Showing posts with label Airports May 2009. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Airports May 2009. Show all posts

Sunday, May 31, 2009

Plane collision averted at Mumbai airport

Mumbai: A possible collision between two aircraft ferrying 220 passengers was averted at the Mumbai airport as the pilots aborted take off at the last minute after allegedly being given the green signal to become airborne from "diagonal" runways simultaneously here on Sunday
"At 7.45 AM, two departing aircraft, one of Air India and another of Jet Airways, aborted take off from the cross runway," Mumbai International Airport Ltd (MIAL) spokesperson said.
There were 120 passengers including four children on board Jet Airway's Mumbai-Kolkata flight while Air India's Mumbai-New Delhi-Sanghai flight had 104 passengers.
Air India spokesperson said that the ATC had instructed pilots of both the flights to take off.
"The two aircraft were at the diagonal runways. They were given clear to take off by the ATC that subsequently asked to abort the take off," Air India spokesperson said.
ATC officials were not available for comment. "Our pilot was given permission to take off from runway (14/32 cross runway). The Air India pilot of flight 348 misunderstood signal and started taking off from the main runway (09/27)," a Jet Airways spokesperson said.
The ATC asked Air India Pilot to abort the take off, the spokesperson said.
31/05/09 PTI/Economic Times

2 dead, 3 hurt in IGI mock drill as fire engine goes off track

New Delhi: Two Delhi airport employees died and three of their colleagues were injured when a mock fire drill they were manning on the new runway turned fatal on Friday night.
The five, employees of Delhi International Airport Limited (DIAL), the airport operators, were testing a 40-ton fire tender — speeding at 120 kilometres per hour, the vehicle veered off course after the driver lost control and fell into a nearby stormwater drain, the police said on Saturday.
The deceased have been identified as Ashok Chandra Verma, senior coordinator, and Nidhish Yadav, 27, who was behind the wheels. The incident occurred sometime after 10.30 pm on Friday when they were testing the ultra-modern fire-fighting vehicle Rosenbauer-RB7, airport officials said.
The injured firemen — Naresh Dikshit, Manoj Rajput and Sayeed Ali Mazad — were taken to Indian Spinal Injuries Institute in Vasant Kunj and discharged later.
31/05/09 Indian Express

Concrete mixer kills worker within airport premises

Mumbai: In yet another case of rash driving within Mumbai airport premises, Narendra Sajjanwar (21), died after being hit on the head by a concrete mixer truck on Saturday morning.
Sajjanwar, a construction worker, was employed with Larsen and Toubro, which is currently carrying out civil work under the Mumbai Airport modernization programme. The incident occurred near gate number 8 of the old airport part at Kalina.
S M Ghughe, senior inspector, airport police station informed that the concrete mixer, also belonging to Larsen and Toubro, was driven by Mahindra Rajballi (40) of Kurla at the time of the incident.
"A case under Section 304 of the Indian Penal Code a culpable homicide not amounting to murder has been registered against Rajballi, who has been arrested," Ghughe said.
Accidents within the operational area of Mumbai airport have been on the rise during the past year.
On April 15, M A Raul, a Air India security guard was injured after an Air India airport coach knocked him down.
30/05/09 : Aditya Anand/MiD Day

Secondary runway at Mumbai airport goes 24x7 from Monday

Mumbai: Air passengers arriving and departing from the country's second busiest airport, Mumbai Airport, would not have to spend extra-time either on ground or in the air as the secondary runway (cross-runway) gets operational from Monday round-the-clock.
The cross-runway (14X32), is in operation for the last more than two years but it was being used only for a limited period--four hours in the morning and five in the evening--to handle peak-time traffic. However, now it would be thrown open for traffic 24X7.
The move is likely to reduce congestion by 10 minutes every hour.
Confirming that flight operations from the secondary runway would be round-the clock from Monday, Mumbai Air Traffic Control's chief, MG Jhungare, said, "all arrivals will be from the main runway, 09X27, while domestic departures from both terminal IA and IB will be from the secondary runway, subject to the conditions"
The 24x7 operation would be subjected to visibility being a minimum of 3,000 metres.
Terminal IA handles flights operated by Air India and private air-carrier, Kingfisher. Terminal IB, however, handles flights operations of Jet and JetLite, SpiceJet, Indigo and GoAir.
The decision to make round-the-clock use of the secondary runway has come in the wake of a recent directive from regulator, directorate deneral of Civil Aviation (DGCA), to Mumbai International Airport Limited (MIAL) authorities in this regard.
Mumbai Airport currently handles more than 650 arrivals and departures every day, and due to limited use of secondary runway, the flights are often forced to make on an average a half-an-hour go-around over the skies.
31/05/09 PTI/Daily News & Analysis

Saturday, May 30, 2009

Contract staff at airport threaten strike from June 1

New Delhi: Alleging no revision had taken place in their pay for the last five years, no provident fund, no medical facilities, no identity cards and a ‘step-sisterly’ behaviour by the Indian Airlines, over 500 contractual employees, across the country, of a subsidiary company responsible for the security of at least 60 international airlines, have threatened to go on strike from June 1. There are 300 staff on contract in Delhi.
As a mark of protest, the employees have been wearing black ribbons since May 20 at the Indira Gandhi International Airport. The strike is likely to affect air services as the contractual employees hired by the Indian Airlines Air Transport Services Ltd are responsible for X-ray and baggage clearing facilities at the passenger, cargo and courier terminals for several international airlines. The move can bring international flights to a complete standstill at Delhi and other international airports across the country.
Protesting employees are demanding permanent employee status. On June 1, employees will protest at the international terminal, then at the domestic terminal on June 2, and later at the Indian Airlines office. “Pilots can take off only after getting a clearance from us. We are giving our 100 per cent. Being contractual workers, however, our salaries have not been revised for the past five years,” said Pramod Kumar, general secretary of the employees’ union.
When contacted, an Indian Airlines spokesperson said there was little the company could do, as the protesting employees were hired on contract.
30/05/09 Indian Express

Ministry tells Delhi airport to reduce taxiing delays

New Delhi: After several complaints, the civil aviation ministry has asked the Indira Gandhi International Airport in New Delhi to find ways to reduce delays in moving passengers to the arrival terminal after their flights land, a problem that is caused by a new runway.
The matter is expected to be discussed at a meeting between the ministry, airports regulator Airports Authority of India (AAI) and the airport operator Delhi International Airport (Pvt.) Ltd (DIAL) on Monday, according to two government officials familiar with the issue. They didn’t want to be named.
Several passengers had complained of having to taxi in planes for at least 20 minutes after touchdown on the new runway, India’s longest, which became functional last year.
A SpiceJet Ltd executive said the airline has started making announcements urging passengers to bear with it for the duration of the taxiing. “There are two kinds of passengers. One with no comments and others who tell the pilot ‘you must be lost, you don’t know where you are going’.”
The executive, who wanted to remain anonymous, said the new 11-29 runway is used for landings and the old 10-28 runway for take-offs, forcing arriving aircraft to taxi some 20 minutes to the old runway before passengers can reach the arrival terminal.
29/05/09 Tarun Shukla/Livemint

Friday, May 29, 2009

UP proposes international airport for Kushinagar

Lucknow: With the proposal for an international airport at Jewar having been shot down by the Government of India, the Uttar Pradesh government has now proposed an international airport at the Buddhist destination of Kushinagar.
“Apart from boosting tourism in the state as many domestic and foreign tourists visit the Buddhist circuit, the airport will ensure development to the area, besides generating employment in the eastern part of the state,” said Principal Secretary, Tourism, Avneesh Awasthi.
Recently, a group of senior officials of the department of tourism, civil aviation, irrigation, revenue, PWD and Special Area Development Authority visited Kushinagar to inspect the proposed site of the airport.
The government is ready with an initial Project Definition Report. To prepare a Detailed Project Report (DPR), it has hired a Mumbai-based consultancy company, ILFS Infrastructure and Development Corporation or IIDC.
The DPR is expected to be ready shortly and will be presented to the Government of India next month. Since the approximate cost of the airport is Rs 600 crore, the state Government has decided to go in for public-private partnership for construction of the airport, for which technical bids would be invited next month.
Kushinagar already has an airstrip at Kasia, five kilometres from the city and 51 kilometres from Gorakhpur aerodrome.
29/05/09 Alka Pande/Indian Express

Police gets leads in Mumbai airport heist

Mumbai: Police have got definite leads about four persons involved in the heist at the Air India cargo terminal near the airport here, a top official said on Thursday.
"We have positive leads on who the four persons involved in the robbery are, and are in the process of nabbing them," Joint Commissioner of Police (Crime), Rakesh Maria said.
No arrest has been made yet in the case, he said.
Police officials have, however, not ruled out the involvement of an insider who they suspect might have provided information regarding the transport of cargo on Monday.
Four masked robbers entered the Air India cargo terminal on May 25 and escaped with gold and silver coins worth approximately Rs 35 lakh. One security guard was killed while he was trying to stop the robbers from escaping.
28/05/09 PTI/The Hindu

Flight with VIPs makes safe landing on second attempt

Chennai: Passengers of an Indian Airlines flight from Delhi including Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M Karunanidhi's wife Dayalu Ammal and a few state ministers went through some anxious moments as the pilot was forced to abort landing in the last minute due to gusty winds before making a safe touchdown on a second attempt here tonight.
Airport sources said the flight, with over 100 passengers, was on its approach for landing at its scheduled time of 7.35 pm when sudden heavy winds sweeping through the airport area at that time forced the pilot to abort the touchdown.
However, the flight landed safely after a delay of 20 minutes, they said.
Dayalu Ammal, state ministers I Periyasamy and M R K Pannerselvam were returning from Delhi after attending the expansion of the Union Council of Ministers in which Karunanidhi's son M K Azhagiri and grandnephew Dayanidhi Maran among others were inducted.
29/05/09 Chennai Online

Thursday, May 28, 2009

Airport heist culprits identified

Mumbai: The crime branch, led by joint commissioner of police Rakesh Maria, on Wednesday made a breakthrough in the Rs 35-lakh daylight heist at Mumbai airport on May 25.
"We have got positive leads. We have identified all the four persons who came in a car, brandishing revolvers. We are sure that our sleuths will nab all of them soon,'' Maria told TOI.
According to Maria, all the four have previous criminal records. "We have specific details of all the accused. They are not associated either with the National Refinery or Pidilite, but they were certainly tipped off by a person who knew about the valuables packed in six boxes. We will get to know about the informant once we nab the accused,'' the crime branch chief said.
On Monday, four robbers entered the cargo section of the high-security Mumbai airport and made away with gold and silver coins, with a face value of Rs 35 lakh. The coins were part of a consignment of the Hyderabad-based Pidilite, being sent by the National Refinery.
A senior crime branch official said even as a national refinery employee was in the process of depositing the six boxes with coins at the cargo counter, two of the robbers - brandishing revolvers - entered the premises and made away with the boxes in a white Indigo car. They even injured an officer, who tried to raise an alarm but to no avail. "There were several workers on duty, but very few of them actually saw the incident,'' the official said.
In the meantime, security official of the AI S D Bhosale, who made an attempt to close the gate, was run over by the car. Later, he died of his injuries.
The incident raises doubts over the security measures taken by the management of the airport.
28/05/09 Prafulla Marpakwar/Times of India

Cargo robbery: police cite shortage of manpower to secure airport city side

Mumbai: As the third day passed by without any major breakthrough in the investigation into the airport robbery incident, the airport police told Newsline that there was serious shortage of manpower at the station to secure the city-side area of the airport. After 26/11 attacks, Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) personnel were also roped in to help the Airport police to carry out surveillance.
It is further learnt from airport officials, who work in the airport’s domestic cargo complex, that the Mumbai International Airport Limited (MIAL) had deployed two guards at the gates of the narrow road that leads to the Jet Airways and Air India cargo sections, but later withdrew them in November last year.
“The heist was carried out in broad daylight and the noise was heard even at this place (Jet cargo area) after the car sped away. The car was then driven through the VIP road (adjoining terminal 2B’s approach road) where a police vehicle was parked. Even outside the terminal building, there was a CISF vehicle with a machine gun. Moreover, the police station is just 50-metre away from the spot where the car sped away it came out on the VIP road. Still nobody could even note down the number of the car,” said a senior cargo airport official.
28/05/09 Indian Express

It’s a security failure

The daredevil robbery at Air India’s cargo complex on Monday has undoubtedly revealed the reason behind the crime: the security lapses by the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS) and airlines security.
The audacious daylight robbery could have been prevented if the BCAS would have imposed its guidelines comprehensively on security procedures
Two key factors for the security lapses:
One, even though the guidelines laid down on last September by the BCAS pertaining to cargo, mail and courier bags, were never implemented.
Second, both the airlines and BCAS were constantly putting their responsibilities on each others shoulders for securing the cargo complex.
While it is the airlines responsibility to follow rules, a source in the aviation said, “It is BCAS’s role to asses threats, carry out inspections and ensure compliance of its recommendations, but this is hardly done.”
On the other hand, it is also learned that Air India’s (AI) cargo booking office does not contain CCTV cameras. The AI had also not installed the basic metal detectors at the entrance of the cargo holds for Air India and Jet Airway or even armed guards manning the entry points.
According to the police AI had posted their guards on the main entrance with their batons but the robbers entered from an adjoining road that leads to the cargo terminal of a private airline.
27/05/09 Neel Shah/Gunaah.com

Airport authority gets new CEO

New Delhi: In a major reshuffle, the GMR group has appointed Chief Executive Officer of GMR Hyderabad International Airport Limited (GHIAL), P S Nair as the new CEO of the Delhi International Airport Limited (DIAL). Nair replaces B S Santharaju, who joined Indus Towers Limited as CEO.
He has a 32-year experience in airport operations, infrastructure planning and development and prior to joining GHIAL, Nair was a board member in the Airports Authority of India (AAI), official sources said. During his tenure with AAI, he also worked as the Airport Director of Thiruvananthapuram, Mumbai and Delhi Airports. Nair as the CEO of GHIAL, also known as Rajiv Gandhi International Airport, took care of the overall operational activities of the airport and has been brought in to ensure the smooth transition of DIAL's new terminal T3, scheduled to be operational next year, sources said. P Sripathy, CEO of GMR Airport Developers Ltd (GADL), will succeed Nair as CEO of GHIAL.
27/05/09 PTI/Times of India

Reduce noise levels at IGI: HC to govt

New Delhi: The Delhi High Court on Wednesday asked the government to explore ways of reducing noise pollution caused by air traffic in residential areas near Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport in the national capital.
A bench of HC asked the Airports Authority of India (AAI), ministries of environment and civil aviation and GMR, which handles IGI Airport, to draw up suggestions on reducing noise pollution caused after the third runway became operational.
HC acted on a PIL filed by an NGO seeking directions to the government to wind up the third runway due to unacceptable levels of noise pollution.
The petition filed by `Chetna' alleges that the clearance for the third runway was granted without consultation with local residents of Vasant Kunj, masudpur, Brijwasan etc by the environment ministry.
The advocate for the NGO contended that people residing near the airport are facing problems as the level of noise pollution has increased beyond the permissible limit. "Noise pollution rules restrict levels upto 55 dba between 6 am and 10 pm and 45 dba between 10 pm and 6 am. But the level of noise in the area has gone beyond the limit,'' the lawyer argued urging HC to direct all the authorities to put up noise barriers along the runways. It also seeks framing of noise pollution guidelines that should be adhered to by all airports in the country.
28/05/09 Times of India

Training helps little in making CISF men polite

Chennai: Air passengers who pay a premium for travelling comfortably usually have a complaint when they walk into airports.
That Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) personnel, entrusted with the task of providing security at airports, often ill-treat them and behave with them as if they are criminals.
Though the aspect of security is a major concern at airports, officials agree that the system of security checks employed by CISF personnel is still archaic. The behaviour-and-courtesy training imparted to CISF personnel by the Airports Authority of India (AAI) has failed to create the desired impact. And surprisingly, constables, who perform most of the checking duties at airports, are not covered under the programme.
AAI provides training to CISF officers and the results are evident. Passengers, for example, find a difference in their behaviour. "Generally, passengers are subjected to security check by personnel in the rank of constable. I find that officers are often soft and well behaved. But constables treat you like a criminal. It is high time they changed their behaviour," Krishnakumar, a frequent flier, says. Indeed, many agencies associated with day-to-day operations at airports and passenger services believe that CISF constable behaviour has to undergo a major change.
"The concept of better passenger relations is a key area for the airport authority and also for the airlines. However, efforts of other agencies to provide maximum comfort and facilities for passengers at airports are often neutralised by the bad behaviour of CISF personnel. They only see things from the security point of view and often overlook the stature and dignity of a passenger," an airport source says.
CISF sources say that AAI training, which teaches CISF personnel how to keep themselves calm, cool and collected, are conducted annually at all airports in India. They agree that the training programme do not include all ranks in the force and that constable-rank personnel are often left out.
28/05/09 K Praveen Kumar/Times of India

India: Rifle cartridge siezed, Israeli detained

An Israeli citizen was arrested at the Mumbai airport in India on Wednesday after being found in possession of a rifle magazine.
Jerusalem resident Natan Magar is believed to be a high-tech company's employee who finished a visit to the country and was returning to Israel.
Officials believe he left Israel with the cartridge in his possession.
A co-worker told Ynet that the company got word of the situation Wednesday morning.
"He was on a business trip to India. He is a Jerusalem high-tech person, a super-geek, from a religious home. Even though company employees travel to India frequently he feared the trip because he is religious, introverted, not has nothing to do with India," the collegue said. "As far as we know, he apparently forgot a magazine in his bag."
Meanwhile, the Foreign Ministry said in a statement that: "The consulate is following the matter closely".
This is not the first time an Israeli is arrested abroad in possession of military ammunition.
Last year, 50-year-old Ra'anana resident Moti Mor was arrested in Antalya, Turkey after a handgun and a cartridge full of bullets were found in his suitcase as he tried to board a flight to Israel.
Two years prior, Jerusalemite Noa Haviv was arrested in India when a full magazine of 16 bullets was found in her bag.
27/05/09 Yael Levy/Ynet news.com

Kingfisher flight suffers bird-hit, passengers safe

Mumbai: A Kingfisher Airlines flight was on Wednesday forced to return to Indore airport shortly after it took-off for Mumbai, following a bird hit."The commander turned around the aircraft after it suffered a bird hit," a Kingfisher Airlines spokesperson told said.
The flight-IT 3148-which took off from Indore airport at 7.55 am, was scheduled to arrive at Mumbai at 8.55 am, the spokesperson said.
All passengers were off-loaded and an inspection of the aircraft was carried out, he said.
"During the inspection, engineers found that four blades had suffered damage," he said.
A new aircraft is being sent to ferry the stranded passengers, he said, adding, "engineers are working to get the aircraft back in flying condition."
27/05/09 PTI/Times of India

Wednesday, May 27, 2009

After gold heist, hawk eye at airport entry points

Mumbai After Monday’s daring heist at the Mumbai airport the Mumbai International Airport Limited (MIAL) is now planning to install scanners at all entry/ exit points to check even those with valid entry permits entering the operational area.
The operational area is accessible, at any point of time, to about 20,000 to 30,000 people working with various agencies within the airport. The scanners, according to Senior Commandant, CISF, Sanjay Prakash, would be installed at all gates to avoid just superficial checks on those entering the operational area. The airport has eight gates or entry /exit points of which five are functional now.
On Monday, four armed men robbed 145 kg gold and silver coins at gunpoint from Air India’s cargo hold area.
As investigations into the audacious robbery suggest there could be some insider involvement, the sheer number of people from various agencies with permits to enter the operational as well as cargo area has been a unique problem for authorities at the airport.
Officials from MIAL say more stringent measures ought to be followed while issuing entry passes. Security officials at the airport, however, contend that many a time, it is just not possible.
“It is definitely a grey area and there is a sizeable number of people whose background checks are not done because of reasons beyond our control. The contractual labourers working on various projects inside the airport are prominent among them,” said Prakash.
“At the airport, there are multiple organisations functioning. However, as much as we want, uniform background checks for everybody cannot be possible,” he added.
Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP), Airport Division, Nissar Tamboli, told Newsline that both the airlines should take responsibility for the security of their cargo hold areas.
An Air India spokesperson said that they will have to look into the matter.
27/05/09 Shashank Shekhar/ExpressIndia

Day after, two guards man closed cargo gates

Mumbai: The heist at Mumbai airport on Monday has left police as well as the airline security confounded with the ease at which it was done. Even 24 hours later, the cops are clueless about the identity of the four masked robbers and investigations are coughing up only loopholes in security. However, on Tuesday TOI spotted two guards at the main gate who refused to accept "I want to go to the union office'' (the cargo area houses the union office) as a reason to allow entry. The main gate, always open, was shut for a change.
Dilip Borkar, the gold refinery employee who was carrying the consignment to be sent to Hyderabad, had told TOI that when he had entered the AI cargo premises, no one checked his identity or booking proof with the airline. "I just pointed to the boxes saying I had to deliver the consignment and I was let in. No proof or pass was required to get inside,'' said Borkar. Officials of Pidilite Industries, which owned the consignment, said, "We have been sending similar consignments the same way for seven years and never has such a thing happened. Also, we were never required to get a pass or register anything at the entrance.''
Zonal deputy commissioner of police Nisar Tamboli, has formed a team to investigate the the robbery. "It will take some time to get leads. The airlines have been asked to be more vigilant and install CCTV cameras,'' he said. The DCP convened a meeting of Jet Airways and Air India officials to discuss the issue.
The absence of any records of vehicles entering or leaving the complex is proving to be a major hurdle in tracing the vehicle.
Senior inspector S M Ghughe said both airlines are checking the whereabouts of their guards at the time of the incident.AI said not many valuable consignments were sent through domestic cargo, hence security was less than at international cargo.
27/05/09 Chinmayi Shalya & Vijay V Singh/Times of India

Ban on new runway in night may delay repairs on runway 28

New Delhi: Delhi International Airport Limited (DIAL), the Indira Gandhi International Airport operator, has proposed to delay the re-carpeting of runway 28, the main runway which handles maximum load, by at least three months.
This came after the Airports Authority of India (AAI) on Tuesday issued a Notice to Airmen (NOTAM) to ban night operations (from 10 pm to 6 am) on runway 29, the new runway.
DIAL, already in talks with the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), the Ministry of Civil Aviation and Airports Authority of India, has proposed to re-carpet runway 27 instead. The work, proposed to be carried out over the next three months, will make it category-I compatible so that it can be used in low visibility conditions and will be of help when runway 28 is closed for repairs.
According to sources, runway 28 will be considered for repairs immediately after runway 27, the old runway, is ready. Runway 27 is the shortest of three runways at the airport and doesn’t have runway visibility radar (RVR), making it impossible for operations in low visibility.
27/05/09 Indian Express

Airport heist an inside job: Police

Mumbai: The airport police suspect the Rs30-lakh heist at the Air India (AI) cargo complex on Monday to be an insider's job. They are making sketches of the four men who looted four boxes of gold and silver from the complex on Monday.
Four masked men entered the AI cargo building on Monday and stole four bags with gold and silver coins belonging to Pidilite Industries at gunpoint. Two other bags had been screened when the robbers struck. The consignment was to be sent to Hyderabad.
"Someone knew that the consignment would be brought to the complex at 11.30am. The person informed the robbers," Somnath Ghuge, senior inspector of the airport police station said. While escaping, the robbers rammed their vehicle into a security guard SB Bhosale, who later died of injuries. "Based on the descriptions given by eye-witnesses, we are making sketches of the accused," Ghuge said.
Ghuge said security lapse had resulted in the robbery. "The easy manner in which the robbers reached the AI cargo complex by entering through the gate that leads to the Jet Airways cargo building clearly points to security lapses," he said. The cargo buildings of the AI and Jet Airways are situated in the same compound. There are two entrances to the compound. One leads to the Jet Airways cargo building and the other to the AI cargo complex.
The airport police held a meeting with AI and Jet Airways officials on Tuesday to review the security measures at the compound, Ghuge said.
"The gate that leads to the AI cargo building at least has a system in place to screen vehicles entering the compound. But there is no security at the other gate," he said. He said the two airlines have been told to ramp up security and install CCTVs at the gates.
"The coins were to be given to our distributors for their sales performance," an official from Pidilite Industries said not wanting to be named.
27/05/09 Naveeta Singh/Daily News & Analysis

They came unnoticed, left unhindered

Mumbai: Red alerts on terror threats, red flags about security loopholes, yet left red faced. Four men armed with a few revolvers were all it took to pull off a daring robbery in the most improbable of all places - the cargo bay of Mumbai airport. Even after the incident, no one had any clue how the white Indigo gained entry in the first place, with guards at both the Air India and Jet Airways gates passing the buck. Unnoticed on entry and with a virtually unhindered exit, it could have as easily made its way to the departure terminal not 150 metres away.
Armed robbers on Monday looted four boxes containing gold and silver coins worth Rs 35 lakh from the Air India cargo premises and escaped in an Indigo after crushing an employee. The car not only managed to enter the premises, but also escaped despite the cargo area being less than 2 minutes from the police station. Police are still clueless about the vehicle number, the gate through which they entered or how it was allowed entry into the cargo premises.
Senior police inspector Somnath Ghughe of Airport police station said, "We think they probably entered from the Jet Airways gate. But their guard is denying it.'' A Jet airways official said the road to the actual cargo premises is open to the public and no suspicious vehicle movement was reported by their security personnel on duty.
Airports are believed to be under high surveillance. But there are no thorough checks at the cargo entry point, no armed guards on duty, no CCTV cameras to monitor the area inside and outside the gates. "There are no CCTV cameras on the approach area to keep tab on the movement outside. Nor are they installed inside the terminal. Usually vigilance is also lax and vehicles drive past without a thorough check,'' said an airport source.
26/05/09 Vijay V Singh & Chinmayi Shalya/Times of India

Tuesday, May 26, 2009

New ground handling policy at six airports after 30 June

New Delhi: The civil aviation ministry plans to go ahead with the implementation of a new ground handling services policy at six key airports after the 30 June deadline passes, discounting the possibility of an extension of the cut-off date sought by airlines.
The new policy mandates that airlines outsource ground handling at the airports to private operators selected for the job. Its implementation has already been delayed.
With the June-end deadline approaching, civil aviation secretary M. Madhavan Nambiar reviewed the status of its implementation on Monday with top airport operators and National Aviation Co. of India Ltd-run Air India.
Under the new policy, only Air India, the airport operator and a third private operator will be allowed to provide ground handling services from July.
The meeting was attended by senior officials from the Airports Authority of India (AAI), which runs the Kolkata and Chennai airports, Delhi International Airport Pvt. Ltd, Mumbai International Airport Pvt. Ltd, Bangalore International Airport Ltd, GMR Hyderabad International Airport Pvt. Ltd and Air India’s chairman and managing director Arvind Jadhav.
The officials reviewed preparations of both the airport operators and the national carrier to implement the policy, said two senior government officials who didn’t want to be named. “It has been decided to put it in place from 1 July for all metro airport operators,” one of the two officials said.
Mumbai and New Delhi have already have selected at least one ground handler while the new Bangalore airport works with a single operator.
Chennai and Kolkata airports are expected to complete the process of selecting ground handlers by early June from among 11 bidders. Air India, which tied up with Singapore Air Terminal Services, or Sats, is also expected to be ready. Airport operators see ground handling as an additional revenue source. The combined annual revenue from ground handling services at the six airports is estimated at Rs500 crore.
26/05/09 Tarun Shukla/Livemint

Off-duty guard dies in the line of duty

Mumbai: S Bhosle, the Air India security guard who was killed by the robbers would have hardly imagined that duty would call on a day when he was officially not on the job. The 52-year-old employee had gone to the airline cargo office on his day off to apply for a provident fund loan on Monday morning.
While on his way out, he stopped to chat with the guards on duty, who were inside the guard room next to the cargo complex gate.
"While he was standing a little before the half-open gate, we all heard shouts from inside the complex. On seeing a suspicious vehicle that was trying to barge out, Bhosle tried to shut the gate and in a split second stood before the vehicle to prevent it from leaving the premises,'' said an eyewitness. "Instead of applying the brakes, the driver of the car ran him over and went past,'' he added.
Officials said Bhosle was dragged 15 feet by the vehicle before he fell down outside the gate. "Despite being on duty, no one else came up to prevent the car from going out. Bhosle was the one who answered the call of duty and acted on instinct,'' said another security official.
A resident of old AI colony in Kalina, Bhosle was the sole earning member of a family that comprised his wife, two children and mother. "He had left home after having tea, and was there for personal work,'' said his wife. Bhosle had been serving in AI since the past 27 years.
26/05/09 Chinmayi Shalya/Times of India

Flight operation partially resumes at Kolkata

Kolkata: Flight operations, which was suspended since noon at N S C Bose International airport here, partially resumed tonight after weather improved.
Airport sources said an Air India Kolkata-New Delhi flight took off from here at 8 pm.
Air India's Kolkata-New Delhi-Frankfurt flight left the airport at 9 pm, sources said.
Airport sources said normal flight operations would resume from tomorrow afternoon.
All flights including domestic and international ones were diverted to different routes since 2 pm as low visibility at the runway made it difficult for planes to land and take off, sources said.
26/05/09 MSN.com

Aviophobia? Divine help soon at Delhi airport

New Delhi: For those suffering from aviophobia, the fear of flying, divine help will be at hand soon with a grand temple with south Indian architecture coming up just outside the airport here.
The choice of deity, too, for this unique initiative by an airport developer is apt - the temple is dedicated to the Hindu monkey god Hanuman, also called Pavanaputra, the son of the wind god. It is coming up along the Delhi-Gurgaon expressway.
"We started constructing this temple in August last year. It will be open for public in two-three months," said Arun Arora, spokesperson for Delhi's
airport development firm, which has been promoted by GMR, a Hyderabad-based infrastructure company.
"But the temple is not being built inside the airport. It is a part of the commercial area in the airport's vicinity. It will be accessible to anyone," Arora said.
Airport officials said the airport complex has several more places of worship, including a mazar and a temple, that have been in existence for decades.
26/05/09 IANS/Times of India

Partial curfew on night flights spells relief for Vasant Kunj

New Delhi : In a major victory for Delhiites, the government has kicked in the first partial night curfew at any Indian airport to allow them to sleep in peace. The directorate general of civil aviation (DGCA) on Monday banned with immediate effect any aircraft movement, both landing and take-off, at IGI's newest runway (29) between 10pm and 6am. This action was taken after complaints from residents of Vasant Kunj and other areas lying on the final approach path that they found it hard to sleep ever since the new runway became operational late last year due to low flying planes making huge noise.
Moreover, the DGCA has also asked pilots to avoid using thrust reversers from 8pm to 10pm while landing. This technique is used to reverse airflow of engines soon after landing to slow down aircraft and minimize stopping distance. The sudden change of airflow causes a noise blast and was causing problems to people living near the newest runway. Now, pilots are being advised to do so only when must.
On Monday, the DGCA issued the circular and notice to airmen in this regard. With this, runway 28 IGI's most trusted warhorse will be used for all landing and take-off from 10pm to 6am. Runway 27, the airport's smallest airstrip that is closest to Dwarka, will not be used for some time as it is being closed for major technological upgrade.
The aviation ministry had decided to close runway 29 at night about two months back.
26/05/09 Saurabh Sinha/Times of India

29621 passengers, crew members screened for flu at Kolkata airport

Kolkata: A total of 29,621 passengers and crew members of 405 flights have been screened for swine flu at the NSC Bose International Airport since April 30 and samples of four persons were tested but found negative.
On May 25 alone, 1,324 passengers were screened at the airport. "But none was found with influenza-like illness (ILI)," an official release said here.
Six counters have been opened at the airport where round-the-clock ambulance service was available to take any swine flu suspects to hospital.
Two passengers with symptoms similar to ILI arrived at the airport from Bangkok by Jet Airways on May 23, the release said adding they were admitted to a state-run ID hospital at Beliaghata, but were discharged on May 26.
26/05/09 PTI/Times of India

Oman-India flight diverted

Mumbai: A flight from Oman's capital Muscat to Chennai in southern India was diverted on Monday after a suspicious object on the plane sparked a security alert, officials said.
The Oman Air plane, which was carrying 140 passengers, was forced to stop in Mumbai for a security check, a Mumbai airport spokesperson said.
'Passengers had complained of a mysterious object during flight, hence it was diverted,' the spokesperson said.
'The Oman Air plane is currently at Mumbai airport undergoing a security scan.'
25/05/09 AFP/Straits Times

Indians living in Malaysia want Tamil announcements at airports

Kuala Lumpur : The Tamil Indian community in Malaysia has complained that there is no announcement in Tamil at the international airports around the country.
According to a report in The Star Online, the community also complained that the television news readers had failed to promote Indian culture through their dressing and that deejays on radio channels were not fluent in Tamil.
These issues were highlighted to Human Resources Minister Datuk Dr S. Subramaniam at a function organised by the Malaysia Tamil Youth Bell Club recently.
In his speech, Subramaniam, who agreed to bring the matter up to the Government, said that television and radio channels should use proper Tamil in their programmes. He said that the influence of Western media and culture among the community's youths had resulted in the lack of support for the community's own religious and cultural programmes, adding that Indian organizations should act to preserve the Tamil language.
26/05/09 ANI/Malaysia Sun, Malaysia

Etihad cabin crew quarantined in India cleared of swine flu after tests

Abu Dhabi: An Etihad cabin crew member who was quarantined in India over suspected swine flu has been cleared after she tested negative, an official of the airline told Gulf News.
"The crew member who was kept under supervision at a local Indian hospital on Monday has been cleared as she tested negative on swine flu tests," an Etihad Airways spokesperson said.
"She has bronchitis," added the official.
On Monday morning the cabin crew member who was aboard the Abu Dhabi flight to Kochi International Airport in the southern Indian state of Kerala was put under medical surveillance as she showed flu-like symptoms. Indian authorities confirmed that she was admitted to the Perumbavoor Taluk hospital in Kochi .
26/05/09 Rayeesa Absal/GulfNews, UAE

Carriers may not fly out of ground ops

New Delhi: The government is considering a proposal of the loss-laden airline industry to continue to allow them to do ground handling at the terminal buildings of the airports.
The civil aviation ministry had last year announced that it would implement a new ground-handling policy in January barring airlines from ground handling at the terminal buildings and the airside (which includes ramp, taxi way and parking bay at airports) of the six metros for security reasons. The decision was deferred by six months as it faced opposition from airlines, which claimed that it would lead to job losses.
As per the proposed policy, only three agencies — the national carrier Air India, the airport operator (such as Airports Authority of India, GMR and GVK) and one private agency selected through competitive bidding — would be allowed to do ground handling for airlines.
The airlines had argued that the government’s move may force airlines to retrench about 8,000 ground staff. Ground handling includes baggage movement, passenger check-in, baggage screening, taxiing, refuelling and cleaning of the airplane.
The proposed policy bars airlines from doing self-ground-handling. It restricts airlines from employing their own ground-handling staff and engaging outside agencies at the six major airports — Mumbai, Delhi, Kolkata, Chennai, Hyderabad and Bangalore — of the country.
“The Federation of Indian Airlines (FIA) had requested the aviation ministry to allow air-carriers to do ground-handling work at least at the terminal buildings. It is believed that the ministry has recommended the proposal to the committee of secretaries for its consideration,” an airline executive, who did not wish to be identified, said.
26/05/09 Nirbhay Kumar/Economic Times

International airport: Haryana govt releases its share of grant

Panchkula: Clearing the decks for the formation of a joint venture company (JVC), which will develop the proposed international civil air terminal in Mohali, the Haryana government on Monday released its share of Rs 2.45 crore towards the project.
In a communiqué to the Airport Authority of India (AAI), (of which Newsline has a copy) the Haryana government has also proposed that the name of the airport be ‘Chandigarh International Airport’ or ‘International Airport, Chandigarh’.
The JVC, with an initial subscribed capital of Rs 10 crore, will comprise the AAI, which has a 51 per cent stake in the project, and the Punjab and Haryana governments with a stake of 24.5 per cent each. The land acquisition process for the airport is complete — nearly 306 acres have been acquired for the airport complex.
The name of T C Gupta, Chief Administrator of the Haryana Urban Development Authority (HUDA), has been nominated as one of the directors of the JVC. “In the letter, we have proposed that there should be two directors from the AAI and one each from Punjab and Haryana. The other option is to have four directors from AAI and two each from Punjab and Haryana,” said Gupta.
The Punjab government is also in the final stages of releasing the money and is expected to send a final communication on the issue to the AAI in a day or two.
26/05/09 Nainu Rohtaki/Indian Express

Cyclone hampers Kolkata flights

Bangalore: Cyclone Aila which hit the West Bengal coast on Monday, caused hardships to air commuters travelling from Bangalore to Kolkata.
Due to the storm, all flights at the NSC Bose International Airport in Kolkata were suspended and as a result Indigo’s 6E155 flight which took off from Bangalore at 11.50 am could not land at the airport.
The flight was diverted to Nagpur at 4 pm and had to return to Bangalore at 5.30 pm.
Sixty-year-old Sumita Datta, a passenger aboard the aircraft — who had recently undergone a surgery said that it was an agonising wait for the passengers and their relatives.
Sources at the BIAL said that the flight could not land due to high wind speed measuring 60 knots per hour.
26/05/09 ExpressBuzz

Flight from Muscat to Chennai delayed after hoax bomb threat

Chennai: A hoax bomb note created a flutter amongst the passengers of an Oman Air flight bound to Chennai from Muscat on Monday afternoon.
The flight WY 857 had taken off from Muscat at 09:15 (local time there) and was scheduled to arrive in Chennai by 2:30 pm.
Enroute, the crew came across a note on the flight that supposedly announced, “You all are going to die, bye!” The note had been found in the toilet.
The captain of the flight then called for an emergency landing in Mumbai at about 1.15 pm where all the 135 passengers and four infants disembarked.
A bomb squad was pressed into service. It combed the aircraft but found nothing. The flight was then delayed due to some procedural formalities and took off from Mumbai at about 9.45pm.“Such pranks have cost a lot in terms of both time and money. This same flight was to take off from Chennai at about 4 pm,” an airport source said.
26/05/09 ExpressBuzz

Air India’s London-Mumbai-Ahmedabad passengers faced chaos

Ahmedabad: Around 600 passengers faced chaotic situation at Ahmedabad’s Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel international airport on early Monday morning due to faulty conveyor belt, shortage of luggage carrying trolleys and arrival of more passengers at one time than the capacity of the terminal.
A reader of DeshGujarat.Com who also was one of the passengers, narrating his experience said, “we were in Air India’s London-Mumbai-Ahmedabad flight. Our flight arrived one-hour late in Ahmedabad because it took off late from Mumbai itself. In Mumbai, we didn’t get passenger coach on airport no.3. We literally walked on a runway to catch Ahmedabad flight. At Ahmedabad international airport, technical fault occurred thrice in conveyor belt system. Long queue seemed like it would never end. If this was not enough, one-by-one three flights arrived full of passengers. Emirates flight from Dubai, Air Arabia from Sharjah and Qatar Airlines from Doha unloaded lots of passengers and soon there were over 600 people inside the terminal, ready to use conveyor belt. Shockingly, there was also a shortage of luggage carrying trolleys. Swine flue taste made situation more complex, because most of the people had not filled proper forms for this procedure. Air India staff was nowhere to help. We couldn’t trace even a single Air India staffer for help. We could come out of the terminal only at 7.00 in the morning. Air India’s treatment is like we are their guest only up to Mumbai inside the plane, and then we are on our own.
26/05/09 DeshGujarat

Monday, May 25, 2009

Mohali international airport project in name controversy

Mohali: Even as the decision on naming international airport project in Mohali hangs fire comes another controversy. It seems even christening the joint venture company to be formed for running the venture’s day-to-day affairs is going to be a challenge for stakeholders, including Punjab, Haryana and Airport Authority of India. As reports emerge that Punjab has already initiated the process to name the company, Haryana and AAI have expressed surprise on being not taken into confidence on the issue.
Sources said state government had requested GMADA to suggest some tentative names for the joint venture company, after which the officials concerned submitted names to Punjab chief secretary. These would now be forwarded to the appropriate authorities for final decision, sources added. The move has left other stake holders in the project, Haryana and AAI.
Sources said as Punjab government has already decided to name the international project after martyr Shaheed Bhagat Singh, the joint venture company too would be named after him as this would not invite any opposition from Haryana and AAI.
Even after repeated attempts, neither chief secretary RI Singh nor GMADA chief administrator Vivek Partap Singh could be contacted for comments. Punjab civil aviation director, Gaggandeep Singh Brar, however, said he would be able to comment on the issue only after going through the files.
However, Haryana’s civil aviation advisor Anand Mohan Sharan has expressed surprise on Punjab government’s move. ‘‘All three stakeholders would decide the name. In special cases, Union cabinet can decide the name, but Punjab can’t do it on its own,’’ Sharan added. He added earlier too Punjab had taken the decision to name international airport on its own, but they (Haryana) were firm upon calling it Chandigarh International Airport.
25/05/09 Anand Bodh/Times of India

Soz for daily air traffic for Kargil

Srinagar: State Congress chief Saifuddin Soz Sunday said that Union Defence Ministry will soon issue tenders for expansion of Ladakh airport and make it operational for public and private air services.
Talking to Rising Kashmir over phone from New Delhi, Soz said that he met Defence Minister A K Antony today and apprised him about the need of expansion of the Ladakh Airport for the benefit of people of the hilly area.
“The defence minister promised me that he will soon issue orders for the expansion of Ladakh Airport. And then the Indian Airlines and other private airlines will operate flights to and fro on daily basis,” Soz said.
He said that the operation of regular air services of Indian Airlines and other private airlines to and fro from Kargil was the long cherished demand of the people of Kargil and Ladakh.
“During my recent visit to Kargil, people complained to me that due to absence of regular air services, they are facing severe difficulties as their road link with rest of the country remains cut off for most part of the year,” he said.
After that, the State Congress chief said that he took the matter with authorities of Indian Airlines and other private air services like Kingfisher.
He also urged defence minister that the army’s shooting range (for practice) be shifted out of Kargil town to some other convenient place.
“The defence minister also accepted my suggestion of visiting Kargil soon,” Soz said.
Director Srinagar International Airport Rajesh Kalra said people of Kargil have a genuine problem with the air services.
24/05/09 Shabir Dar/Rising Kashmir

Two more swine flu suspects quarantined

Kolkata: Two international passengers from Bangkok, suspected to suffer from swine flu, have been quarantined at a city hospital, sources at the Infectious Diseases (ID) Hospital said on Sunday.
Ramen Chatterjee, 47, and Krishna Sahu, 27, residents of Rajahat and Icchapur, arrived by a Jet Airways flight from Bangkok on Saturday morning. Doctors at the airport found them suffering from the flu symptoms and rushed them to the hospital at Beliaghata.
“All passengers on international flights are being screened, but since they [the two passengers] were coming from Thailand, a swine flu-affected country, we took extra precautions,” a health officer said.
Hospital sources said both passengers were put in separate wards.
25/05/09 The Hindu

Sunday, May 24, 2009

Takeoff, landing mishaps on rise

Mumbai: For the last three years, the number of accidents/incidents taking place during a landing or a take-off-- involving Indian carriers at Indian airports--has been on a steady rise. The reasons include a range of factors like cockpit crew fatigue, relaxed aircraft maintenance norms in India, dearth of DGCA flight safety inspectors, pilots put under pressure by airlines to operate flights even in difficult conditions, poor training and inaction by the DGCA (Director General of Civil Aviation).
"The increase in the number of incidents and accidents is due to the lack of proper training and safety oversight. Commercial interests have overridden the safety interest. Aviation safety experts worldwide are concerned about the increase in the number of runway overruns and excursions," says Capt Mohan Ranganathan, an air safety expert.
He alluded specifically to the need for transparency. "The Alliance Air crash in Patna in 2000 killed 55. But the DGCA website for accident/incident data shows nil aircrashes for airlines. Investigation reports are meant for everyone to learn from experience and prevent a future occurrence. Unfortunately, people want to believe that everything is hunky dory," he adds.
In India, air accidents/incidents are investigated by the DGCA, which is the civil aviation regulatory authority. For long, aviation observers have demanded an independent investigation authority, like the US's National Transport and Safety Board (NTSB), for instance. "The NTSB last year hauled up the Federal Aviation Authority, the US civil aviation authority, for not initiating timely action against an airline which had flouted air safety norms," notes a senior commander.
The Indian Pilots Guild, a union of Air India pilots, endorses this. "The Commission of Railway Safety, which looks into rail accidents, for the sake of impartiality comes under the ministry of civil aviation. Aviation too should have an independent body," says an Indian Pilots Guild spokesperson. What civil aviation has is the National Air Safety Board that was formed by the DGCA in January 2008 and is not independent. The board, comprising members of the DGCA, various airlines and charter operators, is supposed to meet at least four times a year. "It has scarcely met in the last one year to discuss issues related to commercial airlines," said a source.
Capt R S Otaal, general secretary of the Indian Commercial Pilots Association, says a majority of these cases was related to crew fatigue. "The number of incidents/accidents has been on the rise after scientifically-backed rest rules for pilots were put in abeyance last year," he says, adding that with the onset of the monsoon, work-in-progress runways and short ones like those at airports like Vadodara, Raipur, Rajkot, Jammu andBhopal become dangerous.
It's also no secret in the aviation community that rest rules for pilots are often violated and commercial interests override bad weather in deciding whether a flight should land or not. Multi-leg flights, like a Mumbai-Nagpur-Raipur-Kolkata one for instance, are a case in point. "Last year, on one of these flights, Nagpur had bad weather with strong cross-winds. The commander tried to land, but did a go around as the aircraft was rocking badly. He managed to land at the second attempt. What he should have done was divert the flight. But then he would have had to go back to Nagpur and continue with two other flights, which would be stressful. Such forced decisions are sure-shot recipes for disaster," says a senior airline commander.
24/05/09 Manju Vayalar/Times of India

Passenger caught masturbating mid-air

Vadodara: An air hostess on the Delhi-Vadodara flight of IndiGo Airlines got the shock of her life when she allegedly caught a passenger staring at her and masturbating in mid-air. When the aircraft landed at Vadodara, the passenger Rajeev Mallik was arrested by the police for performing a vulgar act in public place and was later released on bail.
While there have been such instances in the West, this is perhaps an unprecedented case where a passenger has been caught masturbating. Mallik, a manager with a private firm in Delhi, was on an official visit to Vadodara.
The incident took place before 11.30 am on flight 6E 481 when the cabin crew was preparing to land at the Vadodara airport. Mallik, a resident of Okhla in New Delhi, had changed his seat and gone to the rear of the aircraft. Kishanwadi police station officials, who arrested Mallik, said the accused was “showing his private parts” even as an air hostess was watching him in the act. Police officials added that the air hostess was going through the routine exercise of asking passengers to fasten their seat belts before landing when she came across Mallik masturbating. Apparently, he did not even stop on seeing the air hostess. The air hostess immediately informed the flight captain, who in turn informed officials at Vadodara airport on Friday. Mallik was detained by the airport security as soon as he alighted from the flight and was handed over to the Kishanwadi police.
24/05/09 Times of India

No takers for DIL projects

Hyderabad: With real estate developers and construction companies reluctant to take up big projects, nearly 20 projects of the Deccan Infrastructure and Land Holdings (DIL), a subsidiary of the A P Housing Board, have got stuck.
DIL which takes advance clearances from the Airport's Authority of India for construction of high-rise buildings for big projects is also refraining from doing so now.
DIL had planned to submit applications to the AAI for clearances to construct integrated townships and star hotels with the joint ventures around various airports.
The company has got nearly 3,000 acres of land holding around the airports at Shamshabad, defence airports at Dundigal and Hakimpet, the old Begumpet airport and at Visakhapatnam. Most of the land was transferred by the government from Ranga Reddy district.
Nearly 20 projects, most of them joint ventures were planned with big developers around the airports as it expected there would be a huge demand for hotels and integrated townships.
Since Airport Authority of India (AAI)'s No Objection Certificate is required for construction of high-rise buildings, it was also planned to take all the permissions and preparing the documents by engaging consultants for the work by the end of the last year.
"Due to recession and global meltdown there is no demand for the projects and no major construction firms are coming forward. That is why we have given up the idea of taking NOCs from AAI in advance," a senior official of DIL told TOI.
The DIL, a subsidiary of Andhra Pradesh Housing Board (APHB), was created for construction of integrated townships, leverage of its land for development of integrated township and taking up joint ventures. The government promoted company has got a land bank of 7,000 acres mainly transferred land from Ranga Reddy and Hyderabad districts. The APHB holds 57.67 per cent of equity and the state government has 42.33 per cent equity in the DIL.
24/05/09 Times of India

Saturday, May 23, 2009

Direct flight to Saudi Arabia awaits clearance from new Ministry

Bangalore: According to a UNI report, introduction of direct flight to Saudi Arabian destinations by Air India Express awaits clearance from the new Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) at the Centre. Sources at Mangalore’s Bajpe Airport told UNI that the process of direct flight between Mangalore and Dammam by Air India Express was kept on hold due to the general elections. Mangaloreans, who reside in sufficient number in Saudi destinations were hopeful that once the new Aviation Minister assumes office, the process of direct flights between Mangalore and Riyadh, Jeddah and Dammam would gain momentum and a final confirmation would be expected soon. According to earlier plans, the flight to Saudi Arabia was supposed to take off in April this year, but due to the pending government nod, the plan was kept in abeyance.
As reported by TravelBiz Monitor earlier, Jet Airways has decided to connect Mangalore-Mumbai-Riyadh from June 14. Though the airline was awaiting clearance from the Central Aviation Authority, it had received booking instructions. As per the proposed schedule, the Jet Airways will run a daily flight between Mangalore and Riyadh.
22/05/09 TravelBizMonitor

VIPs, surging partymen delay flights at airport

Chennai: When it comes to security at airport, the authorities seem to follow two rules one for ordinary citizens and another for party workers.
The special treatment given to partymen delayed flights after airlines were prevented from moving their equipment into the operational area.
Ever since the Airports Authority of India (AAI) closed the gate near the domestic terminal and shifted the VIP entrance to Gate No: 1 located near the Air India service complex, airport and airline employees are having a tough time.
Vehicle movement to AAI administrative building, AAI parking lot and Air India service building were blocked hours before political leaders entitled to Z plus category security cover were expected on Friday.
When chief minister M Karunanidhi returned from Delhi, the police stopped all vehicles including cabs that were dropping Air India's in-flight crew from entering the road that lead to Gate No: 1 for almost three hours.
However, they allowed party workers to not only drive down, but also congregate, with flags, drums and other paraphernalia, quite close to the gate through which the chief minister was to drive out from the tarmac.
According to the police, no outside person should be allowed inside the 100 metre perimetre of the security ring for a person with Z plus security. "We are not even allowing vehicles of ministers near the VIP gate. So no one can go inside," said a policeman on security duty near the VIP gate. However, within few minutes, scores of DMK partymen with a hired band made their way to the high security' zone, breaching the Z plus security norms.
According to sources, Air India's flights often gets delayed whenever there was VIP movement because the airline would not be able to take out their equipment because the police block movement in and around gate adjacent to the airline's building.
After that incident, Air India's security personnel today took a tough stand and allowed only state minister's vehicles to be parked inside the service complex campus.
23/05/09 K Praveen Kumar & V Ayyappan/Times of India

New Bangalore airport set to turn one quietly

Bangalore: The new Bengaluru International airport starts its second year Sunday without any fanfare. Yet to be officially inaugurated or christened, the airport has got mixed reviews from passengers during the first year of its operations.
"The new airport is very far from the city. It takes a lot of time to commute because of heavy traffic. We lose precious time and that is not good for us," Ved Pathak, a software professional, said.
He was reflecting views expressed earlier by Biocon Chairperson Kiran Mazumdar Shaw and Infosys Director Mohandas Pai who had campaigned for retention of the old government-run Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd airport located within the city. The new airport is 35 km away from the centre of this city.
"The toilets at the new airport are cramped and not well maintained. We expect better facilities in an international airport," remarked K. Vishwanathan, a marketing executive.
But Sushmita, a student of business management, said: "It is definitely better compared to the old airport. The place is swanky with lots of eatouts. I quite like it."
The airport made a wobbly takeoff May 24 last year, amid protests, legal battles and criticism over poor road connectivity. Today, it is a beehive of activity, with 280 aircraft landing or taking off per day and thousands of passengers arriving or departing.
The new airport was conceived as the 50-year-old HAL airport was bursting at its seams, handling 320 flights a day and 35,000-40,000 passengers daily or about 10 million passengers annually.
Though the $625-million (Rs.29,687-crore) greenfield airport took a decade to materialise, the first phase was completed in a record 36 months after construction began in mid-2005.
23/05/09 IANS/Times of India

Brussels sees long-haul growth thanks to Jet Airways and US carriers

Located just 11 kilometres from the city centre, Brussels Airport at Zaventem serves as the main airport for all the politicians involved in running the European Union. Traffic at the airport has been growing steadily for the last six years though passenger numbers at the airport have yet to reach the peak of 2000 when Sabena, the failed national carrier was in its heyday. Between 1991 and 2000 traffic had grown by 160% as Sabena established a major hub-and-spoke network at the airport. The airline’s ill-fated involvement with Swissair resulted in the airline’s collapse in November 2001.
The airline’s successor, SN Brussels Airlines, merged with local low-cost rival Virgin Express in 2006/07 to create Brussels Airlines which operates a fleet of some 45 aircraft (only half as many as Sabena at its peak). This summer the airline will serve some 57 destinations non-stop from the airport, while several other destinations are served with an intermediate stop.
As at most major European airports passenger numbers have been down in the first four months of 2009. At present traffic levels are similar to those achieved in 2006. The seasonality profile is typical of many European airports with a peak in July and demand being lowest in December and January.
While Brussels Airlines is clearly the airport’s leading airline the next biggest carriers in terms of passenger numbers are primarily charter airlines. Jetairfly (TUI’s Belgium subsidiary) with 12 based aircraft and Thomas Cook Airlines with six based aircraft are the next biggest airlines. Lufthansa ranks fourth (serving seven destinations in Germany and Milan Malpensa with its new Lufthansa Italia subsidiary) while Jet Airways of India ranks fifth.
Jet has created a ‘scissor-hub’ at Brussels with daily flights arriving from India (Chennai, Delhi and Mumbai) and flying across the Atlantic to Newark, New York JFK and Toronto. All routes are operated with 226-seat A330s which are all scheduled to arrive in Brussels at 07:50 in the morning. All six aircraft then depart at just after 10:00 allowing a good two hours for connections between flights to be made. A fourth Indian connection to Bangalore was started at the end of October but was abandoned in mid-January. All of these flights helped Brussels’ ‘Overseas’ traffic to grow by over 25% in 2008.
22/05/09 Airline Network News and Analysis

Friday, May 22, 2009

Upgrade of Kolkata, Chennai airports to cost Rs 1,000 cr more

New Delhi: Modernisation of Chennai and Kolkata airports is expected to cost an additional Rs 1,000 crore over and above the original estimate
of Rs 3,750 crore.
"The original estimates have increased and the modernisation of both the airports is expected to cost about Rs 2,300 crore each," Planning Commission sources told PTI, adding, the issue came up during a meeting to review the implementation of the decisions of high-powered Committee on Infrastructure, which is headed by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.
Modernisation of the two airport projects was approved by the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) in August 2008 at a cost of over Rs 3,750 crore and the work was to be completed within three years.
Although the projects are likely to cost more, the work is likely to be completed within stipulated time, the official said without specifying the reasons for the cost escalation.
21/05/09 PTI/Economic Times

Detained passenger escapes

Nedumbassery: A passenger who was detained by the immigration officials at the international airport here on Thursday on the charge of possessing a tampered passport managed to escape from custody.
Officials said the suspect arrived in the morning from Abu Dhabi by an Air India Express flight (IX 452) and was found possessing a passport of one Moideen Kunju from Kozhikode.
He fled the terminal while the counter officer was taking his passport to the Circle Inspector for a detailed examination.
However, sources said that the person escaped while the officials were questioning Hameed Abdul of Kasaragod who arrived here on the same flight with a fake passport.
The officials pointed out flaws that helped the suspect get out of the terminal. The counter officer did not hand him over to security officials while going for the detailed examination and customs officials allowed him to leave the terminal without clearing the disembarkation card.
The officials said they obtained some clues about the person from his luggage left behind at the immigration counter.
22/05/09 Kerala Online

Miraculous escape for Indian passengers

Srinagar: Two planes of Indian, previously known as Indian airlines, nearly collapsed on Srinagar International Airport on Thursday.
Sources told Greater Kashmir a chartered flight of the Indian having troopers on board after landing came very close to another Delhi bound passenger jet of the same airlines. “There was probably error in observation by the employees of the airliner, as it had very small ground clearance,” sources said. “Had the airliner taken a few more minutes to stop both the planes could have collided. Delhi bound passengers and troopers had a miraculous escape.”
The director airport, N V Subbarayudu, while confirming the incident said there was no disruption in the normal functioning at the airport.
22/05/09 Greater Kashmir

Jet Airways to connect M'lore-Riyadh

Mangalore: Introduction of direct flight to Saudi destinations by Air India Express awaits clearance from the new Ministry at the Centre.
The sources at Bajpe Airport said here today, the process of direct flight between Mangalore and Dammam by Air India Express was kept on hold due to the general elections. The Mangaloreans, who are in sufficient number in Saudi destinations were hopeful that once the Aviation Minister assumes office, the process of direct flights between Mangalore and Riyadh, Jeddah and Dammam would gain momentum and a final confirmation would be expected soon. The sources said according to the previous plans, the flight to Saudi Arabia was supposed to take off in April, but pending the government nod, the plan was kept in abeyance.
Meanwhile, Jet Airways, has decided to connect Mangalore-Mumbai-Riyadh from June. Though the airline was awaiting clearance from the Central Aviation Authority, it had received booking instructions. As per the proposed schedule, the Jet Airways would run a daily flight between Mangalore and Riyadh. The connecting Jet flight would take off from Mangalore at 1515 hrs and arrive at Mumbai airport at 1620 hrs. The Mumbai-Riyadh flight would take off at 1930 pm and arrive at Riyadh at 0905 hrs Saudi Time.
The return flight from Riyadh will take off at 2005 hrs every day and arrive at Mumbai at 0430 hrs. The connecting flight from Mumbai to Mangalore would be at 0920 hrs, which is set to reach Mangalore at 1030 hrs.
21/05/09 Mangalorean.com

Calcutta airport recast cost rises

New Delhi: The modernisation cost of the Calcutta airport is expected to go up to Rs 2,300 crore from Rs 1,942 crore because of a rise in the prices of inputs such as steel and cement.
The Airports Authority of India (AAI) has informed the committee on infrastructure about the cost escalation at a meeting held to review the project. The revamped airport will handle 20 million passengers, four times the current capacity. Work has already started at the airport.
Officials said the Calcutta terminal was one of the cheapest upgrades, though costs have risen. The Delhi airport is being renovated at an investment of Rs 8,900 crore, while the Mumbai airport upgrade will cost Rs 9,802 crore.
However, Delhi and Mumbai are being upgraded on a much larger scale.
The Delhi airport plan aims to increase passenger capacity to 60 million from the current 24 million.
The AAI wants to complete the modernisation of the Calcutta airport by June 2011, said officials present at the meet.
Earlier, the Planning Commission along with the finance ministry had sought to split the construction of the airport into two modules to lower the cost. However, the cabinet had ruled that construction in a single phase would be cheaper and more efficient.
The Calcutta airport plan got stuck in controversy when civil aviation minister Praful Patel wanted to award the project to private developers — a move resisted by the state’s Left Front government.
21/05/09 The Telegraph

Calcutta misses GoAir flight

Calcutta: Private carrier GoAir has entered the east, but gave Calcutta the slip.
The airline, launched by the Wadia family that owns Bombay Dyeing, will connect Bagdogra in north Bengal and Guwahati in Assam with Mumbai and Delhi.
“We do not have plans to come to Calcutta in the near future. The city is well-serviced by other airlines,” A. K. Sachdeva, chief operations officer of GoAir, said.
He said the airline was very meticulous about choosing its route and did not want to overstretch itself.
Passenger footfall at the airport in Calcutta has dropped 6 per cent in 2008-09 over the previous fiscal. While some of the airlines reduced frequency, a few stopped flying to the city.
According to an airport official, footfall in 2008-09 stood at 7.5 million against 7 million in 2007-08. “However, April onwards, we are experiencing a positive trend,” he said.
22/05/09 The Telegraph

Senior citizen to be compensated by Air India for Dabolim mishap

Panaji: Air India on Thursday said it would compensate a couple from Altinho-Mapusa after the wife fell off a faulty wheelchair provided by the airline at the Dabolim airport and sustained several injuries.
According to the woman's husband, Carlos Mauricio d'Abreu Noronha, 76, the incident took place in March. "My wife Maria Ester Fausta da Costa d'Abreu Noronha, 76, and I had travelled from Mumbai to Goa on March 14 by Air India. On arrival at Dabolim airport, my wife was carried on a wheelchair. We had almost reached the baggage room when the right arm of the wheelchair gave way and my wife fell to the ground and had acute pain on the right thigh," he said.
Maria Ester was taken to Grace Hospital, Margao, by an ambulance where an X-ray revealed she had suffered three fractures. She was operated upon and a plate was fixed on her thigh with 15 screws, her husband added.
"I was told at the airport that all good wheelchairs are reserved for tourists, while the other passengers are given rickety wheelchairs, like the one given to my wife," Noronha said.
"I fell on the floor. I was later told by the people at the airport that the wheelchair was broken," Maria Ester told TOI.
"The airport must have good wheelchairs for the elderly, as it is impossible for us to walk the long distance from the aircraft to the baggage retrieval area. The authorities concerned must take more care while dealing with elderly peoplem who are carried on wheelchairs in future," said Maria Ester, "I must say though that the airline staff were very concerned and helpful," she added.
22/05/09 Times of India

Thursday, May 21, 2009

Stiff charges against fake hijacker

New Delhi: Claiming he "knew how to kill people", Jitender Mohala had asked for handcuffs from the cabin crew while creating a hijack scare aboard an IndiGo flight from Goa to Delhi in February this year.
In the chargesheet filed recently by the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS), the agency invoked stringent charges under section 3(1)(d), 3(2) of Suppression of Unlawful Act which carries a maximum punishment of life imprisonment, section 336, 503 and 506 of the IPC and section 3(2) and 4 of the anti-hijacking Act as amended.
The incident created a stir after Mohala's allegedly aggressive behaviour forced the pilot of IndiGo flight E644 to sound a hijack alert, leading to a scare and panic at the Delhi airport. The plane made an emergency landing and was kept in isolation for two-and-a-half hours.
Filing the chargesheet before district and sessions judge I S Mehta, the agency said Mohala told the cabin crew that he was an Indian Air Force officer of the rank of Air Commodore and was carrying needles and a gun.
When a passenger asked him if he was authorised to carry the stuff, Mohala said he did not require permission from anyone. He told passengers that he was the godfather of aviation services in India and he made all the rules of aviation, the chargesheet read. He said he was a Muslim who was involved in the Kandahar hijack scare and claimed that two people with him would take the charge of the aircraft, it added.
The 65-page chargesheet alleged that Mohala tried to harass the air-hostesses and female passengers. He also moved his hands towards the neck of Neha (air-hostess) in the name of explaining procedure to press a particular nerve to make anyone unconscious. He also brought a lady passenger to the row of the emergency door and sat by her side, it alleged.The agency alleged that he tried to endanger the life of an infant aboard.
21/05/09 Smriti Singh/Times of India

Careless digging fails VOR at airport

Chennai: Careless digging continues to affect sensitive aviation communication equipment at the Chennai airport.
On Tuesday, the VOR (VHF Omnidirectional Range) equipment that helps arriving aircraft home in on the airport failed for almost an hour after construction workers snapped a power cable to the transmitter while digging.
Airport sources said that the VOR was not available between 5 pm and 6.30 pm.
However, flights were not delayed or disrupted because the radar was functional and modern aircraft have onboard equipment that can calculate the distance to an airport using inputs from radar. VOR is mandatory at all airports because it helps aircraft locate and identify the airports.
Though modern systems are available, air routes are still defined in straight lines from one VOR ground station to the other.
"It is bad to have a blank instrument in the cockpit while flying. Such equipment is sensitive and the airport authorities should take care that it does not fail because of such reasons," said a pilot.
An Airports Authority of India (AAI) official said that the snapped cable was rectified within a short span and that the incident did not affect flight services.
21/05/09 Times of India

Saudi, Egypt and India largest buyers at this year's airport show

The ninth Dubai Airport Show saw airport authorities from Saudi Arabia, India and Egypt, followed by Qatar and Oman, emerging as the largest buyers of airport equipment.
"Airport authorities from Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Oman, India and Egypt, are shopping for everything from cargo and baggage screening systems to aircraft parking components," the show's organisers, Reed Exhibitions, said yesterday in a statement.
It said Saudi's King Abdulaziz International Airport, for example, is undergoing a $20 billion (Dh73.4bn) overhaul aimed at transforming it into the region's second-largest airport by 2035.
Meanwhile, Cairo Airport Company, part of the Egyptian Holding Company for Airports and Air Navigation, which manages the Cairo International Airport and 19 airports under the Egyptian Airport Company, is prioritising security and safety, IT systems, infrastructure and cargo solutions on its EGP 7.8 billion (Dh5.1bn) shopping list, according to Ihsan Sadik, an executive from Cairo Airport Company.
With total project budgets exceeding $6bn, airport operators from the Middle East, North Africa and South Asia region were declared as the ones among the leading buyers at the show.
Furthermore, performance-based navigation systems were among the top priorities for Gulf airport operators limited by airspace restrictions mandated by governments across the region.
21/05/09 Emirates Business 24-7, UAE

Swine Flu may have landed in city

Kolkata: A passenger with symptoms of Swine Flu was detained at the NSC Bose airport this morning. Airport doctors said Mr Shyamal Sarkar (35), who flew in from Dubai on an Emirates’ flight, exhibited respiratory distress, symptoms of a cold, a running nose and mild fever. He was immediately segregated. After initial consultations, doctors of the Airport Health Service (AHS) and Airports Authority of India (AAI) ensured the passenger was covered with a face mask, cap, gloves and disposable apron and sent him to the infectious diseases hospital in Beliaghata. Mr Sarkar, a resident of Gosainagar in Ranaghat, Nadia, works in Dubai as a welder.
Dr Sujit Buxy, chief medical officer of AAI, said all precautions had been taken while examining the suspected carrier of the Swine Flu virus.
Dr AC Dey, chief airport health officer, said that not only was Mr Sarkar segregated but the passenger manifest of the flight was thoroughly examined. Personal details and recent medical/travel histories of his co-passengers were collated and passengers' contact numbers have been communicated to the state health department.
Health department officials will be contacting passengers as a follow-up action to ascertain if any of them show symptoms similar to Mr Sarkar's. Dr Dey added that there were no instructions from the World Health Organisation to fumigate the aircraft in which passengers with Swine Flu symptoms had been detected. Mr Sarkar, meanwhile, is being kept under observation. He told doctors at the airport that he has many Philippines nationals as co-workers in Dubai but Dr Dey said the Philippines was not listed among the countries affected by Swine Flu.
20/05/09 The Statesman

Navi Mumbai airport to give city a shot in the arm

Mumbai: After the Navi Mumbai airport finally got environmental clearance and centre’s nod, the experts from aviation and industry sectors believe that Mumbai will finally get its much deserved second airport. The work on the project is set to commence next year.
Newsline spoke to officials from the aviation sector as well as other experts in the field of infrastructure who echoed the same sentiments that there was no way the city could have done without the second airport.
“The present airport will be saturated by 2014 or maybe even within next two years and therefore it was essential that the city gets another airport. Even the old airport has its own drawbacks because of its location in the heart of the city,” said Sushil Jiwarajka, Western Region Head, Confederation of Indian Industry (CII).
21/05/09 Shashank Shekhar/Indian Express

Wednesday, May 20, 2009

Agni disrupts flight path

Calcutta: The test firing of an Agni-II missile from a launch pad off the Orissa coast disrupted flights operating from Calcutta or flying over the city.
The south flight information range of the city airport was closed for commercial aircraft from 9.45am to 10.30am on Tuesday because of the missile launch, resulting in the diversion of around 50 flights.
“Some of the overflying flights and a few taking off from Calcutta were delayed,” said an official of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport.
The nuclear-capable Agni-II was test-fired from Wheelers Island near Dhamra, 80km from Balasore, around 10.06am. Services at Bhubaneswar airport, close to the test range, were however not affected.
“The notice to airmen in Calcutta had mentioned that the south flight information range would be closed from 9.45am to 10.30am, but overflying flights from southeast Asia that were entering the Calcutta skies through the Yangon range were being diverted from 8.30am. This was done to ensure that no aircraft entered the no-flying zone during the missile launch,” the airport official said.
Flights to Chennai, Hyderabad and Bangalore that usually take the Bhubaneswar route were diverted through the Nagpur, Jamshedpur and Jharsuguda routes.
Thanks to the diversion, domestic flights had to cover an extra 100 nautical miles and the overflying ones, around 150 nautical miles.
20/05/09 The Telegraph

Tuesday, May 19, 2009

Hurdles gone, Navi Mumbai to get airport by 2013 end

Mumbai: The Centre on Monday cleared environment and coastal regulation zone (CRZ) hurdles in the path of the proposed Greenfield Navi Mumbai international airport.
The state government is now planning a time-bound implementation of the delayed project and expects the basic services to be launched in late 2013. Part of the 2,100 hectares earmarked for the airport to be located between Kharghar and Panvel falls in CRZ I, II, III areas. Work to fill up the creek was hindered by the CRZ notification.
The CRZ notification issued by the Union Environment and Forest Ministry was amended on Monday to clear the decks for the project. The project has already been cleared by the Union Cabinet and the state government had been following up the CRZ issue with the Centre.
The primary report on the airport plan has been received from the consultants, and the final report will be submitted on August 31. The necessary tender papers for selection of the developer will be prepared on September 30, and bids submitted by interested parties on February 15, 2010. The developer will be shortlisted on March 31, 2010 and in April- May 2010, the agreement will be signed and the foundation stone for the work laid. Basic facilities at the airport are expected to be inaugurated in September-October 2013.
Once bidding starts, GVK Industries, which now operates the Mumbai Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport (CSIA) through the Mumbai International Airport Limited (MIAL), will have the first right of refusal if their bid is within 10 per cent of the winning bid.
19/05/09 ExpressIndia

Cancelled flight spurs protests

Ranchi: Tension gripped the Birsa Munda Airport in Ranchi today when a heated argument broke out between passengers and employees of MDLR Airlines over the cancellation of Ranchi-Delhi flight.
Passengers complained that the airline staff had misinformed them about the time and kept them waiting for hours. They added the officials did not make any alternative arrangement.
Around 70 people were supposed to take the flight, which was originally scheduled to leave at 1.30pm. “But the airline officials called us up to say the flight would take off at 5pm. Accordingly, we reached the Birsa Munda Airport but were told that the flight had been delayed to 6.30pm. When we reported at the scheduled time, we were told that the flight had been cancelled,” said Shashank Prasad, a passenger.
Angry, the passengers headed towards MDLR’s ticket counter and confronted the staff. An altercation followed. The passengers left only after being reassured that the flight would leave at 6am tomorrow.
19/05/09 The Telegraph

Monday, May 18, 2009

CAPA India to invest Rs 600 cr for aeropark in Navi Mumbai

New Delhi: The Indian arm of aviation consultancy and advisory services firm Centre for Asia Pacific Aviation is setting up a aeropark in Navi Mumbai with an investment of around Rs 600 crore.
"We are setting up an aeropark in Navi Mumbai with an investment of about USD 120 million in Navi Mumbai. It is is expected to open by the middle of 2011," Centre for Asia Pacific Aviation (CAPA) India Head Kapil Kaul told PTI.
The project, to be spread over 35-40 acres, will provide training courses in air safety, pilot training, aviation technology and general aviation.
It will also impart training programmes in aircraft maintenance, repair and overhaul and aviation environment research.
In later stages, the park may also offer MBA in aviation in association with some specialised institute, Kaul said.
18/05/09 PTI/Economic Times

Jets said to go

Mumbai: The Maharashtra government and some of India's leading corporate honchos like the Tatas and Ambanis seem to have got too close for comfort at the Mumbai airport and could soon be left with no parking space for their jets. After being warned several times for parking aircraft very close to the runway, these companies have now been served eviction notices especially since all their hangar leases have also ended.
In early April, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) pulled up private and corporate jet owners for violating International Civil Aviation Organisation norms. "These aircraft were found to be close to the operational runway, violating the prescribed safety norms," said Kanu Gohain, director general, DGCA.
Apart from parking their jets in close proximity to the runway (perpendicular to it), these jets also followed a wrong method of moving before take-off. "Since the aircraft were parked perpendicular to the runway, it meant risking the possibility of a jet blast directed towards the runway," a pilot with a private charter company said.
Corporates who will be left hunting for a new parking bay for their jets include Reliance Industries Limited (RIL), Tata, Essar, Raymond, Anil Ambani's ADAG as well as clients of maintenance, repair and overhaul firms like Air Works India Engineering Ltd and Indamer Ltd. "We have served eviction notices on the firms that have hangars at the Mumbai airport as their leases have already expired. We are going to talk to them to sort out the issues," said Sanjay Reddy, managing director, Mumbai International Airport Limited (MIAL).
MIAL officials informed that the jets would have to shift to the helibase at Juhu or relocate to some other part of the airport.
On the possibility of shifting to Juhu, a RIL official said, "Unless the helibase at Juhu is capable of handling our aircraft we cannot even think about it."
The Juhu airport is only a helibase with a runway length of 3,750 feet. Aircraft (depending on their size) need at least 7,500 feet in order to land at ease.
18/05/09 Aditya Anand/MiD Day

Fellow passengers of A(H1N1) flu patient hospitalised

New Delhi: Two fellow passengers of the lone positive case for swine flu in India have been hospitalised with symptoms of the dreaded disease.
The Hyderabad resident, who had tested positive for swine flu after returning from the United States is being treated with Oseltamivir and is presently stable, a senior health ministry official said here on Monday. Two of his contacts, who travelled in the same flight, were found to have cough and sore throat and as a matter of abundant precaution they are presently admitted in the identified hospital at Hyderabad, he added.
Meanwhile, so far samples of 66 people have been tested, including one which tested positive for A (H1N1) flu. The rest have been found negative for the disease. The screening of passengers coming from affected countries is continuing in 21 International airports.
A total of 39,991 passengers have been screened till date out of which around 14,245 passengers were from affected countries. One passenger disembarking at Delhi Airport has been referred to the identified health facility.
18/05/09 PTI/The Hindu

Airlines look for more space in air, on ground

Mumbai: As the ruling United Progressive Alliance (UPA) is all set to form the new government, the aviation industry is expecting many key policies to go through. Among them are allowing foreign airlines to pick up a minority stake in domestic airlines, having a new ground handling policy and the development of non-metro airports.
The UPA had given a six-month extension for ground handling which ends on June 30 while the proposal for allowing foreign airlines into the domestic sector, which was moved by the civil aviation ministry, was not cleared by the UPA the last time.
Paramount managing director M Thiagarajan told ET, “The new government will be more stable and can take decisions more firmly without any interference. We expect the government to certainly take care of the domestic aviation sector and sort out key issues and pending policies in the aviation sector.”
The industry has been plagued by large losses, rising debt levels and a serious liquidity crunch. According to an analyst at a domestic brokerage, measures like increasing the present cap on Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in the aviation sector as well as withdrawing the restrictions on investment by foreign airlines in the domestic carriers are important to save the industry from the current crisis that it finds itself in.
Currently, foreign airlines are not allowed to pick up equity in aviation companies while foreign investors and financial institutions can hold up to a 49% stake. “Consolidation in the sector is inevitable and allowing foreign airlines to buy equity will certainly help domestic airlines who are reeling under huge debt,” said Ashwini Kakkar, executive vice-chairman of Mercury Travels.
Meanwhile, if the ground handling policy goes through in the current form, its is expected that there will be a large number of people who will lose their jobs from July.
18/05/09 Mithun Roy/Economic Times

GMADA returns to Mohali airport work

Chandigarh: The conclusion of Lok Sabha poll process has freed Greater Mohali Area Development Authority (GMADA) to pursue work relating to the international airport in Mohali. GMADA officials have initiated the process of starting a joint venture company between Haryana, Punjab and Airport Authority of India, which will be responsible for the project. The process for the company’s formation had slowed down after implementation of model code of conduct.
GMADA officials have also written a letter seeking funds from Haryana for construction of roads connecting to the airport. A senior authority official stated that as per their agreement, Haryana and Punjab were to share the expenditure for the roads’ construction. GMADA has also taken a no-objection certificate from district administration to start acquiring land needed for the roads.
’’We had taken the khasra numbers of pieces of land to be acquired before the elections, but not much else could be done on that front due to the code,’’ said the official. GMADA is going to acquire land for three roads leading from the airport to Mohali, Panchkula and Chhatbir. First road will lead from Sector 66-B to the airport and will be about 6km in length. The second road will go from Sector 66-B to Chhat village.
18/05/09 Times of India

Screening systems in place at airports, seaports

Kochi: Even as one person testing positive for swine flu has sent alarm bells across the country, the screening systems at the airports and seaports seems to be working perfectly to trace any suspected case of swine flu, albeit with an ‘understaffed’ medical backup.
The health requirements of the airports and seaports, which are the transit routes for the transmission of swine flu, are addressed by the Port Health Organisation under the Union Ministry of Health.
Due to the dearth of medicos in the organisation, the Health Ministry is assisting the health authorities at the Port in screening the passengers, sources said.
The system being adopted for screening air passengers coming to India through Nedumbassery airport includes questionnaires supplied to the passengers who return the filled in responses to the health authorities.
The responses with a brief information about the health condition of the passenger is then examined at the airport.
Interestingly, the airport is manned by one of the two doctors from the Port Health Department, leaving only one doctor to take care of the affairs of the ship crews and passengers calling on at the port. The practice followed at the airport is repeated for the ship crew and passengers.
18/05/09 ExpressBuzz