

Meanwhile, as the airport needs to acquire about 512 acres of land for runway expansion, MP Thirunavukkarasar said efforts are on to expedite land acquisition process. Out of the 512 acres of land, 312 acres, including wetlands and private lands, falls under state government limits.

"I have already objected to the privatisation plan of the Tiruchy International Airport in the Parliament. The airport is the eleventh best performing airport in the country and the second largest airport in the state. It recorded a footfall of about three lakh passengers last year and we expect it to spiral up in the coming months. Unfortunately, the centre is trying to privatise and we would continue to object this move."

08/01/23 Jose K Joseph/New Indian Express

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Flyers increase at Vizag airport by over 11%

Visakhapatnam: The Andhra Pradesh Air Travellers Association has said that the number of passengers travelling from Visakhapatnam International Airport has increased by 11.36% but cargo movement reduced by 18.91% in third quarter compared to second quarter of 2022-23. There is an increase in not only passengers but also in aircraft movement by 2.52%.

The Air Travellers Association representatives O Naresh Kumar, K Kumar Raj and DS Varma said that 6.2 lakh passengers travelled in quarter 3 while it was 5.57 lakh in quarter 2. There is a difference of 63,331. 

08/01/23 Times of India

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Customs official to face trial in IGI Airport gold pilferage case after his thumb impression found

New Delhi: Putting a fresh shine on the old cliche of 'every contact leaves a trace', the CBI used a "chance" thumb impression of a customs official, who was purportedly let off in four cases of alleged gold theft from the department vaults, on a non-precious metal he used to replace the gold with, to charge him in a fifth.

The CBI has booked Sanjeev Kumar of the Customs Department for allegedly stealing the gold seized by the department kept in strong rooms by replacing it with a non-precious yellow metal, they said.

The agency had received a go-ahead from the Home Ministry to probe the theft of over 36 packets of gold from the vaults of the Customs Department, with about 38 kilograms of seized gold kept in Valuable Godown of the Department at Indira Gandhi International Airport in the form of bullion and jewellery which had come to light during a stock-taking exercise in 2016.

08/01/23 PTI

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Rourkela spreads wings as commercial flights resume

Rourkela: The long wait for the resumption of commercial operations of the upgraded Rourkela airport came to an end with the inaugural flight of Alliance Air taking off from the steel city to Bhubaneswar on Saturday afternoon.

The launch of commercial flight between Rourkela and Bhubaneswar under the Regional Connectivity Scheme (RCS) - Ude Desh Ka Aam Naagarik (UDAN) has come in the wake of the city co-hosting the FIH Men’s Hockey World Cup 2023 with Bhubaneswar from January 13 to 29.

The ATR-72 aircraft of Alliance Air arrived from Bhubaneswar at around 12.30 pm with 44 passengers. After a brief halt, it left Rourkela for Bhubaneswar with 42 passengers. Sources said for technical reasons, the average passenger load has been restricted to 44.

The resumption of commercial flight operations brought cheer among the people of Rourkela amid expectations that it would boost the stagnated growth of the city and open new economic opportunities.

Rourkela ADM Subhankar Mohapatra said the air connectivity has fulfilled the long-cherished demand of the city. He hoped that the fast mode of transportation would boost the development and economic activities of Rourkela and the rest of the Sundargarh district.

08/01/23 New Indian Express

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Goa CM To Hold Meeting With Stakeholders To Review Functioning Of New Airport

Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant will hold a meeting with stakeholders to review the functioning of the newly inaugurated Manohar International Airport (MIA), state Minister Rohan Khaunte said on Sunday. The first flight landed at MIA on Thursday, after which the airport commenced domestic operations.

“It’s been three days since the airport started functioning. There are bound to be some teething problems. We are gathering all the information about these problems and will meet chief minister on Tuesday,” Khaunte told reporters in Mapusa town. State Transport Minister Mauvin Godinho will also be present for the meeting, which will also be attended by the stakeholders of the new facility, he said.

When asked about a viral photograph showing taxis charging passengers whopping fares at the airport, Khaunte said he has taken a note of the photo showing a taxi charging Rs 4,000 for journey between the airport and Benaulim. “We have asked for the details about the bill. We must also find out what kind of taxi was booked or some bigger vehicle was booked,” the minister said.

08/01/23 PTI/Outlook

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Delhi Cold Wave: IGI airport faces massive disruptions due to dense fog, 20 flights delayed

Delhi Airport is facing consistent flight delays because of bad weather. On Sunday, around 20 planes from the capital's Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA) were delayed till 1 pm as a result of bad weather and other operational problems. Around 13 inbound flights from various destinations were delayed at the Indira Gandhi International Airport due to the cold wave conditions and dense fog that are now affecting North India, including the nation's capital.

"There was no flight diversion reported till 6 AM," said an official at the airport. "Visibility is very low at the airport amid the severe cold that we all have been experiencing," said passengers at Delhi`s IGI.On Saturday, the IGIA issued an advisory and launched procedures in view o low visibility conditions caused due to fog.

Airport authorities, in the advisory to the passengers, said that several procedures had been undertaken to counter the menace of low visibility at the airport. The Airport also requested the passengers to contact the concerned airline for the latest information about their flight status, authorities said. 

08/01/23 ZeeNews

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Top-performing global airports in 2022: Bengaluru, Delhi on the list

Two Indian airports, Bengaluru and Delhi, have featured in the list of top ten global airports in terms of on-time performance (OTP). Similarly, three Indian airlines — IndiGo, AirAsia India, and Vistara — have been listed among the top ten airlines in Asia-Pacific, according to aviation analytics company Cirium.

On-time arrival performance (when a passenger flight/aircraft arrives at the gate within 15 minutes of the scheduled arrival time) was used to rank airlines, and on-time departure performance (when a passenger flight/aircraft departs the gate within 15 minutes of the scheduled departure time) was used to rank airports.

Cirium said that since an airline is responsible for the entire flight operation, it evaluated their performance based on on-time arrival. While an airport’s operational efficiency can affect both departures and arrivals, there are fewer variables outside of the airport’s control during the departure phase. Cirium’s OTP rankings considered the largest airlines in each region and category.

08/01/23 Aneesh Phadnis/Business Standard

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