Keeping the noise down at airports in India

In a first in India, Mumbai’s international airport, the Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport (CSIA), will now be able to identify aircraft that are the noisiest during take-offs, landing and during parking, round-the-clock.

To reduce the impact of noise on nearby residential areas, the CSIA has installed NoiseDesk, a web-based noise-monitoring system, which is replicated from London’s Southend Airport.
The move comes after India’s aviation regulator, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), issued a Civil Aviation Requirement in January to contain noise around airports and conduct noise-mapping on the premises because of the increase in new airlines that has led to high noise levels.
Unlike some international airports, India has no safety limits set for noise during take-offs and landings. (See list of limits at some airports at the end of this article.)
At the CSIA, two stationary noise-monitoring terminals have now been installed under take-off and landing flight paths; together with a mobile unit on the airfield, this allows the airport to respond to noise pollution issues and reduce impact through noise abatement procedures.
31/07/16 Badri Chatterjee/The Star

Read More

Two more flights from Biju Patnaik airport

Bhubaneswar: The Biju Patnaik International Airport will get two more domestic flights, starting September 12, after IndiGo has decided to run one flight each to Delhi and Kolkata.
Airport director R Mahalingam said with the addition of two flights, IndiGo will have four flights connecting Kolkata and five to Delhi. "The new flights will boost domestic traffic in the current financial year. We expect a few more proposals from some small airlines, which are in pipeline, by the end of the year," said Mahalingam.
Airport sources said IndiGo also plans to run a flight to Jaipur from October. IndiGo has placed its request to civil aircraft manufacturer, Airbus to procure an aircraft for the purpose. "We have had discussion with the airline to connect the city to Jaipur," the director said.
31/07/16 Times of India

Read More

CBI arrests Aurangabad airport director for accepting bribe

New Delhi: The anti-corruption division of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Sunday arrested Aurangabad airport director Alok Varshney for accepting bribe of Rs. 10,000 as the first instalment out of a total demand of alleged bribe of Rs. 50,000.

The agency carried out searches last night at the official quarter and office of Aurangabad airport director and at present searches is continuing.


The CBI authorities remained tight lipped about the entire operation but confirmed that the action was based on the basis of corruption related complaint against Varshney.

CBI sources said that the seized documents and other material and articles would be scanned.
31/07/16 ANI/Business Standard

Read More

Centre defers forest clearance for Navi Mumbai airport, again

The forest advisory committee (FAC) of the Union environment and the forest and climate change ministry have again deferred Stage-II forest clearance for the Navi Mumbai International Airport (NMIA) as they found deficiencies in the compensatory afforestation scheme, official documents revealed.

The NMIA project requires diversion of 250 hectares of forest land, comprising dense mangroves. Additionally, the City and Industrial Development Corporation (Cidco) also needs 22.5 hectares of forest for rehabilitating project-affected persons (PAPs) for which they have applied for a separate clearance.
31/07/16 Nikhil Ghanekar/DNA

Read More

Many find getting to and from airport a hassle

Bengaluru: Commuters had a tough time reaching the Kempegowda International Airport ( KIA) on Saturday as BMTC buses and a majority of cabs remained off the roads following the bandh called over the Mahadayi water dispute.

Rajesh Devreddy, a resident of HSR Layout who had to catch a flight to Chennai said he had a hard time reaching the airport as a few private taxis were hesitant to ply fearing attacks by pro-Kannada groups. He said: “It usually takes five minutes to book a private cab. However, on Saturday, it took me 20 minutes to get a vehicle after much persuasion of the management of a cab service. Luckily, I reached on time.”

At Hebbal, close to Esteem Mall, members of a few Kannada groups riding two-wheelers blocked other vehicles, putting those heading towards the airport to hardship.

Keval J, a  techie from Koramanagala who landed in the city from his hometown, New Delhi, said he was unaware of the bandh. “There is a private cab service available at the airport but there is a huge rush. I would have postponed my schedule had I known about today’s bandh,” he said.

A staffer from the Karnataka State Tourism Development Corporation ( KSTDC), Manjunath K N said there was a 25% drop in airport taxi services. Usually, from morning till noon, about 2,000 airport taxis ply. On Friday, only about 1,000 to 1,500 cabs operated by noon, he said.
31/07/16 Deccan Herald

Read More

DC Design Inaugurates Mumbai Dealership At T2 Airport Terminal

Mumbai: DC Designs has inaugurated its sole dealership in Mumbai. The maker of custom and unique vehicles has relocated to Mumbai International Airport terminal-2. On display at the new showroom was the DC Avanti, India's very first sports car made completely in the country.
The all-new store will display Dilip Chhabria's unique and custom car models. DC Design will also showcase its technological prowess, along with unique design philosophy at the new Mumbai store.
30/07/16 Ajinkya Paralika/DriveSpark

Read More

Maharashtra trying to operationalise smaller airports: CM

Mumbai: The Maharashtra government is pursuing efforts to operationalise smaller airports in the state, chief minister Devendra Fadnavis has said. The state is in the process of formulating an aviation policy along the lines of the national aviation policy announced by the Centre.
Fadnavis was responding to questions raised by MLAs regarding the operationalisation of the Nasik airport in the state assembly. Regarding the Nasik airport in particular, Fadnavis said that the state government was pursuing talks with Hindustan Aeronautics Limited and other private airports regarding operationalising the Nasik airport.
29/07/16 Priyanka Kakodkar/Times of India

Read More

KTR wants 10 un-served airports to be made operational

Hyderabad: Information Technology Minister K. Tarakarama Rao has welcomed the Regional Connectivity Scheme (RCS) of Central Government under the National Civil Aviation Policy 2016.

Addressing the national conference on Civil Aviation in New Delhi on Friday, KTR said that the RCS would bring ease in travel ensure all round development of Telangana State.

KTR informed that the Airports Authority of India (AAI), the designated implementing agency for RCS, was already in touch with the state government for Warangal and Adilabad airports. “The indicated requirement by the AAI for 195 acres for terminal building (& total requirement of 438 acres) for Warangal airport may be examined afresh as it seems to be on the higher side. While the pre-feasibility study undertaken by AAI in Adilabad indicates land requirement of 347 acres and 554 acres in two phases, I may also point out that the Indian Air Force has sought NOC from the State Government to set up a full-fledged Air Force station in Adilabad which will also be used for civil aircrafts and commercial usage,” he said.
The minister said that Basant Nagar was is a useful location and would cater to the need of Ramagundem, Jaypore and other towns of Karimnagar district. He said Dundigal, Hakimpet and Nadirgul are located in the outskirts of Hyderabad and might not serve any significant purpose, since the city already has two full fledged airports. Nagarjuna Sagar, being a important point in the Buddhist tourism circuit, will be a very useful RCS point in view of its potential of religious tourism as well as general tourism. Nalgonda will get increasing flow because of the proposed power projects in Damarcherla, he said.
29/07/16 Siasat Daily

Read More

Kerala plans to develop airstrips for chartered tourists

New Delhi: Kerala government today proposed to develop airstrips at Bakal, Wayanad, Idukki and Sabarimala to enhance connectivity for the chartered tourists and the development of tourism in the state. Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan today met Union Minister for Civil Aviation Ashok Gajapathi Raju and demanded an improved domestic connectivity in the state, for which the minister assured that he will bring this matter to the notice of airliners concerned.
“We have great potential for tourism in the state. We need to develop airstrips at various tourist places so as to enable chartered flights to land,” Vijayan told reporters here. When asked about the proposed controversial Aranmula airport project in Pathanamthitta district, where Sabarimala is located, he said his government is opposed to the project as it poses threat to the agricultural land there.
“We are not opposing the construction of any airport. It is not practical there as the proposed site is an agricultural land and we are against using that land,” he said. The chief minister also demanded relaxation of landing norms at Calicut International Airport where wide-bodied aircrafts are not allowed to land after a DGCA directive on the expansion works. “We will speed up the process of land acquisition for the Airport,” Vijayan said in a press meet here.
30/07/16 PTI/India.com

Read More

Stakeholders want direct flights to Kochi

Mysuru: Stakeholders of the tourism industry in Mysuru are seeking direct flights between Mysuru and Kochi in Kerala as they feel this route would be a workable option if the footfall and traffic on weekends between the two cities is a pointer.

“On an average, over 200 taxis and private vehicles travel between Mysuru and Kochi and Kozhikode almost daily for tourism, shopping and business purposes. Commercial flight operations between the two cities can be explored as it’s a promising stretch,” said B.S. Prashanth, chairman, Mysore Travel Mart.

He told The Hindu that the Mysore Travel Mart had written to three private airlines recently to operate direct flights between Mysuru and Kochi on weekends or at least on Saturday, and the tour operators have assured 30 per cent pre-booking.

This option is particularly viable in the wake of rise in entry tax for tourist vehicles from Karnataka, he explained.
30/07/16 The Hindu

Read More

State urged to take up Karipur airport expansion

Kozhikode: Several organisations in Kozhikode and Malappuram districts have urged the State government to fix attractive market rates for landed property and a rehabilitation package for land owners who part with their property for the expansion of the Calicut airport.

Addressing the media here on Friday, Malabar Development Council president C.E. Chakkunny, Malappuram Chamber of Commerce vice president K.K. Mohammed Ali, and Wayanad Chamber of Commerce secretary Raymond Thazahthu said a total of 485.3 acres were required for the project.

The National Airports Authority of India had demanded 385.3 acres for the expansion of the airport. The cooperation of landowners is necessary, as many of them from Karipur, Kondotty, Pallikkal, and Nediyiruppu in Malappuram district had opposed the move to acquire land for the airport.

Mr. Chakkunny called upon the government to secure Rs.2,000 crore from the Centre, which, he said, the Airports Authority of India (AAI) had been collecting from passengers (Rs.500 per passenger) since 1991.
30/07/16 The Hindu

Read More

Special Bengaluru-Mysuru flights proposed for Dasara

Special direct flights between Bengaluru and Mysuru are a possibility in October with the aim of bringing in more tourists when the city celebrates Dasara festivities.

At present, the Mysuru airport is dormant with no commercial flight operations since last year.

Efforts to bring Mysuru once again on the air map have so far remained unsuccessful as the airlines are of the view that Mysuru operations are “unviable”.

As Dasara is a key tourist season, drawing domestic and international tourists in big numbers, a proposal had been sent recently to the Tourism Department and the Karnataka Infrastructure Development Corporation for facilitating operation of special flights between Bengaluru and Mysuru for Dasara.

The proposal had been sent by the Airports Authority of India (AAI) through the office of Deputy Commissioner C. Shikha.

The purpose is to assist tourists, mainly the international tourists, to fly from Bengaluru on reaching the capital from their respective destinations instead of looking for other modes of transportation to reach Mysuru.

Ms. Shikha told The Hindu that the proposal had been submitted to tourism department as well as the Infrastructure Corporation as both have to coordinate.

The corporation had paid the subsidy part to the Alliance Air, the airline which operated flights from Bengaluru to Mysuru for a few months last year, as agreed between the government and the airline for launching the operations.
30/07/16 Shankar Bennur/The Hindu

Read More

AAI blames 'impurities' for glass panels falling, experts ask why in Chennai airport only

It’s the most recurring problem at the Chennai airport– falling glass panels. Days after Airport Authority of India (AAI) blamed impurities in the glass for the frequent number of incidents, aviation experts wondered why the ‘phenomenon’ was the Chennai airport’s alone.

“There were 65 cases of breaking glass at the Chennai airport. Do any of the other airports report such incidents?” questions Captain Mohan Ranganathan, an aviation safety consultant.

Sudhakar Reddy, Founder and President of the Air Passengers Association of India (APAI) also asks, “How many buildings in Chennai have glass panels externally and internally? Why do no other structure have such problems?”

Responding to a notice by the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), AAI denied that there were structural issues in the glass panels and added that no passengers had been injured in falling glass panels. AAI also went on to blame “media hype” for creating a false perception.

Captain Ranganathan, however, points to the waiting lounge at the Coimbatore Airport where the plaster on the ceiling is allegedly coming apart. “Look at what is happening at the Coimbatore Airport. This is also a structural issue. You can’t blame the quality,” he argues.
30/07/16 Anna Isaac/News Minute

Read More

Chennai Airport's Biggest Problem Isn't A Terrorist Threat, It's Falling Glass Panels

Chennai: It is an unusual threat that passengers and staff in Chennai international airport face. While in other airports if the biggest concern is terror threats, in Chennai it is falling glass panels!
The international airport has a dubious track record of glass panels falling down. In fact in the past four years there have been a whooping 66 incidents of glass sheets coming down, the latest being on Friday morning.
But the worst part is-no one seems to have any idea why this is happening again and again.
Airports Authority of India (AAI) has said in its reply to a notice from the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) that glass panels were falling not because of structural issues but due to impurities in the glass and the issue was merely media hype. The reply said that passengers were not injured in any of the incidents. The response came following a notice issued by NHRC after a Supreme Court lawyer filed a complaint against frequent crash of glass panels at the airport.
29/07/16 Bobins Abraham/Times of India

Read More

Is land pooling better than outright acquisition?

Mumbai: Navinchandra Ghatwal had recently been to Magarpatta near Pune and he was amazed to see the development there.

Once a sleepy village, Magarpatta is now a sprawling industrial zone that boasts of residential neighbourhoods, a multi-specialty hospital, a shopping mall and many restaurants.

It is far removed from Khalapur, a town near Mumbai, where Ghatwal owns 30 acre of land.

The residents of Magarpatta, once marginal farmers, are now well-to-do, many of whom drive swish cars.

Thanks to a wise decision 25 years ago to pool their lands and rent it out for setting up industries instead of just selling out, the Magarpatta farmers earn far more than they used to by tilling their land.

"Over a year ago we villagers had been to Magarpatta Township and witnessed how it monetarily benefited everyone. For each acre owned, the owner is getting monthly rental of Rs 60,000," said Ghatwal.

He is now looking forward to a similar development at his native Khalapur, where an upcoming airport has thrown up such an opportunity.

Khalapur falls under the Navi Mumbai Airport Influence Notified Area (Naina), which covers the second airport that would cater to Mumbai, where the government is acquiring land under a pooling scheme.

Usually development projects invite huge opposition from the locals as it requires them to sell their land, which is an inflation-beating asset, and forces them to stare to at a bleak future when that money is gone, and possible uprooting from their ecosystem.
30/07/16 Ateeq Shaikh/DNA

Read More

Rain plays havoc with New Delhi-Chennai flights

Heavy rain severely affected flights on the New Delhi-Chennai route on Saturday, airport officials confirmed.
"As many as eight flights belonging to various airlines that were supposed to depart for New Delhi and those aircraft scheduled to arrive were affected by delays due to heavy rainfall there," they said.
Heavy rains have been lashing the capital since Friday and several roads were water-logged, causing hardships to thousands of office goers and other commuters throughout the day.
30/07/16 Statesman

Read More

Guj CMs copter lands in Surat instead of Daman due to bad

Surat: Due to bad weather, Gujarat Chief Minister Anandiben Patels helicopter today landed at the airport here instead of Daman.
"Her helicopter landed at Surat airport today after it was advised not to land at Daman due to heavy rains there. She travelled by road to attend several programmes (in South Gujarat). While coming to Ahmedabad, the Chief Minister boarded her chopper from Vadodara airport," a source in the CMO said.
As the Chief Minister had to travel by road, she was delayed in attending several programmes at Valsad, Vapi and Vadodara.
She attended Amravan programme in Valsad and then a Van Mahotsava event nearby. Then her cavalcade went to Vapi where she inaugurated a number of developmental projects. From Vapi, she travelled to Vadodara to attend a BJP programme.
"Dedicated Amra Van, a culture forest at the celebrations of state-wide 67th van mahotsava in kaprada taluka of Vansad," Patel tweeted.
30/07/16 PTI/India Today

Read More

Airports running on losses

Dharamshala: Air services linking Dharamshala, Shimla, Kullu and Chandigarh have failed miserably as not even a single flight took off from here since its inauguration. The airport director, Parwinder Tiwari told TOI on Thursday that financial viabilities have hampered the airports' operations, and the company has been in talks with government to subsidize air fares. "It is hoped that the services will resume till September if the proposal to encourage the air connectivity in Himachal region is approved," he added.
Sources told nine seater aircraft was costing Rs 60,000 per day to the company which made the operations priced exorbitantly high. If state government extends support, the aircraft could be replaced with a 19 seater plane.
Air India and Spice jet airlines operate total three flights daily from Delhi to Kangra, which is the only airport in HP with routine flights. The airport authorities here need 123 acres more of land from state to bring the air fares down and make it profitable.
At present, air fare for Delhi is ranging between Rs 3,500 to 15,000 per passenger, which can be lowered if government grants land to civil aviation department. Due to short runway, 1,372 metres in lenght and 30 metres in width, only small aircrafts run from here.
30/07/16 Times of India

Read More

Land for airport main task of new Vizianagaram Collector

Srikakulam: Acquiring land for the construction of Bhogapuram International Airport will be the topmost task for Vizianagaram’s new Collector Vivek Yadav, who worked as Joint Collector of Srikakulam district.

The government needs around 5,000 acres for its prestigious international airport project.

Mr. Vivek Yadav, who hails from Uttar Pradesh, has 12 years of service as a bureaucrat and got enough experience in handling land issues in Srikakulam district in the last three years.

In spite of stiff opposition from the people, he could ensure beginning of land acquisition process in a smooth manner in the district for many projects.

The land survey process has successfully begun in Kovvada and surrounding villages where the Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited (NPCIL) is going to construct atomic power plant with an estimated investment of Rs.1.8 lakh crore.

The identification of land for Bhavanapadu port and Sumitomo power projects have also been done during his term in Srikakulam.
30/07/16 K. Srinivasa Rao/The Hindu

Read More

Operator stops flights from Chandigarh to HP

Chandigarh: The much-touted flight connecting Chandigarh with the hot tourist destinations of Himachal Pradesh, including Kullu, Dharamshala and Shimla, has been grounded as the operators have closed down the service. The flight, which was launched on June 9 with much hype by an operator based in south India and the Airports Authority of India (AAI), has been closed down, despite availability of a huge number of passengers on the Kullu-Chandigarh route.
According to AAI, now a 20-seater special flight would be launched between Kullu-Chandigarh and Kullu-Delhi during winters from October. Highly placed sources in AAI confirmed to TOI that 'poor planning' by the operator and 'non-availability' of passengers between Kullu-Kangra and Kullu-Shimla was one of the reasons for the suspension of the flight. Sources also added that the operator had shifted its base to the southern part of the country, where it has got some contract of aerial survey, and that was another reason for shutting down this flight.
On June 9, Hyderabad-based IIC Technologies Ltd which had the air operator permit (AOP), had launched its nine-seater aircraft for these stations on the request of the airport authorities, but the operator closed down its operations within a month on July 10.
Confirming the closure of the flight, Bhuntar (Kullu) airport director, AN Sharma told TOI there was a huge response from passengers between Kullu and Chandigarh, but the operators failed to get an adequate number of passengers for other routes, including Kullu-Kangra and Kullu-Shimla.
30/07/16 Times of India

Read More

Heavy rain disrupts air services on Delhi-Chennai route

Chennai: Air services on the New Delhi-Chennai route were today affected due to rain in the national capital, airport officials said.  

"As many as eight flights belonging to various airlines that were supposed to depart for New Delhi and those aircraft scheduled to arrive were affected by delays due to heavy rainfall there," they said.  

Among those flights that arrived late in Chennai were five of Indigo, one Spice Jet and one Jet airways flight, all of which were delayed by more than half an hour.

The late arrivals in Chennai also affected the departure of two Indigo flights by about an hour.

Heavy rains lashed Delhi yesterday and several roads were water-logged, causing hardships to thousands of office goers and other commuters throughout the day.    

The MET department has predicted more rainfall for today also. Rainfall has caused floods in Bengaluru too but there have been no reports of any flights delayed in the city.
30/07/16 New Indian Express

Read More

IGI becomes first Indian airport to deploy Rockwell Collins’ ARINC vMUSE mobile solution

India-based Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport has appointed US-based Rockwell Collins to deliver its first mobile common use check-in platform.

Rockwell Collins’ ARINC vMUSE mobile passenger processing solution allows airlines to check in customers from any location using a tablet-based application.

Delhi International Airport Information Technology head Jeewan Khulbe said: “ARINC vMUSE mobile from Rockwell Collins is a way to improve the passenger experience and to provide our airports with cutting-edge solutions when traditional systems are not enough.”
Rockwell Collins Airport System Sales head Paul Hickox said: “IGI understands the value that these new technologies will bring, especially improving operations.

“It is one of the many reasons IGI has repeatedly been honoured by industry groups as one of the world’s leading airports for both quality and customer service.”
29/07/16 Airport Technology

Read More

Dibrugarh airport runway extension project faces further delay

Dibrugarh: The work of the ongoing much discussed runway extension project of Dibrugarh airport, has been marred due to alleged unwanted interference of Army authority.

The ground work at the site although features a material testing laboratory, stacking of stone chips and sand and also some eight odd pilings on the ground, unfortunately wears a deserted look as it came to be understood that in the first week of July, Army authorities personally met the Airports Authority of India officials at the airport and asked the latter to shift the material testing laboratory elsewhere and also to stop dumping of materials claiming that the land on which the same had been set up and dumping of materials was being done, belonged to them. Even as the Airports Authority of India approached both the Army authorities and the Dibrugarh Deputy Commissioner with the plea for an early resolution of the issue in the greater interest of the already delayed project, it could not be ascertained when  all the parties concerned are going to hammer out a much needed solution across the table.

The Army had handed over 5.33 acres of land for the runway extension project in Dibrugarh in exchange for 8.0 acres of land and also some other facilities to the Defense department  from the Airports Authority of India at Lilabari in Lakhimpur district. Dibrugarh airport is also going to have a hanger capable of accommodating an Airbus 320 aircraft and also a new control tower building having advanced facilities like those available in metro cities.  As per the blue print, besides a new taxiway from the extended portion of the runway to the isolation bay, there will also be a kilometre long array of guiding lights leading the extended portion of the runway.
28/07/16 The Sentinel

Read More

Chief Minister keen on revival of air connectivity

Puducherry: Chief Minister V. Narayanasamy on Thursday said his government has been making consistent efforts to revive air-services from Puducherry airport and pointed out that he has met Union Civil Aviation Minister Ashok Gajapati Raju recently in this regard.
He was addressing reporters after distributing regularisation orders to vocational instructors in Government Higher Secondary Schools at his chamber.
On Saturday, the Union Government is going to implement the new aviation regional connectivity scheme with a fare of Rs. 2,500 for hour-long flights operating from regional airports.
Health and Tourism Minster Malladi Krishna Rao and Chief Secretary Manoj Parida would participate in the programme.
29/07/16 The Hindu

Read More

Mass cleaning taken up at airport

Madurai: Officials and employees of Madurai airport were urged to make conscious efforts to keep the airport and its surroundings clean to create a healthy atmosphere.

Speaking to them before launching a cleaning drive under Swachh Bharat programme outside the airport terminal building on Thursday, Airport Director V.V. Rao said that a clean environment was conducive for fresh thinking and good work environment.

He said that though the contribution of officials and employees of Airports Authority of India during the cleaning drive would be very minimal, it will send a positive thought among all to keep the airport and its vicinity neat and spotless.
29/07/16 The Hindu

Read More

Now, It's 66. The Number Of Chennai Airport's Glass Panel Disasters

Chennai: Glass sheets coming crashing down at the Chennai airport occur so frequently that the National Human Rights Commission sought an explanation from airport officials as well as the Civil Aviation Ministry.

For the 66th time since the airport was renovated in 2012, there was an accident - a glass panel fell 20 feet away in a corridor between the old and new terminals.  Airport officials said that nobody was injured.

Glass panels and sections of the false ceiling have collapsed with bizarre frequency at the domestic and international terminals. The airport was upgraded four years ago for a cost of Rs. 2200 crore.

The National Human Rights Commission has been informed that the airport's structural design is not defective, but that the glass used all around the modernized terminal is "impure". In last night's case, the glass sheet broke under the impact of renovation work being carried out nearby, said  Airport Director Deepak Sastri.

The Airports Authority of India, tasked with maintaining terminals, has been given a 35-lakh contract in Chennai to assess the condition of the glass panels that are the prevailing design element of the terminal and replace sections that are found infirm with sturdier sheets.
29/07/16 Bhanu Priya Vyas/NDTV

Read More

Posted threat from RT Nagar has airport police in a tizzy

Bangalore: A 'group' has threatened to hijack aeroplanes at the Kempegowda International Airport in the name of jihad, and has also challenged the police to try and prevent it from succeeding in its endeavour. A letter posted to the chief executive officer of the airport has gone on to detail that three international planes will be targeted.

KIA police, which is investigating the case against a complaint filed by the airport officer, Manjunath KM, is yet to make an arrest over the threat. In his complaint, the CEO has stated that his office received the threat through post on July 18. The sender has called himself Tayab-ur-Rehman, and goes on to state that he owns Vintage Tours and Travels, and that he operates from RT Nagar.

The letter reads: "In the name of jihad, we will hijack three international airplanes. I am openly challenging the security of the KIA and police to stop it if you can." The police are not disclosing all the details of the letter, as making the information public might be "detrimental" to the investigation.

Soon after receiving the letter, the officials alerted the police and a team was formed to crack the case. Tension prevailed at KIA till a team from the north-east division rushed to the airport and performed a standard scrutiny operation. Each and every corner of KIA was subjected to an anti-sabotage check; every person entering the KIA was frisked before being allowed inside. A sniffer dog squad was also pressed into service.
29/07/16 Chaitanya Swamy H M/Bangalore Mirror

Read More

23 theft cases registered at Delhi, Mumbai airports this year

New Delhi: As many as 23 theft cases have been registered at the airports in the national capital and Mumbai this year till June, the government said today.
During this period, 16 theft cases were registered at the Delhi airport while seven were registered at the Mumbai aerodrome, according to the data provided by Minister of State for Civil Aviation Jayant Sinha to Lok Sabha.
Last year, the two airports together saw registration of 86 theft cases.
In a written reply, Sinha said various steps are being taken to prevent such incidents even as he noted that theft cases are a “law and order issue”.
These include frisking of ground handling staff while leaving the airport and prohibition of cell phone use in the airside by ground handling people.
Besides, a “committee has been constituted to identify the grey areas of CCTV coverage,” Sinha said.
In a separate written reply, Sinha said steps are being taken to control air traffic congestion at airports.
28/07/16 PTI/Financial Express

Read More

15 airlines keen to fly from Kannur

Thiruvananthapuram: As many as 15 airlines, including major international airlines, have expressed their desire to operate services to the Kannur greenfield international airport coming up at Mattannur.

This was communicated by representatives of these airlines at a meeting convened by Kannur International Airport Limited (KIAL) here on Wednesday. Air India, Air India Express, Go Air, Air Arabia, Qatar Airways, Air Asia India, Ethihad Airways, Jet Airways, Silk Air, Gulf Air, Oman Air, Spice Jet, Emirates, Fly Dubai, and Indigo are the airlines that have come forward. The meeting was convened by KIAL against the backdrop of the airline gearing up for the preparation of the summer schedule.

“The exercise was to sensitise the invited airline representatives to attract them to Kannur. We have succeeded in the task,” Managing Director of KIAL V. Thulasidas said. During the open house and the one-to-one interaction after the airport was showcased, the airline representatives told KIAL that they were keen to operate to Kannur once the airport became functional in March 2017. International and domestic routes to and from Kannur and the flight schedules came up for discussion.

The airlines sought night parking facilities as the apron can accommodate 20 Code C aircraft in Phase I and another 40 in Phase II, lounges in the integrated terminal building and communicated their keenness to commence cargo operations from Kannur airport.
28/07/16 The Hindu

Read More

Ministry assures revival of air services from Puducherry

Puducherry: Union Civil Aviation Minister P Ashok Gajapathi Raju today assured the Puducherry Lt Governor Kiran Bedi today that the Civil Aviation Ministry would extend support for reviving the air services from Puducherry.
The assurance was given during a meeting between them in Delhi, an official relese said.
The air services would be expeditiously taken up under "regional air connectivity scheme" to bring Puducherry and Karaikal regions back on the air map once again.
Kiran Bedi has been camping in Delhi since Monday seeking speedy approval and clearance of various developmental projects for Puducherry by the Centre.
She also met the Union Textiles Minister Smriti Irani in Delhi today who assured the Lt Governor that she would visit Puducherry in September to galvanize handloom coir and handicraft sectors in Puducherry. The release also said the Union Minister for Micro Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) Kalraj Mishra had informed her during a meeting with him in Delhi that the Steering Committee of the Ministry had approved of the Detailed Project Report of Rs 121.25 crore for a 'state of the art' tool room and technology development centre for Puducherry.
27/07/16 PTI/Times of India

Read More

Air traffic controllers refuse to shift to Juhu hangar

Mumbai: Turning down an Airports Authority of India (AAI) proposal to house them in a run-down hangar at Juhu airport, about 30 air traffic controllers and 20 AAI officers have stayed put in their residential staff quarters.
The AAI sent them notices last week to vacate their quarters in 10 days, failing which they would be liable for action. It also sent notices to 30 controllers, the junior-most of the lot, and ordered them to vacate their quarters and move to that hangar.
Given that the controllers carry out critical job functions and that they do extra shifts to cover up for manpower shortage at the Mumbai air traffic control, experts said the tension over accommodation should be defused amicably if the AAI intends to keep the airspace over the city safe.
The AAI, faced with a shortage of staff quarters, sent notices to over 50 staff, ordering them to move to the Shobha Singh hangar, a dilapidated structure from June 22 onwards. TOI had reported on June 28 about the pathetic conditions in the hangar, where the AAI had rigged up cubicles for accommodation. Under the plan, two controllers will share a 100 sq ft cubicle. The hangar, which gets inundated during rains, is 10 metres from the Indamar hangar, where there is a deafening noise day and night from aircraft engine repair and maintenance work. Since AAI's officers refused to shift, it has now told the juniors to do so.
27/07/16 Manju V/Times of India

Read More

International cargo facility at Madurai airport inspected

Madurai: A team of officials from the Department of Customs inspected the building and other facilities set up for international cargo facility at the old terminal building of Madurai airport last week.

“The inspection was to review the facilities provided at the building before giving its custodianship to Airports Authority of India, so that export and import of international cargo can be taken up from Madurai airport,” Madurai Airport Director V.V. Rao said.

The facility had come up with x-ray machines, weighing machines and security arrangement. The Customs officials had sought minor modifications in the building plan so as to clearly separate the goods meant for domestic cargo and international cargo.

“Once the custodianship is granted, manpower required for loading/ unloading and ground handling will be provided in three to four months,” the Airport Director said.

Three international flights – two to Colombo and one to Dubai – were being operated daily from Madurai.

The potential for export of goods from Madurai, especially perishable goods, was high.
28/07/16 The Hindu

Read More

Wiser by hindsight, less glass to be used at Chennai Airport

Chennai: Glasses have been breaking at the newly-built terminal in Chennai Airport and when it broke for the 65th time, the airport director Deepak Shastri could not take it anymore! “We are planning to use less number of glasses in the airport terminal in near future. In our modernisation programme, I will ensure glass is used minimally,” said Shastri who has plans to make Chennai Airport one of the best in the world.

Shastri has been furious over one-sided reports over the repeated falling of glass ceiling at the new terminal. “Yes, the glass broke for 65th time but it was due to an error on passenger’s part,” says Shastri. “We saw the CCTV image and found the glass door near the aero-bridge from ramp was damaged due to a roller bag being carried by a passenger,” he said. “We’re planning to replace the glass with something sturdy so that it could not be damaged so easily.”

The falling of glasses regularly in the city airport has even made the National Human Rights Commission intervene and pull up Airport Authority of India and Civil Aviation Ministry. This has made Union Civil Aviation Minister Ashok Gajapathi Raju order an inspection to be carried at the Chennai Airport.
28/07/16 New Indian Express

Read More

Special flights to Mysuru during Dasara likely

Mysuru: Dasara visitors can look forward to take special flights to Mysuru. Nine months after commercial flights ceased operations to the tourist hub, the Dasara season has brought good tidings.
Given that grandeur of Dasara festivities is returning this edition after a simple-but-traditional celebration in 2015, the stakeholders are hoping that visitors will troop in to the city starting from September.
The authorities have requested the operation of special flights daily to Mysuru Airport to assist the Dasara visitors, sources told The Times of India. "A proposal has been sent to the Union civil aviation ministry and there are positive indications," they stated. The plan is to start to special flights from September when the number of visitors to the city will increase. Dasara will start from October 2.
28/07/16 HM Aravind/Times of India

Read More

Post the airport incident, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan takes stern action for her security

New Delhi: This is what happened with Aishwarya Rai Bachchan lately, while she walked out of the airport with her mother and daughter Aradhya. All of them got surrounded by the media such that it became difficult for Aish to walk towards the car.

Amidst this chaos, Aish’s mother somehow lost her balance and fall on the ground. Ironically, Aradhya too got hurt in the incident.

If media reports are to be believed, Aishwarya is way too pissed off with the shutterbugs post this incident and has decided to take stringent steps, as far as her security is concerned.
Reportedly, the ‘Jazbaa’ actress has now raised her security. Now as many as eight bodyguards will be seen protecting the beauty queen.
27/07/16 IndiaTVNews

Read More

'Just two flights in a city of 50 lakh shocking'

Surat: The Airport Authority of India (AAI) officials expressed shock at the poor air connectivity in Surat.
"It is shocking that the city of 50 lakh population has only two flights per day," said AAI's regional executive director, K Hemlata who was in the city on Tuesday to discuss the airport issues with the Southern Gujarat Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SGCCI). and joint general manager Rajiv Mehta were in the city.
The SGCCI's aviation committee had invited the travel agents and representatives of two private airlines including Vistara and Jet Airways for discussing the air connectivity issues.
"The AAI has taken up the expansion of runway from 2,250 m to 2,905 m and the work is going on a full swing. After the expansion, Surat will be able to cater to wide-bodied aircrafts. We are hoping that the expansion will be completed before January 2017," she said. She was accompanied by AAI joint general manager Rajiv Mehta.
28/07/16 Times of India

Read More

Delhi Airport to get high-tech control tower

New Delhi: As part of the initiative to improve air traffic services in the country, the Indira Gandhi International (IGI)Airport in the national capital will very soon have a high-tech airtraffic control tower fitted with the latest communication andnavigational equipment, which will allow a 360 degree view of thethree runaways, apron area and taxiway.
The 102 m high-tech air traffic control tower, which is being built ata cost of Rs. 350 crore, will have 21 controller positions in its visual control room and 12 ground controller positions at operational level.
Training hard to cope-up with the growing challenges in the sky, theAirports Authority of India (AAI) officials are undergoing a training on Integrated Air Traffic Simulators to provide better air traffic service.
The challenge for the AAI officials, however, is to manage the air traffic while shifting from old to new facility.
"That is a first phase. After that, we call it shadow operation. That system will be run for three days or so. Our team will be working hard almost 12 to 18 hours a day," said A.K. Bhardwaj, GM, ATM, IGI Airport.
28/07/16 Times of India

Read More

Making Thiruvananthapuram disabled-friendly

Thiruvananthapuram: The Union Government initiates  an audit in the city to check whether the guidelines formulated by the Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities functioning under the Union Ministry of Social Justice as part of Accessible India Campaign (Sugamya Bharat Abhiyan) is being adhered to. The Trivandrum International Airport (TIA) is the first institution in the city which has been selected by the Union Government for the auditing process.
The centre has already directed the authorities of Trivandrum International Airport(TIA) to conduct a detailed study on installing facilities for disabled persons. The study is said to be the first one of its kind being carried out in the country. The access audit will be conducted to study the hurdles that make travel difficult for the the disabled.  In the survey, the  access auditors will evaluate the airports based on different parameters, including width of doorways, ramps, tactile flooring, adaptation of toilets  for wheel-chair users, braille symbols and auditory signals in elevators. It is said that an airport is considered accessible only if people with disabilities face no barrier in entry and are able to use all facilities, including boarding and alighting from the flights.  “We have been directed by the Union Government to conduct a study on this. At present, we have ramp and lift facilities for the disabled and differently-abled persons at the International airport. However, Domestic terminal has some shortcomings. The lift for the disabled is yet to be constructed here.

We will make arrangements for that at the earliest,” said George G Tharakan, TIA, director.  After the audit, the report will be sent to the Airports Authority of India. According to sources, the domestic terminals will be considered for the audit in the second phase.
28/07/16 K Krishnachand/New Indian Express

Read More

Elevated taxiway for quick flights

New Delhi: IGI Airport will get the country's first elevated taxiway that will help the Airport operator to cut down on the time taken by an aircraft to reach a runway and lead to fewer delays.
Airport officials said the 2.5km Eastern Cross Taxiway, which will connect Runway 10-28 lying on the side of domestic terminal 1-D with Runway 11-29 at T3, will pass over the central spinal road connecting the two terminals and is likely to be operational by 2020. A taxiway connects runways with aprons, hangars, terminals and other facilities in an airport. "It will allow flexibility in the use of runways and assist in balancing the flight traffic on them, particularly during the busy hours," said a DIAL spokesperson.
The airport operator DIAL said the construction would be part of Phase 3A (2016-20) Development Programme of Master Plan 2016. "Preparatory works have been initiated and the construction schedule will be finalised in the next few months," said DIAL.
The taxiway, which will accommodate aircraft as big as Airbus A380, will help the airlines save fuel as the planes now have to travel a long distance to reach their take-off points. Runway 11-29, preferred by international flights due to its proximity to the international terminal, and Runway 10-28 are now connected through Western Link lying on the airside near Dwarka. "An aircraft now has to crawl for about 20-25 minutes before preparing for the take-off. To save fuel, the airlines prefer the runway closer to the terminal to avoid covering Western Link," said an airport official.
28/07/16 Times of India

Read More

Foreign currency seized at RGI Airport

Hyderabad: DRI sleuths arrested a smuggler from the city at RGI Airport on Tuesday night and seized 1.25 lakh Saudi Riyals worth Rs 22 lakh from his possession.
Acting on specific alert, DRI sleuths intercepted the smuggler from Hyderabad when he was about to board Dubai-bound Spicejet flight on Tuesday night. The offender had already cleared his immigration check and before he could board the flight, DRI officials stopped him. "We found the money in the checked-in baggage of the offender," DRI additional director general, Hyderabad, MK Singh said.
The smuggler was arrested and booked under the Customs Act, 1962 r/w FEMA, 1999. Officials are working on the leads to carry out some more arrests in the case.
28/07/16 Times of India

Read More

Unaccounted Indian currency seized

Chennai: Unaccounted Indian currency worth Rs 39.97 lakh has been seized from a passenger bound for Sri Lanka at Chennai airport, customs officials said today.
Acting on a tip-off, customs officials intercepted the passenger bound for Colombo late last night and seized the currency from his baggage, they said.
The passenger, hailing from Ramanathapuram, was detained for questioning.
28/07/16 Business Standard

Read More

Absconding accused held at airport

Tiruchi: An accused against whom a lookout circular had been issued for his involvement in a case was held at Tiruchi airport moments after he arrived from Singapore on Wednesday.

The immigration authorities at the airport detained the accused T. Kumaresan (47) of Pillukurichi in Perambalur district and handed him over to the Airport police, who, in turn, handed him over to the Irumbulikurichi police in Ariyalur district where the case against him had been booked.
28/07/16 R. Rajaram/The Hindu

Read More

Bangladeshi national arrested in Lanka for smuggling gold

A Bangladeshi national, who attempted to smuggle eleven pieces of gold worth Rs. 5.7 million out of the country, has been arrested by the Sri Lankan Customs officials.

Acting on a tip, the Customs officials yesterday arrested the 42-year-old man with over one kilogram of gold at the Bandaranaike International Airport, reports the Colombo Page.
27/07/16 ANI/Colombo

Read More

Move away MIHAN – Navi Mumbai Airport to become India’s second MRO hub

Nagpur: Gloom and doom again for Nagpur and Vidarbha and Boom time all over again for Mumbai – Navi Mumbai this time.

The hype around MIHAN had all been around the MRO that Beoing and Air India were going to develop – the biggest in India they had promised! A tiny little facility did come up and one plane has been re hauled here … to show us innocents that something is happening. Don’t cry – here is this lollipop for you Nagpur! But sorry, the cake is going to Vasi. That is where the action is, what to do? A new Port near Panvel, a brand new international airport, close by to the present airport – over 900 flights landing there, what better spot could there be?
So with the availability of 160 hectares of land, the Navi Mumbai international airport (NMIA) will soon get a state-of art MRO facility, CIDCO has announced.

“This will be the SECOND MRO in India they have declared – the first being Rajiv Gandhi Airport at Hyderabad, the press release says. No mention of Nagpur at all – see?!

CIDCO says the MRO facility is being planned as a ‘value addition’ for the proposed international airport. Further this MRO will be built on the PPP basis which will be finalised by December 2016 – that is within 5 months.

On the other hand see how the project of handing over Nagpur ‘international airport’ to a private player to run is continually being put on a back burner. At the beginning of 2015 we were told that the tenders would be finalized by August 2015 and now we are soon going to be into August 2016 and there is no action. We are told that the tender process will take another 2 months. Privately, we learn that no pvt. company is really interested in developing Nagpur. Why should they be interested? Whereas all the Indian metros have hundreds of planes taking off everyday, Nagpur has – 24.

“We have more flying aircrafts which is a basic airline requirement for developing an MRO” says Vijay Kumar, Chief General Manager, CIDCO.
26/07/16 Nagpur Today

Read More

AERA exempts small aircrafts from landing fee, will boost regional connectivity

New Delhi: The Airports Economic Regulatory Authority (AERA) has corrected the anomaly in its earlier tariff orders and has exempted aircraft with 80 seats or less from being charged a landing fee, a move that's going to give a fillip to the regional connectivity plan.
According to an earlier tariff order, which is still in force, AERA had allowed airport operators of Delhi and Mumbai to charge landing fee to aircraft with seating capacity of 80 or less. Norms exempt smaller aircraft from landing charges at all airports and no other operator charges them.
The order will help boost the regional connectivity plan that pegs on making operations by smaller aircraft cost effective. The order is likely to benefit airlines that operate 70-seater aircraft and includes SpiceJet, Air India and Jet Airways
Airlines such as Air India and SpiceJet had made several representation to AERA on the issue. "In the new tariff order for Delhi, we have ordered that these smaller aircraft will be exempted from paying landing charges. We have also informed Mumbai airport about the same," said a top AERA official, who did not wish to be named.

The official said the matter would have been addressed in the first tariff period itself if proper representation would have been made by these airlines. "We received a lot of representations from airlines later and the exemption was put in place," said the official.
27/07/16 Mihir Mishra/Economic Times

Read More

Work on civilian airport in Kadamba to start in 2019

Karwar: The construction work of a civilian airport in INS Kadamba naval base will commence in 2019. The government is planning to develop an airstrip at Manabi village in Kumta taluk, about 60km from Karwar, to boost export of cashew products and fish, said large and medium-scale industries and infrastructure development minister R V Deshpande.
Deshpande told reporters on Tuesday that his ministry is planning to develop infrastructure in the district to generate employment. The coastal area of Uttara Kannada produces large quantities of cashew nuts and farmers are in search of foreign markets. The fish produced in the district too has good demand outside India. But exporters are facing problems in preserving fish which is a perishable item. So the government will set up ice plants and processing units to preserve fish catch. The Indian Navy will take up the second phase of Seabird project soon and the airport built by the Navy will be used for flying civilian planes. The work will begin in 2019 and the government has identified a revenue land in Kumta for airstrip, the minster said.
27/07/16 Times of India

Read More

Telangana government to push hard for Kothagudem airport

Hyderabad: The state government is likely to push its proposal for a greenfield airport in Kothagudem in Khammam district with the Union civil aviation ministry, which is scheduled to conduct a meeting on July 29 in Delhi on greenfield airports.

According to sources in the general administration department, chief secretary Rajiv Sharma or industries secretary Arvind Kumar will attend the meeting on July 29 convened by the Union civil aviation ministry with all the states.

The state government would move its proposal for a greenfield airport in Kothagudem. Though, the state government is planning to have smaller airports in Kothagudem, Warangal and Adilabad, the government is according priority to Kothagudem airport due its viability.

Kothagudem is 240 km away from the Rajiv Gandhi International Airport in Shamshabad and would be viable for passenger operations, official sources said.

‘’Khammam district collector is in the process of acquiring land for the Kothagudem airport with the help of local MLAs,’’ an official said. The Kothagudem airport may come up on 1,500 acres land.

‘’A daily flight is running between Bangalore and Kadapa in Andhra Pradesh. The operations are successful. Likewise, the Kothagudem airport too will be viable economically,’’ the official pointed out.
27/07/16  V V Balakrishna/New Indian Express

Read More

Three jackals caught from Indore airport premises

Indore: Three jackals have been captured in last two days from the premises of Ahilya Devi Holkar airport here, a Forest department official said today.
The latest instances of intrusion by wild animals have raised a serious concern over safety of flights as the airport management seems to have failed to plug the holes in the boundary wall through which wild animals enter the premises.
"We have trapped three jackals in cages from the premises of the airport in last two days. These jackals have been released in the wild," Forest Sub Divisional Officer (SDO) RN Saxena said.
He said cages have been put up at various places on the premises to trap the animals as their movement might cause plane accidents.
Saxena said Forest department used to install cages earlier to catch the wild animals.
"We have trained airport staffers to catch wild animals that stray onto airport premises," he said, adding that cages are now being procured by airport management.
The officer said that areas close to airport house butcheries and animals like jackals come there in search of food and sometimes stray onto airport campus from holes in boundary wall.
26/07/16 PTI/India Today

Read More

Beckoning top airlines to Kannur

Thiruvananthapuram: Efforts to rope in major international airlines to operate to the Kannur greenfield international airport, the fourth international airport of the State, coming up at Mattannur in March 2017, has commenced.

The Kannur International Airport Limited (KIAL), the special purpose vehicle created to develop the airport, has convened a meeting of various airlines in the capital on July 27 to showcase the potential of the airport and the opportunities awaiting them in north Malabar.

The airlines will get a feel of the airport, the facilities being readied there in a presentation to be made by KIAL. The KIAL team, led by Managing Director V. Thulasidas, will also seek the views of airline representatives in finetuning the interiors of the terminal building, which is to be taken up soon. Although KIAL has fixed March 2017 for completing the first phase of the work, airlines from around the world have been approached to ensure that Kannur airport is included in the summer schedule prepared by the airline operators in advance.

Already, Emirates, Fly Dubai, Qatar Airways, Oman Air, Air Arabia, Ethihad, Air India Express, Jet Airways, GoAir, Indigo, Air Pegasus, and Air Asia have expressed their interest to fly to Kannur.

Around 85 per cent of the integrated terminal and 74 per cent of the ancillary buildings — fire rescue station, power house, met park of the IMD, STP, service block, and the airfield ground lighting substation — has been completed. The roofing works of the terminal building is on.
26/07/16 The Hindu

Read More

SBI again seeks to flog Kingfisher trademarks, lowers price

The once-famous 'Fly the Good Times' tagline, Flying Models, Funliner, Fly Kingfisher and five other trademarks that defined Vijay Mallya's failed Kingfisher Airlines are up for grabs for the second time, this time at a lower rate. Earlier in April, the bank had quoted a price of Rs366.70 crore for the nine trademarks. Now the rate has been lowered to Rs330 crore.

After the failure of State Bank of India to auction Kingfisher House, this will be the second asset belonging to Mallya, for which the bank has lowered the price.

The auction for trademarks will be held on 25 August.

As of 31 January 2014, Mallya's Kingfisher Airlines owed banks a staggering Rs 6,963 crore. This is why SBICAP Trustee Company Limited plans to carry the sale of trademarks through an online auction. It will be held between 11.30 am to 12.30 pm. Bids will be accepted till August 23, 5 pm. The reserve price is Rs330 crore, with an earnest money deposit of Rs33 crore.
25/07/16 Domain-b

Read More

Hindus welcome yoga sessions at Santiago Airport

Nevada: Hindus have applauded launching of yoga sessions at Santiago International Airport (SCL), Chile’s busiest airport; calling it a step in the positive direction.
SCL is offering complimentary yoga sessions three days a week during peak time passenger traffic at International Departures Gate 15. Currently, these sessions are 90 minutes each in the evenings on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Fridays. Nuevo Pudahuel, which manages SCL, claims to believe “that the airport is much more than a place of transit and processes”.
Welcoming this SCL gesture, distinguished Hindu statesman Rajan Zed, in a statement in Nevada today, urged Nuevo Pudahuel CEO Nicolas Claude to create a permanent yoga space available during all airport hours 365 days a year to all passengers, employees, visitors and vendors if SCL was serious to be a world-class airport, enhance the passenger experience and help reduce their stress levels.
Zed, who is President of Universal Society of Hinduism, also urged all South American commercial airports to provide yoga facilities as many USA and world airports now did offer yoga spaces.
Yoga, referred as “a living fossil”, was a mental and physical discipline, for everybody to share and benefit from, whose traces went back to around 2,000 BCE to Indus Valley civilization, Rajan Zed noted.
25/07/16 Punjab News Express

Read More

Airport devpt tender date extended

Nagpur: After big players like Tatas, GVR and GVK showed initial interest in the proposal for developing Nagpur airport, tenders for roping in a strategic partner, which were supposed to be opened on Monday, have been extended till August 29.
Maharashtra Airport Development Company (MADC) had invited tenders for roping in a private investor for developing the airport as an international cargo and passenger hub as a part of Mihan project. There were 7-8 companies which showed interest, but no bids have been received yet. The dates were extended as the companies had sought more time to submit the tenders.
The strategic private partner will have to undertake development works to the tune of at least 1,420 crore in the beginning.
26/07/16 Shishir Arya/Times of India

Read More

Airport authorities in a bind over space

Thiruvananthapuram: Growing demand from passengers as well as airline operators for more facilities in the Trivandrum International Airport can only be met with additional land. The state government's decision to hand over 18.53 acres to the Airport Authority of India (AAI) has brightened the prospects of developing the international terminal.
Though 18.53 acres was allotted to AAI in August 2014, land acquisition did not materialise due to protest from local residents.
The need for more space to facilitate smooth movement of passengers was the main reason the airport authorities had cited in their meeting with chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan last week.
Currently functioning in 628 acres, the airport authorities plan to construct a building with more facilities for the passengers, for which the 18.53 acres will be utilized. The building with more check-in counters, conveyors and aerobridges will be constructed adjacent to the existing terminal-2. s per requirement, the 32 existing check-in counters will be doubled and the number of conveyors and aerobridges will be increased to six and seven respectively. The design and structure of the building will be decided by the AAI headquarters.
26/07/16 Times of India

Read More

Survey around Mumbai airport to be completed by Oct: CM

Mumbai: A survey is being conducted to rehabilitate slum dwellers residing around the "vulnerable" Mumbai International airport, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis today said.

Post the survey, all slum dwellers will be rehabilitated within two to three kilometres of their present residence, he informed the Legislative Council.

Fadnavis was replying to a Calling Attention motion moved by Congress MLC Janardhan Chandurkar, who, in a written statement, said the state government had taken the decision to rehabilitate slum dwellers in March 2015, but even after a year, no location was identified.

"There was a meeting chaired by the Chief Minister on April 29 this year regarding the issue where it was decided that rehabilitation will be completed on a 100-acre plot. But there was no location finalised for the project.

"On May 4, the government had issued notices to all slum dwellers about the survey being conducted which created confusion among the residents," Chandurkar said.

The Mumbai airport slum dwellers association had recently written a letter to Fadnavis, seeking to know the location of the rehabilitation. However, they did not get any reply, resulting in insecurity and displeasure among them, he said.
26/07/16 PTI/Business Standard 

Read More

PIO who took airport authorities head-on at SC door for justice

New Delhi: Undue delay in immigration clearance at the airport can be harassing for passengers. But to protest against the system can become a harrowing experience too.

Harmandeep Rai, a US national of Indian origin, learnt this the hard way on one of his trips to India almost three years back. Rai, a doctor by profession, who is facing trial in the case before a Delhi court approached the Supreme Court for hearing him out as he claimed that it was police and immigration authorities who misbehaved with him and assaulted him before allegedly framing him in a false case. His lawyer, senior advocate Colin Gonsalves submitted that the CCTV footage would dispute the story put forth by police.

Upon arrival at the Indira Gandhi International Airport, Rai’s fiancée Rupinder Kaur was held up by the Immigration authorities for hours on September 29, 2013. Fuming over the illegal detention, Rai lost his cool and walked up to the officers posted with the Bureau of Immigration for an explanation.

He even had some heated exchanges with the Immigration staff and allegedly abused the officials. He was later given an explanation that a Look out Circular (LOC) had been issued against a lady who resembled Kaur and this caused the delay. But before things could settle, Rai was taken to the Airport police station and arrested by police for obstructing public servant at work (Section 186) and assaulting a public servant (Section 353) of the Indian Penal Code.
26/07/16 Abraham Thomas/Pioneer

Read More

Drinking water fountains at airport

Thiruvananthapuram: To provide good quality drinking water and to prevent littering of plastic and paper cups, water coolers have been replaced with water fountains at the Thiruvananthapuram international airport.
Drinking water fountains have been installed at nine locations of T-2 terminal (international) by the Airports Authority of India.
People can drink water directly from the fountain without using cups.
25/07/16 The Hindu

Read More

Sixty families may lose land

Thiruvananthapuram: The suggestion of chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan to speed up handing over the 18.53 acres to the airport authority of India has spread panic among the residents in Chackai ward.
"My family had shifted from Madurai to Vayyamoola in search of work around 30 years ago. It was after much difficultly we received the title deeds in 2012, now we are informed that they will take over our only property," said Vellamma, who works as a dhobi.
Chackai ward councillor K Sreekumar said around 10 families living in the area do not have title deeds and are living in puramboke land for the past several years. He also pointed that it will be difficult for such people to receive any compensation during land acquisition.
As per the directive of district collector, they have been asked to submit a consent letter, copy of the receipt of land tax and expected compensation at special tahasildar office in a week.
25/07/16 Times of India

Read More

Now, CIAL sets a model for others in financial prudence

Kochi: The prudence with which Cochin International Airport Limited (CIAL) has utilised its resources to build the new, 1.5-million square feet international terminal has raised interest among private operators, who have visited the airport recently.

Sources said that a team from Delhi visited CIAL recently to take a look at the facilities at the upcoming terminal, which is due for commissioning in the first week of September. The Association of Private Airport Operators, of which CIAL is also a member, has also shown interest in studying the Kochi model, sources said.

CIAL’s new terminal (T3) for handling international passengers has cost a total of Rs.1,000 crore, which is considerably lower than the cost of similar facilities recently built in the country, according to the sources.

CIAL has announced on its Facebook page that the new terminal will be inaugurated in early September. The page also has the first pictures of the conveyor belts installed at the terminal. The pictures posted on Monday include those of the wall-mountings, aero-bridges and the arrival duty-free area of T3.
26/07/16 The Hindu

Read More

MP inspects works at Dimapur airport

Dimapur: Lone Lok Sabha MP, Neiphiu Rio, today inspected the ongoing development works at Dimapur Airport following the second meeting of the Airport Advisory Committee.

The second Airport Advisory Committee (AAC) meeting was held as per the Ministry of Civil Aviation guidelines under the chairmanship of MP Lok Sabha, Neiphiu Rio. The first meeting was held in October 2015.

During the meeting, Airport Director Mughavi Zhimo highlighted the developmental activities that have been undertaken currently in Dimapur Airport. Some of the major developmental works since last year included re-carpeting of approach road, car parking, facelift of terminal building, front canopy, perimeter road, CCTV, free wifi, etc .
25/07/16 Eastern Mirror

Read More

Mopa: Bidders need time for proposals

Porvorim: The state government has once again extended the time required for bidders to submit their request for proposals (RFP's) to construct the greenfield international airport at Mopa by another month. This has come on a request from the bidders. Now, the last day to submit the financial document is August 26.
Speaking to TOI , director for civil aviation S Shanbogue said that the idea behind granting the extension is to make an effort to get more bidders, which will result in better competition and higher revenue-sharing.
He also said that there was a request from Essel Infra and Voluptas Developers (part of the Hiranandani group) for more time to submit its RFP. Essel Infra had partnered with Zurich airport to bid for the project. Shanbogue said that Zurich airport has exited from the consortium and Essel Infra then applied to the department to grant them time to look for a replacement partner. He also said that Essel Infra has a new partner in South Korean company, Incheon, to bid for the project.
26/07/16 Times of India

Read More

At Mumbai airport, flights rarely on time, Air India most delayed

Mumbai: Domestic airlines from Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport (CSIA), Mumbai clocked the worst on-time performance (OTP) in April and May in comparison to other metro airports in the country, according to the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA). Air India suffered the most — less than 70 per cent in the OTP results for scheduled domestic airlines. According to DGCA data, as many as 43,827 affected passengers of Air India were compensated with Rs 72.58 lakh when domestic flights were delayed for more than two hours across the country.
A total of 3,143 passengers were affected due to Air India flight cancellations and 379 were denied boarding, the highest among domestic airlines.
Air India complies with the Route Dispersal Guidelines, which ensures there is no monopoly in popular sectors and encourages carriers to provide access to all parts of the country including the Northeast. According to the OTPs of scheduled domestic airlines complying with Route Dispersal Guidelines, Air India’s OTP was 66.5 per cent for May and 69.7 per cent for April. DGCA data indicated “reactionary” reasons relating to airport concerns, problems with the Air Traffic Control (ATC), weather, technical and passenger issues as reasons for the delays.
However, the data observed that infrastructure issues at the airport, in terms of parking and congestion, was the major reason causing the delays of Air India. “Air India was able to achieve a decent punctuality record of more than 75 per cent in all the other metro airports of the country. However, with CSIA, the infrastructure issues and limited parking slots are the major reasons for the delay caused. Also, we have to manage almost 50-60 flights on a daily basis from Mumbai. Thus, adjusting passengers to a big aircraft with more seating capacity also takes time,” said a spokesperson from Air India.
23/07/16 Neha Kulkarni/Indian Express

Read More

Medical drill at RGIA

The GMR Hyderabad International Airport Ltd. (GHIAL) conducted its annual HAZMAT (Hazardous Material) emergency exercise at Cargo Apron of Hyderabad Airport in collaboration with Blue Dart, Apollo Hospitals, Telangana State Disaster Response and Fire Services Dept.

The session was simulated by using a live aircraft with dummy causalities. The exercise was a proactive preventive measure which is designed to help the Emergency Response team of the Airport practice handling of Hazardous Material incidents.
23/07/16 Hans India

Read More

Airport devpt: Collector seeks legal opinion on FRA certificate

Kolhapur: The district collector has sought the opinion of legal experts on whether a Forest Rights Act certificate (FRA) is necessary to acquire land for the airport's expansion.
The project office of the integrated tribal development agency had said that the FRA certification is not necessary for the pending airport proposal.
The airport needs some 10 hectares of forest land from Gadmudshingi village. Before its acquisition, a certificate is necessary to ascertain that no violations have been committed under the act. The agency had said that as there have been no such cases, the FRA certificate is not necessary.
District collector Amit Saini, who also heads the district aviation committee set up to clearing the pending issues of the airport, however has sought legal opinion to clarify the issue.
"I need legal opinion because it is a tricky issue and I need to check all sides before going ahead for commencement of the airport. Generally, the state commissioner for tribal development issues a certificate regarding Forest Rights Act violations. In Kolhapur's case, I need to check whether the certificate from the agency would be sufficient. If yes, then we can go ahead and speed up the procedure of land acquisition. If I need to obtain a certificate from the tribal commissioner, I will have to initiate communication accordingly," Saini said.
23/07/16 Nikhil Deshmukhi/Times of India

Read More

Kolkata AirPort App Introduced

Kolkata: As part of better air passenger facilities, the NSCB International airport has recently started Kolkata AirPort App which can be downloaded.

This App will help in providing the information about the following - Actual flight information, Transport facilities in airport, Lost and found item details, Duty free and Retail shopping information - an Airports Authority of India release said on Friday night.

The information will also be regarding cargo, immigration, customs and airport security.
23/07/16 PTI/NDTV

Read More

Ahmedabad airport runway likely to begin operation from Oct 5

Resurfacing work on the runway at the city airport, which started from April 16, is likely to be completed by September end and it will be thrown open for full utilization by October 5. The resurfacing work has limited the operation of the airport only in the mornings and evenings creating congestion and problems galore for passengers. At present, no flights are operated between 10 am and 6 pm.
Runway resurfacing work has been creating chaos and many problems for fliers, as limited flying hours lead to long queues at every check point so much so that there not even enough chairs for passengers in the departure lounge. It also leads to parking problems outside the airport. Airports Authority of India had taken permission to resurface the runway in a span of 12 months and the permission was granted and runway work started from April 16 2016. Airport director A K Sharma said, "We have completed at least 85% of work on 3.5 km runway and are ahead of schedule. It would be tough to give date as a lot of work depends on monsoon, But we will open runway much before deadline."
Ahmedabad airport handles over 90 scheduled flights every day. At present these are handled in 16 hours instead of 24. AAI is under pressure to start runway by October first week in time to meet peak traffic of Navratri and Diwali. October to December is also the period when several NRIs return home. This will be followed by Vibrant Gujarat Summit 2017 in January.
23/07/16 Ahmedabad Mirror

Read More

Anti-hijacking mock drill conducted at city airport

Patna: A full scale anti-hijacking mock drill was conducted at the Loknayak Jayaprakash Narayan International Airport here on Saturday.
Airport director Rajendar Singh Lahauria said the air traffic control (ATC) raised an alarm of hijacking around 10:45am after which state's principal secretary (home) Amir Subhani and other senior government officials were informed and they rushed to the airport soon.
He said IG (special branch) J S Gangwar, IG (Patna zone) Naiyar Husnain Khan, IG (ATS) Sunil Kumar Jha, DIG (central range) Shalin, SSP (Patna) Manu Maharaaj, CISF commandant (airport) Dharmaveer Yadav and several other state government officials were inside the anti-hijacking control room of the airport to deal with the situation.
CISF commandant Yadav said it was for the first time that linguists and psychiatrists were also called in the control room as a mandatory part of the airport committee which get activated with the presence of state home secretary and other officials at the anti-hijacking control room which also contains a hotline. "Arabic, Persian, Urdu, Tamil, French and some other linguists were part of the committee for the first time," said Yadav, adding that altogether seven linguists were present during Saturday's drill to communicate with hijackers.
23/07/16 Debashish Karmakar/Times of India

Read More

Surtis hope private airlines to be positive about city's air links

Surat: High-flying Surtis are pinning their hopes on private airlines to give a positive feedback by July 29 on their future plans on connecting Surat airport with other destinations in the country.
The Ministry of Civil Aviation had convened a meeting of private airlines, citizen groups from Surat and Members of Parliament from Navsari and Surat to discuss the air connectivity issue on Wednesday.
Usha Padhee, joint secretary, Ministry of Civil Aviation, asked the airlines to submit their views on Surat and their plans for starting flight operations from the city during the meeting held in New Delhi.
'Member of We Want Working Airport at Surat' (WWWAS) Sanjay Jain, who was present in the meeting, said, "The meeting ended on a positive note with the joint secretary appealing to the private airlines to do whatever they can to provide air connectivity to the vibrant city of Surat. The private airlines have been asked to submit their views in writing by July 29."
22/07/16 Times of India

Read More

Air India to make Pune as its base to ramp up Maharashtra connectivity

Mumbai: According to a report by Shahkar Abidi, in The DNA, the non-availability of slots at Mumbai’s Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport (CSIA) may prompt Air India to use Pune as its base to ramp up the regional connectivity in Maharashtra, linking regions like Nanded, Amravati, Nashik and Shirdi. As part of its plan to develop civil aviation infrastructure in the state, the government has been holding meetings with the scheduled and unscheduled airlines. It has even envisaged a blueprint for the same, which is along the lines of the one recently released by the Central government.

“We may connect these cities may be by using Pune as our base and connecting it once with Mumbai. There is a severe shortage of slots availability at CSIA,” said Mukesh Bhatia, Regional Director (western region), Air India. Mumbai’s CSIA has almost reached its saturation level. The state has 28 airports and airstrips, of which four are under construction or proposed, two are private and one is not in use.
22/07/16 TravelBizMonitor

Read More

AAI to hold talks with State govt. on greenfield airport

Chennai: The Airports Authority of India (AAI) has been taking steps to revive the plan for implementing Sriperumbudur Greenfield airport for the city.

Airport director Deepak Shastri said, “We have been trying to approach the State government and plan to hold talks in this regard. The sooner the project starts, the better it is for the city. We really need this airport as the phase II too will become saturated in a few years. If we start making preparatory work for this project now, it will be convenient to manage the air traffic by the time it is complete.”

But sources say it may be difficult to implement it since many of the plots around the site have been de-notified now. This airport will span over 4,800 acres and is estimated to cost Rs. 20,000 crore.

At present, the city airport handles about 400 aircraft movements a day and this will substantially increase by 2020, say sources. Same is the case with the air traffic too. Unless the Greenfield project is implemented soon, it may be quite difficult to handle the fast growing traffic, AAI sources said.
22/07/16 Sunitha Sekar/The Hindu

Read More

Flocks of birds near RGIA pose threat to flights

Hyderabad: Are heaps of garbage dumped in the vicinity of Rajiv Gandhi International Airport in Shamshabad posing a threat to aviation safety? Airport authorities have expressed concern over the dumping of waste around the airstrip, which has been attracting scavenging birds. Flocks of birds flying around the airport pose serious threat to flight operations as they can hit the engine and damage the blades.

Airport officials had in a recent meeting urged government officials to remove garbage dumps near the airport.

In fact, an inspection revealed that a dumping site was situated close to the airport.
22/07/16 New Indian Express

Read More

Aircraft purchases spell boom for tier II, III airports

New Delhi:  The expansion plans of domestic carriers and limited infrastructure at major airports could well be a blessing in disguise for tier II and III cities such as Coimbatore, Madurai, Guwahati, Jaipur and Chandigarh, as they could see enhanced aircraft movement in the coming years.

Airlines will also look at other options like operating late night domestic flights between tier II and III cities and metros. Further, they could look at launching night flights from tier II or III cities to international destinations such as Dubai and Sharjah.

Some airlines — such as Scoot, the low-cost, medium-haul arm of Singapore Airlines — are already targeting smaller cities.

Scoot recently started a tri-weekly service between Amritsar and Singapore and is set to launch services from Jaipur later this year.

A cross-section of industry that BusinessLine spoke with felt that more airlines will start looking at tier II and III cities as a number of carriers have placed large orders for new aircraft.
21/07/16 Business Line

Read More

Airlines reluctant to fly to many airports: Civil Aviation Minister

New Delhi: Airlines are reluctant to fly to many airports despite providing adequate infrastructure there, even as 32 airports have remained non-functional, Civil Aviation Minister Ashok Gajapathi Raju said on Thursday.

"Airlines are like a horse. We can take them to the water but can't force them to drink," he said in the Lok Sabha replying to demands for regular air connectivity to Mysore and some other places.

Raju said even though adequate infrastructure is in place, airlines are not flying to many airports in the country. There are 32 airports, under the Airports Authority of India, which are non-functional.
"Our constant effort is to increase the number of airports and regional connectivity," he said during Question Hour.
21/07/16 PTI/Business Standard

Read More

India’s aviation problem: Chocked airports at Delhi, Bengaluru, Mumbai, other cities

Airlines in India have been busy adding capacity as the aviation market grew the fastest globally, at 20.3%, in 2015. IndiGo and Go Air have between them placed orders for 322 Airbus A320neo aircraft over the past few months. The problem, however, is airport capacity. According to a CAPA study, India’s Airport Capacity Crisis, 18 of the 30 larger non-metro airports have already exceeded capacity or will be saturated over the next two years. Capacity utilisation at the Jammu airport is 278%, 167% in Bagdogra, 127% in Kozhikode, 115% in Guwahati and 95% in Lucknow.
Mumbai, Ahmedabad, Chennai, Coimbatore and Srinagar too will join the list in 2018. Mumbai will get some respite in 2020, if the Navi Mumbai airport (25 million) is commissioned. A new airport is planned at Mopa (Goa) while a smaller one is coming up at Kannur (Kerala).
However, Chennai and Kolkata have no immediate capacity addition plans. Bengaluru ,with 19 million passengers, saw traffic rise 23.2% during 2015-16 while Delhi, with 48.4 million, saw a 18.1% rise. Mumbai’s rose by 13.7%, while Hyderabad’s rose by 18.1% rise and Kochi’s by 21%.
Since it takes five years to commission an airport, this problem is not going away soon. While India needs to invest $40 billion in airport capacity over the next 10 years, the commitment is limited to $4.9 billion. Meanwhile, China is investing $130 billion over the next 15 years.
21/07/16 Financial Express

Read More

Chennai airport to have new terminal, to cost Rs 2,100 crore

New Delhi: After a series of complaints from all quarters on Chennai airport, the Airports Authority of India has found a solution that will cost Rs 2,100 crore.

The airport operator plans to build a new terminal for seamless operations.

"There is an old terminal flanked by two new terminals at the airport. We will build a new terminal in the place of that old terminal. This will not just resolve all complaints related to its maintenance but will also help increase the capacity," said a senior AAI official, who did not want to be identified.

The airport in Chennai was upgraded and modernised by the AAI in 2013 at an investment of over Rs 2,000 crore.
The current expansion, which is likely to be complete by 2020-21, is estimated to cost the airport operator another Rs 2,100 crore.

With this expansion, the capacity of the airport would increase to 30 million annually from 23 million currently.
21/07/16 Mihir Mishra/Economic Times

Read More

"Navi Mumbai airport first phase likely by Dec '19"

New Delhi:  First phase of aircraft operations at the upcoming Navi Mumbai airport is expected to be functional by December 2019, the government said today.

Minister of State for Civil Aviation Jayant Sinha said the Navi Mumbai airport project has received all approvals except stage-II forest clearance, which is expected shortly.

The request for proposal (RFP) and bid documents were issued to the qualified bidders on May 4.

"Selection of concessionaire on PPP (public private partnership) basis shall be finalised by December 2016. All major clearances have been obtained. 160 hectares have been acquired. Resettlement and rehabilitation awards are declared," Sinha said in a written reply to the Lok Sabha.
21/07/15 PTI

Read More

New terminal to be built at Leh airport for Rs 200 crore

New Delhi: A new terminal will be constructed at Leh airport with an investment of around Rs 200 crore which will increase the passenger handling capacity, Civil Aviation Minister Ashok Gajapathi Raju said today.

With the new terminal, the peak hour passenger capacity is expected to go up to 800 from current level of 250.

State-owned Airports Authority of India (AAI) is operating the Leh airport, which has been seeing increased flight movements in recent times.

"Leh Airport - New terminal to be constructed @ Rs 200 cr to increase peak hour passenger capacity from 250 to 800," Raju said in a tweet.

Leh airport handled little over four lakh passengers in the last financial year ended March 2106. During the same period, there were 3,434 aircraft movements.
21/07/16 PTI/Business Standard

Read More

Airports Authority of India makes a profit of Rs 2,537.36 crore

New Delhi: National airports operator AAI has enhanced its net profit to Rs 2,537.36 crore in the last fiscal as against a profit-after tax of Rs 1,959.22 crore in FY 15, Parliament was informed today.

The Airports Authority of India has earned a profit-after tax of Rs 1,959.22 crore during the financial year 2014-15 and Rs 2,537.36 crore in 2015-16, Minister of State for Civil Aviation Jayant Sinha said in a written response in Lok Sabha today.

In reply to a question on eligibility of payment of to the AAI employees, the Minister said that a few employees have now become entitled to receive bonus following the enhancement of eligibility limit.
The employees of AAI were not eligible for payment of bonus as per the then prevailing eligibility norms, Sinha said.
21/07/16 PTI/Economic Times

Read More

MADC chief Patil reviews MIHAN Project progress

Nagpur: Vice Chairman & Managing Director of Maharashtra Airport Development Company (MADC) Vishwas Patil reviewed the progress of MIHAN Project in high-level meetings held on July 20 & 21, 2016. The visit of Patil assumed importance in view of providing momentum to the various development works going on in the MIHAN Project. During his visit, Patil interacted with all the senior officers of MADC and MIHAN India Limited (MIL) and had a look at all developmental works related to Power, Road Networks, Internet and Telecommunication, various facilities at Nagpur Airport and Rehabilitation works of MIHAN project affected people.

S. K. Chatterjee, Chief Engineer, Rajni Lonare, Superintending Engineer, Ashok Chowdhary, Deputy. Collector, C. Bankar, Sr, Architect, Atul Thakre, Marketing Manager, Deepak Joshi, Public Relations Officer, K. R. Ingole, Consultant (Power), B. R, Tiwari, Consultant (Water Supply), Balwant Moharil, Consultant (Rehab), Gajanan Yempalliwar, Security Officer MADC were present in the meeting.

Patil also visited the project sites including Chinchbhavan PAP rehabilitation area, AIIMS site, proposed Food Park site, proposed Health City site, Reatox First City site, Metro station site near Khapri and near Chinchbhavan Flyover. He directed all the concerned officers to speed up different works of rehabilitation and resettlement of MIHAN project affected people and other infrastructure development.
21/07/16 Nagpur Today

Read More

CISF demands barcoded e-tickets to curb illegal airport entries

New Delhi: To prevent illegal entry of people at airports, CISF has sought uniform electronic tickets with barcode as well as barcode readers at the departure gates.
The Central Industrial Security Force (CISF), which provides security cover at airports, detected 34 cases of persons entering the terminal building of the airport in the national capital during the last 14 months, according to Union Minister Jayant Sinha.
"The persons caught were handed over to Delhi Police for further legal action in the matter," the minister of state for civil aviation said in a written reply to the Lok Sabha on Thursday.
On whether CISF has asked for installing PNR readers at the airport gates to the check illegal entry, Sinha replied in affirmation.
"CISF has requested for uniform format in e-tickets together with bar coding on the same and barcode reader at departure entry gates to prevent use of fake e-tickets," he said.
21/07/16 PTI/Times of India

Read More

Airport oustees get compensation

Nellore: District administration handed over compensation to the farmers who gave their lands for the proposed airport in Dagadarthi mandal on Wednesday.

District Collector M Janaki, who attended the programme in Dagardarthi, said the compensation money would be deposited into the bank accounts of the displaced through online. This would avoid irregularities in the distribution, she said and added process of compensation distribution would be documented through video recording and photos preventing future complications, she said.

The Collector said they had acquired 606.69 acres of patta, DKT, Co-operative Joint Farming Societies (CJFS) and government lands for the airport from the local people.

She informed that 336.32 acres of patta lands, 104.92 acres of DKT lands, 129.46 acres of CJFS lands, 25.41 acres of overnment lands and 10.58 acres of Poramboku lands were acquired so far.
21/07/16 Hans India

Read More

CM keen on Calicut airport expansion

Kozhikode: Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Wednesday ordered a meeting at Malappuram on August 6 to break the impasse over acquisition of 375 acres needed for expansion of the Calicut International Airport.

Local Administration Minister K.T. Jaleel will chair the meeting, to which representatives of all political parties in Malappuram (where the airport is located) will also be invited to discuss ways to speed up land acquisition.

The Chief Minister met the officials and elected representatives from Kozhikode and Malappuram districts, Calicut airport authorities and office-bearers of two chambers of commerce in Kozhikode to discuss ways to speed up land acquisition, which held the key to runway expansion and resumption of major flights.
21/07/16 The Hindu

Read More

Air India launches service from Hubballi

Hubbali: Air India launched its service between Hubballi and Bengaluru on Wednesday. Air India Flight No AI 9509 carrying 39 passengers from Bengaluru landed at the Hubballi International Airport at 5.05 p.m. Air India started the service under the Union government’s “Connecting India” programme. The national carrier will make trips on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.

The flight made its return journey with 42 passengers and four crewmen on board at 6.25 p.m.
21/07/16 The Hindu

Read More

Airports Authority of India and Indian Oil at loggerheads over induction of RIL in joint venture

New Delhi: State-owned Airports Authority of India (AAI) and Indian Oil Corp (IOC) are at loggerheads over a suggestion to induct a private company into a proposed joint venture to set up fuel supply infrastructure at AAI-run airports.

The AAI has named Reliance Industries (RIL) as its choice and suggested to offer it a 10% stake in the proposed venture with IOC and two other state-run fuel suppliers, Hindustan Petroleum (HPCL) and Bharat Petroleum (BPCL). RIL supplies fuel at 17 AAIrun airports. IOC, the top fuel supplier, opposes this, saying that a private company can use the JV's infrastructure to supply fuel, but cannot become a shareholder in it.

"We have written to the aviation ministry in June requesting them to take up the issue with the petroleum ministry," said a senior AAI official, who did not want to be named. IOC reports to the petroleum ministry.
21/07/16 Mihir Mishra/Economic Times

Read More

Directive on giving up land near airport

Thiruvananthapuram : Within two days of the government giving approval to acquire eight hectares of land for the development of Thiruvananthapuram International Airport, those willing to surrender land have been asked to submit their consent along with other documents within one week.

The owners of the land identified for acquisition in Pettah and Muttathara villages have been asked to submit the copy of the receipt of the latest land tax remitted by them and the anticipated amount to the Special Tahsildar, Land Acquisition, Airport, at the Collectorate.

District Collector Biju Prabhakar said those surrendering land would get the market price of the land, cost of the building in the land being surrendered and trees to be axed, and compensation as per the Karamana-Kaliyikkavila NH package.

The cost of the land will be decided through talks with the owners, the Collector said. Those owning land near the plots identified for acquisition may also give their consent to the authorities in surrendering the land. The decision to go ahead with the acquisition is based on the July 18 meeting convened by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan. With this, the prospect of a modern domestic terminal near the international terminal complex has brightened.
21/07/16 The Hindu

Read More

Third aerobridge coming up at airport

Tiruchi: The international airport here is poised to have a third aerobridge in the coming months.

Infrastructure work was being carried out and it was expected to be completed by August. Officials said the aerobridge would be commissioned by the end of this year.

The airport handled over 11 lakh passengers during the 2015-16 financial year and the aerobridge would be yet another add on facility. The airport has seen a steady increase in the number of overseas flight services as well as passengers over the years. Thus, the need for a third aerobridge was felt.
21/07/16 R. Rajaram/The Hindu

Read More

Aishwarya Rai Bachchan's mother Brinda Rai gets hurt in airport scuffle

Ashwarya Rai Bachchan was on Thursday, returning from her short vacation in London with daughter Aaradhya and mother Brinda Rai. On her arrival she was flocked by photographers and her bodyguards had a little scuffle with the media at the airport. When the bodyguards tried to push back the photographers, Brinda Rai fell in the commotion.

According to a report in The Indian Express Aishwarya walked out of the airport with her daughter and mother and proceeded to her car. When the media tried to continue taking pictures of them, her bodyguards reportedly got aggressive and started forcefully pushing them away. In the scuffle, a cameraman lost his balance and fell on Aishwarya’s mother, who tumbled down and hurt her head.
21/07/16 DNA

Read More