Five people arrested for stealing aviation fuel

Nagpur: A Sonegaon police team has arrested five people, including driver of a carrier vehicle, for their alleged role in stealing fuel meant for aviation sector on Saturday. The gang used duplicate key to unlock the fuel chambers of the carrier to steal the expensive combustible fluid before it was delivered.

Police, having earlier information, laid a trap before nabbing five members of the gang while they were in the process of siphoning off the fuel from the vehicles near fire exit of the aerodrome. It was learnt that gang later disposed off fuel as kerosene or petrol in the black market. The carrier vehicles, after refilling the tankers from Khapri, would deliver the fuel at the airport.
01/09/14 Times of India

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GMR, GVK can bid for six airports' privatisation

New Delhi: The government has allowed airport operators GMR and GVK to bid for the six airports to be awarded in the second phase of airport privatisation.
Recently, leading companies that attended the pre-application discussions had expressed concern as GMR and GVK already had two airports each in their portfolios, after successful bids, the companies might end up operating four airports each and, hence, run a duopoly between them.
The companies had said while a new entity could win only up to two airports and only one among Kolkata, Chennai and Ahmedabad, there was no such bar on GVK/GMR. While GMR operates the airports in Delhi and Hyderabad, GVK manages the ones in Bangalore and Mumbai.
“GMR and GVK can each be awarded a major airport and a minor one, in the event of a successful bid. There were some arguments that they should be excluded. We have decided to allow them to participate in the bidding process,” said a senior government official associated with the tendering process.
30/09/13 Sharmistha Mukherjee/Business Standard

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Hope for clearance of gold shipments stuck at airports

Indian gold importers expect the customs department to clear remaining shipments stuck at airports later in the week, while some banks have already restarted imports, easing supply pressures and prices in the domestic market. Also Read: Gold gains as US shutdown looms Gold shipments into India, the world's biggest buyer of the metal, came to a virtual halt after the Reserve Bank of India told importers on July 22 that a fifth of their purchases would have to be turned around for export and 80 percent would be available for domestic use. The new rule created confusion among government officials, prompting the commerce ministry to hold a high-level meeting to sort out the confusion and clear all shipments lying at airports. "Finally, our shipments are under clearance after two months. We should come to know about its fate by tomorrow evening...," said a dealer with a private bank in Mumbai, adding "we have orders in the pipeline and will start processing them". Exporters are scrambling for stocks ahead of the peak Christmas season in the United States, though premiums in the spot market eased to USD 5-7 an ounce as against USD 40 seen earlier in the month.
30/09/13 moneycontrol.com

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Karnataka Govt looks to AAI as pvt developers' feuds stall regional airport projects

Bangalore: As efforts to build airports in five tier II cities hit roadblocks, the Karnataka government is planning to dump the PPP model in favour of a partnership with the Airports Authority of India.
This move has been necessitated because the proposed airports in Gulbarga, Shimoga, Bellary, Hassan and Bijapur, which were initiated by the previous BJP government, have been grounded up due to issues ranging from disputes between PPP partners and problems with land acquisition. About 35 per cent work on the airport in Shimoga is over while the one in Gulbarga is half-way through.
Karnataka's minister for infrastructure Santhosh Lad has said developers of other five airports have withdrawn on account of "economic slowdown, financial inviability, land acquisition disputes, breach of agreements and internal differences among project developers".
Now that AAI has announced to develop 100 regional airports across India to boost domestic aviation, Karnataka wants to partner it to revive its floundering projects.
29/09/13 Indian Express

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Hand over only small airports to pvt cos: AAI union

Mumbai: Opposing the government plan to hand over six leading Airports Authority of India-run airports to private players, its employees union has asked the government to hand over smaller airports to them and not those where huge investment has already been made.
The union has also threatened a nation-wide four-day relay hunger strike from October 22 as a part of their ongoing agitation, which started earlier this month by sporting black ribbons, to protest the privatisation move.
The aviation ministry recently decided to hand over the AAI-run Kolkata, Chennai, Ahmedabad, Lucknow, Jaipur and Guwahati airports to private companies despite opposition from the unions, after investing over Rs 5,000 crore of public funds for their modernisation.
"The government says it plans to develop a network of 100 smaller airports. So, why it should not ask private companies to develop them instead of giving the revenue generating ones to corporates," Airports Authority of India (AAI) Employees Union General Secretary Balraj Singh Ahlawat told PTI.
29/09/13 PTI/Business Standard

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AirAsia seeks Aviation Ministry nod to operate from old Chennai terminal

Mumbai: Concerned over an expected cost escalation due to the Government decision to privatise six more AAI-run airports, AirAsia India has sought the Aviation Ministry’s permission to run its proposed operations from the old terminal of the Chennai airport.
“AirAsia India has written to the Aviation Ministry seeking its permission to use the old Chennai terminal for its proposed operations. The move comes after the Government decided to privatise six airports, including Chennai,” a source close to the development told PTI.
The Aviation Ministry had recently decided to hand over six Airports Authority of India (AAI) run airports in Kolkata, Chennai, Ahmedabad, Lucknow, Jaipur and Guwahati to private companies despite vehement opposition from AAI unions, after investing over Rs 5,000 crore of public funds for their modernisation.
The Malaysia-based AirAsia, whose USP is low-fare, mostly flies from low-cost airports instead of main airports to save costs, a concept which is yet to take off in the country.
29/09/13 PTI/Business Line

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Airports Authority of India takes major initiatives to reduce emissions

New Delhi: As India and several other nations oppose the EU proposal to impose carbon tax on Indian carriers flying in European airspace, the Airports Authority of India has implemented a series of measures to substantially reduce emission.
In a paper presented at the ongoing International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) general assembly in Montreal, AAI has outlined a series of major initiatives it has taken to check depletion of ozone layer and emissions through improved air navigation service (ANS) procedures and training.
These include route optimisation, upgrading of surveillance infrastructure, upper airspace harmonisation, continuous descent operations, collaborative environmental initiatives and ground efficiency improvement programmes.
29/09/13 Economic Times

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IndiGo flight, foreign chartered plane had a near miss on Nagpur skies

Nagpur: An IndiGo Bangalore-Nagpur flight with 176 passengers on board and six crew members received a resolution advisory on September 23 morning while it was preparing to land. Resolution advisory is a warning given to aircraft by an inbuilt device called the traffic collision avoidance system (TCAS) when two aircraft come too close in the air and are in danger of collision.
The IndiGo flight 6E-435 was on its way to land at Nagpur's Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar International Airport when an internationally registered aircraft (no. ATR 72-500), which flew in too close to it, triggered off the resolution advisory. Both, the airline and the Nagpur air traffic control (ATC), confirmed the incident and said that the directorate general of civil aviation (DGCA) was investigating the matter.
29/09/13 Aparna Nair/Times of India

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Looming LS polls throw Mopa out of gear

Panaji: The looming Lok Sabha polls has landed the Mopa airport mission squarely on the backburner with observers pointing out that the 18-month-old BJP government has clipped the project's wings in an effort to woo the South Goa vote.
On the ground, STOI has found that though chief minister Manohar Parrikar, just ten days ago, attributed the project's slowdown to the government having to conduct the environment impact assessment (EIA) study, what he failed to say is that the government has yet to issue the request for qualification (RFQ) document.
29/09/13 Joaquim Fernandes/Times of India

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Space crunch hits private aircraft operations

Pune: Parking issues it seems are not limited to four-wheelers on roads. The Pune International Airport too has limited parking space and there is little scope to expand the area. The delay in building the new airport even as city's skies get busier has affected the private aircraft operators. Private, non-scheduled aircraft owners and operators are now forced to park their aircraft at distant locations such as Aurangabad and Nashik.
The Airport Authority of India (AAI) too has expressed helplessness on the grounds that the airport is under the control of the IAF. Airport authorities said city's 17 private aircraft are vying for space at the airport. Eight aircraft have been allotted permanent parking space for night halt. The remaining nine aircraft get permission to park only if any of the permitted eight aircraft are away. Furhtermore, four requests for night halt are pending.
29/09/13 Indian Express

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New hangar to be ready by Dec, land sought from IAF

Pune: Efforts at the local level are on to accommodate more aircraft. "A new hangar is under construction and is likely to be completed by December. This may accommodate additional 3-4 small aircraft from the present lot. Thus we can address pending requests," said an official. "We have also requested IAF to allot five acres. Talks are on and in case the proposal falls through, we may be able to build three bays that can accommodate 12 aircraft."
But the operators/ owners have a different take on the issue. Wing Commander (retd) W H Marshall, CEO, Poonawalla Aviation, said, "It is high time the government gives priority to aviation.
29/09/13 Indian Express 

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American with bullets denied bail

Bhubaneswar: A trial court here on Friday turned down the bail plea of American engineer William Michael Hurtubise, who was arrested by the CISF with bullets at Biju Patnaik Airport on September 18.
William was booked under Arms Act. "Since he is a foreign national and the police are yet to ascertain the source of the bullets, the judge rejected his bail plea," William's lawyer said.
A few days ago, the police sent the eight .22 mm bullets to state forensic science laboratory for ballistic test. "We have not yet received the report," DCP Nitinjeet Singh said.
28/09/13 Times of India

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Survey reveals 34 pc travellers find check-in stressful

New Delhi: One may find flying to a long-distance destination saves a lot time but over a one-third of the travellers find check-in and bag-drop before boarding a plane as the most-stressful part of air travel, according to a survey by aviation think-tank Centre for Aviation and IT solution provider SITA.  
Security and border control is stressful for 18.3 per cent while 12.2 per cent find baggage collection the most cumbersome. And only 33 per cent were aware about self check-in facilities at airports for passengers travelling without baggage.
"Airports made the kiosks available in order to achieve higher ratings in airport service quality surveys and are keen to recover the costs. At some airports, kiosk check-in can be more expensive for the airline than a manned counter, and the facility has therefore not been actively encouraged. Kiosk usage as a result is at around 10 per cent at almost all airports where they are provided in India. Bangalore is the best performer at close to 20 per cent," the survey said.
28/09/13 Deccan Herald

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Privatisation of airports: CIAL to bid for operations

Cochin International Airport Limited (CIAL) has decided, as part of its efforts to expand business, to enter the fray for airport operations when they come up for privatisation.
CIAL chairman and managing director V. J. Kurien has been entrusted with the task of preparing the ground for CIAL to compete for bagging airport operations elsewhere in the country.
A statement issued by the Public Relations Department here said the 19th annual general meeting of shareholders on Friday deferred its plans for a rights issue. It would take into consideration the opinion of all shareholders before taking a decision.
An earlier decision by the CIAL to issue shares at 1:1 ratio to minority shareholders came under fire from public sector shareholders of the airport operator. Bharat Petroleum Corporation, Housing and Urban Development Corporation and Air India are among the public sector shareholders in CIAL.
28/09/13 The Hindu

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Ready to fly scorpions, spiders seized from cargo

Chennai: When air customs officials received a tip on Friday evening that there was something fishy about a few wooden boxes in the cargo section, they didn't expect scorpions and giant spiders. The creatures were found wriggling in polythene bags packed in six boxes marked for the Philippines and Italy.
Smuggling of live animals and animal parts has been rampant at Chennai airport which is a busy port to the Far East. On Saturday, officials found 14 black scorpions and two giant spiders in the air mail consignment without proper labelling. It was addressed to a person called Fernando, with the address '227 Rizal Ave Express, Grace Park, Philippines.' The other consignment was marked to 'Daizottilorisn Sowamaria, 95/11, Arcvgnan, Vicenzg, Italy.' Officials said the sender's addresses were not properly mentioned.
29/09/13 Times of India

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Work on to restore air link with Bangalore

Bhubaneswar:  The Biju Patnaik airport authorities are planning to rope in a Bangalore-based airline to start operations between Bhubaneswar and the South Indian city with Jet Airways stopping operations from October 27.
"We will have a meeting with the airline staff on October 1. Details like landing and refueling at the airport will be discussed. The airline will have to seek permission to start the operation," airport director Sharad Kumar said. Jet announced suspension of three flights from Bhubaneswar a week ago, citing losses.
29/09/13 Times of India

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Underpass proposed as solution to allow Mysore airport expansion

Mysore: After indications that the Centre is not keen on developing the Mysore Airport by realigning a stretch of National Highway 212 connecting Mysore to Nanjangud, senior engineers and a city-based NGO are proposing the construction of an underpass near the airport as a solution.
This comes amid KIADB seeking to drop the process of land acquisition to realign NH 212 citing high cost for compensation as the reason. Union minister for transport and highways Oscar Fernandes had indicated that airport expansion could wait and upgradation of NH 212 was his primary focus. The realignment is crucial for airport expansion given that the proposed runway cuts across NH 212.
A bunch of senior engineers attached to the Institution of Engineers on Friday surveyed the area near Mandkalli where the airport is located. The engineers suggested that instead of realignment of NH-212 via Hosahundi for the proposed four-lane Mysore-Nanjangud road, the government could construct an underpass from Dalvoy Lake to Undabatti Lake. This option is cost effective, saves time and requires lesser land too, they said.
28/09/13 Times of India

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Sriprakash Jaiswal urges Ajit Singh for more Delhi-Kanpur flights

Kanpur: Union Coal Minister and local MP, Sriprakash Jaiswal has written to the Civil Aviation Minister Ajit Singh for increasing the frequency of Delhi-Kanpur air services from the existing two to six days a week.
Emphasising the need for augmenting the flight services, Jaiswal said in a statement here said that Kanpur is the most populated industrial town of UP and traders frequent Delhi for business purposes.
He also requested to change the current flight timings from afternoon to morning as it is causing inconveniences to the commuters. They are forced to travel to Lucknow to board the morning flight to Delhi, he said.
28/09/13 ZeeNews 

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CISF mock drill at Patna airport creates panic

Patna:  It was panic and commotion all over the Patna airport on Saturday when CISF jawans took position at strategic locations inside the airport and in the tarmac area to thwart hijacking of a plane of Damania Airways. Awestruck passengers watched the CISF movement from the security-hold area as well as from the lounge. They were so much panicked that they ran helter-skelter.
According to informed sources, the CISF personnel also surrounded the aircraft so that it could not move even an inch. It was only half an hour later that the passengers heaved a sigh of relief when they learnt that it was nothing but a mock drill. Patna police also provided necessary help.
29/09/13 Times of India

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'Will tap potential of Mysore airport'

Bangalore: The State government is making efforts to tap the potential of Mysore Airport to attract more tourists, both domestic and foreign, Tourism Minister R V Deshpande said here on Friday. He told reporters that the Mysore Airport is not being used to its full potential. “We have taken some measures to address the issue,” he added.
Stating that recently he had a meeting with the representatives of several domestic airline operators, including SpiceJet, IndiGo and Jet Airways, he said: “They have sought some incentives to operate their flights, which we are considering.”
Among other things the airlines are demanding a reduction in tax on aviation fuel, and incentive for operating their flights. “I have also taken up the matter with the Civil Aviation Ministry to see that Mysore airport is utilised to its full potential,” he said.
28/09/13 New Indian Express

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Exclusive check-in for premium fliers in Mumbai soon

Goa: Come December, the travel experience at Mumbai airport for those in first and business class on at least nine international airlines will change forever.
The airport says that it will be the first in the country to have a premium check-in class unit, said Rajgopal Narayanan, Lead, Joint Control Centre, Mumbai International Airport Ltd (MIAL).
The airport is currently in talks with nine international airlines for a new separate check-in counter for first and business class passengers. In this area, passengers will be met by MIAL meet-and-greet staff who will complete the check-in and baggage formalities for them on portable devices in the exclusive area.
27/09/13 Ashwini Phadnis/The Hindu

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No consensus on Cial shares to minority shareholders

Kochi: In an unexpected move, the PSUs which are large shareholders of Cochin International Airport Limited (Cial) have vehemently resisted the proposal to allocate preferential shares to minority shareholders, forcing the directors to put it on the back burner.
Chief minister Oommen Chandy, who is also the chairman of the Cial board of directors, had to finally announce withdrawal of the resolution supporting the proposal at the annual general meeting (AGM) of the company on Friday and keep it pending till a consensus is reached.
The representatives of PSUs, including Air Inida, Hudco, State Bank of Travencore and UCO Bank, opposed the resolution saying that they must also be allocated shares in proportion to the shares they hold. Some of them even demanded voting on the resolution.
That the chief minister and other directors were caught unawares was evident from the CM's words. "We all thought there could at the most be some token objection to the proposal from the PSUs. But now that they have even demanded voting, it would be better to introduce the resolution after convincing the managements of those companies," Chandy said.
28/09/13 T Ramavarman/Times of India

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Nagpur airport director A K Verma shifted to Guwahati

Nagpur: Airports Authority of India (AAI) airport director AK Verma has been transferred on a promotion to Guwahati. He will take up the charge of airport director at Guwahati Airport which is a general manager level post.
Verma will be joining Guwahati Airport on Monday. He joined Nagpur's Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar International Airport as AAI airport director in April 2010. In his tenure a number of initiatives were taken up by the AAI at Nagpur. Nagpur received acclaim for the successful installation of INDRA radar system and acquiring the ISO 27000 certification. "It is with great satisfaction that I am moving. The team here was a very good one. Now Nagpur is looked upon with admiration by others in implementation of new technologies. It was a great experience for me," said Verma.
28/09/13 Aparna Nair/Times of India

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Air Arabia to operate Nagpur-Sharjah flight four times a week

Nagpur: In a welcome move for Nagpurians, Air Arabia has decided to increase the frequency of its Nagpur-Sharjah flight. From the earlier three trips a week, the frequency of the flight will be upped to four times a week.
Starting October 29, Air Arabia flights will depart from Nagpur on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays at 4:50am (local time) to reach Sharjah at 6:50am (local time). Similarly, flights will depart from Sharjah on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays at 11:10pm (local time) to reach Nagpur at 4:10am (local time).However, other airlines have made no changes in their winter schedule as of now.
28/09/13 Aparna Nair/Times of India

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Coast Guard copter rescues 9

Ahmedabad: Indian Coast Guard Dhruv helicopter from Coast Guard Air Enclave Porbandar evacuated nine people from the flood-hit areas of Kutiyana village in Porbandar district. Among those rescued were three kids, one woman and five men.A rescue team from Coast Guard Station Vadinar in co-ordination with NDRF and local district administration rescued more than 100 stranded people from Jodiya village in Jamnagar district. The requests for assistance were received from the district collectors of Porbandar and Jamnagar.
27/09/13 Times of India

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Ranbir's customs woes at the airport

Ranbir Kapoor, who is these days, all over the place with the release of his film Besharam, got into a tight spot with the custom officials at the Mumbai international airport on Tuesday.
What had happened was that when he was walking out through the Green Channel, the officials stopped him to check his baggage. Post the inspection, he was asked to pay Rs. 1.70 lakh, of which Rs. 1 lakh as duty for some goods he'd bought and Rs. 70,000 as fine for trying to evade customs.
27/09/13 Bollywood Hungama

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Guwahati, Ahmedabad airports best in country

Guwahati: Lokpriya Gopinath Bordoloi International Airport, Guwahati, along with Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport, Ahmedabad, has been jointly adjudged the best airports run by the Airports Authority of India (AAI) for the period April-June 2013. The award has come from the Airports Council International (ACI), which is a global trade representative of the world's airports.
PSRK Sudhakar, regional executive director of North-Eastern Regional Headquarters of the AAI said it's an honour that the LGBI Airport has been adjudged one of the best airports in the county by the ACI. "Passenger facilities, security arrangements, lighting and delivery of services are some of the key aspects that were considered by the ACI while naming the Guwahati and Ahmedabad airports as the best AAI-run airports in the country," said Sudhakar. He added that both the airports were adjudged the best of 11 AAI-run airports of India, which are thronged by 10 lakh or more passengers annually.
27/09/13 Times of India

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Pune airport plan gets new impetus in PM meet

Pune: The proposed Pune international airport has received Centre's backing in a meeting convened under the Prime Minister on September 23. With an eye on the polls, the Congress is set to steer ahead the pending proposals in the state, including the international airport in Pune.
In the meeting, the chief minister and the Maharashtra Airport Development Company officials discussed ways to speed up land acquisition for the Pune, Navi Mumbai and Juhu airports.
"The meeting discussed land acquisition of Pune airport,'' said Pune Divisional Commissioner Prabhakar Deshmukh. Though he was not present in the meeting, he said that state officials attended the meeting and discussed various projects in the state.
MADC officials said in the meeting the Prime Minister asked the state officials to speed up the pending proposals. "We have been told that land acquisition process has to be worked out,'' said the MADC official.
27/09/13 Nisha Nambiar/Indian Express

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AERA to issue fresh consultation paper on BIA user development fee

Bangalore: The Airports Economic Regulatory Authority (AERA) on Wednesday announced its decision to issue a fresh consultation paper on revising the user development fee (UDF) for the Bengaluru International Airport (BIA) and seek stakeholder consultation.
It also extended till September 25, its deadline for the BIA stakeholders to respond to an earlier consultation paper. This could potentially delay the collection of revised UDF which was tentatively scheduled to begin on October 1.
The Union Ministry of Civil Aviation had sought time till November 1 to furnish its comments on the AERA consultation paper dated June 26.
The Authority had earlier received the comments from the Bangalore International Airport Limited (BIAL). The fresh UDF calculations submitted by BIAL were being separately examined, AERA maintained.
25/09/13 Deccan Herald

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‘Kannur International Airport to achieve financial closure by Dec-end’

Goa:  Kerala’s Kannur International Airport (KIA) hopes to complete financial closure for the project by the end of December, G. Chandramouli, Managing Director, Kannur International Airport, has said. The new project is being taken up on the build, own and operate model, with the State Government being a partner in the project.
KIA is also in talks with various agencies, including some international multilateral lending agencies and banks, for raising debt worth about Rs 900 crore.
The airport project is one among many being closely monitored by the Prime Minister’s Office, as the Government looks to put the development of infrastructure projects on the fast track.
“By April 2014 we should be in a position to award the city side terminal and control tower. We have ambitious plans to start commercial operations by the end of 2015,” Chandramouli said. Chandramouli was speaking to the Hindu Business Line on the sidelines of the Aviation ICT Forum 2013, organised by SITA in Goa.
27/09/13 Ashwini Phadnis/Business Line

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Airport checks to reduce as fliers stamp their anger

New Delhi: Air travellers may not have to get their boarding passes stamped after security check at Indian airports if the home ministry manages to get the civil aviation ministry and Central Industrial Security Force on board with the idea of aligning domestic procedures with global practices.
The home ministry has initiated a debate on the matter following complaints from travellers, including foreigners, a senior official told ET. "The effort is to bring security at Indian airports on a par with international practices," said the official, who did not wish to be named. "If boarding passes are not stamped anywhere else in the world, why should they be at Indian airports? Why should a passenger be made to wait even for a minute? The threats in India are similar to those in the US or UK and if security passes are not stamped in those countries, the same should be the case here."
27/09/13 Aman Sharma/Economic Times

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Real estate lies unexplored as BIAL seeks UDF hike

Bangalore: Burdened by rising air fares, passengers at the Bengaluru International Airport (BIA) could be in for a hefty hike in User Development Fee (UDF).
But even if a Wednesday notification by the Airports Economic Regulatory Authority of India (AERA) for a fresh consultation paper offers a temporary reprieve, the air commuters would eventually end up paying for the BIAL’s inability to raise revenue from the vast real estate adjoining the airport.
Two years before the airport construction took off, the Bangalore International Airport Limited (BIAL) had taken possession of 4,008 acres of land on concessional rental terms from the State government. Besides the runway, terminal and other airport infrastructure, a big chunk of this land -- valued then at Rs 175 crore -- was earmarked for real estate that could eventually generate big ticket revenue for the shareholders. But, as airport infrastructure experts point out, the land remained largely undeveloped in the last five years.
26/09/13 Rasheed Kappan/Deccan Herald

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Ex-CBI official in gold smuggling case

Kochi: The Nedumbassery gold smuggling case turned more intriguing on Thursday as John Joseph,  additional director of directorate of revenue intelligence (DRI), who is alleged to have introduced smuggler T.K. Faiz to Kochi air customs deputy commissioner C. Madhavan, revealed that the accused was introduced to him by T. Vikram,  former superintendent of the Central Bureau of Investigations.
With the new revelations,  top officials of customs, DRI and CBI have come under the scanner of investigators. C. Madhavan, who is now facing a CBI case on the  charge of taking bribe from smugglers, had earlier revealed that he was introduced to Faiz by a DRI official  and that he had no links with the international racket. He also alleged that a woman officer in the customs was targeting him by dragging his name into the case.
27/09/13 Deccan Chronicle

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Airports Authority Employees' Union employees oppose airport privatization

Guwahati: Airports Authority Employees' Union (AAEU) is on the path of agitation opposing privatization of the LGBI Airport. The agitation, which was started by the activists of the northeastern region of the union on September 9, is likely to affect the functioning of the airport if the government does not come into a negotiation with the employees. The staff have threatened to continue the agitation till October end or even further if their demand is not met.
The union is in touch with leading organizations of the state like All Assam Students' Union, Krishak Mukti Sangram Samiti and Asom Jatiyatabadi Yuba Chatra Parishad to intensify its stir against privatization of the airport.
Pabitra Das, regional secretary of the AAEU's northeastern regional headquarters, said handing over the LGBI Airport to a private party is a betrayal to the peasants and the residents who vacated their lands for the interest of the nation while the airport was built.
27/09/13 Times of India

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Soon, exclusive check-in area for first, business class passengers at Mumbai airport

Goa: Come December and the travel experience at Mumbai airport for those in first and business class on at least nine international airlines will change forever.
The airport claims that it will be the first in the country to have a premium check-in class unit, said Rajgopal Narayanan, Lead, Joint Control Centre, Mumbai Airport.
The airport is in talks with nine international airlines for a new separate check-in counter for first and business class passengers, which will be secluded and away from the section where economy class passengers flying on the same aircraft will be checking in.
In this area, passengers will be met by MIAL meet-and-greet staff who will take them to the exclusive check-in area. They will be made comfortable while the meet and greet staff complete the check-in and baggage formalities on portable devices that have been provided to them.
27/09/13 Ashwini Padnis/Business Line

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SITA Wins Indian Airport Contract

The Airports Authority of India (AAI) has chosen SITA’s Airport Management System for use at ten airports across India; Chennai, Kolkata, Ahmedabad, Calicut, Jaipur, Mangalore, Pune, Trichy, Trivandrum and Guwahati.
The seven-year, multi-million dollar deal is part of a US$130 billion airport modernisation project from the Indian Ministry of Civil Aviation.  It comes as India prepares for annual passenger numbers to triple to 450 million by 2020.
SITA has partnered with NIIT Technologies Ltd for this first multi-airport project in Asia to implement Airport Operations Control Centers (AOCC).
Mr V P Agrawal, Chairman, AAI in his message to the Aviation ICT Forum 2013 said the AAI is integrating and automating airport operations at ten of its airports including Chennai and Kolkata.   Once implemented successfully, it will help implement Airport Collaborative Decision Making (ACDM) which will greatly enhance both capacity and efficiency of the airport operations thereby making them more cost effective.
27/09/13 Airports International

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Biman Bangladesh planning to operate to several Indian cities

New Delhi: In an ambitious plan to double its fleet and rapidly expand its network, Biman Bangladesh today said it was aiming at operating to several Indian cities, up from two at present, and add flights to Kolkata in a few months.
Biman, Bangladesh's national carrier, plans to start double dailies from Kolkata by October-end instead of five flights a week now, to enable business travellers from both sides to do their work and return home the same day, airline's MD and CEO Kevin John Steele said here.
The airline, which now operates only to Kolkata and Delhi from Dhaka, was also considering expanding frequencies to the Indian capital and planning to launch operations to Chennai, Bangalore and Mumbai in the next 18 months, he said. Cities like Guwahati and Bhubaneshwar were also on its radar for turbo-prop operations.
27/09/13 Economic Times

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Few Indian fliers aware about check-in kiosks: Study

An overwhelming 80 per cent of travellers in India are open to using self-service facilities if it helps speed up their passage through airports, according to a survey conducted by Center for Asia Pacific Aviation (CAPA) and SITA.
The survey, however, shows that awareness about check-in kiosks among Indian fliers are much lower at 33 per cent of passengers surveyed.
CAPA is an aviation consultancy firm and SITA is a global provider for IT and telecommunication solutions for the aviation industry. The study says shows that more than half air passengers find check-in, baggage drop off, security and border control procedures among the most stressful while travelling.
27/09/13 Mihir Mishra/Financial Express

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'Government for more airports in India to enhance connectivity to remote areas'

Panaji: Anil Srivastava, joint secretary, ministry of civil aviation, announced the central government's plans to construct 50-60 low-cost Greenfield airports in smaller towns across India. Drawing a parallel to the proliferation of mobile service networks in every corner of the nation, Srivastava said it was the ministry's vision to provide better connectivity in remote areas.
Srivastava was speaking at the Aviation ICT Forum organized in Goa, addressing representatives from leading airline companies, Airport Authority of India officials and other stakeholders of the aviation industry on Thursday.
26/09/13 Joaquim Fernandes/Times of India

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EC effect: IT dept to keep eye on air travellers

Indore: Income Tax officials from Indore region will keep an eye on air travellers carrying more than Rs 10 lakh cash or gold in excess of 1 kg, ahead of assembly elections scheduled in November. Indore airport director RN Shinde talking to dna said that space has been provided to IT department at the airport terminal so that they could quiz any passenger found in possession of cash or gold--more than permissible limit.
He added that Election Commission of India (ECI) had issued a circular for Bureau of Civil Aviation Security so that arrangements could be put in place for keeping an eye on air travellers carrying cash and gold.
Shinde said that that the IT department has already been provided room for questioning dubious passengers and the system would be in existence till the assembly election process is over in MP and Chhattisgarh.
26/09/13 Daily News & Analysis

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DRDO tests bulletproof glass samples for installation at Aerocity hotels

Mumbai: Setting up of five-star hotels as part of the Delhi Aerocity project, near Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA), is expected to become a reality with the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) in Chandigarh having recently completed testing bulletproof glass samples that have been asked to be installed in the planned properties. As per directions of the Ministry of Civil Aviation, Government of India on January 30, 2013, Aerocity hotels need to install "toughened glasses with bulletproof film" on windows facing the airport runway. This was done to allay security concerns as it was feared that sabotage activities could be undertaken to target runways and VVIP operational areas from these buildings.
26/09/13 Hospitality Biz India

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Six airports to get Rs 4k-cr private investment

New Delhi: Airports at Chennai, Lucknow, Kolkata, Ahmedabad, Guwahati and Jaipur, identified for privatisation in the current financial year, are likely to see fresh  investments of Rs 4,250 crore from selected private concessionaires.
According to the qualification documents issued recently by the ministry of civil aviation, private players awarded the contracts for operations, management and development in this second phase of airport privatisation programme would have to make estimated investments in the range of Rs 500-1,200 crore for development and upgrade works at each of these airports. The ministry has shared initial cost estimates and the scope of development works required to be carried out by the concessionaire at each facility. Actual costs, however, can be shared by qualified bidders at the RFP (request for proposal) stage. The private concessionaire will have to invest Rs 1,200 crore and Rs 500 crore for upgrading the Chennai and the Lucknow airports, respectively.
27/09/13 Sharmistha Mukherjee/Business Standard

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Last batch of devout leaves from IGIA for Haj

New Delhi: Over 20,000 pilgrims headed for the annual Haj pilgrimage to Saudi Arabia flew out of Indira Gandhi International airport here this year, with the last batch leaving for Medina on Thursday.
Since the first batch of around 900 pilgrims departed from the airport on September 9, a total of 20,700 pilgrims, mostly from Delhi and adjoining areas, have boarded planes for Saudi Arabia, an IGIA official said.  Saudi Arabian Airlines was the designated carrier for Haj and it operated a total of 52 flights with Boeing 747, Boeing 767 and Airbus 330 type aircraft.
Airport operator Delhi International Airport Ltd (DIAL) had made arrangements in Terminal 2 for the pilgrims with eight immigration, 20 check-in and eight foreign exchange counters.
DIAL had also made special arrangements for the pilgrims to offer prayers and provided basic medical support for the Hajjis both inside and outside the terminal building.
26/09/13 ZeeNews

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'Tenders for Mopa, Navi Mumbai airports likely by year-end'

Panaji: The tenders for greenfield airport projects at Mopa in Goa and Navi Mumbai are likely to be floated by the end of this year, according to a report.
"Tenders for two greenfield airports, namely Goa Mopa airport and the long-awaited Navi Mumbai airport, are expected to proceed in the second half of 2013," according to a study jointly conducted by aviation think tank Centre for Asia Pacific Aviation (CAPA) and airline IT services provider SITA.
"Approximately USD 10 billion was invested in airport modernisation between 2015 and 2012. In early 2013, new airport terminals were completed at Chennai and Kolkata airports, while Mumbai is expected to open terminus two to domestic traffic in late 2013," the agencies said.
The document was released during ongoing Aviation ICT Forum 2013 here.
26/09/13 PTI/ZeeNews

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375 more charter flights expected to arrive in Goa

Panaji: Tourism minister Dilip Parulekar has said that 375 more charter flights would arrive in the state for the forthcoming tourism season.
With the tourism season starting next month, the tourism ministry is expecting a major increase in charters to Goa. Due to the wars in Syria and Egypt, it is expected that charter flights bound to the two countries will be diverted to Goa.
Tourism minister Dilip Parulekar, while addressing a press conference on Wednesday, said the season is starting next month and they expect to get 1,400 charters as against 1,025 charters that landed in Goa during the last season.
He said that during his Moscow visit last week for the tourism trade fair, he had meetings with major tour operators like Pegas and Corona travel, which he claimed have promised additional business to Goa.
26/09/13 Times of India

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AERA to issue fresh consultation paper on BIA user development fee

Bangalore: The Airports Economic Regulatory Authority (AERA) on Wednesday announced its decision to issue a fresh consultation paper on revising the user development fee (UDF) for the Bengaluru International Airport (BIA) and seek stakeholder consultation.
It also extended till September 25, its deadline for the BIA stakeholders to respond to an earlier consultation paper. This could potentially delay the collection of revised UDF which was tentatively scheduled to begin on October 1.
The Union Ministry of Civil Aviation had sought time till November 1 to furnish its comments on the AERA consultation paper dated June 26.
The Authority had earlier received the comments from the Bangalore International Airport Limited (BIAL). The fresh UDF calculations submitted by BIAL were being separately examined, AERA maintained.
25/09/13 Deccan Herald

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DMRC seeks interest-free debt to finance airport line payment

Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) chief Mangu Singh has told the urban development ministry that the amount equivalent to termination payment (Rs 1,820 crore) that the DMRC has to pay to the concessionaire of the airport express line should be given to DMRC as an interest-free subordinate debt to be equally shared by the Centre and government of National Capital Territory of Delhi (GNCTD).
The operations of the 22.7-km express line was handed over to DMRC after the concessionaire Reliance Infra promoted Delhi Airport Express Private (DAMEPL) pulled out of the project on July 1. The banks have already told DMRC to terminate the concession agreement with DAMEPL on account of default. According to the concession agreement, DMRC is liable to pay 80% (Rs 1,820 crore) of the outstanding debt (Rs 2,274 crore) as termination payment.
To sort out the issue of termination payment Singh has written to the MoUD suggesting sources of the funds to pay the termination amount.
26/09/13 Rajat Arora/Financial Express

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There is a Rs 5,000-crore scam in airport slum rehab, says Kirit Somaiya

Mumbai: Alleging irregularities in the rehabilitation of slums around the Mumbai airport, senior BJP leader and former Lok Sabha MP Kirit Somaiya said the ruling Congress-NCP was “rigging” the voters’ list in Mumbai to steal a march in the coming polls.
Speaking to reporters on Wednesday, Somaiya charged that the state government had opened up a “bonanza” for private companies by gifting 1.2 crore square feet TDR/FSI to GVK and HDIL “in the name of rehabilitation of Mumbai airport slums” and alleged that this was worth over Rs5,000 crore. He demanded an SIT inquiry and said he will approach the court naming chief minister Prithviraj Chavan in the petition.
26/09/13 Daily News & Analysis

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GKN Aerospace officially opens new Bangalore engineering centre

GKN Aerospace officially opens its advanced engineering centre in Bangalore, India in a ceremony yesterday, Wednesday 25th.
The Centre's highly skilled engineering team, which extends the company's one thousand-strong global engineering strength, is already contributing design engineering expertise to the company's international aero-engine activities.
Seventy highly qualified design and development engineers have transferred from Volvo's Bangalore facility to the new Centre located on the old Airport Road at the heart of Bangalore's aerospace and automotive activities. Volvo Aero was acquired by GKN in October, 2012 and incorporated into GKN Aerospace. Over the next eighteen months a local recruitment campaign will increase the workforce in Bangalore to over 100 individuals.
26/09/13 Blue Sky

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Mumbai airport to get 100 life-saving automated external defibrillators

Mumbai: With a rise in number of medical emergency cases on flights, the Mumbai airport has planned to instal 100 automated external defibrillators (AED) before the year-end. An AED is a portable device that can diagnose a sudden cardiac arrest and aid the patient at the press of a button. "Our AEDs can be used by anyone without formal training. Each AED comes with audio and visual instructionsfor its operation," said a spokesperson of Philips Healthcare, which has been given the contract for providing AEDs.
26/09/13 Times of India

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Faulty batteries caused Chennai airport fire

Chennai: The use of substandard batteries may have caused Tuesday’s fire in the Monopulse Secondary Surveillance Radar (MSSR) building at Chennai airport, said authorities.
Nearly 45 batteries caught fire after a short circuit in one of the pieces of equipment in the room behind the new fire station at the airport. No one was injured.
The equipment has been lying unused for the last one year and hence, flight services were not affected. Some of the glass windows of the room broke while a few false ceilings collapsed and the room was completely coated with soot, said sources. “Fortunately, MSSR equipment worth several crores was not damaged,” said an official of the Airports Authority of India (AAI).
26/09/13 The Hindu

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Anti-hijack drill held at Coimbatore airport

Coimbatore: An anti-hijack drill was conducted at the Coimbatore Airport on Wednesday.
According to the officials, the drill was held to implement the contingency plans involving Central Industrial Security Force (CISF), Airports Authority of India personnel, Airport Department of Fire Safety and Air Traffic Controllers.
Once a hijacked plane lands, the Aerodrome Committee chaired by the City Police Commissioner will be convened by the Airport Controller.
26/09/13 The Hindu

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Two arrested for travelling on fake Indian passports

Pune: The Airport police on Tuesday night arrested two foreign nationals for using fake Indian passports to travel to Sharjah in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
Police investigations have revealed that the duo hails from Myanmar.
The suspects have been identified as Ansari Mehboob Alam (24) and Gazi Najbul Hasan (23), both from Myanmar. The passport seized from Alam has the address of Bihar while Hasan's passport has an Andhra Pradesh address.
Police said the two men travelled from Pune to Sharjah on Saturday night. However, authorities at the Sharjah airport detained them suspecting the genuineness of their passports.
26/09/13 Times of India

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Tatas in race for Chennai, Kolkata airport projects

Tata Sons is set to make another big splash in aviation after its recent foray with Singapore Airlines and Air Asia. CNBC TV 18 learns that Tata Group is likely to bid for 100% stake in two airport projects, i.e they are planning to bid for the government’s stake in the Chennai and Kolkata airports. The government had allowed privatisation of six airports in August this year. Tata group’s interest in this clearly comes at an appropriate time, considering that the Tatas have announced their two airline joint ventures (JVs), one with Air Asia and one with Singapore Airlines recently. Experts say that this airport foray will not only help them expand their base further but help them gain market share in the aviation space too. We further understand that Tata group may look at investing around Rs 2800 crore on brownfield expansion for these two projects, which include investments for their metro connectivity, and addition of new terminals too.
25/09/13 CNBC-TV18/moneycontrol.com

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Akola airport expansion issue hots up

Akola: The issue of expansion of Akola airport is hotting up every day. With the Airport Development Authority (ADA) strongly supporting extension of the runway on the east side on technical grounds, the issue has turned into a big controversy.
ADA has made it clear in a meeting held at the district collectorate on Monday that it will stick to the expansion plan on east side as planned. The meeting attended by Fauziya Khan, minister of state for general administration (GAD), and additional chief secretary PS Meena strongly asserted that the state government would not tolerate any efforts to prevent expansion of Akola airport.
Whereas Fauziya Khan said that airport expansion was need of the hour, she added proper decision in this regard will be taken at the proper time by the government.
25/09/13 Times of India

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Virbhadra seeks expansion of Shimla, Kullu airports

New Delhi: Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh Tuesday raised the issue of expansion and modernisation of Shimla and Kullu airports with Civil Aviation Minister Ajit Singh here.
He demanded that the length of the Shimla airport runway be increased by at least 600 feet so that bigger aircraft could land there safely, an official statement said.
The chief minister sought adequate budgetary support for the Airports Authority of India (AAI) for restoring the original length of the runway, which had been whittled down to 3,800 feet from 4,100 feet due to soil erosion.
Virbhadra Singh said ATR aircraft cannot take off with a full load from the present runway.
24/09/13 IANS/Daihiworld.com

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Cargo Terminal to come up at Imphal Airport

Imphal: The Ministry of Commerce and Industries, Government of India has given its approval for setting up a Cargo Terminal at Imphal Airport so as to accelerate the growth of trade through airways and develop the economy of the State.
According to a reliable source, the Department of Commerce and Industries, Government of Manipur would be taking up the responsibility of constructing the Cargo Terminal for which the Ministry of Commerce and Industries has approved sanctioning of Rs 10 crores.
To start the construction process, the required land has to be registered under the name of the Department.
To be constructed under the name of Export-Import Cargo Terminal, the terminal would have two cold storage rooms as well.
25/09/13 Hueiyen News Service/E-PAO

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INTUC plans stir at airports

Kochi: Around 7,000 workers of the Kerala State Industrial Enterprises from  the international airports, including Thiruvananthapuram, Kochi and Karipur, will go on a strike against the reported transfer of complete ground-handling and air-cargo works to the Air India Sac, said VP George, secretory, INTUC.
He pointed out that if the Air India Sacs, a Singapore-based private company is awarded the ground-handling work, the KSIE members will halt all the services at the airports in Kerala. Currently, the Air India Sacs handles the ground-handling system at Thiruvananthapuram International Airport and is operating under KSIE at present. He alleged that the Air India Sacs, which is a private company, is cheating the government and the people since 2008 posing itself as a public sector undertaking.
25/09/13 New Indian Express

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Minor fire breaks out at Chennai airport

Chennai: A minor fire broke out at the Monopulse Secondary Surveillance Radar (MSSR) building located behind the new fire station at Chennai airport on Tuesday evening.
No one was injured in the incident.
According to the police, around 7.45 p.m. on Tuesday, in one of the rooms of the MSSR building, there was a short circuit in one of the batteries housed there. This caused a fire which subsequently spread and 45 of the batteries burst.  Fire personnel rushed to the spot and extinguished the flames immediately, the sources said.
“The batteries present in the room were spare batteries.  Air navigation services were not affected as this radar is not functional as yet,” said a police officer.
On Tuesday morning officials of Airports Authority of India (AAI) had inspected the new fire station in order to commission it soon.
25/09/13 The Hindu

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Gold smuggling case: Chandy rejects fresh allegations

Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala Chief Minister Oommen Chandy’s office seems to have caught up with another row after a person, arrested in a gold smuggling case, claimed to have links with a former member of Chandy's personal staff.
Reacting to media reports during the weekly cabinet briefing here today, Chandy, however, declined to comment anything on the "hearsay".
"I cannot reply on the basis of hearsay and media reports. But I will reply, when it is established that some one has done something wrong," Chandy said.
Fayaz, the main accused in the case related to the attempt to smuggle in 20kg of gold through Kochi airport, reportedly revealed to customs officials that he had connections with Jiuukumon Jacob, a former member of Chandy's personal staff.
Jacob was removed from CM's office for his alleged link to Solar Scam accused Sarita S Nair.
Chandy said investigation into the gold smuggling case was in the right direction and "law will take its own course".
25/09/13 ZeeNews

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Gold smuggling case: Fayas well-connected frequent flier

Kochi: The initial inquiry by customs and the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) into gold smuggling through the Cochin International Airport Ltd (Cial) has revealed that kingpin Fayas was a frequent flier who maintained close relation with customs personnel.
Top sources told TOI that Fayas flew in and out of the Nedumbassery airport at least once a week. "We have evidence that he has used Karipur and Thiruvananthapuram airports for his operations. He has made many of our colleagues friends and flaunted his contacts to impress them," a senior officer said.
Fayas' 'list' of friends includes Jikkumon Jacob, former aide of chief minister Oommen Chandy; Sunil Jacob, SP, crime records bureau and junior film stars. In fact, Jikkumon has commented on Fayas' Facebook posts. Another post shows Sunil Jacob striking a macho pose on Fayas' imported bike bearing Maharashtra registration. The officials of CBI Kochi unit started the inquiry following reports that Fayas had used his influence in the customs department to facilitate the exit of the two women who tried to carry gold through the green channel.
25/09/13 T Ramavarman/Times of India

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Afghan national held with Rs one cr foreign currency at IGIA

New Delhi: An Afghan national was today arrested for allegedly illegally carrying foreign currency worth Rs one crore at international airport here.
Keeping a surveillance on passengers going to Gulf sector, a man from Afghanistan was intercepted at the departure hall of Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA) and on the search of his baggage foreign currency of different countries equivalent to Rs 1.03 crore was recovered, a customs official said.
25/09/13 PTI/IndiaTV News

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Man held at airport with gold worth Rs 27 lakh in innerwear

Mumbai: The Air Intelligence Unit (AIU) arrested a passenger at the airport for attempting to smuggle in gold worth Rs 27.5 lakh early on Tuesday. The passenger had arrived from Bangkok with a 1-kilogram gold bar in his underpants.
It was the third case of gold seizure at the airport in four days.
AIU officials acted on specific intelligence and nabbed the passenger, Bangalore resident Mubarak Hussain, before he could leave the airport through the customs' green channel after arrival at 1 am on an Air India flight.
"On interrogation, the passenger said he was sent to Bangkok four days ago by his cousin and was given the gold by his cousin's friends," an AIU official said.
25/09/13 Chinmaya Shalya/Times of India

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Drugs seized, carrier held after hide and seek at Chennai airport

Chennai: The airport witnessed some action on Tuesday when officials found an unusual substance in a Kuala Lumpur-bound passenger's bag. The substance turned out to be 25kg of ephedrine, a party drug, but the passenger was missing. Soon, Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) personnel began a thorough search and the passenger was found, with the help of closed-circuit television (CCTV) camera footage, in the old international terminal.
He was identified as Barkath Ali from Ramanathapuram who was scheduled to fly out by a Malaysian Airlines aircraft. The seized contraband is worth about 25 lakh in the international market, officials said.
The drama began when the inline baggage scanner system showed an image of a suspicious substance inside a bag and it was taken out for further investigation at 9.45am.
25/09/13 Times of India

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Major gold haul at Trichy international airport

Trichy: In a major gold haul at Trichy international airport, the customs officials seized gold bars weighing 10.6kg in two consecutive days from air passengers. Seven persons have been arrested in this connection till Tuesday.
The regular check of the passengers at the airport on Sunday and Monday revealed the gold smuggling from other countries. The three consecutive gold haul worth Rs3.2 crore in two days has taken everyone by surprise. The first incident was reported in the afternoon on Sunday, when the customs officials checked the baggage of the passengers who arrived at the airport by a Srilankan Airlines flight. The officials found unaccounted gold weighing 1.8 kg in the baggage of three passengers - Jameel Ahamed, Mohammed Samsad Ali, Abdul Hameed, residents of SP Pattinam in Ramanathapuram district.
25/09/13 Times of India

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Missing flier: Cops unearth Sri Lankan link

Mumbai: More than a month after a Londonbound flyer mysteriously disappeared from the Mumbai International Airport minutes before boarding the flight, police say the passenger could have been a Sri Lankan national residing in the UK on asylum.
The security agencies, including the Customs and the Immigration, panicked when it emerged that the flyer, Christephen Vinod Raj, who was booked on a British Airways flight BA 198 on August 2, walked out of the airport while the airline officials checked his passport (UK bound flyer 'escapes' from airport (Mumbai Mirror, September 7).
The Immigration sources said that Raj was carrying a passport issued by a European nation, and the airline sources wanted to check its authenticity.
Compounding the mystery, a person named Christephen Vinod Raj flew to Kathmandu on Jet Airways flight 9W 266, the same day, using an Indian passport.
24/09/13 Bipin Kumar Singh/Mumbai Mirror 

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Negotiating with civil aviation ministry to introduce daily flights to Mysore: Tourism minister

Mysore: Tourism minister RV Deshpande on Tuesday disclosed that the department officials are in close touch with civil aviation ministry to negotiate daily flights to Mysore and introduce small carrier planes to suit the needs of small airports in the state.
Speaking to reporters here after a review meeting of the officials involved with dasara preparations, the minister said airports including one at Mysore are not fit for landing of big planes and many private airlines have no fleet of small carrier planes.
"We are seeking the help of civil aviation ministry in this regard so that they can persuade small carrier owners to introduce daily trips to Mysore and other places in the state," he revealed, adding that no private carrier is ready to lose money if there is no response from the users.
24/09/13 MB Maramkal/Times of India

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CPI(M) targets Chandy over Kochi airport gold haul

Thiruvananthapuram: The CPI(M) Tuesday demanded a probe into the Kochi airport gold haul after a former staffer of Chief Minister Oommen Chandy figured on the Facebook contacts list of a smuggling gang kingpin."A NIA probe is the need of the hour to reveal if there's more in the relationship that has now surfaced between one of his (Chandy's) former staff and the arrested," demanded former home and tourism minister Kodiyeri Balakrishnan of the CPI(M)."It now appears that Chandy's office has become a place where the unscrupulous make merry as reports have surfaced of the relations that the now arrested person in the gold haul case had," CPI(M) state secretary Pinarayi Vijayan told reporters here.
Last week, the customs at Kochi airport nabbed two women who had arrived from Dubai and were possessing 20 kg of gold valued at Rs.6 crore.
24/09/13 IANS/Business Standard

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Himachal CM seeks increase in length of Shimla airport runway

Himachal Pradesh today urged to the Union Civil Aviation Ministry to increase the length of Shimla airport runway to facilitate landing of bigger aircraft in the state. The request was made by Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh when he met Civil Aviation Minister Ajit Singh here. He also sought adequate budget to the Airports Authority of India for restoring the original length of the Shimla airport runway in a time-bound manner. Singh told the Minister that this will help landing of normal flights in Shimla ahead of the winter tourist season.
He said the state government will provide all infrastructural and other assistance in restoring the original length of the runway. The Chief Minister said the length of the Shimla airport runway has been effectively reduced to 3,800 feet from the original 4,100 feet due to soil erosion and said due to this the ATR aircraft cannot take off with full load there.
24/09/13 PTI/Business Standard

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Mumbai airport staff on alert after Afzal Usmani's escape

Mumbai: Three days after Indian Mujhadein operative Afzal Usmani escaped from the sessions court, the police are still to find him.
Among the several steps to trace him, the police have tightened security at the airport. They have also pasted Usmani’s sketches and photos on the airport premises.
Though the police have formed several teams to track the fugitive, they suspect that he could try to leave the country on a fake passport. The airport officials said Usmani’s pictures have been pasted in such a manner so as to immediately attract attention.
“We have been told to keep a tight watch on security,” said a senior official from Central Industrial Security Force (CISF).
24/09/13 Shahkar Abidi/Little Yadav/Daily News & Analysis

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HSA Advocates appointed legal consultant for Chennai airport privatisation

Chennai:  The Airports Authority of India (AAI) has appointed HSA Advocates as the legal consultant for a public-private partnership for the development and maintenance of Chennai airport.
The contract was awarded to HSA Advocates through a bidding process conducted by AAI in which several leading law firms, including an international law firm, participated. The bidding process followed the 'weightage on technical experience' methodology where 80% weightage was given to 'technical' experience and the balance 20% was given to the financial proposal. HSA obtained the highest score on technical experience.
24/09/13 V Ayyappan/Times of India

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‘No plan to scrap Navi Mumbai airport project’

Mumbai:  A few days after warning project affected persons (PAPs) of the proposed Navi Mumbai airport that the state may have to "scrap" the plan if there would be further delays in land acquisition, leading to its cost rising to unfeasible levels, the state on Monday took a U-turn.
The state and Cidco, the agency responsible for the airport development, said that they would go ahead with the project even if its cost had gone up because of delays and dollar appreciation. The "warning" was the government's land acquisition negotiation tactic with the PAPs, said a source.
But a crucial meeting that was to take place between state leaders, led by chief minister Prithviraj Chavan, and the Prime Minister in New Delhi to discuss Navi Mumbai projects was postponed on Monday. It is reported that the meeting was delayed due to infighting the Congress-NCP coalition. While Chavan heads the urban development ministry, the NCP controls Cidco.
24/09/13 Times of India

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Chavan summoned to present review of Navi Mumbai airport to PM

Mumbai: Anxious to showcase Navi Mumbai airport as a tour de force of the UPA government before its tenure expires, the Prime Minister's office has summoned Maharashtra chief minister Prithviraj Chavan and union agriculture minister Sharad Pawar to Delhi on Monday for a review of the project, which has been several years in the planning now.
The PM's office has also ordered the state government and the Airports Authority of India (AAI) to finish all land acquisition formalities and appoint a developer for the project by February 15, 2014.
The state government is now scrambling together a presentation. "We will present a review to the Prime Minister on Monday evening," Chavan told Mumbai Mirror. He deflected questions on whether the deadline of February 15 could be met. Pawar will be present in his capacity as chief of the NCP, whose functionary the CIDCO chairman is. CIDCO is the development institution for Navi Mumbai.
23/09/13 Bipin Kumar Singh & Yogesh Naik/Mumbai Mirror

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Airport staff on 10-day protest

Ahmedabad: Beginning Monday, the Airport Authority Employees Union (AAEU) is set to launch a 10-day protest against the privatization of Sardar Vallabhbhai International Airport. More than 150 employees under AAEU will stage protest every day during lunch hour without affecting the operations of the airport.
From September 9, the employees began wearing black badge at work to mark their disagreement with the proposal of privatization. Two weeks ago, AAEU had written a letter to chief minister Narendra Modi demanding immediate intervention and stopping the proposed action of privatization by the Central government.
The employees will also submit a memorandum to the airport director stating their demands against privatization. The Ministry of Civil Aviation has decided to hand over the operations, management and development of the six Airports Authority of India (AAI)-run airports - Chennai, Kolkata, Ahmedabad, Lucknow, Jaipur and Guwahati - to private parties on a public-private partnership basis.
23/09/13 Piyush Mishra/Times of India

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Mysore airport expansion could be hit

Mysore: The workable Mysore Airport's expansion plans are grounded for now.
While the Union road transport and highways minister Oscar Fernandes on Monday cold-shouldered the concerns of the stakeholders in the development of tourist hub who are seeking increased air connectivity as an engine for growth, the minister indicated that the realignment of a stretch of National Highway 212 connecting Mysore to Nanjangud could not happen anytime soon. Simply put, the airport expansion plans have hit air pocket given that the realignment is the prerequisite for the extension of the runway.
The minister said upgradation of NH 212 will start soon. When asked how about the realignment of the stretch between Mysore and Kadakola near the temple town, Fernandes said he will look into it. When pointed out that it is imperative for the expansion of the airport, he said: "Now that I'm here I'll have a look and it and study. I'll take necessary action to correct things."
23/09/13 HM Aravind/Times of India

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Now, Chennai new inernational terminal marred by problems

Chennai: After the new domestic terminal at Chennai airport, now the international facility has run into trouble with passengers.
There are several teething problems, said airport officials. “Recently, passengers complained of water droplets falling on their heads while waiting at the check-in counter. It may be due to a problem with the condensation and we don’t know when it will be set right,” said an airport official.
Another problem area is the X-ray baggage scanner. Two of the scanners are not functioning at present and therefore a roller has to be used to transfer bags to another scanner.
Additional manpower was put in place to manually move the baggage but the number of workers is not sufficient, said another official at the airport.
“Had it been a mechanised roller, we wouldn’t need workers to push the bags through. Also, staff members do not turn up to work on time and we are forced to keep passengers waiting. For the past three days, there have been delays of about 45 minutes due to this issue,” the official said.
24/09/13 The Hindu

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Government rejects Ramdev's allegations on detention at UK airport

New Delhi: Government on Monday rejected yoga guru Ramdev's allegation that it had a role in his detention at UK airport saying "there was no truth whatsoever".
Commenting on Ramdev's detention at the Heathrow airport, the spokesperson in the Ministry of External Affairs said India's Mission in London acted upon request by Indian community leaders for assistance and took up the matter with UK border agency following which it was resolved.
It was for the UK border agency to respond to the reason behind Ramdev's detention, the spokesperson added.
22/09/13 PTI/ZeeNews

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Calcutta Airport eyes aerobridges

Calcutta: Calcutta airport will get 16 more aerobridges and some much-needed airside upgrades during the second phase of modernisation, to be carried out by a private operator whose role would extend to managing the facilities.
The aerobridges in the blueprint will be along a 200-metre air-conditioned corridor parallel to the old domestic terminal building. Airport officials said they would be installed over the next two to three years.
“This is part of the second phase of modernisation. Of the new aerobridges, 12 will be for domestic operations and four for international services,” airport director B.P. Sharma told Metro.
The aerobridges meant for domestic operations would arrive first.
The Airports Authority of India (AAI) had last week invited bids for a concessionaire to build several facilities, many of them on the airside, with an estimated budget of Rs 700 crore.
23/09/13 Sanjay Mandal/Telegraph

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Bonanza for air travellers as more firms line up for duty-free shops

New Delhi: International air travellers flying from Delhi and Mumbai will soon have more shopping options.
The Irish duty-free major Aer Rianta International and South African duty-free company Tourvest Holding have made proposals before the Foreign Investment Promotion Board to set up duty-free shops.
Analysts feel that with the new players getting into the nascent airport retailing business and existing ones looking to add more brands and categories, the shopping experience will become even better for travellers.
South African firm Tourvest Holding has proposed to form a joint venture and invest Rs 18 crore to set up duty-free shops while Aer Rianta International, Ireland, along with its subsidiary Cardose Ltd, is keen to set up a 50:50 joint venture company Buddy Duty Free Service. Both these firms are eyeing the duty-free business opportunity in Mumbai airport.
In September 2012, Tourvest, through its wholly-owned subsidiary African Tourism Holding, had entered into an MoU with Bombay Swadeshi Stores (Bombay Stores) to form a consortium to bid for setting up duty-free shops at Mumbai airport.
22/09/13 Business Line

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Navi Mumbai airport project to be scrapped?

Vashi: The Navi Mumbai international airport may not come about at all, with even the City and Industrial Development Corporation (Cidco) wanting it “scrapped”.
“The project may have to be scrapped as it has become unfeasible,” Cidco joint managing director V Radha said.
“More than 10 years have been wasted in discussions. The project cost has escalated from Rs 4,000 crore to Rs 15,000 crore. We cannot afford any more delays,” Radha said at a function in Chinchpada village in Uran tehsil recently.
The state urban development department already wants the project scrapped. It has even proposed alternative sites like Chakan near Pune and Murbad in Thane district.
Cidco has been the only stakeholder keen on the project.
22/09/13 Bhalchandra Chorghade/Daily News & Analysis

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Contract for Gulbarga airport project may be terminated

Gulbarga: Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said on Saturday that the government would soon take a decision on the revival of the Gulbarga greenfield?airport project, which has remained grounded for the last one year, after considering all pros and cons and legal implications.
He told reporters here that the project had been halted due to internal differences between the two project partners - Regional Airport Holdings International (RAHI) and IL&FS Transport Network. There was no delay on the part of the government in the execution of the project, the chief minister said.
He said there was a proposal to terminate the contract with the companies and legal opinion was being sought in this regard. Out of the total cost of Rs 186.37 crore of the project, Rs 108 crore had been spent, Siddaramaiah said. He would convene a meeting of all concerned to take a final decision on the matter, he said.
21/09/13 Deccan Herald

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CM under flak for acquiring 80L sq m of land for Mopa

Panaji: Chief minister Manohar Parrikar has drawn sharp criticism from the members of Goans For Dabolim Only (GFDO), this time, for not explaining the need to acquire 80lakh sq m of land for the construction of the proposed airport at Mopa.
GFDO convener Fr Eremito Rebello alleged that there is a possibility of a land scam and said that the chief minister should make his intentions clear to the people of Goa.
"The area in the original plan for the airport at Mopa was 27lakh sq m. We want to know why such a quantum of land had to be acquired, when airports at Bengaluru and Hyderabad are of 35lakh sq m and 45lakh sq m respectively," he said.
22/09/13 Times of India

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Tatas, foreign firms participate in pre-bid meeting for airports: report

New Delhi: Major Indian companies like Tata and foreign firms like Fraport and Celebi participated in a pre-bid meeting for privatisation of Chennai and Lucknow airports, according ot official sources.
Turkish firm Celebi, which provides ground-handling services in Delhi and Mumbai airports, the Frankfurt airport operator and representatives of companies like GVK and Sahara also attended the meeting on Friday, ahead of the formal inviting of bids for operating and managing the two major airports, the sources said.
The Airports Authority of India (AAI) has also initiated the process of inviting request for qualification (RFQ) from interested bidders for operating and managing the Kolkata, Guwahati and Jaipur airports.
These five airports and the one in Ahmedabad have been taken up by the government for handing over to select private parties for operation and management. All these airports have already been modernised by the AAI at a high cost to the exchequer.
22/09/13 NDTV

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Baba Ramdev mistaken as 'most wanted jihadist' at Hethrow airport

New Delhi: British Custom officials mistook Baba Ramdev for most wanted terrorists Mohammed Atef and Ayman Al Zawahiri, say our sources. Ramdev was detained and questioned at Heathrow airport for over six hours on Friday by British customs officials.
His resemblance to the most wanted jihadist confused the officials at the airport who compared his photographs with that of Al Zawahiri and Mohammed Atef. According to our sources, British officials even searched Baba Ramdev on google and found him to a known personality in India.
They are learnt to have also double checked Ramdev's profile with their counterparts in UK Embassy in India.
British officials even informed Baba Ramdev that both the terrorists are on terror alert.
Ayman al-Zawahiri is an Egyptian physician, Islamic theologian, and current leader of the militant Islamist organization al-Qaeda.
21/09/13 Dailybhaskar.com

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Ramdev blames Sonia Gandhi for his detention at Heathrow Airport

New Delhi: Yoga guru Ramdev on Sunday targeted Congress President Sonia Gandhi by holding her responsible for his detention at the Heathrow Airport. He was allowed to go ahead with his programme in London after he was detained and questioned on Saturday. He said, "A foreign origin woman sitting in India was behind my detention at the Heathrow Airport." He was detained and quizzed by customs officials for over six hours on landing in Britain. According to sources, his questioning by airport officials was related to him travelling on a visitor's visa instead of a business one. Ramdev arrived at Heathrow Airport this evening with British Indian MP Keith Vaz to meet the chief immigration officer.
The immigration officer later gave Ramdev leave to enter the UK lawfully and carry on with his programmes. Emerging from the nearly 20-minute meeting, Ramdev claimed the Indian government may have had a hand in his detention.
22/09/13 CNN-IBN/IBN Live

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The inside story of how Baba Ramdev was given a clean chit at Heathrow Airport

Even as Baba Ramdev was being questioned by the customs officials at the Heathrow Airport after they had detained him, a curious drama was being played out behind the scenes.
Sources reveal that at the time of Baba Ramdev's detention, senior BJP leader Venkaiah Naidu was in London and that it was he who got in touch with Indian Deputy High Commissioner Dr Virander Kumar Paul there and asked him to intervene in the matter.
By that time, other prominent leaders had also got in touch with the Indian Mission regarding the same issue.
In turn, the Indian Mission in UK took up the matter with the UK Border Agency and a Mission official was sent to the airport to sort out the matter with the UK Border Agency staff. The UK officials were told that Baba Ramdev is an important person in India and that his detention at the airport was causing concern back home. An official from the Mission was also present at the airport when Baba Ramdev returned to the airport.
Sources in the Ministry of External Affairs reveal that members of the Indian community acknowledged the presence of the Mission's official and also thanked the Mission officials for their cooperation.
21/09/13 Ritul Joshi/India Today

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Acquire land for Coimbatore airport expansion: MP

Coimbatore: Member of Parliament from Coimbatore P.R. Natarajan has urged the State Government to initiate steps to acquire land for the Coimbatore airport expansion project.
Addressing journalists in the city on Saturday, he said that the Airports Authority of India had on April 9, 2013 written to the Chief Secretary and Transport Secretary of the Government of Tamil Nadu seeking their opinion to its new proposal.
The two officers, when he and a few others met them, denied having received such letters. Based on their replies when they approached the Airports Authority of India, the latter handed over a copy of the letter to support its claim. Armed with the letter they again met the two officers but the two maintained that they had not received the letter. This was quite unfortunate.
22/09/13 The Hindu

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First Biswa Bangla store by Dec at Kolkata airport

Kolkata: The first retail outlet of the newly created Biswa Bangla brand, whihc is conceptualised and designed by West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, will be opened in the next three months at the airport.
"We are hopeful to open the first Biswa Bangla store at the airport in the next three months. We have already taken around 1500 sq feet space for it," Micro Small and Medium Enterprises department Secretary Rajiva Sinha told PTI.
The first Biswa Bangla store would house handicraft and handloom products of the state.
Sinha said a final blueprint was expected to be ready to replicate the model in all 171 stores owned by the Handloom department under the MSME ministry.
22/09/13 PTI/Economic Times

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Focus on connecting small cities by air: Manmohan

Ajmer: Small destinations in the country will have air connectivity with a network of more than 100 airports planned to meet the expected passenger load capacity of 30 crore by 2020, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Saturday said.
The first such airport will come up in Kishangarh town in Rajasthan’s Ajmer district, he said after laying the foundation stone for the development of the airport which is scheduled to get operational by 2016.
“An ambitious scheme to develop a network of 100 smaller airports in the country is being implemented.Focus earlier was on developing airports in metro cities and now more than 100 airports will be set up in small towns and cities,” Dr. Singh said.
“This will enhance air connectivity in the country. Kishangarh airport will be the first project under this scheme,” he said, adding that it will also meet requirement of increasing passenger load which is expected to be around 30 crores by 2020.
The prime minister said the Kishangarh airport, to be set up at an estimated cost of 161 crore in first phase, will accelerate economic activities and growth in the area.
21/09/13 PTI/The Hindu

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Aeropolis project in Thiruvananthapuram gains momentum

Thiruvananthapuram: The government has asked State Planning Board Vice-Chairman K.M. Chandrasekhar to assess the interim report for the proposed Aeropolis project to be created around the Thiruvananthapuram international airport and to take the project forward.
The decision was taken at a high-level meeting convened by Chief Minister Oommen Chandy here on Friday to review the progress of the project.
The Kerala State Industrial Development Corporation (KSIDC), the nodal agency for the innovative project, has selected Knight Frank India Ltd to carry out a feasibility study. The KSIDC has been asked to get the interim report on the project within three weeks and the final report within four months.
The project has been initiated by the State Planning Board on the basis of a proposal put forth by Airport Director V.N. Chandran, to develop the premier airport of the State into a multi-modal hub.
21/09/13 The Hindu

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Jet withdraws 3 flights from Bhubaneswar

Bhubaneswar: Jet Airways has decided to withdraw all three flights from Bhubaneswar citing heavy losses.
The Mumbai, Bangalore and Kolkata-bound flights will not be available from October 27, Jet sources said. "We took the decision as there were very few passengers in the past five months. We recorded over 50% vacancy," said an officer of the airlines.
"We have received the withdrawal notice of three flights of Jet Airways from the third week of October. It is the decision of their management," said airport director Sharad Kumar. He said that this might impact the airport's future growth.
Airport sources said there were four daily flights from the city to Mumbai - two of Indigo and one each of Air India and Jet. On the other hand, there were two flights to Bangalore, one each of Jet and Indigo, and three flights to Kolkata, one each of Indigo Jet and Air India.
A Jet source said all the flights were 170 seaters. "Since June, booking has been very low. If all the flights are full, we will have 510 passengers, but on an average we were having 250-300 passengers everyday," he added.
21/09/12 Ruyan Ramanath V/Times of India

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Goa: Church backs agitation against new international airport

The Church is backing an agitation against the state's proposed second international airport in north Goa, a senior priest leading the protest against the project said Saturday. The new facility will come up in Mopa, a village 40 km from the capital. Fr. Eremito Rebello and other members of his civil society group who have been campaigning against the proposed airport for more than a year now were addressing a press conference in Panaji.
"The (Arch) bishop has asked me to go ahead with my conscience…the Church is also against the Mopa airport because the land on which the project is coming up is agriculturally rich and a lot of farmers will be displaced," Rebello said. The Goa government has already set the ball rolling for acquisition of over 80 lakh sq metres of land for the project located on the Mopa plateau near the Maharashtra border.
21/09/13 IANS/IBN Live

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Chennai is losing ground to Bangalore in attracting international fliers

Chennai: It looks like Chennai is losing ground to Bangalore as the southern gateway for business and tourism owing to deficiencies at the city airport.
After overtaking Chennai in domestic passenger traffic, Bangalore airport is inching closer to Chennai in terms of international passenger traffic.
Bangalore's annual international passenger traffic is only 50% of Chennai's, but the airport has been registering a higher rate of growth for the past three years. Last year, Bangalore's domestic traffic grew at double the pace of Chennai and the international traffic at more than six times. The trend has continued into the first quarter of this year.
Last year, Chennai handled 44 lakh international passengers, while Bangalore had 25 lakh of them. But statistics compiled by the Airports Authority of India (AAI) shows that the passenger traffic grew at the rate of 6.5% in Bangalore while it was 3.6% in Chennai in 2012-13.
21/09/13 V Ayyappan/Times of India

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Coimbatore airport waits for expansion

Coimbatore: A 12,500 feet runway, larger terminal, more parking area and bigger aircraft flying in and out of the city - these and many more facilities can become a reality if the Coimbatore International Airport is expanded.
The trade and industry have been seeking better air connectivity and expediting the airport expansion project as these will push Coimbatore a notch up as an attractive destination for industrial investments. However, the project has not seen much progress and the delay seems to be a potential threat that can ground even the existing operations.
The Confederation of Indian Industry and Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industry members have had discussions with the airport officials to see how the project can be taken forward.
According to sources, the airport is allowed to operate on conditional licence that is renewed every six months, though it is usually valid for two years. It needs to meet some operational requirements, mandated by the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO).
21/09/13 M Soundariya Preetha/R Sairam/The Hindu

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Trichy airport gets four sniffer dogs

Trichy: Four of the six specially trained sniffer dogs for security operations at the Trichy international airport have arrived. They include three Labradors (one male and two females) and a cocker spaniel.
The airport authority had allotted a budget of Rs 25,000 each for the purchase of the dogs, and they were bought from Hyderabad. The dogs will be under the control of Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) that provides the overall security to the airport.
On the development front, the plan for the extension of the existing terminal building by around 80 meters on both sides has officially been received, said an airport source. The work on the Rs 150-crore project would start soon, and when completed it would augment the passenger handling capacity at the airport. Considering the developmental work that is currently going on at the airport, and taking into account the likely growth of the export volumes through the airport, the airport would soon be upgraded, said a source.
21/09/13 Dennis Selvan/Times of India

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Now, operators can pay by credit card at airports in Mumbai

Mumbai: Incredible though it may sound, the Airports Authority of India (AAI) — the government organization that runs airports in the country — was stuck in the eighties till Saturday morning, which was when it discovered the credit card and its uses to collect fees from aircraft operators.
After requests from the aviation industry, the AAI on Saturday, finally, installed and inaugurated credit card swiping machines at the city airport and Juhu aerodrome, making them the first two in the country to allow cashless transactions. In the coming weeks, the facility is expected to reach other airports too. "It will be a huge relief, especially for those aircraft charter operators that fly to four-five airports in a day, for instance during election campaigns. Till now, the operators had to carry nearly Rs 50,000 or more cash, depending on the aircraft type, distance flown, parking facility needed, etc," said Captain Uday Gelli of Rotary Wing Society of India, the helicopter industry representative that put the credit card payment request before AAI two years ago.
21/09/13 Manju V/Times of India

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Emergency cell constituted at Nedumbassery Airport

Kochi: An emergency cell has been constituted at the International airport at nearby Nedumbassery to ensure that operations are not affected in case there is flooding if the shutters of the Idukki dam are opened.
Lot of pumps, generators and sand bags have been procured to divert and drain water in case there is waterlogging, airport sources said. Consultations are also being held with Dam safety officials.
Following heavy rains during the South West Monsoon, the taxiway had got flooded which had led to the cancellation of several flights. To avoid such a situation, the emergency cell had been formed, the sources said.
21/09/13 PTI/ZeeNews

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Rs 280 cr for Gannavaram airport

Hyderabad: In a strong indication of the Congress' resolve to go ahead with the division of Andhra Pradesh, the state cabinet on Friday decided to expand and improve infrastructure facilities at the Gannavaram airport near Vijayawada at a cost of Rs 280 crore.
The state government has decided to acquire 492 acres of land near the airport for which Rs 110 crore has been earmarked. Another Rs 170 crore would be spent on the construction of the airport terminal building, air traffic control tower and other infrastructure facilities that are required for a national-level airport. The government had entered into a memorandum of understanding with the Airports Authority of India for expansion of the airport in December 2007 but land acquisition problems delayed the project.
21/09/13 Times of India

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Kondotty panchayat decries runway project

Malappuram:The Kondotty panchayat is all set to oppose the land acquisition process for the runway development of Karipur international airport.
The panchayat will pass a resolution against the government's move to acquire 20 acres for the project at a meeting on Tuesday. Prior to the meeting, panchayat president Fathima Beevi has also convened an all-party meeting on Sunday to discuss the issue.
Though the state government approved the special package for the runway development of the airport in December 2012, its works are yet to begin due to protests from locals. The government plans to acquire 87 acres for the runway. Of this, 20 acres will be from Kondotty panchayat, 50 acres from Nediyiruppu and 17 acres from Pallikal panchayat. Pallikkal and Nediyirippu panchayats have already informed the government that they will support public protest.
Fathima Beevi said the collector has already sought the panchayat's decision regarding the acquisition and a report regarding this has to be submitted by October 2.
21/09/13 TP Nijish/Times of India

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Yoga guru Swami Ramdevji allowed to stay in UK

A spiritual leader who was detained at Heathrow airport for eight hours after arriving from India has been allowed to stay in the country.
Swami Ramdevji, 47, also known as Baba Ramdev, was stopped by officials at Heathrow Airport on Friday.
He arrived ahead of a 1,500-strong yoga class he was due to lead in Glasgow on Monday.
Ramdevji was given a 24-hour visa and instructed to return to Terminal Five on Saturday afternoon.
His supporters feared he would be told to leave but immigration officials ruled he could stay.
He arrived at the airport on Saturday with Leicester East MP Keith Vaz, and was mobbed by more than 150 supporters.
In the melee Ramdevji, who was dressed in sandals and an orange robe, nearly lost his clothing.
21/09/13 BBC

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Detention at Heathrow Airport: Ramdev says never done anything wrong or illegal in my life

London: A day after he was detained and questioned here at Heathrow Airport by custom officials for several hours, Yoga Guru Baba Ramdev today said he was not given any explanation for the action by the authorities and claimed he was not involved in anything illegal.
"I have never done anything wrong or illegal in my life. I was detained for eight hours at the airport, but was not given any explanation. I asked them repeatedly to give me a reason for detention; but they told that they cannot disclose it to me," Ramdev said.
Ramdev's detention has drawn criticism from the BJP which urged the Centre to intervene. BJP President Rajnath Singh termed the detention of the yoga guru as "serious" issue and asked the Centre to take cognisance of the matter.
There was lack of clarity over the reason for his detention at the airport.
21/09/13 PTI/Financial Express

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Kovai airport awaits land clearance

Coimbatore:  City MP P R Natarajan on Saturday appealed to the state government to initiate steps to expedite the land acquisition process for the expansion of Coimbatore airport. "The slow pace of the process has turned out to be a major cause of concern," he said. Addressing the media in the city on Saturday, Natarajan said the state government is yet to respond to the proposal sent by the Airports Authority of India (AAI).
"AAI had sent a letter to the chief secretary in April demanding around 1,566 acres of land for the expansion of the airport. However, the chief secretary and the transport secretary claim that they have not received any such letter which in turn means that the chief minister does not know about the matter," said Natarajan. He urged the chief minister to look into the matter and take proper action.
21/09/13 Times of India

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Gold smuggling up by 5-fold at IGI airport

New Delhi: Gold smuggling operations at IGI airport are getting bigger and smarter. The quantity of the metal being recovered from suspects leaving the Terminal-3 has gone up by 550% over the last one fiscal.
Officials say it is not only the undercover gold trade that is picking up, but the operators are also becoming better at hiding their trails, forcing law enforcers to exercise greater alertness and intelligence in order to catch them.
"What we have been seeing for the past few months is a dramatic changing of the profiles of the couriers. A few months ago, smugglers of a particular ethnicity carried gold. Then it was a middle class man from another region. The handlers changed the profile of the courier to women and the latest case was of a lower middle class person from UP," said an official on condition of anonymity.
The official said no one can predict what tactic the smugglers will now employ. "It's not one-way vigilance. Smugglers also profile us. They watch us examining people of a certain background and quickly change their modus operandi," another official said.
21/09/13 Saurabh Sinha/Times of India

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170kg gold, diamond jewellery seized at Ludhiana airport

Ludhiana: A massive amount of gold and diamond jewellery weighing 170kg has been seized by sleuths of Punjab Taxation Department at Sahnewal airport here.
"The executives of a private company were found carrying the diamond-studded jewellery and gold ornaments in a chartered plane on Thursday," state taxation department officials said today.
They were asked to produce the documents regarding the consignment, Deputy Taxation Commissioner Rishipal said.
However, the documents produced by the company executives were not relevant to the consignment, which was then seized, he said.
The seized jewellery was deposited in the local government treasury at midnight, Rishipal said.
20/09/13 PTI/Times of India

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Iranian woman dies at airport

A 63-year-old Iranian woman came all the way to Bangalore to undergo surgery for a vascular condition. The treatment was successful. But even she was all set to fly back home, she collapsed at the immigration counter of the Bangalore International Airport, and died.
Najma Ismael Abdul Rahmancame to India on September 7. Like for many others, India for her meant quality medical treatment at affordable cost, compared to her home country. She was accompanied by her daughter Niyaz Saeeb Azeez. Najma was admitted to Manipal Hospital on HAL Airport Road, where she successfully underwent surgery for an air embolism in her spine, a condition caused by a gas bubble, or bubbles, in the vascular system. After surgery, she showed normal recovery.
21/09/13 Manjunath Chandra/Bangalore Mirror

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Singapore Airlines may develop Delhi as long haul network hub

Mumbai: Singapore Airlines might develop Delhi as a hub for its long haul network, analysts and experts have said.
On Thursday, the airline announcing a joint venture (JV) with the Tata Group and would hold 49% in the airline.
“Singapore Airlines’ (SIA) latest investment with Tata Sons on an Indian premium carrier appears to be a double-edged sword. On the plus side, Singapore Airlines has the expertise to create premium products and this deal enables it to tap into India's growth in international travel,” said Hong Kong-based aviation analyst Daniel Tsang.
Furthermore, SIA could use New Delhi to launch new flights to North and South America alongside its Indian subsidiary, while picking up domestic feed traffic at the same time, thereby remedying SIA's network deficiencies, Tsang added.
Indian government rules do not allow airlines with less than five years of operations (within India) and 20 planes to fly abroad. There is a move to amend the rule but no decision has been taken yet.
20/09/13 Aneesh Phadnis/Business Standard

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