IndiGo A320 successfully completes ILS Trial operations at Belagavi Airport

Great news for the people of Belagavi. On Monday, Indigo Airlines A320 aircraft from Hyderabad To Belagavi successfully completed trial operation of Instrument Landing System (ILS) which was installed recently at Belagavi Airport premises.

IndiGo’s A320 aircraft departed Hyderabad at 8.50 in the morning and landed at Belagavi at 10.00 am, special thing is that this flight operations were completely handled by women crew. This trial operation was conducted on Runway 26.

IndiGo Airlines is an Indian low-cost airline headquartered in Gurugram, Haryana. It is the largest airline in India by passenger market share and fleet size. IndiGo is known for its punctuality, affordable fares, and top-notch customer service. The airline flies to various domestic and international destinations, offering a wide range of options for travelers.

With a modern fleet of Airbus A320 aircraft, IndiGo ensures a comfortable and safe journey for its passengers. The airline’s onboard services include a selection of delicious meals, snacks, and beverages that can be purchased during the flight. Passengers also have the option to pre-book their preferred seats and enjoy various in-flight entertainment options.

31/07/2023 Belagavi Infra

Read More

Cargo terminal inaugurated at Bengal’s Durgapur airport

Kolkata: A cargo terminal at Kazi Nazrul Islam Airport (KNIA) in West Bengal’s Durgapur was inaugurated by Industry and Commerce Minister Shashi Panja on Monday.

Bengal Aerotropolis Projects Limited, the owner of the KNIA, has constructed the terminal for the commencement of cargo operations, the company said.

There are six daily flights from the airport near the industrial town of Durgapur, around 171 km from Kolkata, connecting Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Hyderabad and Bengaluru, being operated by Indigo and Spicejet.

The passenger load in these routes is around 90 per cent.

The new terminal is equipped with all modern facilities to enable smooth movement of air cargo, the company said in a statement.

“The main cargo expected to move in and out include fruits, vegetables, fish, fish seeds, Bengali sweets, e-commerce, pharmaceuticals, medical samples, machinery parts and spares. As per study, cargo movement in the next 8-10 years is expected to reach about 25,000 metric tons,” Bengal Aerotropolis President and CFO Anju Madeka said.

31/07/2023 PTI/Print

Read More

Spicejet, Star Air to launch flights from Adampur to 5 destinations

Jalandhar: Finally after a gap of nearly three years, Doaba residents can expect to take a direct flight from Jalandhar to five domestic destinations — Bengaluru, Goa, Kolkata, Nanded and Hindon.

Spicejet and Star Air have got the contracts for operating flights as the tenders were opened a few days back. All arrangements will be made so that the flights can resume in the next four months. A new terminal has been built at Adampur at a cost of Rs 110 crore. A 300-m taxi track too is also ready. Its work had been going on for the past more than two years.

A bigger attraction for residents is that the airfares will be lower than that being offered for the same destination from Chandigarh or Amritsar as Adampur is covered under Udan, a Regional Connectivity Scheme of the government.

The airport had started operations in 2018. Industrialists had found the flight from Adampur to be more convenient as the timings were such that they could return home the same day after attending a meeting in Delhi. The flight was stopped during the pandemic. Jalandhar MP Sushil Rinku said he had learnt that official formalities had been completed to restart the airport. "It will be a big relief for the residents across Doaba. I have a meeting with the Union Civil Aviation Minister a day after on the issue." DC Vishesh Sarangal said he was expecting detailed official information on the matter soon.

29/07/2023 Deepkamal Kaur/Tribune

Read More

Turbulence hits UDAN scheme, 50% routes grounded

The government’s biggest claim to success in aviation since 2014 is building “74 airports in seven years”, as opposed to the same number built in the seven decades since Independence. However, only 11 of these airports have actually been built from scratch, while 15 airports have fallen into disuse over this period, due to the collapse of almost half the routes launched under the regional connectivity scheme (RCS).

In the recent past, airport development has primarily been undertaken under the RCS, which was launched in 2017 to improve air connectivity for smaller cities, and to redevelop under-utilised airports. This largely involved the revival of old airstrips that were either lying unused or were used sparsely.

The government launched 479 routes to revive these airports, out of which 225 have since ceased operations, according to the Ministry of Civil Aviation’s response to questions from The Hindu.

Only 11 greenfield airports have become operational since May 2014, according to the Minister of State for Civil Aviation V.K. Singh’s reply to a question in the Rajya Sabha on July 24. These include the airports at Mopa in Goa, Shirdi and Sindhudurg in Maharashtra, Kalaburagi and Shivamogga in Karnataka, Kushinagar in Uttar Pradesh, Orvakal (Kurnool) in Andhra Pradesh, Durgapur in West Bengal, Pakyong in Sikkim, Kannur in Kerala, and Donyi Polo in Arunachal Pradesh.

The figure of 74 new airports, regularly trotted out by Prime Minister Narendra Modi as well as Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia, includes nine heliports and two waterdromes. These two waterdromes, built for seaplanes between Gujarat’s Gandhinagar and the Statue of Unity in Kevadia, closed down soon after the PM’s launch in October 2020, as SpiceJet discontinued its flights after a “change in technical requirements”, the airline told The Hindu in response to a questionnaire.

As many as 15 airports, including Sikkim’s only airport in Pakyong, and those in Punjab’s Adampur, Pathankot, and Ludhiana do not see any flights anymore, according to a senior government official.

The RCS, also known as the Ude Desh Ka Aam Nagrik scheme, was launched with the aim of taking flying to the masses by improving air connectivity for tier-2 and tier-3 cities, and subsidising air travel on these routes.

The routes are awarded after a bidding process, and the winning airlines are given certain incentives, along with viability gap funding (or a subsidy) equivalent to 50% of the seating capacity on their aircraft. In return, the airlines sell 50% of their seats at a flat rate of ₹2,500 per hour of flight, in order to make air travel affordable. The cost of the subsidy is borne by Indian airlines flying on non-RCS routes, who pay an RCS levy of ₹15,000 per departure, as per the latest revision that came into effect in April 2023. The airlines further pass the levy on to their passengers on non-RCS flights. A total sum of ₹2,038 crore has been collected as RCS levy.

The scheme also set aside a sum of ₹4,500 crore to revive old airports by recarpeting runways and erecting terminal buildings. Of these, 46 airports have been redeveloped by the Airports Authority of India, and the remaining by State governments and Public Sector Units. The government has so far spent ₹3,490 crore on these airports. The Finance Ministry approved another ₹1,000 crore for this purpose in May this year, for a period of three years.

29/07/2023 Jagriti Chandra/The Hindu

Read More

Govt asks centre to declare Shillong Airport as International

The Meghalaya government has requested the Ministry of Civil Aviation to declare the Shillong Airport as an International Airport.

Informing this while addressing at the 20th Annual Conference of Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) Conference held on Saturday, Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma said today with around 10,000 passengers every month, the Shillong airport is directly connected to Delhi, Kolkata, Aizawl, Agartala, Imphal, Dimapur, Dibrugarh and Guwahati.

“With the help of government of India, we are now taking steps to upgrade the Shillong Airport to accommodate bigger flights. We have additionally requested the Ministry of Civil Aviation to declare the Shillong Airport as an International Airport to improve direct connectivity with countries bordering the NE States, which will greatly boost the Act East Policy,” Sangma said.

He said thanks to the government of India – Under the Act East Policy, several projects, funded by the Ministry of External Affairs, have been undertaken to connect North-eastern states with neighboring countries like Myanmar & Bangladesh.

This even includes the development of an economic corridor.

Sangma also said playing to the regional strength, industry and government partnership can scale up development of the region while maintaining the right balance and mitigating the threats that have existed traditionally.

29/07/2023  Meghalayan

Read More

Salem airport set to resume flights from September

Salem: Flight operations will resume from the Salem airport by September-end, DMK MP S R Parthiban said here on Saturday.

IndiGo and Alliance Air will operate flights to Chennai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad and Cochin from Salem, the MP told reporters.

TruJet was the last operator to start operations from the airport in 2018. It stopped the service between Salem and Chennai during the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020. Subsequently, people had been urging authorities to resume operations.

30/07/2023 Times of India

Read More

Now, hang out before you fly out

Chennai: Fabrice Saussereau, her husband and college-going daughter on their way to Paris, France, found themselves in a quandary recently at Chennai Airport. The family had come to Chennai to see off their son, who had been chosen for an exchange programme at IIT Chennai. Their flight was at 6am on July 29, but when they found that they couldn’t check in online 24 hour s prior, the family panicked and arrived at the airport on the 28th morning. “We thought the flight is overbooked and we’d have to find another flight,” says Fabrice.

But on arrival, they found that they did have confirmed seats, only, they wouldn’t be able to check in until 2 am, which meant they had nearly 16 hours to spend on the airport premises. Finally, the trio headed to something which looked inviting, a mall within the airport. “We didn’t know what this is, but at least there’s AC and clean toilets here. We m ight very well catch a movie and maybe eat something. It’s very hot at the airport terminal, and we don’t want to go back to the hotel, says Fabrice.

The mall is the Aerohub Mall, attached to the Chennai Airport at Meenambakkam, where a movie hall, food courts and some stores have already started functioning. However, the mall will be officially inaugurated only next month. Not all air passengers would be in as dire a situation as the Saussereaus, but the concept of a mall attached to the airport surely seem s to provide a lot of relief to tired and bored air passengers.

Aerohub Mall will be open to the public as well as the air passengers and will be the first such in the country.

The mall would appear the same as any other, except for the fact that you come across passengers with luggage trolleys everywhere, at the food court, the cinema and the shops. “Most of the customers we get are air passengers, but they come in just to spend some time, they can’t buy much as they can’t add to their luggage,” says a salesperson at the BodyShop outlet.

There will also be restaurants, coffee shops, gaming zones for children, fashion and more. “Basically it’s a lifestyle destination at the airport,” says Chandrakant Kanka ria, directo r of the company, Meenambakkam Realty Private Ltd.

The difference this time will be that the food court will be open 24/7.

30/07/2023 Asha Prakash/Times of India

Read More

AAI wants multiplex at Chennai airport to be shut

Chennai: After building a multiplex and giving it on contract to a company in one of the two multi-level car parking (MLCP) buildings at Chennai airport, AAI has now issued a notice asking the firm to stop screening films.

The company which started screening movies on five screens in February has approached the court.

The multiplex was planned as part of airport expansion, in a bid to offer the best of amenities for passengers and non-passengers to rake in non-aeronautical revenue. The building Aerohub was inaugurated by civil aviation minister Jyotiraditya Scindia in February this year.

Sources said the notice has been issued because some problems have arisen due to the functioning of the multiplex at the airport premises.

It is said the viewers who come to the multiplex are taking up space in the parking lot in the multi-level parking building.

A statement from AAI, when the facility was inaugurated, said “The MLCP will complement the mega capacity enhancement in progress at Chennai airport from 17 million passengers per annum to 35 million passengers per annum. The MLCP, constructed on the airport parking lot with 2.5 lakh sqft total built up area, can comfortably accommodate 2,150 cars, including slots for two-wheelers. The six-storied structure flanking the airport metro station as West and East MLCP has mechanised parking slots, electric vehicle charging stations, and a host of commercial amenities being added in a phased manner with multiplex, food courts, retail outlets, kids play zone, etc.” After the MLCP was opened, parking lots have been moved to the building. In the West parking building with 1,428 parking slots for cars, four floors are meant for airport users. In the East building there are only 759 parking slots for cars.

30/07/2023 Times of India

Read More

Meghalaya: 20th annual conference of CPA begins with focus on regional connectivity in North East India

The 20th Annual Conference of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA), India Region Zone III, commenced its first day of sessions today at the prestigious Meghalaya Legislative Assembly in Rilbong, Shillong.

The event witnessed the presence of revered delegates, including Om Birla, Hon’ble Speaker, Lok Sabha; Harivansh Narayan Singh, Hon’ble Deputy Chairman, Rajya Sabha; Conrad K. Sangma, Chief Minister, Government of Meghalaya; Thomas A. Sangma, Hon’ble Speaker, Meghalaya Legislative Assembly; Pasang D. Sona, Speaker, Arunachal Pradesh Legislative Assembly and Chairman, CPA India Region Zone III, among others.

Esteemed delegates, convened to deliberate on crucial topics concerning the North East Region, with a primary focus on "Natural Disasters and strategies for management with special reference to North East Region" and "Regional connectivity to bring North-East Region at par with mainland India.

Conrad K. Sangma, contributed to the discussions on both topics.

“I have in the recently concluded G20 Summit on Nature Solves advocated for the setting up of a Centre for Climate Change in the State of Meghalaya. The centre can be a regional hub of excellence gathering climate data and designing strategies for the entire North Eastern Region.

“The Meghalaya Government is coordinating with the North Eastern Space Applications Centre (NESAC), Department of Space, Government of India, for an early warning alert system for cyclone, landslide, flood and lightning. The State Government has also decided to use Drone technology in disaster management and its mitigation. We are also building capacities, involving communities, and preparing for post-disaster recovery plan.

Meghalaya has been focusing on improving trade activities at the border areas. Road connectivity along the Dawki-Bholaganj Road and Tura-Dalu Road are also being improved. We also are establishing integrated check posts and border haats to promote economic activities. Through PMGSY over 4200 Kms of rural roads have been constructed across the state. Through PM- Gati Shakti we are already connecting key economic hubs in the state.Currently, 18 major road projects are being implemented to connect Meghalaya with other states. We are now taking steps to upgrade the Shillong Airport to accommodate bigger flights. We have additionally requested the Ministry of Civil Aviation to declare the Shillong Airport as an International Airport. Under the Act East Policy, several projects, funded by the Ministry of External Affairs, have been undertaken to connect North-eastern states with neighboring countries like Myanmar & Bangladesh. This even includes the development of an economic corridor.”

29/07/2023 India TodayNE

Read More

Five flights services from Ahmedabad declared discontinued in July 2023

Ahmedabad: Alliance Air has discontinued operations of flights from SVPI airport in Ahmedabad to Jaipur due to lack of availability of sufficient number of passengers on this route.

But this is not the only flight that has been discontinued in the month of July 2023 at SVPI airport. Low cost carrier Spice Jet had on 1st July discontinued the services of Ahmedabad to Siliguri flights due to the lack of a sufficient number of passengers on this route.

For the same reason SpiceJet had also discontinued Ahmedabad – Jaipur flights with effect from July 10. Akasa airlines then discontinued its services of flights from Ahmedabad to Pune and Kochi. In total five flights are discontinued from Ahmedabad airport in the ongoing month of July. The passengers who had booked their tickets in advance will get a refund over discontinued flights.

29/07/2023 DeshGujrat

Read More

Shaheed Bhagat Singh International Airport, Mohali, gets cargo complex

Mohali: An integrated cargo complex sprawling over 2,400 sq m with five sheds was operationalised at Shaheed Bhagat Singh International Airport today. The facility will be a major boost to pharmaceutical firms in Himachal Pradesh and industrial units in Punjab.

The cargo complex is equipped with cold room, refrigerated van, fork lifts, scissor lifts, user-friendly weighing scale and trolleys for smooth and seamless functioning.

Officials said the complex would handle domestic cargo only. The handling of international cargo would begin after getting clearance from customs.

The SBSI Airport is the only facility in northern India after Delhi with 2,500 MT cargo facility.

28/07/2023 Tribune

Read More

AAI seeks closure of Multiplex at Chennai airport, PVR Cinemas to appeal

After the Airports Authority of India (AAI) sent a notice seeking the closure of the Multiplex that is functioning in the Aerohub of the Chennai airport, the PVR Cinemas, which manages the screens, has decided to appeal in the court. In February the Aero Hub and the multi-level car parking (MLCP) facility were inaugurated by the Civil Aviation Minister in the Chennai airport. After that PVR Cinemas launched the multiplex in the Chennai airport and PVR became the first Multiplex in the country to be functioning within the airport premises. The PVR hub has five screens that are capable of accommodating 1155 people at a time. The screens have the latest cinematic technologies with 2K RGB+ laser projectors, REAL 3D digital stereoscopic projection for crystal clear, razor-sharp, ultra-bright pictures and advanced Dolby Atmos high-definition immersive audio. The Domestic and International passengers who used to arrive and depart from the Chennai airport were using the Multiplex for entertainment and the Multiplex is also allowed for the local residential people all the time.

28/07/2023 DT Next

Read More

One out of three flyers at Kolkata airport uses DigiYatra

Kolkata: Only flyers who enroll with DigiYatra, the paperless check-in and boarding services using facial recognition technology, are being allowed entry into the domestic terminal through gate 3. At the other two gates - 1 and 2 - flyers with and without DigiYatra have separate entry channels. Since the imposition of restrictions at gate 3, DigiYatra usage has shot up by 50%, officials said.

The move to restrict entry of non-DigiYatra flyers through gate 3 is to encourage more passengers to switch to the system that is currently in operation at Kolkata airport along with Delhi, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Pune, Varanasi and Vijayawada. More flyers use gate 3 because check-in counters of IndiGo Airlines, which operates over 100 daily flights out of the city, are near this gate.

"In April, the use of DigiYatra that allows paperless transit and enables flyers to skip queues at the entry and security check was 5% at Kolkata airport. In May, the ratio increased to 11% and in June, 19%. Now that we have restricted entry through gate 3, the DigiYatra usage in the past seven days has gone up to 30%," said an airport official.

The highest single-day use of the DigiYatra system was on July 21 by 7,173 people, or 37% of those who travelled out of Kolkata airport that day. Since its introduction on April 1, over 4.5 lakh passengers have used DigiYatra till date.

The official said that around 18%-20% flyers are now using the DigiYatra service on their own. Most of them are frequent flyers who have experienced the benefit of using the service that has resulted in substantial reduction in time by avoiding queues at the entrance as well as security check. "A flyer who has downloaded the app takes less than 10-12 seconds to enter the terminal and even less to reach the frisking point at security check," he pointed out.

29/07/2023 Tamaghna Banerjee & Subhro Niyogi/Times of India

Read More

Chennai airport to modify terminals to add domestic flights

Chennai: The city is likely to get more domestic flights during peak hours in a few months as an additional departure and arrival terminal will be ready at the Chennai airport.

Airports Authority of India (AAI) will soon start work to modify the old international departure terminal (T4) that was vacated after flights were shifted to the new terminal and an unused arrival terminal on the ground floor for domestic flights in the first week of this month. When the work is completed, the airport will have two domestic terminals, one on each side of the integrated international terminal. The terminals will be interlinked for transit passengers.

The ground floor of the old terminal was lying vacant since 2013. The work to change and add facilities to handle domestic passengers will begin soon after a security inspection. A contractor will be hired for changing signage and facilities, an official said.

"Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS) will inspect the building in a few days. After they clear the building, the authority will start work to remove or rearrange facilities on the first floor which was once an international terminal. We have started installing baggage conveyors on the ground floor arrival terminal," said an official.

28/07/2023 Times of India

Read More

First flight to land at Shivamogga airport on Aug 31: Karnataka minister

 Karnataka Infrastructure Development Minister MB Patil on Thursday said the first flight would land at Shivamogga Airport on August 31 instead of August 11, citing technical reasons.

IndiGo Airlines has initiated bookings for the scheduled first journey from Bengaluru to Shivamogga on August 31, he added.

Three airline companies have obtained permission under the Ude Desh ka Aam Naagrik (UDAN) scheme to operate flight services to Tirupati, Goa and Hyderabad from Shivamogga, Patil said, adding that Spice Jet, Star Airlines, and Alliance Airlines have secured permission to operate on the said routes by participating in the tender.

27/07/2023 India Today

Read More

More flights coming to Chennai Airport soon as AAI plans big modifications

Chennai's airport is set to undergo significant changes to accommodate more domestic flights during peak hours. As per a ToI report, the Airports Authority of India (AAI) is planning to modify the old international departure terminal (T4) and an unused arrival terminal on the ground floor to serve domestic flights. These additions will create two domestic terminals, one on each side of the integrated international terminal, with interlinking facilities for transit passengers.

The unused ground floor of the old terminal, vacant since 2013, will be transformed to handle domestic passengers. The necessary modifications and facilities will be added after a security inspection, followed by the hiring of a contractor for signage and facility changes, ToI report stated.

The ground floor arrival terminal will feature three baggage conveyors, and the first floor will be revamped to accommodate domestic departures. This expansion is expected to increase the airport's passenger handling capacity to 19 million per year, a significant boost from the current capacity of less than 15 million passengers annually.

With the conversion of terminals for domestic passengers, Chennai Airport is likely to receive more flights during the summer schedule. Some flights will be rescheduled outside peak hours to alleviate congestion during busy periods, as the airport presently manages over 30 domestic arrivals and departures in the mornings and evenings.

28/07/2023 Economic Times

Read More

‘Will visit Delhi and request Centre to allow Dabolim airport ops to continue’

Porvorim: Decisions pertaining to commercial operations of airlines and airports fall in the jurisdiction of the civil aviation ministry at the Centre, said chief minister Pramod Sawant on Wednesday. He was responding to the opposition’s concern about international flights shifting to Manohar International Airport at Mopa.

Sawant assured the assembly that he would lead a three-member delegation to meet the civil aviation minister to request that the Dabolim airport run by the Airports Authority of India continues to operate.

“As soon as this assembly session concludes, I will take Mauvin Godinho and Rohan Khaunte to Delhi and speak to the ministry to ask it not to shut down Dabolim or allow more flights to shift,” he said.

Several opposition MLAs told the CM that international charter operators such as Aeroflot and TUI have decided to shift flights to Mopa in the coming tourist season. Sawant said that he would seek information about this and present it to the House in the coming week.

Opposition leader Yuri Alemao, GFP MLA Vijai Sardesai, and Quepem MLA Altone D’Costa argued that the closure of Dabolim is imminent with the state government doing little to keep its earlier assurances.

27/07/2023 Times of India

Read More

200 daily flight movements likely at Pune airport soon

Pune: The daily flight movement at the city airport is expected to touch 200 on some weekdays in the next couple of months with the introduction of flights by two airlines.

Star Air on Tuesday started operations from Pune to Bengaluru and Hyderabad while another airline is expected to start operations between the city and Madurai via Hyderabad from the next month. In addition, Pune will see fresh connections to Ajmer, Jodhpur and Indore in the next couple of months.

"It is good that the flights are increasing to and from Pune airport. We hope to see new connections in days to come," Pune airport director Santosh Dhoke told TOI.

Currently, the airport sees around 180 flight movements daily. Before GoFirst suspended operations, the airport recorded around 187 to 190 movements on a daily basis.

Before the pandemic, Pune airport recorded around 200 flight movements on some weekdays.

Star Air chairman Sanjay Ghodawat said the company intended to shift the airline's base from Bengaluru to Pune soon.

27/07/2023 Joy Sengupta/Times of India

Read More

Good response to CIAL’s business jet terminal

Kochi: The business jet terminal of Cochin International Airport Limited (CIAL), which was launched in December last year, has received an overwhelming response, catering to a total of 562 flights and generating Rs 30 lakh income per month in the eight months since its launch. 

Industries Minister P Rajeeve stated, “It is expected that 1,000 flights will arrive at this business jet terminal this year itself.”

Kochi Airport has achieved the distinction of being the fourth airport in the country to operate a business jet terminal, with a primary focus on handling charter operations. Notably, this terminal is the largest of its kind in India, and it ranks third, following Delhi and Bengaluru, in terms of the highest number of flights landing at this facility.

“Kochi was the venue for the IPL auction in December 2022 and the G20 Summit in June 2023. For both events, guests from across the world came to Kochi and utilised CIAL’s business jet terminal facilities. Around 10 flights took off with the bidders for the IPL auction from the terminal,” said Rajeeve in a social media post.

Representatives from member countries and various international and regional organizations who attended the meeting of the Economic Working Committee of the G20 countries at the Grand Hyatt praised the terminal’s state-of-the-art systems, the minister’s post added.

26/07/2023 New Indian Express

Read More

Parandur airport: Ministry forwards site clearance request

Chennai: The ministry of civil aviation has forwarded the request for first stage site clearance to set up a greenfield airport in Parandur near Chennai to Airports Authority of India, aviation regulator DGCA and the ministry of defence. “After completion of this consultation with stakeholders, the proposal is required to be placed before the Steering Committee on Greenfield Airports for their recommendation, with respect to award of site clearance,” said minister of state for civil aviation V K Singh, in response to a question by DMK MP D M Kathir Anand in the Lok Sabha.

The state government has identified 4,500 acres for the proposed airport at Parandur.

A consultant has been identified to prepare a techno economic feasibility of setting up a new airport at the location. The government wants to develop the new airport into an aerotropolis by which the region will be developed with the airport as its centre.

26/07/2023 Times of India

Read More

In Dubai, a minister asked airlines to shift operations to Mopa: Elvis

Vasco: Congress leader Elvis Gomes, expressing concern over future of Dabolim airport, came down heavily on the government for misleading Goans on the airport operations.

He said the government itself was throwing its weight behind Mopa airport which would be detrimental to functioning of Dabolim airport. Pointing out to the claim made by him last month about impending shift of Air India operations from Dabolim to Mopa, which turned out to be true despite denial by government sources, Gomes said that more shockers were in store for Dabolim.

“At the Arabian Travel Mart held in Dubai in May this year, a minister was personally exhorting representatives of other international operators flying from Dabolim to move operations to Mopa with scant regard for the people of Goa who are already facing inconvenience due to shift of Air India. 

He added that Mopa operations will be 30 to 40% costlier for the flyers then what it is at Dabolim.

26/07/2023 Navhind Times

Read More

Passenger Traffic Movement More Than Doubles At Adani-run Airports

The Adani Group, which manages airports in Mumbai, Ahmedabad, Lucknow, Mangalore, Jaipur, Guwahati, and Thiruvananthapuram, has reported an astounding 103 per cent increase in passenger traffic during the fiscal year 2022-2023 (FY23). The group's airports welcomed around 74.8 million passengers, signifying a remarkable resurgence in the Indian aviation sector after the turbulence caused by the pandemic, newspaper Business Standard reported.

Jeet Adani, the executive overseeing the airport business within the Adani conglomerate, also revealed a substantial upswing in cargo handling. The seven Adani-run airports efficiently processed 780,000 metric tonnes of cargo in FY23, marking a significant 16.4 per cent YoY growth compared to the previous fiscal year.

Additionally, the airports witnessed a substantial surge in air traffic movement, with over 544,000 flights recorded in FY23, reflecting a remarkable 170.1 per cent increase. Each departure or arrival is considered an air traffic movement, highlighting the extraordinary demand for air travel across these key airports.

The exponential growth in passenger numbers has put a strain on the infrastructure at the country's busiest airports, with Terminal 3 of Delhi Airport witnessing scenes of heightened activity. As a result, the seven Adani-run airports have decided to invest Rs 7,426 crore in capital expenditure during the entire FY24 to bolster and upgrade their facilities.

It is not just Adani Group-run airports that have witnessed growth. Data shared by the Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) indicates that the entire aviation sector in India is soaring, with Indian carriers recording an average of 372,840 passengers per day in FY23. This represents a staggering 59.81 per cent surge compared to FY22, signalling a strong resurgence in air travel demand.

Industry experts predict that airlines in India are set to capitalise on the rising passenger demand by adding 132 aircraft in FY24. Specifically, Air India is expected to induct 53 aircraft, while IndiGo plans to add 49, as reported by aviation consultancy firm CAPA India in its annual outlook.

25/07/2023 Leechhvee Roy/Republic World

Read More

Oman Air Muscat-bound flight returns to Kozhikode due to technical snag

An Oman Air flight from Kozhikode to Muscat was forced to turn back to the international airport on Tuesday minutes after take-off due to a technical snag, airport authorities said.

The flight -- WY 298 -- with 169 people onboard which took off from the Karipur airport at 9.15 AM turned back barely a few minutes into its journey due to a technical fault and landed safely, a Calicut airport official said.

25/07/2023 PTI/India Today

Read More

Tamil woman from Malaysia accuses Chennai airport’s customs of forcing her to remove her ‘Thali’

Chennai: A woman who arrived at Chennai airport from Malaysia has alleged that she was asked by the customs officials to remove her ‘Thali’(mangalsutra) during security checks. The woman who appeared distressed by the act of the customs officials released a video complaining that she was subjected to mental harassment in the name of inquiry at the Chennai Airport and she asked that “Does not she have the right to wear thali in Tamil Nadu?

The woman who is a native of Tamil Nadu but lives in Malaysia expressed her anguish in the video, saying that the thali is an integral part of her identity, representing her marital bond and cherished sentiments. Though she firmly asserted her refusal to remove it, the customs officer have not listened to her.

“How can I take off the thali chain as an Indian? I argued that he has never taken off the thali since my marriage. But the customs officers who were on duty there joked that you are not an Indian, you are a Malaysian,” she alleged.

She further said the Customs officers at Chennai airport mentally harassed us for more than two and half hours at the Chennai airport under the pretext of investigation for wearing jewelry.

“After the citizenship check at the airport, when I came to the customs area to collect my belongings, the customs officials there said, you are wearing extra jewelry which is not as per Indian customs rules. Please take it off. They asked me to remove the thali that I was wearing. They took my husband’s bracelet also because I argued with them. I haven’t faced any such harassing behavior from customs before, though I was wearing the same amount of jewels. We wore the same jewelry the last time we came. But then the authorities did not say anything, ” she said in the video.

25/07/2023 News9

Read More

After some quiet, Purandar’s airport plan on the boil again

Pune: Landowners of seven villages — Pargaon, Kumbarvalan, Khanwadi, Munjwadi, Ekhatpur, Vanpuri and Udachiwadi — in Purandar taluka, the original proposed site for the new Pune international airport, have accused the state government of mental harassment while questioning Shivajinagar MLA Siddharth Shirole’s locus standi in the project.

The accusations come after the MLA, in a tweet on Saturday, said, “Based on information I have received, the construction of Chhatrapati Sambhaji International Airport in Purandar is progressing as planned with the pre-acquisition and land acquisition formalities currently underway. I want to assure the citizens of Pune region that I will be closely coordinating with all relevant departments in the upcoming days to gather comprehensive information and a detailed timeline that I can share with you. I hope to keep you informed every step of the way.” The project was shifted around 15-20 kilometres by MVA government.

Shirole’s tweet came after netizens raised questions about deputy chief minister Devendra Fadnavis making no mention of the Purandar airport in the assembly during his statement on the status of various airports in the state.

Shirole told TOI that the government had asked the Maharashtra Airport Development Company (MADC) last month to get all necessary clearances afresh from different departments and ministries so the land acquisition process can be initiated at the originally selected villages for the project. Fadnavis, the CM in 2016, had announced that the project had all necessary clearances, including from the defence ministry.

However, the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government, which came to power in 2019, shifted the site 15-20km away to Mavadi, Pimpri, Rajuri, Rise-Pise, Naygaon and Pandeshwar villages. The defence ministry had rejected the new proposal. Last year, when the Shinde-Fadnavis government asumed power, the state government announced that the airport and a logistics hub will come up at the original site and will be managed by the MADC.

“We don’t even know who is he (Shirole) and his role in the project. It is an attempt by the state government to harass us mentally. We have clearly said in 2016 that not an inch of our land will be given to the project. When things come to the ground again, we will see what is to be done. The government itself is not stable and they are trying to rattle us,” Jitendra Memane, spokesperson of the Vimantal Sangharsh Samiti, told TOI.

24/07/2023 Times of India

Read More

Hubballi airport sees better Q1 growth than B’luru, M’luru

Hubballi airport, the third busiest in Karnataka, has recorded highest growth among all airports in the state in terms of domestic aircraft movements and passengers it handled in the first quarter of 2023-24, against the corresponding period of previous fiscal. 

 In percentage growth of domestic aircraft movements and domestic passengers, Hubballi has overtaken even the Bengaluru airport, though total numbers of domestic aircraft movements and passengers are much lesser than those of Bengaluru and Mangaluru airports. From April to June, Hubballi airport recorded the movement of 1,638 domestic aircraft and 95,809 domestic passengers, which is 20.6 per cent and 40.9 per cent growth, respectively. 

Though the numbers of domestic aircraft movements and passengers in Bengaluru and Mangaluru airports are big, their growth, percentage-wise, is less than that of Hubballi airport. In the first three months of the current financial year, Bengaluru recorded 15.4 per cent growth in domestic aircraft movements and 35.5 per cent growth in the number of passengers. 

 The growth figures for Mangaluru airport are - 10.6 per cent and 1 per cent, respectively, as per the data released by Airports Authority of India (AAI). Compared to the first quarter of the previous year, airports in Belagavi, Mysuru and Kalaburagi saw negative growth in terms of domestic aircraft movements from April to June this year. 

 23/07/2023 Manjunath Hegde Bomnalli/Deccan Herald

Read More

MoU delay becomes hurdle for Halwara Int'l Airport

Aitiana: With the Airport Authority of India (AAI) yet to sign a memorandum of understanding with the Indian Air Force allowing the construction agency to get work done inside the Air Force station, the Halwara International Airport project has hit another hurdle.

Officials getting construction work done said that they had to get work inside the Airforce Station boundary done to make the airport operational after construction of a terminal building and other allied works. An AAI officer, asking not to be named, said that they had held a meeting with IAF officials about the MoU to start widening of the taxi track and construction of a link taxi track etc inside the Air Force station around mid-June and they were waiting for a revised draft of the MoU from IAF. He added that once they got the revised MoU, they would sign it so that work could be started inside the Air Force Station.

"Signing of the MoU between AAI and IAF is very important as it is needed to start work inside the Air Force Station. We hope that we will get the revised draft soon. We also wrote a letter to the IAF on the subject around last week," said the AAI official. He added that it would take the construction agency around a month to complete work inside the Air Force station. "But definitely there is a hurdle to the project till the MoU is signed," he conceded.

Officials of the PWD department getting the project executed said that about 90% work of the terminal building has been completed and the remaining would be complete by around August 15. They added that as of now, work was being done on ticket counters, double glass unit (installation of glasses at the front and back of the terminal for better look) and ceiling. Also, 90% of electrical work has been done, they said.

"Work on the AC ducting work has been completed and now AC units, also known as AHU (Air Handling Unit) has to be installed. We have got the baggage handling system, two will be installed at arrival and one at the departure," said a PWD official present at the site. The official said that around 45% of internal road work had been done. Of around 1.36 kilometres road from the main gate to terminal building, work on 850 metres has been done and of around 589 metres road from the terminal building to the Apron, half the work has been completed by the agency.

24/07/2023 Shariq Majeed/Times of India

Read More

Govt Reacts As Loose Ceiling Of Veer Savarkar Airport Recently Unveiled By PM Modi Sparks Row

Union Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia said that the loosened ceiling of the recently inaugurated Veer Savarkar International Airport in Port Blair was deliberately loosened for CCTV work. Quoting Congress MP Jairam Ramesh's tweet over the incident, Scindia said that the opposition should seek an explanation instead of 'jumping the gun'. PM Narendra Modi had last week unveiled the new terminal of the airport.

"The structure is outside the terminal building. Besides, a part of the false ceiling had been deliberately loosened for CCTV work. Heavy winds (about 100 km/hr) later, led to the swinging panels as seen in the video. The false ceiling had been restored after completing the work. Next time, instead of jumping the gun and seeking sensationalism out of nothing, just seek an explanation," he tweeted.

Earlier, reacting to visuals of fallen ceilings, Ramesh took to Twitter and said, "The Prime Minister will inaugurate anything these days — even if it’s unfinished or substandard infrastructure (highways, airports, bridges, trains, etc). More than willing ministers anxious to boost their Sensex with him oblige."

"It’s the taxpayers and citizens who pay the cost. Such a sorry state of affairs in ‘New India’!" the Congress leader added.

On Sunday, as heavy rain continued to lash parts of Gujarat, Ahmedabad Airport got flooded following which passengers struggled to commute. The waterlogging at the airport gave a hard time to passengers. The airport authority has asked passengers to check in with their airlines about their flights. Since then, passengers have been sharing visuals of the flooded airport on social media sites.

24/07/2023 ABP Live

Read More

Maharashtra may take back control of five airports leased to Anil Ambani firm, says Fadnavis

Mumbai: In the ongoing Monsoon session of the assembly, Maharashtra Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis has assured the House that the airports lying unused due to non-payment of dues by Reliance Airport Developers Ltd would be soon made operational.

He said that the government will be taking the legal opinion of the attorney-general on how to recover the dues from Reliance (Anil Dhirubhai Ambani) Group and whether the government can instead take control of the airports.

“It is true that we gave some of the airports to Anil Ambani’s Reliance company in 2008-09. But now the condition is such that they are not maintaining these airports, nor are they paying the statutory dues,” Fadnavis said Friday, after a point of intervention by senior Congress leader Ashok Chavan.

“So now, we are taking the opinion of the Attorney General on whether we can get full control of the airports from them because of the nonpayment of dues. Secondly, we are also thinking of paying off those dues on the condition that the company will pay us back so that at least these airports can be restarted.”

Chavan mentioned that there are five airports under the Reliance (ADA) Group and that its chairman Anil Ambani has openly declared bankruptcy. “We expect that in the next 8-10 days, the government should take back these airports from Reliance (Anil Dhirubhai Ambani Group). And then airlines should get slots in Mumbai so that at least in every region if one or two airports are operational and airlines are given slots, the connectivity in Maharashtra will improve greatly,” he added.

In 2009, the Anil Ambani-led Reliance Airports Developers was given a contract to develop five airports at Latur, Nanded, Yavatmal, Baramati and Osmanabad in rural Maharashtra. The company had to shell out Rs 63 crore to get a 30-year lease for these five airports in Maharashtra. But Ambani declared bankruptcy in a UK court in 2020.

The Print reached Reliance (Anil Dhirubhai Ambani) Group via calls for a response but the group refused to comment.

Maharashtra has 28 airports of which 11 are operational while four are in the pipeline, according to the government.

Giving details of other important airports in the state, Fadnavis said that the Navi Mumbai airport is near completion and will be operational next year. “Once this airport begins, the regional connectivity issue will be resolved as currently the Mumbai airport is not able to give viable slots for regional connectivity,” said Fadnavis

23/07/2023 Purva Chitnis/Print

Read More

Vijayapura people push for completion of airport work

Vijayapura: As Shivamogga airport gears up for flights starting August 1, Vijayapura people have been questioning the delay in the airport construction. The disparity was pointed out in Feb 2021 when then CM Yediyurappa sanctioned Rs 380 crore, against the approved Rs 389 crore for Shivamogga airport and sanctioned Rs 95 crore, against the approval of Rs 220 crore for Vijayapura. They claim that the discrimination continues, even though the ruling party has changed.

Dr LH Bidari, convenor of Vijayapura Airport Horata Samiti, told STOI that a delegation met minister MB Patil recently and he assured of completing it in another 2-3 months. “We, the Samiti members are planning to visit the construction site and to press the government to expedite the work” he added.

Arvind Muchkhandi, secretary, Bagalkot Jilla Abhivruddhi Horata Samiti, mentioned that Minister MB Patil has assured him of completing it soon. However, he has not cited any deadlines. Airports at Vijayapura and Shivamogga were sanctioned at the same time. However, Yediyurappa concentrated on Shivamogga Airport by sanctioning more funds during his tenure as CM. Due to the negligence of our elected representatives, construction and finishing work has almost stopped at Vijayapura, he added.

23/07/2023 Sangamesh Menasinakai/Times of India

Read More

Ahmedabad airport flooded, passengers wade through water

The Ahmedabad airport in Gujarat was flooded with knee-high water as heavy rains have been lashing Gujarat for the past few days, triggering a flood-like situation. Multiple videos on Twitter showed the airport flooded due to incessant rainfall, with runways and terminal areas submerged under water.

The waterlogging at the airport gave a hard time to passengers as they faced trouble reaching for their flights on time. The authorities have asked passengers to check in with their airlines about their flights.

"Due to heavy rains and water logging around the airport, we request all passengers to check with their respective airlines before starting their journey. Passengers are also advised to avoid parking at the airport facility," the Ahmedabad airport said in a tweet.

The videos show passengers wading through knee-deep water to make it through the airport and airport officials trying to run the operations smoothly while covered in water protective equipment.

"Now airplane will not fly from Ahmedabad airport but ship will run...Ahmedabad International Airport flooded due to #HeavyRains," a Twitter user wrote jokingly.

23/07/2023 India Today

Read More

Real-time monitoring for 66 airports: Amit Shah inaugurates centralised aviation security control centre

Union Home Minister Amit Shah inaugurated a centralised aviation security control centre in Delhi to monitor all threats and social media activity for the 66 civil airports currently under the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF)’s security cover. The aviation security control centre (ASCC) will operate round-the-clock, providing real-time data monitoring and trend analysis of passengers and air traffic.

CISF is responsible for guarding 66 passenger airports out of the total 134 operational airports in India. Equipped with state-of-the-art technology, the ASCC features a data centre, research and development lab, and a war room to handle emergencies efficiently.

To effectively resolve incidents occurring at airports in real-time, the centralised monitoring centre was established due to increased air traffic, evolving threat perceptions, and the geographical spread of airports across the country.

The ASCC will gather real-time data from security operations control centres at the 66 airports, including major ones like Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Jammu, Srinagar, and Amritsar. This comprehensive data will provide insights into passenger traffic and resource mobilisation for optimal utilisation.

Among its responsibilities, the centre will monitor bomb threat calls, VVIP movements, passenger clearance time, security gadget utilisation, and queue management systems at these airports.

22/07/2023 Financial Express

Read More

Turbulence may hit Dabolim airport this tourism season

Panaji: Chief Minister Pramod Sawant’s assurance to retain existing international flights at Dabolim airport could fall flat, and its impact will be evident from the upcoming tourist season starting October 2023.

A significant setback is the decision by TUI Airways, one of the world’s largest airlines, to shift all its charters bringing UK passengers to the new airport -- the Manohar International Airport (MIA) at Mopa.

Another major airline, Moscow-based Aeroflot, also has plans to bring its charter flights to MIA. It's not about the charter flights only, even scheduled flights are opting for MIA over Dabolim.

The competition between the two airports has raised concerns not only among stakeholders operating around Dabolim airport but also among all South Goa legislators who also raised the matter during the ongoing session of the Legislative Assembly.

22/07/2023 Goan

Read More

16 airports built under regional connectivity scheme unused, says govt. Most in Gujarat & Punjab

New Delhi: Sixteen airports constructed under the central government’s Regional Connectivity Scheme (RCS) Ude Desh Ka Aam Nagrik (UDAN) are lying unused, of the 74 operationalised under the scheme.

The highest number of such unused airports is in Gujarat and Punjab, four each, Minister of State for Civil Aviation Gen. (retd) V.K. Singh stated in a written reply to the Lok Sabha Thursday.

“Operationalisation of an airport depends upon air passenger demand forecast, demand from airlines, financial and operational viability, as well as other facilities with reference to intended aircraft operations,” he said.

Singh added that airlines plan their flight schedule on a specific route/city based on market demand, commercial feasibility and their company policy, over which the aviation ministry has no jurisdiction.

He was replying to a query on the number of airports functional and the number lying unused under RCS-UDAN.

According to the data shared in Parliament, 74 airports, including 19 underserved and 55 unserved, are currently operational under the scheme.

Of the unused airports, four are in Gujarat (Porbandar, Mundra, Sabarmati River Front (W) and Statue of Unity (W)); four in Punjab (Ludhiana, Adampur, Bathinda and Pathankot); three in Maharashtra (Jalgaon, Nanded and Gondia); two in Uttarakhand (Pithoragarh and Almora (H)); and one each in Haryana (Hissar), Tamil Nadu (Salem) and Uttar Pradesh (Hindon).

Replying to a question on operations by private airlines from the airports, Singh said the request of airlines for operating flight services from airports is accommodated within the available watch hours and airport capacity.

21/07/2023 Yuthika Bhargava/Print

Read More

Kozhikode airport director to soon submit report on RESA development; deadline ends in 10 days

Kondotty: The director of Kozhikode International Airport, S Suresh, stated that he would soon submit a detailed report to the Airports Authority of India outlining the steps taken for reducing the runway length and the progress of land acquisition by the Kerala government for the RESA (Runway End Safety Area) development.

The AAI had sought an explanation from the airport director regarding the measures taken to shorten the runway, as there has been no response from the state government despite repeated requests.

With only 10 days remaining for the deadline set by union aviation minister Jyotiraditya Scindia to acquire land for the development of RESA atKaripur airport, the uncertainty surrounding land acquisition persists. In the aftermath of the 2020 flight crash, an expert committee recommended increasing the clearance on both sides of the runway from 90 metre to 240 metre. The airports authority decided to cut 320 metre from the runway, reducing the runway length from 2860 to 2540 metre. However, this move sparked widespread protests, with concerns raised about the airport's development and the impact on wide-bodied aircraft services. To address these concerns, the state government initially decided to acquire 18.5 acre for RESA but later reduced it to 14.5 acres. The land acquisition process faced delays because of local opposition, which continues.

21/07/2023 Mathrubhumi

Read More

Lounges: Encalm plans to expand beyond GMR airports in India & abroad too

New Delhi: Encalm Hospitality, which currently operates lounges only at GMR Group-run airports in Delhi, Hyderabad and Goa Mopa, plans to expand its wings abroad and in India. It has a partnership with Turkish company TAV Operation Services which operates 80 lounges in 19 countries. The GMR Group had in 2019 built a new terminal at Istanbul Sabiha Gokcen International Airport in Turkey and had exited the JV project about a decade back.

Since most airports seek a minimum of three years’ experience from prospective lounge operators, Encalm — which began operating in February 2022 — will use the tie-up with TAV to bid for lounges at more airports abroad and in India (non GMR) including the upcoming one at Greater Noida that is being built by Flughafen Zurich.

“Encalm Hospitality is backed by overseas funds. We currently have six lounges at Delhi Airport. Four of them are at T3 — two on international and one on domestic departure side and one at arrival for transit passengers. We have two lounges at Mopa, one for commercially important people (CIP) and one at domestic departure. We will build one on international side too at Mopa,” Encalm CEO Vikas Sharma said. The new facility built on Delhi Airport T3 international side that became operational earlier this month is India’s biggest airport lounge.

The company has major plans for Hyderabad airport. “We have one lounge each on domestic and international departure there. We will build a huge 17,000 square feet lounge there. The international side will get a much bigger lounge. We are building a 58-room hotel on transit side at Hyderabad,” he said.

A number of credit card holders are entitled to use airport lounges, apart from business and first class passengers. Long queues to enter lounges are a common sight at peak flight departure times. Airline officials say eligible credit card holders often outnumber premium class passengers in these queues. Delhi T3 international side was a major pain point till recently and now the new lounge is expected to improve things.

21/07/2023 Saurabh Sinha/Times of India

Read More

MIA operationalises additional aerobridges

Mangaluru: The Mangaluru International Airport (MIA) has commenced the operationalisation of two more passenger boarding bridges or aerobridges.

With this, the total number of aerobridges at the MIA has gone up to six.

The airport has been using aerobridges since 2010.

This new facility aims to give much operational flexibility to airlines especially during rains where shifting passengers from the plane on the apron to the terminal and vice-versa from the open bay poses a challenge.

Attached to the new integrated terminal building, these aerobridges also enable the airport to optimally utilise the 11 parking stands available on the apron.

While six of these stands are connected to the terminal with aerobridges, the rest are open bays.

The airport operationalised the new aerobridges in consultation with the stakeholders that includes the airline and the airport security group of CISF to ensure a seamless experience for the passengers, stated MIA spokesperson.

The move to put in use these aerobridges used both for domestic and international flight movements will ensure that the passengers are not exposed to the vagaries of nature while boarding or alighting from a plane, the spokesperson noted.

20/07/2023 Kevin Mendonsa/Times of India

Read More

These 5 Upcoming Airports Will Put India On Global Aviation Map: Noida, Navi Mumbai & More

The government is building a number of new airports, putting India on the top of the global aviation map. Civil Aviation Minister Scindia recently said that India will have 200 airports in the next 5 years. He said that while in 68 years, 74 airports were made operational, the PM Modi-led BJP govt has made the equal number of airports operational in last 9 years, taking the total number of airports to 148. 

Here's a list of the Top 5 upcoming airports in India >>

Read More

Ind-Ra revises outlook on Navi Mumbai International Airport to 'negative'

Mumbai: India Ratings has revised outlook on Adani group entity Navi Mumbai International Airport’s Private Ltd’s term Loan from “Stable” to “Negative” reflecting deterioration in the credit profile of the sponsor Adani Enterprises Ltd (AEL) and delays observed in project progress. However, it affirmed “A” rating factoring in AEL and Adani group’s experience in developing and operating large infrastructure projects, a significant traffic growth potential in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR) and a stable regulatory regime of the sector. The affirmation also takes into account the group’s plan for operating Mumbai International Airports Ltd (MIAL) and NMIAPL in a complementary manner with a suitable debt structure. Further, the ratings derive comfort from the sponsor’s commitment to support the project.

20/07/2023 Abhijit Lele/Business Standard

Read More

Bhopal airport deploys an AI-based traffic management system

The manual time tokens handed over to the passengers by the staff will be replaced by the AI, which automatically scans the number plate and sends an SMS to the driver with the time log. This will be a time and energy saver as, in most scenarios, people must wait long to park their vehicles.

Bhopal airport is reportedly prepared to implement India’s first automated traffic management system and has already began its pilot project. The manual time tokens handed over to the passengers by the staff will be replaced by the AI, which automatically scans the number plate and sends an SMS to the driver with the time log. This will be a time and energy saver as, in most scenarios, people must wait long to park their vehicles.

Ramji Aswathi, the Raja Bhoj Airport Director, said that this AI-powered system will remove the bottlenecks caused in driveways. “Motorists who went to the airport on Friday would have experienced the new system as text messages pinged on their mobile phones on entry and exit times”, the director said. He also stated that once the system becomes fully operational, the airport authorities will impose a fine of 500 rupees for a prolonged stay on the driveway after six minutes.

Every vehicle entering the airport will be detected and scanned by an AI camera that captures explicitly the rear number plate of vehicles. The AI system will identify the vehicle based on the colour, type, model, entry time and other parameters. It then classifies the vehicle under a list of blacklisted, special, VIP and whitelisted vehicles. When a vehicle gets blacklisted, an immediate alert will be generated. The director said they would store all the data in a cloud database.

20/07/2023 India AI

Read More

Marathi signs at airport by March: MIAL

Mumbai: Mumbai International Airport Ltd (MIAL) on Wednesday submitted before the Bombay high court that it was likely to finish the work of displaying Marathi signboards with equal font and prominence along with Hindi and English by March.

Acting Chief Justice Nitin Jamdar and Justice Arif Doctor heard a PIL by Gujarati Vichar Manch to implement two 2018 circulars of the ministry of home affairs, department of official language, to use Hindi and regional language at par with English for signage and indicators at public places.

MIAL’s affidavit said the exercise would take time as signages were to be replaced around 40 lakh sqft without inconveniencing flyers.

20/07/2023 Times of India

Read More

AAI targets Rs 98,000 crore capital outlay to meet air traffic demands

The Airports Authority of India (AAI) and other Airport Operators are gearing up to meet the increasing demands of air traffic with a capital outlay of approximately Rs 98,000 crore in the airport sector between 2019 and 2024. This substantial investment will be used for various activities, including the construction of Greenfield Airports, new terminals, expansion and modernisation of existing terminals, and strengthening runways, among others.

To ensure safety compliance by airlines, a systematic oversight process is in place. This includes surveillance, spot checks, and regulatory audits by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA).

Any safety concerns or violations found during these audits are communicated to the operators, and necessary actions are taken to rectify the issues.

The Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) is committed to achieving ‘sustainable aviation’ in collaboration with the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) and under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). To reduce aviation emissions and their impact on the environment, several measures have been implemented:

Airport operators are encouraged to aim for carbon neutrality and net-zero emissions, adopting carbon mitigation measures and developing carbon management plans. Currently, 55 airports, including 49 managed by AAI, operate on 100 per cent green energy.

DGCA has issued a requirement titled 'Aviation Environmental Protection' that outlines procedures to minimise aviation emissions.

20/07/2023 Business Standard

Read More

AAI signed MoU to Enhance Safety and Efficiency at Airport

New Delhi: The Airports Authority of India (AAI) and the Indian Navy have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to enhance the safety and efficiency of air navigation services while augmenting the airport and runway capacity for civil flights at Goa airport.

The MoU was signed by Sh B.K. Sarkar, ED (ATFM) from AAI and Cmdr. Partha U. Bhatt, IHQ, Ministry of Defence in the presence of Sh. M. Suresh, Member (ANS), AAI and other senior officials from AAI.Under the MoU, the Indian Navy will provide surface movement service (SMS) at Goa airport. SMS is a set of services that guide aircraft on the ground, from the time they arrive at the airport until they depart.

The SMS provided by the Indian Navy will help to improve the safety and efficiency of air traffic operations at Goa airport.The MoU also includes provisions for the sharing of resources and expertise between AAI and the Indian Navy.

This will help to ensure that the safety and efficiency of air navigation services at Goa airport are maintained at the highest level.

19/07/2023 PSU Connect

Read More

Kerakoll revolutionises Delhi Airport with green taxiways

Jyotiraditya Scindia, the Civil Aviation Minister, inaugurated the fourth runway and Eastern Cross Taxiways (ECT) at Delhi's Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA) on July 14, 2023. This momentous occasion marks the completion of the first aircraft taxiway in India and the fourth of its kind globally. Kerakoll, a renowned leader in the green building sector, was responsible for this exclusive project, while L&T served as the contractor.

The introduction of these new facilities has significantly enhanced the capacity and operational efficiency of India's largest airport. It is anticipated that the airport will now be able to handle an annual passenger volume of 109 million.

During the inauguration, Minister Scindia emphasised that the civil aviation sector in the country is at a turning point, embarking on a phase of exponential growth.

One of the main challenges faced during the project's execution, being the first of its kind, was the design of the tunnel walls system. The vibrations caused by aircraft movement presented a significant concern. While many brands struggled to find a suitable solution, Kerakoll, an Italian company specialising in construction chemicals, recommended their most reliable product for such environmental conditions.

Kerakoll H-40 Gel underwent rigorous testing under stringent environmental conditions, including thermal, mechanical, and chemical strains. H-40 is widely recognised for its effectiveness in critical area applications such as facades, large format tiles/stones, and high-stress zones of buildings.

Kerakoll has successfully installed its products in numerous airports, high-end commercial and residential buildings, as well as national projects of great importance, including the Statue of Unity and the Central Vista (Parliament building).

A spokesperson from Kerakoll stated, "We outperformed all our competitors and became the sole brand to supply adhesive and grout suitable for high-stress and seismic structures.

19/07/2023 Construction World.in

Read More

Navi Mumbai Airport to be ready by December 2024: Gautam Adani

New Delhi: The long-awaited Navi Mumbai Airport will be ready the end of next year and boost the mega-city’s aerial connectivity that has been constrained for years as the existing Mumbai Airport is running to capacity. Navi Mumbai Airport is “preparing for operational readiness and airport transition (ORAT) by December 2024,” billionaire Gautam Adani said at Adani Group’s annual general meeting on Tuesday. He has described the upcoming airport among the group’s “key projects” and that the same is “on schedule”.

According to International Air Transport Association (IATA), ORAT is the “process of transitioning a new or redeveloped airport facility from construction to operation and an “effective (way) to support the successful introduction of new airport infrastructure.” An ORAT program engages airlines and other airport users early to “scope requirements, plan and conduct preparation activities, and monitor progress. The methodology can be applied to make a wide range of facilities – from baggage systems and passenger terminals to entire airports – fully operational,” IATA says.

Navi Mumbai International Airport (NMIA) was conceived way back in 1999. Construction is on in full swing to build a 2 crore passengers per annum (CPPA) Terminal 1 (T1). While India’s national bird, peacock, was the design inspiration for Mumbai’s Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (CSMIA), NMIA’s terminal will draw its features from India’s national flower — lotus.

The original plan for this airport envisaged operations starting with 1-CCPA phase one and then have an ultimate capacity of 6 CPPA. But things changed dramatically when Adani Airport Holdings Ltd (AAHL) took over Mumbai International Airport Ltd (MIAL) from GVK group in July 2021. MIAL was to build NMIA and this responsibility came to the infra major.

18/07/2023 Saurabh Sinha/Times of India

Read More

PwDs need accessibility at Dimapur airport

Some existing issues at Dimapur Airport, such as the need for proper maintenance of accessible/priority washrooms as well as disability parking slots and disability drop-off and pick-up areas, were highlighted at the Disability Awareness and Sensitivity Workshop for Airport/Airlines Staff and Security Personnel at Dimapur Airport on July 14. A DIPR report informed that workshop was organised by office of the State Commissioner for Persons with Disabilities, Nagaland.

The workshop aimed to equip all concerned with the knowledge necessary to understand the unique needs and challenges that people with disabilities may face when traveling while also promoting empathy, inclusivity, and respectful attitudes towards individuals with disabilities.

Disability Commissioner Diethono Nakhro in her address cited WHO data, which states that 16% of the world’s population, or 1 in 6 people, live with a disability.

She said that more and more individuals with disabilities were traveling for various reasons, such as tourists, work, leisure, etc., and therefore sensitization training was crucial as a lot of problems were faced by both travelers with disabilities and personnel at various sections due to lack of awareness and understanding of disability needs.

The workshop included sensitization on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act 2016, the different types of disabilities, the handling of assistive devices, and the dos and don’ts of interacting with travelers with disabilities.

Representatives from the CISF, Indigo, and Air India also shared the challenges they faced while dealing with passengers with disabilities.

18/07/2023 Nagaland Post

Read More

Woman pays a whopping Rs 193 for Maggi at the airport, netizens react

Many people are well aware of the high costs they encounter at airports, emptying their pockets with various charges. Whether it's a packet of chips or a bottle of water, airport prices tend to be exorbitant. While most individuals may hesitate to comment due to social pressure, many have taken to Twitter to express their dissatisfaction and raise awareness about the inflated prices of food sold at airport stalls.

These inflated price tags can be attributed to several factors at airports. Firstly, operational costs come into play, which includes the lease of retail space at the airport for stores to sell their products. Secondly, as more people opt for convenient food options at the airport, the cost naturally increases due to availability and the comfort factor. Additionally, strict rules and regulations imposed by airport authorities result in security measures that are reflected in the prices.

A content creator named Sejal Sud posted a picture of her bill on Twitter, revealing that she had paid Rs 193 for a packet of Maggi noodles at an airport. Sharing the image, she wrote, "I just bought Maggi for Rs 193 at the airport, and I don't know how to react. Why would anyone sell something like Maggi at such inflated prices?"

Netizens, as expected, had a lot to say about this issue. While many were critical of the situation, some found humour in it. One Twitter user commented, "I guess this Maggi is made with aviation fuel!!! Just maybe!!!" Others questioned the rationale behind such high prices, with one user stating, "Maggi costs ₹50, but selling it at the airport involves significant expenses such as huge deposits for setting up the café, high rent, and a portion of revenue paid to the airport." Some pointed out that a beloved food product like Maggi will always find buyers, stating, "When there are buyers, sellers do exist. Maggi being included on the menu confirms its demand."

18/07/2023 Times of India

Read More

PM Modi inaugurates new integrated terminal building of Port Blair airport

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday virtually inaugurated the new integrated terminal building (NITB) of the Veer Savarkar International Airport at Port Blair in Andaman and Nicobar Islands.

Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia, who reached the airport, unveiled a statue of VD Savarkar on the premises and took a tour of the establishment.

He was accompanied by the Union Minister of State for Road, Transport and Highways and Civil Aviation, General (Retd.) VK Singh.

The building is shaped like a shell, depicting the natural environs of the islands.

The entire terminal will have 100 per cent natural lighting for 12 hours a day, which will be achieved through skylights on the roof, they said.

Due to a surge in passenger traffic, the Airports Authority of India (AAI) constructed the NITB at an estimated cost of Rs 707.73 crore.

On Monday, PM Modi had posted some pictures of the terminal building, on his official Twitter handle.

18/07/2023 India Today

Read More

DigiYatra facility to be available at seven more airports

Flyers will soon be able to avail the benefits of biometric-based mobile application facility for airport entry–DigiYatra–at seven more airports, Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia told FE.

The seven airports where the facility will be available are Chennai, Mumbai, Jaipur, Lucknow, Ahmedabad, Guwahati and Cochin. The mobile application aims to provide a seamless and hassle-free experience to passengers at airports.

“We are planning to launch the facility at seven more airports and are targeting to achieve this milestone in the coming few months,” Scindia told Fe.

“This will result in reduced queue waiting times, faster processing times, simpler processes and enhance passenger experience from booking to journey end,” he added.

According to Scindia, in the past eight months, due to high adaptability, DigiYatra has “proved that it is not only a facility for easy and hassle-free air travel but also a tool that has the power to revolutionise air travel in India”.

The DigiYatra facility was initially launched at three airports–New Delhi, Bengaluru and Varanasi–in December 2022.

It was later introduced in Vijayawada, Kolkata, Hyderabad and Pune airports in April 2023.

The main objective of this facility is to enhance passenger experience by eliminating the need for manual verification of tickets and identification documents at multiple touch points.

The system has been effective during the peak travel seasons to decongest airport departure terminal areas, where it has been deployed.

18/07/2023 Rohit Vaid/Financial Express

Read More

Why do I have to take my laptop out of the bag at airport security?

Anyone who has travelled by air in the past ten years will know how stressful airports can be.

You didn’t leave home as early as you should have. In the mad rush to get to your gate, the security screening seems to slow everything down. And to add insult to injury, you’re met with the finicky request: “laptops out of bags, please”.

But what does your laptop have to do with security? Read >>

Read More

IndiGo Operates Validation Flight For Delhi Airport’s New Fourth Runway

IndiGo becomes the first airline to operate from the newly constructed fourth runway 11L-29R, at the Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA), New Delhi. The inauguration of this runway makes Delhi Airport, the first airport in the country to have 4 operational runways. The runway will be formally inaugurated by the Hon’ble Minister for Civil Aviation, Sh. Jyotiraditya Scindia.

This flight was carried out by an IndiGo Airbus A320 aircraft carrying inspectors and officials, which landed on the Runway 29R at 1520h IST on July 11, 2023. The Operations team at IndiGo worked with GMR-DIAL, Airports Authority of India (AAI) and the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), to establish a Route Navigation Performance (RNP) based approach and missed approach procedures for the new runway.

A draft approach was proposed by AAI, which was validated on a simulator. The approach was then cleared for flight validation. In addition, a safety risk assessment was carried out to identify any risk on the safe operations while conducting this approach, along with trainer sessions for the Flight Crew operating the validation flight.

17/07/2023 T3

Read More

PM Modi to inaugurate integrated terminal building of Veer Savarkar International Airport in Port Blair on Tuesday

New Delhi: The Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi, is scheduled to inaugurate the integrated terminal building of the Veer Savarkar International Airport in Port Blair on Tuesday. The inauguration will take place via video conferencing. The new terminal building, constructed at a cost of approximately Rs 710 crore, is aimed at enhancing connectivity to the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, a union territory of India.

The terminal building has a total built-up area of around 40,800 sqm and is designed to handle approximately 5 million passengers annually. Additionally, an apron has been constructed at the airport to accommodate two Boeing-767-400 and two Airbus-321 aircraft, with a cost of Rs 80 crore. This apron allows for the parking of up to 10 aircraft simultaneously.

The architectural design of the terminal building resembles a shell-shaped structure, symbolizing the surrounding sea and islands. It incorporates various sustainability features, such as a double-insulated roofing system to minimize heat gain, skylights for natural daylight, LED lighting, low heat gain glazing, rainwater catchment for reuse, an on-site sewage treatment plant, and a 500 KW capacity solar power plant. These features aim to minimize the terminal's impact on the islands' environment.

17/07/2023 Mid Day

Read More

Special canine squad at Mangaluru International Airport to track unattended baggage

Mangaluru: All passengers flying through the international airport in the city should be careful about their baggage. If the baggage is left unattended, trained dogs will pick them up and then it will not be returned until and unless the same is checked thoroughly.

In addition to CC cameras and CISF personnel, now the international airport in the city is equipped with talented canines. The airport has four dogs which accompany CISF personnel at terminal, landing, parking and other areas of the airport. Any suspicious objects are checked by the canines.

At present, there are four dogs by the names Max, Ranger, Julie and Goldie. Out of them, Julie is a female dog while others are males. While Max and Ranger are Belgian Malinois breeds, Julie and Goldie are Labradors.

All passengers must ensure that their baggage is not left unattended. If the canine squad dog finds it, the security personnel may consider it suspicious. Moreover, the passenger will be subjected to interrogation too.

17/07/2023 Daijiworld

Read More

Bengaluru airport flyers see red over ban on talcum powder

Bengaluru: After sharp objects, lighters, liquids, aerosols and gels, talcum powder is the latest addition to the list of substances that are an absolute no-no in passenger handbags onboard flights in India. This new stricture has led to frequent scraps between flyers and airline staff at the Bengaluru airport, reports Petlee Peter.

According to an airline ground staff member posted at the KIA, while the rule restricting the carriage of talcum powder in cabbin baggage was introduced earlier this year, ignorance about this new stricture has caught many passengers on the wrong foot.

Incidents of flyers getting into arguments with airline and security staff and missing their flights after being denied boarding over their insistence to carry talcum powder in hand baggage have been reported in other airports across India.

Recently, there was an ugly scene at KIA when an elderly couple from Jayanagar 9th Block in Bengaluru arrived at the airport to board an Oman Air flight to Muscat. The woman passenger was carrying a small container of talcum powder in her handbag.

While pre-departure security screening by Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) personnel reportedly missed the powder container, the 62-year-old woman was intercepted by the airline's ground staff during a ladder-point security check on the aero bridge, just as she was about to board the flight.

"The passenger vehemently objected when our ground staff informed her she was not allowed to carry talcum powder as part of air safety rules. She turned hysteric and created quite a scene, threatening to sue us and the airline," a senior ground staffer at KIA said.

With the ministry of civil aviation prohibiting passengers from carrying powdery substances - including talcum powder and spices - onboard flights, airline ground staff have been told to strictly implement the "no check, no fly" rule.

The elderly couple was allowed to board the flight only after the woman agreed to abide by the rules.

15/07/2023 Times of India

Read More

City airport crosses 20 lakh passenger mark in just 4 yrs

Prayagraj: The Civil Enclave (Prayagraj airport) located at Bamrauli has achieved the distinction of catering to over 20 lakh air passengers in just over four years of becoming operational.

With this, it has become the third airport in the state after Lucknow and Varanasi to achieve this milestone.

The distinction is significant given the fact that Prayagraj airport is a domestic airport whereas Lucknow and Varanasi are international facilities.

Prayagraj airport was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on December 16, 2018 before Kumbh 2019. However, the new terminal was opened for passengers only on January 1, 2019.

Since then till June 2023, the airport has catered to 20.50 lakh air passengers. During this period, more than 26583 flights also operated from the airport.

Interestingly, had it not been the first and second wave of Covid-19 pandemic, which resulted in a sudden dip in terms of number of passengers arriving or leaving the city through flights, the feat of crossing 20 lakh passengers could have been achieved by the airport in last year only.

During the first wave of pandemic, flight operations was badly affected at the airport because of the lockdown (from March 25 to May 24, 2020). Likewise, operations were again adversely hit during the second wave when there were relatively fewer flights in the months of May and June.

Earlier, the airport reached a huge milestone on September 8, 2021 when the number of air passengers crossed 10 lakh mark since beginning of its operations (January 1, 2019).

15/07/2023 Times of India

Read More

Forest department makes another attempt to push airport at Rajura

Nagpur: The controversial airport project in the functional corridor of Tadoba-Kawal tiger reserves in Murti-Vihirgaon in Rajura (Chandrapur) will once again figure in the Forest Advisory Committee (FAC) meeting on July 17.

The airport is proposed to be set up in 280 hectares of which 64 hectares is forest land in the corridor. The airport project was virtually rejected by the then Uddhav Thackeray government as it was financially unviable, and it fell in the tiger corridor. The file was reopened after Sudhir Mungantiwar became forest minister in the new government led by Eknath Shinde.

The FAC on December 9, 2022, had deferred the proposed greenfield airport stating it was a non-site specific activity and was sensitive from an ecological point of view. It asked the state government to explore alternative sites.

As directed by the FAC, the project proponent, Maharashtra Airport Development Authority (MADC), on June 4, 2023, submitted a report to the nodal officer on financial feasibility and other issues. On July 6, the nodal officer submitted the comments to the government, and FAC included the proposal in its agenda for the July 17 meeting.

Clarifying the financial viability aspect, MADC says the project cost comes to Rs373.50 crore. It will be a 100% state-funded venture. The airport will earn a profit of Rs5.20 crore in the very first year. This will increase by Rs2 crore every year and by the tenth year of operation, it will earn over Rs39 crore after deducting all the taxes.

15/07/2023 Vijay Pinjarkar/Times of India

Read More

Delhi Airport becomes first in the country to have 4 operational runways, elevated taxiway

Delhi's Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA) today became the first airport in the country to have four operational runways.

Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia on Friday inaugurated the fourth runway at the Delhi airport, which is also the country's largest airport, handles more than 1,500 aircraft movements every day.

IndiGo became the first airline to operate from the newly constructed fourth runway 11L-29R, at the Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA), New Delhi.

Scindia also inaugurated dual elevated Eastern Cross Taxiways. With the ECT, the airport will also be the only one in the country to have an elevated taxiway with roads passing below it.

The ECT will connect the northern and southern airfields on the eastern side of the airport and will reduce the taxiing distance for an aircraft by seven kilometres. It can handle wide-body aircraft, including A-380 and B-777 and B-747.

Now, the airport will have four runways -- RW 09/27, RW 11R/29L, RW 10/28 and RW 11L/29R.

IGIA is operated by the Delhi International Airport Ltd (DIAL), a consortium led by GMR Airports Infrastructure Ltd.

14/07/2023 Economic Times

Read More

United Airlines drops Bangalore, adds 2nd New Delhi flight from NYC

United Airlines is making some big changes to its India route network.

It starts with dropping plans to serve Bangalore, a hotly anticipated route that was supposed to originally launch in spring 2021.

The airline has postponed the San Francisco-to-Bangalore route multiple times since it was announced in September 2020, but now the route is getting cut entirely before it even starts, Cirium schedules show.

A United spokesperson confirmed to TPG that the airline will abandon plans to serve Bangalore — a city some people call the Silicon Valley of India.

Along with dropping Bangalore, United will shift its existing routes to New Delhi.

Last winter season, the airline flew there from Chicago and Newark. Back in 2022, it served New Delhi from San Francisco as well.

Originally, United was planning three routes to New Delhi for this upcoming winter, but that plan changed over the weekend, according to Cirium schedules.

Instead of offering daily service from Chicago and Newark during the winter, United will consolidate to two daily flights from Newark.

The twice-daily flights from Newark to New Delhi will commence on Oct. 28 and run through March 29, 2024. 

13/07/2023 Zach Griff/Points Guy

Read More

Mouni Roy panics as she forgets passport at home, denied entry at airport

Mumbai: Mouni Roy was seen panicking after she could not find her passport at the Mumbai airport on Wednesday, July 12. In a video shot by a celebrity photographer, Mouni was seen shuffling through her bag, but couldn't find what she was looking for. Panic-stricken Mouni then made some calls. Eventually, she figured that she had forgotten her passport at home.

Mouni Roy looked tensed as she forgot her passport at home. In a recent video shared by a paparazzo, she was seen searching her bag while speaking to the CISF staff manning the airport. The person explained to her that it would not be possible to let her enter without a passport. Mouni was seen talking to the paparazzi and giving them details about what happened.

Speaking to the photographer, Mouni said, "Ho gaya...Passport bhool gayi (It's done. I forgot my passport) (sic)." The actress then waited until her passport arrived. She was seen wearing a white-and-blue co-ord set. She also wore a pair of sunglasses.

12/07/2023 India Today

Read More

Flight cancellations leave fliers doubtful on service continuity in Odisha

Rourkela:  Around 48 passengers including a senior corporate executive of ATR-72 aircraft of Air Alliance were a disgruntled lot after the abrupt cancellation of their flight from Bhubaneswar to Rourkela even after a long wait of three hours on Sunday. 

Sources said the ATR-72 flight was supposed to depart from Bhubaneswar at 3 pm and reach Rourkela in an hour. However, the intimation of flight cancellation came after around three hours at 6 pm. While many passengers were forced to hire vehicles for Rs 10,000-Rs 12,000, some others had to rush for last-minute train ticket booking costing them an extra travel time of eight to 10 hours. Around 51 fliers at Rourkela faced a similar ordeal on the day. 

Incidentally, for the past three consecutive days - Friday, Saturday and Sunday, the flight operation reportedly got cancelled over operational issues purely associated with Alliance Air despite sound occupancy varying from 44 to 51. In fact, over the past fortnight, flight operation was abruptly cancelled at least for five days over poor visibility and operational difficulties.

As if the lack of an Instrument Landing System (ILS) and night landing facility at the Rourkela airport were not enough, a cloud of uncertainty now hovers over the continuation of flight operations to Rourkela with the nature of operational difficulties of Alliance Air.   

A reliable source said amid intense pressure in view of the FIH Men’s Hockey World Cup (HWC) taking place at Rourkela in January 2023, the Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) on January 7 launched flight operation on the Rourkela-Bhubaneswar route through the Selected Airline Operator (SAO) Alliance Air which has only one ATR-72 aircraft. They attributed the recent cancellations to stressed-out daily operations of the single aircraft and the physical and mental strain of the crew members.  

11/07/2023  Prasanjeet Sarkar/New Indian Express

Read More

Over Rs 19K crore capex lined up for adding airport capacity in FY24

New Delhi: Indian airports, which include private as well as government-run aerodromes, have set a capital expenditure (capex) target of Rs 19,587 crore for the ongoing financial year.

If achieved, this will boost passenger-handling capacities.

The seven Adani-run airports — Ahmedabad, Guwahati, Mangaluru, Lucknow, Jaipur, Trivandrum and Navi Mumbai — have set a capex target of Rs 7,426 crore for FY24. This is according to the data shared by the ministry of civil aviation.

The country has more than 140 airports.

This planned capex will assist the Indian carriers — that plan to add more than 130 planes in FY24 — to handle the country’s air traffic boom. 

In the first quarter of FY24, these seven Adani-run airports had set a capex target of Rs 1,386 crore. However, their actual capex in Q1 fell short by 6.5 per cent, according to data.

Noida international airport’s capex target for Q1 stood at Rs 522 crore. However, its actual capex in Q1 fell short by 33.7 per cent, according to the ministry data. When asked about this data, Noida International Airport replied: “Construction activity for the Noida International Airport has met all milestones, according to the concession agreement. We look forward to welcoming passengers at the airport by the end of 2024, as planned.”

Zurich Airport International won the bid to build and operate the Noida International Airport at Jewar in November 2019. The airport is around 70 km from Delhi.

The first phase of the airport must be operationalised by 2024-end, according to the concession agreement signed between Zurich Airport International and the Uttar Pradesh government.

Hyderabad International Airport’s capex target for Q1 was Rs 321 crore but its actual capex was Rs 196 crore during the time period.

11/07/2023 Deepak Patel/Business Standard

Read More

AAI cancels bid for airport security body scanners due to administrative reasons

Officials have announced that the Airport Authority of India (AAI) has withdrawn a tender for the procurement of 131 body scanners, citing “administrative reasons.” The AAI had issued the global tender on July 6, 2023, but it has been canceled for the time being. However, the AAI remains confident and plans to invite the tender again in the near future.

This is not the first time such a tender has been withdrawn. In 2020, the AAI had also issued a tender for 198 advanced full body scanners, but it was later withdrawn for similar administrative reasons. The Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS), India’s security regulator, has highlighted the need for body scanners at around 84 hyper-sensitive and sensitive airports in the country, as walk-through and handheld metal detectors cannot detect non-metallic weapons and explosives.

On a positive note, the AAI has an ongoing tender for 600 X-ray Baggage Inspection Systems (XBIS), which is still open. The authority remains hopeful of procuring these scanners in the future.

11/07/2023 Financial Express

Read More

Airports upgrade IT systems to pave way for biometrics

Upgrades to the passenger processing systems of airports across India by SITA and Materna will make future deployments of biometrics easier, while an airport in Kosovo is moving its systems to the cloud with Amadeus. A face biometrics app with CUbox technology is about to go live in Korea, meanwhile, and more passengers can use gates with face biometrics from Veridos and secunet in Germany.

SITA has struck a deal with the Airports Authority of India to supply technologies that pave the way for biometric passenger processing at airports across the country.

The company will deploy cloud technologies for check-in counters, self-service kiosks, and boarding gates to be used by multiple airlines at 43 airports, with an expansion planned to an additional 40 Indian airports over the next seven years. The SITA technologies are expected to improve more than 2,700 passenger touchpoints. During that period, the airports will process 500 million passengers, according to the company announcement.

The number of airports in India is also expected to rise from 148 to 220 by 2025.

The deal includes SITA’s Flex, CUPPS, CUSS, and Bag Manager platforms, which are certified by IATA.

Biometrics are not necessarily part of the initial deployment, but the technology’s future use is named among benefits for Indian airports, along with higher operational efficiency and enhanced transparency from a real-time information dashboard.

The deployment quietly kicked off last May.

Noida International Airport is meanwhile deploying SITA’s Airport Management System to improve efficiency for airlines and passengers.

SITA President of Asia Pacific Sumesh Patel says it is the “first greenfield deployment in the Indian Sub-Continent (ISC) region.”

11/07/2023 Chris Burt/Biometric Update.com

Read More

Shimoga Airport set to commence operations on August 11

The recently-opened airport in Shimoga is all set to commence operations on August 11, 2023. Air operations are expected to start exactly a month later. However, Indigo Airlines has not yet begun the booking process. According to Shimoga MP B Y Raghavendra, the booking process will commence very soon.

Speaking with media representatives in Shimoga, Raghavendra mentioned that he had personally invited Minister M B Patil to inaugurate the first flight from the Shimoga Airport. He also requested the minister to oversee the commencement of Indigo flight bookings for the airport's operations.

11/07/2023 Vinaykumar Patil/Asianet Newsable

Read More

SITA’s passenger processing solutions to power Airports Authority of India across 43 airports, serving 500mn passengers

New Delhi: SITA, the technology provider for the travel and transport industry, secured a landmark deal with Airports Authority of India to support one of the biggest growth markets globally, providing technology to 43 of India’s biggest airports.

India’s Civil Aviation is among the fastest-growing aviation markets globally and will be a major growth engine to make India a USD 5 trillion economy by 2024.

The deal will see improvements to over 2,700 passenger touchpoints, paving the way for the adoption of new-age solutions to meet the modern passenger’s expectations. Initially deployed across 43 airports, the technologies are scalable to an additional 40 airports over the next seven years. Over 500 million passengers are expected to be processed during this period.

The rollout of new cloud technology will enable Indian airports to shift to common-use passenger experiences where multiple airlines can leverage the same infrastructure, such as check-in counters, self-service kiosks, and boarding gates.

The adoption of cloud solutions also brings new agility and flexibility to scale airport operations efficiently as passenger numbers grow. The cloud-first approach enforces better security and offers airlines a platform to host new progressive technologies and move away from native applications. Centralized cloud hosting of all servers means reduced on-premise infrastructure costs and results in centralized control, enabling proactive monitoring and control of services.

Sumesh Patel, President, Asia Pacific, SITA, said: “We’re excited to partner with AAI on this large-scale deployment of leading passenger processing solutions. The number of airports in India is expected to increase from 148 today to 220 by 2025. The new airports will bring closer together India’s almost 50 cities with populations exceeding one million people, creating substantial economic value in the long term. By connecting these cities better, air travel and transport will help unlock the full potential of India’s economic growth too. Ensuring efficient and fluid operations and a seamless passenger experience at these airports will be critical to delivering on India’s air transport industry opportunity.”

The solutions will give passengers more control over their journey, offering a low-touch, efficient check-in, bag drop, and collection process through assisted and self-service mechanisms. The airports will benefit from a reduced infrastructure footprint and increased operational efficiency.

11/07/2023 Vicky Karantzavelou/Travel Daily News

Read More

Lounge excess to crunch: International flyers feel the pinch at Delhi Airport's T3

New Delhi: A vast majority of international travellers booking business and first class tickets for a comfortable journey get the experience they paid for only after boarding aircraft at Delhi Airport. There reason: There is a severe lounge crunch for premium travellers with two lounges — Air India and a common one for all others — unable to handle the rush with a large number of eligible credit card holders travelling economy also using the common lounge. A major conflict is brewing between many airlines and Delhi International Airport Ltd (DIAL) on the issue as the former are unable to offer a premium experience to many of their high-paying passengers at Terminal 3 international side.

While international travel is yet to reach pre-Covid levels, IGIA did not face this situation before 2020. Several international airlines had their own lounge at T3 (in the wing that houses the transit hotel at T3) that were closed during the pandemic and have not been reopened. Now the Air India lounge, space-permitting, is used by other Star Alliance member airlines. And the common lounge has a long queue at peak traffic times as it caters to both the large number of eligible credit card holders and premium passengers.

It is not uncommon to find upset passengers waiving their business or first class boarding card (not of AI) at this lounge, exasperated at the long lines. “Very often there are more eligible credit card holders in the lounge than business or first passengers,” said an airline official.

While DIAL is learnt to be planning a mega lounge — just like Mumbai Airport’s erstwhile GVK and now Adani Lounge, — the existing ones that airlines like Singapore Airlines, Emirates, Lufthansa, Air France/KLM, SWISS and one for Star Alliance gold members — have been shut without making an interim arrangement that is adequate to handle the post-Covid rush.

A DIAL spokesperson said: “Delhi Airport is delighted to inform you that the new Business Class Lounge is now operational at Terminal 3 International. This will further enhance the passenger experience for the travellers. A unified lounge strategy is to ensure better utilization of lounge space and create a world-class experience for passengers at Delhi Airport.”

11/07/2023 Saurabh Sinha/Times of India

Read More

Air India to operate first-ever international flight from Goa's Manohar Airport

 Tata Group-owned Air India will become the first carrier to operate international flights from the Manohar International Airport (MIA) in North Goa. The airport was inaugurated in January this year.

The carrier announced flights from North Goa's Manohar International Airport to Gatwick Airport — the second-largest airport in the United Kingdom —  starting from July 21, 2023.

The airline said the flight from Goa is a tribute to Mario Miranda — "our favourite artist from Goa and forever a part of the Air India art legacy."

The Padmashri and Padma Vibhushan awardee cartoonist was known for his trademark strokes which told detailed colourful stories with shades of humour, largely based on life in Mumbai and Goa.

Air India will operate a thrice a week service from the Manohar International Airport, the company said in a tweet. In all, the airline now operates 49 flights in the UK per week.

The airline operates 43 flights to London (Heathrow and Gatwick) and six to Birmingham. Air India also operates 31 weekly flights to Heathrow, London from Delhi and Mumbai.

Manohar International Airport is developed and operated by GMR Goa International Airport Ltd (GGIAL), a subsidiary of GMR Airports Infrastructure Ltd (GIL).

11/07/2023 Jomy Jos Pullokaran/CNBC TV18

Read More