Govt plans second runway at Bengaluru Airport

New Delhi: Minister of State for Civil Aviation G.M. Siddeswara informed the Lok Sabha on Monday that the airport operator of Kempegowda International Airport, Bengaluru has a plan to construct a second runway and a new Terminal-2 in line with the traffic projections.
The expenditure and timeline of the project shall depend upon various factors such as appointment of Technical Consultants, preparation of Detailed Project Report (DPR), stakeholders consultation in line with the guidelines of Airports Economic Regulatory Authority and approval of various authorities, the minister added.
14/07/14 India Blooms News Service

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Delhi Aereocity, Mumbai airport projects cleared, industry breathes easy

New Delhi: Hoteliers Thursday heaved a sigh of relief after the government cleared the Delhi Aerocity and Mumbai airport development projects that were stuck over security concerns for some years and hoped that they would help develop the two places into major aviation hubs.
"It is a welcome move that was long awaited as a lot of investments had gone into projects. Once completed, the Aerocity will be the finest hospitality district in Delhi," Ankur Bhatia, executive director, Bird Group, whose company is developing the Dusit D2 hotel brand, told IANS.
Bhatia's project is expected to come up in the first quarter of next year. Around four of the 16 hotels, including Lemon Tree Premier, Red Fox, Ibis and JW Marriott, are ready and construction on others are in full swing.
"We are awaiting for the final (decision) papers and only then we can disclose our date for opening the property," said Aradhana Lal, vice president, corporate communications and sustainability initiative, Lemon Tree Hotels.
Industry insiders say that if all clearances come in time then the hotels will be able to start operations from second or third week of August itself.
01/08/13 IANS/Business Standard

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Small airports across India face major security threats

Inadequate surveillance devices, broken X-ray machines, shortage of wireless sets and illegal constructions make a mockery of the security arrangements in several smaller airports across the country.
The Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS) has found some major faults in the security systems at airports in Bhuj, Aurgangabad, Bhopal, Juhu, Kanpur and Imphal.
In Bhuj, the bureau has found that the departure gate of the airport doesn't have an explosive trace detector and hand-held metal detectors.
The bureau said the CCTV cameras at Bhuj did not have adequate capacity to store a month's footage.
The Aurangabad airport urgently needs 58 CCTV cameras and its perimeter wall needs to be repaired.
In Bhopal, a slum near the new terminal building has become a security threat because of the presence of anti-social elements there, particularly drug traffickers.
In Mumbai's Juhu aerodrome, the bureau noticed that no-objection certificates (NOCs) were issued to developers for the construction of 100 buildings in the vicinity of the airfield.
30/07/13 Vikas Mishra/Mail Online 

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CISF wants no-fly zone over Chennai port, but ATC not willing

Chennai: The Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) has asked the ministry of civil aviation to declare Chennai Port and Chennai Petroleum Corporation Limited's (CPCL) Manali plant as no-fly zones. The paramilitary force provides security cover for these two high-risk installations.
Aircraft take a circular path and fly close to these two installations as they come in to land from the Guindy-end of the runway at Chennai airport. CPCL's plant and the port are visible to passengers from the aircraft when they approach Chennai on this path. CISF feels that an aerial view of these places should not be allowed as it could possibly aid terror plots.
The move comes as the Union government is taking efforts to step up security at all public sector establishments .
An Airports Authority of India (AAI) official said the installations don't come in the approach path of the airport, but they may be visible from a distance. "Planes don't fly over them. It would be difficult to redraw the approach route to prevent passengers from seeing these places. There is no need for a no-fly zone because aircraft are at more than 2,000 feet altitude when they are near these installations. It will be difficult for a passenger to clearly spot things from this altitude."
31/07/13 Times of India

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International status but no international flights at Srinagar airport

Srinagar: After giving an international status to the Srinagar international airport, the state government has failed to persuade the civil aviation ministry to operate direct international flights from the airport.
Airport authorities officials based in Srinagar told Kashmir times that Srinagar International airport has virtually lost its sanctity as only few direct flights were operated from the airport since international status was given to airport two years back.
The airport official further said that several rounds of talks had held between state government and centre civil aviation ministry for the last couple of years to operationalize the direct flights from the airport, but nothing concrete have emerged from the meetings and only domestic flights are being operational from the Srinagar airport,” he said.
The central civil aviation ministry had stopped the direct international flights from the airport saying of poor response of the passengers, but the airport official authorities in Srinagar are refuting the poor response hypothesis of the civil aviation saying that they are regularly receiving calls from the passengers eagerly waiting to board from the international flights.
30/07/13 Kashmir Times

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Chennai airport holds partial mock exercise of aircraft accident

Chennai: A partial mock exercise of aircraft accident was carried out at Chennai airport to test the efficacy of contingency plan.
With the notification of accident by ATC Tower, all actions as per standard operating procedure were initiated to handle a simulated crisis situation. Since it was a partial exercise, emphasis was given on fire fighting operations, rescue operations and action by medical services during the two-hour exercise.
Doctors and paramedics from nearby hospitals, ambulance services and city fire brigade participated in the exercise.
30/07/13 Business Line

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Stink reaches airport’s nose

Calcutta: Calcutta airport’s new terminal will have two facility management firms to keep its washrooms clean 24x7 and another to ensure a spick-and-span facade, the decision to scale up effort coming after months of shoddy maintenance.
The value of the washroom maintenance contract put out to tender earlier this month is Rs 14.07 crore for three years or Rs 39.07 lakh a month, more than double the amount being spent currently on keeping the 48 toilets clean along with the rest of the interiors.
Impressions, the Delhi-based firm that has the Rs 19 lakh-a-month contract, has been saying that it is impossible to maintain a 1,80,000sq m facility with the sanctioned money and manpower of around 220 workers. A source in the company said it would bid for the new contract.
“The responsibility of keeping the washrooms in the new terminal clean will be divided between two agencies. The main clause in the tender is to man each washroom 24x7,” airport director B.P. Sharma told Metro on Tuesday. “Another agency will be hired to clean the glass façade on the city side.”
Bids will soon be invited for the second contract, which will require specialised equipment to clean the glass front of the sprawling terminal that invites praise at first glance, only to disappoint with the warts within.
21/07/13 Sanjay Mandal/The Telegraph

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Man falls off escalator at airport terminal, lies unattended for 45 mins

Mumbai: A 27-year-old man who fell off an escalator at Mumbai airport's domestic terminal on Monday afternoon lay unconscious for 45 minutes with blood flowing out of his nose and mouth before medical help arrived.
It was another 45 minutes before the airline staff took the injured passenger, identified as Siddhesh Borkar, to a hospital, where treatment did not begin for another five hours.
Eyewitnesses said the airline staff delayed admitting Borkar to a hospital as they were not sure about who will foot his medical bill. Then too, it was the civic-run Cooper Hospital that the Go Air staff took Borkar to despite fellow passengers urging them to rush him to a nearby private hospital. With no ear, nose and throat specialist present at Cooper Hospital, which also did not have any scanning facility, it was five hours before Borkar's treatment finally started.
31/07/13 Lata Mishra & Bipin Kumar Singh/Mumbai Mirror  

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Air India plane grounded due to tyre burst in Chennai

Chennai: Tension prevailed at the international air terminal in the city on Monday after an Air India express flight, carrying 85 passengers, scheduled to go to Male via Bengaluru and Thiruvananthapuram, was grounded as the tyre of its right wheel burst.
The plane was forced to halt on the taxi track when smoke emerged from the aircraft’s wheel. Captain S. S. Venkat immediately alerted the airport fire station and the fire tenders moved in quickly and contained the smoke.
The air traffic controller was also informed and the plane stopped. It was later towed back to the parking bay and the engineers were summoned. The passengers were also offloaded and accommodated in the airport lounge. Out of the 85 passengers, four were bound for Male, 26 for Thiruvananthapuram and 55 for Bengaluru.
30/07/13 Deccan Chronicle

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Jet flight makes emergency landing as engine fails

Mumbai: A Bhopal-bound JetLite flight from Mumbai with 114 passengers on board made an emergency landing here this morning due to engine failure, airport officials said.
The flight returned to the city airport after being airborne for over half-an-hour, they said.
30/07/13 PTI/Daily News & Analysis

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British Airways to fly daily from Hyderabad to London

Hyderabad: British Airways (BA) expects a significant growth in business and leisure outbound travel from Hyderabad to the UK. As part of its expansion here, it plans to meet the growing demand by pitching in daily service from Hyderabad to London from October 27. Currently, it operates six flights a week from here.
'Hyderabad has emerged as one of the strongest growing markets in India in the last two years with a range of business activities and tourist inflows making it a really fantastic place to fly,' said Christopher Fordyce, regional commercial manager for South Asia, British Airways.  
India is the second largest market for it after the US. 'The outbound travel from India is expected to grow to 50 million by 2020 from the existing 15 million, second to China. Our plans in India would mostly be driven by the supply and demand,' said Fordyce.He said the airline was confident of maintaining student travellers seeking admissions to UK universities and other European countries.
30/07/13 Business Standard

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AAI team to visit Odisha soon for airstrip development

Bhubaneswar: A four-member team of the Airports Authority of India (AAI) is scheduled to visit Odisha during August 6-8 in connection with the plan to upgrade the existing airstrips in the state.
The team led by P K Mohapatra, joint general manager (plan), will visit Gopalpur, Keonjhar and Baripada airstrips to map the existing infrastructure for development of air connectivity in the state.
The state general administration (GA) department has asked the sub-collector and tehsildar of the concerned areas to be present during the time of field inspections with Survey of India and revenue maps.
Besides, the executive engineer (roads & buildings) division of the concerned area will act as the nodal officer and furnish all technical information to the visiting AAI team.
30/07/13 Business Standard

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New fire-fighting equipment at CIAL

Nedumbassery: The Cochin International Airport Ltd has introduced a new set of fire fighting machines. According to the CIAL notification on Monday, the new state-of-the-art fire-fighting machine, IVECO Magirus Dragon X 6, will equip Aviation Rescue and Fire Fighting (ARFF) to fight even the largest of fire incidents in the airport.
The first machine was put into operation on Monday, and the second is expected in a few days. The new systems are meant to help in handling the operations of new, state of the art jet airliners like Airbus A380, which is now the largest passenger aircraft with double decks and four engines.
German made IVECO Magirus Dragon X 6, according to the notification, would be India’s first ACFT (Air Crash Fire Tender) capable of delivering dry chemical powder to put out fires.
The machine (ACFT) has a twin engine power pack. The speciality of the ACFT is that it would be able to perform pump and roll operations simultaneously.
30/07/13 New Indian Express

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Jet plans more flights to and beyond Abu Dhabi

New Delhi: With the FIPB nod, Jet Airways has moved a step closer to implementing its plans of not only launching daily services from eight Indian cities to Abu Dhabi, but also to start a daily service linking Bangalore to Chicago through Abu Dhabi.
The airline will still have to wait for formal clearance from the Competition Commission of India, the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs and the Ministry of Civil Aviation before it can launch these new flights. The Commercial Cooperation Agreement that Jet Airways and Etihad signed in April, which was amended in May, states that Jet Airways will start daily services from Bangalore, Chennai, Kochi, Hyderabad, Thiruvanthapuram, Mumbai, Delhi and Ahmedabad no later than winter of 2013.
29/07/13 Business Line

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SpiceJet to launch thrice a week flight Ahmedabad-Muscat flght

New Delhi: Expanding its international network, no-frills carrier SpiceJet will launch its thrice a week flight between Ahmedabad and Muscat from next month.
The commercial flights between Muscat and Ahmedabad would commence from August 29, and the thrice a week service will be operated on a 189-seater Boeing 737-800 New Generation aircraft.
The Kalanithi Maran-owned airline had expanded its global footprint in the recent past by adding several cities in the Middle Eastern and Asian regions to its network. Muscat will be the ninth international destination of the airline.
30/07/13 PTI/Economic Times

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Bid to smuggle drugs foiled, one held

Mumbai: An Indian passenger has been arrested from Mumbai international airport for allegedly trying to smuggle out 1.74 kgs of Ketamine drug valued at Rs 17.45 lakh to Malaysia, customs officials said today.
The accused Senthilkumar Duraiswamy, who was scheduled to depart on a Malaysian Airlines flight to Johor Bahru via Kuala Lumpur yesterday, was intercepted at the Chhatrapati Shivaji international airport, the officials said.
30/07/13 PTI/Business Standard

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Spicejet flight grounded after landing gear snag

Chennai: passengers of a Spicejet flight from here had a narrow escape when the main landing gear malfunctioned at touchdown at the Tuticorin airport today and the aircraft was grounded.All the passengers were safely disembarked and the aircraft which sustained slight damage had been grounded, Tuticorin airport sources said.
"The main landing gear or the rear wheel of the aircraft failed to operate in time while landing, leading to a slight jerk," the sources said.
28/09/13 Daily News & Analysis

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Name new airport complex after MGR: Sarathkumar

Chennai: The Akila India Samathuva Makkal Katchi (AISMK) on Sunday urged Chief Minister Jayalalithaa to take steps to name the newly developed airport complex after former Chief Minister M.G. Ramachandran while retaining the name of former Chief Minister K. Kamaraj for the domestic terminus and that of C.N. Annadurai for the international terminus.
A resolution to this effect was adopted at a meeting of the party here to mark the birth anniversary of K. Kamaraj and distribution of assistance to the poor. R. Sarathkumar, president of AISMK, presided over the meeting, which was held on Island ground here.
29/07/13 The Hindu

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Replace MIHAN vice-chairman with aviation expert: Cong MP

Nagpur: Former Union minister Vilas Muttemwar has appealed to the Maharashtra Chief Minister that the vice-chairman of the Multi-Modal International Passenger and Cargo Hub (MIHAN) project here be replaced with an expert from the aviation sector.
"Currently, MIHAN is headed by UPS Madan as joint MD and vice-chairman.
"But that is his additional charge as he has to devote more time to MMRDA in Mumbai. Therefore, he should be replaced immediately with an expert from the aviation sector," the Nagpur MP said.
Muttemwar recently met Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan in Mumbai on the sidelines of the ongoing monsoon session of the state legislature.
Muttemwar said the ambitious project was getting delayed due to many "constraints".
Ruing how many "retired" persons were holding posts in MIHAN, Muttemwar demanded that a younger and dedicated team of experts be drawn from the aviation sector to expedite the project.
28/07/13 Business Standard

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Sahnewal airport plan hits road block

Ludhiana: The move to upgrade Sahnewal airport has hit the first road block with some of the villagers filing objections to the acquisition of their land.
According to Section IV of the Land Acquisition Act, people whose land is acquired can file objections, if any, within a month"s time. As the government had on June 15 issued the notification for acquiring land in 10 villages in Sahnewal area for upgradation of the airport and construction of a mega industrial park project, the deadline for submitting the objections ended on July 15.
28/07/13 Times of India

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Green panel clears Navi Mumbai airport

Mumbai may finally get its new airport now as a panel of the Union ministry of environment and forests (MoEF) has given the ‘green signal’ for the multi-billion rupee project.
The proposal had also received an intense push from Maharashtra chief minister Prithviraj Chavan who had met Union environment minister Jayanthi Natarajan to clear hurdles in its path.
The Forest Advisory Committee (FAC) cleared the proposal in its recently held meeting ‘recommending forest clearance’ with several conditions for diversion of around 250 hectares of forest land in Raigad. It had already got the environmental clearance in 2010.
One of the main concerns of the FAC was mangrove forest in the area sought for diversion and while recommending approval, it has clearly laid down that “afforestation of mangrove species over an area equivalent in extent to mangrove forest area being diverted has to be raised and maintained by the user agency at their own cost”.
29/07/13 Mayank Aggarwal/Daily News & Analysis

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Majorda locals want Dabolim as sole airport

Margao: The gram sabha of the Majorda village panchayat held on Sunday unanimously adopted a resolution to oppose the proposed Mopa airport and demanded that Dabolim airport be retained as the sole international airport for Goa.
Villagers, at the gram sabha, pointed out the hardships they had to face on account of the block development office pertaining to the Majorda panchayat being located in Mormugao, and demanded that the office be relocated to Margao.
29/07/13 Times of India

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14 flyers detained for smuggling in gold worth Rs 5cr

Chennai: Customs officials seized 2.5kg of gold worth more than 5 crore from 14 passengers who arrived at Chennai airport by different flights in the last two days.
The custom authorities received a tip off that a large amount of gold might be smuggled from Malaysia, Singapore or Sri Lanka and the authorities had increased surveillance of passengers arriving from these countries since Friday.
The accused, who arrived by different flights, were detained on the suspicion that they may be carriers. The travellers hailed from Thanjavur, Trichy and Madurai and had gone to Malaysia, Singapore and Colombo on tourist visas. Checks revealed that they had concealed small quantities of gold in their bags.
29/07/13 Times of India

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Close shave for SpiceJet flight

Tuticorin: The passengers on board a SpiceJet flight from Chennai had a lucky escape after a possible flight accident was averted at Tuticorin airport on Sunday.
The rear landing gear failed to open when the flight landed at the airport. The aircraft came to a halt with a huge noise but with minimal damage.
"It was fortunate that there was no damage to the aircraft. All the passengers were immediately evacuated from the aircraft and taken to safety,'' said a police official citing airport authorities. Airport sources said that the flight landed faster than the normal speed and suffered minor damage in the tail portion.
According to the airport authorities, the Spicejet flight landed at the airport around 8.40am. With the landing gear failing, the aircraft's tail hit the tarmac. The stricken aircraft dragged along the runway for some distance before coming to a halt. The jet had to be towed to the hanger.
29/07/13 Times of India

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CCTV cameras have helped curb cargo thefts at airport, says CISF

Mumbai: Incidents of theft at Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport's cargo terminal have reduced drastically following the installation of over 650 CCTV cameras, said the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF).
The agency also uses their personnel as undercover loaders to regularly keep a watch.
The CISF, given charge of the securing the cargo terminal in 2011, says the last theft took place in April. According to Mumbai Police, no more than 10 thefts have been reported in the past year, most of them inside jobs.
The Airports Authority of India (AAI) installed cameras after a series of high profile thefts between 2007 and 2009. In May 2009, an airport security personnel was killed while attempting to stop four armed men stealing gold and silver coins bound for Pidilite Industries in Hyderabad.
29/07/13 Srinath Rao/Indian Express

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Probe into strength of Tuticorin runway

Chennai: The Director-General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) probe into the incident involving a Spicejet aircraft which scraped its tail on the runway after its rear landing gear did not open fully will expose a safety violation in connection with an unauthorised altering of the specification of the runway at Tuticorin airport.
According to sources, an inspection team, headed by a top DGCA official in charge of the safety, had altered the Pavement Classification Number (PCN), an indicator to runway safety. The documents at the airport show that the DGCA had altered the number 13 to 21 on November 21, 2011 so that Bombardier Q400 aircraft can be allowed to land at the airport.
Captain Mohan Ranganathan, a senior pilot and member of Civil Aviation Safety Advisory Committee (CASAC), said a runway with PCN 13 could handle only an ATR aircraft.
29/03/13 Arun Janardhanan/Times of India

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Air services to Deoghar launched

Ranchi:  Air service for Deoghar from Ranchi was launched on Sunday. The first flight carrying nine devotees was flagged off from BirsaMunda airport at 10am by chief minister HemantSoren.
Soren said, "This flight is a milestone for tourism in Jharkhand. I am expecting it to be as popular as our aerial tour of Deoghar where people can enjoy an aerial tour of the city simply by paying Rs 900."
The air service from Ranchi to Deoghar, which has been started with the joint efforts of the Federation of the Jharkhand Chamber of Commerce and Industries (FJCCI), will be available on July 29, 30 and 31.
29/07/13 Times of India

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GMR Infra appoints Kiran Kumar Grandhi as managing director

New Delhi: Making a major change at the top level, GMR Infrastructure today said it has appointed Kiran Kumar Grandhi as its managing director, replacing B V N Rao.
However, Mr. Rao will continue to work as a director in the company board, GMR said in a filing to the BSE.
It added that Mr. Grandhi's appointment as MD has become effective from July 28 (yesterday). Kiran Kumar Grandhi, 38, a member of the GMR family has considerable experience in leading projects and businesses in infrastructure space across sectors such as airports, highways, and corporate functions, the company said.
He has also led the company in completing the brand new international airport at Delhi and winning the bid to reconstruct the Sabiha Gokcen International Airport, Istanbul in 2007. GMR group, as part of its rotation policy also announced changes in designation for Mr. Rao and Mr. Grandhi at the group level.
29/07/13 PTI/NDTV

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Chennai airport gets bay cleaning machine

Chennai: A hi-tech machine will be put to use to keep the Chennai airport free from oil stains and black spots to ensure clear vision of markings on the runway for pilots.
All airports have to deal with the problem of oil stains and black spots, the latter caused by the skidding of plane tyres, on the runway.
The Chennai airport has deployed a self-propelled bay cleaning machine, which will be the first of its kind at any airport in the country, said a senior official of the Chennai airport, who did not want to be named.
28/07/13 TE Raja Simhan/Business Line

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Air India Express flight to Male delayed after tyre burst

Chennai: An Air India Express flight was delayed by four hours after the aircraft's tyre burst when it was taxiing at Chennai airport on Monday morning.
The Chennai-Bangalore-Trivandrum-Male flight had 85 passengers.
29/07/13 V Ayyappan/Times of India

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Akhilesh Yadav wants what Mayawati has: The right to drive up to aircraft

New Delhi: Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav may soon be allowed to take his car, with an armed escort, right up to aircraft at all airports in the country. Having received a request from Uttar Pradesh in this regard, the Ministry of Civil Aviation has referred the matter to the Union Home Ministry for threat assessment.
The state government has sought all the facilities currently available to former CM and BSP supremo Mayawati, revealed an official of the Civil Aviation Ministry. If the Home Ministry clears it, we have no problem, he said.
If allowed, Akhilesh would become only the second CM to be granted this privilege. Tamil Nadu counterpart J Jayalalithaa is allowed vehicular access on security grounds.
Mayawati is allowed to take her car right up to aircraft along with an armed escort. On January 23, 2013, The Indian Express had reported how Mayawati's entitlements were finalised on a day of bargaining that saw three amendments to the Civil Aviation Ministry's order before she was satisfied.
28/07/13 Ajmer Singh/Indian Express

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AAI starts training for GAGAN

New Delhi: Moving a step closer towards implementation of satellite-based navigation system, Airports Authority of India has started training its staff to familiarise them with GPS-Aided Geo Augmented Navigation system (GAGAN).
One of India's ambitious projects in the field of air navigation, GAGAN is likely to become fully operational by the first quarter of next year.
28/07/13 PTI 

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Year to go before work can start on Navi Mumbai airport

Mumbai:  It will be at least a year before construction of the Navi Mumbai airport begins, as there remain several permissions to be acquired and issues to be settled.
Still awaited is the second phase of forest clearance for replanting mangroves elsewhere as well as creating another mangrove park or lagoon. Sources said permission from the high court will also be required to remove a small patch of mangroves from the construction area.
Another crucial requirement is the Centre's nod for the global tendering process, mainly involving approval for the airport development and revenue-sharing model. "Following the nod, it will take eight months to appoint the developer through a global bid competition," Cidco vice-chairman and MD Sanjay Bhatia said.
A final civil aviation nod is also needed, said an official.
28/07/13 Chittaranjan Tembhekar/Times of India

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Radar integration shores up stricken Nagpur ATC

Nagpur:  The Nagpur Air Traffic Control (ATC) radar shut down for eight hours on June 25 after a lightning strike. However, the ATC was able to continuously provide correct and safe directions to hundreds of aircrafts flying over the city. This capability was the direct result of the new technology implemented at Nagpur airport ATC and its communication and navigation surveillance (CNS) by the Airports Authority of India. The systems have helped tide over many crisis during the troublesome monsoon the region is facing this year.
 "Due to the integration of radars at Nagpur, Jharsuguda, Hyderabad and Bhopal, we faced no problems at all. Even though our radar had gone down, the other three radars were functioning and covered the entire region," said AK Verma, airport director.
"If the radars had not been integrated under the INDRA system, in such an emergency the aircraft would have been directed by the ATC staff manually, based on their perceived location of the plane and information given by the flight crews. This increases the margin for error and there are delays in flights," said Shafique Shah, officer on special duty, AAI.
28/07/13 Times of India

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Ahmedabad airport to get electric fences

Ahmedabad: An incident on Tuesday, where monkeys were seen scampering across the runway just when an Indigo flight was about to land, has prompted the decision to install electric fences. From Tuesday, the Airports Authority of India (AAI) will put out official offers for companies to install solar-powered electric fences around the Sardar Vallabhbhai International Airport.
Another major worry that has incited this move is the hordes of visitors who sit along the boundary wall to view airplanes landing and taking off from the runway. This could be a future security risk, say AAI officials.
"But the electric fences will mainly ward off disruptive animals, like monkeys and langurs. The system is cost-effective and good in the long term. The fences will be installed by September end," says an AAI official.
28/07/13 Times of India

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Rummaging through the bags of a pardes-bound student

It's that time of the year again when students start college, and while some undergo a change of city, others head to a different country or even continent. Now, given how much we love our desi, masaledaar khaana, that's the one thing we can't do without, no matter where we live. So, doting mommies whose kids are heading abroad are leaving no stone unturned to ensure their laadla betas and betis don't miss Indian food. However, their kids are left attempting to stuff 'inappropriate' numbers of achaar bottles and matthi that mommy got them, into their bags.
Maggie, achaar and masaledaar eatables are now some of the most common things that one can expect to find in the suitcase of an Indian student taking an international flight. But this year, mothers are going the extra mile (or rather kilogram) to make sure the kids don't get too homesick.
Airlines have also made sure that the students don't forget to take their favourite things when they leave home. Now, a number of airlines allow students to carry bags that weigh between 40 and 50 kg which is a quite a jump from the mere 23 kg that travellers are usually allowed. But forget students, it's their mothers who are making the most of this increase in baggage allowance by packing things that wouldn't be difficult to find in the country their child is going to.
27/07/13 Archita Bisht/Times of India

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Goa:AAI yet to commit on free-of-cost premises at new terminus

Panaji: The Goa government has demanded allocation of a free-of-cost stall for display of its handicrafts at the new airport terminus building at Dabolim here but the Airport Authority of India (AAI) has refused to commit on it, referring the matter to its Delhi headquarters.
The new airport terminus is expected to be commissioned in September this year.
Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar in his letter to the AAI including the recent communication dated July 11, 2013, had asked for a 13.8 square metre space within the new terminus at Dabolim to be allotted to state-run Goa Handicraft Rural Small Scale Industrial Development Corporation (GHRSSIDC).
On which, Airport Director M Suresh said that the allocation of any premises free of cost to the state government is a policy decision and hence it has been referred to New Delhi for the suggestions.
26/07/13 Business Standard

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DGCA probing Dreamliner smoke incident

New Delhi: Aviation regulator DGCA has begun a probe into an incident of smoke in a brand new Dreamliner aircraft of Air India when it was flying from here to Kolkata earlier this week, official sources said today.
The preliminary inquest found that overheating of an oven causing the smoke mid-air, the sources said, adding that the Directorate General of Civil Aviation's (DGCA) Kolkata office was conducting a further probe into the incident.
Terming the incident as "minor", Air India officials said there was no risk to the passengers or the aircraft at any point of time and their technical team was also conducting an inquiry as per the laid down norms.
Air India's flight (AI-020), with over 150 passengers, was operating between Delhi to Kolkata on Wednesday when the cabin crew detected smoke from the oven, they said.
26/07/13 Business Standard

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Goa:AAI yet to commit on free-of-cost premises at new terminus

Panaji:  The Goa government has demanded allocation of a free-of-cost stall for display of its handicrafts at the new airport terminus building at Dabolim here but the Airport Authority of India (AAI) has refused to commit on it, referring the matter to its Delhi headquarters.
The new airport terminus is expected to be commissioned in September this year.
Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar in his letter to the AAI including the recent communication dated July 11, 2013, had asked for a 13.8 square metre space within the new terminus at Dabolim to be allotted to state-run Goa Handicraft Rural Small Scale Industrial Development Corporation (GHRSSIDC).
26/07/13 PTI/Economic Times

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AI flight delayed due to tiff between pilot, passenger

Patna: An Air India flight from Patna to New Delhi was delayed by about 30 minutes tonight due to the pilot's refusal to take off after a tiff with a passenger midair.
The pilot had a tiff with a passenger on board in the air itself while the flight was coming from New Delhi to Patna. On reaching Patna airport, the pilot Rahul Singh demanded police action against the passenger, the police said.
He refused to fly back the flight number 416 to New Delhi from here before the passenger was punished.
26/07/13 PTI/Business Standard

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Mumbai Airport: Security check-points upset MHA

New Delhi: The new terminal at the Mumbai International Airport is billed as one of a kind in India, a promotional line its developer GVK Airports attributes to its super-swank features. Terminal 2 (T2) is also one of a kind from a very different perspective.
It's the only airport terminal in India where security checkpoints precede immigration counters, a system that has run afoul of the Union home ministry and might upset plans for inauguration in September. The ministry has opposed the "rather peculiar arrangement" at T2 because the security rulebook at all airports in India has been designed for a system where passengers pass through immigration counters first before proceeding for security check.
The reversal of the standard setup could lead to "utter chaos" if passengers are turned back from the immigration counter, according to a senior government official who spoke to ET on the condition of anonymity. "CISF personnel will have to cancel the security clearance of such passengers. But there is simply no standard operating procedure for such an eventuality," said the official.
Mumbai International Airport is a joint venture between a consortium led by GVK that owns 74% stake and government-run Airports Authority of India (26%).
26/07/13 Aman Sharma & Binoy Prabhakar/Economic Times

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Air India flight leaves 28 stranded

Vasco: Twenty-eight passengers were stranded at the Dabolim airport due to a "hydraulic problem" in an Air India flight which was to fly from Goa to Kuwait via Chennai airport.
Tome Gracias, a passenger, said, "Passengers faced immense hardship during the halt as even the airline staff remained unavailable for clear instructions." The flight was scheduled to leave Dabolim along with 28 passengers to Chennai and onward to Kuwait. After getting the boarding pass for the flight on Wednesday evening, the passengers were asked to collect dinner passes at the airport which struck them that there would be a delay.
26/07/13 Times of India

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Smuggling flourishing at Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel airport?

Ahmedabad: The arrests of a passenger and six staff members of an international airline and ground handling company in a gold smuggling case have raised serious concerns regarding security arrangements at the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport.
 The directorate of revenue intelligence (DRI) had on Wednesday detained Mayur Puchhariya, with 3 kg gold and US$10,000 cash. Puchhariya had come from Sharjah in an Air Arabia flight.
“His modus operandi was unique. Upon arrival he used to hand over his bag to one of the ground handling staff members, who would meet him outside the terminal. The staff member had access to areas prohibited for passengers. After custom clearance, Puchhariya would take his bag back from the man,” said a top DRI official.
26/07/13 Daily News & Analysis/Daily Bhaskar

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Now enjoy mouth watering cuisines at Amausi airport

Lucknow: Mouth watering cuisines like kebabs, warqi parathas, nahari-kulcha, korma, sheermal, zarda, kulfi and khasta will soon be available at the Chaudhary Charan Singh International Airport, Lucknow.
According to reports, the Airports Authority of India (AAI) will soon be finalizing tenders for the stalls of Awadhi foods inside the airport premises. The idea to set up food stall was mooted last year but got delayed. Sources said that the authority was not sure to allow ovens or gas stoves inside the terminal building.
25/07/13 Pankaj Shah/Times of India

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Off-airport duty-free outlet in the Capital soon

New Delhi:  Duty-free shopping in the city could soon become a reality. Other than the airport, the Delhi Duty Free Service (DDFS) is exploring the possibility of setting up an outlet within the city to boost sales.
However, the proposed shop will be limited to overseas travellers, embassies and expatriates, among others.
The off-airport duty-free concept, which is present in several countries, such as Thailand, the Philippines and Brazil, is another means of boosting sales.
In India, this will be the second attempt at setting up a downtown duty-free shop. Earlier, State-owned India Tourism Development Corp had rolled out one, but had to shut it due to poor performance and regulatory issues. “The downtown duty-free concept is an idea whose time has come in India. Our data shows that on several occasions, customers may be keen to shop but are unable to do so because of various reasons. This concept will allow them to shop within a specified time period at the duty-free shops present within the city limits,” Arun Barathi, COO, Delhi Duty Free, told Business Line.
26/07/13 Business Line

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Air Arabia, Cambata Aviation officials busted for gold smuggling

Ahmedabad: A team of the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) busted a gold smuggling racket on Wednesday when it arrested seven men, six of whom are aviation staff, carrying three kilograms of gold at Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International airport. They were produced before the metropolitan magistrate's court later in the evening.
On the basis of intelligence inputs, the DRI had been keeping a watch on the airport for the past one month. In the intervening night of July 23 and 24, a DRI team arrested one Mayur Puchariya, who had come from Sharjah by an Air Arabia flight, along with Manvendra Singh and Jay Vaidya (both officials of Air Arabia) and Feroz Sheikh, Arpit Rawal, Dhawal Joshi and Sameer Mansuri (all Cambata Aviation officials). A total of three kg of gold jewelry and $10,000 were recovered from the accused.
This is the first case of gold smuggling at the city airport in which airline officials were also involved. Cambata Aviation manages the ground-handling work for Air Arabia at Ahmedabad airport. Airline officials aren't checked by customs while leaving or entering the airport. This security loophole was used by the accused to smuggle gold. The accused airline officials would ask the passenger carrying gold to stay back in the plane when others left.
25/07/13 eTurboNews

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Indian pair arrested in Thailand for smuggling

Bangkok: Two Indian men were arrested in Thailand today for allegedly carrying 12 kilos of drugs worth crores of rupees.
Thai Customs officers arrested the two at Samui international airport after they arrived here from Chennai via Singapore.
The two men, identified as Virdi Hardev Singh, 51, and Puran Singh, 41, had flown in on a Singapore International Airlines flight.
Customs officials became suspicious during the luggage X-ray. A search found a total of 12 kilos of crystal methamphetamine, known as ice, in hidden compartments of their bags.
26/07/13 PTI/Business Standard

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Chhattisgarh's second airport worth Rs 280 crore in Raigarh soon

Raipur:  An MoU for launching Chhattisgarh's second airport at Raigarh at a cost of Rs 280 crore was signed between state government and Airports Authority of India (AAI) under the chairmanship of chief minister Raman Singh on Wednesday.
In a big relief to airline operators, Singh also declared that the tax on aviation turbine fuel (ATF) will be reduced from 5% to 1%, as soon as the facility of international flights commence at Raipur airport. He said this while assigning the possession of 350 acres of land to AAI chairman V K Agrawal for development of the airport for international flights.
The MoU was signed by civil aviation secretary Subodh Kumar Singh and V K Agrawal. Raigarh will be the state's second airport for domestic flights and its construction would commence soon. The state government has decided to provide land at the rate of Rs 1 to AAI for construction of this airport.
The Raigarh airport will be developed in two phases under a time-bound programme of three years. In the first phase, a 1,870m long and 45m wide runway will be constructed and in the second phase, a runway with a length of 2,000 metre will be constructed.
24/07/13 Rashmi Drolia/Times of India

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No body frisking of disembarking passengers during polls: EC

New Delhi: Body frisking of any passenger will not be done during disembarkment at remote uncontrolled airports/helipads unless there is specific information about unauthorised arms or contraband goods being carried during elections.
The airport security has also been asked to instantly inform the Income Tax department on detection of cash exceeding Rs 10 lakh or bullion weighing 1 kg or more in the baggage of aircraft flying to or from any poll-bound state.
While all rules and procedures with regard to frisking and checking of persons and baggage should be enforced without any exception during the election process, any unauthorised arms, contraband goods, cash exceeding Rs 50,000 belonging to any candidate or agent or party functionary shall be investigated and considered for seizure.
This has been clarified by the Election Commission to all poll-bound states following new instructions from government to be adopted for prevention of transport of unauthorised arms, contraband goods and suspicious money/bullion through airports during the conduct of elections.
25/07/13 PTI/Business Standard

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Chhattisgarh govt to cut air fuel tax at Raipur airport

Raipur: Chhattisgarh government will charge air fuel tax at 1 per cent from current 5 per cent once international flights start operating from the Raipur airport.
 “The state government will reduce aviation turbine fuel tax from 5 per cent to 1 per cent as soon as the facility of international flights commences in the capital,” an official release said today quoting Chief Minister Raman Singh.
According to an official, the chief minister announced the decision to reduce the aviation turbine fuel tax during a meeting of AAI (Airports Authority of India) officials held at his official residence here last night.
Singh also assigned the possession of 350 acres of land for the development of Raipur airport to operate international flights to AAI Chairman V K Agrawal, the official said.
In order to boost the air travel in the state, the government also signed an MoU with the AAI for establishment of airport at Raigarh district headquarters at the estimated cost of Rs 280 crore, a senior official said.
25/07/13 PTI/India TV News

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Cargo piles up at Chennai airport

Chennai: Import cargo not cleared by the Customs is piling up at the Chennai airport cargo terminal due to a protest by a few department officials. They are aggrieved by the action of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) against three of their colleagues.
Due to the protest, there is a backlog of around 3,000 documents and packages. “We have imported a critical component for a leading hospital. This is lying at the airport for the past five days. The hospital is putting enormous pressure on us to clear it, but we are helpless,” said an official of a leading Customs House agency, who did not want to be named.
Around 250 Customs officials, including Preventive Officers and Appraisal Officers, have been protesting from last week when the CBI took three of their colleagues for questioning in a case related to import of pharmaceutical drugs, the official said.
24/07/13 TE Raja Simhan/Business Line

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Chennai airport to get a makeover on the net

Chennai: Air passengers in the city will soon be able to check live updates of flight departures and arrivals online. The Airports Authority of India is set to revamp Chennai airport's website on the lines of those introduced by private airports.
The website now contains only rudimentary information about the airport. AAI plans to introduce passenger-friendly features, including operations details like flight arrivals and departure information and grievance redressal mechanism in the new design. It will have a feature that will allow passengers, airlines, ground handlers and other agencies to offer feedback and air their grievances.
25/07/13 Times of India

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Fliers told to keep 30-minute buffer for traffic as many miss flights

Mumbai: Two consecutive days of heavy rains ended up disrupting travel plans of several fliers who missed their flights due to traffic snarls.
No-shows on flights shot up dramatically, said airport officials, as many failed to check-in on time. Most flights, too, were delayed by 30 minutes on an average, either due to crew reporting late on duty or more holding time in the skies and the subsequent congestion.
The calculation of time went haywire for several fliers on Tuesday as they did not manage to reach the airport on time. Though airlines did not reveal the exact number of no-shows, airport officials confirmed that several missed their flights.
There were fewer no-shows on Wednesday as rains abated during the day. "There was one business flier and two couples who missed their flights as they took more than twice the time required to reach the airport. Two of them were scheduled to travel during the afternoon and still couldn't make it," said a Fort-based travel agent.
25/07/13 Chinmayi Shalya/Times of India

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Passenger comfort ready to take off to the next level

Bangalore: Starting this October, new facilities will ensure smoother passage for passengers at the Bengaluru International Airport (BIA), as the expansion work on the T-1 is nearing completion.
Airport authorities have started conducting various trials for the readiness of facilities, all of which would be made operational in phases from October. The T-1 expansion that would be able to handle about 20 million passengers annually has been taken up at a cost of about Rs. 1,500 crore.
The airport handled 12 million passengers and about 2.26 lakh tonnes of cargo in 2012. Commissioned in May 2008, the BIAL, in which the GVK group holds 43 per cent stake, had announced the expansion plan in 2011. In 2012 March/April, the airport runway had been closed partially for maintenance and upgrading.
Biweekly trials on the check-in counters along with trials on check-in bags with simulated passengers and flights have been initiated in collaboration with airlines, an update released by the airport’s operator, Bangalore International Airport Ltd., on Wednesday said.
The work on the check-in baggage make up process and security screening is in progress to keep the new infrastructure ready.
25/07/13 The Hindu

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Man caught with 3kg gold at Airport

Ahmedanad: A team of Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) held a man with three kilogram gold at SardarVallabhbhai International airport late on Wednesday. A man in the late twenties was caught with yellow metal after returning from Sharjah in Air Arabia flight.
The man was first questioned at International terminal till 4.30pm and later was taken to DRI office in Paldi. The DRI team is still investigating the case. There has been a sudden increase in the case of gold smuggling ever since gold import has been capped by the central government.
25/07/13 Chitra Unnithan/Times of India

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Jet Airways to resume direct flights to Bengaluru

Vijayawada: The Jet Airways will resume direct flights from Vijayawada to Bengaluru from Thursday.
Jet Airways station manager Kannan Somasundaram giving the flight schedule told The Hindu that the Jet Connect flight would depart from Bengaluru at 6.10 a.m. and land at the Gannavaram Airport here at 7.45 a.m. It would then take off on the return journey at 8.15 a.m. to reach Bangalore at 10 a.m.
The station manager said that the airline would operate an ATR-72 on all seven days of the week. The airline operated a direct flight for two months when the airlines first began operations from Vijayawada airport in 2011. The service was discontinued for want of passengers. It was re-introducing the flight again, said Mr. Somasundaram. Jet Connect and SpiceJet are operating two direct flights a day to Hyderabad and Air India is operating a flight to New Delhi via Hyderabad from Gannavaram.
24/07/13 The Hindu

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Two African women held with drugs at Indira Gandhi International Airport in Delhi

New Delhi: Two South African women have been arrested by anti-narcotics sleuths for allegedly smuggling 78 kgs of popular party drugs from the Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA) in Delhi.
The duo were intercepted by CISF personnel late Saturday night when the women, identified as Bulayi Nthabiseng Josephin (42) and Mkhaliphe Grace Bongiw (41), came to the airport and were scheduled to travel to Nairobi.
Josephin, according to security officials, was intercepted after her activities were found suspicious and when her bag was searched 41kgs of popular party drug Pseudoephiderine was recovered.
21/07/13 PTI/NDTV.com

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Man held at RGIA with gold worth 25L

Hyderabad: Customs sleuths arrested a passenger arriving from Bangkok while he was trying to smuggle in 1 kg gold biscuit worth Rs 25 lakh at the RGI Airport, Shamshabad, on Tuesday.
Acting on passenger profiling intelligence data, the sleuths of Air Intelligence Unit, RGIA Customs, intercepted a passenger, Syed Daulath Hussain, at the exit gate of the customs check area.
Hussain, a native of Alipur in Karnataka, arrived here from Bangkok by Thai Airways Flight TG-329 in the wee hours of Tuesday.
Hussain opted for the 'Green Channel', which is meant for passengers not in possession of any dutiable goods.
24/07/13 Times of India

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Govt takes back seat on Jet move

New Delhi: The government today said it could not have intervened in the sale of landing slots by Jet Airways in London’s Heathrow airport to Etihad Airways or reallocated the same to state-run Air India.
“There is a confusion that trading of slots at Heathrow and allotment of international traffic rights to Indian carriers by the civil aviation ministry are the same thing,” the civil aviation ministry said in a statement, adding the “government or any other civil aviation institution in India has no role to play” in the trading of slots.
Jet Airways has transferred three Heathrow slots to Etihad Airways for £42.6 million or Rs 423 crore.
According to the government, slot trading is an issue between the Airport Coordination Ltd, Heathrow (which allots the slots) and the concerned airlines.
23/07/13 Telegraph

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New airline to start domestic flights soon from Bhubaneswar

Bhubaneswar: A regional carrier will soon start operating from Bhubaneswar airport. Air Costa, the first regional airline from the south, operated from Vijaywada, has evinced interest to start domestic flights from Bhubaneswar from the first week of September, said sources.
The Airbus, suitable for short-haul regional connectivity, is most likely to fly from Bhubaneswar to Chennai and Bangalore via Vizag. "The route is yet to be finalized. But we will start the service from the first week of September. Two flights ---E170 and E190 --- are likely to be commissioned from here," said airport director Sharad Kumar.
He said within a year, three more domestic flights may be given permission to operate from Bhubaneswar. "We are negotiating with Air Asia, Spice Jet and Go Air. They are keen but their flying is yet to be confirmed," the director said.
23/07/13 Riyan Ramanath V/Times of india

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Airport construction at Aranmula would be an ecological disaster, warn activists

Brushing aside the concerns raised by environmentalists, local residents as well as the opposition parties in Kerala and also the Parliamentary Standing Committee, the state government has decided to go ahead with the construction of Aranmula International Airport. Chennai-based KGS group has received an in-principle approval for the Rs2,000 crore project from the Union government. However, according to environmentalists, the construction of an airport at a land that is home to 212 species of plants and 60 species of fishes would devastate the ecology and take away livelihood of several people.
In the Aranmula Airport project, the Kerala government has a 10% stake. The project is to be funded through a debt-equity ratio of 1:1. ICICI Bank, IDBI Bank and State Bank of India (SBI) have funded the debt portion.
 The project, spread across 700 acres, met with opposition right from its initial stages from leaders of various streams of society including social worker Kummanam Rajasekharan, poetess-cum-environmentalist Sugathakumari and politician VM Sudheeran. Even, the Legislative Assembly Committee on Environmental Affairs, chaired by CP Mohammed, found the Aranmula Airport Project “highly detrimental to the environment”.
 The protesters contend that the KGS Group also intends to construct an airport city or Aerotropolis that requires more than 3,000 acres of land and that such a large project would cause irreparable and devastating damage to the environment and ecosystem at Aranmula.
23/07/13 moneylife.com

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Former KPCC member alleges scam in Aranmula project

The Central Travancore Janakeeya Vikasana Samiti chairman and former KPCC member, Thomas Mathew, has cautioned the Chief Minister Oommen Chandy against falling prey to the machinations of the KGS Aranmula Airport company, lest he faces a similar  fate as in the case of his alleged association with the controversial Team Solar company.
In an open letter to the Chief Minister, Mr. Mathew said the website of the KGS Group neither provided any details about its registration, its office address, its major projects so far, nor anything about its balance sheets.
The society chairman said, in this context, the Chief Minister is bound to clarify the ground on which he was convinced of the credibility of the company, especially at a time when he has taken an adamant stand to implement the private airport project in Aranmula.
The KGS website says that the company would spend Rs. 2000 crore for developing the proposed airport project in Aranmula and of this, Rs. 700 crore will be the company’s share and the remaining Rs. 1300 crore.
23/07/13 The Hindu

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Kial braces for tight deadline work to take place on war footing

Kannur: With the ministry of environment giving the go-ahead for the Kannur International Airport Limited (Kial), work on the airport will start on a war footing in the next couple of months. The question, however, remains whether the authorities will be able to meet the deadline which has been set for 2015.
"It is a tough task because there are many factors to be taken into consideration here," said a source associated with the airport work. "We should take into account the reality that it took nearly four-and-a-half years to complete work of the Cochin International Airport (Cial) even though it was a plain terrain, but the airport here has been built on a hilly terrain and levelling the earth will be difficult," he said.
The entire earthwork will be awarded to a single company, in the Engineering, Procurement and Construction (EPC) model. This is expected to speed up the work, but work on the runway cannot start without making significant progress in levelling the earth, pointed out the officiall, raising apprehensions about meeting the deadline.
Kial managing director G Chandramouli has said they are ready to face the challenge and expressed confidence that it will be completed on time, if no untoward developments take place.
23/07/13 P Sudhakaran/Times of India

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19 new flights from Patna airport soon

Patna:  The state capital is all set to have 19 new flights to New Delhi, Kolkata, Mumbai, Ranchi and Bangalore from August 18, according to a communication received from Airports Authority of India, said airport sources here on Monday.
The Jayaprakash Narayan International airport in Patna will handle three Indigo, three Air India, two GoAir and one Jetlite flights to connect with New Delhi. Altogether nine flights will be operating between Patna and New Delhi.
To reach Kolkata, flyers from Patna will have four more options as Jetlite will start two flights and one flight each by Indigo and Air India will be operating from Patna.
Flyers for Mumbai will get three new flights. Apart from an afternoon flight of GoAir from Patna via Ranchi to Mumbai, two flights of Indigo will be at 11.15am and 2.30pm, respectively.
23/07/13 Times of India

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Government sanctions Rs 50 crore for Jharsuguda

Bhubaneswar: The state government has sanctioned Rs 50 crore to develop an airstrip at Jharsuguda into a full-fledged airport.
A sources said chief secretary J K Mohapatra has written to the Airport Authority of India (AAI) chairman, V P Agrawal, that the government has sanctioned Rs 50 crore for the Rs 175-crore project to be jointly executed by AAI and the state government.
"We hope Jharsuguda Airport will become operational in two years. Aircrafts like Airbus A-321 and Boeing 767, used by domestic carriers, can land in the airport. The airport will cater to areas like Sundergarh, Sambalpur, Jharsuguda and Angul," said an official.
23/07/13 Times of India

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Arakkal’s flight lands at BIA

Bangalore: A futuristic art installation by Yusuf Arakkal now greets passengers at the arrival section in Bangalore International Airport. Titled Flight, the 20 feet by 10 feet, stainless steel and copper art work, mounted on synthetic granite, is the first -ever commissioned piece by Bangalore International Airport Limited (BIAL).
The artist, who had been approached months earlier for the project, drew inspiration from his 20-year old association with Hindustan Aeronautics Limited where he designed aircraft components as a machinist. “I worked on my sketches for about two-three months. I had conceived it as a three-dimensional installation of a mechanical flight hinged on a curve. Sanjay Reddy (managing director, BIAL), who is an art connoisseur himself, was extremely excited by the designs,” says Arakkal.
Fifty-five separate pieces were married together to bring alive Flight. Arakkal’s aesthetics were teamed with techniques from actor, artist and entrepreneur Mani Mani’s architectural firm that fashioned the pieces.
23/07/13 Aparna Chandra/New Indian Express

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BIA bags Airport of the Year award

Bangalore: Bengaluru International Airport (BIA) has bagged the Airport of the Year award for cargo operations and trans-shipment facilities. The award was presented on July 19 in Chennai at the fifth edition of South East Cargo and Logistics Awards 2013.
BIA won the award for demonstrating strong year-on-year growth, operational and financial excellence, cargo performance and other initiatives. The airport handled one million metric tonnes of cargo in the past five years.
23/07/13 Times of India

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Commandos 'rescue' 165 flyers at airport

Ahmedabad:  None of the 165 passengers on board the SpiceJet flight which landed for refuelling at Ahmedabad airport had an inkling that they would have to go through the horrifying experience of a hijack which eventually turned out to be a mock disaster drill. The passengers had a harrowing time over two hours as the security agencies carried out the drill.
Within 15 minutes of the anti-hijacking operation, the top officials of security agencies including the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) and Gujarat Police had reached the spot. The four 'terrorists' in civilian clothes inside the plane demanded money, in response to which the security officials asked for time to arrange for the money.
The officials bought the crucial 90 minutes from the 'terrorists,' sufficient time for NSG commandos from Mumbai to reach Ahmedabad airport. Before the NSG commandos could reach, the 'terrorists' made a new demand to fly out of the city airport.
23/07/13 Times of India

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At airport, flyers rue lack of WiFi

Chennai: The list of lacunae at the new domestic terminal of the Chennai airport seems unending.
Three months after it was thrown open for use, the new domestic terminal continues to function without a WiFi facility, said officials of Airports Authority of India (AAI).
“The process to have the facility in the new terminal has been on for over a year now. The contract has been given to Viom network. It may have the facility installed by September. For the old domestic terminal and the old international terminal, Tata Teleservices provide the network. There is good bandwidth of 512 kbps inside the old international terminal,” said an AAI official.
23/07/13 The Hindu

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Escort service launched at Mumbai airport

Airport operator GVK has introduced an escort service for international passengers at Mumbai airport from Sunday.
Modelled on the lines of Dubai airport's popular Marhaba service, the meet-and-assist service comes at a fee of Rs 2,800 per head.
Passengers who avail of the service will be received by a hostess who will help in clearance formalities through international arrivals or departures, and assist with transfers and baggage, thereby ensuring a smooth and hassle-free passage through the airport.
23/07/13 Mumbai Mirror

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Gold bars worth Rs 1.12 cr seized from couple at Kochi airport

Kochi: About 4 kg of gold bars valued at Rs 1.12 crore was seized and a couple detained at the airport here for allegedly attempting to smuggle it from Dubai. The seizure was made by officials of customs preventive commissionerate when they, acting on a tip-off, intercepted the couple hailing from Kannur on their arrival from Dubai at the international airport here.
22/07/13 PTI/Business Standard

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Mumbai airport turns fortress after terror threat

Mumbai: Security at Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport (CSIA) has been beefed up.
The move was triggered by an intelligence input from central agencies about a possible terror attacks at seven major Indian airports in India, including Mumbai.Though the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) and the local police remained tight-lipped about the latest intelligence input, sources say that security agencies suspect the next terror attack could take place with a relatively unknown explosive.
The terror outfits could also hijack an aircraft and later launch an attack, the sources added.
The airports at Delhi, Ahmedabad, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Chennai and Guwahati are the other places where intelligence input has been shared by the Intelligence agencies.CSIA, which is among the busiest airports in Asia, sees movements of over 31 million passengers every year apart from cargo movement.
22/07/13 Daily News & Analysis

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Assam airport security beefed up after terror alert

Guwahati: Security has been intensified in and around the Lokpriya Gopinath Bordoloi International (LGBI) airport at Borjhar near Guwahati following intelligence alert on a terror attack on seven major airports across the country.
The other airports on the target list are Mumbai, Delhi, Ahmedabad, Bangalore, Hyderabad and Chennai, says an alert by intelligence agencies.
22/07/13   IANS/Business Standard

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Security heightened on alert at Chennai airport

Chennai: With memories still vivid of the July 24, 2001, Bandaranaike airport blast in Sri Lanka where 26 aircraft were either damaged or destroyed in an LTTE attack, the month of July has always been hectic for security agencies in India.
 This year, July 21 and July 25 have been identified as days of potential threat. In Chennai, too, security has been beefed up.
 "There is no specific threat to Chennai airport. It is only a generic alert. Airports are always vulnerable places and since sensitive airstrips could be targeted, we increase vigil whenever the intelligence bureau alerts us," said an airport official, who added that security at Chennai airport has been beefed up.
22/07/13 Deccan Chronicle

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High alert at Bangalore airport, city

Bangalore: Bangalore city and the international airport have been put on high alert following an intelligence alert and in view of Ramadhan fasting and upcoming Independence Day, police said on Monday.
"We have stepped up security by deploying more personnel (about 200-250) in and around the airport and intensified patrolling across the city," Bangalore Additional Commissioner of Police Kamal Pant said.
As the third busiest in the country, the Bangalore airport, about 40 km from the city centre, operates about 400 flights daily.
22/07/13 India Today

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Ahmedabad airport on terror radar, says IB alert

Ahmedabad: Security at the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport has been stepped up after the airport was put on high alert following an input by the Central Intelligence Bureau about a possible terror attack. The input has been issued by the intelligence bureau for seven airports in the country, including Ahmedabad. The other airports include Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Bangalore, Hyderabad and Guwahati.
As per agency reports, the alert based on intercepts also warns of possible plane hijack from small airstrips apart from use of explosives. However, city airport sources said they were not aware of any such alert. Despite repeated
attempts, airport director, RK Singh, could not be contacted for his comments.
Meanwhile, CISF officials at the city airport said that security has been beefed up following the alert. But CISF Commandant, Ajay Dahiya refused to confirm or deny the alert, when contacted stating that he was not authorised to talk on the matter.
22/07/13 Daily News & Analysis

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Infant dies minutes after an emegency landing

Mumbai: A priority landing by an Indigo airline pilot minutes after the aircraft took off from the Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport (CSIA) could not save the life of a seven-month-old Kenyan infant whose condition deteriorated while on board.
The baby was being taken to Chennai for a surgery.
Identified as Nubaid Fareed Ramzan, he was born with a heart condition called ‘left atrial isomerism’ caused due to the presence of three holes in the heart.
According to the airport officials, IndiGo flight 6E-431 to Chennai departed from Mumbai at 10:31am on Sunday. However, as soon as the aircraft was airborne, the pilot learned of a medical emergency involving a seven-month-old infant.
The captain of the flight requested for a priority landing and an ambulance and a doctor waiting on arrival. “While airborne, the cabin crew paged for any doctor on board but only a medical practitioner was available. The crew performed CPR on the infant and the AED (automated external defibrillator) was also used to
revive the pulse, during which the infant’s mother informed that her son had three holes in the heart and was being taken to Chennai for a surgery,” said a statement issued by the airline. “ IndiGo was not aware of this situation earlier,” the statement said.
Airport officials said that on landing in Mumbai shortly after takeoff from the same airport, doctors were at his side at 11:45am to treat him. But the infant’s life could not be saved and he breathed his last around 12:10 pm.
22/07/13 Daily News & Analysis

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Grounded Navi Mumbai airport starts taxiing, courtesy babu

Mumbai: This is the story of how a 1994 batch Maharashtra cadre IAS officer, Vennecaganti Radha, got cracking on the stuck deals in the Navi Mumbai International Airport project. Almost a month into the job, she has broken the deadlock and managed to convince villagers, who were once adamant about their land deals, to undertake a survey and initiate the process.
The airport project has been much awaited and more delayed due to various reasons — mainly over the issues of land acquisition and disagreement over compensation.
Radha, who had cracked the whip on Mumbai’s octroi agents when she was a joint municipal commissioner to curb malpractices, started it all at Navi Mumbai by taking mahila mandal meetings and solving problems at the grassroots level.
City and Industrial Development Corporation (Cidco), the nodal agency for the airport project, was facing opposition from the villagers, who were not allowing the agency to conduct any sort of survey of the land. A few days ago, Radha was invited to the mahila mandal programme as a lady officer. Radha sensed an opportunity here and accepted the invitation without a second thought.
22/07/13 Sudhir Suryawanshi/Daily News & Analysis

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Hubli airport to have CCTV cameras soon

Hubli:  If everything goes as planned, the security at the Hubli airport will be tightened in the next couple of months. The Hubli airport authority has decided to install 25 CCTV cameras in and around the airport area and also to increase the strength of security persons.
The work of developing the Hubli airport to international standard has been going on since few months and the first phase of the runway expansion work is under progress. ''Now, two flights are operated from Hubli airport to Bangalore and Mumbai and there is good response. Air traffic is good as all most all seats (72 seats in each flight) are full every day. But we aren't able to keep an eye on the vehicles which come and go frequently and we won't be able to check each person thoroughly in the absence of CCTVs and adequate security persons,'' said Hubli airport sources.
KM Basavaraju, director, Hubli Airport, told TOI that a meeting of the higher officers of the airport authority involving members from the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security recently reviewed the security measures at the airport.
22/07/13 Basavaraj F Kattimani/Times of India

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Tripura seeks flights to Bangladesh

Agartala: The Tripura government has urged the civil aviation ministry to operate flights from Agartala airport to Bangladesh and adjoining countries to boost trade and tourism, officials said here Monday.
A state government official said Civil Aviation Minister Ajit Singh has assured Tripura Chief Minister Manik Sarkar that he will examine the issue of operating flights from Agartala to cities in Bangladesh and neighbouring countries.
Sarkar met Singh in New Delhi Friday and discussed modernisation of Agartala airport and making Kailashahar and Kamalpur airports in northern Tripura operational.
Agartala airport is the second busiest one in the northeast region after Guwahati airport in Assam. About 22 flights operate to and from Agartala everyday, carrying about 2,700 passengers per day.
"In view of the increasing traffic volume at Agartala airport, the Airport Authority of India (AAI) has prepared a plan for development of the airport," Sarkar said in a memorandum to the union minister.
22/07/13 IANS/News Track India

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Agartala new terminal building work to start in six months

Agartala: Work for new terminal building of Agartala airport would begin within six months as part of creating infrastructure to upgrade it to an international airport.
This was informed by chairman of Airports Authority of India (AAI) to Tripura Chief Minister Manik Sarkar during a meeting in New Delhi, officials said in Agartala on Monday.
The new terminal building would be at least double its present size and the size of the apron would be four times bigger than the current size, Civil Aviation Secretary K N Srivastava had said in Agartala last month.
Agartala airport would be elevated to the status of an international airport by two-and-a-half years, he had said. Mr. Sarkar had pressed for this demand when he called on Civil Aviation minister Ajit Singh on Friday.
22/07/13 PTI/The Hindu

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Nagpur airport to have performance based navigation system

Nagpur:  In another first for Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar International Airport, the Airport Authority of India (AAI) is planning to install performance-based navigation system at the airport. In fact, according to airport director AK Verma, Nagpur will be the first airport to install the system in the entire South Asia Pacific region.
"This system will allow us to offer pilots an easier and faster landing. Using this system, the flights, instead of having to go around the airport once before landing, will be able to directly land, and the radar and controllers will guide the aircraft on approach," said Verma.
This change in the landing procedures, Verma informed was possible due to the upgradations which were brought in because of the automated radar systems and during the preparations of the airport to get an ISO 27000 certificate.
22/07/13 Aparna Nair/Times of India

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Company clarifies stand on sacking of trolley workers in city airport

Thiruvananthapuram: A day ahead of the protests planned by trolley workers of Thiruvananthapuram International Airport against the termination of service of some of them, the private company which hired the workers has justified its action saying that the workers were removed owing to fall in revenue and denied collecting huge security deposits from them.
“The trolley workers and the company are engaged in a revenue contract. As per the three-year contract, which is due to expire in a few months, workers are paid salaries from the revenue generated from the advertisements on trolleys. When there was a fall in revenue, we had to effect job cuts,” Blue Sky Port Services Pvt Ltd Managing Director Jude Sajith D’Cruz said.
INTUC-affiliated Kerala Civil Aviation Workers’ Congress (KCAWC) had the other day told a press meet that a section of trolley workers affiliated to the organisation were removed from service for engaging in trade union activities and that their salary and Provident Fund were long overdue.
22/07/13 New Indian Express

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GHIAL inks pact with Turbo Jet for FTZ at Hyderabad airport

Hyderabad: GMR Hyderabad International Airport Ltd (GHIAL) today said it has signed its first client for India's first airport-based Free Trade Zone (FTZ) at Rajiv Gandhi International Airport (RGIA) here.
Turbo Jet Engines (Hyd) Pvt Ltd has signed an agreement with GHIAL, a release said.
Turbo Jet Engines, in technical partnership with an established foreign partner, will set up repair, testing and calibration facilities for various aircraft components such as life rafts, wheels and brakes, oxygen cylinders, fire bottles, actuators, avionics equipment etc, it said.
The operations would also encompass repair and calibration of aircraft parts wherein original equipment manufacturers (OEM)/ airlines can send equipment from any part of the world to Turbo's facility at the FTZ, the release said.
22/07/13 PTI/Economic Times

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Two held in separate bids to smuggle drugs, gold

Mumbai: Two persons, including a Nigerian, were arrested from Mumbai international airport in two separate incidents of alleged attempt to smuggle in drugs and gold collectively worth Rs 7.46 crore, a senior customs official said.
According to Air Intelligence Unit of the Customs, a Nigerian passenger Ukegbu Onwuka Okpan, who arrived on an Ethiopian Airlines flight yesterday at about 5 AM, was found carrying the contraband in his luggage during a check at the Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport.
"He was subsequently arrested. The seized 6.82 kg of amphetamine drugs is valued at Rs seven crore in the international market," the official said.
"It appears that the accused, who came to Mumbai from Nigeria via Addis Ababa, wanted to return the contraband as it was not accepted by the purchaser in his country. We are probing the case in this angle," the official added.
22/07/13 PTI/Business Standard

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Rs.50 lakh-worth gold seized at Goa airport

Panaji: Customs and central excise officials here have seized gold worth Rs.50 lakh from an Indian national who landed at Goa airport from Sharjah, said an official Monday.
While customs officials were tight-lipped about the identity of the passenger, an official here confirmed the arrest that took place at 5 a.m. Sunday.
22/07/13 IANS/Business Standard

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Expert questions proposal to expand Mysore airport

Mysore: Taking exception to the revival of plans for the expansion of the Mysore airport, an expert has called for an economic feasibility study before pumping in public money into it.
The expansion entails increasing the runway length from 1,740 metres to 2,400 metres to facilitate the operation of wide-bodied aircraft like Boeing and Airbus. But this hinges on diversion of the Mysore-Nanjangud stretch of National Highway 212 which is to be four-laned due to high traffic density as their alignment bisect each other.
The Bharatiya Janata Party government dropped the expansion plan two years ago after which the NHAI took up the tendering process to four-lane the Mysore-Nanjangud stretch, which is in final stages. The NHAI planned to four lane the Mysore-Nanjangud in view of high traffic density – over 18,000 Passenger Car Units (PCU) and it is mandatory as per the NHAI norms that roads with over 8,000 PCU be four-laned.
Meanwhile, there were fresh efforts by various stakeholders recently who urged Chief Minister Siddaramaiah to rescind the decision and to give consent for realigning the road to facilitate the runway extension.
21/07/13 The Hindu

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Seven airports put on terror alert after intelligence warning

New Delhi: There may be terror attacks on the airports in Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Guwahati and Ahmedabad, intelligence agencies said issuing an alert on Sunday.
The alert, based on intercepts, says terrorists may also hijack planes from small airstrips. Following this, authorities are beefing up security at such airstrips, said an intelligence source.
It is feared that the attackers could even use new forms of explosives.
The Central Industrial Security Force (CISF), which guards the airports, and other concerned agencies are put on high alert.
21/07/13 India Today

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Mopa farmers vow not to part with fields for airport

Panaji: The farmers affected by the proposed Mopa airport project have hit out against alleged vested political interests behind the airport proposal and vowed not to part with their land.
Addressing mediapersons, Sandeep Kambli, secretary of Mopa Vimantal Pidit Xetkari Samiti, criticized a rival group that is supporting the project and "fooling the people".
"Another group has been formed to support the Mopa airport. They are only fooling the people with their talk. It is clear they have been propped up by some political forces with vested interests, who want to finish the Bahujan Samaj" Kambli said.
He further said that "we have been opposing the Mopa airport proposal for years", while the pro-Mopa group has been formed just a few weeks ago. "The people are trying to make it appear to be a North Goa versus South Goa issue," he said.
21/07/13 Times of India

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Handicapped man to get back Airports Authority of India job

New Delhi: The Delhi High Court has directed the Airports Authority of India (AAI) to give a suitable job to a physically handicapped man without putting him through a written examination.
The petitioner, Bharat Gupta, a Delhi resident, was employed by AAI in Srinagar on ad-hoc basis in the physically handicapped category in 2002. However, his services were terminated along with 129 other employees of the same category, all of whom were posted in J&K at the time, without any notice.
The petitioner had challenged the termination of services in the High Court, claiming it was a political vendetta.
Gupta had approached the High Court citing a previous order in the same matter. In 2007, the Delhi High Court had directed Airports Authority of India to give a suitable job to a visually-handicapped woman who was also among the 130 ad-hoc AAI employees whose services were terminated at the time.
21/07/13 Daily News & Analysis

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Woman, hubby nabbed for smuggling gold in underwear

Mangalore: In an apparent first, sleuths of the directorate of revenue intelligence, based on a tip-off, arrested a man and his wife on charges of smuggling gold at Mangalore International Airport on Saturday.
The family - Fathima Nazreen and her husband - Arshad Ali Mushtaq Ahmed of Bhatkal - who arrived from Dubai by Air India Express flight at 9.30am were detained and during a search, 2 kg of gold valued at Rs 50 lakh was recovered from Fathima.
"The gold - two biscuits and gold chains that was wrapped - were concealed in the undergarments worn by Fathima," sources said. Fathima, her husband and their five-year-old child were detained and the duo was formally arrested.
21/07/13 Times of India

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Passengers stranded for hours as Jet Airways pilot falls ill

Indore: The air passengers travelling from Indore to Pune were stranded at the Indore Airport for about eight hours after the pilot of a Jet Airways was suddenly taken ill on Saturday.
According to Airport director R N Shinde, the flight number 9W 2821, which was supposed to leave for Pune at around 1.30 pm, left at 9.45 pm after its pilot was reported sick.
To much chagrin of about 25 passengers, the airport made the announcement about the cancellation of the flight after all Pune-bound passengers had cleared the security check and frisking.
"It was only after reaching the aircraft, the passengers came to know about the cancellation," said Priti Verma, 34, a passenger, who was travelling with her two-year old son Adit.
21/07/13 Kumud Das/Times of India

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Mopa farmers vow not to part with fields for airport

Panaji: The farmers affected by the proposed Mopa airport project have hit out against alleged vested political interests behind the airport proposal and vowed not to part with their land.
Addressing mediapersons, Sandeep Kambli, secretary of Mopa Vimantal Pidit Xetkari Samiti, criticized a rival group that is supporting the project and "fooling the people".
"Another group has been formed to support the Mopa airport. They are only fooling the people with their talk. It is clear they have been propped up by some political forces with vested interests, who want to finish the Bahujan Samaj" Kambli said.
He further said that "we have been opposing the Mopa airport proposal for years", while the pro-Mopa group has been formed just a few weeks ago. "The people are trying to make it appear to be a North Goa versus South Goa issue," he said.
21/07/13 Times of India

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Passenger dies on board Jet Airways flight

Hyderabad: A 46-year-old man, who complained of chest pain on a Bangalore bound fight, died in the city on Saturday. Utham Vishnu Manne, a resident of Bangalore was on Jet Airways flight 4237 that was flying to Bangalore from Delhi. Manne complained of chest pain to the cabin crew mid-air. After seeking permission from the air traffic control authorities for making an emergency landing. Manne was immediately rushed to Apollo Hospital in Jubilee Hills but was declared brought dead.
21/07/13 Times of India

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Delhi runway security: Shoulder-fired missiles top panel’s list of concerns

New Delhi: A committee comprising representatives of various security agencies at the Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA) has recommended that an audit plan should be developed to determine threats from man-portable air-defence systems (MANPADS) — shoulder-launched surface-to-air missiles — to prevent attacks on the runway.
The suggestions were part of a 15-point recommendations to the to the Ministry of Civil Aviation (MCA) to augment security at the airport.
MANPADS are a threat to low-flying aircraft, especially helicopters. The IGIA is among 22 airports that are in the category of 'hyper-sensitive' airports.
The committee comprising representatives of the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS), the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF), the Delhi Police, the Airports Authority of India (AAI) and the Ministry of Civil Aviation (MCA) recently visited the airport in San Diego and the Schiphol airport in Amsterdam to study the security apparatus at these airports.
20/07/13 Shalini Narayan/Indian Express

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Fly to Babadham for Rs 14,999 this season

Jamshedpur: If you are keen to experience a hassle-free and quick visit to Baidyanath Dham temple to offer prayers during the holy Shravani season then the civil aviation department of the state government will surely fulfill your wish for Rs 14999 special package.
The government has introduced a special three and half hour tour package for the kanwariya (devotees) interested in a comfortable journey and quick darshan of Lord Shiva in the holy season starting from July 23.
"Special Shravani air package will cost Rs 14999 which will include return journey within three and half hours along with special darshan of Baba at the temple and a meal in Deogarh," said principal secretary civil aviation department Sajal Chakravarti at the press conference here on Friday.
20/07/13 Times of India

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For AI, flying spares was more important than passengers, until official intervened

New Delhi: Passengers of an Air India Delhi-Bhubaneswar direct flight were Thursday saved the ordeal of having to take a long detour via Guwahati amid some high drama at the IGI airport, thanks to the intervention of a secretary-level bureaucrat who was on the flight.
As the passengers waited to board flight AI-473, they were informed by the state-owned carrier that the flight had been rescheduled to first go to Guwahati to drop spare parts for a aircraft grounded there. An airport source said the announcement caused the 100-odd passengers to protest against the route-change.
The airline was forced to change its mind and fly to Bhubaneswar as originally scheduled, and then carry the spares to Guwahati, only after the senior bureaucrat told the civil aviation ministry about Air India's indifferent attitude towards passengers, forcing it to intervene.
20/07/13 Mihir Mishra/Indian Express

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Immigration officer plays moral police, asks woman why she was travelling alone

Mumbai: An immigration officer at Mumbai airport played Taliban-style moral police recently, questioning a woman on why she was travelling alone. Worse, he held that if she had been allowed to go backpacking alone, her family background was questionable.
Two months ago, a 21-year old Indian woman planning to backpack across Europe had the misfortune of walking up to this officer's desk and facing a barrage of uncomfortable questions to clear immigration. She was due to board a flight to Abu Dhabi from where she had to take a connecting flight to Paris.
"I was not only treated rudely, but also insulted and humiliated. In the end, before stamping my passport, he said that I should not go crying to the Indian embassy if something untoward happened to me," said Aditi Prakash (name changed on request).
On her return to India on June 10, Aditi sent a complaint to the immigration authorities. An investigation is on into the incident that took place in the wee hours of May 17.
20/07/13 Manju V/Times of India

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5 minutes to pick and drop at airport

Bhubaneswar: Taxis and personal cars won't be allowed more than five minutes for pick up and drop at the free parking in front of Biju Patnaik airport here. Anyone staying for more than the stipulated time will be charged parking fee.
The airport authorities took the decision after Xavier Institute of Management, Bhubaneswar, (XIMB) engaged by airport authorities, conducted a study, which revealed that five minutes was enough for it. People had demanded 10 minutes for halting at the free parking space. "Technical experts from XIMB carried out a mock pick and drop using a car to record the exact time between entering the airport and exiting it. It was 2.52 minutes," said airport director Sharad Kumar.
This is the second study conducted in two months to clear the doubts of public, who were criticising airport officials for charging parking fee.
20/07/13 Riyan Ramanath V/Times of India

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Drugs worth Rs 15cr seized at airport

Kolkata: Three persons transiting through Kolkata airport were arrested with 45 kg of stimulant drug ephedrine and blood vessel decongestion drug pseudoephedrine in their baggage. The drugs are processed to make 'party' or 'designer' drugs like methamphetamine or meth that are in huge demand in India as well as South-East Asia.
The 4 lakh tablets were being carried in 18 packets of 2.5 kg each and their value is pegged at Rs 15 crore.
The value of 4 lakh tablets being carried in 18 packets of 2.5 kg each is pegged at Rs 15 crore in the international market.
The three passengers - Robert Laltharula, Thong Lion Sanga and Vanchun Gonaula - arrived by Air India's flight from Delhi around 9.30am on Friday and were to board the AI flight to Aizwal. When the luggage passed through the x-ray machine, security officials became suspicious and searched the bags to find the tablets. Though the trio claimed the drugs were bonafide, an Air India official contacted a CISF officer and sought help to detain the trio.
20/07/13 Times of India

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International airport on cards

Bhubaneswar: Although the old domestic terminal at Biju Patnaik Airport is being modified to run international operations, but the state government is exploring setting up a new airport over 2,000 acre at Malipada near Khurda.
The government on Thursday deposited Rs 6 lakh with Airports Authority of India (AAI) for feasibility study of the proposed site. Two weeks ago, housing and urban development (H & UD) secretary Injeti Srinivas took stock of the requirement of land for the proposed airport.
"We have sought a feasibility report of the proposed site from the AAI. About 1,200 acre government land is available but we need to acquire rest 800 acre land from private parties," said an officer of H & UD department.
20/07/13 Riyan Ramanath V/Times of India

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AAI officials accused in Kozhikode airport scam

Bangalore: Two Airport Authority of India (AAI) officials, posted (but under suspension) at Kempegowda International Airport (KIA) at present, are among the accused in the Kozhikode airport runway scam, which has put millions of air passengers’ life in danger.
According to sources in the CBI, the charge sheet mentions Prakash Kanchager, who holds a senior position at KIA, as the first accused, while L Sridhar, another official posted here, has been named the second accused. They allegedly entered into a criminal conspiracy and manipulated documents for profit.
The CBI has been probing a case of cheating the Government of India to the tune of Rs 2.18 crore by a Delhi-based company, B R Arora and Associates. Lives of millions of air passengers were put at risk due to the poor quality of the runway. Resurfacing work on the runway was done by the firm in 2007-08.Sources said Prakash and Sridhar are among the four AAI officials who were working at Kozhikode airport.
19/07/13 Chethan Kumar/Deccan Herald

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Rain throws Delhi out of gear, IGI airport flooded

New Delhi: Incessant rain in the capital on Saturday claimed the life of a five-year-old boy in south Delhi’s Mehrauli area. It also proved to be a nightmare for motorists as massive traffic jams were reported on Saturday from all over of the city.
The rain also flooded the forecourt of the arrival area of IGI airport, causing inconvenience to passengers coming out of Terminal 3.
There was, however, no disruptions in other airport operations, as there was water logging only at the arrival area of the airport, officials said.Flight operations at the airport largely remained unaffected. A Malaysian Airline flight arriving here from Kuala Lumpur was diverted to Ahmedabad.
As the rain reduced visibility at the runway, four flights arriving here were asked to take a go-around.
A spokesperson from Delhi International Airport Limited, which operates and manages the airport, said despite heavy rain at the airport, all passenger facilities remain completely unaffected including the baggage belts. “All flight operations are fully normal at the moment except one flight which was diverted and four flights had to go around for a few minutes,” he said.
20/07/13 Deccan Herald

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EGoM to receive Airport Express Line proposal soon

New Delhi: To sort out issues related to the operation of the Airport Express Line and servicing its debt, the urban development ministry is preparing a proposal that will soon be placed before an empowered group of ministers (EGoM), which will take the final call on whether to look for a new operator.
“The EGoM will decide whether to go for a new concessionaire or not and who’ll take the burden of the debt,” a senior government official said.
A consortium of 11 banks, led by Axis Bank, has an exposure of almost R2,000 crore to the project. If the line is given to the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) for permanent operations, then it will be responsible for serving the debt.
“If the Express Line goes to DMRC then its promotors — the state government and the central government — will have to take the burden of the debt. The challenge before the ministry is how to make the Airport Express Line financially viable,” the official added.
19/07/13 Financial Express

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Outlet at Bhubaneswar airport to showcase tribal culture

Bhubaneswar: To showcase the rich tribal culture of Odisha, a new Tribal World outlet has been opened at the domestic terminal of Biju Patnaik Airport here.
"The exclusive outlet showcases the rich and varied tribal culture. The products have a growing demand in the international market," said Scheduled Tribe and Scheduled Caste Development Minister L B Himirika after inaugurating the facility.
The outlet showcases around 40 different items from the tribal belts of Odisha.
The objective of putting of this Tribal World outlet is to popularise the unique products such as Soura and Gond paintings, alongwith various handicrafts and handlooms items from Santal, Kandh and other tribal community, among the Indian and international tourists, he said.
19/07/13 Press Trust of India/Business Standard 

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Beeping bag triggers alarm at airport

Chennai: Police officials and the bomb detection squad got an early start to Friday, after an unclaimed suitcase was noticed near the airport police station. Considering the fact that the baggage was found in such proximity to the police station at the rather odd time of 3.45 am, an alarm was raised immediately and the Bomb Detection and Disposal Squad was called in by the police.
Sources said that as soon as the bomb squad arrived the first thing they did was to sweep the device to detect any metal or explosive devices inside. To their consternation, the detectors started beeping. The bomb squad carefully opened the suitcase and proceeded to rifle through its contents.
20/07/13 New Indian Express

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Turtle that inspired Ninja cartoon smuggled as pet

Kolkata: The 10,000 turtles seized at Kolkata airport on Thursday suggest that the city is a transit hub in the worldwide smuggling of exotic wildlife species as pets.
The walnut-sized baby turtles were identified as exotic red-eared sliders, native to South America, central, southern and western USA and Mexico. Each of them would have sold for Rs 500 in India, which means the consignment was worth at least Rs 50 lakh, said additional principal chief conservator of forests, Pradeep Vyas.
There is a huge demand for these small turtles in South Indian households and also Pune and Mumbai, said state wildlife advisory board member Dipak Mitra.
Smugglers find it legally convenient to deal with such species since they are not protected under the Wildlife Protection Act, said Shailendra Singh of Turtle Survival Alliance , a sister organization of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).
20/07/13 Krishnendu Mukherjee/times of India

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