Showing posts with label Airports Jul 2019. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Airports Jul 2019. Show all posts

Wednesday, July 31, 2019

Ethiopian Airlines To Add Bengaluru To Its Indian Flight Network

Ethiopian Airlines and SKYTRAX Certified Four Star Global Airline, has announced that it will start passenger flights to Bengaluru, India starting October 27, 2019.

Bengaluru, the capital of the Indian state of Karnataka, is dubbed ‘Silicon Valley of India’ and serves as the center of technology and innovation.

Commenting on the upcoming services, Group CEO of Ethiopian Airlines, Tewolde GebreMariam, remarked, “Ethiopian Airlines is a significant player in connecting India and Africa and beyond. The new four weekly flights will connect the important ICT hub city of Bengaluru to the ever-expanding Ethiopian network in addition to our twice daily flights each to the commercial city of Mumbai and the Capital New Delhi. The flights will also complement our existing dedicated freighter flights to/from Bengaluru.
31/07/19 EABW

Leaking infrastructure! Portion of ceiling slab falls at Mumbai airport’s T2

In a major embarrassment for the Mumbai International Airport management authority, a portion of the ceiling slab fell down at T2 terminal of Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport (BOM). Water leakage is suspected to be the reason behind the unfortunate incident, as per reports. Even though no one was injured, the incident raises questions on the quality of infrastructure at airports and its sustainability during monsoon season when heavy rains lash various parts of the country. The incident took place at 10:30 pm on Tuesday.

This is not the first time that such incident has taken place at Mumbai Airport. A few days ago videos of the leaking roof at T2 were doing rounds on social media. This happened after heavy rains in the financial capital of India. Mumbai International Airport Limited then cited damaged pipe as the prime reason for this. Last week, an aircraft of Vistara airline suffered damage after an empty baggage carrier collided with it when gusts of wind forced it to roll off. On July 2, a SpiceJet aircraft overshot the main runway and got stuck at Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport forcing cancellation of flights.
Terminal 2 (T2) at Mumbai’s Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport was inaugurated in January 2014 by the then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. Commercial operations at T2 commenced on February 12 in 2014. It was constructed through the PPP (public-private partnership) model. GVK Industries Ltd, the majority shareholder in the airport, then stated that the terminal was built at a total cost of Rs 5,500 crore.
31/07/19 Debjit Sinha/Financial Express

Bengaluru Airport may soon witness music concerts, weddings

The Kempegowda International Airport in Bengaluru may soon become a popular destination for music concerts, weddings and even award shows as the operator, Bangalore International Airport Limited, is planning to develop a world-class arena at the airport premises. This arena will be the first of its kind to be built at an airport in India.

This arena is part of the Rs 13,000 crore airport expansion project currently underway. The overhaul process includes a new terminal, widening of access roads, metro access, cargo bays as well as a new multi-modal transport hub.

A BIAL spokesperson told TNM that the world-class concert arena will be developed on a 6.3-acre land parcel at the BLR Airport campus to cater to the growing demand for entertainment events in Bengaluru. 

It is proposed to be a cost-effective, semi-permanent marquee structure. The allotted area for this development is adjacent to the newly-built South Access Road. 

It is envisaged to have the capacity to accommodate up to 9,000 people and be capable of hosting a wide range of events such as music concerts, award shows, weddings, exhibitions, conventions, etc.

“In keeping with BIAL's vision is to make the BLR Airport the gateway to a new India and a destination in itself, this offering is part of a wide range of amenities that will keep both passengers and visitors entertained,” the spokesperson stated.

According to reports, the new arena will not hamper traffic going towards and coming from the airport. 

31/07/19 News Minute

Goa’s Second Airport at Mopa to Have Casinos And Eco Resorts

Goa is all set to get its second airport – the first being Goa International Airport at Dabolim – in Mopa. What’s creating most of the buzz is the fact that the second airport is going to be home to casinos among other things.

The state’s Chief Minister Pramod Sawant announced recently that these will be open only to passengers like most other facilities at an airport. What’s more, there is also going to be hotels to fit all kinds of budget along with wellness and eco resorts, as well as a shopping plaza.

While the state’s second airport is currently stuck over violation of environmental norms, there is no denying that it will be a game changer given the volume of tourists Goa attracts all round the year.

However, there’s a lot of speculation around the casinos in the state because of the negative impact they are said to have on local culture and environmental ecosystems. In fact, very recently, the state announced that the floating casinos on Mandovi river need to be relocated by the end of the year.
31/07/19 Charu Chowdhary/India.com

AirAsia to offer exciting deals at 3-day travel fair in Bhubaneswar

Bhubaneswar: Low-cost carrier AirAsia today announced that it will organise a three-day travel fair in the Capital City Bhubaneswar to promote tourism in India.

The travel fair will be held at Esplanade Mall in Bhubaneswar on August 2, 3 and 4. The airline will offer interesting deals and offers to the visitors making their bookings at the venue.

Participants at the travel fair can avail a discount of flat 20% for bookings made on both domestic and international flights, the airline said in a statement.
Speaking about the initiative, Sanjay Kumar, COO, AirAsia India, said, “India is a large market for travel and tourism and international tourist arrivals in India is expected to reach 30.5 million by 2028.”
31/07/19 Pragativadi

Mumbai airport spreads wings, starts direct flights to southeast Asia

Mumbai: The GVK-led Mumbai International Airport Ltd (MIAL) has expanded its reach to southeast Asia by starting direct flights to countries such as Singapore and Thailand.

The launch of SpiceJet’s newest route, Mumbai to Hong Kong, at 1.05 a.m. on Wednesday will make it the fourth non-stop international flight from Mumbai in the last 60 days (the other three being Singapore, Thailand and Riyadh). Catering to 48.8 million passengers, MIAL has witnessed an increase in passenger traffic to southeast Asian countries. A MIAL spokesperson said, “Fostering accessibility and profound connectivity to the southeast Asian countries, the Mumbai international airport will soon see an increase in the flight frequency to Bangkok and Singapore within one month.”

A total of 4,88,538 passengers (669 per day, each way) travelled the Mumbai-Bangkok-Mumbai route in 2018-19. With 24 daily flights on an average, the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (CSMIA) caters to 27% of the total passenger traffic between Mumbai and the southeast Asian countries. The spokesperson said, “The expansion of GoAir, IndiGo, Vistara and now SpiceJet flights to the existing fleet to these countries will not only boost MICE travel (meetings, incentives, conferencing, exhibitions) but also accelerate leisure tourism.”
The CSMIA also witnessed rise in passenger traffic to places in the Middle East such as Abu Dhabi, Dubai, and Muscat. During 2018-19, a total of 1,71,041 passengers (234 per day, each way) travelled the Mumbai-Abu Dhabi-Mumbai route. Similarly, 2,21,708 passengers (304 passengers per day, each way) travelled between Mumbai-Muscat-Mumbai.
31/07/19 The Hindu

Vadodara airport closed, two flights diverted to Ahmedabad

Ahmedabad/Vadodara:As torrential rains lashed Vadodara on Wednesday evening, two flights moving towards Vadodara from Mumbai and Delhi were diverted to Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport in Ahmedabad. Due to heavy rainfall, the runway at Vadodara airport got waterlogged, as a result of which the facility was forced to be shut temporarily for flight movements.
Passengers aboard IndiGo airlines flight, 6E-917, from Mumbai to Vadodara had a harrowing experience due to the flight diversion. The concerned flight, 6E-917, departed at its scheduled time around 3.30pm from Mumbai airport and was scheduled to land at 4.40pm at Vadodara. It landed at Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International (SVPI) Airport in Ahmedabad at 4.40pm, confirmed well-placed sources.
Vadodara airport director confirmed that the Vadodara airport has been closed for all flight movements, as the runway is waterlogged.
31/07/19 Niyati Parikh/Times of India

Nearly 5 lakh flew between Mumbai and Bangkok last fiscal

Mumbai: Over four lakh passengers travelled between Mumbai and Bangkok in the last fiscal year. With a slew of new flights to be launched in the next month, the numbers are only set to rise - not just to Bangkok, but to other south east Asian destinations as well.
The Jet Airways closure in April released over 280 slots at the congested airport. It has been a boon to airlines, especially fast-expanding, low-cost airlines as they no longer need to wait for the Navi Mumbai airport to connect Mumbai to medium and short haul international destinations in south east Asia and the Middle East.
A total of 4,88,538 passengers (669 per day, each way) travelled between Mumbai-Bangkok-Mumbai in the fiscal year 2018-19, said an international airport spokesperson, adding there are 24 daily flights between Mumbai and southeast Asian countries. A number of airlines announced launch of flights to Bangkok and Singapore in the next month.
31/07/19 Times of India

Toilet cart hits parked aircraft, causes damage

New Delhi: A toilet cart being operated by a ground handler hit a parked SpiceJet Boeing 737 at Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport, damaging the bottom of the aircraft.
The incident happened on Monday and there were no passengers inside the plane at the time, officials said. Sources said the toilet cart, operated by ground-handling company Bird Worldwide Flight Services (BWFS), had come to service the flight according to the standard procedures. While doing so, the cart accidentally reversed and hit the plane.
A SpiceJet spokesperson said the aircraft was grounded after the hit. "A SpiceJet Boeing 737 aircraft parked in Bay 83L at the Delhi airport was hit by a toilet cart operated by BWFS on July 29. The cart had come to service the said aircraft. The driver was reversing the cart when it hit the aircraft. The aircraft has been grounded," he said.
Sources said the plane will be checked before it was allowed to operate again. "An assessment will be carried out as the aircraft was damaged," said a source.
A BWFS statement said, "We are aware of the incident. We are investigating the matter internally and will make appropriate improvements to help prevent or minimise future recurrence. We are also fully cooperating with the inspection being undertaken by DGCA and DIAL. We are cognisant of our responsibilities and aim to ensure passenger and staff safety".
31/07/19 Times of India

Calicut Airport to resume opers of wide-body aircrafts from early next month

Kozhikode: Calicut International Airport in Karipur is poised to regain its past glory
and is likely to widen its horizon, thanks to the decision of Air India and Emirates Airlines to
resume operations of their wide-body aircrafts from early August besides likely introduction of
direct flights to western destinations by airline majors like Emirates.
It was early this month that the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has granted
permission to Air India and Emirates to resume operations of their jumbo aircrafts from
Karipur.
However, the permission to operate jumbo flights would be restricted to daytime for the first six
months and then permit round the clock, on satisfying standards of safety.
The DGCA had imposed a ban for these airliners to operate big carriers from Karipur over
runway safety concerns, since May 2015. A wide-body aircraft is a passenger aeroplane which
has atleast seven seats across and could accommodate two passenger aisles. The operation of
wide-body aircraft was banned in the aftermath of the inquiry report on the Air India Express
Boeing crash in Mangaluru Airport in May 2010.
Following this, the Airports Authority of India (AAI) had carried out several mitigation measures
including re-carpeting and grading of the runway that has been long overdue. The authority had
also installed touch-down zone lights to facilitate the operation of wide-bodied aircrafts.
However, the restrictions resulted in withdrawing big planes by Air India, Saudia and Emirates
airlines who shifted their operations to Cochin International Airport.
31/07/19 UNI

Alliance Air plans to revive grounded Pune-Nashik flight

Pune: Alliance Air, a subsidiary of national carrier Air India, plans to take over Air Deccan’s Pune-Nashik route, suspended since last October.
Three months ago, Alliance Air started a Pune-Belagavi flight under the national regional connectivity scheme (UDAN).
An Air India official confirmed they were mulling the move. “It is still in the planning stage,” the official said.
Officials in the know said Alliance Air could start the route in two months. “Air Deccan had won four flights from Maharashtra under UDAN — Jalgaon-Mumbai, Mumbai-Jalgaon, Pune-Nashik and Nashik-Pune. However, the carrier suspended all four flights in October last year due to operational reasons,” a source said.
31/07/19 Times of India

West Bengal: Flight plans grounded at Cooch Behar

Kolkata: The fledgling Cooch Behar airport has become an unlikely casualty in the face-off between West Bengal government and the Centre.

The airport which was to become operational from early August will likely miss the date.

On Sunday, over 40 West Bengal police personnel posted at the airport were withdrawn. This puts the security and safety of the airport at stake.

There were 46 police personnel of state police deployed on duty for the past few months. Even the armed police in the security zone have been taken off. No reason for their withdrawal has been forthcoming.

Airport authorities are clueless since the state administration has not conveyed anything in writing to them.

On Saturday a nine-seater had landed on a trial run.

Cooch Behar Airport Director Biplab Mandal said, "I do not know what has happened. We saw fewer state police on Saturday night. From Sunday afternoon there is no state police in the whole airport.

The airport authorities said the administration was informed about the Saturday’s trial run. According to the rules, fire tenders and police personnel are required to be present at the airport. However, on the night of the flight, the state withdrew the police.
31/07/19 Manogya Loiwal/India Today

CISF men rescue minor girls at Coimbatore airport who ran away from home

New Delhi: Upset with their parents, two 10-year-old girls ran away from their homes in Thirupur to Coimbatore where they were rescued by CISF personnel, a senior official said.
On late Tuesday night, the girls who were school friends came to Coimbatore from from Udumalpet (Thirupur), travelling a distance of over 70 km, he said.
The class 5 students used their pocket money to purchase bus tickets.
As they sat at the Coimbatore airport in their school uniforms looking lost, the Central Industrial Security Force personnel displayed presence of mind and alerted the local police, he said.
The police contacted their parents and handed over the girls to them, he said.
31/07/19 PTI/India Today

New parking policy at M'luru airport from Aug 1

Mangaluru: In line with the new parking policy of the Airports Authority of India, Mangaluru International Airport (MIA) will be implementing the new parking management system from August 1.
MIA Director V V Rao said that, as per the new parking charges, coaches, buses and trucks will be charged Rs 30 for up to 30 minutes. For cars and other vehicles, it will be Rs 20 and for two-wheelers, it will be Rs 10.
The rates for 30 to 120 minutes (two hours) are Rs 70 for coaches, buses and trucks; Rs 60 for tempos, SUVs and mini buses, Rs 55 for cars and Rs 15 for two-wheelers.
After two hours, the rate will be increased by Rs 10 an hour up to seven hours and Rs 5 for two-wheelers. The parking rates from 7 hours up to 24 hours will be 300% of 30 minutes to 120 minutes and every 24 hour or part thereof.
With this new system, passengers will have seamless ease of movement to and from the airport without being stopped or blocked at the entry or exit roads. The parking charges are payable by vehicles entering the designated parking area only.
31/07/19 Naina JA/Deccan Herald

India's Africa connect gets stronger with new non-stop flight routes

Mumbai: Air connectivity between India and Africa has got a boost with three new services to Ethiopia, Kenya and Tanzania. Around two million passengers flew between India and Africa in twelve months ending May, a growth of four per cent over the previous year.
Air Tanzania introduced a thrice-weekly service between Mumbai and Dar es Salaam in July, establishing the first direct connection between the two countries since 2010. Air India is resuming flights between Mumbai and Nairobi from September-end and Ethiopian Airlines is launching an Addis Ababa-Bengaluru service on October 27, the first non-stop connection between South India and continental Africa.
Over 80 per cent of the traffic between India and Africa flies via a hub and direct connections are limited. Currently there are non-stop flights from India to only seven countries in Africa which includes the islands of Mauritius and Seychelles. South Africa, Mauritius, Egypt, Kenya and Nigeria are the key destinations on the continent. South Africa is the largest destination for Indians and around 800 passengers fly between two countries daily. However there are no direct flights.
"Ethiopian Airlines is a significant player in connecting India with Africa and beyond. The new four-weekly flights will connect the important ICT hub of Bengaluru to the ever-expanding Ethiopian network," said Tewolde GebreMariam, group CEO, Ethiopian Airlines. The airline hopes to tap student and medical tourism traffic between India and Africa. Ethiopian Airlines could provide easy connections to other cities in South India via Bengaluru.
31/07/19 Aneesh Phadnis/Business Standard

Workshop on prevention of wildlife trafficking held at Raipur airport

Raipur: Wild Life Crime Control Bureau (WCCB), Jabalpur in coordination with Airports Authority of India (AAI) conducted a one-day        awareness training programme on “Prevention of wildlife crime and trafficking / smuggling of wildlife products” at Swami Vivekananda Airport, Raipur on Tuesday.

Around 40 airport officials from AAI, BCAS, CISF, Indigo Airlines, Vistara Airlines and Air India,    mainly engaged in screening / checking / operational duties participated in the workshop.

Regional deputy director, WCCB, Jabalpur A. Roy Chowdhury briefed the participants about various aspects of Wildlife Protection Act, 1972 and explained to them in details about various endangered species of        animals and plants and how to       control their trafficking.

He also explained legality and procedures to be followed on      detection of prohibited animal or plant products during check-in at   airport.
31/07/19 Pioneer

Man held with fake ticket at IGI

Delhi: A man was apprehended by CISF personnel at Delhi airport for allegedly using a fake ticket to enter the terminal area, an official said on Tuesday.
Divyansh Gupta was apprehended late on Monday when he was leaving T3, the official said. Gupta told the official that he used a cancelled ticket to Mumbai for entering the terminal to see off his girlfriend . Gupta has been handed over to the police.
31/07/19 PTI/Times of India

Tuesday, July 30, 2019

DGCA suspends flying licences of 2 SpiceJet pilots for one year

Aviation regulator Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) on Monday suspended the licences of two SpiceJet pilots for one year for overshooting the main runway at Mumbai’s Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport which shut down runway 09/27 for 90 hours earlier this month.
 A senior DGCA official said the two pilots – Capt Ajinkya Hanchate and Capt Tushar Dasgupta – have also been asked to undergo corrective training after a preliminary probe by a DGCA team indicated that their final landing approach was unstabilised and the Boeing 737 aircraft touched down at high speed, approximately 1600 metres from the runway threshold, consuming half of runway 27.
The official said after one year suspension, Dasgupta would fly as first officer for six months or for 300 hours, whichever is earlier.
 The incident took place on July 1when a SpiceJet aircraft, SG-6237, operating from Jaipur to Mumbai tried to land amid heavy rain and veered off the runway.
 30/07/19 Mumbai Mirror

Air India to Launch Direct Lucknow-Jeddah Flight from Winter

Mumbai: Disinvestment-bound flag carrier Air India plans to launch a direct flight to the Saudi commercial hub and port city of Jeddah from Lucknow, beginning from the winter schedule.
Currently, the airline operates a daily flight to Jeddah from the UP capital via New Delhi. With the direct flight, the journey time from Lucknow will come down by 3 hrs, Air India said Monday.
Air India deploys an Airbus 320 on the Lucknow-Delhi leg and then in a wide-body Boeing 787 (Dreamliner) to Jeddah from the national Capital with about 1.20 hrs transit time.
"Air India is set to launch a daily direct flight from Lucknow to Jeddah from the winter. Currently this flight is operated via New Delhi," Air India said in a statement.
29/07/19 PTI/News18

Built for Asiad '82, Centaur Hotel at Delhi Airport to shut down by October-end

New Delhi: The once-iconic Centaur Hotel at Delhi Airport that was built for Asiad 1982 along with terminal 2 (T2) will shut down by October-end. The land is required for the upcoming expansion of IGI Airport (IGIA). "As per directions of aviation ministry, the land parcel occupied by Centaur Hotel and Chefair Flight Catering is to be handed over to Airports Authority of India (AAI) by November 30, 2019… it had been decided to case operation of Centaur hotel by October 31, 2019. Thus Centaur Hotel, Delhi, will be able to accommodate SOD (staff on duty) in the hotel till October 31. Hence it is requested that alternate arrangements may kindly be made for their hotel accommodation accordingly," a note by Hotel Corporation of India (Centaur parent company, a subsidiary of Air India) VP J Rajakumar to AI on Monday said.
Centaur currently has two hotels - Delhi and Srinagar - as others like those in Mumbai have been sold off earlier. The aviation ministry has been trying to work out a way to minimise the pain for employees of Centaur Delhi by arranging for a gold handshake.
According to IGIA's hugely delayed expansion plans, which Delhi International Airport Pvt Ltd (DIAL) gave out two years back, Centaur was to be demolished in 2019 to make way for a MRO (maintenance, repair and overhaul) facility at the airport, DIAL's then CEO IP Rao had said then.
30/07/19 Times of India

Lucknow: Another direct flight to Jeddah from October

Lucknow: Passengers for Saudi Arabia will have one more direct flight option from the city, thanks to Air India's plans to fly non-stop to Jeddah from October.

Currently, Saudi Arabian Airlines operates the only direct flight from Lucknow with a seating capacity of around 280 passengers. The journey to the port city in Saudi Arabia is covered in around six hours. Hopping flights can cost a passenger at least six hours more.

Air India has a Jeddah flight via New Delhi, which takes around 12 hours. The new direct flight will slash travel time by six hours. The expected departure time from Lucknow is 2am.

Spokesperson for Air India Dhananjay Kumar told TOI that a Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft would be deployed on the Lucknow-Jeddah route in October.
There are 238 seats in the economy class and 18 in business class. The aircraft has unique features for passenger comfort such as dimming windows, soft LED lightning and easily accessible stowage bin.
30/07/19 Urooj Khan/Times of India

Anti-encroachment drive outside Jammu airport

Jammu: Nearly half a dozen structures including some shops were demolished in an anti-encroachment drive outside the Jammu Airport on Monday, officials said.
The structures had come up illegally along the boundary wall of the airport on the main road over a decades ago, the officials said.

They said the district administration had served notices on the parties concerned and moved a JCB to retrieve the encroached land.

A large posse of policemen led by senior officers were present during the drive which was undertaken despite resistance of the affected people who demanded adequate compensation for the structures, the officials said.
29/07/19 Outlook

KIA air-taxi service may take longer to resume as BIAL rejects helipad proposal

Bengaluru: The heli-taxi shuttle service between Kempegowda International Airport (KIA) and Electronics City, which was temporarily grounded in May, may take longer to be up and running again, said officials of Thumby Aviation, which ran the service.

The heli-taxi service operator identified a two-acre land near the upcoming New South Parallel Runway (NSPR) recently to set up a new helipad and signed deals with the property owner, but the proposal was turned down by Bangalore International Airport Ltd (BIAL) last week, forcing it to scout for land again.

BIAL said the proposed site was too “close to NSPR” and wrote to Thumby Aviation in April, asking them to vacate the helipad — located between the old runway and NSPR — by May 15.

The heli-taxi service became operational in March 2018, using helipads the company had built on the airport campus and in Electronics City Phase I. The service is currently being operated from Jakkur Aerodrome to Electronics City. Passengers are being ferried in a car between Jakkur Aerodrome and KIA, which adds about 25 minutes to their journey.
30/07/19 Swathy R Iyer/Times of India

Bokaro Airport readies for commercial flights

Bokaro: Air Connectivity will soon become a reality in Bokaro. Under the Regional Connectivity Scheme (RCS) ‘Flight services’ (commercial) from Bokaro are scheduled to be started by 10 October this year.

Air strip is ready and formal load testing of the strip has been done (by landing of SAIL's aeroplane), informed an official. Air routes have been allotted (to Spice Jet), the City to be connected from Kolkata and Patna, informed an official of Bokaro Airport.

Recently, Civil Aviation Minister Hardeep Singh Puri announced that there are 706 air routes under RCS scheme to connect small cities. Besides Bokaro-Kolkata and Bokaro-Patna three other air routes has been allotted in Jharkhand includes Jamshedpur-Kolkata, Dukmka-Kolkata and Dumka-Ranchi.

Aiming to increase activities in small towns, boost industries and create jobs for the people the Central Government launched the Regional Air Connectivity Scheme, under this scheme Ranchi, Bokaro, Jamshedpur, Palamu, Dumka, Daltonganj and other cities to be air-linked.

Construction work of airstrip, terminal building, ATC tower, taxi track, ring road including others are in full swing at Deoghar. For expansion of Dhalbhumghar airport an MoU has been signed between AAI and State government, sources said.

Meanwhile, Bokaro airport is brimming with activity for expanding its capacity under UDAN (Ude Desh Ka Aam Nagrik) scheme; the construction work of the runway has been completed now, other works are being carried out in full swing, said R Singh of JMD construction.

Notably, AAI has allotted works to the Jai Mata Di Construction, East India Construction Company and Creative Construction.
Air Traffic Control (ATC) tower was installed and now Bokaro airport is technically ready, said the official.  With the investment of Rs 8 crore, this ATC tower has been installed by AAI; It can be moved at any locations while its heights are also adjustable according to the requirements are the advantage of this tower, he said.
30/07/19 Pioneer

CCI clears GVK Group's additional stake buy in Mumbai Airport

The Competition Commission has approved acquisition of ACSA Global's 10 per cent stake in Mumbai International Airport by GVK Airport Holdings in a deal worth Rs 924 crore.
In March, GVK Power & Infrastructure had said its step-down subsidiary GVK Airport Holdings will acquire 12 crore shares or 10 per cent stake in Mumbai International Airport (MIAL) for Rs 924 crore from ACSA Global.
Earlier, GVK Airport Holdings had purchased 13.5 per cent stake in MIAL from Bidvest.
With the completion of 10 per cent stake buy from ACSA, GVK Group's shareholding in MIAL will increase to 74 per cent from the existing 50.5 per cent, GVK Power & Infrastructure had said in a statement.
29/07/19 Moneycontrol.com

SVPI told to study anti-bird strategies

Ahmedabad: Authorities of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International (SVPI) Airport in Ahmedabad have been asked to study the bird-hit mitigation measures undertaken by other national and international airports.
Mitigating incidents of bird strikes was one of the key issues discussed during the Airport Environment Management Committee (AEMC) meeting held at Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International (SVPI) airport in Ahmedabad on Monday. Representatives of Airports Authority of India (AAI), Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) and city police department were present in the meeting along with additional chief secretary (ACS), environment and forests, of the government of Gujarat, Rajiv Gupta.
“The ACS asked the airport authorities to study the measures taken by other national and international airports and the technology they have adopted to successfully keep bird strike incidents under check and accordingly, prepare a report on its implementation at the SVPI airport,” said a senior official on condition of anonymity.
Earlier this year, AAI had outsourced a study on bird sightings on the SVPI airport campus to Salim Ali Centre for Ornithology and Natural History (SACON) in Chennai.
30/07/19 Times of India

AAI officials inspect Mamnoor airstrip

Warangal: A team of officials from Airport Authority of India (AAI) has on Monday inspected Mamnoor airstrip for an on-site assessment to study the feasibility of reviving it. The DGM Amith Kumar and AGM Ajay Gupta accompanied by Wardhannapet MLA Aroori Ramesh inspected the airstrip. Ajay Gupta said that they have made note of land available for the airstrip.
A design will be prepared based on the on-site assessment, he added. "With Kakatiya Mega Textile Park coming up in Warangal, there is an imperative need for reviving the Mamnoor airport that was closed long ago.
The Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao is keen to make it happen," Aroori Ramesh said. It may be mentioned here that Mamnoor airport of the Nizam-era is once regarded as the biggest in the country went in-operational some three decades ago.
30/07/19 Hans India

Mumbai airport flight update! Above 200 flights delayed by monsoon rains

In the past few days, Mumbai has witnessed very heavy rains, which has resulted in massive delays at Mumbai airport - the  Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport. It has led various airlines to warn passengers about the need to check their flight status to or from Mumbai while travelling. The Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus on Friday had witnessed 241 arrivals and departures delayed within a span of just 18 hours.

According to the Mumbai airport website, 133 flights were delayed during departure including both domestic and international airlines today. Majority of flights were delayed between 12 PM till 03 PM.

Similarly, approximately 108 flights were delayed (arrivals) at Mumbai airport. For arrivals, majority flights were delayed from 03 PM to 06 PM, with more delays to follow.
29/07/19 ZeeBiz

GMR plans to double the capacity of Hyderabad Airport

GMR Hyderabad International Airport (GHIAL) is planning to invest around Rs85bn ($1.23bn) to upgrade various facilities at the Rajiv Gandhi International Airport (RGIA) in Hyderabad, India.

The investment is aimed at doubling the airport’s capacity from the existing 25 million passengers per annum (MPPA) to 50 MPPA, according to The Times of India.

GHIAL, which manages RGIA, has already submitted an application to the Expert Appraisal Committee (EAC) of the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF).

The application, which is currently pending before MoEF, has sought environmental clearance for the airport expansion.
Originally built to cater to the needs of around 12 MPPA, the airport’s existing Terminal 1 (T1) handled 21.4 million passengers in 2018-19, an increase of 17% from 18.3 million passengers in 2017-18.

GHIAL said that the airport does not require additional land for the proposed expansion of the facilities as it already has 5,495 acres of land.

If the expansion plan is approved, it would take up to six years for construction to be completed. The expansion work is likely to create direct employment for over 5,000 local residents, as well as double the number of indirect jobs.
30/07/19 Airport Technology

Monday, July 29, 2019

Congress attacks government on airport privatisation

New Delhi: The Congress on Sunday attacked the Union government over a move to privatise 20-25 airports, alleging it was like every other decision of the Narendra Modi government that has ended up “benefiting” big private players “but goes against the common man”.

On Friday, Guruprasad Mohapatra, chairman, Airports Authority of India, had said the government, which had privatised six airports earlier, would privatise 20-25 more in the next phase.

Congress spokesperson Pawan Khera claimed the aviation ministry had ignored the recommendations of the government think tank Niti Aayog and the department of economic affairs.

Both, he told a media conference, were not in favour of awarding one private group the contract for more than two airports.
He also said that only 14 of 123 Indian airports had made profits and five of the profit-making ones had been handed over to one private company.

“We have been from time to time bringing before you facts which reveal and expose that every decision taken by the Modi government ends up benefiting and profiting big corporates, but goes against the common Indian,” the Congress spokesperson said.
29/07/19 PTI/Telegraph

Thakur asks FM to speed up airport project

Shimla: Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur on Sunday urged Finance Minister Niramala Sitharaman to speed up the international airport project near Sundarnagar, demand funds for loss in revenue due to the GST implementation.

Thakur, along with other Chief Minister, raised a pitch for allocation of more funds for marinating forest cover, meeting post-devolution deficit for sustainable development to make 10 Himalayan states as the participants in the 5-trillion economy as targeted by the Centre.

He raised these issues while speaking at a conclave of Chief Ministers of 10 Himalayan states organised by the Integrated Mountain Initiative (IMI) at Mussoorie in partnership with the Uttarakhand government. Later, the Chief Ministers passed and signed a resolution and presented it to the Finance Minister, Chairman, 15th Finance Commission, and Vice-Chairman of the NITI Ayog for action.
Thakur said, “Himachal is not facing migration from villages like other Himalayan states, but we need more funds for expanding rail, road and air connectivity and urged the Centre for speeding up the airport project near Sundernagar.” Himachal had witnessed a huge fall in income from the GST, urging the Finance Commission for proper evacuation of GST for the remaining 33 months for the state.
29/07/19 Tribune

AAI conference focuses on sustainable airport planning

Top Airports Authority of India (AAI) executives participated in the second edition of a two-day annual conference from July 25-27. The theme for this year’s conference was 'Sustainability for Future Operations, in Financial, Operational and Environmental Domains'.

The conference, inaugurated by Guruprasad Mohapatra, chairman, AAI, is held to apprise the senior leaders of the current business scenario and strategies to achieve corporate goals.

In his welcome address, Anuj Aggarwal, member (HR) highlighted the positive changes in the civil aviation industry which has projected AAI on a rapid growth trajectory. He also mentioned that AAI has to not only focus on generating a healthy stream of profits, but also has to contribute towards nation building while furthering its operations.
29/07/19 ITL News

Goa airport casinos to be open to only air passengers: CM

Panaji: Only airline passengers would have access to casinos at the upcoming Mopa international airport, Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant said in the Assembly on Monday.

In a written reply to a question by BJP legislator Wilfred D''Sa, Sawant said 232 acres of land at the airport had been earmarked for commercial development.

Apart from casinos, hotels of various categories, eco-adventure and wellness resorts, as well as a shopping plaza would be constructed at the airport, he said.

The statement comes at a time when the Goa government, under pressure from the civil society and the Opposition, is in the process of relocating six offshore casinos, parked in the Mandovi river.
29/07/19 Outlook

Cops taken off duty at Cooch Behar airport

Cooch Behar: Over 40 Bengal police personnel posted at the Cooch Behar airport were withdrawn on Sunday, a day after a nine-seater aircraft had landed for a trial run.

Cooch Behar BJP MP Nisith Pramanik was on board the aircraft on Saturday and had said flights from Cooch Behar would resume next month as he had promised during the Lok Sabha election campaign.

“In total, 46 policemen had been posted for the security of the airport. From this morning, we could not find any of them. A plane is at the airport and the entire infrastructure has no security now. We are feeling insecure as the flight service will start in a couple of days. I am in a fix and have informed my senior officials,” said Biplab Mondal, the airport director.

No intimation reached him about the withdrawal of the armed policemen till Sunday afternoon, he added.
The Cooch Behar district magistrate and superintendent of police were unavailable to know the reason for the security withdrawal.

A Calcutta-based company will operate the nine-seater plane to Bagdogra and Guwahati from Cooch Behar.
29/07/19 Main Uddin Chisti/Telegraph

Civilian flights to Kargil by year-end: Jammu & Kashmir governor Satya Pal Malik

Kargil: The Kargil airport will be expanded to include a full-fledged facility for commercial flight operations by the end of this year, Jammu & Kashmir governor Satya Pal Malik told TOI on Saturday. Tenders for the Rs 200-crore project will be floated soon. The plan was sanctioned by Malik a month ago.
Heavy shelling by Pakistan during the 1999 Kargil conflict had damaged the airstrip extensively, which prompted the Centre to draw up a plan of an airport at this LoC town. The Airport Authority of India (AAI) team visited Kargil on June 20 to conduct a pre-feasibility study of the project.
The AAI report said: "The existing runway has a stretch of 6,000 feet in north-to-south direction. There is scope of extending it for a further 5,000 feet. That would make it suitable for commercial jets."
29/07/19 Rohan Dua/Times of India

Pune airport’s runway re-carpeting to be carried out only after October

Pune: The re-carpeting work of the runway at Pune airport will be taken up after October and a contractor has been finalized for the job, sources from the airport said.
The actual work will begin during the winter schedule. Sources said the preliminary work related to the project, including logistics support, was set to start at the airport soon.

“The Airports Authority of India (AAI) or the Indian Air Force (IAF) still have to announce the details of how and when the work will be carried out. The project is mainly IAF’s and we have heard some preparations have started,” an airline representative told TOI.

Specific queries on the topic were sent to the IAF through the defence public relations officer almost two weeks ago, but a reply is still awaited.

“Sourcing of equipment for the job has begun. Before the actual work on the runway starts, some other works will be initiated in the airside by the IAF. According to information, a special schedule can be created during the winter schedule which starts from October 25 and goes on till March 30 next year,” a source from the airport said.
29/07/19 Joy Sengupta/Times of India

Groundwork at Neyveli airport done, interested airlines send in bids for op

Chennai: The Neyveli airport is a step closer to opening as the ministry of civil aviation has received bids from some airlines to start flights from the airstrip under the regional connectivity scheme Udan.
The groundwork to ready the airstrip for flights has already been done by the Airports Authority of India (AAI). The ministry has no plans to open Ulundurpet airstrip as there is no demand.
A hint that Neyveli may soon be commissioned came when minister of state for civil aviation, Hardeep Singh Puri, said in response to a question in Parliament that airlines have bid for routes from Neyveli.
The ministry is looking to connect the town to Chennai through small planes. There may be a chance to start flights to Bengaluru too.
Neyveli was among the first set of airports opened for bidding under Udan. But the process was delayed as the airport was not ready and then an airline, which had made bid for routes, did not take off.
29/07/19 Times of India

SpiceJet to suspend Delhi-Jharsuguda Monday flights till Sept 30

Bhubaneswar: Domestic airline SpiceJet has decided to suspend direct flight service to Delhi from Veer Surendra Sai (VSS) Airport in Jharsuguda on Mondays.
The airline made the announcement about the discontinuation of the flight today while responding to a query of a passenger. The airline said the flights have been discontinued due to scheduled change.
Notably, the direct flight service between Delhi and Jharsuguda was launched by SpiceJet from March 31 under UDAN (Ude Desh ka Aam Nagrik) scheme.
28/07/19 Pragativadi

Air India to start Lucknow-Jeddah direct this winter

New Delhi: Air India will start a direct flight between Lucknow and Jeddah from this winter. Currently, AI links these two cities via Delhi where passengers need to change planes.
“The Lucknow-Jeddah flight will take off from about 2-2.30 am and reach the destination in just under six hours. Our Boeing 787 Dreamliner with 238 economy and 18 business seats will be deployed on this route,” said AI spokesman Dhananjay Kumar.
29/07/19 Saurabh Sinha/Times of India

Sunday, July 28, 2019

Finance Ministry, NITI Aayog guidelines ignored in airport privatisation

A Finance Ministry recommendation not to award the same player more than two airports, out of a total of six to be privatised by the Centre, was among some of the key suggestions brushed aside by the government panel for public private partnerships — the PPP Appraisal Committee (PPPAC) — effectively leading to Adani Enterprises Limited emerging as the winning bidder for all airports.

Read in detail Jagriti Chandra's exclusive story in The Hindu >>





Baggage container hits Vistara flight engine due to strong winds in Mumbai

Mumbai: Gusty winds at Mumbai airport damaged an engine of Vistara airline flight on Saturday.
The strong winds made an empty baggage container of another airline roll to one of Vistara's aircraft parked at the Mumbai airport.
The incident damaged one of the engines of the Vistara aircraft. No one was hurt in the incident but the aircraft will be grounded for some time till it is fixed.
"Gusty wind led an empty baggage container of another airline accidentally roll to one of our aircraft parked at Mumbai airport early this morning, leaving a dent on the starboard side of one of the engines," Vistara spokesperson said.
"There were no passengers or crew on board. The aircraft will be grounded for some time for repair work and consequentially affect our schedule on some routes. Inconvenience caused to customers for any delay or cancellation is regretted," Vistara spokesperson added.
27/07/19 India Today

AAI to relook at borrowing plan as govt prepares to privatise more airports

Privatisation of state-run airports has decreased the capital expenditure requirements and borrowing needs for state-run airport operator, Airports Authority of India (AAI), and the organisation is now tweaking its borrowing roadmap taking into account the income from the newly privatised airports.

In an exclusive interaction, AAI chairman Guruprasad Mohapatra, who will take charge as secretary, Department for promoters of Industry and Internal Trade from August 1, said that more airports are in the pipeline for privatisation.

Privatisation of six airports is seen as the most important development at Airports Authority of India in the recent past. Is the government looking at privatising more airports?

Privatisation has not been attempted for the first time. Earlier also, the airports of Delhi and Mumbai were privatised by the AAI and the ministry. But, this time the decision of the Union Cabinet was to go for disinvestment of six airports. So many Airports at one go and that too without losing any time was a big challenge for us. I am very happy that we did it in a record time, probably the fastest privatisation in independent India's history because of strong teamwork at AAI, strong support from ministry and Union Cabinet which endorsed those decisions.

It is a matter of happiness for us that the first privatisation where eight to nine bids were received and at quite good prices. Everything has been done on merit and there have been no controversies that are typical in this sort of massive exercise. It has been very satisfying.

For three airports, the Cabinet has approved the bids, letter of award has been given and their (Adani Group) acceptance has come. Now they have to obtain security clearance and there are a lot of processes thereafter. Two more, Jaipur and Guwahati are under consideration of the ministry for Cabinet approval. Trivandrum is also under consideration of the ministry.
27/07/19 Anu Sharma/CNBC TV18

Adani’s plan to build a commercial airport at Mundra gets green nod

Mumbai: Boeing 747 - 400 aircraft will be able to land at Mundra in close proximity to India’s biggest private port where big ships dock to load and unload cargo with the Adani Group planning to convert its private airstrip at the port complex into a full-fledged commercial airport with an investment of Rs 1,400 crore.
The expert appraisal committee (EAC) attached to the ministry of environment, forest and climate change has recommended the project – that includes a dedicated aerospace manufacturing facility- for environmental clearance, according to a document reviewed by Business Line.
The existing private airstrip at Mundra constructed over 45 hectares of land will be converted into a commercial airport spread over 522 hectares with the capability to serve the 747-400 aircraft and commissioned by 2022.
The airport will be run by Mundra International Airport Pvt Ltd, a wholly-owned unit of Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone Ltd (APSEZ), which runs India’s biggest private port at Mundra in Gujarat’s Kutch district.
The existing private airstrip has a runway with length of 1,898 metres and width of 30 metres with a 400 sqm terminal facility. The proposed length of the runway after conversion will be 4000 metres with a width of 60 m. Under the UDAN scheme, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation has allowed conversion of the private airstrip into a commercial facility to improve air connectivity in the region.
27/07/19 P Manoj/Business Line

GMR plans Rs 8.5k cr project to up Hyd airport capacity

Hyderabad: Bursting at the seams thanks to soaring passenger traffic, the GMR Hyderabad International Airport Ltd (GHIAL) has now chalked out plans to invest Rs 8500 crore in doubling the capacity of the Rajiv Gandhi International Airport (RGIA) at Shamshabad to 50 million passengers per annum (MPPA) from the ongoing approved capacity expansion of 25 million passengers per year.
GHIAL had submitted an application to this effect to the Expert Appraisal Committee (EAC) of the Union ministry of environment, forest and climate change (MoEF) seeking environmental clearance for expanding the airport capacity to 50 MPPA and the matter also came up before the panel in its meeting on July 10.
The existing terminal T1 at RGIA, which was built with a capacity to handle 12 million passengers per year, ended up handling 21.4 million passengers in financial year 2018-19, a 17% jump from the 18.3 million passengers it handled in 2017-18, a recent investor presentation submitted to the bourses said. The presentation also projected that the airport can eventually be expanded up to 80MPPA. GHIAL’s proposal to ECA said no additional land is required for the proposed expansion as it has 5,495 acres and that the project construction, which will take 5-6 years, is expected to generate direct employment of over 5,000 and double the number of indirect jobs.
28/07/19 Swati Bharadwaj/Times of India

Calicut airport privatisation: daunting task awaits Ministry

Kozhikode: A tough task awaits the Ministry of Civil Aviation that is planning to lease out the Calicut International Airport along with nine other airports managed by the Airports Authority of India (AAI) in a phased manner.

Calicut is on the list of five airports chosen for expansion in the public-private partnership (PPP) mode this year. The lease plan comes even as the Centre has not yet been able to finalise the privatisation of the Thiruvananthapuram airport as the State government has opposed its lease to the Adani Group. The State government has written to the Ministry not to privatise the Thiruvananthapuram airport where Adani Enterprises Limited (AEL) has successfully bid to operate, manage and develop for a 50-year period.

In the case of Calicut, AAI sources said the airport was not viable for commercial exploitation by leasing out space to private companies. The airport required land from the government for development activities including expansion of the runway, building complexes or parking lots, they said.
However Calicut airport has been witnessing an upward trajectory despite the commissioning of the Kannur International Airport, the second greenfield airport built on PPP model in the State.

It handled 27,48,275 international and 6,12,579 domestic passengers during the 2018-19 fiscal. The passenger volume witnessed an increase of over 7% compared to the corresponding period in 2017-18. The total revenue of the airport stood at ₹250 crore, of which 50% was profit. At present, the airport has 240 employees.
27/07/19 The Hindu

No flights of fancy at Mumbai airport after 11 cancellations

Mumbai/Panjim: The incessant rain hit flight operations at the city airport and caused water-logging in the apron area. These disruptions had a cascading effect on flight schedules across the country on Saturday.
Eleven flights, including seven departures, were cancelled, said a Mumbai International Airport Ltd (Mial) spokesperson. Besides, nine flights were diverted to other cities in the morning and pilots of eight arriving flights were forced to carry out a go-around. Arrivals and departures were delayed by an average of 30 minutes.

Flight cancellations and delays hit flyers in other cities too. "The one-hour flight from Goa to Mumbai took over 3 hours due to delay but there was no announcement at the airport, which was frustrating," said Harish Rajaraman, a passenger stranded at the Goa airport.

In Mumbai, many were stranded at both terminals as airlines try to rebook flyers of cancelled flights. About 17-18 passengers from a tour company were among the worst hit. "We arrived at Mumbai airport on Friday night to board the 12.05am Saturday GoAir flight to Delhi," said Gopi Nair, who with his family was on a holiday to Nainital and Haridwar. "The flight was cancelled due to bad weather... We spent the day at the airport and were finally put on the 6.20pm flight," Nair said.
On Friday night, inside Sahar terminal 2, a pool of water gathered in an area near boarding gates in the departure area. An airport spokesperson said it was due to dislocation of a rainwater pipeline joint which gave way under the heavy inflow of rainwater.
28/07/19 Times of India

Dubai International Airport welcomes first GoAir flight from Kerala

Dubai: Dubai International Airport (DXB) has added a new airline to its family of 70 international carriers and expanded its connectivity to a new destination.

India’s GoAir made its inaugural flight to DXB from Kannur in the South Indian state of Kerala on Thursday evening, said a statement issued by DXB on Sunday.

The airline has launched daily direct flights between DXB Terminal 1 and Kannur International Airport, making Dubai its sixth international destination.

The fast-growing airline boasts a fleet of 51 Airbus A320s and operates some 285 flights daily to 24 destinations across India. Following the launch of GoAir’s service, DXB is now served by five Indian carriers operating approximately 360 weekly flights to 21 destinations across India.
28/07/19 WAM/Gulf News

Delhi to get country's most advanced, tallest ATC tower in August

New Delhi: The capital's Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport will soon sport the country's most technologically advanced and highest Air Traffic Control (ATC) tower, which is expected to enhance the safety and the efficiency of air transport management services over the city's sky.
According to Airports Authority of India (AAI) Chairman, Guruprasad Mohapatra, the migration procedures have already commenced from the old ATC to the new tower and the process is expected to be completed before August 15.
At present, AAI which has been mandated to handle the air traffic management services at the airport is running a parallel operation to test the automation and other systems in the new facility.
The commissioning of the new tower is expected to enhance the efficiency of air traffic management services at the IGIA which is the busiest airport in India. On an average, Delhi Air Traffic Control handles more than one flight operation every minute throughout the day.
At least 1,200 landings and take-offs happen every day from Delhi airport along with overflying traffic of at least 250 planes. In all, more than 40,000 movements are handled in a month.
Besides, the new facility with its physical and technologically advanced equipment is expected to provide a more robust safety systems.
28/07/19 IANS/Economic Times

SpiceJet, Indigo likely to replace Alliance Air flight to Vij, Tirupati

Visakhapatnam: After the withdrawal of Alliance Air flights to Vijayawada and Tirupati from mid-July, other air carriers— SpiceJet and Indigo are looking to operate in these sectors.
According to sources, while Indigo is planning to operate in the Visakhapatnam to Vijayawada sector, SpiceJet is planning to operate direct flights from Visakhapatnam to Tirupati. The SpiceJet flight might well begin its operations from next month, claim sources.
The loss of air connectivity to Vijayawada— the business hub and Tirupati, a hub of spiritual tourism had hurt regular commuters.
Alliance Air, a subsidiary of Air India was operating one of its flights from Visakhapatnam to Vijayawada and Tirupati and had proposed to change its base to Hyderabad to operate to other sectors.
Representatives of the Andhra Pradesh Air Travellers’ Association (APATA) had met Air India officials in Delhi to request continuation of the flight service from Visakhapatnam to Tirupati via Vijayawada.
28/07/19 Times of India

Unattended bag triggers panic at KIA

Bengaluru:  A travel bag containing clothes, which was left unattended, sent security personnel and police into tizzy at the Kempegowda International Airport (KIA) on Saturday morning.
Around 7.30am, a passenger who had landed from Mumbai left his bag on a metal chair and went to the restroom. “From the toilet, he headed to an eatery to buy coffee and breakfast. By then, another passenger grew suspicious and alerted a Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) personnel, who in turn informed others,” a source said. In no time, four CISF sleuths with handheld metal detectors arrived at the spot and checked the bag. Soon, the owner of the bag returned with a sandwich and coffee.
28/07/19 Times of India

Jaipur woman pilot lands first Boeing 777 at city airport

Jaipur: A Boeing 777 landed for the first time at the Jaipur International Airport on Friday afternoon. It is the world’s largest twin-jet engine aircraft which usually operates from Delhi and Mumbai.
The aircraft was piloted by Captain Parul Shekhawat, whose parents reside in Jaipur and who has been flying for last 14 years. The flight on Friday carried 340 Haj pilgrims.
“The landing of Boeing 777 was not possible before 2017 due to expansion of the runway at the Jaipur International Airport and this is the first scheduled flight which landed here for Haj pilgrims since it has a very large capacity for passengers,” said an airport official. Previously, Haj passengers would usually fly in Boeing 747 which is also a part of the Air India fleet. Nearly 6,000 Haj passengers are flying in this season, with first flight to the holy passage taking off earlier this month.
28/07/19 Times of India

10 flights delayed at Ahmedabad airport

Ahmedabad: The departures of some 10 flights to various destinations in India and abroad were delayed from Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International (SVPI) Airport in Ahmedabad on Saturday. According to well-placed sources, some six flights to Mumbai operated by different airlines were delayed by an hour, leaving passengers with little choice but to be held up at the city airport. Sources confirmed that bad weather in Mumbai triggered by heavy rainfall led to the delay in departure of these flights.
Poor weather conditions in Mumbai on Friday too had caused diversion of some Mumbai-bound flights from other destinations to Ahmedabad. Sources confirmed that the city airport handled some eight flight diversions. These include three IndiGo Airline flights going to Mumbai in addition to one Mumbai-bound flight each operated by GoAir, SpiceJet and Air India.
28/07/19 Times of India

Corruption continues at Mumbai airport’s Air Cargo Complex

Even after several recent cases of customs officers being suspended for aiding and abetting in smuggling at the Air Cargo Complex at Mumbai, the organised corruption racket continues unabated at the Cargo Complex.

In October 2015, a major smuggling racket in connivance with corrupt customs officers was busted at Sahar Air Cargo by the Air Preventive Unit (APU) wherein 100 kgs of Silver Jewellery and 20000 pieces of pen drives were seized. The value of the goods was more than Rs 2 crores. Sources inform that the vigilance action against the customs officers in this case has been aborted.

In another case in September 2018, the CBI trapped and arrested an Assistant Commissioner of Customs at Air Cargo Complex and booked another Appraiser in a case of demand and acceptance of a bribe of Rs 2,000 from the complainant for assessment of bills of entry and final assessment of his consignment.

Then, last year two Assistant Commissioners and several Appraisers and Examiners from Cargo Complex were suspended for involvement in separate cases in smuggling of guns as toys without police No Objection Certificate (NoC) and clearance of mobile covers and accessories at low values causing huge loss of import duty. The departmental vigilance cases against these officers are still pending while in the case of five examiners, chargesheets have been filed under the Prevention of Corruption Act (PCA) by the CBI.

Despite so many officers being caught for their involvement in aiding and abetting smuggling, corruption at Air Cargo Complex continues unabated. In a well organised modus operandi, the officers, (mostly at the level of IRS Group A) utilise the services of trusted CHA boys, known as collectors, to receive bribes on their behalf for allowing imports at the lowest values or by overlooking conditions and restrictions imposed under the Tariff Act for their imports. The government loses a huge amount of revenue on this account while the importers and corrupt officers fill their pockets.
In recent cases, involvement of several Assistant and Deputy Commissioners posted at the Cargo Complex have been detected by the Air Cargo Vigilance Department including one case of huge financial transactions for purchase of benami property through a Customs Broker Jitendra Bajpayee alias Jitu. The Deputy Commissioner is now posted at the Mumbai International Airport.
28/07/19 Rajiv Singh/India Legal

Saturday, July 27, 2019

Airlines shy away from Kerala’s Jet Airways' routes

TThiruvananthapuram: he Union Government decision to allot the slots vacated by the grounded Jet Airways to other airlines has proved costly for the state as no major airlines have come forward to take up the slots vacated by the defunct airline. Further, as if this was not enough, some of the other airlines which received the slots of Jet Airways from metro cities have withdrawn the aircraft from Kerala in order to cash in on the more economically viable routes from there. 
According to sources, around four flights from Kochi to various destinations have been hit after airlines such as Indigo and Spicejet withdrew their aircrafts from here to deploy them on other more economically viable routes during peak times. There were around 13 daily flights to various destinations including overseas destinations from Kochi for Jet Airways. None of the airlines, which were allotted the slots, have come forward to offer service on Jet Airways routes.
When Adoor Prakash, MP, pointed out in the Parliament, that various airlines were charging exorbitant rates on the Kerala-Gulf routes, Union Civil Aviation Minister Hardeep Sing Puri said that in the wake of drop in overseas services following the grounding of Jet Airways, the ministry has temporarily allocated those routes to other airlines even on international sectors including India - Gulf sector to facilitate the passenger movement.
Though Kerala-Gulf sector was a profitable route for many airlines, the slots vacated by Jet have no major takers till now in the international sector. There were three international flights for Jet to Gulf from Thiruvananthapuram international airport besides one Mumbai-Trivandrum domestic service. The three international routes are still vacant and the domestic route was taken over by Spicejet. In the case of Kozhikode Airport, there were three international and two domestic flights from there before Jet Airways was grounded. All those slots are now vacant, one of the airport officials said.
As per the bilateral flying rights of Jet Airways with five countries, which were previously allocated to them have now been temporarily given to Air India and Air India Express till the end of the summer schedule this year. As per the bilateral rights, for instance, the Jet had 5,852 seats per week in the India-Dubai sector and 5,670 seats per week in India-Qatar sector. The Union government recently suspended giving ‘point of call’ for the foreign airlines companies in the airports here to support domestic companies. But even after this, there are no takers.
27/07/19 Dhinesh Kallungal/New Indian Express

AAI's role needs to be redefined in wake of privatisation efforts: Chairman Guruprasad Mohapatra

Airport Authority of India (AAI) Chairman Guruprasad Mohapatra said "In the wake of privatisation effort, the role of AAI needs to be redefined. The government will take the final call AAI need not be there, where there is a private operator who can operate, but we certainly need to look up to those area where private sector will not come. Whatever money we get form the private sector disinvestment that we have done in the favour of the private sector is the money we need to plough back into these unviable places."
27/07/19 ANI/Yahoo!

Government plans to lease out 20-25 more airports

New Delhi: Central government plans to lease out 20-25 more airports in the country, a senior official said on Friday.
According to Airports Authority of India Chairman Guruprasad Mohapatra, these airports will have substantial passenger traffic of 1-1.5 million annually.
Last year, the government approved a proposal to leasing out of six airports — Ahmedabad, Jaipur, Lucknow, Guwahati, Thiruvananthapuram and Mangaluru — for operation, management and development under the Public Private Partnership (PPP).
This was Mohapatra’s last media interaction as AAI Chairman. He will assume his new responsibilities as Secretary of Department of Industry and Internal Trade from August 1.
27/07/19 IANS/Statesman

Airport sets up remote check-in, scan facility in New Town for Haj pilgrims

Kolkata: For the first time, Kolkata airport authorities have commissioned remote registered baggage X-ray and check-in facilities in New Town for pilgrims travelling to Mecca in Saudi Arabia for Haj. Such facilities are available in several cities abroad like Frankfurt and Kuala Lumpur, particularly in airport metro lines where check-in and luggage X-ray are done at the metro station in the city centre.
Till last year, a large shamiana was built in front of the old terminal where the Haj pilgrims would congregate before entering the airport. But this year, owing to a number of construction activities in the airport premises, the shamiana came up at New Town and half of the boarding process has been shifted there.

“Airports Authority of India has provided X-ray baggage inspection system (XBIS) and check-in facility at the Madinat-ul-Hajjaj, the Haj house in New Town so that Haj pilgrims can simply undergo security check at the airport and board the flight,” airport director Kaushik Bhattacharya told TOI. With Kolkata airport being the embarkation point for Haj pilgrims from seven states, the airport has to deal with a sharp rise in passenger movement during Haj. During a 10-day period between July 25 and August 5 this year, 11,831 pilgrims are scheduled to travel for Haj. Of them, 8,043 pilgrims are from Bengal and the rest from Bihar, Jharkhand, Odisha. Assam, Manipur and Tripura.

“Once baggage X-ray and check-in are completed at the Haj centre in New Town, immigration and security check can be done in a coordinated manner at the airport. We are using the old domestic terminal exclusively for Haj pilgrims to ensure that they have a hassle-free experience. At the same time, it will prevent over-crowding of the integrated terminal,” an airport official said
27/07/19 Tamaghna Banerjee/Times of India

Dubai-bound Flight Delayed by 2 Hours at Chennai Airport After Passenger Falls Sick

Chennai: A Dubai-bound flight with over 400 passengers on board suffered a two-hour delay after a passenger complained of breathing problems and the aircraft was towed back to the bay, an airport official said here Friday.
The flight, with 428 passengers and crew, made a 'ramp return' after the passenger complained of "breathing problem" when the aircraft was on the runway, airport sources told PTI.
"Before take off, the aircraft returned to the bay and the passenger was escorted out for providing medical assistance", the official said.
26/07/19 PTI/News18.com

Design of airport’s new terminal shortlisted for LEAF award

Trichy: The new terminal for Trichy International Airport has made into the shortlist of the Leading European Architecture Forum (LEAF) Awards in category of best future building under construction project. The designer of the terminal building Pascall+Watson group has shared the information on their site.
The Pascall+Watson (formerly Pascall+Watson Architects) which is an international architectural firm, founded in 1956 by Clive Pascall and Peter Watson, has designed the new terminal building of Trichy international airport.

The ABB LEAF Awards is an annual international architectural prize. It recognises innovative architectural design that sets the benchmark for the international architectural community of the next generation. The LEAF Awards program is operated by the Leading European Architects Forum (LEAF), founded in 2001.

As the design of the new terminal building fuses references from local heritage and culture with a contemporary architectural language, creating a sense of place and identity for arriving and departing passengers, the designer Pascall+Watson has sent the design to LEAF awards.
27/07/19 D Vincent Arokiaraj/Times of India

New airport project remains grounded

Jammu: ‘Approved’ by the Central government around 18 months ago, a new airport of international standards exists only on paper as except BJP leaders’ verbal statements nothing has been done on the ground.
Even senior government officers in Samba, where the new airport will come up, are not aware about the “dream” project because they have not received any official communiqué to identify the land for the project.
On December 21, 2017, the then Deputy Chief Minister Nirmal Singh and BJP Lok Sabha member from Jammu-Poonch Jugal Kishore Sharma had announced that the Centre had given its nod for a new airport of international standards in the Jammu region. In all likelihood, the airport will be constructed in Samba district.
The BJP leaders had made the statement after meeting the then Civil Aviation Minister Gajapati Raju, who according to them, had agreed to the demand for the construction of a new airport in the Jammu region.
In December 2017, it was also announced that a team from the Civil Aviation Ministry would visit Jammu within days to finalise the land already identified by the state government in Samba district for the new airport.
26/07/19 Dinesh Manhotra/Tribune

Chennai airport to handle 100 more flights

Chennai : The city airport will be able to handle around 100 more flights by the end of the year as two rapid exit taxiways, which are being constructed, are expected to be ready by then. Currently, the airport handles around 400 flights per day. The taxiways will help planes exit the runways soon after landing and move to the taxiway so that air traffic controllers will be able to allow more planes to take off and land from the main and the second runway, thereby increasing the flight handling capacity of the airport.
Sources said the work, which is part of phase two expansion of the airport, is crucial to handle more aircraft. The airport’s capacity will go up to 450 to 500 if the rapid exit taxiways are ready. As the airport does not have rapid exit taxiways, aircraft take around 10 minutes to vacate the runway. In the case of the second runway, it takes longer as planes that land on the second runway have to taxi down and cross the main runway to reach the terminals. “The rapid exit taxiways are planned so that planes that land on the main runway move out quickly and the distance between planes that approach the airport can be reduced. The work is currently underway and around 50% is complete. The rest will be ready by the end of the year. The work is progressing well to meet the deadline,” an Airports Authority of India (AAI) official said.
As the main runway of the airport does not have a rapid exit taxiway, air traffic controllers have to allocate more space between planes so that there will be enough time for one aircraft to move out before the next lands. The rapid exit taxiways are linked from the main runway to the taxiway that runs parallel to the runway. The taxiways are designed in such a way that they may be used by small as well as larger planes.
27/07/19 Times of India

Caller asks Bombay airport hai? Operator hears bomb hai, sparks security scare

Mumbai: This week, an unemployed resident of Mumbai called up the Mumbai airport to inquire about job opportunities. The call was received by the airport's control room.
During the call, the man asked, "Bombay airport hai?" [Is this the Bombay airport], using the city of Mumbai's British-era name. However, the person who received the call at the airport control room misheard that as, "Bomb hai airport pe" [There is a bomb at the airport].
The airport staff then raised a security alarm, sparking an alert that lasted for a couple of hours.
The comical incident was reminiscent of a similar call from last year when the caller asked about a "BOM-DEL" [Bombay-Delhi] flight and the receiver apparently misheard that as "bomb hai".
However, the operator who picked up the call heard "bomb hai" and alerted the police, who placed the man under arrest. Airport authorities stood by their operator, who claimed that the man indeed had made a hoax bomb call.
26/07/19 India Today

Calcutta airport to fall silent

Calcutta: Calcutta airport will soon fall silent, officials said.This does not mean one can hear a pin drop but there will no longer be non-stop announcements, as it happens now in the airport’s security hold area.

Only emergency announcements will be made once the security hold area falls silent. The check-in and arrival areas became silent a few years ago.

At a meeting with airlines on Friday, the Calcutta airport authorities decided to take steps from September to curb announcements, following in the footsteps of the airports in Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore, Hyderabad and Chennai.
An official at the Calcutta airport said a silent airport was not entirely a noise-free compound.

“The idea is to reduce noise pollution by stopping airport-wide announcements through the public address system, which now continue almost non-stop in the security hold area. Only important announcements will be made through the public address system, such as boarding gate change or sudden disruption in flight schedule because of weather,” the official said.

“At a meeting with airlines today we discussed how ours can be made a silent airport. From September, we’ll start implementing this by improving the signage and having more flight information display,” airport director Kaushik Bhattacharjee said on Friday.

At the city airport, there once used to be announcements across the terminal. The practice was stopped in the check-in and arrival areas a few years ago.

Bhattacharjee said work was on to install flight information display boards at all 26 boarding gates. These boards will provide information about departure and boarding time and also if there is any change in boarding gate.
27/07/19 Sanjay Mandal/Telegraph

AAI Signs a Contract with Aireon LLC for Implementation of Air Traffic Surveillance Service

New Delhi: The Airports Authority of India (AAI) has signed a contract with Aireon LLC for implemention of Aireon’s air traffic surveillance service in Mumbai, Chennai and Kolkata’s oceanic airspaces. These regions are located in the Arabian Sea, Bay of Bengal and Indian Ocean and represent over six million square kilometers. The goal is to deploy space-based Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) by the end of 2019.

This landmark agreement will immediately provide AAI coverage of all ADS-B OUT 1090 MHz equipped oceanic air traffic, ensuring one of the densest oceanic airspaces in the world has access to the best tools to enhance safety and efficiency and accommodate unprecedented double-digit growth, year over year. Beyond those benefits, real-time air traffic surveillance over the busy routes between South East Asia, India, the Middle East and Europe and beyond will significantly increase efficiency and improve transitions between oceanic and domestic airspace.

'The decision to implement Aireon’s technology is not only a major step in improving safety and enhancing capacity for our flying public, but also ensures that as one of the globe’s fastest growing markets, we are planning for our continued growth,' said Dr. Guruprasad Mohapatra, Chairman, AAI. 'AAI will be the first Air Navigation Service Provider in the region to implement a technological initiative, on this scale, and offer enhanced air traffic surveillance services to its users.'

India has become the third largest aviation market in the world with a rate of sustained double-digit growth for the last 50 months. Forecasts suggest that the growth will continue, and Indian airspace is going to experience an imminent need for additional capacity.
26/07/19 PSU Connect

11 flights cancelled, 9 diverted due to heavy rains in Mumbai

Heavy rains in Mumbai affected air services leading to cancellation of 11 flights and diversion of nine incoming aircraft to nearby airports on July 27, an official said. The operations at the city airport, however, are now normal, the official said.

The cancelled flights include seven departures and four arrivals.

"As many as 11 flights of various airlines are cancelled for today. These include seven departures and four arrivals. In addition to this, nine flights which were scheduled to arrive in Mumbai have been diverted to other nearby airports due to rains and other issues," the official said.

Of the seven departures, budget carrier IndiGo has cancelled five, while Air India and gulf carrier Emirates have cancelled one each.
27/07/19 PTI/Moneycontrol.com

AI plans to connect Rajkot with Mumbai from Sept 27

Rajkot: More good news in store for Rajkot fliers with Air India planning to operate one more flight for Mumbai from next month end.
After it announced starting an additional flight for Delhi from August 1, Air India has shown interest in starting another flight for Mumbai from September 27. The airline, in principal, has agreed to start this flight acknowledging the strong demand of Rajkot’s trade and industry unions and Indian Association of Tour Operators (IATO) for better connectivity.
Currently the only flight from city to Mumbai operated by Air India has been reduced to four days a week only till September 15.
Frequent fliers from the city have been experiencing hard times after Jet Airways shut its operation from the city leaving only the state-run Air India to connect the city to rest of India. Again, of its four flights per day for Mumbai and Delhi, AI reduced it to just two for the last few months.
IATO Rajkot member, Sanjay Mehta, said, “We have been informed that Air India is preparing to start this flight. We will also try to convince other operators to start operation from Rajkot.”
27/07/19 Times of India

As drug smuggling thrives, AIU awaits body scanners at Mumbai airport

Mumbai: Even as the Mumbai anti narcotics cell (ANC) recently registered three cases of high quality cocaine allegedly smuggled from foreign countries by air, the air intelligence unit (AIU) of the Mumbai Customs department has for the last three years been requesting the government to provide body scanners to screen arrivals at the Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport.

On July 15, the ANC arrested a Nigerian national with over 1 kg of superior quality cocaine, worth ₹6 crore in the illegal drug market. The accused had allegedly obtained the drugs from a Mozambique native, who smuggled it into India through the Indira Gandhi International Airport in Delhi. The seizure was also linked to two other hauls, where the cocaine was smuggled by drug mules through Mumbai airport.

AIU officers said in light of the rising number of cases of smuggling, not only of drugs but also other contraband, they had requested the Central government to provide them with body scanners.

“With the sheer number of people coming into the country on a daily basis, it is challenging to intercept cases of smuggling based only on profiling and tip-offs. A body scanner would help detect the presence of foreign objects inside a human body and would go a long way in curbing smuggling of contraband through human couriers,” an AIU officer said.
27/07/19 Gautam S. Mengle/The Hindu

Seven Held for Duping 1,000 People by Promising Airport Authority Jobs

New Delhi: Seven people, including four women, were arrested for allegedly duping around 1,000 people to the tune of Rs 2.5 crore on the pretext of providing them jobs in the Airports Authority of India (AAI), police said on Friday.

They were arrested on a complaint filed on July 14, in which a man said he had been duped of over Rs 50,000 by some people who promised to get him a job at the AAI, a senior police officer said.
The complainant said on July 5, he saw an advertisement in a newspaper regarding jobs in AAI and contacted the accused.He said a woman responded to his call and assured him that he would get a job at the IGI airport in Delhi on a monthly salary of Rs 40,000.

The AAI, which is under the Civil Aviation Ministry, owns and manages around 125 airports across the country. The complainant was asked to deposit Rs 1,500 in a bank account for registration. Later, he was asked to deposit Rs 14,000 and Rs 35,000 for an agreement with the AAI and as premium against mandatory employee insurance, the officer said.

On enquiring with the AAI, the man found that no such advertisement was issued by the airport authority, police said.
Those arrested are Chander Shekhar (49), Jitender Arya (26), Baldev Raj (55), Beena Rani (28), Rinki (23), Versha Kumari (22) and Bhavna, all residents of Delhi, they said.
Those arrested are Chander Shekhar (49), Jitender Arya (26), Baldev Raj (55), Beena Rani (28), Rinki (23), Versha Kumari (22) and Bhavna, all residents of Delhi, they said.

Shekhar was the head of the gang and Arya is his nephew. The gang has duped around 1,000 people to the tune of Rs 2.5 crore, police said.

During the investigation, it was found that the gang had used fake documents to get mobile phone numbers and open the bank account, they said.

Shekhar and Arya were arrested on Wednesday after police examined withdrawal details of ATMs, Deputy Commissioner of Police (IGI Airport) Sanjay Bhatia said.
26/07/19 PTI/News18

Friday, July 26, 2019

Proposal for new international courier terminal at Hyderabad airport

Hyderabad: The Air Cargo Complex of the Rajiv Gandhi International Airport in Shamshabad has been selected out of 14 customs stations across the country to determine aggregate rankings in customs processing, informed MRR Reddy, Principal Commissioner of Secunderabad GST zone, who until recently headed the Hyderabad customs commissionerate.
He also said that there was a proposal to start an international courier terminal at the RGIA, which will be the fifth in the country after Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai and Bengaluru. He added that it might become operational in the next two months.
Reddy informed that the process for the customs rankings was recently initiated. The customs department, along with Air Cargo Complex, Shamshabad and KPMG which has been appointed as a consultant will study the processes at different customs stations for the rankings, an important part of which will be the Cargo Release Time.
Observations for the rankings would be completed by September 7 and it would most probably be out before the end of this year, said Reddy. He pointed out that this exercise would also help towards improving India’s ranking internationally.
26/07/19 New Indian Express

Dholera International Airport: India’s 1st futuristic city to get new greenfield airport; 5 cool facts

Dholera International Airport news: With the Dholera International Airport Company Limited (DIACL) deciding to fast-track the airport project late last month, decks have been cleared for work on the upcoming greenfield airport. The Dholera International Airport is a part of Dholera Special Investment Region (Dholera SIR) of Gujarat government, located at a distance of 100 kilometres south west of Ahmedabad. Once fully operational, the Dholera International Airport is likely to have an annual capacity of 50 million passengers. The project is being implemented with an aim to decongest the saturated Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport in Ahmedabad.

Dholera International Airport: Key facts about the project

-The Dholera Airport will be built on 1700 acres of land, 29 km from Dholera and 80 km from Ahmedabad. The Dholera International Airport project aims to decongest the Ahmedabad airport, which has been handling 11 million passengers per annum, as against its capacity of 7 million passengers.
-Besides decongesting Ahmedabad Airport, the upcoming airport in Dholera will also cater to other regions of Rajkot, Vadodara, Bhavnagar, Kheda, Nadiad and Anand in Gujarat. The first phase of the airport is likely to become operational by the year 2024.
-The airport is expected to have two huge runways on it. One of the runways to be built in the first phase with a capacity to handle up to 30 million passengers per annum. The second runway would be built under the project’s second phase, having a capacity of 20 million passengers per annum.
-The airport will be well connected with city’s transport systems. The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has acquired a 120 metres wide strip extending from Dholera SIR (Special Investment Region) to Ahmedabad. 90 metres of this strip would be used for a six-lane highway and 30 metres for a Metro link.
-For the infrastructure development at Dholera SIR including the Dholera International Airport, the state government of Gujarat would be investing Rs 20,000 crore.
26/07/19 Devanjana Nag/Financial Express

Jewar land takeover to begin in a week

Noida: The Gautam Budh Nagar administration will start the takeover process of the property earmarked for Jewar international airport and complete the rehabilitation and resettlement process of 1,700 families within a week, officials said.
Starting next week, the administration will start acquiring land in areas where people are not currently residing. The administration has already distributed around Rs 1,500 crore as compensation to landowners and another Rs 1,300 crore is yet to be disbursed.

“Over 50% compensation disbursement for the airport land is complete and the rest will be done soon. By next week, we will start taking possession of the land from owners. Our aim is to hand over the maximum land to the Authority by August 31,” said B N Singh, district magistrate.

Singh explained that around 80% of the land is not occupied and does not have any habitation. The administration will initially take over this portion of the property and hand it over to the Noida International Airport Limited (NIAL) that will hand it over to the contractor who will build the airport.
26/07/19 Times of India

Ahead of meet in Sept, small investors want Cochin Airport’s IPO

Kochi: Small and even some big individual shareholders of Cochin International Airport Ltd (CIAL) have demanded the airport to launch its initial public offerings (IPO), and are set to raise the issue during its annual general meeting (AGM) on September 29.

Investors argue that the CIAL has been promising the IPO to unlock the share value after it first raised funds from individuals for the airport project in the 1994-99 period. Some of the big individual investors such as N V George (aka George V Nereparambil), founder of Geo Group of Companies, frustrated with holding on to the shares for over two decades, have sold a large chunk of his shares in private transactions.

A source close to George told Express that he has reduced his stake in CIAL from 16 per cent to 9.45 per cent last year. “In the private market, Cochin Airport’s share is being transacted at `120-150/share. If CIAL is listed on the stock market after the IPO, the shares would easily command `250-500/share,” said the source.

The Kerala government, which holds nearly 32.42 per cent in CIAL, is the largest shareholder, while NRI billionaire Yusuffali M A has been acquiring stake quietly in recent years to become the second-biggest shareholder at 9.7318 per cent. Kochi-based Synthite Industries owns 6.53 per cent while central PSUs BPCL (3.43 per cent), Housing and Urban Development Corporation (3.285 per cent), Air India (3.267 per cent) and State Bank of India (3.267 per cent) are the other big investors.

There are other 18,000 small investors in CIAL, whose combined ownership is less than 10 per cent. CIAL, which pioneered the concept of Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model in airport infrastructure development, reported a net profit of `166.92 crore on a turnover of `650.34 crore during 2018-19. It has also been giving healthy dividend over 25 per cent over the past many years.
26/07/19  Rajesh Abraham/New Indian Express

Devi Ahilyabai Holkar Airport: Flight Count Down But Footfall Up

Indore: Passenger footfall at Devi Ahilyabai Holkar Airport in May has gone up by more than 10 per cent despite number of flights witnessing a sharp decline.
Around 2,52,131 passengers travelled to and from Indore airport in May 2019 as compared to 2,28,874 passengers in May 2018.

Passengers’ footfall has increased by 23,257 in May this year as compared to the same month last year, according to a survey by Airport Authority of India (AAI).

This increase was witnessed even after decline in number of flights operating to and from Indore airport. Daily scheduled flights at the airport, which was over 90 last year, have come down to 58. Airport officials said that this increase was witnessed due to movement of non-scheduled flights in May this year. “There was increase in non-scheduled flight movement in May due to Lok Sabha elections, which added to increase in monthly passenger footfall,” they said.

AAI’s report of the quarterly survey conducted from April to June 2019 shows an increase 87,992 passengers as compared to the same period last year.

Around 7,76,367 passengers travelled to and from Indore airport between April and June 2019 as compared to 6,88,375 passengers between April and June 2018.
26/07/19 Times of India

Have you seen the new installations at the Chennai airport?

To the background of unending announcements and the chatter of travellers in a hurry at the Chennai International Airport, an oval mural is suspended from the ceiling above, parallel to the wall. Its blue background, is overlaid with circles, representing different countries — encapsulating Tamil Nadu’s global connect.

Airports are the gateway to international traffic — and so, the art they house, has to be befitting. It is viewed by thousands of people on a daily basis and should resonate with travellers. These are things that Sunny Sistems, The Art Company had in mind, while designing the recently erected art works in the Arrival and Departure areas of the Chennai International Airport.

The art company has been in contact with the airport since 2013 — having completed 37 murals and two sculptures in the premises. After a brief hiatus, in 2015 they had done a replica of a Mamallapuram temple in the domestic Departure area and a sculpture depicting seven women playing pallanguzhi.

“There still were blank spaces. We created two concepts: one was for the Departure and one for the Arrival. The former depicts how Chennai airport has become a gateway for the people of South India to go abroad: essentially concentrating on the global connectivity of South India. The size of the circles is proportional to the traffic that we have between Chennai and the said country. We have also depicted places that Chennai would like to connect with in the future,” explains Ravi Dandha of Sunny Sistems, The Art Company. The fact that the mural is suspended, is a first attempt, he adds.
26/07/19 Gowri S/The Hindu

Adityanath moots tie-up with Israel for defence corridor, Jewar airport

Lucknow:Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has mooted strong partnership with Israel in UP defence corridor project and police modernisation programme.

At a meeting with Israeli ambassador to India Ron Malka in Lucknow on Thursday night, the CM solicited Israel’s co-operation in projects like the UP defence corridor and the Jewar International Airport.

Besides, Adityanath also sought Israel's co-operation in modernising the state police force and setting up ultra-modern police control rooms and command centres.

Observing that India and Israel share old ties, the CM said the state was looking to forge closer relationship with Israel to further cement the mutual bond between the two nations.

He said India-Israel relations had touched newer heights with their respective prime ministers - Narendra Modi and Benjamin Netanyahu - visiting each other’s countries. On January 16, 2018, Adityanath had welcomed Netanyahu at Agra during the latter’s visit to Taj Mahal.
26/07/19 Virendra Singh Rawat/Business Standard

Take a direct flight from KIA to Ethiopia in October

Bengaluru: Ethiopian Airlines has opened reservations for four new weekly direct flights from Kempegowda International Airport to Addis Ababa Bole International Airport.
The Boeing 737-800 flights will begin operations from late October, connecting Bengaluru to the Ethiopian capital directly for the first time.

While Ethiopia's decision last year to relax its visa rules is the probable reason for the increase in international travel to the country, Addis Ababa also replaced Dubai last year as the primary transit hub for long-haul flights to destinations in Africa.

A report from flight analyst Forward Keys in 2018 said India's bookings to West Asia and Africa in the first quarter of 2018 showed a 19% jump when compared to 2017. According to the report, Ethiopia had shot up to number 1 position among sub-Saharan destinations for international flights between November 2018 and January 2019.

Currently, Ethiopian Airlines operates a daily double service to New Delhi and Mumbai from Addis Ababa, and operates freight services to Chennai, Bengaluru, New Delhi and Mumbai.
26/07/19 Times of India

Silchar may soon get new greenfield airport

Guwahati: The Airports Authority of India (AAI) has received a proposal to develop a new greenfield airport in Silchar, Union minister of state in charge of civil aviation, Hardeep Singh Puri, has informed the Lok Sabha. The minister said that AAI has requested the Assam government to share the land details for conducting a pre-feasibility study.
Puri added that the civil aviation department has also granted an 'in-principle approval' for setting up a new greenfield airport at Hollongi in Itanagar, Arunachal Pradesh. "For Hollongi airport, AAI has started preparing the bidding documents," he stated.
The minister further said, "AAI has initiated action for the construction of a new terminal building at airports in Guwahati and Imphal, re-carpeting of the runway at Lilabari Airport, extension of runway and allied works at airports in Dibrugarh and Barapani, strengthening of runway at Dimapur Airport, construction of hangar and cargo building at Agartala Airport and the development of Rupsi and Tezu airports."
The minister also added that development of airports is a continuous process and is undertaken by AAI from time to time, depending on factors such as availability of land, commercial viability, socioeconomic considerations, traffic demand and willingness of airlines to operate to and from particular airports.
26/07/19 Times of India

Food smuggling racket from Nigeria busted at Hyderabad airport, 7 consignments seized

The Hyderabad unit of the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) on Thursday busted a major racket after it intercepted five consignments of unaccompanied baggage (baggage shipped as cargo) of African nationals originating from Lagos Airport in Nigeria at the Rajiv Gandhi International Airport (RGIA) in the city.

"The goods were declared as edible food stuff and personal items and weighed around 10 tons. The total value of the consignment declared to customs was around Rs 1.3 lakh. On thorough inspection of baggage, the DRI officers found a variety of items, including noodles, cosmetics, palm oil, beef, dried fish, meat and beverages, including alcohol such as whiskey, beer, gin etc, in huge commercial quantity," the DRI said in a press release.

The authorities added that these items are not allowed to be imported as baggage as per the Foreign Trade (Development and Regulation) Act, 1992 and Customs Act, 1962.
"The statements of the claimants revealed that they were grossly undervaluing the goods to evade the customs duty and also using the unaccompanied baggage to avoid regulatory permissions such as Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), Plant Quarantine, Animal Quarantine, State Excise, Legal Metrology etc that are mandated for entry of goods into India," the DRI stated.
26/07/19 News Minute