8 airports have no scheduled flights, loss in 3 years Rs 82 crore

Eight non-metro airports modernised using public money have no scheduled flights operating there, leading them to incur a total loss of about Rs 82 crore in the last three years.

As government pushes for air connectivity in remote areas, official figures show that these eight airports have jointly incurred a total loss of over Rs 25 crore in 2011-12, over 27 crore in 2012-13 and almost Rs 30 crore in 2013-14, official sources said.

Reacting sharply to the "precarious" situation prevailing at these airports, aviation industry experts said only market conditions and operational viability and "not political compulsions" should determine developing airports or creating new ones.

The airports, which were modernised and upgraded by state-run Airports Authority of India (AAI) but have no scheduled flights, are at Akola (Maharashtra), Bikaner and Jaisalmer (Rajasthan), Coochbehar (West Bengal), Cuddapah (Andhra Pradesh), Pathankot and Ludhiana (Punjab) and Puducherry.
30/11/14 PTI/Deccan Chonicle

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Threat to planes seen from five deserted areas near Delhi airport

New Delhi: The Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS) has told Delhi Police that many deserted areas around the city’s international airport are a security threat and has sought police patrols.
In a letter, BCAS says the unoccupied areas in Indira Gandhi International Airport vicinity are potentially dangerous for the runways and a hub of illegal activities. It has asked police to map the areas and identify locations where police presence may be increased.
The police in turn have written to the Delhi International Airport (DIAL) in this regard.
Airport sources said a survey was conducted by Delhi Police earlier this month to identify deserted locations. It revealed five such locations: one near the Centaur hotel, the area near the automated mail sorting centre, the ARC Hangar, the stretch near Mahipalpur leading to the airport and the stretch between the Centaur hotel and the road leading to Mahipalpur.  These areas have no security presence.
30/11/14 Shalini Narayan/Indian Express

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UPA privatization move nixed, PPP to take off at airport

Ahmedabad:  The only international airport in the state Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel international airport will now be developed on a public- private partnership model. This move comes after the NDA-led government scrapped the privatization of six airports which was initiated by last UPA government in July 2013.

Central government has cancelled the requests for qualification (RFQs) for process for modernising six airports at Kolkata, Chennai, Jaipur, Guwahati, Ahmedabad and Lucknow.

Minister of state for civil aviation Mahesh Sharma in a written reply in Rajya Sabha said that government plans to take up development and modernisation of the airports at Ahmedabad and Jaipur through the PPP model, though the RFQs for them have not been issued yet.
30/11/14 Piyush Mishra/Times of India

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Bomb blast threat at IGI triggers security upgrade

New Delhi: One month ago, security officers at Indira Gandhi International Airport received a fax. It contained a threat to execute a bomb blast at the airport.

While officials in charge of airport security are used to hoax messages, they did not take the fax received on October 26 lightly. One of the reasons for this was the fact that it arrived just three days after threats to bomb flights between Kochi, Ahmedabad and Mumbai following which all three airports were put on high alert.

Since then, according to sources, security agencies at the airport have received "an alarming number" of faxes, calls and emails, threatening to blow up IGI. All security agencies at the airport, including Delhi Police and CISF, have scaled up security here. Police officials say the number of Quick Reaction Teams has been increased and their patrols made more frequent.
Police have added four more pickets on the road leading from Mehram Nagar to the international terminal. "These pickets will be turned into police booths with wireless sets and additional staff. The booths will regularly check passing vehicles," said a senior police official. Police have asked the hotel association of Aerocity to construct the four booths for policemen.
30/11/14 Suhas Munshi/Times of India

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Flyers to get SMS alerts on delays in fog spell

Lucknow: Flyers to and from Lucknow will soon be able to get SMS and email alerts in advance from airlines about flight delays because of foggy conditions this winter. For this, the Airports Authority of India (AAI) will coordinate with the met department and the airlines to bring the facility into operation. The Lucknow airport, as a matter of fact, happens to be Delhi's secondary airport where flights could be diverted in case of foggy conditions at the national capital.

Amausi airport officiating director Pradeep Chaddha said a meeting with the meteorological department as well as the airlines was held to put the system in place. As per the arrangement, the met department will issue a weather forecast to the air traffic control (ATC) which would then transmit the information to the airlines. Subsequently, the passengers would be informed about the possible delay in flights. The facility would be available for both domestic and international flights.

This is first time that such an arrangement has been made at Lucknow airport which witnesses more than 40 domestic and half a dozen international flight movements. SMS and email alerts would be sent to passengers with 18-hour forecasts before flights. Presently, the service provides weather updates every six hours beginning 5.30 in the morning to officials in ATC, airlines and the airport operator.
30/11/14 Times of India

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AI flights from Delhi delayed due to glitch in check-in system

At least 50 Air India flights were delayed, many by more than two hours, after the passenger check-in system of the national carrier at the Indira Gandhi International Airport in Delhi failed in the early hours of Saturday.  The glitch and the delays led to chaos at the airport.
All passengers and luggage had to be checked in manually between 7 am and noon, after which officials said the system was restored, even as the flight delays had a cascading effect till late in the afternoon.
Air India officials at the airport said at least 50 flights were delayed through Saturday, including 15 international flights. “We had to manually check in all passengers and luggage, which delayed the entire process. The delay in international flights was much more,” an airport official said.
30/11/14 Indian Express

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IGI Airport gears up to deal with fog

New Delhi: With fog being a huge problem at the Indira Gandhi International Airport here from December to February, airport officials, the Meteorological Department and airline operators are getting ready to deal with the situation.

While the Delhi airport has CAT-IIIB-enabled runways and all the technical ability to deal with the low-visibility period, there is not much that can be done when visibility falls below 50 metres.

R.K. Jenamani, the director of the Meteorological Department at the airport, said while the Department is able to predict whether foggy conditions will occur or not with 90 per cent accuracy, it cannot pinpoint the exact timing.
30/11/14 The Hindu

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Week long BLS training programme begins at Airport

Srinagar: Continuing its efforts to strengthen the medical emergency services, the Directorate of Health Services, Kashmir in collaboration with Director Airport Authorities of India, Srinagar International Airport kick started a week long Basic Life Support (BLS) training programme at Srinagar Airport from today.
Keeping in view the strategic importance of airport and knowing the fact that the employees working there being the first responders to any disaster it was deliberated that imparting training at airport is of utmost need. The trainees will include the staff of various airlines and the employees of airport including police personal deployed there.
30/11/14 Rising Kashmir

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Two kg of gold found at airport, passenger, workers arrested

Mangaluru: The officers of customs at Mangalore International Airport on Saturday November 29 thwarted yet another smuggling attempt and seized 2 kg of gold, valued at Rs 52.9 lac.
The seized gold was found in the form of two gold bars each weighing one kg, concealed separately in two mobile phone pouches and kept together in a polythene Dubai Duty Free carry bag, placed on the floor beneath a row of chairs placed adjacent to M/s Flemingo Duty Free Shop situated in the arrival hall of Mangalore International Airport.
The accused passenger Abdul Manaf Akkoth, aged about 26 years, is a resident of Kozhikode district, Kerala. He arrived at Mangalore International Airport on November 29 at about 8.40 hours by Jet Airways Flight No 9W531 from Dubai.
30/11/4 daijiworld.com

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Mumbai woman held with Rs 1crore gold at Lohegaon airport

Pune: A woman was arrested at the Lohegaon airport on Saturday for trying to smuggle eight gold bars worth over Rs 1 crore from Dubai.
Agwan Assamma, a resident of Jogeshwari (west) in Mumbai, had arrived from Dubai by an Air India express flight on Saturday morning.
Customs commissioner Vasa Seshagiri Rao said that Agwan tried to clear the customs channel by submitting a nil customs declaration about dutiable imported goods. However, an alert customs official noticed her suspicious activities and detained her for questioning.
Rao said that a search conducted on Assamma led to the recovery of eight gold bars of foreign make concealed in a special vest underneath her clothes.
The total weight of the seized gold bars is 4kg and is worth Rs 1,06,88,160.
30/11/14 Times of India

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Smoke detected from Air India flight at Kolkata airport

Kolkata: An Air India fight had a closed shave when smoke was detected from the wheels at the Kolkata airport on Saturday.
The rear tyres of a Dibrugarh-Kolkata Air India flight deflated when the aircraft was taxying after landing at NSC Bose International Airport.
All the 133 passengers were safe and had deplaned using step ladders, Air India sources said.
29/11/14 CNN-IBN/IBN Live

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‘Govt yet to fulfill Mopa affected demands’

Mapusa: Even as the environmental clearance for Mopa airport is expected from the ministry of environment and forests (MoEF) by March 2015, the government is yet to fulfill demands of the Mopa affected people. Mopa airport bhumiputra utkarsha samiti had placed altogether 11 demands before the government.
The demands included, appointment of an arbitrator, development of infrastructure; increasing basic amenities like roads, water and electricity; issuance of land loser certificates; enhancement of the price of the acquired land; settlement of land disputes; reservation in jobs etc. The government in 2011 had directed the steering committee to look into the demands but till now not a single one has been fulfilled.
Samiti has also slammed former chief minister Manohar Parrikar for the meagre compensation to the land losers.
29/11/14 Keshav Naik/Times of India

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CM blames syndicates for Andal airport woes

Andal:  Chief minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday attacked "a few mediators" and "various syndicates" for trying to destabilize the Andal airport project. During her 18-minute stay at Kazi Nazrul Islam Airport, Mamata stressed on the presence of some "unholy nexus" but stopped short of identifying them.

In fact, the chief minister confirmed that the agitators "have no political colours and are mostly unauthorized persons". She arrived in a Pawan Hans chopper at 2.42pm and went to Asansol to attend her official programme at 3pm. She was greeted by Durgapur SDO Kasturi Sengupta, ADCP (east) Sunil Yadav, Bengal Aerotroplois Project Ltd (BAPL) IGP (western range) Siddhinath Gupta and Changi Airports officials.
28/11/14 Debajyoti Chakraborty/Times of India

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Cargo handling disruption at Chennai airport leaves exporters in a fix

Chennai: Repeated disruptions of cargo handling at the Chennai Airport has hit trade causing financial losses to exporters.

In the last 18 months, employees of the ground handling agent (GHA) Bhadra International India have stopped work or indulged in go-slow six times. The last occasion was on Saturday night when they resorted to ‘industrial’ action at the peak of cargo handling between 11 pm and 6 am, according to J Krishnan of S Natesa Iyer & Co, a freight forwarding agency.

LR Joshi, General Manager (Cargo), AAI, Chennai Airport/SR, informed the Board of Airline Representatives (BAR), an airline industry body, that it will take some time to resolve the issue. He urged airport users, airlines, IATA agents and Customs House Agents to bring in the requisite manpower while Bhadra makes alternate arrangements.

The BAR replied how could the airline fraternity mobilise resources at the last hour.
27/11/14 Business Line

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Airport expansion: all concerns will be addressed, says Collector

Vijayawada: District Collector M. Raghunandan Rao on Friday said concerns of people who were expected to part with their lands for expansion of the airport at Gannavaram would be addressed by government and asserted that the project was important for the speedy development of the State.
A total of 417 acres was to be acquired for the airport expansion, he said during a meeting with officials, people’s representatives and people from Gannavaram and nearby villages, at his camp office here.
Mr. Rao said the government’s intention was to transform the airport into an international one and asserted that it would not cause any injustice to the farmers and the general public who would be asked to part with their land for the project for a consideration.
29/11/14 The Hindu

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Goa airport gets visa-on-arrival facility for 43 countries

Panaji: The Centre has extended the visa-on-arrival facility at the Goa airport for tourists from 43 countries, which is expected to bring in 15 per cent growth in tourism during the ongoing season.
Goa's Dabolim airport is among one of the nine places that has extended this facility, which will further improve the prospects of its tourism growth, state tourism minister Dilip Parulekar told reporters here yesterday.
The cities where VoA (visa-on-arrival) will be issued include Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata, Hyderabad, Bengaluru, Kochi and Thiruvananthapuram.
The countries included in the list are - Australia, Brazil, Cambodia, Cook Islands, Djibouti, Fiji, Finland, Germany, Indonesia, Israel, Japan, Jordan, Kenya, Kiribati, Laos, Luxembourg, Marshal Islands, Mauritius, Mexico, Micronesia, Myanmar, Nauru, New Zealand, Niue Island, Norway, Oman, Palau, Palestine, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Republic of Korea, Russia, Samoa, Singapore, Solomon Islands, Thailand, Tonga, Tuvalu, UAE, Ukraine, USA, Vanuatu and Vietnam, he said.
28/11/14 PTI/Economic Times

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Dabolim airport to stay, not expand, may saturate in 5 years

Mapusa: The state government through its directorate of civil aviation has made it clear that there is limited scope for further expansion of Dabolim airport due to unavailability of land, that if the airport maintains its recent growth rate of 15% per annum it could saturate within five years, that it is unaware of any plans of the Navy to relax air-space restrictions at the airport and considers it an unlikely event, and that the airport will remain open for commercial civilian operations even after the airport at Mopa is made operational.

Replying to 140 queries raised by the 12 companies who have responded to the request for qualification (RFQ) for the proposed Greenfield airport at Mopa, the government has further stated that the environmental clearance for Mopa airport is expected from the ministry of environment and forests (MoEF) by March 2015, and that public hearings are being conducted towards the environmental impact assessment.
28/11/14 Keshav Naik/Times of India

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Andaman and Nicobar to introduce two flights at subsidised rates

Port Blair:  The Andaman and Nicobar administration will introduce two flights with subsidised fares for the islanders from next month, Lt Governor, Lt General (retd) A K Singh has said.

Singh was addressing the valedictory function of the Quami Ekta Saptah at Dr B R Ambedkar Auditorium here on Tuesday.
The chartered Air India jet flight in the Port Blair-Chennai sector will commence on Dec 20, 2014 offering uniform fare of Rs 5000/- for a one-way travel to islanders. The 150 passenger capacity aircraft will operate once a week in the sector, he said.

Likewise, the air connectivity on the Port Blair-Vizag sector will become operational from December 24, 2014.

The flight will connect Port Blair to New Delhi via Vizag and will be operational thrice a week. Operated under VGF (Viability Gap Funding) scheme, seats would be reserved for islanders and uniform airfare of Rs 5000/- for a one-way trip will be offered to islanders, the LG informed.
27/11/14 PTI/Economic Times

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Airport begins to look up

Visakhapatnam: The Visakhapatnam International Airport, which was devastated by cyclone Hudhud on October 12, is back on the road to recovery. Though the there was a drop in passenger traffic at the airport by around 30,000 in the first month after the cyclone, it is fast picking up and is estimated to reach the pre-cyclone average of around 1 lakh passengers a month very soon.

It is also expected to go up further with a few more airline operators expected to launch flights in the next few months.

“Air Asia has sought slots for operation of two flights from Vizag to Bangalore. They are expected to begin operations on December 15. Air India has asked us for the schedule to operate the Delhi – Port Blair flight via Vizag,” Airport Director C. Pattabhi told The Hindu.

“The third aerobridge is also ready for operation. The aerobridges can be operated only after the roofing work is completed. The roofing material is expected to arrive by November 30 after which it could take about one and a half months for complete restoration of the facilities at the new terminal building,” Mr. Pattabhi said.
28/11/14 B. Madhu Gopal/The Hindu

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Visa on arrival lands, footfall-boost in the air

Panaji: Goa's Dabolim airport is among nine airports in the country where visa-on-arrival (VoA) facility has been launched since midnight Friday for travellers from 43 countries.

The countries are Australia, Brazil, Cambodia, Cook Islands, Djibouti, Fiji, Finland, Germany, Indonesia, Israel, Japan, Jordan, Kenya, Kiribati, Laos, Luxembourg, Marshal Islands, Mauritius, Mexico, Micronesia, Myanmar, Nauru, New Zealand, Niue Island, Norway, Oman, Palau, Palestine, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Republic of Korea, Russia, Samoa, Singapore, Solomon Islands, Thailand, Tonga, Tuvalu, UAE, Ukraine, USA, Vanuatu and Vietnam.

The facility is likely to help Goa tourism to win back markets in Western Europe that dwindled over the last few years, in part because of visa hassles. The tourism department is now expecting an increase in foreign tourist arrivals from 12% to 15% annually because of the VoA.
28/11/14 Times of India

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Lufthansa touts A380 flights to Delhi

New Delhi:  Lufthansa is now flying an A380, the world's largest commercial passenger jet, to and from Indira Gandhi International Airport here.
     Airbus' A380 is the world's largest and heaviest passenger jet, with a takeoff weight of up to 560 tons. The A380 Lufthansa flies to India has 520 seats -- eight in first class, 92 in business class and 420 in economy class.
     Lufthansa uses other Airbus and Boeing models on its routes between Europe and Mumbai, Delhi, Chennai, Bangalore and Pune, in the western Maharashtra state.
     Lufthansa has become the third overseas airline, after Singapore Airlines and Dubai-based Emirates, to bring the A380 to India. Singapore Airlines launched superjumbo services to Delhi and Mumbai in May, while Emirates' A380 flights from Dubai to Mumbai started in July.
28/11/14 Kiran Sharma/Nikkei Asian Review

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Buffalo-hits to affect NRG traffic

Surat:  The infamous buffalo hit incident at the Surat airport early this month is likely to affect the traffic of non-resident Gujaratis (NRGs) in the coming months due to insufficient air connectivity to and from the city. Passenger airline SpiceJet had cancelled all its flights from and to Surat after a buffalo hit its aircraft during take-off on November 6. Now there are only three flights from Surat airport that to only for New Delhi. There is no flight for Mumbai or any other place from the city.
Ramesh Patel, an NRG settled in North Carolina, US, had relatives coming over in January, but some of them have decided not to come as there was no direct flight to Surat. "They had booked tickets for Surat from Delhi but now the plan has changed. I have asked them to fly to Ahmedabad from Delhi and then travel by road to Surat. Out of the group of eight people, couple of them dropped out," Patel said.
Similar was the case with another NRG Dinesh Patel an IT engineer from Alberta, Canada. He was to visit his friend in Surat on November 16, but had to cancel the plans because there was no flight connectivity to the city after the buffalo hit incident. He rescheduled his plans and flew directly to Bangaluru from Mumbai and then returned back to Canada two days ago.
28/11/14 Himansshu Bhatt/Times of India

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Social work conducted at Dimapur airport

Dimapur:  In view of the Prime Minister Narender Modi’s visit to Nagaland on November 30 and December 1, the Dimapur Airport Authority officials and staff along with the members of Airport Contractors Union conducted social work from airport terminal to the National Highway, this morning.    
     
The cleanliness drive was led by Mughavi Zhimomi, Airport Director, Dimapur and S. Ghosh, Assistant General Manager (Civil). Representing the administration, EAC Chumukedima Thungbemo Patton also participated in the social work.

During the conduct of the social work, Mughavi Zhimomi made an appeal to the people residing along the airport road not to cultivate or throw garbage inside the demarcated property of the airport authority, so also not to encroach on the airport land.
27/11/14 Morung Express

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Vizag airport recovers from Hudhud blow

Visakhapatnam: Visakhapatnam airport, ravaged by Hudhud on October 12, is well on the path to recovery, according to officials.

There was a drop in passenger traffic by around 30,000 in the first month after the cyclone, but it is picking up and is estimated to reach the pre-cyclone average of around 1 lakh passengers a month soon. Traffic is also expected to go up with a few more airline operators expected to launch flights in the coming months.

“Air Asia has sought slots for operation of two flights from Vizag to Bangalore. They are expected to begin operations from December 15. Air India has asked us for the schedule to operate the Delhi – Port Blair flight via Vizag,” Airport Director C Pattabhi said.
28/11/14 Business Line

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‘No-Ebola certificate’ must to enter India from affected countries

New Delhi:  The government has asked those travelling to India from Ebola-affected countries to carry a certificate stating that there is no evidence of the deadly virus in their body fluids, after a person cured of the disease was found to be carrying the virus in his semen.

In case people having been discharged after being treated for Ebola do not have the certificate from the health ministry of the country concerned, they have been advised not to travel to India for a period of 90 days from their discharge, health minister JP Nadda told Lok Sabha on Friday.
The ministry of external affairs has issued the advisory to the Indian embassies in Abidjan (Ivory Coast), Dakar (Senegal), Abuja (Nigeria), Accra (Ghana) and Niamey (Niger) on November 21 after a person returning from Liberia was quarantined at the Delhi airport.
28/11/14 Times of India

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Help desk at airport for Ayyappa devotees

Kochi:  Travancore Devaswom Board has opened a helpdesk at the Cochin international airport in association with Dhanlaxmi Bank. The helpdesk started functioning at the arrival area of the domestic terminal.

TDB president M P Govindan Nair opened the facility on Thursday.  Dhanlaxmi managing director Jayakumar P G and CIAL officials were present on the occasion.
28/11/14 Deccan Chronicle

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Tug-of-bags at city airport

Ahmedabad: A trip to Ahmedabad Airport to receive his uncle turned into a nightmare for Mushtaq Raja, a Maninagar resident. He was accused of theft and even questioned by the police, all because he had mistakenly picked up a wrong bag at the baggage area. Unfortunately for Raja, the bag belonged to Uttar Pradesh DIG Uday Pratap. According to Raja, he was at the airport to receive his uncle Suleiman who was to arrive in the city from London via New Delhi on Jet Airways flight at 1 pm. "I received my uncle and went to collect his bags from the baggage area. I saw a bag similar to the one uncle Suleiman usually carries and mistook it for his. I collected the bag and proceeded to the exit," Raja said. The DIG saw Raja taking his bags and raised an alarm.
A source at Sardarnagar police station said, "Uttar Pradesh DIG was in the city and he saw Raja pick up his bag. Though Raja apologised for his mistake, Pratap and a few others were apprehensive that something might have been stolen from the bags. We talked to Raja who said that it was just an error on his part and he had no mala fide intention. Pratap checked his bags and found everything intact. Finally, the matter was sorted out." Sardarnagar PI K K Patel confirmed the incident and said, "It was asimple mistake and everything was sorted out amicably at the end. UP DIG Uday Pratap did not file a complaint. So, we took Raja's statement and let him go."
28/11/14 Vijay Zala/Ahmedabad Mirror

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New system to monitor smuggling at New Delhi airport

The Indira Gandhi International Airport in New Delhi, India, will see the launch of an electronic system for alerting authorities about suspicious travellers.
Developed by the National Informatics Centre with the help of the Directorate General of Systems under the Finance Ministry, the new electronic Indian customs advanced passenger information system (APIS) has been developed on the model of the electronic advanced passenger information system used by customs and border protection officials in the US.
The APIS will act as an electronic database with the information about all passengers crew and other airline staff entering and exiting Indira Gandhi International Airport, reported the Press Trust of India (PTI).
27/11/14 Airport Technology

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Rs 2.45 cr worth gold seized from two air passengers

Chennai: In separate seizures at the airport here today, officials of Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) recovered undeclared gold worth Rs 2.45 crore from two passengers who arrived from overseas cities.

While four kg of the precious metal was recovered from one Sikandar who had arrived from Kuala Lumpur, another three kg seized from Siddiq who landed here from Dubai, airport officials said.
28/11/14 PTI/Business Standard

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Bombay high court stays probe order against MIAL

The Bombay high court (HC) has stayed an Andheri metropolitian court order to file an FIR against the Mumbai International Airport Pvt Ltd (MIAL) and probe allegations that the GVK-led consortium had accrued Rs 5,880 crore worth of undue benefits.

MIAL, which was represented by a team of lawyers including former union minister Kapil Sibal, had contended that the demand for an FIR was based on newspaper reports about a draft report of the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) alleging undue benefits, and that the lower court's order is of the nature of non-application of mind.

The complainant, Vishwas Bhamburkar, in response filed an affidavit on Tuesday challenging the stay order, claiming that the FIR was not based on just media reports, but on a CAG report which he has already submitted to the metropolitan court and to the police.
27/11/14 Shahkar Abidi/Daily News & Analysis

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E-Visas at Rajiv Gandhi International Airport from today

Hyderabad: Hyderabad’s Rajiv Gandhi International Airport will issue e-Visas to citizens of 43 countries from November 27 onwards.

Visitors from 43 countries, including Israel, Palestine, Germany and the US will be able to avail of the much-awaited electronic visa facility. However, the facility will not be available to people from countries like Pakistan, Sudan, Afghanistan, Iran, Iraq, Nigeria, Sri Lanka and Somalia.

In order to get an e-Visa, one would need to apply on the designated website along with the required fees. An electronic version of the visa will be granted with 96 hours. All arrangements have been made and the system will be operational at nine international airports Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata, Hyderabad, Bengaluru, Kochi, Thiruvananthapuram and Goa.

The e-Visa facility will be rolled out by Union home minister Rajnath Singh along with tourism minister Mahesh Sharma.
27/11/14 Deccan Chronicle

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New system to check suspicious passengers at airport from Thursday

New Delhi: Stepping up its measures to check smuggling, a new electronic system will be in place from Thursday to keep a track on suspicious passengers.
The Indian Customs Advanced Passenger Information System (APIS), developed by the National Informatics Centre with the help of Directorate General of Systems under the Finance Ministry, will be inaugurated tomorrow at the Indira Gandhi International Airport here, official sources said.
The US-like system acts as an electronic database of all passengers, crew and other airline staff entering and exiting the international airport here, they said.
The APIS red flags suspicious passengers on the basis of their movement and other parameters and give a lead to customs officials for follow-up, the sources said.
27/11/14 PTI/ZeeNews

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Pune family's land claim makes Navi Mumbai airport lose ground

Mumbai: Yashwant Bivalkar’s bungalow in Pune is adorned with miniature models of tanks and artillery pieces and paintings displaying his keen interest in military and warfare. An architect and town planner by profession, he wanted in his early years to join the army but could not do so for medical reasons.
Bivalkar (67), however, is engaged in a battle of a different kind — bloodless but painstaking. He is locked in a legal dispute with the City and Industrial Development Corporation (Cidco) over compensation for a 157-acre parcel at Ulwe village near Panvel that was acquired four decades ago without his family’s consent.
The land in question is required for construction of the Navi Mumbai airport. Last month, Bivalkar won the first round of this battle when the Bombay High Court ordered Cidco to pay compensation to him and his elder brother, Gangadhar. According to the court’s directions, Cidco has to give the Bivalkars as compensation 12.5 per cent of developed land in the area; that is, about 20 acres of developed land, valued at around Rs 1,200 crore.
But Cidco, which is implementing the Navi Mumbai airport project, has challenged the order in the Supreme Court.
27/11/14 Aneesh Phadnis  &  Sanjay Jog /Business Standard

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Bird Group enters airports lounge segment

New Delhi, Nov 27 (IANS): Travel industry major Bird Group Thursday entered the airport lounges segment under the brand name “above ground level” by opening its first two lounges at Kempegowda International Airport (KIAL), Bengaluru.
"Our lounges in Bengaluru will definitely bring a whole new level of comfort and convenience to travellers," said Rajat Maharishi, chief operating officer, Bird Catering and Lounges.
"Improving passenger experience has always been the key driver of Bird Group. The lounge is designed with seamless flexibility to allow guests to revitalize their mind and body."
27/11/14 IANS/daijiworld.com

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2 kg of Gold Seized at Kochi Airport

Kochi:  Around two kilograms of gold was seized from a flight and a Tamil Nadu native was arrested on charges of carrying the consignment at Cochin International Airport Ltd by the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence(DRI) on Wednesday.

The accused has been identified as Haneefa Sahib Aziz of Ramanathapuram district. According to the DRI officials, the gold was found inside the passenger seat of Silk Airways that landed in the early hours of Wednesday.

The officials seized the gold following a tip-off that gold is being smuggled in the flight.
27/11/14 New Indian Express

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Now caracal falls into the trap of forest department at Indore airport

Indore: After jackals, a wild cat was trapped at Indore airport by the forest department on Tuesday, taking total number of animals caught to six in one month. Apart from the wild cat species, caracal, three jackals and two other wild cats have been netted so far. These animals are a nuisance as they stray into runways posing threat to aircraft. SDO (forest) R N Saxena confirmed trapping of the caracal from grassland area of the airport. "We installed six cages in different areas of the airport and whenever an animal come inside to eat food kept as bait, they are caught in the cage. The operation will continue," said Saxena.
On October 24, a jackal had come between the tyres of a SpiceJet plane while it was taxiing on the runway. The flight was delayed and an inspection was launched.
26/11/14 Bagish K Jha/Times of India

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Indigo to have flights to Dubai from Kozhikode, Bengaluru

New Delhi: Expanding its international network, budget carrier IndiGo today announced the launch of flights to Dubai from Kozhikode and Bengaluru from next year.

Besides, the airline would also add one more frequency on the most sought after Mumbai-Delhi sector from December 15, taking the total number of flights between the two metros to 15, a company release said.

The airline would also introduce a daily flight between Bengaluru and Dubai, it said.

Kozhikode would be IndiGo's 37th destination, the airline said, adding effective January one, the southern Indian city would be connected with a daily non-stop flight to Mumbai, Dubai and also to Delhi via Mumbai.
26/11/14 PTI/Economic Times

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Wrong woman held, HC summons airport officer

Chennai: Sarah Thomas was detained by immigration officials at Chennai airport late last month on her arrival from Dubai, despite her protests that she had no case against her. The Kerala police then took her to Punalur in Kollam district in connection with a 13-year-old cheating case in which the accused was absconding.

It took four days and a notice from the Madras high court for police to realize that it was a bad case of identity mix-up, wherein Sarah Thomas had been mistaken for Sara Williams, the absconding accused in the cheating case. The innocent Sarah was released from prison, and the case closed. But it is payback time now.

A division bench of Justice S Tamilvanan and Justice T Mathivanan of the Madras high court on Tuesday summoned the senior immigration officer on duty at the time of her detention at the international airport. It asked the officer to be present before the bench at 10.30am on November 27 to explain his actions. Saying that he was at liberty to file a counter-affidavit, the judges warned that in case he failed to appear they would pass "appropriate orders".
26/11/14 A Subramani/Times of India

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Airline fines passengers for carrying excess cabin baggage

Muscat: After some passengers of an Indian airline were not allowed to board the flight for carrying excess cabin baggage, airlines have said that they should strictly adhere to the limit.

Saju Mathew, a traveller said, “Last month, I had to travel to Thiruvananthpuram. After receiving my boarding pass and immigration clearance, I bought some goods from the duty-free shops at Muscat airport. They weighed the goods bought from the shops along with my cabin baggage and it showed 12kg.

“The Air India Express officials asked me to pay fine for the extra 5kg. When I refused, I was not allowed to board the flight.”

Mathew said that the airline didn’t allow another three passengers to board the flight for the same reason on that day. “They missed their flight and had to reschedule their itinerary. We all were unaware that the goods bought from duty-free shops are also included in this 7kg limit.”

A senior official of a travel agency in Ruwi said, “Many travellers think that the 7kg limit excludes the goods bought from duty-free shops. This creates confusion and problems during boarding.”
25/11/14 Joseph Benny/Muscat Daily

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Kochi airport handles record number of passengers in one hour

Marking the beginning of yet another peak tourist season in Kochi, the Cochin International Airport Limited (CIAL) on Tuesday carried out the first turnaround operation of this season.
The international airport here on Monday handled a record number of passengers in a single hour, thanks to the German cruise liner AIDAsol that docked in Kochi on March 30. About 956 international tourists in three aircraft landed here from Germany during the day to board the luxury cruiser while a batch of about one thousand passengers who had disembarked from the ship, boarded their return flights from here.
The operations got off to a formal start as the first chartered flight from Frankfurt landed here by 9 a.m. According to the officials, all the guests had been taken straight to the Kochi port to complete the immigration and check-in formalities for boarding the ship, which departed to Colombo on Wednesday.
26/11/14 The Hindu

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Flier held for gold smuggling bid at Ahmedabad airport

Ahmedabad: A man was arrested by Customs at Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel international airport here today for allegedly trying to smuggle in gold ornaments weighing 960 grams.

"Gopal Vyas from Chennai arrived here today from Sharjah by Air Arabia flight. He was trying to smuggle in gold ornaments, weighing 960.890 grams worth Rs 24,91,031, following which he was arrested," a statement issued by Customs said.

The jewellery was hidden in three purses Vyas was carrying in a corrugated box in his belongings.

"After examination of purses, 6 gold bracelets, a total of 24 rings (rhodium-plated) and a golden bar weighing 100 grams were found," the statement said.
26/11/14 PTI/Business Standard

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All women gold smuggling gang busted at airport

Mumbai: Air Intelligence Unit (AIU) sleuths of the Mumbai airport customs busted an all-women gang and for the first time managed to nab the carrier, receiver and an airport insider who was helping smuggling out gold bars worth Rs 24 lakh on Wednesday.

The team working on specific information was monitoring the activity of Pooja Sonwalkar, a staffer of ground handling firm Celebi Nas for the last few weeks. At 4.50 am on Wednesday, the officials noticed Rubina Salim, a passenger arriving from Kuwait via Kuwait Airways flight KU 301, hand over a package to Sonwalkar, who was on ground handling duty. The gold was handed over to Salim by an unidentified person in Kuwait."An examination of the package after questioning revealed 9 gold bars of 10 tolas each weighing a little over 1 kg in weight," a customs official said. Salim, a housewife living in Veraval in Gujarat, gave away details of her crime immediately on being intercepted.

While Salim has been caught for the first time she admitted to having worked as a carrier and smuggled gold three times earlier this year. Sonwalkar admitted having cleared 20 different consignments of at least 17-18 kg of gold worth Rs 4.2 crore approximately from various carriers.
27/11/14 Mumbai Mirror

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DGCA directs Raipur airport authorities to control bird activity

Raipur: A team of Director General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), which inspected the Swami Vivekananda Airport on Monday, a fallout of the incident of a buffalo straying at Surat airport recently, has pointed out at heightened "bird activity" around the runway and advised the authorities to take preventive steps to avoid a bird hit.

According to sources a three-member team of DGCA conducted a detailed inspection of the airport's runways to check for fencing to prevent entry of stray animals into the sensitive take-off and landing areas. While the fences were found to be in order, the team found "too much bird activity", which could cause a "hit", said sources.

The inspection was fallout of the Surat incident where a stray buffalo came in the path of a Spice Jet aircraft that was taking off. The accident, though averted, had exposed the safety standards at the airports.

Sources said, following the incident, the DGCA, on the directions of the Civil Aviation ministry, had compiled a list of 18 airports in the country that face 'wildlife hazard'. Subsequently inspections are being carried out at all the identified airports and the authorities are being advised to take adequate steps to ensure safety.
25/11/14 Anuja Jaiswal/Times of India

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Investigation Into Buffalo Breach at Airport Reaches Conclusion

An investigation to find out how a buffalo ended up undetected on an airport runway as a jet was about to take off and to prevent such an incident happening again has reached its conclusion: build a better wall.

Two weeks after a Boeing Co. jet with 146 people on board crashed into a buffalo on the runway while preparing to takeoff from Surat airport in Gujarat, officials there say they are now working to reinforce part of the boundary around the airfield.

The 737-800 aircraft, part of Indian budget airline SpiceJet Ltd’s fleet, rammed into the buffalo that had wandered into Surat airport in Gujarat earlier this month.

“After investigations, it was decided to build a 300-meter boundary wall to replace an iron fencing,” Pramod Thakre, the recently-appointed director of Surat airport, told India Real Time.
He said the airport has a 12.5 kilometer-long boundary wall, except in one 300-meter-portion where the buffalo would have likely wandered through onto the runway.
25/11/14 Santanu Choudhury/Wall Street Journal

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West Asian airlines to be hit if smaller towns are off limits

New Delhi: Plans of West Asian airlines Emirates, FlyDubai and Qatar Airways to expand operations in India may be affected by an aviation ministry proposal to restrict foreign carriers from adding new flights to airports beyond Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata, Bangalore and Hyderabad.

Airlines like Emirates, Etihad Airways, Qatar Airways and Lufthansa now fly to Jaipur, Kozhikode, Ahmedabad, Kochi, Thiruvananthapuram, Goa, Lucknow and Pune.

Civil Aviation Minister Ashok Gajapati Raju Pusapati was quoted in a recent media interview as saying foreign airlines had grown because they served destinations beyond the metros. Raju said the government would allow foreign airlines to operate out of hub airports at the six metros but Indian carriers could fly out of any international airport.

While the government will not review points of call already accorded to foreign airlines, it is unlikely to grant them new seat entitlements or points of call beyond the six metros. It hopes this will allow Indian airlines to realise their growth potential.
25/11/14 Business Standard

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Congress to move court against airport renaming

Hyderabad:  Angry at the Centre's decision to name the domestic terminal at Shamshabad airport after iconic Telugu leader NT Rama Rao, the Congress party on Sunday said it will soon move court against it.

Congress general secretary Digvijay Singh, who is also in-charge of the party's Telangana affairs, steered a coordination committee meeting here on Sunday, after which he told reporters that the party could no longer keep quiet on the controversial issue. "We are actively considering moving court against the move to name the domestic terminal. There is only one building and one terminal, so how can it have two names?" Singh asked.

Telugu Desam Party leader and Union civil aviation minister Ashok Gajapathi Raju had 'restored' NTR's name to the Rajiv Gandhi International Airport (RGIA) by ordering that the airport's domestic terminal would be known as N T Rama Rao domestic terminal.
But the move has created ruckus with regular protests both at the airport and at the assembly. While chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao said there was no point in having two names for one airport, the Congress leaders have are directly criticized the move.
25/11/14 Times of India

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Navy Has Land For Golf Courses, Not For Airport Expansion, Rues Cong

Panaji : If the Indian Navy has surplus land to build golf courses, it can certainly offer some land critical for the extension and upgradation of the Dabolim airport, state Congress president Luizinho Faleiro said Monday, adding to the controversy over building a second airport in Goa.

Addressing a press conference here, the newly-appointed state Congress chief said the Indian Navy was being unreasonable in allotting 12.5 acres of land for Goa’s only airport, reports IANS.

The land is required for upgradating and increasing passenger handling capacity of Goa’s only international airport at Dabolim, 30 km south of Panaji. The airport is operated by the Indian Navy. “If the Indian Navy can have space for a golf course there, then why can’t they allocate more space for extension of the airport,” Faleiro said. Faleiro demanded the state government put on hold efforts to start another airport at Mopa, 50 km from Panaji, and instead upgrade the existing Dabolim airport.
25/11/14 Free Press Journal

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Passenger Traffic to Singapore Doubles

Hyderabad: The number of travellers from Hyderabad to Singapore more than doubled from 83,000 in 2010 to about 1,69,000 as on September 2014, according to Changi Airport Group, which runs the Changi Airport in Singapore.

Interestingly, Singapore is the second top destination for Indians next only to Dubai and the passenger traffic as on September 2014 between Singapore and India stood at 3.4 million.

India is the seventh largest market for Changi and has 12 city links and operates 380 weekly flights across eight airlines.
25/11/14 New Indian Express

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Shimla airport to resume operation soon: Virbhadra

Shimla: Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh Monday said flights from the Shimla airport would resume soon with the renovation of the airstrip.

The Jubbarhatti airport near Shimla has been shut since September 2012.

The chief minister said the Airport Authority of India (AAI) has also conducted a survey near Kandaghat in Solan district, located adjoining the national highway 22, for setting up a new airport, which would facilitate landing of bigger aircraft.

“But before that, the Jubbarhatti airport would resume operation,” he added.
24/11/14 Mizo News

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Shia team stopped at IGI

New Delhi: A six-member Anjuman-e-Haidari delegation headed for Iraq was detained at IGI airport on Monday morning. Initially, immigration officials stopped the team on the basis of a 'look out circular' issued by the intelligence bureau. However, they were not allowed to board the flight even after they showed officials their travel documents and a letter from the external affairs ministry.
"Security agencies are scuttling efforts to bring back people who joined ISIS," said Shia leader Maulana Kalbe Jawad Naqvi.
24/11/14 Times of India

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Now, one ID card per group enough at Indian airports

New Delhi:  A complaint from a family of four that was denied entry to an Indian airport because only the father had an identity document has led to a change in procedure.

Now only one person in a group will need to have an ID, said Arvind Ranjan, DG of the Central Industrial Security Force, which handles security at 59 airports in the country. This will add to passenger convenience and help reduce congestion. The decision was reached after consultations with Intelligence and security agencies.
Ranjan said this was a "reasoned interpretation" of earlier instructions by the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS). Other changes are under way in the area of airport security. "We are putting a personality profiling system in place to detect suspicious passengers at the entry," Ranjan said.
24/11/14 Aman Sharma/Economic Times

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Small airports unable to afford CISF security

New Delhi: The country's security establishment is concerned about revenue becoming too much of a constraint for airport security at a time when there is a heightened threat to smaller air strips in tier 2 towns that are guarded by local police having little expertise this area.

Lathi-wielding policemen were seen chasing away dogs from the runway at Surat airport after a plane ran into a buffalo there on November 6 in what was a close shave for passengers. The Surat administration has now asked the Airports Authority of India (AAI) to station Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) personnel there to provide security.
CISF provides security at 59 airports, including India's biggest facilities. Juhu airport in Mumbai, a hub for private flights and helicopter operations, only has unarmed guards and a demand for CISF presence has been hanging fire for the last three years. There are about 30 airports that are waiting to hand over security functions to the CISF, a senior government official told ET.
24/11/14 Aman Sharma/Economic Times

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Joint Working Group to Resolve Conflicts at Bengaluru Airport as Second Runway Opens

Bengaluru: The Kempegowda International Airport (KIA), Indian Air Force (IAF) and Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) are jointly working on resolving possible airspace conflicts when the second runway at the KIA becomes operational.

To keep pace with air traffic growth, the Bangalore International Airport Ltd (BIAL) has started work on a second runway at the KIA. Operations from the second runway, located south of the existing one, may impact training at the Air Force Station, Yelahanka.

Transport and helicopter pilots are trained at the Air Force Station. It is one of the most active air bases in the country and also the venue for the biennial Aero India air show.

“Operations on the second KIA runway may impact helicopter flying, which is conducted north of the Air Force Station runway,” sources told Express.

A Joint Working Group (JWG) comprising the IAF, HAL and BIAL representatives has been formed to identify and resolve all airspace conflicts. The issue had been discussed at the JWG meetings earlier.
24/11/14 Ramu Patil/New Indian Express

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Demand for aircargo complex gets louder

Visakhapatnam: For the pharma units of north Andhra, delay in developing air cargo complex here for their products is turning into a bitter pill to swallow The sector has attracted heavy investment in not only at Jawaharlal Nehru Pharma City, Parawada, but also at Pydhibheemavaram, Ranasthalam, Nakkapalli, and Vizianagaram making north Andhra the pharma hub of Andhra Pradesh.

“We can get testing lab, cold storage and customs clearance here instead of sending our consignments to Hyderabad for despatching them to the United States, Europe and other destinations giving us a freight, time and cost advantage,” JNPC CEO Lal Krishna told The Hindu.

He said the turnover from JNPC, which was around Rs.6,000 crore, could be doubled in next four to five years if air cargo facility is provided at Visakhapatnam International Airport.

After cyclone Hudhud dealt a body blow to various units at JNPC, normal production began on November 10. At present, 54 are under operation and 20 under construction at domestic and SEZ area. So far the total investment made was put at over Rs.7,000 crore.
24/11/14 Santhosh Patnaik/The Hindu

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SMC to demolish all cow sheds from 10 km area of airport

Surat: Surat Municipal Corporation ( SMC) has issued notices to 19 owners of the cowsheds located within 10 km area of the Surat airport. All 19 cowsheds would be demolished once the notice period expires.

After the buffalo episode that took place in Surat airport some 20 days ago, the illegal cow sheds have come in focus. After a buffalo hit an aircraft which was taking off on the runway of Surat airport, resulting in private airline cancelling all its flights flying to and from Surat, local administration on its part has become active to rectify the image of the city.

Four days ago, five such cowsheds located in Vesu area of the city were demolished. However, the allegations which were laid on the officials said that they were not bothered about the airport but were taking this chance to demolish those cow sheds that are located nearby the plum lands of some developers.
23/11/14 Himanshu Bhatt/Times of India

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Army wives want Cheetah, Chetak helicopters phased out

Mumbai: A group of women, who are wives of Army officers who fly and service the Cheetah and Chetak helicopters, want phasing out of these archaic flying machines that have been involved in 191 crashes over the past two decades.

They plan to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar to submit their petition seeking replacement of these machines.

According to the Indian Army Wives' Agitation Group, the 191 crashes have claimed 294 lives. On an average, there are three to four Army Aviation accidents every year.

The last crash happened on October 1 when a Cheetah belonging to the Army Aviation crashed in Uttar Pradesh's Bareilly district, leading to the death of two pilots and an engineer.
The Army still has 120 of these machines. Some of these copters, that crashed in the high altitudes of Jammu and Kashmir's Siachen, have been untraceable along with the officers on board.
24/11/14 Ganesh N/Mail Today/India Today

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Airport Naming Row: Purandeswari Flays TS Leaders

Kurnool: Former union minister D Purandeswari criticised the members of Telangana Legislative Assembly for their comments over the naming of domestic airport in Hyderabad after former chief minister NT Rama Rao at a BJP meeting held at Yammiganur town in the district on Sunday.
Speaking on the occasion, she said that NT Rama Rao was a national leader who fought for the development of Telugu culture and the comments made by Telangana legislators will hurt the sentiments of Telugu people. “Though, they have the right to express their opinions over the central government’s orders, the comments made by them will bring down Telugu language, culture and history to a new low” she added.
Yammiganur YSRCP leader Devendra Goud and industrialist Narahari Reddy joined in BJP on Sunday. On this occasion, the party has organised a meeting and held a massive rally in the town.
24/11/14 New Indian Express

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Lucknow, Varanasi airports scanning tourists for Ebola

Lucknow:  The two International airports in Uttar Pradesh—Lucknow and Varanasi—have come on the radar of the directorate general of civil aviation (DGCA), days after a passenger was found inflicted with Ebola virus at Delhi airport. The authority has issued fresh instructions to conduct rigorous checking of foreign tourists for possibility of virus threat.

While Lucknow airport, being located in the state capital, receives a number of flights from New Delhi and Mumbai, the Varanasi airport receives foreign tourists. Sources said passports of foreign passengers are being checked thoroughly to ascertain the nationality and if found from any of the west or South African countries they are made to go through an isolation cell for checkup.

The development comes a couple of days after a team from DGCA made surprise visit to the two airports to inspect the precautionary arrangements the Airport Authority of India (AAI) has taken. Sources at the Lucknow airport said the team inspected some aircraft which landed from Delhi and Mumbai.
24/11/14 Times of India

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UP govt to take two aircraft on rent for ‘VVIPs’

Lucknow: The UP government has decided to take on rent two highly-advanced set of flying machines to provide a more luxurious air travel to VVIPs including Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav. These aircraft will be Falcon 2000 and Hawker 900XP or their variants.
The state government presently has five aircraft including two aeroplanes and three helicopters. These aeroplanes include Hawker and V200 which are five to 10 seater. The choppers include Agusta, Bell 412 and Bell 230. Among these aeroplanes, only Hawker is jet propelled whereas V200 is turbo-propelled that can fly with speed of maximum 600-km per hour.
Officials said that the government is planning to sell Bell 230 (1995 made) as it has completed its flying life span and Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav often prefers Bell 412 to fly within UP. Official said that another helicopter is urgently needed for reserve in the fleet.
24/11/14 Lalmani Verma/Indian Express

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MIA improves ranking in customer satisfaction survey in round II

Mangaluru:  Mangaluru International Airport (MIA) at Kenjar near here has every reason to cheer. In the latest customer satisfaction survey - round II (July to December) conducted by an external agency on behalf of the Airports Authority of India (AAI), MIA has improved its position from 14 in round I for first six months of this year (January to June) to eight in the latest survey, which is published on AAI website www.aai.aero.

MIA got 4.65 points out of a maximum of five to be ranked eight. Raipur with a score of 4.75 is ranked first on a five point scale in 53 airports to be ranked number one. Chandigarh (4.72), Coimbatore (4.72), Bhubaneswar (4.70), Trichy (4.70), Dehradun (4.68) are ranked second to sixth respectively. Incidentally, Udaipur and Mangaluru have identical survey scores of 4.65 each, but Udaipur pipped Mangaluru on higher facilities score.
24/11/14 Jaideep Shenoy/Times of India

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Agartala airport to be made international airport

Agartala: The Airports Authority of India (AAI) has completed preliminary work to upgrade Agartala airport as an international airport to boost the region’s connectivity with Southeast Asia, an official said on Monday.
“The prime minister is likely to lay the foundation for upgrading the Agartala airport on December 1. However, his programme would be finalised in a day or two,” a top official said.
He said: “The Tripura transport minister accompanied by top state government and AAI officials has visited the Agartala airport on Sunday to supervise the proposed ceremony to be held at the airport in connection with the foundation stone laying.”
The prime minister, during his four-day visit to northeast region, is scheduled to visit Assam, Manipur, Nagaland, Tripura and Arunachal Pradesh.
24/11/14 IANS/Gulf News

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NTR's name for RGIA terminal decided in '99: Naidu

Hyderabad: A day after the Telangana assembly passed a resolution opposing the decision of the Union civil aviation ministry naming the domestic terminal at the Rajiv Gandhi International Airport after N T Rama Rao, both the TDP and Congress staged protests in the city.

Former TDP minister Motkupally Narsimhulu sat on protest at NTR Ghat at Necklace Road against the Telangana assembly's resolution. Andhra chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu, Union minister Sujana Chowdhary and MLAs E Dayakar Rao and A Revanth Reddy expressed their solidarity with him.

Naidu said that Shamshabad international airport was launched during the TDP regime and recalled that the party had announced in 1999 itself that the domestic terminal would be named after NTR. He said the AP government would take steps to respect and install the statues of Telangana leaders like Komaram Bheem, Chakali Ilamma and PV Narasimha Rao in the new capital of Aandhra Pradesh.
23/11/14 Times of India

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2 kg of gold seized from air passengers

Trichy:  Immigration authorities at the international airport here caught more than 2 kilograms of gold from four passengers on Saturday night, estimated to be worth crores of rupees.

The passengers were reportedly attempting to smuggle the gold by hiding it inside toners and cartridges of printers. They had been carrying identical parcels, put in gift boxes. The officials found cartridges and toners when they opened the boxes during a routine check. However, closer inspection that gold bars were sealed inside it.
24/11/14 Times of India

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CIDCO to hold hearing for pilot project

The City and Industrial Development Corporation (CIDCO) will hold a hearing for the objections and suggestions for the proposed Navi Mumbai Airport Influence Notified Area (NAINA) project between November 27-29. The hearing will be held for the pilot project involving rehabilitation of 23 villages which are currently on the land on which the airport will be built. These villages fall under the notified area and, till date, CIDCO has received over 3,946 applications of objections and suggestions related to the project. A special committee will conduct the hearing at the Belapur station complex in two phases. CIDCO had invited objections and suggestions on the issue between August and October this year. The first phase will cover over 2,733 objections and suggestions. A date is yet to be decided for hearing the remaining 1,213 applications.
23/11/14 Ankoor Anvekar/Mid Day

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Bhubaneswar Airport Gears up to Complete Outer Wall

Bhubaneswar: Not willing to take chances with the lives of passengers after the recent Surat incident in which a buffalo hit an aircraft, the Director General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has issued directives to airports across the country to sanitise the periphery area.

Accordingly, the Biju Patnaik International Airport (BPIA) authorities have geared up to complete construction of the airport’s perimeter (outer) wall, a stretch of which adjoins Ganganagar area.

Over a year back, after the proposal to construct a kilometre-long boundary wall was floated, residents of Ganganagar resisted its construction. They claim, the wall, once constructed will affect movement of vehicles.

The residents had also filed a petition in the Orissa High Court in this regard. The court directed the BPIA Director to settle the dispute considering the grievances of locals.
Following this an official of the General Administration (GA) Department was deputed on two occasions to re-demarcate the airport land.
23/11/14 New Indian Express

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Fog envelopes KIA, flights diverted

Bengaluru: Fog-linked flight delays and diversions returned to trouble air passengers at the Kempegowda International Airport (KIA) early Friday morning. At least two flights were diverted and eight others delayed, creating hardships for both outbound and inbound commuters.

Sources in the KIA informed that a Jetlite flight from Mumbai was diverted to Chennai, and a City-bound Air Costa plane was taken to Chennai, following poor visibility due to fog.

Three arrivals and five departures were also delayed by 30 to 40 minutes due to the problem, that surfaced after 3.35 am.

However, since Bengaluru is known for quick clearance of the fog, the rescheduling did not trigger a cascading effect, said the airport sources.

It is feared that the problem could worsen in the coming weeks since the frequency of fog-related flight delays tends to peak during the period from November 15 to February 15.
23/11/14 Deccan Herald

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Mangalore International Airport to get Ebola Virus scanner

Mangaluru: The Airports Authority of India has requested the Union Health ministry to set up a thermal scanner equipment to check the deadly Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) at the Mangalore International Airport here.
A team of Directorate General of Civil Aviation from Hyderabad and Bengaluru had visited the airport to take stock of measures to detect EVD and the team was fully satisfied, MIA director JT Radhakrishna said.
23/11/14 ZeeNews

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CPI asks AICC, KPCC to clarify stand on Aranmula

Pathanamthitta: The statement of the KGS International Airport Limited that it will file a review petition challenging the dismissal of its appeal by the Supreme Court amply displayed the arrogance of a “neo money power attained through unholy means”, Binoy Viswam, Communist Party of India leader and former Forest Minister, has alleged.

The appeal of the firm in the Supreme Court was against the National Green Tribunal order setting aside the environment clearance for the proposed Aranmula airport project.

Talking to The Hindu, Mr Viswam said that the KGS managing director’s statement very well reflected the impudence of this neo rich class who did not have any respect for the laws of the land, the common people’s concern, and the environment.
23/11/14 Radhakrishnan Kuttoor/The Hindu

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DFW International: Lessons Indian aviation can draw from one of the biggest and busiest airports

Dallas, Fort Worth: The experience at airport security checkpoints follows a standard script. A snaking queue. A long wait. Anxious moments. Will there be time to shop? Will the gates close before we get there? No telling. The darn queue! The security chap finally beckons for the customary patdowns. Hold on, he says brusquely. "Take off the belt and shoes for screening." Strange. Didn't have to the last time. Phew! It's over. Now to put the belt and shoes back on. Damn it, no place to sit. Forget shopping now. Will be lucky to make it to the gates in time.
Last year, authorities at the Dallas Fort Worth (DFW) International Airport in Texas decided to do something about this agonizing experience. They first placed couches and chairs just before the queue. Passengers waiting in line receive instructions through speakers and are entertained by a radio channel. As they move, they come across wall coverings with warm-and-fuzzy LED lighting. Flat-panel screens deliver airport messages. Boards display the estimated wait times. For the X-ray process, passengers are provided larger trays to stuff all the belongings into one (avoids a scramble for trays). The area just after screening is again fitted with couches, high-top tables to help people gather their belongings, footrests to tie shoes, and a mirror to get dressed.
The results were instant and perceptible. People came through security faster and less agitated. Some even flashed smiles. Agents of the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), tasked with overseeing security at American airports, said their jobs became easier. The airport folks were happy because passengers had more time to shop.
23/11/14 Binoy Prabhakar/Economic Times

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Setback for Aranmula airport project as SC upholds NGT green clearance

Thiruvanantapuram: The Supreme Court on Friday upheld the National Green Tribunal decision nullifying the green clearance given to the proposed green field private airport at Aranmula in Central Kerala’s Pathanamthitta.The SC decision is a major setback for the Congress-led Government in Kerala which had taken 10 per cent stake in the private venture after converting the encroached land into government equity. KGS Arnamula Airport Limited had envisaged the airport at a cost of Rs 2,000 crore at heritage village Aranmula.
On May 28, the Chennai bench of the National Green Tribunal had denied environmental clearance to the airport project, stating that the Enviro Care India Private Limited, the firm which held the environmental impact assessment of the project, did not have mandatory eligibility. An action council at Aranmula, spearheading the agitation against the project, had approached the tribunal.
22/11/14 Shaju Philip/Indian Express

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Surprise checks on airports, ports for Ebola preparedness

New Delhi: Senior health ministry officials will conduct surprise inspections of designated ports, airports as well as hospitals and laboratories across the country to review passenger screenings and preparedness to deal with Ebola virus.

Principal secretaries of different states met the Union health secretary recently to discuss measures already taken and those required to strengthen surveillance at various entry points. The health ministry informed states that a team of experts from the Centre will soon start visiting various designated ports and airports for an on-the-spot assessment of the measures, an official said.
23/11/14 Sushmi Dey/Times of India

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KTC launches airport bus service

Vasco: Kadamba transport corporation (KTC) has started a AC bus service exclusively for airport passengers on Friday afternoon. It was flagged off by South Goa MP Narendra Sawaikar in the presence of airport director S Rao with a few passengers at 3pm. The service is on a trial basis for now. KTC chairman and MLA Carlos Almeida said that the bus will leave the airport at 2.15pm every day. Plans are also there to launch a trip from Panaji to the airport. The AC bus can accommodate 44 passengers and 100 will be charged per seat.
22/11/14 Times of India

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Seven More Airports in India on Ebola Alert, Say Health Ministry Sources

New Delhi: Days after an Indian national was quarantined at the Delhi airport after traces of the virus were found in his samples, the Health Ministry today has added seven more airports for screening for the disease.

Apart from the 18 airports already under screening, the government today added Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh, Gaya in Bihar, Vizag in Andhra Pradesh, Nagpur in Maharashtra, Bagdogra in West Bengal and two other airports, Health Ministry sources said.

On Wednesday, Health Minister JP Nadda had said that a 26-year-old man, who arrived in India from Liberia on November 10, is in isolation as precaution.

"It was a case of high risk patient who had already undergone treatment for Ebola. When he came to India, he was kept under observation. That person is kept in isolation and situation is being closely monitored. We are cautious and there is no need to panic. The situation is under control," Mr Nadda said on Tuesday.
22/11/14 NDTV

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Passenger with live bullet held at Thiruvananthapuram airport

Thiruvananthapuram: A 26-year-old man, who was carrying a live bullet in his baggage, has been taken into custody at the international airport when he was about to board a flight to Dammam.
The bullet was seized from the hand bag of Siva, a native of Kovilpatti in Tamil Nadu, police said.
22/11/14 PTI/IBN Live

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After 2 year wait, Surat airport asks for CISF cover again

Surat: The district administration has written to the Central government and the Airports Authority of India (AAI) for providing trained manpower to ensure security at Surat airport following the November 6 incident of a buffalo hitting a SpiceJet aircraft here.
Official sources said district collector Rajender Kumar has urged the Central government to consider the long pending demand to provide a battalion of Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) for Surat airport's security.
Kumar, who also heads Surat Airport Development Committee, recently told TOI that the committee had two years ago put forth the demand for the deployment of CISF personnel at the airport. However, the AAI did not act on the demand and the security was still in the hands of personnel from city police and State Reserve Police (SRP).
22/11/14 Times of India

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Kannur airport: MoUs Signed

Thiruvananthapuram: The State Government has inked MoUs with the Airports Authority of India (AAI) and the India Meteorological Department (IMD) for Air Navigation Services (ANS) and Air Traffic Management (ATM) services respectively for the proposed international airport at Kannur.
 Boh MoUs were signed in New Delhi on November 17, Excise Minister K Babu, who is also handling the Civil Aviation portfolio, said.
22/11/14 New Indian Express

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GMR claims $803 m for termination of Male airport contract

Hyderabad: GMR Male International Airport Private Limited (GMIAL), a subsidiary of GMR Infrastructure Limited (GMR), has claimed $803 million (around Rs.4,987 crore) from the Maldivian government for ‘wrongfully’ terminating the international airport contract in that country’s capital.

According to a filing with bourses, the Indian infra major said, in addition to that, a plea for award of further damages for the loss of reputation caused to GMR as a consequence of wrongful repudiation of the Concession Agreement has also been made to the Arbitral Tribunal in Singapore.

“Following the aforesaid award, GMIAL has submitted its claim for damages amounting to $803 million ...The quantification of the damages is subject to expert evidence,” it said.

GMR entered into a Concession Agreement with the Government of Maldives and Maldives Airport Company Limited (MACL) for modernisation and operation of the Ibrahim Nasir International Airport (INIA) in 2010.
21/11/14 The Hindu

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Telangana opposes airport terminal name change

Hyderabad:  The Centre’s decision to name the domestic terminal at the Rajiv Gandhi International Airport (RGIA) has rocked the Telangana Assembly, with Chief Minister K Chandrasekhara Rao and other leaders strongly opposing the move. The House passed a resolution, asking the Centre to maintain a status quo on the issue.

Barring TDP and BJP, all other parties opposed the Government’s decision on Friday and demanded it to name the terminal after Telangana icons such as tribal leader Komuram Bheem. Social networks too were flooded with posts and comments, opposing and supporting the move.

Flaying the move, Chief Minister K Chandrasekhara Rao wondered why the Union Government chose to name it after an Andhra leader. Terming it unfortunate, he said the Centre had not consulted the State government while taking the decision. He later moved the resolution which the House has passed.
The Centre announced the decision on Thursday naming the terminal on NTR’s name. While shifting the International airport to Shamshabad in March 2008 from Begumpet, the then Congress Government named it after former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi (the international terminal was named after him at the Begumpet airport) but chose not to continue with NTR’s name for the domestic terminal. This had attracted criticism from the Telugu Desam Party.
21/11/14 KV Kurmanath/Business Line

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TDP Assails KCR for Resolution on Airport Terminal

Vijayawada: The Telugu Desam Party (TDP) has come down heavily on Telangana chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao for adopting a resolution in the Assembly opposing restoration of the name of the domestic terminal as NTR domestic terminal at Rajiv Gandhi International Airport in Hyderabad.

Speaking to mediapersons here Friday, TDP state secretary Gottipati Venkata Ramakrishna Prasad said that it was unbecoming of a leader of the stature of KCR to pass the resolution, ignoring the fact that NTR lives in the hearts of the people of Telangana as well.

He said that there is no denying the fact that NTR had done more to the people of Telangana than any Telangana leader including KCR. It was NTR who did not field Telugu Desam candidate against PV Narasimha Rao in election to the Lok Sabha so that a Telugu man could become the prime minister of the country without any hurdles. He had never had narrow vision that PV Narasimha Rao hailed from Telangana and therefore should be left to his fate.
22/11/14 New Indian Express

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Wild cat trapped in cage meant to catch foxes near airport

Indore: A wild cat was trapped in a cage put up by the forest department at Devi Ahilyabai Airport here Friday, to catch foxes which posed a danger to flights.

"The forest department has been trying to catch foxes in the airport's premises for which cages have been installed. A wild cat was trapped today," Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) A K Joshi told PTI.

In the past, two foxes were trapped, he said.
21/11/14 ZeeNews

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Indian airports ahead of European counterparts in offering Wi-Fi service: Skyscanner

Mumbai: With holiday season around the corner, travel search engine Skyscanner, has launched its Airport Wi-Fi Guide, listing the most Internet friendly airports around the world. Free airport Wi-Fi is nearly a given across Asia, but for Indians travelling to Europe, the picture is different. The study reveals that less than half of Europe’s biggest airports offer free Wi-Fi on an unlimited basis, while most major airports of India provide access to free Wi-Fi, stated a release.

For travellers to Europe, Skyscanner’s Airport Wi-Fi Guide highlights the amount of time that key airports provide free Wi-Fi access for travellers and the associated costs thereafter. It casts clarity on what Indian passengers travelling within Asia and internationally to Europe can expect from their airport Wi-Fi service. Nearly 70 per cent of key Asian airports offer free, unlimited Wi-Fi to passengers, including Mumbai, Ahmedabad, Tokyo, Singapore, and Hong Kong among others. All main airports in Japan, Korea, Singapore, Taiwan and Hong Kong offer it free Wi-Fi.
21/11/14 TravelBizMonitor

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Pre-paid taxis at Pantnagar airport soon

Haldwani:  Passengers arriving at Pantnagar airport will soon be able to avail of a pre-paid taxi service and those waiting can grab a bite at its canteen. A team of Airport Authority of India (AAI) arrived in Pantnagar on Wednesday to discuss the matter. According to Pantnagar airport officials, they will get the proposed facilities soon.

The airport does not have canteen of its own till the date. Apart from the lack of canteen, passengers have to rent a vehicle from private owners or make prior arrangements to travel on their own. The team of two officials from the regional office of the AAI arrived in Pantnagar on Wednesday to discuss the proposal.

"The proposals for in-house canteen at the airport and to start a pre-paid taxi service were discussed with the team in a series of meetings. We may get both the services somewhere by the end of this year," said G D Joshi, director of Pantnagar airport.
The issue of parking space was also taken up in the meeting after which the space outside the waiting room of the airport was identified for the purpose.
21/11/14 Vineet Upadhyay/Times of India 

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Congress protests naming of Hyderabad domestic terminal after N T Rama Rao

Hyderabad: Congress today staged a protest at the Rajiv Gandhi International Airport here against Centre's decision to name the domestic terminal after TDP founder and former Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister, the late N T Rama Rao.

The protest was held by Congress MP V Hanumantha Rao and other party activists, who were removed from the spot later by the police .
"N T Rama Rao's name was not there earlier. It was only named for Rajiv Gandhi. Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu and Union Civil Aviation Minister Ashok Gajapathi Raju are using their influence. They (TDP) say NTR upheld Telugu pride. We are not questioning all that. But it was they who back-stabbed NTR," V Hanumantha Rao said.
21/11/14 Economic Times

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Ashok Gajapathi Raju rejects criticism of naming domestic terminal after NT Rama Rao

New Delhi: Civil Aviation Minister Ashok Gajapathi Raju today rejected the criticism of naming the domestic terminal at Hyderabad International Airport after former Chief Minister N T Rama Rao, saying the decision was taken in 1999.

Raju's comments came on a day when Telangana Assembly adopted a resolution requesting the Centre to "continue the status quo" and reconsider its decision to restore the name of Rao to the domestic terminal at Hyderabad International Airport. In the year 1999, the government took a decision, both at the state and government of India level, that the Hyderabad International Airport would be named after former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi and domestic terminal after Rao.

That decision has been fully implemented and the union cabinet has not changed its decision after 1999," he told reporters here.
21/11/14 PTI/Economic Times

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Rupees 18.16 lakh worth of gold hidden in rectum seized

Mangalore: The officers of Customs at Mangalore International Airport on Friday busted another modus operandi of gold smuggling and in two separate cases, seized gold weighing 699.900 grams totally valued at Rs 18.16 lakh.

In the first case, the officers seized two gold bars weighing 233.300 grams and valued at Rs.6.20 lakh. The gold bars were extracted from the rectum of the passenger Azees Sulaiman, 37, residing at Udma, Padinchar Post,Kasaragod, Kerala. The passenger arrived at Mangalore International Airport at 7.45am by Air India Express flight No.IX814 from Dubai.
21/11/14 Times of India

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Over 6 kg gold biscuits seized at Delhi int'nl airport

Over six kilogrammes of smuggled gold bars and biscuits have been seized at the Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA) here by CISF sleuths.

The large haul of the yellow metal was made yesterday in two different incidents at the international air facility.

In the first seizure, Central Industrial Security Force officials detected suspicious activities of an incoming passenger from Dubai who was meeting a ground handling staffer of the airport near a bathroom in the Terminal-3 of the IGIA.

"The passenger, K Nassar of Kerala, and the ground handling staffer Nibin have been handed over to the Customs authorities. Three kilogramme gold biscuits were seized in this operation which was conducted around 9:45am," CISF spokesperson Hemendra Singh said.
21/11/14 PTI/Business Standard 

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Mahesh Sharma talks of raising an international airport at Jewar from the greenfield

Lucknow: In the past decade, an international airport in Greater Noida has been proposed, shelved and revived, several times over. Now the newly-appointed Union Minister of State for Civil Aviation, Mahesh Sharma, who is from Noida, says he is ready to put his weight behind developing an international airport in Jewar, on the fringes of Delhi.
“My vision is clear. If we can have more than one airport in London, why can’t we have another airport in the vicinity of Delhi,” Sharma told Newsline here. “I am open to all the suggestions but at the same time I am ready to face all the hurdles in the way of establishing an airport in Jewar.”
The new minister’s enthusiasm is not shared by the UP government, which is in no mood to accept an international airport at Jewar as the project was aggressively promoted by the previous BSP government in the state.
19/11/14 Maulshree Seth/Indian Express

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Surat MP: AAI never invited me for meetings at Surat airport

After the district collector, member of parliament (MP) from Surat, DarshanaJardosh has dashed off a letter to the Union minister of civil aviation, AshokGajapathiRajuPashupati against Airport Authority India (AAI) authorities for not inviting her during the meetings of the airport committee or developments concerning the airport since the time she was elected MP for the two consecutive terms.

This is the first official reaction from the Surat MP after the November 6 incident of buffalo hitting the SpiceJet plane.

Referring to the November 6 incident as the most unfortunate and a big eye-opener on the neglect for the development of Surat airport, Jardosh stated in her letter, "I am not informed or being intimated about the meetings. The meetings were regularly held without my knowledge and presence. The AAI has not contacted me or kept in the loop about the developments at airport"
19/11/14 Melvyn Thomas/Times of India

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‘No need for more world-class airports’

New Delhi: The airports at Bhopal, Raipur and Indore would have to wait longer to get the ‘world class’ tag as the 17 existing international airports are nowhere near realising projected traffic volumes, the Planning Commission has told the Prime Minister.
In a presentation to Modi on Wednesday on the achievements vis-a-vis targets for the infrastructure sectors so far, the panel said that adding three more to that list is needless.
“Out of 17 international airports, five have only a small volume of traffic. Airports with adequate traffic potential only will be made into international ones. These three are not being declared as international airports,” according to the presentation made to the Prime Minister.
19/11/14 Priyadarshi Siddhanta/Indian Express

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AI flight suffers tyre burst and bird hit at Goa airport

Panaji: A Delhi-bound Air India flight via Mumbai with 164 passengers onboard had to abort take-off at the last minute today after it suffered a tyre burst as well as a bird hit at Dabolim airport in Goa.

According to airport sources, the incident took place around 7.20 AM when the flight (AI866) was about to take off.

Later, it was brought back to the bay at Goa airport after all the passengers were safely deplaned.

"I have received information that a bird hit happened this morning. We will inquire into it," K S Rao, Director Goa Airport, told PTI.
18/11/14 Deccan Herald

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Paper-less air cargo supply chain facility introduced at Bengaluru airport

Bengaluru: Air India SATS Airport Services Pvt Ltd (AISATS), a 50:50 joint venture between Air India Limited and SATS Limited, a gateway services and food solutions provider in Asia, has introduced an e-freight initiative at its Bengaluru Airfreight Terminal facility.

With this launch, AISATS BLR has taken a step towards IATAs e-freight initiative, building a paper-free air cargo supply chain and replacing it with cheaper, accurate and reliable electronic messaging, AISATS said in a statement.

To facilitate this, AISATS has incorporated its Airport Community System (ACS), a web-based electronic platform that enables seamless electronic data interchange (EDI) between various stakeholders in the air cargo value chain. With this system in place, AISATS is well-equipped to do away with the traditional paper-based shipping data consolidation, and move towards electronic data management.
18/11/14 Business Standard

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Mopa airport has no access, project is a scam: Vijai

Margao: Firing yet another salvo against the state government over the proposed Mopa airport, Fatorda MLA Vijai Sardesai on Tuesday pointed out that the airport has been conceptualized without access and thus smacked of a scam.

Addressing mediapersons, Sardesai said that the government, "either for political reasons or to save certain highly-placed land owners" allowed Sec IV of the Land Acquisition Act for the re-aligned access to the airport to be lapsed, as the new land acquisition law rendered the cost of the acquisition quite prohibitive.

In a bid to resolve the issue, Sardesai said the government contemplated construction of a 6km long flyover from the national highway to the airport by just obtaining NOCs from the landowners for constructing pillars for the purpose.
18/11/14 Times of India

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Modernise Existing Airport: Former MP

Visakhapatnam: The existing airport at Visakhapatnam should be modernised before constructing the proposed green-field airport, former MP and GITAM University president MVVS Murthy has said.
In a detailed report submitted to chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu, during the latter’s visit to Visakhapatnam Monday, Murthy opined that modernisation of the existing airport will meet the requirements of Vizagites till the implementation of the green-field airport. “While the length of the present runway is 10,500 feet, the capacity of the terminal building is only 20,000 sqm. The airport thus cannot handle even the existing domestic traffic properly (landing of around 18 flights every day). The length of the runway should be extended by another 1,000 feet to facilitate arrival of wide-bodied aircrafts easily.”
18/11/14 New Indian Express

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Gulf Air to operate daily flights to Thiruvananthapuram

Dubai:  Bahrain's national carrier Gulf Air has increased its direct services to Trivandrum International Airport in Kerala.

"Following a successful year since the re-launch of our direct flights to Thiruvananthapuram in December 2013, we are delighted to announce our increased frequency that follows consistently strong passenger demand," Gulf Air Acting Chief Commercial Officer Ahmed Janahi said.

It will operate a daily service starting from the 5th of December 2014 between Manama in Bahrain and Thiruvananthapuram.

The two additional weekly frequencies between the two cities will operate on Mondays and Wednesdays.

There is an average of 85 per cent seat factor in 2014 to date.
18/11/14 PTI/conomic Times

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AI to accomodate passengers of diverted flight in old terminal

Jaipur: The old terminal building of Sanganer airport here will be used to accommodate passengers of the flights diverted due to fog this winter, a senior airport official said here today.
The decision in the regard was taken to avoid chaos at the new terminal building of the airport during flight diversions.
"We will be able to accommodate 160-170 passengers at a time in old airport terminal building this year, which is presently used for cargo operations only. It will be in addition to the capacity of the new terminal," Sanganer Airport Director S N Borkar told.
He said the decision in the regard and the arrangement was made in view of chaos at the new terminal witnesses during the diversions of flight from Delhi and other nearby cities.
18/11/14 Economic Times

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Sanganer airport to accommodate passengers in old terminal

Jaipur: The old terminal building of Sanganer airport here will be used to accommodate passengers of the flights diverted due to fog this winter, a senior airport official said here today.

The decision in the regard was taken to avoid chaos at the new terminal building of the airport during flight diversions.

"We will be able to accommodate 160-170 passengers at a time in old airport terminal building this year, which is presently used for cargo operations only. It will be in addition to the capacity of the new terminal," Sanganer Airport Director S N Borkar told PTI.

He said the decision in the regard and the arrangement was made in view of chaos at the new terminal witnesses during the diversions of flight from Delhi and other nearby cities.
18/11/14 PTI/Business Standard

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Gulf Air to operate daily flights to Thiruvananthapuram

Dubai: Bahrain's national carrier Gulf Air has increased its direct services to Trivandrum International Airport in Kerala.
"Following a successful year since the re-launch of our direct flights to Thiruvananthapuram in December 2013, we are delighted to announce our increased frequency that follows consistently strong passenger demand," Gulf Air Acting Chief Commercial Officer Ahmed Janahi said.
It will operate a daily service starting from the 5th of December 2014 between Manama in Bahrain and Thiruvananthapuram.
The two additional weekly frequencies between the two cities will operate on Mondays and Wednesdays.
There is an average of 85 per cent seat factor in 2014 to date.
18/11/14 PTI/Economic Times

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AISATS launches e-freight initiative at Bengaluru international airport

Bengaluru: Air India SATS Airport Services Pvt Ltd (AISATS) has introduced an e-freight initiative at its Bengaluru Airfreight Terminal facility at the Kempegowda International Airport, the company said today.

AISATS has incorporated its Airport Community System (ACS), a web-based electronic platform that enables seamless electronic data interchange (EDI) between various stakeholders in the air cargo value chain.
With this, AISATS BLR takes a big step towards IATA's e-freight initiative, building a paper-free air cargo supply chain and replacing it with cheaper, more accurate and more reliable electronic messaging, the company said in a release.

With this system, AISATS is well-equipped to do away with the traditional paper-based shipping data consolidation, and move towards electronic data management, the release added.
18/11/14 PTI/Economic Times

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BIAL, SWR announce train halt station at airport

Bengaluru: The Bangalore International Airport Ltd (BIAL) will set up a halt station at the airport, near the trumpet interchange, for trains en route Devanahalli to facilitate easy conveyance for passengers and employees.

Divisional Railway Manager (DRM) Anil Kumar Agarwal on Tuesday told mediapersons that the South Western Railways (SWR) was ready to provide a stop at Kempegowda International Airport (KIA) for trains on the route. He was speaking at the inauguration of a BMTC bay at the City Railway Station for buses towards KIA.

Responding to the DRM’s suggestion, Bhaskar B, Senior Director (Finance and Support Services), BIAL, announced that the BIAL would take up the halt station construction.

Bhaskar told reporters that the railway line passes within the compound of KIA and a station would be constructed at the earliest. “We have a huge area of over 4,000 acres. We will ensure that the halt stop is constructed somewhere near the Trumpet Interchange," he said.
18/11/14 Deccan Herald

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New Maharashtra Airport Development Company petition for Mihan power supply soon

Nagpur: Maharashtra Electricity Regulatory Commission (MERC) has asked Maharashtra Airport Development Company (MADC) to file a fresh petition for supplying power to Mihan industries. It has to be filed on Monday. While MERC has not stopped MADC from making arrangements to buy power through open access, it is subject to the approval of Monday's petition. Chief minister Devendra Fadnavis on Sunday promised to supply power at the rate of Rs 4.30 per unit.

In a hearing held recently, MERC had directed MADC to file an affidavit containing four submissions. First issue was to submit its stand on the notice of termination of concession agreement issued by Abhijeet Group. Abhijeet had built a 240MW power plant for Mihan, but terminated the contract citing various reasons. Abhijeet had filed a civil suit claiming Rs 1,800 crore as damages.

The second is to submit details of long term power procurement plan for Mihan SEZ. RB Goenka of Vidarbha Industries Association (VIA) had volunteered to suggest possible long term solutions to get cheaper power to consumers of Mihan. The commission accepted his proposal and asked him to submit a report within two weeks.
17/11/14 Ashish Roy/Times of India

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Decorative plants to beautify Bhubaneswar airport

Bhubaneswar: The Biju Patnaik International Airport authorities will plant 2,500 decorative plants in and outside the new terminal building.

Airport sources said the green move is aimed at beautifying the state-of-the-art building, which was constructed on a modular pattern to allow room for further expansion.

"There is enough space for keeping low-height plants in pots. These will be kept at arrival and departure lounges, security areas, passengers' waiting lobby, near ticket counters and along the entrances and the exits," said airport director Sharad Kumar.

He said Mahanadi Coalfields Limited (MCL) will sponsor the drive. "Around Rs 40 lakh will be spent on it. MCL will maintain the plants for three years," he added.

An airport officer said there will be 65 varieties of plants. "The plants will be kept in plastic and brass pots. The brass pots, which are bigger in size, will be kept at selected places," said the officer. The new terminal wears an ethnic look with mural paintings, wall facade, masks and sculptures, reflecting Odisha's culture, heritage, maritime activities and tribal lifestyle. It has the capacity to handle 800 passengers at a time.
17/11/14 Times of India

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Poorly embalmed, bodies get turned away at Cochin international airport

Kochi: Embalming and the packing of a lot of dead bodies are being done in a slipshod manner and that has created another problem – of being turned down at the Cochin international airport, when they have to be airlifted to faraway places, both domestic and international.

The issues are related to bodies coming from Thrissur, Alappuzha, Kottayam and Idukki districts due to insufficient facilities and inexperience of persons who handle them.

Often they are sent to the General Hospital Ernakulam where an efficient system is in place.  It is being run in association with a private firm, Cochin Emergency Ambulance Service that is engaged in the packing of bodies.

The police surgeon Dr Biju James does the embalming and his work is well appreciated by the authorities.

The bodies from Alappuzha district are directed to the General Hospital here because those that are set apart for the purpose of study by medical college students alone are embalmed at the Alappuzha Government Medical College.

“The rest of the bodies are forwarded to us,” said Dennish Paul, who manages Cochin Emergency Ambulance Service which also runs 10 ambulance services in association with others.

Though Kottayam and Thrissur medical colleges embalm and pack bodies, several times these are turned down at the airport and directed to General Hospital due to slipshod work.
17/11/14 Deccan Chronicle

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Gold Seized at Kochi Airport

Aluva: Officials of the Customs Department on Sunday seized five gold biscuits and three gold chains from passengers at the Nedumbassery airport, in two separate incidents.   “In the first incident, Kannur-native Mohammed Thottathil was intercepted while trying to smuggle in five gold biscuits, weighing close to 582 gm, concealed inside an electrical device. He had arrived by Jet Airways flight 561 from Sharjah,” a Customs official said.
17/11/14 New Indian Express

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