Showing posts with label Airports Mar 2010. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Airports Mar 2010. Show all posts

Wednesday, March 31, 2010

'40% progress in Kolkata airport rejuvination'

Kolkata: The new look Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International (NSCBI) Airport in Kolkata will have two runways, of which the main runway will be of 3627mtrs and the secondary runway will be of 3240 mtrs. of length. The airport building of 400 mtrs. will be an energy efficient green building.
These were stated by R. Srinivasan, Airport Director and R. L. Sharma, Executive Director, Airports Authority of India, Kolkata Airport at an interactive session on 'Rejuvenation of Kolkata Airport' organized by the Bengal National Chambers of Commerce and Industries in Kolkata on Tuesday.
The work for this new look NSCBI airport began in November, 2008 and is expected to be completed within 30 months time. Till date, 40% physical progress have already been made. However, Srinivasan expressed the confidence of completion of work within the stipulated time frame.
The rejuvenated Kolkata Airport will have an area of 1640 acres with six bays for Boeing-747s, four bays for A-320s and one bay for A-380.
30/03/10 India Blooms

IGI intruder roamed inside for four hours

New Delhi: Investigations into the intrusion at IGI Airport on Saturday have revealed some disturbing facts. According to highly-placed sources in Delhi Police, Uday Raj Chauhan (28) — who was found sleeping near an engine of a plane around 4am by Air India officials — had entered the airport around midnight and had spent over four hours inside the technical area before going to sleep.
“The intruder said he was from Rasoolpur village near Hardoi in Uttar Pradesh and had entered the airport to board a plane to Dubai. Uday had earlier claimed that he had entered the airport by riding on top of a truck, but later he said that he had jumped into the airport after climbing a tree next to a boundary wall. He told us that he had consumed liquor on Friday and then decided to go to Dubai for a brighter future,’’ said a senior investigating officer.
The accused claimed that he had roamed about the entire airport for more than three hours before deciding to go to sleep at a “cool” place. He chose a spot in one of the plane’s engine to doze off.
In the second such incident within a span of 18 hours on the same day, a 65-year-old man ‘‘entered’’ the airport after climbing the boundary wall before being caught.
31/03/10 Dwaipayan Ghosh/Times of India

Kolkata airport modernisation cost up by 20 percent

The modernisation cost for Netaji Subash Chandra Bose International (NSCBI) Airport has gone up by around 20 percent from Rs.1,942 crore to Rs.2,325 crore, an Airports Authority of India (AAI) official said here Tuesday.
'The board of AAI approved the cost escalation of the project about 15 days back,' airport director R. Srinivasan said here on the sidelines of a press meet organised by Bengal National Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
He attributed the cost escalation to the increase in raw material costs since 2006 (when the cost was earlier approved) and also partly to certain baggage handling facilities that were later included in the plan.
The project, however, is on schedule and would be commissioned by August 2011, Srinivasan said.
The runway extension is behind schedule, he said. It will be completed by June 2010, instead of September 2009.
'Close to 40 percent of the project work is complete and we are absolutely confident of completing the project on time,' he said.
A consortium of ITD of Thailand and ITD Cementation India Ltd had bagged the construction contract for the modernising project of the NSCBI Airport.
30/03/10 IANS/Sify

Expansion plan procedure to be made more stringent for airport operators

New Delhi: Operators of large airports—those with an annual handling capacity of at least 1.5 million passengers—will need to convince the regulator, airlines and consumer forums of the merits of expansion plans and get their project costs greenlighted by the stakeholders before they are allowed to scale up the facilities.
The move by the Airports Economic Regulatory Authority, or Aera, is an attempt to curb soaring costs associated with open-ended projects such as the modernization of the Mumbai and New Delhi airports that have entailed airlines and passengers paying more.
“Consultation for any investment is a major precondition in our guidelines,” Aera chairman Yashwant Bhave said in an interview.
“They have to consult (with stakeholders) if the capex (capital expenditure) is all right, what process has been followed for traffic forecast etc.,” if airport user charges are to be decided on the basis of their investment in expansion, he said.
The move comes on the heels of Delhi International Airport (Pvt.) Ltd, or DIAL, last week setting the final cost of modernizing the Indira Gandhi International Airport at Rs12,700 crore, a 42% increase over the Rs8,975 crore estimated earlier, clearing the way for raising existing charges and possibly levying new ones on passengers.
The cost estimated for modernizing the Mumbai airport has risen to Rs9,802 crore from Rs5,826 crore.
Airlines and consumer forums have in the past protested airport charges levied to allow the operators to recover investments. The charges are based partly on the project cost.
“The positive side is (that) what will happen from now is that decisions will be circulated for views and the views will be considered before a final decision, compared to the earlier scenario where the aviation ministry took a call, so the process is more transparent,” said a senior domestic airline official who asked not to be named.
30/03/10 Tarun Shukla/Live Mint

AAI pressured to change stand on tariffs

New Delhi: The Airports Authority of India (AAI) has changed its mind on a critical part of a proposed new tariff regime for India's airports.
AAI, which had earlier backed a method of tariff fixation known as dual till, has now changed its mind and wants an alternative approach called single till. "This change in stance came about because of informal pressure from AERA, the regulator," according to an official of the ministry of civil aviation, who requested anonymity.
The AERA (Airports Economic Regulatory Authority), the body that regulates India's airports, had sought feedback from stakeholders such as AAI and the owners of private airports on a set of new draft regulations. Airport owners make money in two ways. One, from airlines, their only user; and second, from facilities like shops and bars located inside the airport. This second source of cash is known as non-aeronautical revenue.
In case of the so-called single till tariff, the charges to airlines are kept low because they are subsidised by higher prices paid by the users of other facilities such as shops. In case of a dual till tariff there is no such cross-subsidisation.
Dual till is preferred by airports the world over as it encourages them to develop alternative sources of revenue from commercial sources and also makes them financially robust, enabling them to handle future capital expenditure. Aviation industry experts say that dual till airports show better performance standards in the long run without necessarily leading to higher charges than single till airports.
31/03/10 Times of India

AAI retunes Sgr Airport

Srinagar: In a landmark development the Airports Authority of India (AAI) has decided to introduce Kashmiri language for the announcements of flight departures and arrivals at Srinagar International Airport in addition to English and Hindi.
The decision follows a demand made by Adbee Markaz Kamraz (AMK), Kashmir’s biggest and oldest literary and cultural federation. Director Airport Srinagar O S Tyagi in a communication to station mangers of all Airlines operating from Srinagar has asked them to ensure that announcement is made in Kashmiri language also in addition to English and Hindi. This he did, after receiving approval from Chairman Airport Authority of India, V P Aggarwal. “The announcement in Kashmiri will start from tomorrow” confirmed PRO at Srinagar International Airport Mohammad Shafi. He said that arrangements are being finalized for that all the airline operators have been asked to implement the decision in letter and spirit.
AAI Chairman in a separate communication to AMK general secretary has conveyed the decision of introducing Kashmiri language at the airport.
30/03/10 Rising Kashmir

A blow for international passengers

Thiruvananthapuram: The Airports Economics Regulatory Authority (AERA) has worked out an user development fee (UDF) of Rs 755 per embarking international passenger with the commissioning of the new international terminal at Thiruvananthapuram Airport. Domestic passengers will be spared the additional burden.
AERA, the regulatory authority on airline-related rates, is holding a high-level meeting with state government officials, including Chief Secretary Neela Gangadharan, and representatives of airlines in Thiruvananthapuram on April 5 to finalise the UDF.
The fresh developments have confirmed a recent report in these columns that UDF may be imposed at Thiruvananthapuram Airport soon.
According to a consultation paper issued by AERA, ‘‘the Authority proposes to approve levy of UDF at the Thiruvananthapuram International Airport at Rs 755 per embarking international passenger, purely on an ad-hoc basis, with effect from the date of commissioning of the New International Terminal Building for a period of ten years.’’
AERA has also published the consultation paper on the website of the Civil Aviation Ministry and sought comments and suggestions from the stakeholders. The last date for giving suggestions is April 9. The UDF would be formally announced afterwards, sources at the Ministry told Expresso from New Delhi over phone.
31/03/10 Arjun Raghunath/Express Buzz

Rounds of discussion put Chandigarh international airport on the fast track

Chandigarh: The international flight from the chandigarh airport is expected to start in a couple of months, as the first board meeting of the Joint Venture Company of the proposed international airport was held on Monday.
Sources said in the first board meeting of the Chandigarh International Airport Limited, various issues were discussed, including early completion of the hall in the new building, so that immigration and customs operations can start. Officials of the Airport Authority of India (AAI) were of the view that the building can be completed in two to three months, latest by June.
It was also decided in the meeting that the ILS system should be installed at the airport to facilitate flying at night and during inclement weather.
The officials were told that it will take at least three months before the system was in place, as a lot of wiring work was required. The issue of acquisition of land for a taxiway was also discussed.
The directors were also of the view that a local officer, of the executive or general manager rank, should be appointed to look after the project and coordinate with both the Punjab and Haryana governments.
31/03/10 Indian Express

Carmichael now a free man

New Delhi: Winston Marshall Carmichael's 46-day detention came to an end last Saturday, with the 62-year-old being released from the Lampur detention centre. A US national, Carmichael was released after US agencies and a Central Forensic Sciences Laboratory (CFSL) report gave him a clean chit.
He was flown to his hometown by US authorities on Saturday night from IGI airport. Carmichael was held on February 11 after a CISF official at Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA) discovered he was carrying a knife hidden in a lump of shilajit (an ayurvedic herb).
Sources said Carmichael, who claimed he was on a religious tour, was affiliated to the Tablighi Jamaat, an Islamist religious group. "We sought a report from US authorities regarding Carmichael affiliation to the Islamist group. There had been reports of Tablighi's involvement in terror plots but Carmichael was not found involved in any of their activities," said a senior Delhi Police officer. Tablighi Jamaat's headquarters in the United States are in New York.
31/03/10 Rahul Tripathi/Times of India

Tuesday, March 30, 2010

Intrusion into IGI: CISF suspends 2 men, debates breach with Air India

New Delhi: The Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) on Monday suspended two assistant sub-inspectors for being lax on duty after an intruder was found hiding inside the rear engine of an Air India flight.
The paramilitary force, though, differs from the airline on how Uday Raj Chauhan, 28, got inside the high-security IGI Airport, and then into the Nagpur-bound flight, on Saturday morning.
The CISF, responsible for access-control with anti-hijack and anti-sabotage roles at the airport, on Monday maintained that Chauhan got into the apron area of the airport after jumping from a neem tree in the operational area.
But the Air India security staff, who apprehended Chauhan and interrogated him first, said he had reached the aircraft after getting on a catering truck that entered the airport from the ‘steel gate’ next to domestic cargo.
According to the Air India inquiry report, a flight engineer of the scheduled flight to Nagpur detected a person hiding inside the aircraft’s rear engine.
Officials said the flight was all set for a take-off. The intruder, who works in the Capital, was found in an inebriated condition, officials said.
In a second case the same day, one Fazir Mohammed, 65, was detained after he entered Runway 29 around 10 pm.
30/03/10 Geeta Gupta/Indian Express

Swarm of bees holds Air India flight hostage

Mumbai: Honey bees that descended in droves on an Air India airbus on Monday only took airport authorities by surprise and delayed departure by 20 minutes.
Authorities readying an Air India plane for a Raipur-Bhubaneshwar flight could not open the plane’s door for close to 30 minutes as the bees refused to disperse. The airbus was on its way to its designated parking bay near the A-3 aerobridge at about 9.30 am when the airline’s ground staff spotted the honey bees swarming around the aircraft door.
An airline official said, “We had attached the step ladders to the aircraft so that passengers could start boarding. But the bee attack prevented them from entering the plane. The airline staff then decided to call officials of Mumbai International Airport Limited (MIAL) to carry out fogging.”
However, despite the fogging, the problem persisted for quite some time. An airline spokesperson said that the flight, which was to depart at 10.20 am, finally left at 10.40 am.
Airport sources also complained that parking bays M1, M2 and M3 at the international terminal are infested with mosquitoes. One reason is because these bays are situated close to the airport perimeter overlooking slums and a nullah.
30/03/10 Aneesh Phadnis/Mumbai Mirror

Federa, father of all airports

Ahmedabad: The proposed international airport at Federa could well be the biggest in India. The state government has earmarked a massive 7,500 hectares of land, mostly wasteland, for the new airport at Navagam village near Dholera special investment region (SIR). The Airports Authority of India (AAI) has already cleared the site last month.
Earlier, the state government had identified 1,700ha for the upcoming airport in Pachham-Valinda-Pipli stretch of Dhandhuka taluka. The new site falls under the influence of DMIC and is also close to three SIRs planned at Dholera, Sanand and Changodar.
The land would be handed over to Gujarat Industrial Corridor Company Ltd, a nodal agency for Delhi-Mumbai Industrial Corridor (DMIC).
Though the government is planning to use 2,800ha initially, additional land has been earmarked for future expansion of the airport as well as other aviation activities.
Two different runways are part of the first-phase development.
30/03/10 Amit Arora/Times of India

Govt approves AI JV for ground handling at Bangalore

New Delhi: The joint venture between Air India and Singapore Air Terminal Services (SATS) to provide ground and cargo handling services at the Bangalore airport received the government's approval today.
The joint venture was among the 23 FDI proposals cleared by the government, it was officially stated.
With this, the JV, Air India SATS Airport Services Bangalore, would be able to issue shares to raise resources, sources said.
Approval to the JV was granted on the basis of the recommendations of the Foreign Investment Promotion Board a fortnight ago, they said.
29/03/10 Press Trust of India

Air connectivity a pipe dream for Ludhiana

Ludhiana: Just like non-existent domestic aerodrome, the dreams of having an international airport too seem far-fetched. The authorities here are losing hope just like the residents, who feel that no flight would ever take off from here.
Sahnewal Airport incharge VP Jain said, “Yes, there is a plan to upgrade the airport, but we cannot say anything as of now. These plans have been announced numerous times in the past eight years.” He further added, “If we are planning to make it an international airport, we should preferably be starting it with domestic flights so as to see how things workout.”
Sources revealed that a few months back, nearly Rs 12 crore has been spent on recarpeting of runway and renovation of other things. Since 2002, there have been plans of starting 72-seater aircraft from here but nothing has happened till now. From March 28, Kingfisher Airlines was to launch a flight from here, but even till time it could not be done.
Meanwhile, residents are desperately waiting for the airport to become functional. Oswal Group of Companies chief managing director Jawahar Oswal said, “It is the need of the hour, the city being the industrial hub, people go abroad twice a week. If the airport becomes functional, it would save half of time spent in going out of the city.”
29/03/10 Times of India

GVK to buy Bidvest's pie in Mumbai airport

Hyderabad/Bangalore: Power and Infrastructure major GVK Power and Infrastructure (GVKPIL) is in advanced talks with private equity players to raise funds to buy out South African firm Bidvest’s 13.5% stake in Mumbai International Airport (MIAL).
If the deal goes through, GVK will gain a 51% holding in the airport. Over the last year, GVKPIL has been consolidating its investments in the airport business. At the end of 2009, it paid a total of Rs 1,170 crore to buy out its partners’, Zurich Airport and Larsen and Toubro (L&T), stake in Bangalore International Airport.
The Hyderabad-based company will pay Rs 650 crore for this latest purchase, say aviation sector analysts who estimate the value of the airport at $2 billion. “Although we are buying just 13.5%, we have to pay a premium for the stake as we are gaining management control,” said A Isaac George, chief financial officer, GVK Group.
To fund the purchase, the infrastructure company is talking to leading private equity firms such as KKR Private Equity, TPG Capital India and Macquarie, according to people close to the development.
30/03/10 Sai Deepika Amirapu & Sobia Khan/Economic Times

Monday, March 29, 2010

Terror bid on plane turns out to be ‘atom’ bomb of spite

Thiruvananthapuram: The plane bomb scare that set off a country-wide terror alert last week has turned out to be the handiwork of an airport worker out to spite an airline official, police sources said.
Rajasekharan Nair, 49, a former CISF constable and now a cleaning supervisor with a ground-handling agency, apparently wanted to settle old scores with the duty manager of Kingfisher Airlines.
So he stole a mix of cracker ingredients stored for a firework display at a temple near his home on the outskirts of this city, the sources said. The mix of potassium chlorate, sulphur and aluminium powder was meant to be converted into crude bombs, nicknamed “atom” and used extensively in temple festivals for their high decibel levels.
Nair was either not frisked by the CISF, which he left in 2003, or somehow managed to dodge security as he sneaked into a Kingfisher flight from Bangalore soon after it landed here on March 21.
The suspect has allegedly confessed to police that he hid the “atom” in the aircraft’s cargo hold. Half an hour later, he slid it across the plane’s floor and then informed the CISF commandant about his “find”.
The discovery, coinciding with a major terrorist hunt in Kerala, led to a furore and parallel probes by Kerala and Karnataka police, the CISF director-general, Airports Authority of India and the Union home ministry.
One feature of the mystery stood out: the bomb was wrapped unusually in a Kerala school board question paper and a Malayalam newspaper. The wrappers led the police to Nair.
29/03/10 John Mary/The Telegraph

Kingfisher bomb case: Action likely against CISF

Thiruvananthapuram: Action is likely against a few officials of the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) at the Thiruvananthapuram Airport in the wake of the police finding that the explosive planted in the Kingfisher aircraft while it was at the airport here on March 21 was an inside job.
Highly-placed sources told ‘Express’ that the State police would be reporting to the CISF and other top authorities concerned about the findings of the police probe.
As per norms any person, either its a staff or a passenger, who enters security hold areas should be thoroughly frisked by the CISF personnel. Sources at the airport said that Rajasekharan Nair, who was held for planting the explosive, might have entered the runway through the staff-entry gate.
Usually, the staff are also checked using hand-held metal detectors.
Since the crude explosive planted in the aircraft did not contain any metal parts, it would not have been detected by the hand-held metal detectors.
Regional Deputy Commissioner of Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS) Nambi and CISF Director General N R Das were also conducting internal enquiries into the incident that had national and even international ramifications.
The city police had also quizzed several CISF personnel in connection with the incident. The chances of invoking provisions of Anti-hijacking Act against those responsible for planting the explosives could not be even ruled out, said sources.
29/03/10 ExpressBuzz

Haj aspirant sneaks in, 2nd breach at IGI in a day

New Delhi: A 65-year-old man scaled one of the gates at IGI airport and entered the premises on Saturday night, apparently in a bid to make it to Haj — the second such security worry in just 18 hours and the third so far this year.
CISF personnel nabbed Fazl Mohammad the moment he jumped off the gate, into the restricted zone. The breach came just hours after a 28-year-old man was arrested as he sneaked into the apron area and tried to board a flight to Dubai.
The CISF ordered a high-level inquiry into the security arrangements at the airport. Additional DG (CISF) and senior officials of the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security visited the airport on Sunday morning to assess the situation. Officials revealed that the matter had been taken up very seriously and action would be taken to fix any loopholes in the security apparatus and against any personnel at fault within 48 hours.
29/03/10 Times of India

Mangalore-Delhi flight begins on a low key

Mangalore: The first ever Mangalore-Delhi flight today arrived boarded the passengers and took off to Delhi in a low key programme held at the Bajpe Airport. Mangalore MP Nalin Kumar Kateel and MLA Abhayachandra along with airport officials were present to flag off the maiden fight to the Nation?s capital from Mangalore.
The sleek 100 seater Air India Regional services that left from Delhi in the wee hours touched down at Bajpe airport at 8.30am and lifted off after refueling and boarding after 45 minutes. The flight took 2.28 minutes for the non stop flight from Delhi to Mangalore and on its return journey it took little less than that and reached Delhi after a non stop flight of 2.25 minutes.
The direct flight between Mangalore-Delhi will operate through circular route via Kozhicode throughout the week except Saturday.
Nagesh Shetty, Mangalore Area Marketing Manager, Air India, said IC-7613 flight would operate every Sunday, Tuesday and Thursday on the same route.
Flight IC 7611 would operate on the Delhi-Kozhikode-Mangalore-Delhi route every Monday, Wednesday and Friday.
This flight would leave Delhi at 6.45 a.m. and reach Kozhikode at 9.45 a.m. It would leave Kozhikode at 10.15 a.m. and reach Mangalore at 10.55 a.m. It would leave Mangalore at 11.25 a.m. and reach Delhi at 2.10 p.m.
28/03/10 Mangalorean.com

Briton says cop sought bribe to permit her to board flight

Panaji: Even as Goa is working hard to promote itself as a tourist friendly destination, a British passport holder has complained that an immigration department official demanded and took a $100 bribe to permit her to board a charter flight earlier this month.
In her complaint to SP (immigration) Tony Fernandes, British citizen Fatima Fernandes alleged that though she had a valid air ticket, on March 7, 2010, an immigration official at Dabolim airport asked for a bribe of $100 to allow her to board the charter flight to UK. Fatima said she was allowed to board the flight only after she paid the money in Indian currency to a PSI in the immigration department. Following the complaint, the police have issued the PSI a memo and sought to know why disciplinary action shouldn’t be initiated against him.
Fatima had arrived in Goa on February 5 by a Monarch charter flight from UK and had a return ticket for March 7 by a Thomson flight.
29/03/10 Preetu Venugopalan Nair/Times of India

Flight delays at Mumbai may soon be a thing of the past

Mumbai: Flight delays at Mumbai may soon be reduced, as airport officials along with airlines and air traffic controllers are planning a slew of measures to reduce congestion and quicken movement.
Mumbai airport sees about 700 flight movements each day and during peak hours, planes hold on ground or air for up to 45 minutes, burning expensive aviation turbine fuel.
Officials from various airlines, the Mumbai airport and the International Air Transport Association have come together and created an operational safety and capacity enhancement group, which recently met to find a solution to these problems.
According to airport sources, the plan is to reduce runway occupancy for landing aircraft and minimise delays in taxiing and parking of aircraft at designated bays. “It takes about a minute for an aircraft to vacate the runway after touchdown. If we can reduce this time by 5-10 seconds, we will be able to save a considerable amount of time,” an airport official said.
29/03/10 Aneesh Phadnis/Mumbai Mirror

Sunday, March 28, 2010

Kingfisher crude bomb case solved, accused in custody: Police

Thiruvannthapuram: The Kerala police have taken into custody an employee of a private cargo firm in Thiruvannthapuram for his alleged involvement in placing an explosive device on a Kingfisher flight to Thiruvananthapuram on March 21. The arrest is likely to be recorded later in the day.
"Right now, I will not be able to divulge the details but the case has been solved and the person who did this crime has admitted to it. The recording of the arrest and other things will take place shortly," a senior police official, who did not wish to be named, said here Sunday.
The explosive device was found in the cargo section of the Kingfisher plane after it landed in Thiruvananthapuram from Bangalore last Sunday. The flight had 27 passengers and four crew members.
The police have ruled out the involvement of any terrorist outfit and said that the incident was the result of personal enmity among employees of private firms.
28/03/10 IANS/Economic Times

Drunk man caught sleeping in plane engine

New Delhi: The IGI Airport woke up to a bizarre Saturday morning. An allegedly drunk man was found sleeping inside the jet engine of an Indian Airlines Airbus A-320 when the airline staff went to check the plane for its first flight of the day two hours before scheduled departure at 5.50am.
The young man was quizzed by the airline security, but was too inebriated to talk. All he said was that he reached the airport in a truck and then went to sleep behind the biggest fan on a sizzling Delhi night.
The man was spotted when IA's engineering and security team climbed up the ladder to prepare the plane to fly as IC 869 to Raipur and Nagpur. While approaching the aircraft door around 4am, a team member saw a leg dangling from the rear of the engine.
The man was pulled out of the engine. The security team roughed him up a bit and all he said was that he came inside the airport sitting on top of a white truck. He then wandered to the operational area and being sleepy, chose the big engine as his bed for the night. The man was handed over to the security agencies, said sources. A senior CISF official said the matter was being investigated.
28/03/10 Saurabh Sinha/Times of India

Intruder caught near plane

New Delhi: A 28-year-old man, who wanted to go to Dubai in search of work, breached the security at IGI Airport and entered the domestic terminal. He managed to reach the apron area and was apprehended by airport officials while trying to get inside an Air India aircraft.
The man, Uday Raj Chauhan (28), is a resident of Rasoolpur village in Hardoi. He was handed over to Delhi Police and a case was registered at Palam police station.
According to sources, Chauhan climbed a tree and jumped inside the technical area of the domestic airport at 4am on Saturday. "He kept hiding in the dark and then took the advantage of thin security presence to cross the technical area. He reached the funnel and then went inside the apron area. He was trying to get inside an aircraft when he was nabbed by the Air India security staff and CISF officials," said an official.
His family has been informed. Chauhan will be produced before the court on Sunday.
28/03/10 Times of India

Thai Airways Flight Makes Emergency Landing in India

Kolkata: Having taken-off from Mumbai the Thai Airways flight was forced to make and emergency landing in Kolkata after the pilot discovered a technical fault with the fuel supply causing an irregular flow to the engines.
All 238 passengers on-board were safe, but left stranded at the airport for several hours before being allocated rooms at a nearby hotel, free of charge. They were later accommodated on another scheduled Kolkata-Bangkok flight.
The overnight flight was scheduled to land in Bangkok at dawn, however; a fuel supply issue that was discovered by the pilot forced him to request and emergency landing. “Around 1 am, the pilot sought permission for an emergency landing. The pilot informed us that supply of fuel from the tank to the engine was not steady. As a result, there was not enough power in the engine,” said a senior air traffic controller.
28/03/10 Pattaya Daily News

Emerging market airports to be honoured

Dubai : The Emerging Markets Airport Awards (EMAA) ceremony organised by Arabian Reach will be held during the Airport Show 2010 gala dinner hosted by Reed Exhibitions in Dubai next month.
It is estimated that by 2020, the value of emerging airport markets will grow to more than $100 billion, including the Middle East, China, India, Russia/Commonwealth of Independent States and Baltic states.
States have earmarked $64 billion for new terminal development, refurbishment and rehabilitation of airports.
"The purpose of EMAA is to encourage the development of emerging airport markets and recognise great work, dedication and accomplishments in every category," Raj Menon, Head of Business Development, Arabian Reach, said.
Twenty-two categories of airport excellence will be honoured during the awards ceremony, featuring Hall of Fame, Best Airport Award categories, Special Awards and Best Airport Technical and IT Services Providers' Awards.
28/03/10 Gulf News, UAE

Saturday, March 27, 2010

Babus present a flying gift to themselves

New Delhi: In a bizarre, please-all move, the civil aviation ministry has decided to gift all its previous secretaries lifelong free air ticket upgrades to first class on Air-India and unhindered access to any area of any airport in the country.
Top retired bureaucrats in the department from the 1964 batch onwards have been issued an Orange Security Pass, which allows them the aforementioned privileges in addition to protocol and escort services at any airport in India, including access to VIP lounges and VIP parking areas.
On March 16, the ministry issued the controversial order to the Airports Authority of India, Bureau of Civil Aviation Security, airports and airlines and sought a compliance report by April 30. The order also allows the retired bureaucrats and their immediate family free automatic upgrades to first class cabins on any Air-India flight.
Along with the order, the ministry also enclosed a list of 24 former civil aviation secretaries who would be entitled to these facilities.
The Orange Pass, issued by the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security, allows its holder unrestricted access to any area inside the airport, including its operational areas.
This is the highest category of access currently available only to flying crew, officials of the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), aircraft engineers and security personnel.
The next category is the Purple Pass, followed by the White Pass, which allows access to a few select terminal areas.
A top ministry official, however, stated that this is a courtesy being extended to former bureaucrats since they are old people and no one recognises them at the airport.
27/03/10 Ajmer Singh/Mail Today/India Today

BCAS probing Mallya's alleged violation of security norms

New Delhi: The Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS) on Friday began a probe on whether liquor baron and Kingfisher Airline chief Vijay Mallya violated security rules by skipping mandatory security checks at the IGI airport in New Delhi while transfering from a helicopter to his private jet on the tarmac itself.
But the airline maintained that no security procedure was violated as Mallya had gone through the required screening process at the Hindon Air Force Base, the point of origin for his flight, and got transferred to another aircraft at the IGI airport which was permitted under the current guidelines.
The UB Group head, who is also the Chairman of Kingfisher Airlines, had arrived here on his corporate jet, a 22-seater Airbus-319, to attend a function in Ghaziabad.
He flew down to the airbase, located near Ghaziabad, on a helicopter and returned on the same chopper that landed on the tarmac. He is reported to have boarded his private jet directly skipping the checks.
26/03/10 Press Trust Of India/Hindustan Times

Three former Kingfisher employees held over crude bomb

Three former employees of the Kingfisher airlines have been detained in connection with the detection of an explosive device in a flight at Thiruvananthapuram March 21, police said Friday.
The three, all from Kerala, were taken into custody at Bangalore International Airport Thursday when they were to take a flight to Dubai, Bangalore north-east division Deputy Commissioner of Police Basavaraj Malagatti told IANS.
'Kerala police have taken the three back to the state,' said Malagatti, under whose jurisdiction the Bangalore airport falls.
He said the three told police that they were working with Kingfisher airlines but had left the company as they got jobs abroad.
The explosive device was found in the cargo section of the Kingfisher plane after it landed in Thiruvananthapuram from Bangalore.
26/03/10 IANS/Sify

US aviation firms asked to set up bases in India

Washington: India has asked US aviation companies to think of establishing manufacturing bases and investing in aviation infrastructure like airports in India for a long-term commitment.
Visiting Indian Minister of State for Civil Aviation Praful Patel told senior US officials like Commerce Secretary Gary Locke and Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood Thursday that Washington should also explore the possibility of liberalising the export control regime.
Locke and LaHood told Patel that US companies were very impressed with the growth displayed by India's aviation sector and were keen to contribute to the growth, according to an Indian embassy press release. In response, Patel said these companies needed to "show a long-term commitment beyond just exporting to India" and should seriously "explore the possibility of establishing manufacturing bases and investing in aviation infrastructure like airports".
At meetings with Locke, LaHood and Federal Aviation Administrator Randy Babbitt, both sides acknowledged the positive role of aviation in improving connectivity between the two countries, since the signing of the Open Skies Agreement in 2005.
27/03/10 IANS/Economic Times

FOSTTA urges pvt airlines to start services from Surat

Surat: While the city of diamonds and textile is yet to get more flights to other domestic destinations despite its state-of-the-art airport facilities, the trade and industry bodies have begun to take up the issue with non-scheduled operators to start their flight services from Surat.
Federation of Surat Textile Traders Association (FOSTTA) has urged all major non-scheduled flight operators in the country to extend their domestic services in Mumbai and Ahmedabad to Surat in order to facilitate the air travellers in diamond and textile hub of Surat.
In a letter to Kingfisher, Jet Airways, Go Air, Indigo etc, FOSTTA said the city of diamonds and textile is the economic capital of Gujarat with the population likely to cross 50 lakh in the next couple of years. The city has got a state-of-the-art airport equipped with facilities to cater to domestic as well as international air traffic, yet there is only one flight between Surat and Delhi.
The FOSTTA office-bearers said there are more than 50,000 textile shops and some 400 textile processing units in Surat. Textile traders and others related to the industry frequently visit destinations like Delhi, Kolkata, Punjab, Mumbai, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Chennai etc for their business.
26/03/10 Melvyn Thomas/Times of India

Custody of AAI official extended

Mumbai: The custody of Airports Authority of India official Eknath Pai who was arrested on charges of murdering his wife Ajita, an ATC officer, has been extended till March 31.
The police officers said investigations remain to be completed as Pai is reportedly not co-operating.
“We have sought medical opinion about the signs that the body shows after strangulation. The preliminary post mortem report showed there were contusions on her chest and face and a medical opinion on whether these were self-inflicted or caused by someone else is needed. Besides, we have asked doctors if there were any internal injuries,” said an official who added that the cell phone details of both the victim and the accused are awaited.
27/03/10 Indian Express

Friday, March 26, 2010

IGIA tweaks its rules for Mallya's comfort

New Delhi: Kingfisher Airlines chairman Vijay Mallya has allegedly violated security rules at the Delhi airport.
The UB Group chairman skipped the security check at the Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA) on Saturday.
After attending a function at Ghaziabad, he took a chopper to the airport, landed at the tarmac and flew off in his private jet.
He was reportedly in a hurry to reach Mumbai to watch his IPL team Royal Challengers' match. So, he requested the security agencies to allow him to take the chopper to the tarmac so that he could shift to his jet and avoid going to the terminal for security check- in.
According to the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS) guidelines, the transit of any passenger, even a VIP, is not allowed without security check.
Senior officials of the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF), which is responsible for the security of airports across the country, tried to pass on the blame to Kingfisher. They said they were aware of Mallya's transit, but were told by the airline that he was taking a scheduled flight.
26/03/10 Mail Today/India Today

‘Security breach’ at airport: man held

New Delhi: In an alleged breach of security protocol at the Indira Gandhi International Airport, a man was found moving suspiciously outside the domestic arrival terminal and was detained by intelligence officials of the Central Industry Security Force (CISF).
The incident took place on March 20.
Upon checking and interrogation, the man, identified as Ajit Kumar Pandey, was found with forged airport entry passes issued by the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS).
Sources said Pandey confessed to his involvement in illegal recruitment of loaders and drivers for national carrier Air India in return for money.
He told investigators he helped the illegally recruited loaders and drivers procure forged airport entry passes to enter the high-security premises.
Pandey said till December 2009 he worked with a contractor hired by the National Aviation Company of India Limited (NACIL), CISF sources said.
Airport sources said Pandey was in possession of two airport entry passes issued by the BCAS — one of these was valid till December 31, 2009, and the other till December 2012.
26/03/10 Geeta Gupta/Indian Express

Oil leak forces plane to land

A light in the cockpit blinked red. Heeding the warning, the pilot of Air Arabia G9-486 flight made an emergency landing, minutes after take-off early on Thursday. The move averted a possible mishap at the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport. The Sharjah-bound flight, with 130 passengers on board, had a consignment leaking oil in the cargohold.
The incident occurred at 5 am. The plane had taken off and attained some height, when the radar data unit (RDU) began flashing. The RDU detects fire and chemical reactions. Something strange was going on in the cargohold. The captain immediately informed the Air Traffic Control tower at the airport and sought permission to make an emergency landing.
Twenty minutes after it took off at 5 am, the plane landed safely on the tarmac. Flanked by the emergency rescue vehicles, the aircraft glided into the apron. The passengers were deplaned quickly and the entire cargo section cleared. Officials inspecting the cargo section realised that a leaky consignment was the cause of trouble. It contained oil.
Confirming the incident, airport sources said, “..Since it was an oil spill, there was a possibility of the plane catching fire. The captain was alert and took the right decision.”
The officials of Air Arabia, however, refused to accept there was a leak.
26/03/10 Akshay Kaushal/Ahmedabad Mirror

Airport upgrade: Delay makes AAI give up on Army land

Chandigarh: Giving up hope of getting two chunks of Army land to upgrade the Chandigarh airport, the Airport Authority of India (AAI) has decided to do with only one.
“We had demanded two chunks of land from the Army — 4.5 and 0.7 acres— but because of the delay we have decided to do without the 4.5 acres,” Airport Director Suneel Dutt told Newsline. “We wanted the 4.5 acres of land to expand the apron area but now we have changed the construction plan itself.”
The AAI, however, still wants the 0.7 acres to expand the approach road to the airport. Though the AAI has given up on the 4.5 acres, the Chandigarh Administration still wants to acquire it.
“We want the land as demanded from the Army. We will compensate them by providing an equal area of land at a different location,” a senior official of the Administration said. “We can give this land to the airport authorities, in case they need it in the future.”
26/03/10 Jyotsna Jalali/Indian Express

Former AI Executive Director joins AERA

New Delhi: P Vijayakumar, a former Executive Director of Air India, has taken over as a member of Airports Economic Regulatory Authority (AERA) which is empowered to determine airport and aeronautical tariffs.
Vijayakumar is the first of the two members of the AERA besides its Chairperson Yashwant S Bhave, it was officially stated here today. Bhave was appointed in August last year.
Vijayakumar, who retired from Air India as ED (Fleet and Network Planning) in 2008, has three decades of experience in the aviation sector.
25/03/10 Press Trust of India

Flying out of Delhi may become more expensive

New Delhi: Passengers will have to pay steeper fees when flying from the Capital’s Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA) after June—the result of a 42% increase in the cost of modernizing the airport before the Commonwealth Games in October.
The board of Delhi International Airport (Pvt.) Ltd (DIAL) on Thursday set the final cost of the project at Rs12,700 crore, up from the Rs8,975 crore estimated earlier, according to a company official who asked not to be named. The revision was adopted at a board meeting.
The increase clears the way for raising existing charges and possibly levying new ones on passengers using IGIA. It would also mean higher charges such as landing, parking and navigation fees for airlines.
IGIA, being modernized by a consortium led by GMR Infrastructure Ltd, will be the biggest and most expensive airport in India when the under-construction Terminal T3 is commissioned in June, offering passengers a world-class, integrated domestic-and-international facility with the latest in equipment.
For passengers and airlines, it will come at a price because the developer would have to pass on the increased project cost to end users.

Passengers are already being charged to help the developer recover Rs1,827 crore, or 20% of the earlier project estimate of Rs8,975 crore. They are paying Rs200 for taking domestic flights out of IGIA and Rs1,300 for flying abroad until 1 March 2012, as an airport development fee.
26/03/10 Tarun Shukla/Live Mint

Thousands demand return of India Birmingham flights

A 20,000 signature petition is being delivered to the India’s civil aviation minister today demanding the reintroduction of direct flights between Birmingham and India.
Birmingham airport’s chief executive Paul Kehoe and the leader of Birmingham City Council Mike Whitby masterminded the petition and are urging the region’s businesses and Asian communities to back their Fly India campaign.
Kehoe said “I find it incredible that although there are around 350,000 people of Indian origin living in the one hour catchment of the airport, there hasn’t been a direct flight to India since October 2008.
“To secure its slots at Heathrow, Air India sadly moved its Delhi-Amritsar-Birmingham-Toronto in 2008 to the capital despite demand never being a problem during its three years at Birmingham.
“In the last year of operation alone it carried 100,000 people between Amritsar, Delhi, Birmingham and Toronto and its load factors were often more than 85% full.
25/3/10 Edward Robertson/Travel Weekly, UK

Thursday, March 25, 2010

'I do know who planted bomb'

Bangalore: A mysterious caller has been nagging the harried airport police and claiming to have information of the people who planted a crude bomb in the Kingfisher aircraft on Sunday. Deputy commissioner of police (north east) Basavraj Malagatti received a phone call from a Mohan from Mumbai. He claimed that he has filmed the people who had kept explosives in the aircraft.
A man who identified himself as Mohan called up Kingfisher Airlines tell them that he had filmed the people who planted the bomb on the aircraft.
"I got the call at 7.15 pm on my landline number. The caller refused to divulge his complete identity and his phone number.
When I assured him that he'll be rewarded if he gives me the CD and his phone number, he said he'll contact me soon and took my mobile phone numbers," Malagatti said.
Malagatti added that the caller said he would give his bank account number for depositing the money as he would need it to fly his associate down to Bangalore with the CD.
"I assured him that I'd give him two and fro charges along with the cash reward if I get the CD and asked him to send his associate. However, he didn't reply to it and disconnected the call," said Malagatti.
25/03/10 Imran Gowhar/MiD DAY

Ground staff responsible for security lapse?

Bangalore: They treated the `small aircraft' in casual way. By the time they realized the gravity of the situation, a crude bomb had rested entire night in the BIA hangar and gone back to Thiruvananthapuram.
Additional commissioner of police (Law and Order) M R Pujar on Wednesday said the ground staff of Kingfisher Airlines had not followed the procedures properly, contrary to their claims. "They seem to have handled the aircraft in casual way. In the first place, it was a small aircraft and since it came late in the evening and was to leave early in the morning, there seems to be indifference on the part of the ground staff, who were supposed to follow many procedures," he said.
Once an aircraft lands, security agents check the entire aircraft and allow the catering team to unload the food trolleys. Next is the turn of cleaners, who clean the entire aircraft. The bomb, which was placed at the `supplementary gallery' should have been identified by either the loaders or the cleaners. They should have brought it to the notice of security agent Suresh Puttasetty, who was on duty at the time.
Even on that Sunday morning, the procedure repeats as the security agent makes a thorough check of the aircraft, before allowing loaders and cleaners. On Sunday morning, another agent, Rineesh Ranjan, was on duty. After him, loaders brought the catering trolley inside, when there was another opportunity to notice it. However, no one cared for the paper ball in the corner and the flight left at 6 am.
25/03/10 Times of India

Police still clueless

Thiruvananthapuram: Even after three days, the city police still seem to be clueless about the source of the packet containing explosives that was detected in a Kingfisher aircraft at the airport here on Sunday morning.
``We have taken several persons into custody as part of interrogation. But no suspects have been arrested so far,’’ a top police officer told `Express’.
While the Bangalore police strongly maintain that the packet was planted after the aircraft took off from Bangalore on Sunday morning, the Thiruvananthapuram city police say that it could be either from Bangalore or Thiruvananthapuram.
Sources said that except a few foreign nationals, all the 27 passengers on board the aircraft have been traced and quizzed. Efforts are on to trace the remaining foreigners who are tourists.
There are unconfirmed reports that three persons, including two contract workers who spotted the packet and a person hailing from Nedumangad who is suspected to have supplied the explosive, are kept in police custody.
24/03/10 ExpressBuzz

New Jaipur airport overcomes 150-km rule

New Delhi: A proposed airport near Jaipur could become the country’s first to come up within 150 km of an existing airport, and overcomes the government’s stated policy of not allowing more airports within 150 km of an existing airport.
The government has accorded ‘in-principle’ approval to Rajasthan Aviation Infrastructure (India) for setting up a greenfield airport at Viratnagar, Civil Aviation Minister Praful Patel said in Parliament on March 12. The company received an in-principle approval from the government on February 15.
A steering committee, comprising representatives from the ministries of civil aviation, defence, home affairs, economic affairs and revenue, as well as those from the meteorological department, Airports Authority of India, directorate general of civil aviation, and the state governments, had approved the airport on May 28, 2009, after it got necessary approvals.
The government, in its greenfield airports policy unveiled in 2008, had said if an airport was proposed within 150 km of an existing facility, such cases would be examined on a case-to-case basis and the same would be considered by the steering committee.
The proposed airport is to come up at Viratnagar, 63 km from Jaipur and 167 km from the Delhi airport. It got the approval as the existing airport is constrained to expand, and is likely to be saturated by 2013-14. This is despite a new terminal it added recently.
The existing Jaipur airport is one of the fastest-growing in the country, and has recorded almost five-fold growth in passenger traffic in the last five years.
25/03/10 Ranju Sarkar/Business Standard

DIAL to submit costs report or forgo levy

Mumbai: Delhi International Airport Ltd (DIAL) has been told to submit a long-delayed review of its estimated cost for modernizing the Indira Gandhi International Airport in the capital by 15 April.
The Airports Economic Regulatory Authority of India, or Aera, said it would not allow DIAL to levy the airport development fee (ADF) on passengers from 1 August if it failed to meet the deadline.
An executive of GMR Group, which leads a consortium that owns DIAL, said they would submit the review of estimated cost by 6 April.
DIAL had estimated it would incur Rs8,975 crore for the modernization project. It also cited a funding gap of Rs1,827 crore, and was allowed to levy an ADF of Rs1,300 on every international passenger flying out of the city and Rs200 on every domestic passenger from 1 March 2009 to bridge the gap.
The ADF, which is inclusive of all taxes, was levied on an ad hoc basis for 36 months on the condition that DIAL would submit a review of the estimated cost by 31 August 2009. The deadline was later deferred to February 2010, but DIAL again failed to submit the estimates.
Aera has now put its foot down. “DIAL should submit the final project cost (estimates) at the earliest. In case, the submission is so delayed that the authority is not in a position to obtain final cost, duly audited by the independent technical auditor, latest by 31 July the levy of ADF shall not be permitted with effect from 1 August,” Aera chairman Yashwant S. Bhave said in a consultation paper.
24/03/10 P.R. Sanjai/Live Mint

‘Acquired for AAI unit, being used for rehab’: owners want land back

Mumbai: The former owners of two tracts of land in Dahisar and their heirs have moved the Bombay High Court for repossession, saying the land had been acquired for the expansion of an Airport Authority of India remote receiving station but no such expansion is taking place.
The petition says that instead, Mumbai International Airport Limited (MIAL) plans to use half the land to resettle encroachers on airport land, a fact conceded in an affidavit by the authorities.
Petitioner Anwar Hajee Cassum Agboatwala and other legal heirs say such a change of purpose is not acceptable, even if it is assumed that it is a public purpose.
The original owner, Alimohammed Agboatwala, died in 1946. His wife moved a suit for administration of all his estates, including the 12 acres in question, after which a court receiver was appointed.
25/03/10 Mohan Kumar/Indian Express

Hyderabad bags Best Airport India award

Brussels: The Rajiv Gandhi Airport in Hyderabad is the best airport in India, according to Britain-based consultancy Skytrax, which judges the quality of air travel around the world.
At a ceremony in Brussels on Tuesday, the Hyderabad airport was given the Best Airport India award. Singapore's Changi airport was named the world's best airport.
It was also called "Airport of the Year 2010", the best airport in Asia and also the best for leisure amenities.
Skytrax awards serve as the quality benchmark for the world airport industry.
The awards represent opinions of more than 8.6 million passengers from over 95 nationalities around the world who took part in a 10-month survey of 196 airports.
The awards are given after assessing more than 35 elements of the airport experience.
24/03/10 Indo-Asian News Service/Hindustan Times

Briton caught on camera ‘stealing’ mobile phone, detained by cops

Mumbai: A British national of Indian origin was caught on camera stealing a passenger’s mobile phone at the Mumbai airport on Tuesday.
According to airport officials Mehrosh Manik Shah, who was on his way to Singapore, forgot his mobile phone in one of the baskets at the CISF security check terminal.Ten minutes later Shah returned and informed the CISF officials of his phone. They checked the CCTV footage and caught the theft. The British national was picked up and the phone was recovered. He was handed over to the Sahar police.
25/03/10 Indian Express

Wednesday, March 24, 2010

Body scanners at Indian airports

In the wake of several security threats, the Civil Aviation Ministry has decided to introduce full body scanners in Indian airports. The full body scanner is capable of scanning through a person's clothes and has been introduced in certain countries including the U.S. The first body canner will be installed at a trial basis at the Indira Gandhi International Airport from July onwards.
Privacy issues and appropriate safeguards on health issues will be kept in mind before introducing the scanning machine in airports. Following continuous security threats at airports across the country, the ministry has become swift on the proposal for body scanners.
23/03/10 Times Now.tv

Centre orders probe to find out how bomb reached Kingfisher flight

New Delhi: Calling it a “major security breach”, the Centre has ordered a probe into how a crude bomb made its way to a Kingfisher flight to Thiruvanathapuram on Sunday.The probe will find out who were behind the attack plan.
“This is a major security breach and every possible action is being
taken to unearth how it reached the cargo [of the aircraft]. The matter has been taken very seriously and investigations have been ordered. The probe is being conducted by multiple agencies,” civil aviation minister Praful Patel said on Wednesday.
The improvised explosive found at Thiruvanathapuram airport from the cargo section of a flight on Sunday had arrived from Bangalore.
24/03/10 Aditya Kaul/Daily News & Analysis

Aircraft was open, unguarded for 45 mins

Bangalore: Investigations into the explosive device found onboard the Kingfisher Airlines Bangalore- Thiruvananthapuram flight have revealed glaring security lapses at the Bengaluru International Airport (BIA).
According to sources, the IT 4731 flight that arrived from Thiruvananthapuram in the wee hours of Sunday was unguarded for close to 45 minutes, as the security officer who was to guard the aircraft did not report to duty on time after the shift of his preceding officer ended.
The aircraft arrived at 4.35 am and was unguarded and left unlocked till then, said sources adding that those with access to the airport like cargo handlers, ground handlers, catering staff or cleaners could have dropped the material into the cargo compartment.
The CISF had earlier said that an insider could have placed the explosive material in the aircraft at the Thiruvananthapuram airport.
24/03/10 ExpressBuzz

Choppers get dedicated flight paths

Mumbai: After years of delay and deliberation, the skies over Mumbai and Delhi have finally been neatly cut out to make exclusive flight paths for helicopters so that these small rotor-wings don’t get caught up in the heavy traffic of fixed-wing aircraft.
In Mumbai, 16 dedicated, uni-directional flight paths have been chalked out at a height of 500 and 700 feet above ground level for helicopters to do visual flying between Juhu airport, Mumbai airport, Bombay High (can go up to 1,000 feet), Mahalaxmi Racecourse and two helipads in Navi Mumbai. In Delhi, choppers will have eight dedicated flight paths to fly in and around the capital. Different tracks—all at 500 or 700 feet—have been planned for flying east, west, north and south within both these cities. It’s like a one-way, fast lane of sorts for helicopters’ flights.
The corridor will bring savings for the helicopter operator with lesser fuel burn and reduction in flying time for passengers. It will be green with lower carbon emissions per flight. Lastly, it bringsrelaxed nerves for helicopter pilots and air traffic controllers in Mumbai and Delhi.
For a helicopter flying from, say, Mahalaxmi Racecourse to Dhirubhai Ambani Knowledge City helipad in Navi Mumbai, there is the Kilo 010 corridor. The helicopter will climb to 700 feet and proceed initially in south-east direction and then go north-east, keeping Elephanta island to the left to reach Navi Mumbai.
24/03/10 Manju V/Times of India

GVK, GMR seek exclusive tariff structure for airports

Mumbai: GVK Power & Infrastructure and GMR Industries, majority stakeholders in Mumbai and Delhi airports, are seeking an exclusive tariff structure for these airports, unlike others, to avoid disruption to their investment plans.
Any uniform tariff policy for airports across the country will hurt the expansion of these two busy airports as investments and revenue projections are based on existing tariff structures, officials in these companies said on condition of anonymity.
The Airport Economic Regulatory Authority, or AERA, is working to arrive at a tariff structure for more than 125 airports across the country, following disputes between aviation companies and private airports. Now, the tariffs are fixed by companies that own the airports and by the Airport Authority of India (AAI) for those owned by the government.
Aviation companies have said that private airports are overcharging, increasing the cost for passengers and inflicting losses on them. But airports feel that they need funds for expansion.
“We will have to keep in mind and take into consideration OMDA agreements signed with both Delhi and Mumbai airports,” Yashwant Bhave, chairman, at AERA, told ET. “Those covenants cannot be changed and we have to respect them. The final decision on whether these airports will have separate tariffs or not will only be made known after the process is over by April end.”
24/03/10 Manisha Singhal/Economic Times

Fliers’ Tuesday blues end

Mumbai: The five-month-long Tuesday repairs on Mumbai airport’s primary runway, that often left passengers stranded, ended on Tuesday.
The runway repairs, which had led to a six-hour partial closure of the tarmac for 22 consecutive Tuesdays starting October 27, ended on schedule.
More than 100 flights, which were taken off the schedule because of the partial runway closure on Tuesdays, will be back from next week.
It took 61 engineers and 500 field workers to redo the surface of the 54,000-sqm wide stretch where the main runway and the cross runway intersect.
“Reconstruction of the runway intersection was a complex project that required detailed planning and coordination among various agencies,” Sanjay Reddy, managing director, Mumbai International Airport Limited (MIAL).
Apart from the intersection patch, the airport operator also relaid the junction of taxiway E and a portion of the main runway. Also, a new duct bank and conduit has been laid to provide ground lighting to the airfield. The critical repair project began on October 27 and was marred by several near-mishaps. Three near mishaps involving four airlines took place on the first three Tuesdays forcing the Directorate General of Civil Aviation ((DGCA) to frame restrictions on flight movement on the curtailed runway.
24/03/10 Hindustan Times

Push for new airports

New Delhi: The construction of 12 greenfield airports, including the aerotropolis in Durgapur, will start soon, civil aviation minister Praful Patel said.
“The real test for the Indian aviation sector is to create more (infrastructure) facilities. Approvals have been granted to 12 greenfield airports in different parts of the country,” Patel said at an infrastructure conference here today.
These include two aerotropolises, or airport city projects, in Durgapur, Bengal and Ludhiana, Punjab.
Unlike conventional airports, an aerotropolis leads to parallel growth of real estate, hospitality and manufacturing. In an aerotropolis, a major share of the revenue comes from non-aeronautical components, which yield faster returns than aeronautical components.
Patel said the government’s policy to allow 100 per cent foreign direct investment in the construction of greenfield airports was attracting huge investments.
Several leading airport operators and related firms have invested or formed joint ventures with Indian partners for airport and aviation infrastructure projects.
23/03/10 The Telegraph

Jet Airways flight develops technical snag in Vadodara

Vadodara: A Mumbai-bound Jet Airways passenger aircraft developed a technical snag in its wheel at the Harni airport in Vadodara today delaying the flight for more than three hours, airport sources said.
The Vadodara-Mumbai flight which was scheduled to depart at 7.15am developed a problem in its wheel while landing at the airport here around 6.30am, they said without disclosing the details of the snag.
The pilot noticed the damage in the wheels of the aircraft, coming from the metropolis, following which repair works were initiated due to which passengers were not allowed to board the flight, airport sources told PTI.
24/03/10 PTI/Daily News & Analysis

NE-Bhutan air connectivity soon

Guwahati: In what could boost connectivity and bilateral trade between Northeast India and Bhutan, the air connectivity project between the two regions is likely to get finalised in May-June of this year, paving the way for Druk Air flights from Paro to Bangkok via Guwahati.
Head of a Bhutanese business delegation to the Northeast, Chen Chen Dorji, while interacting with the media here, said that the process, earlier scheduled to start from this month itself, is awaiting the security clearance and cabinet approval.
Dorji, who is also the vice president of the Bhutan Chamber of Commerce and Industry, and the 19-member team of business delegates from Bhutan today participated in an interactive seminar on ‘Enhancing trade relations between Bhutan and Northeast India’ organised by the NEDFi.
Emphasizing the need of better connectivity between the two countries to boost the trade ties, he said that primarily the Druk Air would fly the route thrice a week. “The venture would pave the way for the interest of aviation companies from India to start more flights on this route,” he added.
23/03/10 Assam Tribune

Fog forces diversion of Chennai flights

Chennai: Four flights were diverted to Bangalore after visibility dipped to 500 m due to fog at the Chennai airport on Tuesday morning. One flight was diverted to Bangalore last week when visibility had dipped in a similar fashion.
On Tuesday, a thick blanket of fog enveloped the runways between 5.30 am and 5.40 am, as a result of which an Etihad flight from Abu Dhabi, a Jet Airways flight from Dubai, a Qatar Airways flight from Doha and an Alliance Air flight from Nagpur were diverted to Bangalore.
In March 2009, seven incoming flights were diverted to Bangalore and four departures were delayed due to poor visibility caused by fog.
While Met department officials attributed the fog to natural atmospheric causes, an airport official said that instances of fog disrupting flight movements have been less this year when compared to previous years. But there was no fog elsewhere in the city.
"Today the area near the airport was unusually hazy. Visibility was a little low 1 am onwards. The haziness continued till around 6.30 am. The fog was a little brownish," said an airport official. International airlines never take a risk by attempting to land when visibility is not very good, he added.
Visibility has dipped between 1,000 m and 1,500 m in the recent months, but this is the first time it has dipped to 500 m. "This is not smog because it often reduces visibility only upto 2,000 metres. Poor visibility caused by pollution was a problem last year, especially because construction work is happening to expand the airport. But haziness caused by pollution has reduced," sources said.
24/03/10 V Ayyappan/Times of India

IGI’s T3 gets ready for July 3 opening

New Delhi: Come July and Delhi will get to experience its very own `world-class' airport. The new integrated terminal 3 (T3) with a capacity of 34 million passengers per annum will become operational from July 3 after which all international airlines and India's full cost carriers Air India, Jet Airways and Kingfisher will start their operations from the terminal.
However, there might be a little glitch before the inauguration. According to the OMDA the agreement signed between the airport developer GMR Group and the government all work on the new terminal is to be completed by March 31 or GMR would have to pay a hefty fine. Though Delhi International Airport (P) Ltd (DIAL) claims that work is "on schedule and going on at a fast pace'', there seems to be a lot of work still pending. Sources said major installation work was complete and only finishing touches are being given to the terminal. But they were not sure whether that would amount to a breach of the contract.
"The basic trials began in January 2010 and advanced trials will start from April 2010 and go on till June 2010 for ensuring smooth operations at T3. Meanwhile the new taxiway `Y' will be handed over as promised and made operational by first week of April 2010,'' said a DIAL spokesperson.
24/03/10 Times of India

Tuesday, March 23, 2010

Bomb scare at Thiruvananthapuram airport hatched by securitymen?

New Delhi: Who played mischief at Thiruvananthapuram airport? The jury may still be out but security circles have concluded that the packet containing locally available chemicals was deliberately planted on the Kingfisher aircraft after it landed in Kerala on Sunday morning.
The detection of the packet led to a security scare, but inputs from various agencies suggest this may not have been possible without ‘official’ sanction. While the packet was probably planted by ground handling staff, sources are beginning to see a pattern in terror-related developments in Kerala, and many within the security establishment are pointing a finger of suspicion at their own agencies.
One official said state police has been kicking up “terror hysteria” “without much basis” for some time now. Much of it has led to publicly visible security actions, like the terror alert for Kochi. The motives behind false alerts include attempt to improve preparedness or increasing financial allocation for the agency involved.
Sources are ruling out a terror angle to the incident.
While there is a possibility that some ground-handling staff may have been behind it, terrorism watchers argue that “if that was case they would have planted an explosive”, not this packet.
23/03/10 Josy Joseph/Daily News & Analysis

Kerala police arrest man on suspicion of planting crude bomb

Bangalore: The Kerala police have identified a person, suspected of planting a crude bomb in Kingfisher flight IT-4731 at the Thiruvananthapuram International Airport.Unconfirmed reports said that the man had been detained.
Meanwhile, the Kerala police also the found that the newspaper in which the bomb was wrapped was circulated in Nedumangad, about 18 km from the state capital. A senior police officer in Kerala said that the bomb was probably placed before passengers had boarded the flight on Saturday night.It was learnt that an interrogation of the cleaning staff had not yielded any results.
The flight, which reached the Bengaluru International Airport on Saturday night, returned to Thiruvananthapuram the next morning with 27 passengers and four crew members.
“We suspect the involvement of outsourced employees (caterers and loaders) as nobody else – with the exception of the cabin crew – has access to the galley at the rear of the aircraft,” an airport official said. Ruling out the possibility of passengers or other airport workers being involved, he said, “Nobody else is allowed to enter that area of the aircraft. We are only looking at people who have access to that section.”
Meanwhile, deputy commissioner of police (north-east) Basavaraj Y Malagatti said that the fact that the bomb was wrapped in the Thiruvananthapuram edition of a Malayalam newspaper, dated March 17, 2010, and a Kerala SSLC question paper suggested that the crude bomb was placed into the aircraft at Thiruvananthapuram.
23/03/10 Daily News & Analysis

Bomb in flight: No clarity, only theories about Kingfisher whodunnit

Bangalore: The day after an explosive was found on board a Kingfisher flight, there was little clarity on what had happened and who was responsible. While the investigation team was grappling for answers, what emerged were theories.
Among those was this: The planting of the crude bomb on Kingfisher flight IT-4731 from Bangalore to Thiruvanathapuram was an attempt to hijack the flight. “The theory has gained strength as the bomb was found next to the food and beverages galley in the rear of the aircraft. The luggage in this type of aircraft (ATR) is usually next to the cockpit and accessibility is limited to those performing loading and unloading duties,” a senior intelligence bureau officer said.
“The hijack could not take place as it looks like an attempt made in a hurry. There was no detonator and this indicates that someone wanted to retrieve the crude bomb and hold it in the hand to threaten the crew and the airport authorities,” an official said.
The suspects could not catch the flight for various reasons. The details of their plan will only emerged after we lay our hands on the suspects that includes the catering staff,” officers in the investigating team said.
Thiruvananthapuram police commissioner MR Ajith Kumar is believed to have got crucial details about the ‘country-made’ bomb similar to those used in the Bangalore serial blasts in July 2008 and other bomb blasts in Kerala.
22/03/10 MK Madhusoodan/Daily News & Analysis

'Kingfisher bomb sourced to T'puram'

Two days after a crude bomb was found on Kingfisher flight IT 4731 from Bangalore to Thiruvananthapuram, investigations carried out by Kingfisher airline are pointing at a Thiruvananthapuram link to the crude bomb.
The bomb found on the Kingfisher plane is similar to the bombs used for fishing in Kerala. The choir ropes use to tie the bomb, the thickness of the rope is peculiar to the ropes used in and around Thiruvananthapuram.
As to how the crude bomb entered the airport premises, the investigators believe it came as part of the fire crackers used by the airport bird scarers.
Meanwhile, the Kerala Police have traced the source of explosive used in crude bomb. Police are now questioning two people in connection with the source of explosive. Police say that the paper in which the explosive was wrapped has given them vital clues.
The question paper was used as first wrap of the explosive and regional edition of newspaper used as second wrap lead to source of explosive. Sources say owner of cracker making unit near Thiruvananthapuram city has been detained for questioning.
Director of Public Instruction [head of school education department in Kerala] has helped the police in tracing location of question paper, which was used to wrap explosive.
Meanwhile, the FIR lodged in the case said the substance was not of high intensity. According to the FIR, based on the forensic analysis of the material, the material was a mixture of potassium chloride, ammonia and sulphur.
23/03/10 Times now.tv

Bengaluru International Airport is unsafe, say senior cops

Bangalore: The airport authorities’ alleged lackadaisical approach to security came in for criticism from Bangalore’s senior police officers on Monday. They also alleged that the airport was yet to intensify the security checks even a day after a crude bomb was found aboard an aircraft.
The police said that a lack of systematic security checks on private firm staff employed at the airport posed a threat to passengers and others. Several functions of the airport were outsourced to private players.
The police claimed that deputy commissioner of police (north-east) Basavaraj Y Malagatti had written to the Bengaluru International Airport (BIA) authorities a year ago to get the antecedents of all employees - both temporary and permanent - verified. “I had reminded them several times, but to no avail,” Malagatti said.
He claimed to have advised the BIA against employing anyone with non-verified backgrounds.
Police officers felt that the security checks on baggage inside the airport were poor. The police also pointed out that anyone can load or unload cargo onto the aircraft without supervision.
23/03/10 Santhosh Kumar RB/Daily News & Analysis

Bomb scare at Thiruvananthapuram airport; hijack attempt gone awry?

Bangalore: Preliminary investigations into the discovery of a bomb in the Kingfisher Airlines flight IT 4731 from Bangalore to Thiruvananthapuram suggest a hijack attempt that went awry.
Points out a senior intelligence official, “The bomb was found next to the food and beverages galley in the rear of the ATR aircraft. In this type of aircraft, the luggage is kept next to the cockpit; it is not accessible to others, except to loaders and unloaders. The placement of the bomb next to food-trays suggests that someone was assigned to take it there and hijack the aircraft.”
“We will question the caterers. It seems to have been done in a hurry. There was no detonator, which indicates that someone with a detonator wanted to retrieve the bomb,” the official said.
An airline official, who did not want to be named, said aviation authorities always woke up only after some incident occurred and were not proactive on the issue of passenger safety.
“.. Most airports have infrastructure for five stages of baggage checks but if a baggage passes the first stage – laser penetration to check for explosives – they do not bother about the four other checks,” he said.
Meanwhile, another airline official said that there was nothing new about the security measures suggested in the circular issued by the regional aviation authority.
23/03/10 MK Madhusoodan/Daily News & Analysis

Kingfisher scare: Security upgraded at all airports

New Delhi/Bangalore: The Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS) on Monday asked airports across the country to increase security following the recovery of a crude bomb in a Kingfisher aircraft.
The BCAS has said that packages from couriers should be accepted by airlines only after the addresses of the senders are verified. Airports have also been told that packages covered in newspaper, magazines, plastic should be thoroughly checked.
On Sunday, a small explosive was found in the cargo section of a Kingfisher flight after it landed in Thiruvananthapuram from Bangalore. All passengers had left the plane when the crude bomb was found by staff inspecting the aircraft. The civil aviation ministry has ordered an inquiry into the security lapse — to find out how the explosive made it onto the plane. All packages on planes are meant to be accounted for before the flight takes off. The crude bomb on the Kingfisher flight did not have a detonator or a timer.
23/03/10 Economic Times

Man molests airhostess midair, held

New Delhi: Subhash Chandra (36), a steel fabricator working in Saudi Arabia, was arrested on Monday for molesting an airhostess aboard an Air India flight from Dammam to New Delhi.
“He touched the cabin crew member and molested her,” said OP Mishra, deputy commissioner of police, Indira Gandhi International Airport. “He tried to enter the Business Class enclosure and created a ruckus.”
The cabin crew repeatedly tried to restrain him, but failed.
A breathalyzer test conducted after his arrest confirmed Chandra, who hails from Jhunjhunu in Rajasthan, was drunk.
23/03/10 Hindustan Times

Work on 12 new airports likely to start soon: Patel

New Delhi: Construction of 12 greenfield airports in different parts of the country is likely to start soon with the government granting them approval, Civil Aviation Minister Praful Patel said today.
He also announced that the new integrated terminal of the Indira Gandhi International Airport here, which would enable domestic and international operations from under a single roof, would be inaugurated on July 3.
Addressing an infrastructure conference organised by the Planning Commission, Patel said " ... Approvals have been granted to 12 new greenfield airports in different parts of the country."
23/03/10 Press Trust of India

Aerial survey for night landing at Imphal airport conducted

Imphal: Aerial survey for night landing at Tulihal Airport was conducted tonight by a joint team of Airport Authority of India and Civil Aviation Authority.
The aerial survey was conducted from 6 pm to 7.30 pm over the sky of Imphal by a flight coming from Kolkata flying around the places where Solar Powered Obstruction Light (SPOL) installed at four places by flying close to the installation sites.
A source from the Airport Authority of India here said that the aerial survey was done in order to test the visibility of the lights emitted from the SPOLs and whether it can detect areas where high mountains are located.
They also conducted survey on the visibility of runways at the Tulihal Airport, the source said.
Mention may be made that Solar Powered Obstruction Lights (SPOL) are installed at four hills–Baruni (Nongmaiching) Hill, Heibok Hill, Chingphu Hill and Phunal Maring Hill–surrounding the Airport to facilitate landing of planes during night time.
State Transport and Education Minister, L Jayentakumar told the Hueiyen Lanpao that the government has completed works for the night landing facility at the airport.
But as the issuing of the clearance certificate by the Civil Aviation Ministry is pending, the night landing facility could not be commissioned for the time being.
22/03/10 Hueiyen News Service/E-PAO.net

At Mumbai airport, flyers to pay a fee to reach their private jets

Mumbai: The top brass of Indian firms can no longer drive right into Mumbai’s international airport to board their private jets.
Now they have to pay Rs10,000 for each turnaround trip in a Mercedes that will pick them at gate number eight at the Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport, which is about 150m from where the private jets are parked. The charges shrink to Rs8,000 if they choose to be ferried in a Toyota Camry.
If a chief executive wants an assistant to accompany him into the airport, he would have to shell out an additional Rs1,250 per hour. For two hours at the VIP lounge, they would need to spend Rs5,000, plus Rs2,500 for each additional hour.
From 8 March, the GVK group-controlled Mumbai International Airport Ltd (Mial), which runs Mumbai airport, has been levying these charges. Çelebi NAS Airport Services India Pvt. Ltd, the Indian arm of Istanbul-based Çelebi Holding Inc., is in charge of groundhandling services.
Mint has reviewed the rate card sent out by Çelebi to companies that own and run private jets at the airport. A Çelebi executive confirmed the development, but declined to be named.
Mial says the move will help beef up security. “In the general aviation area, we are addressing some non-compliances and introducing processes to ensure standardization and enhance airside safety in line with Directorate General of Civil Aviation guidelines,” a spokesperson said.
The GVK group also defends the action. “Until now, the groundhandling activities for these private jet operators were carried out by unauthorized companies and there were irregularities found on the operations,” a GVK official said on condition of anonymity. “There were no checks and balances when it comes to access to aircraft. We need to bring in some standard practices for safety.”
22/03/10 P.R. Sanjai/Live Mint

Mangalore-Delhi air link from 28

Mangalore: Mangalore will have a flight connection to Delhi for the first time beginning Sunday.
Air India will start operating a flight from the Mangalore airport to Delhi six days a week, except on Saturdays, Chellam Prasad, Mangalore Station Manager for Air India, told The Hindu.
“The flight will be operated through two circular routes via Kozhikode,” she said.
Ms. Prasad said that the first route would be Delhi-Mangalore-Kozhikode-Delhi. The second one would be Delhi-Kozhikode-Mangalore-Delhi.
The flight will be stationed at Delhi.
The flight will change its route on alternate days. If it operates on the Delhi-Mangalore-Kozhikode-Delhi route on Sunday, on Monday it will be Delhi-Kozhikode-Mangalore
-Delhi. “The direct journey between Mangalore and Delhi will take about three hours. However, the proposed route via Kozhikode will take an extra hour,” she said.
Detailed flight schedules will be announced in a day or two.
23/03/10 Raviprasad Kamila/The Hindu

Monday, March 22, 2010

'Definitive leads' in plane bomb probe

After a crude bomb scare on board the Bangalore-Trivandrum Kingfisher flight on Sunday (March 21) sources tell TIMES NOW that the investigators have made some definitive leads into the probe.
The investigators are zeroing in on a Bangalore link to the incident, which essentially means that the crude bomb was in all probability placed from the Bangalore airport before take-off.
So, sources add that at the time of loading the baggage at Bangalore, the parcel was reportedly slipped in.
So far three theories have emerged. Firstly, reports suggested that the package could have been slipped through checks at Bangalore & Thiruvananthapuram Airport.
Another theory doing rounds is that of the crude bomb being placed in the cargo of the flight was an inside job, snuck in by disgruntled employee.
Finally, some reports suggest that the country-made bomb, which was as big as a cricket ball, was snucked in at cargo area in either airport.
22/03/10 Times Now.tv

Explosive found in Kingfisher craft; Kerala asked to act

New Delhi: The home ministry has asked the Kerala government to take immediate action against those responsible for planting an explosive in the cargo compartment of a Kingfisher flight that arrived from Bangalore.
“It is a serious security lapse,” said U K Bansal, special secretary for internal security in the home ministry. “As far as we know, there was no detonator and there was no timing device, so the bomb could not have gone off by itself. Nevertheless it’s an explosive... which is a very serious matter. So we will have to look at the type of security precautions which are put in place at our airports,” he added.
The home ministry had recommended extra security measures for airlines after intelligence on a threat from militants to hijack a plane in January ahead of the Republic Day.
Reports from Thiruvananthapuram said the Kingfisher flight from Bangalore arrived at 8.25 am and a Central Industrial Security Force official found the suspected explosive, the size of a cricket ball, wrapped in a Malayalam newspaper, city police commissioner M R Ajith Kumar said. “This was found in the cargo compartment and the official immediately took it up. It is a suspected explosive and investigations are on,” Mr Kumar told reporters.
22/03/10 Economic Times

It was like a metallic ball: Kingfisher

While top airport sources indicated that it was gunpowder wrapped in paper that was found, the Kingfisher airline spokesman told TOI that the "unclaimed" package was akin to a metallic ball wrapped in paper that was found during security check after the passengers had deplaned.
"Shortly after Kingfisher flight IT-4731 landed at Thiruvananthapuram and after all 27 passengers onboard had deplaned, a routine security check was carried out. During this check, an unclaimed package was found. It was something like a round metallic ball."
22/03/10 Times of india

Bomb plants a blame game

Bangalore: The security breach at the Bengaluru International Airport (BIA), which allowed a crude bomb to travel onboard a Kingfisher Airlines aircraft from Bangalore to Thiruvananthapuram, has raised questions on whether the security apparatus at BIA is fool-proof, considering it ranks among the hyper-sensitive airports in India.
The Central Industrial Security Force (CISF), which is in charge of security in airports, has squarely blamed the airline for the faux pas.
Kingfisher, on its part, has blamed the airport operators. CISF officials said the aircraft returned from Thiruvananthapuram Saturday night. Only the passenger cabin was cleaned, the cargo compartment of the aircraft was not cleaned, a CISF official said. “There could be a lapse from the airlines security crew. We are probing all angles.” Senior CISF officials said it is the duty of the airlines to screen the baggage that gets into the cargo hold and that the CISF ensures they screen the hand baggage manually at the departure lounge beforehand.
The cargo hold baggage undergoes an x-ray screening before it is loaded to the aircraft, said an official.
Both CISF and BIA who had a review meeting blamed the airline for the breach, saying the security norms at BIA is in compliance with regulations laid down by the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security.
22/03/10 ExpressBuzz

GVK mulls ways to monetise MIAL land

Hyderabad: Infrastructure major GVK Power and Infrastructure Ltd is looking at various options to unlock the real estate value in Mumbai International Airport Ltd (MIAL).
Despite having the contract to modernise the country’s busy airport, the company has only been busy with its development so far.
It has been given about 198 acres for development and part-financing of the development of the airport. This real property remains untouched and the company is now working on a strategy to modernise the property.
“There are various options being evolved. A lot of proposals too are being evaluated. Though it is a little far away, we are working on it,” Isaac Geroge, the company’s chief financial officer, told DNA.
The monetisation plan is likely to be finalized by 2011-12. According to the data available with the Airports Authority of India, about 22% of the country’s air traffic goes through the MIAL in addition to significant cargo traffic.
GVKPIL owns about 36.6% of the airport and has a dual role of developer and operator.
While the total airport is spread over 1,980 acres, about 10% of the airport area or 198 acres has been accorded to the company for commercial development to overcome the funding issues.
22/03/10 K V Ramana/Daily News & Analysis

Another brick in the wall for Mohali airport

Chandigarh: Authorities are now building the boundary wall for proposed international airport at Mohali, which would surround an area of 306 acre near Churheri village of Mohali district. It would be completed in five to six months.
The development will give a separate identity to the local airport, which has been under control of Indian Air Force since its inception. The domestic terminal located at Chandigarh, which is going through a major overhaul, would be connected with the new one. Earlier, the construction was expected to start in January, but could not take off because of non-completion of land acquisition-related formalities. Abhay Chandra, incharge of construction, said other work would also start soon and international terminal would be built in two years.
Meanwhile, work at the domestic terminal of the local airport is expected to finish by July end.
22/03/10 Times of India

Sunday, March 21, 2010

Five special teams set up to probe bomb on plane incident

Bangalore: The Bangalore police on Sunday constituted five special teams to investigate the placing of a country-made bomb on the cargo deck of Bangalore-Thiruvananthapuram Kingfisher flight, which the authorities managed to detect and defuse.
"We have formed five special teams to probe the incident and one team will be sent to Thiruvananthapuram," Deputy Commissioner of police (North-East Division) Basavaraj Malagatti said.
Malagatti said police were probing whether the ball-shaped bomb, wrapped in a newspaper, found its way into the aircraft at Thiruvananthapuram as the flight reached here last evening from there.
The flight left for Thiruvananthapuram from here at 6.25 AM today.
Meanwhile, the police were questioning the ground staff and loading staff of the Airline and scanning through video footage of loading section for clues.
Police have been baffled at the major security lapse at the Bengaluru International Airport, which is guarded by CISF.
21/03/10 Press Trust Of India/Hindustan Times

Kingfisher flight bomb contains sulphur

Thiruvananthapuram: The crude bomb found on a Bangalore-Thiruvanthapuram flight on Sunday contained sulphur , aluminium powder, potassium chlorate and two wicks, reported Times Now news channel.
The report said forensic results of the bomb confirmed the presence of these chemicals and materials.
A country-made bomb was found on the flight on Sunday morning, triggering an alarm.
An unclaimed package, in which the explosive, which was reportedly a low-intensity bomb, was eventually found, sparked a bomb scare on the Kingfisher IT 4731 flight.
Reports said probe has begun to identify the passengers, security personnel and and crew members of the flight.
The package was noticed in the cargo section of the aircraft when all passengers deplaned at the Thiruvananthapuram airport.
Bomb disposal squad officials immediately rushed to the spot, identified the bomb and diffused it, reports said.
A statement by Kingfisher said: “Shortly after Kingfisher Airlines flight IT 4731 landed in T'puram and after all 27 guests on board had de-planed a routine security check was being carried out. During this security check, an unclaimed package was found.”
“The matter was immediately reported to the authorities, who have removed the package from the aircraft and as a precautionary measure the aircraft is being checked by the security agencies,” it said.
21/03/10 India Blooms

Bomb on Kingfisher flight bares gaping security loophole

Mumbai: A low-intensity explosive, shaped like a cricket ball, found in a cargo compartment of Kingfisher flight IT-4731 from Bangalore to Thiruvananthapuram on Sunday has brought airport security in the country under serious scrutiny.
What is raising eyebrows is that the bomb travelled all the way to Thiruvananthapuram despite the in-line baggage screening system at the Bangalore airport, the presence of the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) to screen cabin luggage, and the airline’s own security checks before take-off.
Mumbai and Delhi airports have a similar system in place.
“If the bomb was found near the galley then either a passenger was carrying it in his hand bag and put it there or an airline staff (catering staff, cleaners) might be responsible,” says captain Mohan Ranganathan, an aviation expert. If a passenger brought it on board, then the pivotal question is did the CISF at Bangalore airport check his/her cabin bag properly?
Industry experts put the blame squarely on the vast number of passengers who come under the ‘exempt list’. “According to International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) rules, passengers who come under this list are exempted only from frisking and not baggage screening. But in India, the VVIPs and their relatives enjoy this ‘exempted’ status and get away with frisking and baggage screening,” says Ranganathan.
Moreover, each passenger has to carry his own cabin luggage. But for VVIPs and even industrialists, the airline staffers do the service.
Meanwhile, the authorities in charge of security are busy passing the buck. “The bomb was found near the checked-in luggage which is screened by the airline,” says a CISF official from Bangalore. However, sources say it was in the galley. And as BIAL has an in-line baggage screening system, the screening is done by the airport operator.
21/03/10 Naveeta Singh/Daily News & Analysis