Mumbai: Five-hour airport shutdown may hit evening flights

If you are booked on a flight that is scheduled to depart or land at Mumbai airport on Monday evening, it would be advisable to find out the flight status before leaving for the airport.
The airport will be shut down for flights between noon and 5pm to carry out runway maintenance work. Airlines and pilots have been informed in advance about the scheduled closure and flight timings have been accordingly changed or some flights cancelled. But the closure is expected to have an effect on the evening flight schedule, what with air traffic congestion expected post-5pm, said an air traffic controller.
Monday's closure will be the first of the many partial or complete closures that the Mumbai airport will witness in November. Going by the flights it handles in the afternoon, a total of over 1,600 flights, most of them domestic, are expected to be hit. The maintenance work, which began on October 18, will end by the last week of November and on several days, the runway will be closed in the afternoon. An airport official said that work on preservation of runway surface will be carried out.
30/10/16 The Times Of india

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Metro may run to proposed airport

The idea of connecting the metro rail project to the proposed airport in Purandar is floating around with a feasibility study likely in the near future.
With the Pune metro project all set for a nod from the Cabinet after it was passed by the public investment board of the finance ministry on October 15, sources in Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) told TOI on Friday that the future phases of the project will include a feasibility study to connecting the metro lines to the new airport and based on reports, a decision will be taken.
An official at PMC, who requested anonymity, said with the first phase of the project aiming to stretch to 31.21km, additional modifications, which also included adding around 1.8km, and connecting the metro to the existing Lohegaon airport were also considered.
"A feasibility study in connection with the extension of the Pune metro to the site of the proposed Pune airport at Purandar is needed. Transportation to the airport is among the most important, but the study is essential. One should look into the expected number of passengers at the new airport first. If the new airport is expected to receive around five lakh passengers each year, one will need to calculate the number of passengers coming to the airport per day and whether the extension of lines to 50km will be feasible. However, the studies will take place based on which a decision to modify the routes will be taken. The process is lengthy, but will be undertaken," an official told TOI.
The proposed length of the metro in the city is 31.51km. It will run on two corridors between Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation and Swargate (16.59km) and from Vanaz to Ramwadi (14.92km).
31/10/16 Joy Sengupta/The Times Of India

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Garbage trap to come near airport to prevent flooding

As part of pre-monsoon preparedness, Chennai corporation has decided to install a garbage trap a few metres away from the airport's runway bridge on the Adyar river to prevent garbage and other materials from blocking the flow of water.

As the bridge, over which second runway of the airport is built after raising the level of the river bed, and its pillars are built close to one another garbage and debris floating in the river blocked the flow of water during last year's flood.

The urban body has decided to install nets across the water near the bridge to remove garbage and debris that gets caught on it periodically so that there will be smooth flow of water. The decision was taken at a pre-monsoon preparedness meeting held on Wednesday. Similar traps were a success in the Cooum river.

The runway bridge was built over the Adyar river at a cost of 550 crore so that the second runway can be extended from 2,300 metres to 3,400 metres to expand the aircraft handling capacity of the airport.
31/10/16 The Times Of India

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On Diwali, Mumbai airport played host to the big four

Mumbai airport celebrated Diwali with Germany’s flag carrier, Lufthansa operating the jumbo Boeing 747-800 double-deck aircraft, making it the only airport in India to handle four Code–F flights, the largest civilian aircraft, in a single day.

Currently, the airport handles three Airbus 380 aircrafts operated by Etihad, Emirates and Singapore Airlines from Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Singapore respectively. From today, Frankfurt too will be connected to Mumbai through the Boeing 747-800, an aircraft with a seating capacity of 364 passengers.

A Lufthansa spokesperson said that by flying this aircraft, it was making a step towards having a three-litre fleet (per passenger and 100 kilometres). The aircraft is 15 per cent more fuel-efficient than its predecessor model and, as a result, its CO2 emissions are around 15 per cent lower. The noise footprint of the B747-800 also is 30 per cent less than the older Boeing 747-400. The aircraft will offer on-board internet.

Joining Lufthansa in the Diwali launch at Mumbai airport were Air France and Air China flying the Boeing 777-200 to Paris and Air Bus 330-300 to Beijing respectively. “Lufthansa and Air France, operating daily flights from Mumbai, will together have the capacity to carry more than 600 passengers on a single trip. Air China, on the other hand, with a capacity of close to 300 passengers, will operate a non-stop flight to Beijing on alternate days,” a Mumbai International Airport Ltd (MIAL) spokesperson said.
31/10/16 Aditya Anand/Mumbai Mirror

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Now fly non-stop to Paris, Beijing and Frankfurt from Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport

Travelers from Mumbai can now fly non-stop to Paris, Beijing and Frankfurt as Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport announced the commencement of flight operations of international airlines – Lufthansa, Air France and Air China from Terminal 2 today. While Air France and Air China will be flying the Boeing 777-200 to Paris and Air Bus 330-300 to Beijing respectively, Lufthansa will be operating code ‘F’ Boeing 747-800 on the Mumbai Frankfurt route.
With the German flag carrier, Lufthansa airline’s announcement to operate the world’s biggest passenger aircraft, CSIA will become the only airport in India to handle four Code – F flights, the largest civilian aircraft, in a single day. Currently, the airport handles three Airbus 380 aircrafts operated by Etihad, Emirates and Singapore Airlines.
Lufthansa and Air France, operating daily flights from Mumbai, will together have the capacity of carrying more than 600 passengers on a single trip. Air China, on the other hand, with a capacity of close to 300 passengers, will operate a non-stop flight to Beijing on alternate days.
In addition to this, foreign air carriers Brussels Airlines and Air Canada have also announced plans to launch flight operations from CSIA early next year while RwandAir and Garuda Indonesia Airlines are exploring flight options to Mumbai.
30/10/16 India.com

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State gives nod to acquire land for Calicut airport

Kozhikode: Giving wings to Malabar’s development dreams, the State government has approved administrative sanction to acquire 485.3 acres of land for the expansion of Calicut airport.

In its order, the Department of Transport has instructed the Malappuram District Collector to acquire the land on the basis of direct purchase scheme and appoint an implementing officer and an agency to study the social impact in connection with the project.

At least 240 acres of land is required for extending the runway to make the airport suitable for operation of E category aircraft.
31/10/16 The Hindu

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Mumbai airport shut for 5 hours for repair work

Mumbai: More than 2,000 flight operations will be hit at the city airport as both the main as well as secondary runways of the Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport (CSIA) are shut for five hours for nine days beginning today through November 28 for surface repairs.

CSIA said they will be closing down the only main runway (No 09/27) as well the as the secondary runway (No 14/32) for five hours on October 31, November 3, 7, 10, 14, 17, 21, 24 and 28, which is likely to affect as many as 2,100 flights.

The runways will be shut from the peak 1200 hrs to 1700 hrs, the airport added.

"On an average there are 45 air traffic movements an hour. So a five-hour shutdown means 225 movements could be hit," the airport operator MIAL said today.

None of the airlines responded to queries from on the impact on their operations.

Ironically, despite being the nation's second busiest airport, the CSIA has only one main runway (as one-third of the airport land is occupied by slum squatters who are refusing to move out into newly built apartments) and yet manages around 50 flights during peak hours, making it one of the most efficient airports in the world.

In November 2010 also, the airport operated by the GVK Group, had conducted similar repair work, months after it opened the spanking new terminal-T2 in February of that year.
31/10/16 PTI/Mumbai Mirror

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Runway at Mumbai Airport to be Shut on Mondays and Thursdays Till Nov 28

Mumbai: Mumbai airport will be closed from 12 pm to 5 pm on all Mondays and Thursdays till November 28 as authorities are carrying out runway maintenance work, airport officials said.
According to the officials, the airport will not be operating during the said hours and all flights heading towards Mumbai have been cancelled due to prevention runway surface work.
“Domestic flights during the above timings have been cancelled on these two days. Congestion will be there of course, since the affected flights are not appearing in the reservation system due to non-operation there will be no bookings on these flights on these two days. So no question of informing passengers about cancellation (sic)," said the Air India official.
31/10/16 Aritra Hazra/CNN-News18

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Lufthansa, Air France, Air China start non-stop operations from MIAL

Mumbai: German flag carrier Lufthansa and its French and Chinese counterparts Air France and Air China today launched non-stop flights from Mumbai to Frankfurt, Paris and Beijing respectively.
While Air France and Air China will be flying the Boeing 777-200 to Paris and Airbus 330-300 to Beijing, Lufthansa will deploy a Boeing 747-800 on the Mumbai-Frankfurt route, the airport operator MIAL said in a statement.
Lufthansa and Air France will have their services daily, while Air China will operate on alternate days.
Ironically, the announcement comes on a day when the airport, one of the busiest in India, will be completely shut for five hours for nine days over runway repair work.
With Lufthansa deploying ‘Boeing 747-800’, the second biggest passenger jet in the world today, Mumbai airport will become the only one in the country to handle four Code-F flights. With this, the German carrier will also be offering First Class cabin for the first time.
31/10/16 PTI/Financial Express

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KIA begins work on 2nd runway; to be linked to Terminal 2 apron

Bengaluru: Embarking on a big upgrade of its facilities, the Kempegowda International Airport Bengaluru (KIAB) has commenced excavation work for a second runway. The 60-metre-wide and 4,000-metre-long runway (NSPR) will cater to Code F type of aircraft and feature a full parallel taxiway and two cross field taxiways.

The taxiways will link the new runway to the existing north runway and Terminal 2 apron. Also, part of the expansion will be an upgrade of the existing runway. Massive earth balance works are currently under way for the parallel runway.

Under the expansion plan, the main airfield will also be developed. This includes pavement works, CAT III B airfield lighting, signage, drainage, fuel hydrants and associated works.

The design for the airport’s Terminal 2 is all set to commence with US architectural firm Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM). T2 will be constructed in two phases. The first phase will cater to 20 million passengers annually (MPA) and is expected to be commissioned by 2021. The project cost is estimated to be about Rs 4,000 crore.

The second phase of the project will increase the passenger capacity to another 15 million.
31/10/16 Deccan Herald

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Stir over land compensation - Karipur airport expansion project hits `relief' hurdle

Malappuram: Protests by residents continue to hamper land acquisition process for the development of Karipur airport despite the government giving its sanction for purchasing 485 acres in the region. On October 24, the government issued an order granting permission to the collector for land purchase and appointed the Centre for Management Studies for studying the project's social impact. However, the residents have been protesting over the lack of clarity on the compensation package.
As per the order, 248.3 acres of land will be acquired from Pulikkal, Kondotty and Nediyirupp villages for the development of the runway and 80 acres will be acquired from the same panchayat for rehabilitation of evictees. About 137 acres would be acquired from Pallikkal village for the development of the terminal.The evictees will be rehabilitated in 20 acres acquired in Pallikkal panchayat as well. Though the government has granted its sanction, it would be a herculean task for revenue authorities to acquire land as local-level action councils have made it clear that they will not even allow officials to visit the region for verifying the lands until they get a clear idea about the relief packages.
31/10/16 Times of India

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More flights from CIAL

Kochi: Cochin International Airport Limited (CIAL) has announced the winter schedule for 2016-17, which will be in effect till March 25 next year.
The summer schedule had 1,142 flights per week. The winter schedule will have 1,294 services.
The number of flights has been increased. The largest number of flights, as per the winter schedule, will be to Dubai. There will be 60 weekly services to Dubai.
31/10/16 The Hindu

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Gaya international airport closed till November 23

Gaya: The Gaya airport will remain closed from Tuesday till November 23 to facilitate repair and recarpeting of the runway. Thereafter, it will be open for landing and take-off purposes only for nine hours beginning 6 in the morning, said Gaya airport director Dilip Kumar.
The uneven surface and ditches at several points on the runway had made landing and take-off of aircraft risky. On Saturday, too, the airport had to be closed for more than three hours to repair the runway as its sizeable portion developed cracks. Sources say minor repair work had to be done several times in the past as the runway suffered damages during take-off.
31/10/16 Abdul Qadir/Times of India

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Mangaluru airport gets a monumental national flag

Mangaluru: The Airports Authority of India, Mangaluru International Airport on Friday here organized the flag hoisting ceremony of the 'monumental national flag' infront of the new international terminal.
Ramanath Rai, minister for forest, environment and ecology hoisted the flag and Nalin Kumar Kateel, Lok Sabha MP, presided over the occasion.
Rai said various developmental works have been initiated to upgrade facilities at the airport.
" Many people have sacrificed their lives for the country. We need to remember them today and their sacrifices. Because they have fought for the country's independence, today we are able to gather for this ceremony. The traditions should always be followed," he added.
29/10/16 Times of India

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Optimal utilisation runways: Govt ropes in global firm

IGI Airport may be India's busiest airport but "poor" utilisation of its three runways is causing concern.

A worried government has asked a leading global air traffic control (ATC) agency to see how the hourly aircraft handling capacity of IGI's runways can be increased. "Delhi International Airport Pvt Ltd (DIAL) has asked UK-based NATS (one of the best known air traffic control and airport performance firms globally) to do a study for optimising use of runways at the behest of the aviation ministry.... there has to be further improvement. The available space can be redesigned to increase the number of aircraft movement per hour. Our air navigation services are also trying to find ways of doing that," said Airports Authority of India chairman Guruprasad Mohapatra .

With two cross runways, the Mumbai Airport handles 45 flights an hour. But the Delhi airport, which has two parallel and a third merging runway, falls way behind—relatively speaking—with 67 aircraft movement an hour. Of these, 62 are for commercial flights and five are for VVIP, defence and charter aircraft.
28/10/16 Saurabh Sinha/The Times Of India

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Rajasthan government check on high-rises planned near airports

In a meeting with minister of state for civil aviation Jayant Sinha in New Delhi, chief minister Vasundra Raje promised that the government would not approve high-rise buildings near airports in Rajasthan.

The no objection certificate (NOC) to construct buildings near Jodhpur, Jaipur and Udaipur airports will be issued only in special cases after consulting the security aspect with the district administration.

Discussions were also made to construct a VIP terminal near the state hangar in Jaipur. For the same, the state has promised to allocate land to the Airport Authority of India (AAI).

A day before, a meeting, chaired by Jaipur development commissioner (JDC) Shikhar Agarwal, had sought the order on colour coded zoning map (CCZM) from the state government. The map would enable local bodies to approve height clearances for buildings proposed near airports.
28/10/16 ET Realty

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Garbage trap to come near airport to prevent flooding

As part of pre-monsoon preparedness, Chennai corporation has decided to install a garbage trap a few metres away from the airport's runway bridge on the Adyar river to prevent garbage and other materials from blocking the flow of water.
As the bridge, over which second runway of the airport is built after raising the level of the river bed, and its pillars are built close to one another garbage and debris floating in the river blocked the flow of water during last year's flood.
The urban body has decided to install nets across the water near the bridge to remove garbage and debris that gets caught on it periodically so that there will be smooth flow of water. The decision was taken at a pre-monsoon preparedness meeting held on Wednesday. Similar traps were a success in the Cooum river.
The runway bridge was built over the Adyar river at a cost of 550 crore so that the second runway can be extended from 2,300 metres to 3,400 metres to expand the aircraft handling capacity of the airport.
It has also been decided to remove the remains of a bridge near the Officers Training Academy (OTA) area that collapsed during the last flood.
Airports Authority of India (AAI) has started to desilt a portion of the river that abuts the compound wall of the airport.
29/10/16 The Times Of India

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AAI de-rosters Gaya ATC, orders inquiry

The Airports Authority of India on Friday de-rostered the Air Traffic Controller (ATC) at Gaya international airport and ordered an inquiry into the faux pas due to which nearly 200 passengers aboard the Myanmar Airways and Air India flights had a narrow escape on Wednesday.
The Myanmar Airways plane intruded into a prohibited area about a minute before the Air India's Yangon-Gaya-Delhi flight landed. The Myanmar plane had 85 passengers aboard. While the number of passengers aboard the Air India flight could not be immediately known, unofficial estimates put the number at over 100.
Sources said the Myanmar Airways's Yangon-bound flight MMA 602 was given clearance only for taxing by the ATC up to a "holding point". But the pilot breached the instructions and went into take-off mode.
The Air India flight from Yangon for Delhi was then only six nautical miles away from Gaya, and was headed for landing. "The tragedy was averted by a time gap of less than a minute at 2.52pm ," an official said, preferring anonymity.
28/10/16 Abdul Qadir/The Times Of India

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Record cargo handling at Tiruchi airport

The international cargo terminal of Tiruchi airport handled the highest ever freight tonnage of 39 tonnes on Wednesday.

As against the normal throughput of 20 tonnes a day, the cargo terminal created a record of sorts by handling 39 tonnes. Less occupancy of passengers coupled with Deepavali demand for goods abroad led to the highest ever cargo throughput in a single day, said airport sources.

Record handling of freight was achieved as all the five international flights from Tiruchi airport lifted cargo to the optimum level.

Flowers alone accounted for nearly 50 per cent of the freight, followed by vegetables. Flowers were exported to Singapore, Kuala Lumpur and Sharjah.

This is the first time that the cargo terminal, since its commissioning in 2011, had handled 39 tonnes in a day, said the sources.
29/10/16 The Hindu

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UK firm asked to suggest means to optimize use of Mumbai airport’s runways

With congestion at Mumbai Airport worsening by the day and flight delays becoming the norm, the government has roped in a British agency to find ways to increase its the runways' hourly aircraft handling capacity.
"Mumbai airport's operator has asked the UK-based NATS (one of the best known air traffic control solutions and airport performance firms globally) to do a study to optimise the use of runways, at the behest of the aviation ministry. Mumbai is handling large traffic (given its constraints) but there has to be further improvement. The available space can be redesigned to increase the number of aircraft movement per hour. Our air navigation services are also trying to find ways of doing it," Airports Authority of India (AAI) chairman Guruprasad Mohapatra told TOI, while admitting that Mumbai needs the Navi Mumbai airport.
With its two cross runways, Mumbai International Airport Pvt Ltd (MIAL) handles 45 flights per hour while the country's busiest airport, IGI Airport at New Delhi, has three runways but handles only 67. "In terms of handling air traffic, Mumbai ATC is doing a superlative job given the constraints. But even this is not enough to handle the growing traffic there," said an airline official.
27/10/16 Saurabh Sinha/The Times Of India

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Trial run: IGI Airport gets hi-tech system to screen passengers

In a first of its kind, Delhi airport has acquired a full-body, compact image-free advanced passenger screening system. This system quickly screens passengers using safe millimeter wave technology to automatically detect concealed objects made of broad variety of concealed material — both metallic and non-metallic.
The system will be “on a trial basis” and has been deployed at terminal 1-D. Authorities have started training CISF personnel on how to operate the machine, which will be operational after November 15.
It processes digital scan data to determine if the individual can be cleared through the checkpoints. If a potential threat is identified by the system, an outline highlighting the area(s) of concern is displayed over a generic mannequin figure on the operator’s control panel. Security personnel can then assess the situation.
The system can detect a broad range of targets such as metallic and non-metallic weapons, standard and home-made explosives (sheet and bulk), liquids, gels, plastics, powders, metals, ceramics, and others solids. It has the ability to see under people’s clothing and detect hidden non-metal objects such as plastic explosives too. It offers the same great aviation checkpoint detection and throughput as the widely deployed image-free system.
28/10/16 Sunil Thapliyal/The Asian Age

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Centres nod to exchange of land between AAI, Odisha govt
The Union Cabinet today gave its nod to the exchange of land between the Airports Authority of India and the Odisha government in Bhubaneshwar.

The state government has offered 1.6 acres of land in lieu of 1.6 acres land of AAI, and agreed to undertake and relocate all the existing infrastructure of the authority on its own cost, a statement said.
27/10/16 PTI/India Today.in

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NZ team impressed with Kochi airport

An 81-member delegation from New Zealand led by its Prime Minister John Key visited the upcoming international terminal at the Cochin International Airport at Nedumbassery on Thursday.

The delegation also inspected the Rs.100-crore baggage handling system and integrated inline explosive detection X-ray system which were installed by a New Zealand firm.

Addressing the media later, Mr. Key said Kochi had one of the most beautiful airports in the world. “The baggage and security systems installed at the airport here are among the most sophisticated facilities in the world,” he added. Mr. Key, accompanied by his spouse Bronagh Key and team members, went around the T-3 terminal where they were briefed by airport officials. They left for Indonesia by Thursday night. The visiting delegation had met Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi on Wednesday.
28/10/16 The Hindu

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Govt check on high-rises planned near airports

 In a meeting with minister of state for civil aviation Jayant Sinha in New Delhi, chief minister Vasundra Raje promised that the government would not approve high-rise buildings near airports in Rajasthan.

The no objection certificate (NOC) to construct buildings near Jodhpur, Jaipur and Udaipur airports will be issued only in special cases after consulting the security aspect with the district administration.

Discussions were also made to construct a VIP terminal near the state hangar in Jaipur. For the same, the state has promised to allocate land to the Airport Authority of India (AAI).

A day before, a meeting, chaired by Jaipur development commissioner (JDC) Shikhar Agarwal, had sought the order on colour coded zoning map (CCZM) from the state government. The map would enable local bodies to approve height clearances for buildings proposed near airports.

At present, as per the building bylaws of Jaipur Development Authority (JDA), builders have to seek the approval of AAI to construct structures within the 20km radius of an airport.
28/10/16 The Times Of India

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MIA all set to get mammoth national tricolour fluttering from 100 feet flagpole

 Come Friday and visitors coming to Mangaluru International Airport at Kenjar near here are all set to be greeted by a mammoth Indian tricolor fluttering atop a 100 feet pole. The tricolor measuring 30 feet wide and 20 feet long will flutter in front of the terminal building near the car park area round the clock and will not be lowered at Sunset or hoisted at sunrise as mandated in the National Flag Code of India that has other strict rules too.
J T Radhakrishna, airport director, MIA said the project of erecting the tall flagpole and flying the national tricolor on it round the clock is part of a move by the ministries of home affairs and civil aviation to spur national feeling among the citizens and foster national integration. "The Airports Authority of India has selected around 25 airports run and managed by it for the project and such flag poles and flags have come up on premises of half these airports," he noted.
27/10/16 Jaideep Shenoy/The Times Of India

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Cleanliness drive at airport’s Project Smile Week

A cleanliness drive was organised at the Coimbatore International Airport on Thursday as part of the Prime Minister’s Swatchh Bharat Abiyan Mission and Project Smile Week that is observed from October 24 to 31.

The drive was carried out by Roots Multiclean Ltd. with their variety of mechanised cleaning equipment and janitorial tools.

The airport premises was cleaned from the city side road to the runways, covering the parking areas, departure and arrival halls, washrooms and toilets, escalators, lifts, aerobridges, aprons, taxi ways and runway.
28/10/16 The Hindu

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AAI presents dividend of Rs 482 crores to Centre

The Airports Authority of India (AAI) has presented a cheque amounting to Rs. 482.21 crores as final dividend for fiscal 2015-16 at a function held here on October 24. Dr. Guruprasad Mohapatra, Chairman, Airports Authority of India, presented the cheque to Union Minister of Civil Aviation P. Ashok Gajapathi Raju in the presence of AAI Board Members, senior officers from AAI and MoCA.

In a statement the AAI said that it is a consistently profit-making public sector undertaking and paying dividend to the government.
26/10/16 The Indian Express

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Airports Authority of India sets up cargo subsidiary

Aviation minister P. Ashok Gajapathi Raju, launched Airports Authority of India Cargo Logistics & Allied Services Company Limited on Tuesday. The AAICLAs is an independent cargo subsidiary company by corporatization of AAI’s Cargo Department.

Neera Rawat has been appointed as the MD of the subsidiary and BK Mehrotra would be Chief Executive Officer of AAICLAS.

“The vision of the Company is to become the foremost integrated Logistics Net Work operator in India with primary focus on Air Cargo handling and allied services. This new subsidiary will be allowed to develop its own distinct culture, organization structure and business model while at the same time draw upon the strength of its large parent origination, Airports Authority of India,” AAI said.

“All the activities currently being carried out by the Cargo Department of AAI will be merged into the new Company and the Department will no longer be functioning with AAI. The Company will be shortly initiating comprehensive discussion with all the stakeholders to ensure smooth transition of all Cargo activities to the new Company,” it said.
26/10/16 Defence Aviation Post

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Andhra Pradesh government promises public transport facility to all its airports to increase air traffic

Andhra Pradesh government has agreed to provide public transport facilities to all the operational airports in the state connecting them with the nearby cities in a bid to encourage air connectivity across the state.

In a meeting with the airline operators chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu said his government would extend all possible support to make the state an airline hub.

Chief minister Naidu suggested them to participate in the bidding for the routes involving AP airports in the upcoming Regional Connectivity Scheme. AP government has also come forward to subsidise the costs of the airline companies in making the airports in the state as their night landing base.

"Unlike in big cities, the connectivity to the regional airports from the nearby towns and cities has been an issue. A person living in Guntur may find it difficult to catch an early morning flight at Gannavaram airport while the private cabs charge exorbitantly. Public transport facility can fix this connectivity gap at a reasonable cost for passengers,"an airline company representative said.
26/10/16 Dasarath Reddy/Business Standard

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PM10 four times higher at IGIA

An unusual trend in air quality at IGI airport area of the national Capital was observed on Wednesday with four times higher mass concentration of Particulate Matter (10). Notably, in 2015 IGI airport was the cleanest area of the city in terms of air pollution.

According to the previous year's pollution data of the Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC), the mass concentrations of pollutant, including (Suspended Particulate Matter) SPM and other gaseous pollutants were measured low, however, this year, the pollution graph of IGI has gone up.

The real time air data of Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) meters have recorded level of Benzene at 12.90 mg/m3 which was two times higher than the prescribed standards of Indian Metrological Standards (IMD).

Considering the data base of National Air quality meters,   primary and secondary both pollutants was measured higher. Levels of Mercury, Nitrogen Dioxide, Ozone and Toluene were measured abnormally higher while in the year 2015, all levels were under the safer limits.
27/10/16 Sapna Singh/The Pioneer

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80 per cent helidecks not cleared by DGCA

More than 80 per cent of manned helidecks have not been cleared by the Director General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) in terms of safety. This means that even if there is a medical emergency on 50 out of 60 platforms on the western coast, the worker in need will not be allowed to get help. Moreover, after the Bombay High accident on November 4 last year which claimed the lives of two
Pawan Hans pilots, night landing emergency services for ambulances (helicopters) are yet to resume. Before the tragedy, the services were operational via the Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport (CSIA).
The DGCA has cleared a total ten platforms which are now safe for ambulance landing.
27/10/16 Neha L.M. Tripathi/The Asian Age

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Largest seizure at Indian airport: Gold worth Rs 2.8 crore found in aircraft toilet in Pune

IN ONE of the largest seizures of smuggled gold at an Indian airport, officers from the customs department seized over nine kg gold, worth Rs 2.8 crore, from the toilet of a Spice Jet flight from Dubai at the Pune International Airport on Wednesday.

The Indian Express has been reporting the rise in the number of gold smuggling cases from Dubai despite stringent checks.

An officer from the customs department said, “We have been tracking a particular modus operandi from the past few days based on some tip offs. Most of the international flights landing in Pune are converted to domestic ones and taking advantage of this switch, smugglers hide the gold inside the plane to skip customs check at the airport. The smuggled gold is then taken out at the next destination of the flight which has no customs check. This recovery was done during a flight checking exercise we had been conducting since last few months.”
27/10/16 The Indian Express

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Two held at Indira Gandhi International Airport with 'blood diamonds'

Last week, as two men approached the green channel at the Indira Gandhi International Airport, police intercepted them. They were thoroughly frisked and their baggage subjected to minute scanning. It was then that the police noticed that one of the men held on to a power bank. It seemed to weigh a lot for a small power-supply device. When the cops probed its innards, out tumbled 493 pieces of rough diamonds.

The rocks were being smuggled in from Congo, an exporter of 8% of the world's diamonds, by a jewel merchant from Surat and a professional smuggler who had been living in Africa for 15 years now. And seeing that the stones were not Kimberly Process-certified, or documented as not having been mined in conflict zones, they could only have been blood diamonds.

After the police team led by Karan Thapar, deputy commissioner (Customs), spoiled the pair's plans, the customs department seized the 493 stones, but has not been able to estimate their total worth. However, officials said this could be the most expensive cache seized in the history of Indian customs. "The case is the first of its kind," said one of them. " A gem evaluator in Mumbai will assess the real value of these stones. We believe that once processed, each piece could cost lakhs of rupees."
27/10/16 Anvit Srivastava/The Times Of India

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Jaisalmer airport to miss Nov 1 deadline

The air services, which were scheduled to be started from Jaisalmer civil airport, have been postponed due to operational issues. Supreme Airlines was to begin its flight from Jaipur to Jaisalmer and vice-versa.
However, air service between Bikaner and Jaipur will start form November 1. Ticket booking has started and even the timetable has been issued.
Confirming about the postponement of air services, Airport Authority of India, Jodhpur, director S K Singh said that there are some operational issues in starting the services. Efforts are on to remove those obstacles.
26/10/16 The Times Of India

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New green terminal opened at Vadodara Airport, India

A new green terminal has opened at Vadodara Airport in Gujarat, India, in order to increase its passenger handling capacity.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the terminal, which has helped Vadodara to become India’s second green airport after Kochi Airport in Kerala.

The new terminal has been designed and built by Airport Authority of India (AAI) with an investment of INR1.6bn ($24m).

"A new aviation policy has been released under this government which looks at growth of the sector."
Modi was quoted by Indian Express as saying: “A new aviation policy has been released under this government which looks at growth of the sector.
26/10/16 Airport Technology.com

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Chennai airport is choked, badly needs a second one to prevent air jam, says AAI chief

Chennai Airport is "completely choked" and the city urgently requires a second airport if it wants to avoid a Mumbai-like air jam in the coming years. And this comes from Airports Authority of India (AAI) chairman Guruprasad Mohapatra.

Mohapatra told TOI on Wednesday that AAI has been requesting the Tamil Nadu government to give a site in Chennai for the second airport. "In Chennai, runway extension is not possible and the airport is almost choked. It is approaching saturation," he said.

The airport now sees about 400 flight movements (landings and take-offs). Lack of space to expand Chennai airport's runway means that the flight handling capacity cannot be increased. Given that only one runway can be used at a time, airlines are scrambling for slots during peak hours. As a result, airlines complain they are unable to get desired slots in Chennai. "The capacity crunch limits slot availability and that, in turn, means people don't get benefit of more connections which will lead to greater competition and lower fares," said an airline official.

AAI recently increased Chennai's hourly runway capacity from 29 aircraft movements to 33. In this winter schedule, Chennai was the only airport that increased capacity. But any further increase will be difficult. A proposal to have a second airport has been hanging fire for almost ten years. "We have been asking Tamil Nadu government to decide on the site. AAI does not buy or acquire land. The state government has to give us encroachment-free land where we build the airport," he said.
27/10/16 Saurabh Sinha/The Times Of India

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Four flights diverted from Goa airport due to fog

Foggy conditions continued to put a dampener on landing and take-off operations at Goa International Airport on Wednesday with four flights being diverted and several other flights delayed. Airports Authority of India officials said that visibility at the Indian Navy-controlled airport fell well below the norm for airline pilots to land using the instrument landing system.
Flights have been delayed on a daily-basis since October 2 due to thick fog around the airport but sources said that the situation was never as extreme as on Wednesday.
"There have been several delays in the last few days due to fog. The instrument landing system (ILS) is available but visibility falls well below that. It is below the criteria for ILS landing," airport director B C H Negi said.
While all the early morning flights were delayed, four domestic flights had to be diverted to Bengaluru delaying holiday and business plans for hundreds of passengers. Goa International Airport does not have its own weather station and relies of the India Meteorological department for weather reports.
Air Asia flight I51324 from Bengaluru to Goa, scheduled to land at 6.05am, had to return to Bengaluru after circling multiple times over Goa. The flight finally landed at 12.40pm. The Bengaluru-Goa IndiGo Airlines flight 6E479 was also diverted to Bengaluru along with Jet Airways 9W446 and 9W479.
27/10/16 Newton Sequeira/The Times Of India

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NZ team to visit CIAL; focus on better trade ties

A trade delegation from New Zealand led by Prime Minister Rt Hon John Key, which is on a tour of India, will visit the Cochin International Airport Limited (CIAL) on Thursday.
The visit assumes significance against the backdrop of New Zealand’s recent efforts to strengthen trade and political ties with India.

The team will also visit the newly built international terminal at the airport. The delegates, including John Key’s wife Bronagh Key, will inspect the `70-crore baggage handling system set up by New Zealand-based Glidepath at the new terminal. The company has also won contract for installing a `72-crore computed tomography-based X-ray screening system at the terminal.
27/10/16 The New Indian Express

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Wolf saved from well near airport site

Even as the Dhangar community and conservationists have been raising concerns against the proposed airport at Purandar, a sub-adult Indian Wolf was rescued from a well, located about 3km from the survey zone, on Wednesday afternoon.
Despite the animal being a schedule-1 protected species, no effort has been made as yet for its conservation.
Ironically, the Dhangar community, whose livestock the wolves prey upon, It was ironic that the Dhangar community, whose livestock wolves prey on, had provided the equipment to rescue the animal on Wednesday afternoon.
According to conservation expert Mihir Godbole, on Wednesday around 8.30am, farm labourers were surprised to find a wolf struggling in a 30-foot well to find footing in the water of a 30-foot well on their farm in Kunjirwadi at 8.30am on Wednesday. They were in the vicinity to inspect a power cord, which was possibly cut as the wolf fell into the well. The workers immediately informed the farm owner, who in turn called the forest department's local staff upon reaching the spot around 9.30am.
"The local forest staff and officer had reached the spot and suspended a carton into the well so that the wolf could climb into it. However, the animal seemed to have been in the water since late on Tuesday night and could barely keep its snout out of the water. It could not get into the carton," said Godbole told TOI.
27/10/16 Abhishek Samuel/The Times Of India

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Horn Not OK Please at Raja Bhoj airport

CII Young Indians, along with Airport Authority of India, organised an awareness program Horn Not OK Please (HNOP) at Raja Bhoj Airport on Wednesday. The programme was aimed at educating people about the ill effects of noise pollution and makes the airport Honking free zone.

Informing the about the increasing noise level, the volunteers requested the passengers and those who come to drop and pick them up at the airport to use horns only when required. They informed that 90 decibels of noise can cause hearing loss, hypertension, heart attack and accidents and reducing the use of horns can control up to 80 per cent of noise pollution.
27/10/16 The Free Press Journal

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HAL, Concor sign deal for 5 more years for airport trade

Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL) and Container Corporation of India (Concor) recently signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) for a period of five years for their domestic and import-export trade at HAL's Ozar airport.
Speaking to TOI, a source from Concor said, "The last MoU was into effect from March 2008 to October 2016. The new MoU will be in effect till October 2021. The objective is to strengthen relations between the HAL and Concor and provide better services to trade and industry for import and export of their goods."
HALCON, a joint venture between Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL) and Container Corporation of India (Concor), has set up an Inland Container Depot (ICD) and Air Cargo Complex adjacent to Ozar airport in Nashik at an investment of Rs 70 crore to upgrade existing infrastructure. It was inaugurated on March 15, 2008.
27/10/16 Tushar Pawar/The Times Of India

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City airport taxiing ahead for take-off

A team of experts from the Airports Authority of Indian (AAI) landed at the city's airport on Wednesday to gather information on infrastructure and facilities required for license to operate flights.
The two-member team, which will complete the survey by Thursday evening, will submit its report to the higher authorities, which will put forward the demand to the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) soon.
The team examined the condition of the compound wall, fence and the runway, besides conducting a study to find out if there is any need to expand the runway. It also surveyed the trees surrounding the airport area and whether they would create any obstruction to flights, said a source close to the airport.
27/10/16 Vivek Waghmode/The Times Of India

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Mizo CM appeals for continuing AI flights from Lengpui

Mizoram Chief Minister Lal Thanhawla has appealed to the Union Civil Aviation Minister Ashok Gajapati Raju to continue Air India flights between Mizoram's Lengpui airport and Imphal in Manipur.

Air India had earlier announced its decision to discontinue flights between Lengpui and Imphal from October.

Lal Thanhawla, in his letter to Raju yesterday, termed the decision of Air India as unfortunate while the centre has been making arrangements to connect even smaller towns.

He said that air link was extremely important for states like Mizoram, which has difficult terrain, denying it with good connectivity with its neighbouring states.
27/10/16 Press Trust Of India

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Wait for int'l flights from city airport gets longer

Indore: The city, it seems, will have to wait for some more time before international flights start operating from the airport.
The need to make international flights operate from Indore airport even found mention during recently concluded Global Investors Summit. After investors raised the issue of Indore's air connectivity with the rest of the world, chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan requested External Affairs minister Sushma Swaraj to intervene in the matter and see to it that the service was started from here as soon as possible.
Chouhan during his GIS address requested assistance from Centre in making Indore airport an international destination. "The city has all facilities to accommodate international flights. We need overseas flight operations as soon as possible," he said.
The business community has been demanding launch of overseas flights from Indore for the last couple of years as they feel it will boost business and tourism potential of the state. But things don't seem to be taking off the ground any time soon. Airport authorities had earlier said that airport had all infrastructure needed to operate international flights.
26/10/16 Times of India

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An airport at Mopa cannot be a political decision

The Mopa Vimantal Pidit Xetkari Samiti (MVPXS), in a statement to the media, said that the villagers of Varconda, Casarvanem, Chandel, Amberem, Uguem and Mopa, whose land is being acquired by the government for the new airport, have rejected the offer of increased compensation. The samiti said that their members are not prepared to give up their land as the plateau needs to be protected from real estate speculators and other destructive forces so that it can be handed over to future generations in the condition it was received by the present generation.
The samiti, in its statement, has used strong language as it argues on the demerits of a new airport in general and in this location in particular. Besides stating that the land in question is a unique plateau that needs to be conserved, and stressing on the displacement of people living there that the airport will cause, the samiti calls the project ‘ill-advised and economically unfeasible’. It doesn’t stop at that. It terms the decision of building a ‘superfluous airport’ on the land as ‘arbitrary’ that is only for ‘short-term profits of a few from land speculation’ and asks that it be scrapped.
What the samiti has said in its latest release is a reiteration of what environmentalists and others have been saying over the past few years since the idea of a second airport at Mopa was first proposed. That the new airport will be economically unfeasible is a very real fear as the government continues to insist that commercial operations at the Dabolim airport will not be stopped once the Mopa airport is thrown open. In such a scenario, where two airports will exist in the State that has a population of 1.5 million, the government would be advised to conduct another study on the financial viability of the new airport proposed at Mopa.
26/10/16 Herald

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Pune international airport may scare off Indian wolves

Pune: Forest areas in and around Purandar taluka, the site for the Pune international airport, are also home to Indian Grey wolves.
Wildlife experts are worried that the airport will have an adverse effect on their habitat. A detailed report mentioning four specific Purandar-based locations that would affect the wolf population will be submitted to the state government with a request to turn these spots into wildlife protection zones.
Mihir Godbole, a Pune-based wildlife enthusiast, who has been working on and off with the forest department towards the conservation of the wolf population in the area, said the state government must look into the matter and take steps to ensure that the animals are not affected.
Once the ground survey starts, several committees will be formed by the state government to look into various issues which will also include the environmental committee and the team will assess forest area and wildlife in Purandar, he said.
26/10/16 Joy Sengupta/Times of India

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Vijayawada airport's new terminal building to be completed in December

Vijayawada: The new interim terminal building at Vijayawada airport in Gannavaram will be completed by the end of December, Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu announced in a meeting with airline operators at his office here on Tuesday.
As per the agreement with Simplex Infrastructures Limited executing the project from October 2015, the new terminal was to be completed by January 2017. Now, it looks like it will be completed one month ahead of schedule.
The new terminal building being constructed at the cost of Rs 135 crore will have 1,300 sq mts of plinth area and can accommodate 500 people during peak time. As per the half-year report, the airport had made significant progress in both air traffic and passenger footfall. Compared to 2015-16, in the first six months of the current fiscal, there has been 72 percent growth in passenger traffic and 78 percent growth in aircraft movement.

During the Krishna Pushkarams festival a couple of months ago, the region saw an increase in air traffic. The higher demand has led to airline operators wanting more operations. At present five airline operators are operating in the airport and two more airline operators are on the cards to start their operations in the next few months.
26/10/16 New Indian Express

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AAI seeks environmental report for Kolhapur airport expansion

Kolhapur: Commercial flight services at Kolhapur airport will soon become a reality with the Airports Authority of India (AAI) seeking an environment impact assessment (EIA) report on its expansion.
The AAI recently floated a tender on its website and asked people to file the bids online. The assessment will be done in connection with extension of runway with blast pad, RESA, taxiway, Apron, GSE area, Isolation bay, construction of new domestic terminal building, the ATC tower-cum-technical block-cum fire station and other miscellaneous work at the airport. The last date of submission of bids online is November 15.
According to the AAI officials, the tender has been floated for EIA report regarding construction and expansion of Kolhapur airport that includes extension of runway, isolation bay, setting up of RESA, taxiway apron, new domestic terminal building and ATC tower.
The agency that bags the tender will study the feasibility and identify spots where these infrastructural amenities will be constructed. The agency will also study the impact of daily environment, climatic condition at the airport, moisture, sunlight and other factors.
26/10/16 Vivek Waghmode/Times of India

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Land allotted to 262 airport PAPs in ninth lottery draw by Cidco

Navi Mumbai: The ninth computerized lottery draw, held by Cidco for airport Project Affected Persons (PAPs), benefited 262 villagers who had consented to surrender their land. The draw was conducted for 70 plots under a 22.5% compensation scheme and for 192 plots under a rehabilitation and re-settlement plan.
These 262 PAPs will be allotted land in Pushpak Nagar and Badghar. "Those who surrendered their land are being allotted developed plots under the 22.5% scheme, as one-time compensation," said Mohan Ninawe, senior PRO, Cidco.
The town planning body still needs to acquire 671 hectares as it has 1,597 hectares in its possession to square up the total requirement of 2, 268 hectares for the airport project.
26/10/16 Times of India

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Mumbai: MIAL given November deadline to raze slums

Mumbai: The 14 slum pockets identified as soft target for terror attacks by Mumbai International Airport Limited (MIAL) will be finally cleared with the ongoing survey and mapping of illegal slums around the airport.

The state government has given the deadline of November to clear the illegal slums around the airport. As a part of identification and mapping, MIAL officials have identified these 14 slum pockets as vulnerable for targeting the airport in the backdrop of the recent bombings at Brussels airport.

These slum pockets around the airport cover an area of around 24 acres.
The survey began in May this year after Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis issued orders, authorising the Additional District Collector of Mumbai (Encroachment) to identify slum dwellers who have illegally occupied the land surrounding Mumbai’s International Airport.

The Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) is also assisting MIAL in rehabilitating the slum dwellers. The authorities have now completed the survey in crucial slum pockets of Sandesh Nagar, Kranti Nagar and Indira Nagar.

A source said, “The survey in other slum pockets like Rajendra Nagar, Ambedkar Nagar, Ashok Nagar, Bamanawada and others is in progress and is expected to be completed soon.”
26/10/16  Karishma Ravindran/Free Press Journal

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AAI air cargo, logistics arm takes off

Airports Authority of India (AAI) on Tuesday launched an air cargo and logistics subsidiary, which is projected to rake in annual turnover of Rs 380 crore in two years. Announcing the launch of AAI Cargo and Logistics Allied Services Company Ltd (AAICLAS), Civil Aviation Minister Ashok Gajapathi Raju said that the country is now a step closer to becoming a world class destination in cargo and logistics services.

Neera Rawat would be the Managing Director while B K Mehrotra would be the Chief Executive Officer of AAI Cargo and Logistics Allied Services Company Ltd. Raju said that making India a world class destination in cargo and logistics services is his dream. “With the launch of AAI Cargo and Logistics Allied Services Company Ltd today, we are a step closer,” he added.

Participating at the launch ceremony, Civil Aviation Secretary R N Choubey said that AAI Cargo and Logistics Allied Services Company Ltd expects to have “an annual turnover of Rs 380 crore in two years time”. Airports Authority of India Chairman Guruprasad Mohapatra said that its cargo department has been de-merged and corporatised into a functionally & administratively independent organisation.
26/10/16 PTI/Millennium Post

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Airports Authority of India pays Rs 482.21 crore dividend to government for FY16

Public sector undertaking Airports Authority of India has paid a final dividend of Rs 482.21 crore to the government for 2015-16 financial year.

The national airports operator, which manages 125 airports, including 18 international ones, had achieved a record turnover of Rs 10,825 crore in the fiscal year ending March 2016. Indian carriers flew 21.6 per cent more passengers last fiscal on account of cheaper airfares due to low fuel prices as compared to 2014-15.

Its profit stood at Rs 2,537 crore in FY2015-16, 30 per cent higher than the profit reported in 2014-15.

AAI presented a cheque amounting to Rs 482.21 crore as final dividend to the government for FY2015-16 yesterday, AAI said in a release.

AAI is a consistently profit making PSU and paying dividend to its owner, the Central Government, the release said.

For FY2015-16, AAI's topline stood at Rs 10,825 crore, which was 17 per cent higher than Rs 9,285 crore in the previous fiscal.
25/10/16 PTI/The Economic Times

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Vijayawada airport's new terminal building to be completed in December

The new interim terminal building at Vijayawada airport in Gannavaram will be completed by the end of December, Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu announced in a meeting with airline operators at his office here on Tuesday.

As per the agreement with Simplex Infrastructures Limited executing the project from October 2015, the new terminal was to be completed by January 2017. Now, it looks like it will be completed one month ahead of schedule.

The new terminal building being constructed at the cost of Rs 135 crore will have 1,300 sq mts of plinth area and can accommodate 500 people during peak time. As per the half-year report, the airport had made significant progress in both air traffic and passenger footfall. Compared to 2015-16, in the first six months of the current fiscal, there has been 72 percent growth in passenger traffic and 78 percent growth in aircraft movement.

During the Krishna Pushkarams festival a couple of months ago, the region saw an increase in air traffic. The higher demand has led to airline operators wanting more operations. At present five airline operators are operating in the airport and two more airline operators are on the cards to start their operations in the next few months.

The Chief Minister called upon airlines operators to help increase the air passenger footfall in
the State and make Andhra Pradesh an aviation hub. He wanted them to participate in the bidding with regard to air connectivity to be called by the central government shortly.

He requested the airline operators to increase the air connectivity between Vijayawada-Visakhapatnam, Vijayawada -Hyderabad, Vijayawada-Tirupati, Vijayawada-Kadapa. He welcomed the suggestion of the airline operators for affordable transport from the airport to the nearest towns and cities.
26/10/16 The New Indian Express

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Aviation Min holds parleys with stakeholders for Budget inputs

Civil Aviation Ministry today held discussions with stakeholders to seek their suggestions for the Union Budget, days after unveiling the ambitious regional air connectivity scheme.

The meeting was attended by Civil Aviation Minister Ashok Gajapathi Raju, his deputy Jayant Sinha, Civil Aviation Secretary R N Choubey and other senior ministry officials.


"We had a meeting with all stakeholders. We asked them to give suggestions keeping our sector's growth (in mind). They said they will do an exercise among themselves. Then they will come back to us. Whatever suggestions are there we will look at how to take them forward," Raju told PTI here.

Speaking on the sidelines of the launch of AAI's new subsidiary, he emphasised that the government wants to sustain the growth in the aviation sector and also create more jobs.
25/10/16 PTI/Business Standard

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AAI sets up new logistics subsidiary

Airports Authority of India, the state-owned airports operator, has created a wholly-owned subsidiary, AAI Cargo Logistics and Allied Services Company Ltd (AAICLAS). The new entity has been set up with a vision to become one of the foremost integrated logistics network operators in the country with the primary focus on handling air cargo and allied services.

The subsidiary though owned by AAI will be functionally and administratively independent. It will provide ground handling, documentation, transport services for carriage of bonded and non-bonded cargo and screening services and related value-added services at airports in India and abroad, AAICLAS said in a statement.

All the activities currently being carried out by the AAI cargo department will be merged with the new entity.

Speaking at the unveiling of the new entity here late on Tuesday evening, R.N. Choubey, Secretary, Civil Aviation, said the new company hopes to achieve a turnover of around Rs. 380 crore in the next one-and-half to two years.
26/10/16 The Hindu Business Line

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AAI seeks environmental report for Kolhapur airport expansion

Commercial flight services at Kolhapur airport will soon become a reality with the Airports Authority of India (AAI) seeking an environment impact assessment (EIA) report on its expansion.
The AAI recently floated a tender on its website and asked people to file the bids online. The assessment will be done in connection with extension of runway with blast pad, RESA, taxiway, Apron, GSE area, Isolation bay, construction of new domestic terminal building, the ATC tower-cum-technical block-cum fire station and other miscellaneous work at the airport. The last date of submission of bids online is November 15.
According to the AAI officials, the tender has been floated for EIA report regarding construction and expansion of Kolhapur airport that includes extension of runway, isolation bay, setting up of RESA, taxiway apron, new domestic terminal building and ATC tower.
The agency that bags the tender will study the feasibility and identify spots where these infrastructural amenities will be constructed. The agency will also study the impact of daily environment, climatic condition at the airport, moisture, sunlight and other factors.
The AAI has also floated tenders inviting bidders from eligible Engineering consultants for the work of Engineering Consultancy for Construction of New Domestic Terminal Building, ATC tower cum technical block cum fire station and associated works at Kolhapur Airport.
26/10/16 Vivek Waghmode/The Times Of India

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Two new members appointed in AERA

Government today appointed two new members in Airport Economic Regulatory Authority (AERA), which fixes development fees in respect of major airports.
Subrata Samanta, Executive Director in Airport Authority of India and N Shankar, a former Director of Export-Import Bank of India were appointed as AERA members.
25/10/16 PTI/India Today.in

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CM N Chandrababu Naidu wants to turn Andhra into airway hub

The new terminal at Gannavaram airport will be ready by December, said chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu. He said works have been expedited to make the terminal operational by year-end.
At a meeting with private airliner managements here on Tuesday, Naidu said the government aims to develop Andhra Pradesh as an airway hub. He asked airline operators to increase connectivity from Vijayawada to Hyderabad, Visakhapatnam, Tirupati and Kadapa.
"The union government will invite bids for routes under regional connectivity scheme (RCS) soon. I request you to participate in it and help the state achieve its vision of turning itself into an airway hub, by ensuring greater connectivity," he told the operators. The government is developing Gannavaram airport on a par with international airports.
He asked the airlines to come forward with temple tourism and beach tourism packages. "By connecting all major temples, religious tourism package could be offered. Similarly, beach tourism packages can be offered by connecting all seafront areas," he said and added that the airlines should focus on heli-tourism as it will also fetch great revenues.
The CM said every district in the state has tourism potential and told the airline operators to come up with new tourism packages to attract passengers. He also said East and West Godavari districts are being developed for agriculture tourism.
26/10/16 The Times Of India

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AIU officers seize valuables at Mumbai airport

The Air Intelligence Unit (AIU) officers have detected various cases at Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport in Mumbai in the last 48 hours and have seized gold chains, gold bricks, diamond studded gold rings, foreign currencies and 176 used iPhones.

“One passenger named Drastamat Vardanyan holding Armenian passport no. BA 2054985 who had arrived from Dubai by EK 500 was intercepted. He was found carrying 1,227 grams of crude gold chain on his person. The gold totally valued at Rs 33,98,238 was seized, passenger was arrested and case was booked,” said Pradnyasheel Jumle, deputy commissioner of customs, AIU.
26/10/16 The Free Press Journal

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Wait for int'l flights from city airport gets longer

The city, it seems, will have to wait for some more time before international flights start operating from the airport.
The need to make international flights operate from Indore airport even found mention during recently concluded Global Investors Summit. After investors raised the issue of Indore's air connectivity with the rest of the world, chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan requested External Affairs minister Sushma Swaraj to intervene in the matter and see to it that the service was started from here as soon as possible.
Chouhan during his GIS address requested assistance from Centre in making Indore airport an international destination. "The city has all facilities to accommodate international flights. We need overseas flight operations as soon as possible," he said.
The business community has been demanding launch of overseas flights from Indore for the last couple of years as they feel it will boost business and tourism potential of the state. But things don't seem to be taking off the ground any time soon. Airport authorities had earlier said that airport had all infrastructure needed to operate international flights.
26/10/16 The Times Of India

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Airports Authority of India pays Rs 482.21 crore dividend to government for FY16

New Delhi: Public sector undertaking Airports Authority of India has paid a final dividend of Rs 482.21 crore to the government for 2015-16 financial year.
The national airports operator, which manages 125 airports, including 18 international ones, had achieved a record turnover of Rs 10,825 crore in the fiscal year ending March 2016. Indian carriers flew 21.6 per cent more passengers last fiscal on account of cheaper airfares due to low fuel prices as compared to 2014-15.
Its profit stood at Rs 2,537 crore in FY2015-16, 30 per cent higher than the profit reported in 2014-15.
AAI presented a cheque amounting to Rs 482.21 crore as final dividend to the government for FY2015-16 yesterday, AAI said in a release.
25/10/16 PTI/Economic Times

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Governmnet set to beef up bid to develop airstrips

Jaipur: After the announcement of regional connectivity scheme by the Centre, Rajasthan government has beefed up its efforts to develop airstrips in the areas that were so far not feasible.
State government will pitch hard for the areas that holds potential for tourism but lacks air infrastructure. Under the regional connectivity scheme, also known as UDAN (Ude Desh ka Aam Nagrik) Centre will grant a subsidy of Rs 100 crore for developing air strips.Apart from that airlines will be offered a slew of sops at smaller airports such as waiver of landing and parking charges. The government will provide subsidies to regional airlines to offer half the seats on a discounted rate.
"Government will take full advantage of the scheme. On November there will be meeting and we will showcase the potential of small places to airlines. If they agreed then airstrips will be developed there" said an official.
25/10/16 Times of India

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Operation planned at Vizag airport

Visakhapatnam: The strategy for the anti-Maoist operations which led to the killing of 24 Maoists by security forces at Ramanguda in Malkangiri district of Odisha in the wee hours of Monday was planned at Visakhapatnam airport about a week ago, according to senior police officials.
Sources said director general of central police reserve force K Durga Prasad held a meeting, which went on for about one-and-half-hours, with AP DGP N Sambasiva Rao and Telangana anti-Maoist operations officer Sudeep Lakhtakia at the Visakhapatnam airport last week to chalk out a plan to counter the Maoists following information about their increased movements in the Andhra Odisha Border area.
According to the sources, the CRPF DG was on his way to Chhattisgarh and had called for a meeting with the top police officers of AP and Telangana to discuss the strategy and improve coordination between the police personnel of the two states.
25/10/16 Siva G/Times of India

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Tighter flight e-ticket checks

The Union civil aviation ministry, alarmed by a 75 per cent rise in the number of people slipping into airports with fake online flight tickets, has asked airlines and airport operators to tighten entry checks.

The ministry has, until September 30 this year, documented 69 instances from seven major airports of people using fake e-tickets to enter security zones - mainly the area around check-in counters - compared to about 40 cases last year. Such violations are viewed as a major security breach.

Delhi's Indira Gandhi International Airport accounted for the maximum number of cases (27), followed by Mumbai (15) and Calcutta (11). Airports in Chennai, Hyderabad, Patna and Bangalore also detected similar unauthorised entries. Four of these airports are privately operated.

"We have instructed airlines to introduce additional security features on every e-ticket they issue," an aviation ministry official told this newspaper.

"Airport operators - the Airport Authority of India and private operators - have also been directed to provide special scanners to security agencies that can distinguish genuine bar codes on tickets from fake ones while checking passengers at the entrance," the official added.

At present, e-tickets issued by airlines only have passenger details and the date of travel, apart from a unique passenger name record.

Another government official said in most cases, people who had used fake e-tickets to enter airports had come to see off family members or friends and had "luckily not posed any major security risk". Some had come to only see the airport and loiter around, the official said.

In most cases, the defaulters - if caught - were let off after interrogation and brief detention.
24/10/16 Sumi Sukanya Dutta/The Telegraph

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Govt’s UDAN plan may not take off from Juhu after all

Four days after Juhu airport was chosen as part of the government’s UDAN (Udey Desh Aam Nagrik) plan, which aims to make air travel affordable for the masses, it has now come to light that the ambitious project may not take off from Juhu after all. Not unless the Airports Authority of India (AAI) complies with two conditions agreed upon with the aviation regulator when the airport’s license was renewed in June.

According to the letter of renewal, the licence was subject to: one, making a consolidated list of all exemptions with probable date of completion along with applications including an action plan and mitigation measures and two, an ‘action taken’ report on the annual surveillance inspection carried out in February 2016. But four months after the stipulated 30 day time assigned by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), the airport is yet to comply.

“AAI has not even appointed a nodal officer to carry out the documentation. It is stuck now,” said a DGCA official. Civil aviation secretary RN Choubey said that he would seek details of the delay in compliance.

The busiest heliport in the country, Juhu airport handles about 100 movements daily, many of them to offshore oil rigs. The development poses a risk to these operations as airports can't have commercial flight operations without a valid licence.
25/10/16 Aditya Anand/Mumbai Mirror

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A smile to perk up your trip

Passengers at the departure terminal of the Coimbatore International Airport were in for a surprise on Monday, when airport officials and staff greeted them with a smile and a rose, as part of the launch of the ‘Smile Week’.

Airport Director G. Prakash Reddy said that nearly 5,000 passengers use the airport every day and the smile aimed at providing a pleasant start to their journey.

“With more passengers likely to travel for Deepavali, we have made arrangements to make the time spent by passengers in the airport comfortable,” he said.

“Though greeting customers with a flower will go on only till next Monday, we have asked the Airport Authority of India staff and the airline staff to continue greeting passengers with a smile and be easily approachable,” he said, adding that there was a plan to hold such events twice a year to stress passenger-friendly approach.

Addressing the gathering at the inaugural of the event, Station Manager of SilkAir Saramma Joseph said that a genuine smile played a crucial role in the sales and service sectors, and lent a competitive edge.

As part of the event, a Smile Selfie Booth was set up at the departure terminal, for passengers to click photos.
25/10/16 The Hindu

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CM: first flight will take off from Mopa in 2019

Expressing happiness over the proposed project of greenfield airport at Mopa, Chief Minister Laxmikant Parsekar reiterated that the first flight will take off from the Mopa airport in the year 2019.
Parsekar on Monday disbursed compensation of Rs 30.80 crore to 600 beneficiaries whose land has been acquired for setting up the Mopa airport project, at a function organised by the directorate of Civil Aviation at Pernem.
Parsekar further said that with this amount, the government has fulfilled its assurance on additional three times more compensation to the affected people. He also disclosed that earlier government has disbursed Rs 120 crore to people whose land will be used for the project. He said that the government has succeeded in keeping its promise of extending additional compensation to people whose land has been acquired for the Mopa airport project.
25/10/16 The Navhind Times

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Air seva portal to receive feedback; on trial in Chennai

Air passengers will soon be able to post feedback and complaints about inadequate service from airlines and airports in an exclusive portal - Air Seva - which is on the final leg of trials at Chennai airport. The site may also have information about departure and arrival of flights at airports. The ministry of civil aviation will launch the portal and a mobile app after internal trials are completed. Major airports have their own websites and apps while a host of smaller airports do not have a web presence.
The website is designed to eliminate this shortfall and bring together information about all airports and airlines on a single portal. Feedback and complaints posted by passengers will be directly reviewed by the ministry.
A senior official of the ministry said, "Trials held at Mumbai and Delhi were successful. The ministry may take a decision to launch it after the trial in Chennai is complete."
25/10/16 The Times Of India

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Gangster lands in Trichy airport, held

Police arrested a notorious gangster, 'Kadhu Kuthu' Ravi, 47, when he landed at Trichy airport on Sunday. He absconded in 2011 after he was arrested in connection with a murder case. He had jumped bail.
Police had issued a lookout circular against him to all the airports in India.
25/10/16 Himanshu Kaushik/The Times Of India

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AAI plan for business, leisure destination at Raipur airport

The Airports Authority of India (AAI) has drawn up ambitious plans for creating infrastructure for an international level business and leisure destination on the city side of Swami Vivekananda Airport in Raipur.

The project aims to  provide a world-class environment, in which people can work, play and stay while catering to the surge in traffic of corporate travellers and tourists, officials informed.

The entire land 80 acres of land earmarked for developing various types of infrastructure may be provided to multiple entities / developers for modular development on 30 year lease or to a single entity under PPP concessional framework for development of the city-side for 30 year lease, they informed.

The AAI believes that development of the city side of the airport would make the region an ‘economic hub’ with exceptional connectivity, officials informed.
25/10/16 The Pioneer

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Technical snag delays SL Airlines by seven hours

A Trichy-Colombo flight was delayed by seven hours after the pilot detected a technical snag in the aircraft at the Trichy International Airport here on Monday.
According to sources from the airport, a total of 110 passengers of the Sri Lankan Airlines, were made to wait at the Trichy airport for more than 7 hours, following a snag which the pilot detected just before take off.
25/10/16 The Times Of India

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Couple creates panic by abandoning baggage at Delhi airport, throws CISF into a tizzy

The last 24 hours have been a nightmare for Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) guarding the Delhi airport. The plot could be straight out of a movie.
A couple identified as Amit Rajaram Chavan (real name Karan Patel) and his wife Sheetal Amit Chavan (Megha Patel) were scheduled to travel from New Delhi to Munich and onward to Toronto via London  and were to check in with two baggage at airline counter.
But in an interesting twist, the couple did not return to collect their  boarding cards from the Airliner sending CISF into a tizzy.  Adding to the woes, the couple later disappeared without a trace.
CISF which is already on high alert rushed to the spot immediately. The force responded by alerting its entire team. They alerted their surveillance and CCTV teams .
Despite the efforts of CISF,  the two passengers were not seen exiting the terminal building further fuelling suspicion.
The abandoned baggage were immediately screened to check for explosives. However, security checks revealed that the baggage was safe. Faced  with the daunting task of reviewing over 3,000 CCTV cameras installed in the Terminal ,
CISF deployed its crack CCTV monitoring team in the Security Operations Control Centre, who scanned hours of footage to locate the two missing passenger entering a toilet but mysteriously exiting in a different attire .
The couple reportedly discarded their original itinerary instead proceeded to domestic departures  by some domestic flight.
23/10/16 Kamaljit Kaur Sandhu/India Today

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Finally, Jaisalmer airport set to take off from November 1

Civil airport at Jaisalmer will be buzzing with passengers as air services are going to start from November 1. Supreme Airlines will be starting services between Jaipur and Jaisalmer and with air connectivity, the tourism business will witness boom.It is to be mentioned that the airport is lying ready at Jaisalmer for the last three years on Khuhadi Road after spending Rs 100 crore. No airline was interested in starting service, but now services are expected to be started for Jaisalmer, Bikaner and Delhi.
23/10/16 NYOOOZ

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Centre mulls tracking flights remotely at regional airports

The Centre is planning to monitor flights landing at regional airports remotely instead of constructing new traffic control towers near such airports in a bid to cut costs, an official said.

Flights landing at regional airports will receive instructions from an air traffic control officer who might be sitting miles away at an air traffic control room located at a major airport in the city.

“We are planning to go for remote air traffic control (ATC) systems being used and experimented in advanced countries to support the regional connectivity scheme,” Airports Authority of India (AAI) Member (Air Navigation Services) A.K. Datta said. The present law requires each airport in India to have its own traffic control tower which exchanges all sorts of information related to final approach, landing or take-off of a plane to weather or any kind of emergency or hazard with the pilot.

Some aviation experts have said that building an ATC tower infrastructure could cost between Rs.100 crore and Rs.300 crore.

The remote monitoring of planes has been tested in several markets such as Norway, Ireland, Australia and the United States.

Many major British airports are also considering centralised monitoring of air traffic services from a larger airport. “There's no need to have costly ATC paraphernalia and controllers at every regional airport,” said Amber Dubey, partner and India head of aerospace and defence at global consultancy KPMG.
23/10/16 Somesh Jha/The Hindu

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Plan to seek airport for Chitradurga

Chitradurga: There are plans to pressure the Union government to set up an airport and passport office in the district, B.N. Chandrappa, MP, has said.
Speaking after inaugurating a passport mela here on Saturday, he said the objective of the mela was to create awareness among people about the documents required for getting passport and provide them quick service.
As Chitradurga was more than 190 km away from Bengaluru and Hubballi, people would have to travel to these places to get the passport and if there were any mistakes in documents, they would have to return to their native place and get them. If a passport office was set up in Chitradurga, it would of help. Also, as Chitradurga had many historic monuments and tourists from different parts of the country visit the district, if an airport was established in the district, more tourists would come here.
23/10/16 The Hindu

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Centre to develop 4 airfields in state as low-cost airports

Patna: Four airfields in Bihar are likely to be developed as low-cost airports under the Centre's regional air connectivity scheme, christened Udan, which was launched by Union civil aviation minister A Gajapathi Raju on Friday.
Total 50 airports across the country are proposed to be upgraded under the scheme and the civil aviation ministry is also looking at 350 airstrips to be added to the Udan network. The four airfields in Bihar likely to be included in the Udan list are expected to be Muzaffarpur, Purnia, Raxaul and Forbesganj.
While the airfields at Muzaffarpur, Raxaul and Forbesganj are owned by Airports Authority of India (AAI), Chunapur airbase at Purnia is under Indian Air Force.
"Though the names of the four airfields in Bihar are still to be finalized, they are likely to be Muzaffarpur, Purnia, Raxaul and Forbesganj as per our preliminary assessment," said a senior AAI official here.
Sources claimed that Muzaffarpur and Raxaul airfields are used quite seldom and their runway length is 4500ft and 5,000ft respectively. Both airfields are mostly used for operation of government aircraft. The airfield at Purnia, on the other hand, is generally used by defence aircraft.
23/10/16 Times of India

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For flyers with disabilities, the turbulence at airports never stops

Last week, Aditya Mehta was on his way to Hyderabad when he was stopped at the Bengaluru airport and made to undergo a gruesome security check during which his prosthetic leg was yanked off by Central Industrial Security Force personnel. By evening, his leg was bleeding. It was the second time in as many months that this had happened to him.

In India, shabby treatment of the disabled during air travel is business as usual. Earlier this year, Anita Ghai was forced to crawl to the passenger coach at Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport as Air India could not find her a wheelchair. In 2012, SpiceJet ordered Jeeja Ghosh off its plane after the captain deemed her not fit to fly. Ghosh is afflicted with cerebral palsy and the airline staff did not know how to handle her. In May this year, in a landmark judgement, the Supreme Court ordered SpiceJet to pay Ghosh Rs 10 lakhs in compensation.

Mehta’s case is a combination of insensitive security staff and the absence of the latest scanning technology at airports. Ghai’s is one of negligence by Air India ground staff. And in the case of Ghosh, the problem was the insensitivity shown by SpiceJet crew and pilots towards a person with a disability.

All three people have one thing in common – they are individuals who have overcome their disabilities. Mehta is an internationally acclaimed para-cyclist who won a double silver at the Asian Para-Cycling Championships in 2013. Ghai is a professor, author and disability rights activist. Struck with polio more than 30 years before India had a Persons with Disabilities Act, she is now single-handedly setting up a disability studies programme at Ambedkar University in Delhi, where she teaches. And Ghosh was travelling from Kolkata to Goa for an international conference that intended to put a special focus on the challenges faced by persons with disabilities living in the global South.
23/10/16 Scroll

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Hindus welcome Yoga Room at Miami Airport

 Hindus have applauded launching of Yoga Room at Miami International Airport (MIA), a major international airport in USA.
"The Yoga Room is a tranquil space devoted to practicing yoga", MIA announcement states. Located in Terminal H, it opens daily from nine am to nine pm.
Calling it a step in the positive direction for MIA, distinguished Hindu statesman Rajan Zed, in a statement in Nevada today, urged all top world airports to provide yoga facilities for the passengers if they wanted to help reduce their stress levels and be "world-class" airports. Zed urged MIA authorities to keep the Yoga Room open round-the-clock and invite the local yoga studios/teachers to hold occasional free yoga classes there for the passengers, employees, vendors and visitors.
Yoga, referred as "a living fossil", was a mental and physical discipline, for everybody to share and benefit from, whose traces went back to around 2,000 BCE to Indus Valley civilization, Zed, who is President of Universal Society of Hinduism, noted.
23/10/16 Merinews

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Prepaid taxi kiosk at Chandigarh International Airport soon

Chandigarh: A Prepaid taxi service monitored by the local police, on the lines of Delhi International Airport, will soon be launched at the Chandigarh International Airport. The Mohali administration has written to the Chandigarh airport authority requesting that Mohali Taxi Union be provided space at the airport to start the service.
“We have received permission from the administration. Now the airport authority has to provide us space for setting up a kiosk inside the terminal,” said Inderjeet Singh, who heads the Mohali Taxi Service Union. He said the rates are being finalised, but, added that it was likely to be Rs 400-500 to any destination in the Tricity.
Currently, there are two taxi operators at the airport. One charges a flat fare of Rs 750, and another operators charges Rs 14 per km. There is a CTU bus service every half an hour, with the buses doing the rounds, alternating between destinations in Sector 17, 43 and PGIMER in Chandigarh. The Mohali Taxi Union too is operating at airport, but, they are not allowed to set up any kiosk at the terminal.
23/10/16 Adil Akhzer/Indian Express

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Fog hits operations at Goa airport

Panaji: Thick fog disrupted operations at Goa International Airport, Dabolim, on Saturday morning, delaying several flights and prompting authorities to cancel a charter with tourists on board. Two flights were diverted and one was cancelled after it was diverted to Jinnah International Airport, Karachi.
Sources said visibility at Dabolim was limited to less than a mile, affecting landing and take-off operations.
"The delay had a cascading effect on other flights because aircraft have to be rotated. It is difficult to say how many passengers were affected," airport director B C H Negi said.
23/10/16 Times of India

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Narendra Modi to visit Vadodara to inaugurate international terminal at Harni airport

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit Vadodara on Saturday to inaugurate the international terminal at Harni airport.
He will also attend a programme to distribute artificial limbs and other implements to more than 8000 'Divyangs' (disabled persons) in the city.
It will be Modi's first visit to Vadodara after becoming PM in May 2014. In last Lok Sabha elections, Modi got elected from both Vadodara and Varanasi seats, but he retained latter.
"After arriving in Vadodara tomorrow afternoon, the PM will first inaugurate the newly-built international terminal at the city airport and then he will attend Divyang camp at Navlakhi ground," said an official of Gujarat Information Department.
The state-of-the-art terminal, built at the cost of Rs 160 crore, is spread over 18,120 sq mt and can handle 700 passengers (domestic plus international) per hour. It will have 18 check-in counters. The airport is located in Harni area on the outskirts of Vadodara.
After the function, Modi will head to Navlakhi ground, where artificial limbs, tri-cycles and other assistive devices will be distributed to over 8000 'Divyangs'.
The event has been jointly organised by the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, Kanpur-based Artificial Limb Manufacturing Corporation of India (ALIMCO), and Vadodara district administration, stated a government release.
This will be Modi's fourth visit in last three months to his home state, where Assembly elections are due next year.
On his 66th birthday on 17 September, Modi had inaugurated various irrigation and drinking water projects in the tribal district of Dahod. He had attended a Divyang camp at Navsari in south Gujarat.
22/10/16 PTI/F.India

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Complaint against Dibrugarh airport director

The Eastern Assam Chamber of Commerce & Industries has lodged complaint with the Civil Aviation Ministry against the Airport Director of Dibrugarh Airport for denying plying of Air India’s baggage tractor on the apron area for pulling and pushing the baggage carts.
The denial of plying of baggage tractor of Air India has forced the ground staff of the airlines to do the job of pushing and pulling of the baggage carts manually to and from Air India aircraft. This practice is causing undue delay for the passengers, who are made to wait for long time to collect their luggage.

The members of the Eastern Assam Chamber of Commerce & Industries and Dibrugarh Bar Association were recently astonished to see ground staff of Air India doing the job of baggage tractor as the tractor meant for the purpose was not permitted to ply in the area by the Airport Director on the grounds of not having ‘individual’ insurance cover although, all Air India equipment including baggage tractors are plying normally in other airports including Guwahati and Kolkata under same conditions.

In a letter to the Civil Aviation Minister, the traders’ body has said that the Airport Director at Dibrugarh Airport cannot stop Air India personnel from using their baggage tractor within the apron area as the Air India had already made payment of the insurance premium amount to the insurer and the authorities of the Air India had already given an undertaking regarding the said payment to the Airport Director.
21/10/16 The Assam Tribune

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Defunct Salem airport hopes of flights relaunch in January

The President of Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ICCI) K Mariappan said the Civil Aviation Ministry has included the defunct Salem airport for regional airport connectivity. "The ministry assured that it would operate small flights from Salem airport, possibly starting in January 2017," he said.
The Salem airport began functioning in 1993. Operations were run by NEPC, a private airline. They operated flights between Chennai and Coimbatore via Salem. However, the airline closed operations due to insufficient patronage. Since then, the airport has been closed for more than 16 years.
Following efforts made by the Salem Productivity Council and ICCI, the Kingfisher Airlines agreed to operate flights from Salem airport. The first flight was operated from the airport in September 2009. This service too was stopped abruptly in 2011. "Since then, the airport was closed again by the Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA)," Mariappan said.
22/10/16 Senthil Kumaran/The Times Of India

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Compensation & rehab package for Purandar villagers to be declared soon

The rehabilitation and compensation package for the landowners in Purandar, where the new international airport is expected to come up, will be announced in 15 days' time, senior officials of the Maharashtra Airport Development Company Limited have said.
Speaking to TOI on Friday, Vishwas M Patil, vicechairman and managing director, MADC, said teams were studying the rehabilitation and compensation packages adopted by other cities and states for their respective airports. Similar packages will be offered to Purandar landowners.
"The team which had gone to study the Amravati model will return to the city late on Friday evening and submit its report. Another team will be leaving for Kochi next week, while the model adopted for Navi Mumbai airport will also be looked into. The final compensation and rehabilitation package will be announced within 15 days. The benefit of peasants is of utmost importance and it cannot be compromised," Pa til said.
Officials from MADC said a techno-economic feasibility study of the project will be done by the MADC soon and the final report, which can also be said to be the detailed project report, would take more than six months to be ready.
An official, who requested anonymity, said the Pune airport was expected to be built on the lines of the Navi Mumbai airport as far as the infrastructure and costing was concerned. "The complete study and approvals from ministries concerned will take almost a year. The obstacle limitation survey (OLS) will start within a fortnight, but it will take around 40 days before the report comes in. Since the airport will be built on a public-private partnership basis, the project needs to be a bankable one. It should be profitable and, hence, the cost factor for the Pune airport is difficult to be provided for now. If one is talking about two runways and a terminal building, like the one in Navi Mumbai, in Pune it can be scaled down a bit more," the official said.
22/10/16 Joy Sengupta/The Times Of India

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If not 120, deploy 60 MSF guards at Juhu: AAI to BCAS

The Airport Authority of India (AAI) has written to the Bureau of Civil Aviation Ministry (BCAS) requesting permission to have at least 60 personnel from the Maharashtra Security Force (MSF) at Juhu aerodrome for security purposes.

Approval for around 120 MSF guards to be deployed at the aerodrome was given by BCAS earlier on July 5 however the bureau is yet to identify locations for the deployment. AAI officials are unhappy with the delay, revealed senior officials close to the development.

A letter on the issue was sent to BCAS on Thursday, October 20, asking the bureau to provide aerodrome officials with at least 60 personnel on an urgent basis for the sake of national security. “The letter mentioned allowing at least 50 to 60 MSF personnel at the aerodrome soon. It was written as there was unnecessary delay from BCAS in conducting the survey and giving final approvals for the same,” explained a senior AAI official from AAI headquarters at Delhi.
22/10/16 Neha L.M.Tripathi/The Asian Age

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All Mumbai buildings may need AAI clearance

In a set back to Maharashtra’s ease-of-business plans, almost every building in Mumbai may have to now approach the Airport Authority of India (AAI) for height clearances.

Expressing reservations to the Centre’s plan of allowing local bodies to give clearances on the basis of newly developed colour-coded zonal maps (CCZM), a delegation led by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis recently suggested to the Civil Aviation Ministry that “almost every case in Mumbai has to be referred to the Airport Authority of India (AAI)” despite the colour-coded maps being in place.

At a recent meeting in New Delhi with the Civil Aviation Minister to discuss the regulations over height restrictions of buildings in the Bandra Kurla Complex (BKC) and Wadala notified areas, Municipal Commissioner Ajoy Mehta pointed out that the possibility of issuing No Objection Certificate (NoC) as per the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) must also be examined. “Municipal Commissioner, corporation of Mumbai (BMC), stressed the need to complete such survey of the such buildings for Mumbai and expressed willingness to bear the cost,” a report of the meeting reads.
22/10/16 Sharad Vyas/The Hindu

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After high-fliers, Juhu airport now for the Aam Aadmi

Juhu airport, so far the poorer cousin of the Santacruz airport, is all set to enter the big league. The prime minister’s grand plan of making travel in ‘hawai jahaj’ affordable to those in ‘hawai chappal’ means that the Juhu airport will now become a hub for travel in and out of Maharashtra.

The airport, which has so far been used for helicopter and private aircraft operations, has been notified by the government under the Regional Connectivity Scheme (RCS) called Udey Desh Ka Aam Nagrik (UDAN), announced yesterday, under which, 30-seater planes can connect to 28 other places in Maharashtra and a total of 394 airports across India.

Under the scheme, airfare on airplanes will range between Rs 1,770 and Rs 4,070 and helicopter rides will cost between Rs 2,500 and Rs 5,000. “We will target the first flights under UDAN to take off by January 2017,” Civil Aviation Minister P Ashok Gajapathi Raju said at the launch event of UDAN scheme in New Delhi.

So, passengers can fly from Juhu to Aamby Valley in Lonavala and Hadapsar in Pune by shelling out the subsidised cheapest fixed air fare of Rs 1,770. These are the only two airports which fall within the 201-225 km range of Juhu for which fares are capped at Rs 1,770. Two other airports in the 500 km band are Karad in Satara district and Kudal in Sindhudurg district. Flying to Karad will cost Rs 1,830 per passenger, while Kudal will cost Rs 2,760 per passenger. By helicopter, Juhu will be connected to Kalyan at Rs 2,500.

AAI chairman Guruprasad Mohapatra confirmed to Mumbai Mirror that the authority had appointed a consultant to study the feasibility of using the Juhu airport runway for non-scheduled flight operations along with rolling out RCS.
22/10/16 Aditya Anand/The Times Of India

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