Airport to have tunnel for shuttle train

Chennai: In a few years from now, passengers will take a mini train to travel from one terminal to another through a tunnel in the Chennai airport. While one tunnel will have trains transporting passengers, another will carry their baggage. The length of the twin tunnels will be 1.5 km and it will link the satellite terminal with the new integrated terminal building.

A consultant appointed by the Airports Authority of India (AAI) has finished the study for constructing the integrated terminal building.

The satellite terminal will be located near the remote parking bays (and between the main and secondary runways). This plan was mooted primarily because there have been delays in passengers receiving their baggage, whenever an aircraft is parked in the remote bays. So, to make use of nearly 40 remote bays available and ensure passengers don’t have to wait long for their baggage, the satellite terminal has been planned and a study taken up.

The new terminal will be linked to the integrated terminal building that is now under construction, as part of phase II modernisation project and likely to be ready in a few years. A passenger who gets off the vehicle, will step into the new integrated building, go through the check-in and security process and reach the tunnel. A two-car train will be waiting to take passengers to the satellite terminal.

Officials of the Airports Authority of India (AAI) said the satellite terminal will have three levels — one for departure, one for arrival and another for boarding. “Before COVID-19 struck, the traffic was growing enormously and we found it difficult with terminals getting saturated to handle that volume of traffic. Now, the number of passengers travelling daily is low. But we have a plan for the future, when the traffic will eventually reach 35,000-36,000 a day and we should be able to handle it with ease,” an official said.

30/09/20 Sunitha Sekar/The Hindu

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‘Sanitisation fee’ at Chandigarh international airport riles taxi, car owners

Chandigarh: Private vehicles and taxi operators are feeling the heat while entering the Chandigarh international airport as they are forced to shell out extra money for sanitising their vehicles to fight the novel coronavirus.

Many car owners, especially women, have alleged they have been forced to pay Rs 30 per vehicle when they have gone to pick up their family members from the airport at the entry point.

Seema Dhillon, the wife of an army officer, said, “I was surprised when I stopped at the entry point and a man started sanitising my vehicle door handles. He then handed me a receipt of Rs 30. When I asked him the reason, he showed me a notice pasted on the counter saying ‘pay Rs 30 for sanitization of vehicles’. This is a forced payment.”

Similarly, the taxi operators too have to pay the sanitisation fee for every visit to the airport. Surprisingly, the UT administration vehicles and CTU buses are exempted. One of the taxi drivers said, “Are these vehicles virus-proof? Why this pick-and-choose method. Taxi drivers had come under heavy debts due to the Covid-19 lockdown and are now not getting enough passengers.”

30/09/20 Barinderjit Saluja/Times of India

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Adani gears up to take over Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport in November

Ahmedabad:  Diversified business conglomerate Adani Enterprises Limited (AEL) is geared up to take over operations, maintenance and development of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International (SVPI) airport in Ahmedabad in November, according to top sources privy to the development. AEL had emerged as the highest bidder for the proposed privatisation of SVPI airport on public-private partnership (PPP) model with the Airports Authority of India (AAI), when the tender for this was floated in 2019.

AAI has begun the handholding process for the airport operator to-be from September 11, if well-placed sources are to be believed. “The company has already begun its 60-day observation period with the AAI. As part of the process AAI will handhold the new operator for the various processes and activities involved and help the takeover process,” said a source.

It is also learnt that the process of handing over has already begun and AEL will take over the airport any time before November 15. The company has already signed a concession agreement with AAI. As part of this, AEL will get the rights to operate, manage and develop the airport, currently being run by Airports Authority of India (AAI), for a period of 50 years. The Air Traffic Controller (ATC) will continue to operate under the AAI and security will be managed by the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF).

30/09/20 Times of India

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Uttar Pradesh extends deadline for Noida airport pact with Swiss major

The Uttar Pradesh government has extended the deadline for signing the concession pact with Swiss major Zurich Airport International (ZAI) to develop the greenfield Jewar international airport in Greater Noida due to the Covid-19 lockdown restrictions on transnational air travel.

The state cabinet meeting, held virtually last evening, presided over by Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, took into account the prospective resumption of international flights between India, Malaysia and Switzerland, apart from the mandatory quarantine period for travellers.

Earlier, the Yamuna Expressway Industrial Development Authority (YEIDA) CEO had sought the extension of the deadline for signing the concession agreement considering the restriction on international flights owing to the lockdown. The proposed airport will require nearly 1,450 hectares of congruous land for the first phase civil works spanning six villages in Greater Noida.

On August 11, the UP chief secretary-headed Project Monitoring and Implementation Committee (PMIC) had recommended for extending the deadline for signing the pact, and also extending the date of the bid validity and security, which was to expire on October 24, 2020, to March 2021.

Now, the deadline for signing the agreement with the Swiss corporation has been extended by 45 days from the resumption of India-Malaysia and India-Switzerland flights (whichever is later), and also including the mandatory 45 day quarantine period, or October 15, 2020, whichever is earlier.

30/09/20 Virendra Singh Rawat/Business Standard

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Jabalpur airport's terminal building may be commissioned by March 2022: AAI

New De3lhi: The Jabalpur airport is getting upgraded and its new terminal is likely to be constructed and commissioned by March 2022, said the Airports Authority of India (AAI) on Tuesday.

The new terminal building equipped with world-class passenger facilities will have the capacity to handle 500 passengers during peak hours, the AAI said in a press release.

"Spread over an area of 1,15,180 sq ft, the terminal building will have three aerobridges, advanced baggage screening system, modern food court in the landscape area and well-planned car parking for more than 250 cars and buses," the AAI noted.

Apart from the new terminal building, the AAI is also extending the runway and building a new ATC tower, a technical block and a new fire station at the Jabalpur airport.

The extended runway would be able to handle bigger aircraft like A320s, the AAI said.

29/09/20 PTI/Business Standard

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CVC forwards complaint against leasing airports to Adani to Ministry's CVO

New Delhi: The Central Vigilance Commission has forwarded a complaint by CPI(M) Rajya Sabha leader Elamaram Kareem accusing gross financial irregularities in the leasing out of six airports, including Mangaluru, to Adani Enterprises to the Chief Vigilance Officer of the Ministry of Civil Aviation for "necessary action".

Kareem had, on September 4, written to Chief Vigilance Commissioner Sanjay Kothari seeking an enquiry into the deal that hands over the Ahmedabad, Jaipur, Lucknow, Guwahati, Thiruvananthapuram and Manguluru airports, which he claimed was paving the way for the Adanis to "earn windfall profit from the vast assets and businesses" of Airports Authority of India (AAI)  across six states. In a letter to Kareem, Central Vigilance Commission Additional Secretary Sudhir Kumar on September 17 said that the "complaint along with its enclosures are forwarded" to the Chief Vigilance Officer of the Ministry of Civil Aviation for "necessary action."

Amid protests, the government had last month cleared the proposal to hand over the airports to Adani Enterprises. Civil Aviation Minister Hardeep Puri had earlier rejected criticism and allegations against the government move and said the government move and said the government should not be running airports and airlines. In his complaint to the CVC, Kareem claimed that the official records showed that there was "gross negligence" while preparing Public Private Partnership Appraisal Committee (PPPAC) memo and other related records, paving way for the private player to "earn windfall profit from the vast assets and business" of AAI spreading across six states.

"It is prima facie evident that neither AAI nor the Ministry exercised any reasonable care and prudence, which it usually follows, while placing even comparatively low-value tenders. Most of the vital financial parameters in the bid document, including the total project cost, minimum bid value etc. were kept open, giving free hand to the private player to shape the contract in their fashion," Kareem alleged.

He also claimed that the Empowered Group of Secretaries had interfered into the affairs of PPPAC, though they were not legally entitled to do so. It is pertinent to note that the proposed deal also violates the provisions of AAI Act, 1994 and Aircraft Rules, 1937, making the entire process void ab initio, he added.

28/09/20 Shemin Joy/Deccan Herald

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AAI invests Rs 50cr on Jalgaon airport

Nashik: The Airports Authority of India (AAI) has invested over Rs 50 crore in a phased manner to create aviation infrastructure in Jalgaon, which has the second biggest airport in North Maharashtra after Nashik airport.

Currently, commercial flights operated by Trujet are being run from the airport. While the Jalgaon-Ahmedabad-Jalgaon flight operates thrice a week, the flight from Jalgaon to Mumbai operates once a week. A private airline is planning to connect Jalgaon with Pune and Indore. MPs Unmesh Patil and Raksha Khadse are working overtime to improve the air connectivity of Jalgaon.

“After the directorate general of civil aviation (DGCA) gave its approval for night landing of aircraft, the instruments for facilitating the same have been put in place at the airport. The airport has also established a new equipment that will provide navigation information to pilots not only while landing and taking off but also while flying over Jalgaon,” said officials.

The AAI has also provided Jalgaon airport with state-of-the-art crash fire-fighting equipment imported from Austria and two new baggage X-Ray scanning machines.

“On the instructions of the AAI, the authorities have constructed a 40m-long bridge over a river outside the airport premises to facilitate movement of vehicles during an emergency. The bridge has been linked to a 1000m kutcha road leading to the airport,” said AAI sources.

29/09/20 Ranjan Dasgupta/Times of India

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Airlines forced to operate on load penalty at Doon airport as AAI awaits land transfer for runway extension

Dehradun: The aviation companies continue to operate at Dehradun’s Jolly Grant Airport with a load penalty as the state government is yet to transfer the proposed 243 acre land to the Airport Authority of India (AAI) for extension of runway.

The current length of runway at Jolly Grant Airport is 2,140 metres and it is proposed to be expanded to 2,765 meters with the construction of an additional 625 metres stretch for the runway.

Due to the short runway, airlines are currently operating the flights on load penalty, which means they run at least 10-15% less than their full capacity of passengers, fuel, and cargo.

DK Gautam, director of Jolly Grant Airport, said, “The airlines continue to operate with flight load penalty from Dehradun airport. There is a proposal to extend the runway. The proposal of 243 acre of land has already been taken up by the state cabinet and we are expected to get the land by next year.”

The official further said that the current runway at Jolly Grant Airport can be extended by not more than 625 metres due to geographical restrictions, adding, “There is Song river on one side towards Rishikesh and Dehradun-Haridwar national highway on the other end, making it difficult to expand the highway beyond 625 metres.”

29/09/20 Gaurav Talwar/Times of India

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None to guide to gates, queues grow at Calcutta airport

Calcutta:  Long queues are forming at two entrances to the airport terminal as the departure passengers who need to get boarding passes from airline counters at Gate 3C are queueing up at the nearest gate and often there is  no one to guide them to other entrances.

The airport authorities have since last week been following a tweaked entry process, allowing passengers to enter the terminal through both entrances of each gate. The integrated terminal of the airport has five gates, three for domestic and two for international passengers. Each gate has two entrances.

Since flight operations resumed in May, following the suspension announced in March because of Covid-19, passengers taking flights from Calcutta were being allowed to enter the terminal through one of the two entrances of each gate.

The lane of one entrance was being used by airport personnel to sanitise luggage and check body temperature of passengers. Fliers entered through the other lane, which had a security personnel’s counter where e-boarding passes and readings on the Arogya Setu app were being checked.

But there were huge congestions because of the Covid-related safety procedures and many fliers did not have smartphones and needed assistance to get boarding passes. They were being redirected to Gate 3C, where the airlines have their counters.

Since last week, following requests from the airlines, the airport authorities are allowing passengers to enter the terminal through both lanes of each gate.

“Now, we are keeping the cubicles in between the two lanes to check the documents. So, the queues are divided into two at each gate,” said airport director Kaushik Bhattacharya.

But, on Monday afternoon, Metro saw long queues at gate numbers 3A and 3B. But the queue at the other two gates for domestic passengers were smaller.

29/09/20 Sanjay Mandal/Telegraph

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Amritsar airport records 29.1% rise in passenger footfall in August

Amritsar: Sri Guru Ram Das Jee International (SGRDJI) Airport has recorded a 29.1 per cent rise in passenger footfall in August as compared to July, as per the data tweeted by the Airport Authority of India (AAI).

With the government relaxing flying norms, the number of domestic passengers increased to 31,652 in August from 22,389 in July. A marked change in movement of domestic flights was also witnessed ie 266 to 376. Meanwhile, international travels increased from 58 in July to 83 in August but the total number of passengers increased only by a small number from 9,837 to 9,956.

The number of international passengers shall probably increase in coming months as Air India and other airlines added more flights, including once a week direct flight to London’s Heathrow and Birmingham airports in the UK. During the month of August, airlines from UAE (Fly Dubai, Air Arabia) and Kuwait (Jazeera) also operated special flights to Amritsar under the temporary air-bubble agreements. These airlines from UAE did not get permission to fly from September onwards to Amritsar.

Middle-eastern carriers for many years have been willing to operate to Amritsar but unable to do as the airport is not included in the bilateral air agreements with India.

28/09/20 Neeraj Bagga/Tribune

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IndiGo to shift flights with series 2000 (6E2000-6E2999) from Terminal 3 to Terminal 2 of IGI Airport

New Delhi: IndiGo, India’s leading airline, which is currently operating more than 105 domestic flights from Terminal 3, will be shifting some flights to Terminal 2 at the Indira Gandhi International Airport, New Delhi, from October 1, 2020. All the flights with call sign between 6E 2000 – 6E 2999 will be departing from and arriving at Terminal 2 of IGI Airport, while the rest will operate from T3. The transfer process between these two terminals has been optimised to provide a seamless experience to the passengers.

During this transition phase, IndiGo has taken measures to ensure passengers are informed at every stage while flying with 6E. IndiGo is reaching out to all impacted passengers and their respective travel agents via SMS, calls, and emails provided in reservation. IndiGo passengers are requested to retrieve their PNR on IndiGo’s website or mobile app to check their terminal before leaving for the airport.

Mr. Wolfgang Prock-Schauer, President and Chief Operating Officer, IndiGo said, “We are working very closely with the Delhi International Airport Limited (DIAL) to shift nearly half of our domestic operations from Terminal 3 to Terminal 2 at IGI Airport. As the capacities grow, operations from Terminal 2 will also allow adequate space to maintain social distancing guidelines while providing a safe and hassle-free travel experience.”

28/09/20 Orissadiary.com

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Mumbai airport union's strike notice over pending salaries

Mumbai: With no salary payments in the past few months, one of the workers' unions at Mumbai airport has issued a strike notice to Mumbai International Airport Ltd (MIAL) on Monday. If the issue isn't resolved in two weeks, the union, with aerobridge operators, electrical/lighting maintenance workers, cargo drivers as its members, can then legally strike work.

The notice, given under Industrial Disputes Act by the Hawai Karmachari Sena, said that permanent employees haven't been paid salaries for two months and contractual staff haven't got full salaries for 6 months and they haven't got salary slips for eight months. Sources said Mumbai airport employs about 20 different contractors for varied jobs. The letter added that a certain contractor "openly threatens staff with termination from job if they ask for pending financial dues". The union demanded immediate release of salaries with interest and risk allowance.

Other unions at the airport have decided to wait a bit longer. "We spoke to the MIAL CEO last week about pending salaries and were assured of payments in the last week of September. We are positive the issue will be resolved soon," said Sarwar Mohammed, general secretary of Airports Aviation Employee's Union which has about 2,800 members, including 1,400 who are permanent MIAL staff. "The employees have been very patient in spite of hardship due to non-payment of salary for 3 months... their resilience however cannot be taken for granted by management," said a letter sent on Monday, seeking an answer on the date when salaries will be paid. MIAL spokesperson was not reachable.

29/02/20 Times of India

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Airport Road is coming undone

As far as toll goes, this road in the city may be second to only NICE Road, but travelling on this road has an added price. The Devanahalli Road that connects

the city to the Kempegowda International Airport (KIA) road will extract every ounce of patience from the motorists with its myriad potholes.

And commuters on this road will testify that the maintenance work of this road has gone from bad to worse. BM went on a test drive and found that some areas

such as the stretch near Hunasamaranahalli flyover are particularly bad.

“The traffic on the highway increased tremendously when the airport shifted here. However, its maintenance did not catch up with its use. For the last few

months, we are seeing a number of potholes cropping up all along the highway,” said Srinivas R, who travels on this road on a daily basis to get to his godown.

Especially near the Hunasamaranahalli flyover and near the Bagalur Junction stretch, the road has almost come apart. “Numerous potholes have come up

near Hunasamaranahalli. As many take this road in the night, these bad patches can prove to be dangerous,” added Rupesh S, a cab driver.

Ramesh D, a motorist, said that he used to think the BBMP did a shoddy job of filling up potholes, but the airport road that is maintained by the National

Highways Authority of India (NHAI) is not faring any better. He said most potholes had been filled up in an unscientific manner so they were opening up again.

“The road on the other stretches may look okay, but it will wear out soon. The down ramp near Hebbal too has a few potholes,” he said.

29/09/20 Sridhar Vivan/Bangalore Mirror

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Times OOH installs screens at Mumbai airport to show cricket scores with 30% brand message

Keeping up the momentum of one of the most awaited sporting events of the year, Times OOH, a prominent player at airport touchpoints, recently rolled out digital screens at Mumbai airport T2 to show real-time cricket score updates.

With the lockdown phasing out and more and more people taking to air travel, airport traffic in July recorded over 4.2 million domestic passengers, and the number is only increasing. And with cricket being a religion in India, there is no doubt that these screens will be a big hit. These screens will not just give cricket lovers their fix while on the move, but will also give brands a great opportunity to catch their attention.

Currently, Times OOH has two of their clients--MCX and Delta Faucets-- advertising on these digital screen alongside the cricket content. Similar activations will soon be available on all Times OOH digital screens across Mumbai, Indore and Coimbatore airports. The OOH company says they are in talks with multiple brands for this activation.

The duration of this activation will be until the current cricket season lasts, which is November 8, 2020. The content showcases real-time score updates, team standings and upcoming matches. The digital screen is divided into 70:30 ratio where 70 per cent will be for content and 30 per cent for the brand’s ad or logo.

Roshan Rawat, Head – MarCom, Creative and Digital - Times OOH says, “Digital out-of-home (DOOH) provides huge opportunities to brands to reach a hyper-connected urban audience. DOOH is transforming the way marketers communicate with consumers on-the-go, not just with the availability of data but also creativity. Cricket is a big event for us in India. Keeping that in mind, we have designed the cricket content offering for passenger utility. It is something that can get viewers glued to the screens while travelling at the airport. Due to the increase in dwell time and stickiness of the content, brands have seen this as an opportunity to capitalise and harp on it.” 

29/09/20 Noel Dsouza/exchange4media

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GMR Group CIO George Fanthome moves on

GMR Group CIO George Fanthome has moved on from the conglomerate to join BIAL (Bangalore International Airport Limited) as a CIO.

In this new role, he will be heading the IT function at the airport while supporting the business with new technology driven streams.

“BIAL is a leader in airports, not only in India but globally. The company has been leveraging technology to enhance passenger experience while optimising operational processes. I am looking forward to leading IT and digital divisions of the airport as a CIO. The company has welcomed me as a family member. The working culture and business values of BIAL are very strong and integrated to the roots of every role/function in the company. In the coming time, I will explore new technology innovation and digital strategies for the airport,” Fanthome said.

29/09/20 Nikhar Aggarwal/ET CIO.com

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Meghalaya: Umroi Airport among the seven to be upgraded by 2022

Shillong: The Airports Authority of India (AAI) is planning to upgrade runways in seven different airports across the country by March 2022, senior officials said on Sunday.

The seven airports are in Jammu (J&K), Kolhapur (Maharashtra), Jabalpur (Madhya Pradesh), Umroi (Meghalaya), Kadapa (Andhra Pradesh), Tirupati (Andhra Pradesh) and Tuticorin (Tamil Nadu).

The officials also stated that they would expand the runway at the Jammu airport from 2,042 metres to 2,438 metres by March next year.

The extension of the Kolhapur airport runway from 1,370 metres to 2,300 metres has begun and will be completed by December this year, the officials mentioned.

The officials stated that an airport runway is designed for a particular type of aircraft and also depends on traffic demand and other factors.

They also informed that the runway at Umroi Airport would be extended and strengthened by December this year.

28/09/20 North East Today

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Delhi airport to resume flight operations at T2 terminal from October 1

New Delhi: The Delhi airport will resume flight operations at the T2 terminal from October 1, said its operator DIAL on Monday. The airport has been operating flights from the T3 terminal only since March 23, when flight operations in India were curtailed drastically due to the coronavirus pandemic.

"The resumption of operations at T2 will be with 96 air traffic movements (48 departures and 48 arrivals) per day and increase progressively up to 180 by end of October," said a DIAL press release.

From October 1, IndiGo will operate all its flights with call signs between 6E2000 and 6E2999 from the T2 terminal.

Moreover, entire flight operations of GoAir will be conducted from the T2 from October 1, said the Delhi International Airport Limited (DIAL).

"About 27 counters – 11 for GoAir and 16 for IndiGo - have been created to cater to passengers of respective flights," the DIAL noted.

India suspended scheduled international passenger flights from March 23 and scheduled domestic passenger flights from March 25 due to the pandemic. However, medical evacuation flights and special flights permitted by the aviation regulator DGCA have been allowed to operate.

28/09/20 PTI/India TV

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Bengaluru airport to city centre in 10 mins? Virgin Hyperloop to study feasibility

Bengaluru: Virgin Hyperloop and Bangalore International Airport Limited (BIAL) on Sunday signed a first-of-its-kind Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to conduct a feasibility study for a proposed hyperloop corridor from Kempegowda International Airport to Bengaluru city.

According to a statement released by Virgin Hyperloop, the connectivity could reduce the travel time between the airport and city center to 10 minutes.

“The pre-feasibility study, which focuses on technical, economic and route feasibility, is expected to be completed in two phases of six months each. With a speed of up to 1,080 kmph, the hyperloop could transport thousands of passengers per hour from Bengaluru Airport to the city center in under 10 minutes, according to the preliminary analysis,” the statement read.

The MoU was exchanged virtually between Sultan bin Sulayem, Chairman of Virgin Hyperloop and DP World, and T.M. Vijay Bhaskar, Chief Secretary of Karnataka and Chairman of the Board of Directors at BIAL in the presence of Kapil Mohan, Principal Secretary, Infrastructure Development Department.

“The commissioning of a feasibility study for hyperloop connectivity from Bengaluru Airport is another major step towards building the infrastructure required to define mobility for the future and enabling the efficient movement of people,” said TM Vijay Bhaskar.

Virgin Hyperloop said that travellers could streamline their multimodal trip with seamless check in and security for both their hyperloop as well as air travel at centrally-located hyperloop portals.

“We feel honored to partner with BIAL to explore ways in which the hyperloop can become a part of the solution to tackle congestion and support economic growth in Bengaluru. Beyond just the transit of passengers, airports are crucial conduit for goods, especially time-sensitive deliveries. A hyperloop-connected airport would dramatically improve the delivery of cargo and create an ultra-efficient supply chain,” Sultan bin Sulayem said.

28/09/20 Darshan Devaiah BP/Indian Express

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Delhi Airport To Resume Flights At T2 Terminal; IndiGo, GoAir To Start From Oct 1

The Delhi airport will resume flight operations at the T2 terminal from October 1, said its operator DIAL on Monday.

The airport has been operating flights from the T3 terminal only since March 23, when flight operations in India were curtailed drastically due to the coronavirus pandemic.

"The resumption of operations at T2 will be with 96 air traffic movements (48 departures and 48 arrivals) per day and increase progressively up to 180 by end of October," said a DIAL press release.

From October 1, IndiGo will operate all its flights with call signs between 6E2000 and 6E2999 from the T2 terminal.

Moreover, entire flight operations of GoAir will be conducted from the T2 from October 1, said the Delhi International Airport Limited (DIAL).

"About 27 counters – 11 for GoAir and 16 for IndiGo - have been created to cater to passengers of respective flights," the DIAL noted.

India suspended scheduled international passenger flights from March 23 and scheduled domestic passenger flights from March 25 due to the pandemic. However, medical evacuation flights and special flights permitted by the aviation regulator DGCA have been allowed to operate.

28/09/20 PTI/Outlook

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Flights to Kolkata resume ahead of Durga Puja

Airport authorities have resumed flight services to Kolkata ahead of upcoming Durga Puja, one of the largest festivals of the Bengali community during which several thousand residents of Jharkhand travel to West Bengal to participate in festivities with family and friends, officials said on Sunday.

“We have resumed four weekly flights to Kolkata ahead of Durga Puja. A high demand for flights to Kolkata is anticipated during the festive season,” said Director of Birsa Munda Airport in Ranchi, Vinod Sharma.

Sharma added that the new flights to Kolkata, run by Indigo Airlines, take off from the State capital on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Saturdays and Sundays.

“Besides Kolkata, we have also resumed passenger flights to Mumbai. Flights to New Delhi, Bangalore and Hyderabad were already operational after the resumption of air services,” said Sharma.

All flights from Ranchi remained suspended since the imposition of a nationwide lockdown on March 24 in the wake of Covid-19 pandemic.  Once flight services resumed on May 25, the Ranchi airport was permitted to operate only seven flights, airport officials said.

While the count of flights gradually increased to 10 by August end, the number was still less than half of the number of flights that took off from Ranchi before lockdown, and there were no flights to Kolkata.

Although Ranchi-ites now have the option to fly to Kolkata during Durga Puja, railway services connecting Ranchi to Howrah have remained suspended despite demands by various groups of resuming direct trains between Ranchi and Kolkata. The Government has not given any indication regarding the resumption of passenger trains from Ranchi to Howrah prior to the festival, to be celebrated in the last week of October.

28/09/20 Pioneer

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Deoghar, the holy city in Jharkhand all set to have a new airport, flight operations to start soon

New Delhi: In a major boost to regional air connectivity, Deoghar, the holy city in Jharkhand is all set to have a new airport. Airports Authority of India (AAI) has teamed up with the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and the state government to initiate the project work. The airport will be spread across 653.75 acres of land while the terminal building will be built across 4000 sqm area.As per the AAI, the airport is to be designed with eco-friendly dynamics and state-of-the-art passenger facilities. The new airport terminal building will draw inspiration from Shikhars of the popular Baidyanath Temple of Deoghar. With 2,500 meter-long runway, the airport will be suitable for AB-320 type aircraft. The terminal building will have six check-in counters and two arrival belts with peak hour handling capacity of 200 passengers.

Deoghar, the holy city in Jharkhand all set to have a new airport, flight operations to start soonDeoghar, the holy city in Jharkhand all set to have a new airport, flight operations to start soon  |  Photo Credit: Twitter

New Delhi: In a major boost to regional air connectivity, Deoghar, the holy city in Jharkhand is all set to have a new airport. Airports Authority of India (AAI) has teamed up with the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and the state government to initiate the project work. The airport will be spread across 653.75 acres of land while the terminal building will be built across 4000 sqm area.

As per the AAI, the airport is to be designed with eco-friendly dynamics and state-of-the-art passenger facilities. The new airport terminal building will draw inspiration from Shikhars of the popular Baidyanath Temple of Deoghar. With 2,500 meter-long runway, the airport will be suitable for AB-320 type aircraft. The terminal building will have six check-in counters and two arrival belts with peak hour handling capacity of 200 passengers.

With environment-friendly architectural design and state-of-the-art passenger facilities, the terminal building will be a composite structure inspired by the Shikhars of the Baidyanath Temple. The interiors will depict local tribal arts, handicrafts, and pictures of local tourist destinations highlighting the culture of the region. 

Deoghar Airport, the second airport in Jharkhand after Ranchi, a six-hour drive away, is situated on the North-Eastern side of the state and will have a wide catchment area including Northern West Bengal and South-Eastern Bihar. Development of this airport is expected to give an impetus to local tourism and will generate employment as a large part of the local population depends on tourism for its livelihood. The development of Deoghar Airport would also improve the overall economic development of the region.

Talking about the new airport, Civil Aviation Minister Hardeep Singh Puri tweeted, "Deoghar Airport will be operational soon. Due to its strategic location, it will provide aviation connectivity to Santhal region & will also serve people of Patna, Banka, Khagaria, Munger, Sheikhpura, Bhagalpur & Jamui in Bihar."

Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid the Foundation Stone of the development of Deoghar Airport through a video link from an event in Sindri, Jharkhand on 25th May 2018. The development of the airport with a project cost of Rs 401.34 crore is underway and will be completed very soon.

28/09/20 ETNowNews.com

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Kerala HC allows CIAL to claim refund for input tax

New Delhi: The Kerala High Court has set aside an order rejecting refund of Input Tax Credit (ITC) to Duty Free Shops (DFS) located at the international airports.

The petitioner shall pay the GST on input services including Concession Fee to the Airport Operator and claim ITC of the entire tax amount and thereafter claim refund of the same by following the procedure, a single judge Bench ruled, while disposing seven similar petitions filed by Flemingo Duty Free Shop and CIAL Duty Free and Retail Services, Cochin with Central Government, Central Tax Department in State, State Government and Calicut International Airport. The Bench made one particular petition the base one with Flemingo Duty Free as petitioner and Centre, State, Airport Government and Calicut Airport as respondents, therefore, making the ruling applicable in all remaining matter.

It observed that petitioner(s) sell to the international passengers — departing passengers or passengers arriving into India — goods such as cigarettes, alcohol, perfumes, chocolates and cosmetics, etc. It is a matter of record that all the goods which are sold at the DFSs are either imported or purchased from Indian market and are stored in Customs bonded warehouses. The goods which are brought from customs warehouses do not cross customs frontiers, thus, before the goods are imported in the country, they had been sold at DFSs.

“In my view, if the transaction of sale or purchase takes place when the goods are imported in India or they are being exported from India, no State can impose any tax thereon. It is also not in dispute that all the DFSs are situated at international airports i.e. at Cochin and Calicut, which are beyond the Customs frontiers of India and would not be within the customs frontiers of India. When any transaction takes place outside the customs frontiers of India, of course the transaction is said to have taken place outside India, though the transaction might take place within India,” the Bench said.

27/09/20 Shishir Sinha/Business Line

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AAI plans to upgrade runways at seven airports by March 2022

New Delhi: The Airports Authority of India (AAI) is planning to upgrade runways at seven airports across the country by March 2022, senior officials said on Sunday.

These seven airports are at Jammu (J&K), Kolhapur (Maharashtra), Jabalpur (Madhya Pradesh), Barapani (Meghalaya), Kadapa (Andhra Pradesh), Tirupati (Andhra Pradesh) and Tuticorin (Tamil Nadu), the AAI officials told PTI.

The officials said the runway at the Jammu airport is undergoing expansion from the current length of 2,042 metres to 2,438 metres and it is planned to be completed by March next year.

The extension of the runway of the Kolhapur airport from 1,370 metres to 2,300 metres has begun and is planned to be completed by December this year, the officials mentioned.

They said the runways at the Jabalpur airport and the Tuticorin airport are expected to be upgraded by December 2021 and March 2022, respectively.

27/09/20 PTI/Economic Times

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Flights to Calcutta resume ahead of Durga Puja

Ranchi: Airport authorities in Ranchi have resumed flight services to Calcutta ahead of Durga Puja, one of the largest festivals of the Bengali community during which thousands of residents of Jharkhand travel to Bengal, officials said on Saturday.

“We have resumed four weekly flights to Calcutta ahead of Durga Puja. A high demand for flights is anticipated during the festive season,” said director of Birsa Munda Airport in Ranchi Vinod Sharma.

Sharma added that the new flights to Calcutta would take off from Ranchi on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Saturdays and Sundays. All the four flights are run by Indigo Airlines, he said.

All flights from Ranchi remained suspended since the imposition of a nationwide lockdown on March 24 in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic. Once flight services resumed on May 25, the Ranchi airport was permitted to operate only seven flights, airport officials said.

While the count of flights gradually increased to 10 by August-end, the number was still less than half the number of flights that took off from Ranchi before the lockdown. Also, there were no flights to Calcutta.

“We have also resumed passenger flights from Ranchi to Mumbai. Flights to New Delhi, Bangalore and Hyderabad were already operational after the resumption of air services,” said Sharma.

While Jharkhand residents now have the option to fly to Calcutta during Durga Puja, railway services connecting Ranchi to Howrah have remained suspended despite demands by various groups. The government has not given any indication regarding the resumption of passenger trains from Ranchi to Howrah.

26/09/20 Telehgraph

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IndiGo service from Trichy to Kozhikode

Trichy: For the first time after 13 years, Trichy will have an air connectivity with Kozhikode in Kerala with IndiGo Air operating a special flight on September 27. The flight 6E 8207, which is coming from Sharjah, is scheduled to take off from Trichy at 8.20pm on Sunday.

As part of the ongoing repatriation services operated by IndiGo Air from various destinations to Trichy, the carrier has scheduled to operate a service from Sharjah to Trichy on Sunday.

“The flight coming from Sharjah will be extended to Kozhikode as an additional service. The flight will arrive here at 7.20pm on Sunday,” a senior IndiGo official from Trichy airport told TOI.

Though the service is a one-day special, which is going connect both the cities, it is considered significant as this comes after a gap of 13 years, air travel enthusiasts said.

Earlier, Indian Airlines was operating two flights a week pn the Trichy - Kuwait sector via Kozhikode. While one service was connected with Fujairah, the other was operated via Ras-Al-Khaimah. However, the services were withdrawn in 2007 citing operational reasons.

27/09/20 D Vincent Arockiaraj/Times of India

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Quarantine will not be held at the airport even after international air travel, just do this job

New Delhi: If you travel abroad and land at any airport in India, then you will be quarantined at the airport. People will be discharged after the completion of the quarantine days decided on the basis of guidelines. But you can avoid being quarantined at the airport. For this, after landing the bus, you have to give the RT-PCR report at the airport. You will not be quarantined only when this report is negative. According to the information given by Air India Express, this RT-PCR test should not be more than 96 hours old. Passengers returning from international travel by planes can also upload their news report www.newdelhiairport.in. 

While giving information, Air India said that if a passenger is going to UAE, it is necessary to report RT-PCR test from any lab approved by ICMR. This report should be written on the official stamp pad of the lab and also signed. Explain that photocopy of RT-PCR test report will not be considered valid. Also, nothing written by hand on the report will be valid and the report should be maximum 96 hours old. 

Let us know that the outbreak of corona epidemic continues. For this reason, this type of procedure is being adopted to take safety and precautions. At the same time, if you are going to travel domestic then you must know the rules of domestic air traffic. Violation of these rules may cause you trouble. 

27/09/20 Kim Diaz/News Trace

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61,000 Kannadigas returned under VBM

 Ever since the government started the Vande Bharat mission flights in May more than 61,000 passengers have travelled back to Karnataka from different cities across the globe.

Vande Bharat flights are operated to two airports in the state, the Kempegowda International Airport and the Mangaluru International Airport. The first flight under the mission to Bengaluru was operated on May 12 and since then under different phases several flights have been operated to two airports to bring back stranded Indians.

Union Minister of State for Civil Aviation Hardeep Singh Puri said that more than 61,000 stranded Indian’s citizens returned to Karnataka alone.

Under Phase-1 of the mission only six flights were operated, in Phase-2 (which included Phase-2 additional and Phase-2++) 36 flights were operated and in Phase-3 and Phase-4 38 and 79 flights were operated respectively. Similarly under Phase-5 83 flights were operated and under Phase-6 which run through the months of September and October 179 flights are scheduled as on September 25.

Air India operated flights from destinations like Moscow, Stockholm, Kyiv, Nursultan (Kazakhstan), Lagos (Nigeria), Auckland, Washington DC, New York, Jakarta, Melbourne, Vancouver, Toronto, Dublin among other cities which were hitherto not connected to Bengaluru.

27/09/20 Hemanth CS/Bangalore Mirror

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Chennai airport finds it hard to harness solar energy

Chennai: Chennai airport lags behind in harnessing solar energy while smaller airports have installed more generating capacity in the past few years. The city airport does not have adequate land to install solar panels to lean more on clean energy.

The airport now has capacity to generate 1.6MWp (mega watt peak) solar power from rooftop panels, while smaller airports in Chandigarh and Jaipur have more installed capacity, shows statistics presented by aviation minister Hardeep Singh Puri in the Lok Sabha. Chandigarh has 3MWp capacity from ground-mounted panels while Jaipur has 1.9MWp capacity, 1.8MWp of which is from ground-mounted panels. Trichy, also smaller, generates 1.1MWp — 1MWp from ground-mounted panels.

Kolkata tops AAI-run airports in harnessing solar power, with 17MWp.

Lack of land and use of land to develop ground facilities for flights fearing a second airport will be delayed, have caused the airport to slow down on solar power generation. Nevertheless, the airport is planning to step up generation so that dependence on the grid could be reduced.

“There is a proposal to install panels on the ground for generating 6.5MWp. Land was identified in seven pockets. But some of these are close to the runway and doubts were raised whether glare from the panels will affect flights. It is still under discussion,” said an official. A huge chunk of the identified land is in the northern corner of the main runway close to the Pallavaram side. A contractor was also selected in May last year.

The current installed capacity of 1.6MWp helps the airport save around Rs 2 crore every year, the official added. “Less land is available in Chennai airport. This is a reason why panels could not be installed on the ground,” he added.

27/09/20 Times of India

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CVC asks Aviation Ministry to look into irregularities in leasing out six airports to private player by AAI

The Central Vigilance Commission (CVC) has asked the Civil Aviation Ministry to take appropriate action in connection with the alleged irregularities in Airports Authority of India (AAI) leasing out six of its airports to private players.

A letter by CVC accessed by ANI shows the Commission ordered an inquiry in connection with this."I am directed to acknowledge your complaint dated September 4, 2020 regarding gross financial irregularities in the leasing out of six airports of Airport Authority of India.

The complaint along with its enclosures are forwarded to CVO, Ministry of Civil Aviation for necessary action," stated the letter by Additional Secretary, CVC, in response to a letter written by Rajya Sabha MP and CPI(M) Elamaram Kareem. Kareem had raised the issue with the CVC, claiming, "Gross financial irregularities in the leasing out of six airports of Airports Authority of India."

"It is evident from the relevant records that there was gross negligence on the part of Airports Authority of India and Ministry of Civil Aviation while preparing PPPAC memo and other related records, paving way to the private player to earn windfall profit from the vast assets and business of AAI spreading across six States. It is prima facie evident that neither AAI nor the Ministry of Civil Aviation exercised any reasonable care and prudence, which it usually follows, while placing even comparatively low-value tenders," the letter by Kareem read.

27/09/20 ANI/DNA

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Delhi: DIAL wants to offer Covid test to every flyer

New Delhi: Soon, all passengers flying in and out of IGI Airport will be able to get a Covid test done to avoid quarantine as per norms if they test negative. The Delhi International Airport Ltd (DIAL) has sought government nod to make its newly-established Covid testing facility available to all passengers, whether domestic or international.

At present only international passengers flying into India can get a Covid test done at their port of arrival and those who test negative can then take connecting domestic flights.

"DIAL set up a testing facility and has expanded it substantially. At present about 350 international passengers get tested on a daily basis. We have sought government nod to allow any passenger to avail of this testing facility," said a source.

27/09/20 Times of India

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IAG Cargo Ferried 50 Tonnes Of Cargo Between Mumbai And London

The cargo division of the International Airlines Group (IAG), aptly named IAG Cargo, has set a company record for freight transported on a single flight from India. The record-setting flight was flown by a Boeing 777-300 going from Mumbai to London with 50,026 kilograms (55 US tons) of mixed products, including fruits and vegetables, pharmaceuticals, and courier items.

IAG Cargo has set a new record for most cargo flown on a single flight from India. A Boeing 777-300ER operated the flight sometime in September – IAG Cargo has not disclosed the date.

With the flight going from Mumbai to London and the company’s press release showing a photo of a British Airways 777, the aircraft was likely operating as BA138. British Airways operates a daily service between the two major cities, consistently using a Boeing 777-300ER.

The flight from Mumbai to London typically takes just over nine hours to complete and departs just before 02:00 local time every day. While it’s scheduled time of arrival in London is 07:05 local time, it consistently lands 15 to 20 minutes earlier than this.

26/09/20 Chris Loh/Simple Flying

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Airport transit facility thrown open to public

Kolkata: The much awaited transfer facility for domestic-to-domestic transit passengers at the Kolkata airport, which allows transit passengers on arrival at the airport to move directly into the departure security hold area after being frisked at a dedicated security check portal, was commissioned on Friday evening. Around 300 passengers used the facility on the first day. Over the weekend, the numbers are set to increase, airport officials said.

According to officials, the new facility will enhance maintenance of social distancing protocol, safety at the Kolkata airport terminal and reduce hassle for transit flyers. “The facility will save 50-60 minutes of transit time as passengers now require to exit the terminal at the arrival level, take elevators to the departure level, re-enter the terminal after necessary checks at the gate and then undergo security check,” an airport official explained.

Developed at a cost of Rs 6.5 crore, the 24,000-sq ft transfer facility with a dedicated security check portal that has a capacity of clearing 300 passengers per hour. The infrastructure enhancement for the facility includes two baggage X-ray machines (one of them with an automatic tray retrieval system), three frisking booths (one for women and two for men), three dedicated elevators to move to the security hold area, a separate set of toilets and enhanced security hold area with two new bus coach boarding gates to travel to planes parked in remote bays. This will take the remote bay gate count from six to eight.

The facility will, however, help only passengers booked on the same airline for flights arriving as well as departing Kolkata. Those booked in different airlines will have to collect their luggage at the arrival hall, exit the terminal and proceed to departure level to complete the formalities.

26/09/20 amaghna Banerjee/Times of India

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Fire at ONGC revives safety concerns at Surat airport

Surat: The major blast in the gas pipeline of Oil and Natural Gas Corporation’s (ONGC) Hazira plant has once again raised concerns over the safety of flight operations and the extension of the runway at the Surat airport. The reason being: the 36-inch gas pipeline of ONGC where the blast occurred due to leakage passes about 250 metre away from the runway. While the 42-inch pipeline is laid nearly 350 metres from the runway.

The ONGC had carried out a survey in December 2019 for gauging the possibilities for removal of these buried gas pipeline passing close to the airport runway, which are a major hindrance in the runway extension project and for safe flight operations.

Even after nine months of the completion of the survey, the ONGC authorities are yet to give the report to the Airports Authority of India (AAI).

This information was given to the Airport Advisory Committee (AAC) during meeting held last month by Surat airport director Aman Saini. However, the chairman of AAC desired that the ONGC representative to be invited in the next AAC meeting with the current status report on the survey.

According to sources, during the course of the survey, various testing including soil testing, wind direction, drilling test, vibration test etc. were conducted by ONGC.

Sources said that the ONGC had proposed to construct a culvert, which will be a concrete structure, to cover the buried gas pipeline at the Dumas end of the runway. The culvert will have the capacity to handle more than 140 tonnes per square metre weight, which is enough for the wide-bodied aircraft for landing and take-off.

26/09/20 Times of India

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Cargo ops at Pune airport revive after Covid outbreak lull

Pune: The domestic cargo movement from the city airport has been improving gradually after the lull triggered by the Covid-19 lockdown.

The latest statistics released by the Airports Authority of India (AAI) revealed an encouraging growth of domestic cargo movement in July as compared to May. But experts and representatives from the business community are of the opinion that the airport needs to push its cargo facility infrastructure to attract more traders.It is expected that good rain this monsoon will yield a good output and help boost the cargo movement. As and when the vaccine for Covid-19 is ready and its dispatches increase, it could be a good opportunity for the Pune airport cargo facilities,” said Anant Sardeshmukh, former director-general of the Mahratta Chamber of Commerce, Industries and Agriculture.

Sardeshmukh said the cargo facility needed a facelift. 

25/09/20 Joy Sengupta/Times of India

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Jammu, Srinagar Airports receive 30 domestic flights with 3,916 passengers aboard

Jammu: On day 123 of resumption of routine domestic operations in Jammu and Kashmir, 30 domestic flights with 3,916 passengers on board today arrived at Jammu and Srinagar Airports.

A total of 1316 passengers aboard 10 regular commercial flights arrived at the Jammu Airport while 20 domestic flights with about 2600 passengers aboard landed at Srinagar Airport today.

Pertinently, Jammu Airport Authorities have received a total of 1,070 domestic flights with 99,156 passengers while Srinagar Airport Authorities have received 1,739 domestic flights with 2,39,089 passengers since 25th of May till date.

Till date the government has brought back about 3806 passengers from various countries to the Union Territory through special evacuation flights in the wake of global pandemic till date.

After arrival, all the passengers were tested for the COVID-19 at both the airports amid strict observance of all necessary preventive protocols.

25/09/20 India Education Diary

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UDAN 4.0: Get ready to fly from Dibrugarh in Upper Assam to Shillong

The people from Dibrugarh in Upper Assam will be able to reach Shillong, the state capital of Meghalaya, within hours as aircraft will soon connect the two places under UDAN 4.0 scheme.

Announcing this, the Airport Authority of India (AAI) on its Twitter handle on Friday said:  “UDAN 4.0 brings regions close, destinations closer! The connectivity between Dibrugarh, an emerging industrial hub of North East India and Shillong, a fast emerging education hub for the entire North East region, will open new horizons for these two places.”

The Union aviation ministry launched the 4th round of UDAN in December 2019 with a special focus on Northeastern, hilly states, and islands.

The aviation ministry has awarded several routes under UDAN 4 in line with the Act East Policy of the Central government.

After Coronavirus-induced lockdown, flights have started operating.

“6 flights operated today at Dibrugarh Airport, bringing 406 incoming passengers & 393 outgoing passengers,” the Dibrugarh Aiport authority said in a tweet on Thursday.

“Vistara & Air India operated 1 flight while Indigo operated 4 flights. The connections from/to Delhi, Guwahati & Kolkata,” it added.

Meanwhile, the Shillong Airport authority on its Twitter handle on Thursday said: “Today, the new ACFT was tested for breaking performance under various speeds like 33 kmph, 66kmph, etc. at #AAI’s #ShillongAirport. The test was carried out while it was raining.”

25/09/20 Northeast Now

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Bengaluru’s Kempegowda International Airport's new runway is fog-proof

 Bengaluru: Each year, fog-related visibility issues disrupt hundreds of flights at the Kempegowda International Airport, playing havoc with the plans of thousands of passengers. The new runway with its Cat III B Instrument Landing System (ILS) will address this problem this winter.

Earlier, BIAL informed that the existing north runway is closed for now as they are strengthening the runway and installing centerline lights. The rehabilitation will be completed by the end of this year. Till the time the work will go on, all flight operations at BLR Airport will be from the south runway.

The Aviation Weather Monitoring System has been developed by Bengaluru-based CSIR-National Aerospace Laboratories (NAL). Apart from this, Bengaluru airport has also installed four Drishti Transmissometers which is expected to help in measuring the Runway Visibility Range (RVR). With this, the number of RVRs installed at both runways have reached six.

According to the airport authorities, the Drishti Transmissometers are also made by NAL in association with the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD). The move of installing RVRs and AWMS boosts the airport’s vision of ‘Made in India.’

25/09/20 ETNowNews.com

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Bullets found inside Coimbatore International Airport

Coimbatore: Bullets found inside a bathroom at Coimbatore International Airport, police registers case. Four live bullets and two used bullets were found inside a gents toilet near the security check area at the Coimbatore International Airport on Friday. The ammunition was handed over to the Peelamedu Police by the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) and a case has been registered by the police. 

According to the complaint given by SK Soni, Inspector, CISF unit, Aviation Security Group, an outsourced civil maintenance staff P Selvam, who was deployed for work in the gents toilet near the security check area, found the bullets in the commode of a western toilet on Friday at around 10.30 am. Upon discovering the bullets, Selvam informed the higher officials, and later the ammunition was handed over to the police. 

The complaint copy stated that one round of 7.62 mm bullet, two rounds of 9 mm bullet and one round of .380 mm bullet were found in the western toilet. Apart from this, reports suggested that two rounds of used assault rifle bullets were also recovered.

Police suspect that a passenger may have dumped the bullets in the toilet before undergoing a security check at the airport. A detailed enquiry is underway in connection with the recovery of the ammunition. CISF officials are also looking into the CCTV camera recordings to identify the person who may have left the ammunition inside the washroom.  

25/09/20 Shilpa Nair/TimesNowNews.com

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With new terminal, Patna airport will be able to handle 8 million passengers a year: Hardeep Singh Puri

New Delhi: The Patna airport will have the capacity to handle eight million passengers per annum once the construction of its new terminal is completed by the Airports Authority of India (AAI), said Civil Aviation Minister Hardeep Singh Puri on Thursday.

"LNJP (Lok Nayak Jay Prakash Narayan) Airport in Patna, which currently handles 4.53 million passengers per annum, is all set for further upgradation & expansion," Puri stated on Twitter.

"Construction of a new terminal is being undertaken by the AAI with state-of-the-art technology and facilities at Patna with an investment of Rs 1200cr," he noted.

This will enable the airport to handle eight million passengers per annum, the minister said.

The Patna airport is one of the fastest growing airports in India, he mentioned.

Puri also said flights will start operating at the Darbhanga airport from early November, much before the Chhath festival.

24/09/20 PTI/Economic Times

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Adani-GVK airport deal gets CCI green signal

New Delhi: The Competition Commission has approved Adani Group's proposed acquisition of controlling stake in Mumbai airport from GVK Airport Developers under the green channel route.

The green channel route provides for automatic approval of certain deals subject to various conditions, including absence of horizontal overlaps and existing or potential vertical relationships.

"Commission received Green Channel combination pertaining to acquisition of GVK Airport Developers Ltd by Adani Airport Holdings Ltd," the regulator said in a tweet.

In August, it was announced that Adani Group will acquire GVK Airport Developers Ltd's (GVKADL) 50.50 per cent stake as well as buy out the 23.5 per cent stake of Airports Company of South Africa (ACSA) and Bidvest Group.

Deals beyond a certain threshold require approval from the Competition Commission of India (CCI).

As per a notice filed with the watchdog, the acquirer proposes to acquire sole control of GVKADL through one or more steps, which will involve purchase of all external debt of the company, conversion of the said debt to equity and purchase of its balance shares.

24/09/20 PTI/economic Times

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Goa: Centre notifies national highway for Mopa airport

Panaji: The Centre on Thursday declared that the proposed Dhargalim to Varconda road, which will connect NH 66 to the new airport at Mopa, will be part of the national highway network. Land will be acquired for the new national highway which has been designated as 166S.

With the notification out, the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) will begin the process to acquire land and tender the contract to build the highway.

“The highway connecting Mopa airport to NH 66 has been declared as National Highway by the government of India,” said chief minister Pramod Sawant. “I thank minister Nitin Gadkari for the notification. This will ensure that the highway is developed under NHAI and Mopa airport will have seamless connectivity,” he said.

In 2018, the Centre had given an in-principle approval for the construction of an 8-km-long highway from Dhargalim to Varconda though authorities had yet to decide whether to construct a six-lane or a four-lane highway.

GMR Airports Ltd, through its subsidiary GMR Goa International Airport Limited (GGIAL), is constructing the greenfield airport at Mopa plateau in Pernem taluka. The first phase of the airport is supposed to be ready by March 2022.

“This is a new road. Land has to be acquired for the highway and then the construction will start,” said PWD principal chief engineer Uttam Parsekar.

24/09/20 Newton Sequeira/Times of India

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Dehradun Airport to get a makeover

Airports Authority of India is expecting a rise in passenger traffic at Dehradun Airport or Jolly Grant Airport in the near future, as domestic travel begins to open up gradually.

To meet the rising demand, AAI has allocated ₹3.53 billion for the redevelopment at Dehradun Airport.

The new domestic terminal building that is underway will feature 36 check-in counters, four aerobridges, facilities like self-check-in kiosks and an inline baggage screening facility, amongst others. A utility block, a car park, sewage treatment plant, rainwater harvesting facilities and other ancillary structures are also planned.

“With an area of 42,776 sqm, the new terminal building will be able to handle around 1,800 passengers during peak hours, thereby expanding the capacity of the airport by eightfold. The new terminal building will have a concourse, check-in area, security hold and arrival lounge at ground floor, security hold at first floor and various offices on the mezzanine floor,” states a press statement by Airports Authority of India.

24/09/20 Akanksha Maker/Business Traveller

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India’s GMR Group no longer interested in Megawide’s NAIA expansion, says Nograles

Manila: Party-list Rep. Jericho Nograles has urged the Department of Transportation and the Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA) to deny Megawide Construction Corporation’s proposed expansion of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) since its consortium partner is no longer interested with the project.

In a statement on Thursday, Nograles bared that the Indian infrastructural conglomerate GMR Group is no longer part of the consortium of Megawide which entered into contract with government to expand NAIA.

“The NAIA proposal is no longer with GMR-Megawide but with Megawide alone. GMR will not put a cent to the project. Government is aware of this. In fact, it was MIAA who informed the National Economic Development Authority (NEDA) on August 13 of that fact,” said Nograles, representative of PBA Party-list.

Norgrales has called out the leadership of MIAA since despite MIAA’s clear knowledge that GMR is no longer involved in the expansion project, it still decided to proceed with the P107-billion project with Megawide which would ultimately turn the NAIA into privately run airport for the next 25 years.

The lawmaker warned the proceeding with the project despite the withdrawal of the Indian conglomerate would only cost “higher terminal fees and other airport services.”

He noted that last August 24, the National Economic Development Authority’s (NEDA) Investment Coordination Committee (ICC) asked MIAA formally flagging Megawide as having inadequate equity for the project.

24/09/20 Politiko

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Crops destruction near airport condemned PM urged to ensure due compensation

Imphal: The Agricultural Labours' Association, Ningombam  (ALAN) has submitted a memorandum to the Prime Minister of  India to ensure due compensation to farmers for the destruction of crops by the Airport Authority and Manipur Police during COVID-19 lockdown.

On the night of September 9,10 and 11, the standing crops of Ningombam village were destroyed by the Airport Authority of India and Manipur Police for the expansion of Bir Tikendrajit International Airport.

ALAN stated that many families were evicted from their ancestral land in 2009 for the expansion of the airport and were promised compensation by the then ruling Congress Government. However, the compensation was never fulfilled and many families had to settle on the lands allotted by the Government without the provision of basic needs.

With the onset of COVID-19 and no means to sustain their livelihood, the farmers had approached their MLA to request the Airport Authorities to grant permission to cultivate the land which was acquired in 2009 and had been lying barren since then, said the association.

24/09/20 Sangai Express

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Assam: Huge cash haul at Dibrugarh airport; Rs 79 lakh seized, 4 detained

Tinsukia: The Dibrugarh police have seized new currency notes worth Rs 79 lakh allegedly from the possession of four passengers who were about to board Delhi-bound IndiGo airlines flight 6E 6772 at Dibrugarh Airport on Wednesday afternoon, in what can be called one of the biggest cash hauls in Northeast in recent times.

The Directorate of Income Tax (Investigation) had seized collectively Rs 5.84 crores between March 12 and April 8 last year from the northeastern states, almost 482 percent than cash seizure made before the Lok Sabha elections in 2014.

The passengers, identified as Md Jalaluddin Talukdar, Sanjay Kumar Swami, Sajan Singh, and Ram Avatar Swami – were all hailing from Khonsa in Arunachal Pradesh and have been detained, police sources confirmed. According to sources, the money, mostly in 500 denominations, were packed in two cartoons. "However, it is not clear where the money came from and was headed to."

Khonsa, the headquarters of Tirap district, is one of the three districts in Arunachal Pradesh declared as "disturbed area" under Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act, 1958, and the region is known for militant activities and drug haul cases. Sources said, prima facie it seems to be black money. "However, whether the money seized are proceeds from terror activity or drugs is something to be watched given the originating place of the carriers," added sources.

24/09/20 Rishu Kalantri/EastMojo

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Mangaluru airport gears up to handle more flights

Mangaluru: Mangaluru International Airport (MIA) is banking on airlines to start extra flights to bring it out of the pandemic-induced downturn in passenger traffic. SpiceJet has set the ball rolling by reintroducing flights to Delhi, and Bengaluru. This is besides its daily flight to Mumbai. Air India and IndiGo, the other state and private airlines operating to MIA are planning to ramp up services from the airport in a phased manner.

As per the flight schedule that SpiceJet has filed with MIA, the airline started direct flight on Delhi-Mangaluru-Delhi sector on September 22. The flight will operate on Tuesdays and Sundays. SG761 leaves Delhi at 10.10am and reaches MIA at 12.35pm and leaves as flight SG762 at 1.10pm to reach Delhi at 3.55pm.

The fares range between Rs 6,206 for Spice Saver and Rs 7,406 for SpiceMax as per fare chart on the airline’s website.

The airline has also introduced additional flights to Bengaluru every Wednesday and Thursday starting today. This is in addition to daily flight to Bengaluru.

Flight SG3328 leaves Bengaluru at 9.45am and reaches here at 10.30am. Flight 3329 leaves MIA at 11am and reaches Bengaluru at 11.55am. The fares are Rs 2,529 for SpiceSaver and Rs 3,730 for SpiceMax. This is in addition to daily flights SG 1035 and SG 1027.

Air India too has re-started flights from Mangaluru. It is operating a flight — three days a week on Mumbai-Mangaluru-Kochi-Mumbai sector. Flight AI 681 leaves Mumbai at 2.45pm and reaches here at 4.20pm. This flight leaves for Kochi at 5.20pm and reaches there at 6.20pm. On the return leg, the flight leaves Kochi at 7.20pm and reaches Mumbai at 9.30pm. The average occupancy between Mumbai-Mangaluru and Kochi-Mumbai is around 95%.

23/09/20 Jaideep Shenoy/Times of India

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‘Air connectivity in Jagdalpur, Ambikapur, Bilaspur will provide impetus to economy’

Raipur: The Government of India has sanctioned Rs 108 crore for up-gradation and development of airports in Jagdalpur, Ambikapur and Bilapur under UDAN scheme. Rs 48 crore sanctioned for Jagdalpur, Rs 27 crore for Ambikapur and Rs 33 crore for Bilaspur, of which, Rs 45 crore has been spent in Jagdalpur, Rs 27 crore in Ambikapur and Rs 20 crore in Bilaspur, said Union Minister of State for Civil Aviation (I/c) Hardeep Singh Puri. MoS Puri further added that this air connectivity will fulfill the aspirations of people of the region and provide impetus to the local economy.

 He further informed that the Airports Authority of India (AAI) has planned for investment of about Rs 900 crore to develop and expand Raipur Airport that includes expansion of the terminal building. Recently, the Ministry of Civil Aviation had approved the bid of Alliance Air for the operation of RCS Flight from Bilaspur to Bhopal under UDAN 4.0, which is expected to commence shortly. Air India’s wholly-owned subsidiary, Alliance Air was awarded this route under the UDAN 3 bidding process.

23/09/20 Hitawada

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Coimbatore airport has handled more passengers than its capacity: Data

Coimbatore: In another reminder to the state government to complete the process of land acquisition for expansion of the city airport as soon as possible, data from last year shows that the Coimbatore International Airport is already handling more passengers than its capacity. The civil aviation ministry says the airport, which has domestic and international flights, had handled 28.4 lakh passengers, compared to handling capacity of 20 lakh passengers. The numbers have also been steadily increased by 10% to 20% a year.

Replying to a question raised by member of Parliament Vishnu Prasad MK, minister of state for civil aviation Hardeep Singh Puri admitted that many airports, including Coimbatore, was handling more passengers than it was capable of. He said the ministry had a budget outlay of Rs 25,000 crore to expand multiple airports, but the process was getting delayed due to land acquisition issues.

Until last year, when Jet Airways shut operations resulting in the number of passengers being handled falling by 6.7% or from 30 lakh people a year to 28 lakh people a year, the Coimbatore International Airport has been seeing a steady growth in passenger traffic. From handling 15 lakh passengers in 2014-15, it doubled to 30 lakh passengers in 2018-’19, which is 50% higher than its passenger handling capacity.

23/09/20 Times of India

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AirAsia India strengthens its connectivity from Mumbai Srinagar

Srinagar: Identifying the demand forecast in the holiday season and driven by its mission to enhance the air connectivity in the country, AirAsia India has launched two new routes, connecting Mumbai with Guwahati and Srinagar. The airline expanded its network by commencing operations on these new sectors from 19th Sept 2020 with fares starting from ₹5,192 and continues to deliver on its goal of providing connectivity between various cities in its network in India. The airline expanded its network and continues to deliver on providing connectivity between various cities on its network of 20 stations in India.

The airline has embarked on a steady growth path as the travel industry recovers, to stay ahead of the curve. As per DGCA reports, The number of daily passengers flown continues to soar with the numbers trending at over 90K per day on an average in the month of August. With offerings such as ‘Flex Fares’, allowing guests the flexibility to change their travel dates unlimited number of times at no additional cost, AirAsia India is focussed on ensuring a convenient and hassle free travel.

23/09/20 Kashmir Reader

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Pandemic effect: AAI revenue records 90 per cent drop during April-June

New Delhi:  The Airports Authority of India (AAI) has reported a sharp decline in its revenue during  April and June this year. Revenue recorded nearly 90% decline as it fell from `2,973 crore during April-June 2019 to `239 crore during April-June 2020.

Air transport was suspended from March 25 till May 24 which rendered zero traffic at AAI airports. Even after the resumption of flights, traffic is yet to pick up at airports due to quarantine measures implemented by states and an overall fear of flying.

It is expected that the traffic will reach its normal level only by the end of this year or even after that.

Officials said despite a fall in revenues, the airport’s authority will not reduce its capital expenditure plan as all public sector enterprises have been asked by the Finance Ministry to continue with the proposal to revive the economy.

The AAI has earmarked around Rs 20,000 crore to be spent in the next five years. Recently, the Civil Aviation Ministry said the revenuer of the airlines recorded a sharp reduction as it fell by nearly 86%during the pandemic.

23/09/20 New Indian Express

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Evacuation flight from Dubai carrying 86 passengers arrives at Chandigarh

Mohali: An evacuation flight, under the Vande Bharat Mission of the Union government to evacuate stranded Indian nationals abroad, carrying 86 passengers from Dubai landed at the Chandigarh International Airport at Mohali on Wednesday.

The IndiGo operated Air Bubble flight carrying the 86 stranded passengers from Dubai amid COVID-19 outbreak arrived at the local airport at 2.28 pm.

All repatriated persons, who mostly belong to different parts of Punjab, Haryana and nearby states, will reach their districts under the supervision of the respective state government representatives where they will be quarantined as per government guidelines. 

Processing of passengers went smooth at the airport with joint efforts of all the authorities/agencies which were involved in the processing of passengers which were governments of Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh, Himachal Pradesh, CISF, Immigration, Customs and Punjab Police etc., along with Chandigarh International Airport.

A health department spokesman said that during the screening the health officials took utmost precaution and the passengers also maintained social distancing.

He informed that no passenger was suffering from fever, cough, cold etc and all were asymptomatic for coronavirus.

23/09/20 Tribune

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Diwali gift for Uttar Pradesh as international flights to start from this district

New Delhi: Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has announced that from Diwali this year Kushinagar Airport will begin operating international flights. 

Terming it as a special Diwali special gift to the people, the airport is very likely to begin operations soon.

The Kushinagar airport is also known as Padrauna Airport and it is located 52 kilometers from Gorakhpur, ??Yogi Adityanath's constituency.

The decision to make Kushinagar an international airport was taken in a cabinet meeting chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in June. 

The Yogi Adityanath-led government believes that there is a lot of potential for tourism in this eastern UP region as this airport is located on the international border.

The entire area of ??Kushinagar is part of the 'Buddha Circuit'. With the start of international flights, there will be a rise in tourist activity in the area which will greatly benefit the tourism sector.

Therefore, officials have been ordered to prepare an action plan to make it an international tourist hub. 

Apart from this, a large number of youth of Bihar and eastern UP turn to Gulf countries for employment. With the start of this airport, their international flights will be very smooth.

23/09/20 ZeeNews

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Smiths Detection installs baggage scanners at 11 Indian airports

Smiths Detection has delivered and installed 34 units of the CTX 9800 DSi checked baggage Explosive Detection System (EDS) at 11 airports in India.

This includes ten airports managed by the Airports Authority India (AAI) and one Chandigarh International Airport (CHIAL)-managed airport.

The company has also completed the necessary operational training of airport staff at all the sites.

The CTX 9800 is a ECAC Standard 3-approved and Transportation Security Administration (TSA)-certified device developed to offer high-resolution 3D images of luggage to support accurate decision-making and improve airport security standards.

The technology also expedites the baggage screening process, improving operational efficiency at airports.

Smiths Detection India managing director Vikrant Trilokekar said: “At this time, airports need to maximise cost efficiencies through technologies that enable accurate detection and seamless flow of baggage.

“We’re confident that our security solutions, technical expertise, and experience will help AAI meet the industry’s highest security standards and get ready for the future of travel.”

In addition, the company secured another contract to deliver six further baggage scanners to five domestic Indian airports by the end of next March.

23/09/20 Airport Technologies

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Dehradun Airport's first phase upgradation to be completed by next month: AAI

Mumbai: The first phase of AAI-run Dehradun Airport's upgradation work, including construction of a new domestic terminal building, is expected to be completed by next month, an official release said on Wednesday. The Airports Authority of India (AAI) is investing Rs 353 crore for the airport's facelift to enhance its peak passenger handling capacity by eight-fold to 1,800 passengers, as per the release.

The first phase of development work includes the construction of a domestic terminal building along with utility block, car park, sewage treatment plant, rainwater harvesting structures and other ancillary structures, the AAI said.

Almost 80 per cent of the development work of the first phase is completed and the project is likely to be ready by October, it added.

With an area of 42,776 sq metre, the new terminal building will have a concourse, check-in area, security hold and arrival lounge at ground floor. It will also accommodate various offices on the mezzanine floor.

Equipped with 36 check-in counters and four aerobridges, the new terminal will have all the modern facilities like self-check-in kiosks and in-line baggage screening facility, the AAI said, adding ample retail space spread in an area of 6,465 sq metre is also planned to help accelerate the generation of revenue and employment.

The design height of the building is optimally done to reduce the cost of construction and operation, it said.

23/09/20 PTI/Economic Times

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Ahmedabad: 11 flights cancelled from Sardar Vallabhbhai International airport

Ahmedabad: Eleven flights from Sardar Vallabhbhai International (SVPI) airport in Ahmedabad were cancelled on Tuesday. These included four to Delhi, three to Hyderabad and one each to Nagpur, Pune, Goa and Bengaluru. Sources said these flights operations were cancelled due to operational constraints as heavy rains lashed many parts of the country.

Flights cancellation have become common ever since flight operations resumed at the city airport. Airlines sources said that due to inadequate passenger load, they are forced to cancel flights. Apprehensions about travelling amid the pandemic have hit passenger footfalls at SVPI airport and data from Airports Authority of India shows domestic passenger footfalls here declined by 84% in July 2020.

23/09/20 Times of India

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181 tonnes of Pomegranates exported from B'luru airport

Bengaluru: Nine global freight carriers shipped 181 tonnes of Pomegranates to 12 overseas destinations from Kemegowda internatational airport (KIA) on the city's northern outskirts from April to August, an official said on Tuesday.

"By shipping 181 tonnes (180,745 kg) of Pomegranates from April to August to 12 overseas destinations in nine cargo flights, KIA emerged as the leading airport for the fruit from India," said the operator in a statement here.

KIA is the third busiest airport in the country after New Delhi and Mumbai.

Categorised as a berry, Pomegranate is a rich nutritious red fruit grown on trees as a deciduous shrub with a flower-shaped stem.

According to the Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) of the Union Commerce Ministry, the city airport accounted for 99 per cent of the fruit's export from Karnataka.

22/09/20 IANS/daijiworld

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Spicejet resumes flight services between Mangaluru-New Delhi

Mangaluru: Spicejet resumed its operations from Mangaluru to New Delhi from Tuesday after gap of few months due to the covid lockdown According the Spicejet sources, the first flight was taken off at 1310 hours after receiving the flight from New Delhi which arrived at 1235 hours. 

However, these services were only available on Tuesdays and Sundays. Meanwhile, the services would also commence between Mangaluru-Bengaluru from Wednesday and the service would be available on Wednesdays and Thursdays. 

 22/09/20 UNI

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Govt Sanctioned Rs. 108 Crores Under UDAN For Upgradation Of 3 Chhattisgarh Airports: Puri

The Government of India has sanctioned Rs. 48 crores for Jagdalpur (expenditure incurred Rs 45 crores), Rs. 27 crores for Ambikapur (expenditure incurred Rs 27 crores) and Rs. 33 crores for Bilaspur (expenditure made Rs 20 crores) under UDAN scheme for up-gradation and development of 3 airports in Chhattisgarh, said Hardeep Singh Puri, MoS, I/C, Civil Aviation.

Speaking at the inauguration of flight operations by Alliance Air from Jagdalpur (Chhattisgarh) to Raipur (Chhattisgarh) and Hyderabad (Telangana) under UDAN scheme yesterday, Puri said that this air connectivity will fulfil the aspirations of people of the region and provide impetus to the local economy.

Bhupesh Baghel, Chief Minister of Chhattisgarh; Prem Sai Singh, In-charge Minister, Bastar; TS Singh Deo, Chhattisgarh Minister for Rural Development and Health; Deepak Baij, MP, Bastar, and other senior officials also joined the virtual event. The dignitaries interacted with the first-time passengers who seemed to be very delighted with the inauguration of the new air route under UDAN.

Puri further informed that the Airports Authority of India has planned for the investment of about Rs 900 crores to develop and expand Raipur airport which includes expansion of the terminal building. Recently, the Ministry of Civil Aviation had approved the bid of Alliance Air for the operation of RCS Flight from Bilaspur to Bhopal under UDAN 4.0 which is expected to commence shortly.

Air India’s wholly owned subsidiary, Alliance Air was awarded this route under the UDAN 3 bidding process. The airline will operate daily flights and will deploy 72 seater luxury ATR 70 aircraft on this route. With the commencement of the Jagdalpur-Raipur-Hyderabad route, the Ministry of Civil Aviation has operationalized a total of 285 routes under RCS-UDAN.

22/09/20 T3

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Polish Airlines to introduce direct flight between Bengaluru and Warsaw

Bengaluru: Polish Airlines would introduce a direct flight between Bengaluru and Warsaw, its regional director Amit Ray said at the opening ceremony of honorary consul of Poland in Bengaluru.

Ray said there is a significant presence of Indians in Poland, especially from Bengaluru, because of the investments Infosys has made in Poland.

The technology giant has about 3000 professionals working in the country. Infosys BPM chief executive Anantha Radhakrishnan said the new flight service will help them expand their workforce in Poland.

Bangalore International Airport (BIAL) chief executive Hari Marar hoped the proposed service will attract a lot of flight traffic between Bengaluru Warsaw.

Alina, director at TZMO Bella, a Polish company based in Bengaluru, hailed the announcement. Poland ambassador to India Adam Burokowski said direct flights will give a boost to tourism in both regions.

Honorary Consul of Poland Raghu Rajappa said the relationship between Poland and Karnataka has also extended into various fields like technology, business, education and tourism. Manipal University, he said, has collaborated with Warsaw University for the last eight years.

22/09/20 Economic Times

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UDAN 4.0: Big boost to aviation sector! 78 new routes approved; 100 airports/heliports/water aerodromes to be developed

After three rounds of bidding under Regional Connectivity Scheme (RCS)- Ude Desh ka AamNagrik (UDAN), pre-COVID, 688 valid routes were awarded, out of which 281 routes were operationalized. After suspension of domestic flight operations from 25th March, 2020 to 24th May, 2020, domestic air services including RCS operations have recommenced with effect from 25.05.2020. Airlines are resuming the commenced RCS routes in a calibrated manner.

Further, 78 new routes have been identified and approved under 1st phase of UDAN 4.0. Airports Authority of India, the Implementing Agency is in the process of awarding these routes to the Selected Airline Operators (SAOs)

Details of the routes awarded and commenced under RCS-UDAN:-

http://pibphoto.nic.in/documents/rlink/2020/sep/p202092101.pdf

Some of the reasons for non-operationalization of few UDAN routes are:

i) Lack of infrastructure at civil airports due to non-availability of land, delay related to compliance of the regulations by the airport operators, lack of road connectivity to the airports.

ii) Non-completion of the process involved in obtaining Scheduled Commuter Operators Permit by the Airlines.

Due to COVID-19, commencement of civil work of airports got delayed. Also, due to suspension of domestic operations, overall commencement of new routes got adversely affected.

4th round of bidding has commenced on 3rd December, 2019. 100 airports/heliports/water aerodromes are to be developed by 2024, awarded in various rounds of bidding under RCS-UDAN.

Total routes commenced: 281

-UDAN 1.0 - 56

-UDAN 2.0 - 118

-UDAN 3.0 - 107

The information was given in a written reply by Hardeep Singh Puri, Minister of State, I/C, Civil Aviation, in Rajya Sabha.

22/09/20 Prashant Singh/ZeeBiz

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Hyderabad airport resumes direct connections with Qatar, UAE in Gulf region

Coming as good news for all travellers, the Hyderabad International Airport has been re-connected with Qatar in the Gulf region after Qatar Airways decided to resume its services under the air transport bubble arrangements. According to the latest report, the airlines had resumed its services from September 13 by connecting Hyderabad with Doha, Qatar twice a week on Saturday and Sunday.

Speaking about the latest development, Karthik Viswanathan, who is the Area Sales Manager-South Asia Sub Continent of Qatar Airways has lavished praise on the airline's resilience during the ongoing coronavirus crisis. The entire world was brought to a grinding halt in the aftermath of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. 

"We are extremely pleased to resume flights to Hyderabad, especially in this distinct case of an air bubble between the two countries. This clearly shows our airline's resilience during this crisis and unwavering commitment to our passengers to reunite them with their loved ones." Karthik Viswanathan was quoted as saying by news agency ANI. 

According to a report filed by the news agency, Hyderabad International Airport has opted to restart its services to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) following the resumption of Etihad Airways between Hyderabad and Abu Dhabi. As per the report, it has been learned that the connectivity recommenced from September 20. However, the connectivity in the Gulf region is only available thrice a week, that is, every Thursday, Friday and Sunday. 

22/09/20 TimesNowNews

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Qatar Airways to soon resume services connecting Doha to Hyderabad

Hyderabad: The QatarAirways now connects Hyderabad with Qatar’s capital city Doha, The Airways has announced that they would restart its services under the air transport bubbles. The Airways would give service weekly twice every Saturday and Sunday.

Qatar Airways resumed its operations from September 13.

Hyderabad International Airport in addition has resumed services to United Arab Emirates (UAE) as well with the resumption of Etihad Airways between Hyderabad and Abu Dhabi, the capital city of UAE. The connectivity recommenced from September 20 and is available thrice a week, every Thursday, Friday and Sunday. International carriers like Emirates, Fly Dubai and Air Arabia have already reconnected UAE.

Passengers can book their tickets for these services through the airline websites, as per the guidelines issued by the Ministry of Home Affairs, Govt. of India. All passengers will have to adhere to the Covid-19 safety guidelines.

22/09/20 Nihad Amani/Siasat

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Belagavi airport surging towards pre-COVID occupancy levels

Bengaluru: In the midst of the gloom pervading the aviation industry in the country and major airlines reporting heavy losses last week, the Belagavi airport is showing good signs of revival. It operates regular flights to Bengaluru apart from eight other cities under the UDAN (Regional Connectivity Scheme) project. 

"Flight movement at Airport Authority of India’s Belagavi airport is witnessing an upward trend since the resumption of domestic flight operations. From no flight in April to 432 flights in August, the growth underlines the faith travellers have in AAI,” the Authority said in a tweet on Sunday.

Substantiating it with stats, the AAI said Belagavi airport had recorded 17,917 passengers in August and had operated 432 flights.

It began operations on May 26 recording just 439 passengers during that month and then touched 9,811 passengers in June. It then climbed to 14,162 in July before touching 17,917 passengers in August, it illustrated.

Rajesh Kumar Maurya, Airport Director, Belagavi airport told TNIE, "Our numbers are clearly on the rise. Next to Bengaluru, Belagavi is recording the highest traffic in Karnataka. For the month of September, we have already recorded a domestic passenger traffic of 14,000 flyers are likely to cross 25,000 figure this month.”

Nearly 50% of the traffic is because the district is a hub for armed forces.

“They fly to Hyderabad from here and then to Delhi before eading to border areas,” he said.

Apart from Bengaluru, this oldest airport of North Karnataka serves Mumbai, Indore, Cuddappa, Mysuru, Tirupati, Hyderabad, Pune and Ahmedabad presently under the UDAAN-3 scheme.

21/09/20 S. Lalitha/Indian Express

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SpiceJet announces daily flights connecting Darbhanga with Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru

Budget carrier SpiceJet on Monday announced the launch of daily flight services connecting Darbhanga with Delhi, Mumbai, and Bengaluru.

SpiceJet will operate daily direct flights on the Delhi-Darbhanga, Bengaluru-Darbhanga, and Mumbai-Darbhanga sectors starting November 8, 2020.

Darbhanga, which was bagged by SpiceJet under UDAN II, will be the airline's 13th destination under the Aviation Ministry's Regional Connectivity Scheme and 55th destination on the airline’s domestic network.

SpiceJet will be the first and only airline to operate flight services on these sectors and the airline will deploy its Boeing 737-800 on all these routes. The airline is also offering all-inclusive introductory one-way promotional fare starting at Rs. 3,799 on all the routes.

On September 12, Civil Aviation Minister had shared photos of his Darbhanga airport visit and informed about the status of work underway.

21/09/20 DNA

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Foreign cargo carriers can operate in Bengaluru

The Open Sky Policy for foreign cargo carriers has been amended by the government, to restrict operations of foreign ad hoc and pure non-scheduled

freighter charter service flights to six airports, including Bengaluru.

According to an Aeronautical Information Circular issued on September 18, the Open Sky Policy for foreign cargo carriers has been reviewed and some

changes have been made with a view to ensure fair and equal opportunity in the air cargo capacity offered by Indian registered airlines and airlines registered elsewhere.

It added that the operations of foreign ad hoc and pure non-scheduled freighter charter service flights shall be restricted to six airports, namely Bengaluru,

Chennai, Delhi, Kolkata, Hyderabad, and Mumbai.

The Open Sky Policy which was in effect till the recent amendment was promulgated by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation in 1992.

According to the Ministry of Civil Aviation in 1990, the Government adopted open-sky policy and allowed air taxi-operators to operate flights from any airport,

both on a charter and a non-charter basis and to decide their own flight schedules, cargo and passenger fares.

However, now this three-decade policy has been amended and foreign carriers may submit an application or proposal to the Director General of Civil Aviation

for getting clearances for such flights as per procedure specified for the purpose.

21/09/20 Bangalore Mirror

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Qatar Airways, Etihad resume services from Hyderabad airport

Hyderabad: Hyderabad International Airport has re-connected with Qatar, the peninsular Arab country and Etihad has connected with UAE, restarting their services under the air transport bubbles.

Qatar Airways now connects Hyderabad with Doha with weekly twice every Saturday and Sunday flights. Qatar Airways resumed its operations from September 13 onwards.

The airport has resumed services to UAE as well with the resumption of Etihad Airways between Hyderabad and Abu Dhabi, the capital city of UAE. The connectivity recommenced from September 20 and is available thrice a week, every Thursday, Friday and Sunday. International carriers such as Emirates, Fly Dubai and Air Arabia have already reconnected UAE.

Passengers can book their tickets for these services through the airline websites, as per the guidelines issued by the Ministry of Home Affairs. All passengers will have to adhere to the Covid-19 safety guidelines.

Karthik Viswanathan, Area Sales Manager – South Asia Sub Continent, Qatar Airways, said: “We are pleased to resume flights to Hyderabad, especially in this distinct case of an air bubble between the two countries. This clearly shows our airline’s resilience during this crisis and unwavering commitment to our passengers to reunite them with their loved ones.”

Neerja Bhatia, Vice-President India Sub Continent, Etihad Airways, said: “We are delighted to announce the return of scheduled services connecting Hyderabad to more cities across our global network. The easing of restrictions and opening of this route is an important first step and a great development for travellers.”

The arrival and departure passengers for all international flights are being handled as per the safety protocol through the fully sanitised International Arrivals and Interim International Departures Terminal of the airport.

21/09/20 Business Line

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Chhattisgarh: Flight services begin from upgraded Jagdalpur airport

Raipur: Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel on Monday launched flight services from Maa Danteshwari Airport in Jagdalpur under the Centre's UDAN scheme. Alliance Air will operate services to Raipur, some 300 kilometers away, and Hyderabad from the airport, which is named after the famous Goddess Danteshwari temple in Dantewada in tribal-dominated Bastar division.

In a recorded video message, Union Civil Aviation Minister Hardeep Singh Puri said the move will boost tourism in the Bastar region, which is known for dense forests, high hills and waterfalls, like Chitrakot, and unique tribal culture.

"Earlier we tried to provide air connectivity (in 2018) through small flights from Jagdalpur to Raipur and Bhubaneshwar but it was not successful (and was discontinued in November that year). With joint efforts of the aviation ministry and the state government, Jagdalpur airport has now been upgraded for ATR flights," he said.

Flight connectivity will reduce travel time between Raipur and Jagdalpur from seven hours by road to just about 45 minutes.

Similarly, it will take 75 minutes to reach Hyderabad from Jagdalpur against 12 hours by road, Puri said.

21/09/20 PTI/India TV

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Mumbai: Slum redevelopment at airport’s funnel zone to be fast-tracked

The Maharashtra state government is in talks with the Airport Authority of India (AAI) to expedite the slum and old buildings redevelopment projects in Mumbai's funnel zone (aircraft take-off and landing path).

As a first step, the state housing department has appealed to the AAI to process all related works from Mumbai only and not from Delhi.

A senior official from the Mantrayala explained, "Currently all redevelopment proposals are sanctioned from AAI Mumbai's office, however, the relaxations the developer seeks in exchange of carrying out the redevelopment in funnel zone needs to be approved from the Delhi office, which turns out to be a time consuming process. Therefore, it has been appealed to process all related works from Mumbai only."

The housing redevelopment projects in the city's funnel zone have height restrictions and therefore the developer carrying out the project is offered concessions in exchange to make the project viable.

Meanwhile, the official asserted that they (AAI) already have an office here. If the files are approved from this office the job will become easy and will not delay the project works.

Recently, a meeting regarding the same was also held. According to the official, if the request is approved it will expedite all redevelopment projects in the funnel zone.

21/09/20 Sweety Adimulam/Free Press Journal

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2 more flights resume ops from Jaipur

Jaipur: With gradual improvement in the load of air travellers from the Jaipur airport, two more flights have been added to its schedule.

Now, Jaipur airport has 32 flights in its schedule out of which 28 flights are operated. One additional flight to Hyderabad and one flight to Bengaluru have started operating from Thursday onwards.

Except for Agra and Lucknow flights to various destinations are gradually getting a good load factor. “Now, we are handling 5,500 to 7,000 passengers daily and the two new flights will increase our number of passengers. Since majority of the operators and we are following every Civid-19 SOPs, it has given confidence to the travellers,” said a senior officer on Sunday.

Senior officers of Jaipur airport stated that since May 26 when the domestic flights operations were started, there is a continuous increase in the number of passengers travelling to Mumbai and Delhi.

Authorities said that by October first week, the number of flights would further increase. “Prior to Covid-19 outbreak, we were operating 55 to 60 flights daily. We are hopeful that in the coming months with the increase in passengers load, everything will be normal,” said an officer.

Jaipur airport is been operating flights to cities including Delhi, Hyderabad, Mumbai, Kolkata, Amritsar and other cities.

21/09/20 Times of India

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Kadapa Airport runway expansion works will be completed by next March: Centre

Minister of State for Civil Aviation Hardeep Singh Puri said the expansion work at Kadapa Airport would be completed by March next year. Replying to a question posed by YSRCP member V Vijayasai Reddy in the Rajya Sabha on Monday, he said the Airports Authority of India (AAI) was overseeing the expansion of existing runways, taxiways and aprons at Kadapa airport. He said the Kadapa Airport expansion work was started in 2017 at an estimated cost of Rs 94 crore.

Minister of Labour Santosh Gangwar said the central government has taken several steps to help companies and staff caught up in the financial crisis with the lockdown imposed on the coronavirus outbreak. He said the government had paid Rs 4,860 crore from March to August this year towards provident fund (PF) payments in support of companies and employees. The minister was responded to a question by YSRCP member V Vijayasai Reddy in the Rajya Sabha on Monday.

In a written reply, the minister said that in companies with less than 100 employees and 90 per cent of them having a salary of less than Rs 15,000, the share of employee and employer PF‌ was paid by the government for the first three months. It was later revealed that the scheme was extended for another three months. He said the coming demands on the extension of the scheme would be decided in consultation with the Finance Ministry. The minister said the scheme, which has been implemented across the country, has benefited 11,196 companies and one lakh 92 thousand 431 employees in Andhra Pradesh as on September 16.

21/09/20 Pavan Kumar Bandari/Hans India

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