Adani Enterprises clarifies on news item ‘Adani Airport to raise $500m via overseas bonds’

Adani Enterprises Limited on Thursday responded to the clarification sought by exchanges with reference to the news item that appeared on the website thehindubusinessline.com on September 24, 2021, captioned “Adani Airport to raise $500m via overseas bonds”.

The company submitted that as of now Adani Airport Holdings Limited, a wholly-owned subsidiary of the company, is contemplating issuing an overseas bond issuance subject to the stable global and domestic financial market conditions for undertaking the capex programme for the airport business.

The company regularly evaluates all opportunities across its various businesses with the objective of enhancing shareholders’ value.

“In the event there is any development which requires disclosure under Regulation 30 of the SEBI (Listing Obligations and Disclosure Requirements) Regulations, 2015, we will disclose the same in accordance with the regulatory requirements,” company said in a filing.

30/09/21 IIFL Securities

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Himachal Pradesh’s poorly planned Mandi airport risks its limited fertile agricultural land

Himachal Pradesh government has planned to build an international airport in Himachal Pradesh since the early 2000s, but this plan has remained largely at a standstill. The state government announced early estimates in 2020 that 2,936 bighas—roughly 237 hectares in Himachal Pradesh—would be acquired for the project, but the land for the airport is still being surveyed. Constant changes to several government’s plans in the last four years have meant that no land acquisition has yet taken place. The amount of land to be acquired is one among the many concerns about the airport. 

Read what the farmers have to say about the project >>

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Mysore Airport To Remain As Civilian Airport: Pratap Simha

Mysore/Mysuru: The Mysore Airport at Mandakalli will not be handed over to Indian Air Force (IAF) to set up its Helicopter Training Centre and the Airports Authority of India (AAI) has agreed not to do so. This was disclosed by Mysuru-Kodagu MP Pratap Simha who attended the Study Visit of AAI Parliamentary Committee on Estimates in Kolkata on Sept. 27.

Simha is the member of the Committee and during the proceedings, he conveyed to the AAI authorities that the Airport must remain as a civilian airport and should not be handed over to the IAF as it will hinder the development in the region. 

Speaking to the media in Bengaluru, MP Pratap Simha said that the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed during the previous Coalition Government headed by H.D. Kumaraswamy with the Ministry of Defence and the AAI stands cancelled. 

“I have conveyed to the AAI officials that using Mysore Airport as a military airbase would cripple the region’s future growth. The AAI has agreed to cancel the handover,” he added. 

The issue was raised when Hardeep Singh Puri was the Minister of State for Civil Aviation and he had assured not to hand over the Airport to IAF. In his memorandum to Puri, Pratap Simha stated, “If the Airport is taken over and converted to a Helicopter Base, it will bring restrictions in several forms similar to Pune and Bagdogra Airports to ensure National Security by safeguarding Defence equipment that would then be housed at the Airport. This will in turn restrict the airport growth.”

In 2018, Kumaraswamy had urged the Centre to shift the IAF Helicopter Training Centre from Yelahanka in Bengaluru to Mysore Airport. The IAF had conveyed to the then CM Kumaraswamy that it would develop the Mysore Airport on the lines of Airports in Pune, Chandigarh and Srinagar.

In its proposal, the IAF had stated that it will develop the Mysore Airport with its own costs and make available facilities for both civil and military use. This will considerably reduce the pressure on the Kempegowda International Airport in Bengaluru, the IAF had said.  After the then CM’s proposal, the State Government gave its ‘No Objection Certificate’ for the use of Mysore Airport. Since the Airport comes under the jurisdiction of AAI, Kumaraswamy’s request was pending with AAI. Now the proposal has been shelved. 

29/09/21 Star of Mysore

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Load penalty at Jammu airport scrapped, airlines can fly full capacity

Jammu: In a move that may lead to lower airfares to Jammu, the load penalty for its airport was scrapped on Thursday, allowing airlines to fly full capacity, officials said.

Till now, there was a 30 per cent load penalty, which meant that airlines could book only 70 per cent of the seats available on a flight.

The Indian Air Force, which controls the Jammu airport, on Thursday issued a NOTAM (notice to airmen) which will lead to the removal of the 30 per cent load penalty on the airport, officials aware of the matter said.

This would mean airlines can fly full loads or at 100 per cent capacity, they said, adding this would lead to lower fares and longer destinations.

Currently, Jammu airport handles 35 flights from different cities on a daily basis.

The load restriction meant that airlines either incur a loss on flying to Jammu or jack up fares to make up for the cost of keeping 30 per cent of seats empty.

The load restriction on airports is placed keeping in mind the length of the runway, its quality and heat factor.

29/09/21 PTI/Business Standard

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No rule prevents air passenger to carry more than 1 laptop: TN Minister

Chennai: Tamil Nadu Finance Minister Palanivel Thiagarajan on Thursday faced a peculiar situation at the Chennai airport.

He was stopped by the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) official for carrying two laptops.

Rajan in turn told the security officials that there is no rule that prevents a passenger from carrying more than one laptop.

When Rajan identified himself as the state Finance Minister, senior airport officials came down and sorted out the issue.

A senior airport official told IANS the issue was due to a communication gap.

The airport official said the CISF official had asked Rajan to take out the laptops and keep them on the tray for scanning, which is the usual procedure.

On the other hand, the Minister thought the security official was saying that he cannot board the flight with two laptops.

The confusion was resolved immediately, the airport official added.

He said there is no restriction as to the number of laptops a person can carry as cabin baggage.

One of the major complaints from the passengers is that the CISF personnel speak only in Hindi while not many in Tamil Nadu know the North Indian language. If the CISF posts people knowing Tamil at airports, then it will be a flyer-friendly move, the passengers say.

30/09/21 IANS/Daijiworld

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Noida airport project: 450 families to stage protest; claim benefits not yet given

Noida: Around 450 families affected by the Noida airport project are planning to stage protests to demand resolution to their pending issues. Reportedly, these families will hold a meeting with the local MLA on Jewar-Jahangir Road in Rohi on Thursday to take a final call on the matter.

“We will meet at the Surajpur collectorate within a week to hand over a memorandum to the district magistrate. Some affected families are yet to get the benefits that were promised to them”, TOI quoted Hans Raj, an affected villager from Dayantapur, as saying.

According to a report published in the Times of India (TOI), the cases of about 450 families have not yet been resolved. Meanwhile, aggrieved villagers claimed that they were entitled to several benefits, including a plot in the Jewar Bangar township. Along with this, the displaced families were eligible for Rs. 5.5 lakh under the rehabilitation act and also the value of their immovable assets.

Reportedly, more than 3,600 families were listed during a survey conducted by the district administration to keep track of the families affected by the project. However, only 3,100 have been provided rehabilitation benefits so far.

On the other hand, the additional district magistrate of Gautam Budh Nagar, Balram Singh, said that a beneficiary needs to be a permanent resident of the area for a period of at least three years to claim all the benefits. He stated that some people have migrated and settled elsewhere. Thus, they can’t get all the benefits.

30/09/21 India Today

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Kerala CM requests Centre to expedite Kozhikode airport development

Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Thursday said he has requested Union Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia to expedite the development of Kozhikode airport and also sought necessary assistance from the Centre to upgrade other airports in the state to international standards.

He made the request to the Union Minister in an online meeting held on the issue of airport development, a release by the state government said.

During the meeting, the Chief Minister pointed out that since the August 7, 2020 crash at the Kozhikode airport, there have been no significant air services from there and the same needs to be remedied, it said.

He said 152.5 acres of land was required for boosting air operations from the Kozhikode airport and the state government has already given administrative approval for the land acquisition process.

Vijayan also pointed out, in the meeting, that the privatization policy of the central government in the airport sector was a matter of concern for the people.

He also urged Scindia to commence international services from Kannur Airport, to which the Union Minister said a decision would be taken after further deliberations.

30/09/21 PTI/Outlook

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SAPL system to improve safety while landing at Trichy airport

Trichy: The Airport Authority of India (AAI) has installed the simple approach path lighting (SAPL) on the runway at Trichy international airport to improve the safety of aircraft at the time of landing. The new system has been tested successfully and the trial run is going on. Airport officials said that it would be operational once the directorate general of civil aviation (DGCA) approves it.

It was found that the airport has no provision of the SAPL system for runway 09 during the audit conducted by the office of the DGCA. Following which, the airport authorities sought temporary exemption till September 15 to establish the system and necessary administrative approval was accorded by the competent authorities of AAI, airport officials said.

As a part of its compliance with the mandatory procedures, AAI conducted safety assessment for design and execution in accordance with the laid down procedures. Necessary DGCA approval was obtained on May 19 to execute the project. The work on installing the path lights were completed on September 16 at a cost of Rs 61 lakh, airport authorities said.

SAPL fittings have been installed on the extended runway centre line for a distance of 420 meters from the threshold, and 60-meter longitudinal intervals selected for centre line lights. A crossbar of 30m width is considered for installation at 300m away from the runway threshold. The total length of the runway is 2,424 metres.

Airport director S Dharmaraj said that from the runway threshold, every 60 meters, one fitting is installed. A total of 420 meters of runway path has been covered with simple approach path lightings. Two more fittings have been installed outside the boundary wall, protected with fencing. fittings are also installed outside of the airport and opposite the runway, he said.

30/09/21 Times of India

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Threat call at Mumbai airport sends police into tizzy

Mumbai: An unidentified person made a threat call to the Mumbai police's traffic control room and claimed that the lives of 19 people at the city international airport were in danger, an official said on Wednesday.

After receiving the call on Tuesday afternoon, the police's Bomb Detection and Disposal Squad, dog squad and a quick response team rushed to the airport and searched the premises.

They also alerted the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF), but nothing suspicious was found, the official said.

The caller, who is yet to be traced, claimed that the "lives of 19 people of a department" at the Sahar international airport here were in danger, the official said, without divulging any further details.

The Sahar police subsequently registered a case against the unidentified person under Indian Penal Code Sections 505(1)(b) (intent to cause, or which is likely to cause, fear or alarm to the public) and 506(2) (punishment for criminal intimidation), and efforts were on to nab the caller, he said.

29/09/21 Narayan Namboodiri/Times of India

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Air India to start new service from Kannur to Bahrain

Kannur: Bringing relief to the passengers to the Middle East, Air India (AI) has announced a new service to Bahrain from Kannur International Airport (KIAL) from October 16. The new service is part of the winter schedule that starts in October, said Rajesh Poduval, head of airport operations, KIAL. 

The services will be operated between October 16 and March 26, 2022. Wide-bodied aircraft Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, which can set 256 passengers, will be used for the service.

The service originates from Bengaluru, said an AI official. Initially, the airline plans to operate one service (on Saturday) per week. “During the Vande Bharath Mission and the Air Bubble contract period, many wide-bodied aircraft from foreign airlines had reached Kannur airport with chartered services. But, this is for the first time that, a wide-bodied aircraft is being scheduled to operate from the airport,” said Rajesh. 

On Monday, a team from Air India met with KIAL officials regarding the preparations for the new service.

29/09/21 New Indian Express

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Srinagar Airport: Flight services from Srinagar to Sharjah to start soon

New Delhi: The Ministry of Civil Aviation recently gave a green light to start international flights between Srinagar and Sharjah in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). As per the reports, this will be the first commercial flight service between the two destinations.

With this launch, Jammu & Kashmir will step onto the international aviation map. According to the report published by the Times of India (TOI), Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia has stated that this is a historic step for both J&K and its citizens.

This service will help tourists to land directly in Srinagar. Reports claimed that Sharjah had been chosen as the first destination in view of the heavy volume of business between traders from both destinations.

A report by TOI states that the immigration infrastructure has already been put into place in Jammu & Kashmir. Scindia stated that there is a high demand for business-related travel between Srinagar and Sharjah as these spots will also serve as a convenient transit point to reach Dubai and Abu Dhabi.

The Civil Aviation Minister stated that international flights will be operational from Srinagar airport soon. As per the plans, the Srinagar airport will be expanded from 25000 sq m to 63000 sq m. The budget for the Srinagar airport is around Rs 1500 crore whereas approximately Rs 600 crore will be spent on the Jammu airport, revealed Scindia.

29/09/21 India Today

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False ceiling chunk falls off at Kolkata airport

Kolkata: A 3ft false ceiling chunk made of light-weight gypsum board and an accompanying aluminium cladding beside the entrance to a toilet in the departure terminal of the Kolkata airport came crashing down at 10am on Tuesday, leaving an airline crew startled and another passenger thanking his lucky stars that it did not fall on him and cause an injury.

Sources said the terminal false ceiling that is now eight-year old needs to be thoroughly checked and emergency repairs and replacement carried out to prevent a mishap.

“As a facility like an airport terminal ages, maintenance will go up. Sections will have to be inspected more frequently and corrective measures taken to ensure both safety and aesthetics. An airport is the first point of contact for anyone who comes to the city and if he or she sees it in a poor condition, it leaves a bad impression,” said a corporate executive who frequently uses the airport and has been noticing the problem area,s including poor maintenance of toilets.

29/09/21 Subhro Niyogi & Tamaghna Banerjee/Times of India

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Ranbir Kapoor protects Alia Bhatt from crowd at Jodhpur airport

Mumbai: Ranbir Kapoor and Alia Bhatt have returned to Mumbai from their trip to Jodhpur, Rajasthan. The couple went to the Blue City to celebrate Ranbir's 39th birthday. Pictures and videos of Ranbir and Alia from the Jodhpur airport are going viral. In the clip, Ranbir is seen protecting Alia as they walk through a crowd.

Ranbir and Alia enjoyed some quiet time during their trip to Jodhpur. Now, videos and pictures of them at the Jodhpur airport are doing the rounds on social media. In the video, Ranbir has his arms around Alia Bhatt as they walk through a sea of fans who got too close to the couple.

The star couple enjoyed a beautiful sunset beside a lake in Jodhpur. They also went on a jungle safari at Panther century. They posed with fans during the safari.

29/09/21 Vibha Maru/India Today

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Uninterrupted services at Visakhapatnam Airport

Visakhapatnam: A decade back, Visakhapatnam Airport used to get submerged quite frequently whenever heavy rains lashed the city. But what seems to be a major change now is that the flight services continue sans any interruption. One of the main reasons for the airport experiencing inundation problem is the presence of Meghadrigedda reservoir which is nearer to the airport. After a long time, the terminal got inundated, causing difficulty to the passengers to wade through the flooded water both inside and outside the premises.

In the past 24 hours, Visakhapatnam Airport registered 27-cm of rainfall. Even when cyclone Hudhud ravaged the city in October 2014, Visakhapatnam did not witness such heavy rainfall as it had during Gulab. After a long time, waterlogging problem recurred at the airport as the three gates of Meghadrigedda reservoir were lifted to clear the flow of the rainwater. Currently, the authorities concerned have taken up the exercise of releasing 16,000 cusecs of water from the reservoir. As a result, airport area, Sheela Nagar and other neighbouring places were inundated.

29/09/21 Rani Devalla/Hans India

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Indore: Flight movement to increase as aviation ministry relaxes norms

Indore: The Union Ministry of Civil Aviation has relaxed daily flight movements to and from Devi Ahilyabai Holkar airport in Madhya Pradesh. It has led to increase in flight movement. The Aviation Ministry has allowed to operate with up to 85 percent capacity in terms of flight movement as compared to 60 percent capacity earlier.

This relaxation would allow them to accommodate more number of flights in a day, according to Indore officials.

Indore airport witnesses a daily movement of around 26 flights.

Airport’s officiating director Prabodh Sharma told the Times of India that they had received a notification from the ministry about two days ago.

Sharma further added, 'With this ease in relaxation, we would be able to accommodate more number of flights in a day and we are expecting to do re-commencement of flights on Jodhpur, Varanasi, Surat, Chandigarh and Shirdi routes.’

‘Flights on these routes will resume from next month while others will have regular connectivity options before the end of this year’, Sharma told Times of India.

28/09/21 India Today

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Adani Airport Holdings Ltd signs SSA with AMRPL for operating duty free outlets

Adani Airport Holdings Limited ("AAHL") a Wholly Owned Subsidiary of Adani Enterprises Limited ("the Company") has signed Share Subscription Agreement (SSA) with April Moon Retail Private Limited ("AMRPL") and existing Shareholders of AMRPL namely, Mr. Arjun Ahuja, Mr. Karan Ahuja, Ms. Aliya Ahuja and Mr. Kabir Ahuja ("Existing shareholders of AMRPL") for the purpose of strategic partnership to operate duty free outlets in airports.

On completion of the transaction, AAHL will subscribe to 74,000 equity shares of face value of Rs. 10/- each constituting 74% of share capital of AMRPL on fully diluted basis for an aggregate investment of Rs. 7.40 Lacs.

27/09/21 Equity Bulls

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24 UAE flyers test positive at Mangaluru airport

Two dozen passengers who had planned to fly to the United Arab Emirates tested positive at Mangaluru International Airport (MIA) during mandatory rapid RT-PCR tests six hours prior to departure between August 18 and September 22. They were moved to isolation wards.

Besides negative RT-PCR test reports that are no older than 48 hours, the Gulf nation has also made tests at the airport six hours prior to departure mandatory.

Data shows 8,261 passengers were tested at MIA between August 18 to September 22 and those who tested positive comprise less than 0.3%. All 24 passengers had Covid negative certificates with them.

Dr Ashok H, Covid-19 nodal officer, Dakshina Kannada, said the passengers were from Udupi, Uttara Kannada, Kasaragod and Palakkad in Kerala besides Dakshina Kannada. Four from Kerala tested positive, while Dakshina Kannada (13 passengers) had the most.

27/09/21 Kevin Mendonsa/Times of India

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Kolkata airport all set for paperless air travel

Kolkata: The Kolkata airport is now geared to roll out the biometric boarding system (BBS) with technicians completing installation of all equipment and testing of hardware.

The system that will allow paperless and seamless travel experience is expected to be commissioned sometime in November after the software platform is tested and receives the go-ahead from the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security.

“The BBS equipment for phase I rollout — registration and self check-in kiosks and automated gates — have been installed in the domestic terminal and their hardware has been thoroughly checked. Installation of phase II equipment is currently underway and should be over this month. We will then wait for the pilot test at Varanasi to get over so that the platform is tested here before being commissioned,” said an airport official.

Phase I has two registration kiosks, eight self checkin kiosks, two entry gates, four security and transfer gates and three self-boarding gates. Phase II will add 12 registration kiosks, 15 self check-in kiosks, three entry gates, three security and transfer gates and 13 self-boarding gates. In the domestic terminal, registration kiosks have been installed at all three gates — 1, 2 and 3. In addition, terminals have been set up at the entrance where flyers will undergo facial scan post registration. Next, there are self check-in kiosks. There are also dedicated gates at the security hold area and boarding point that will be available only for Digi-Yatra passengers. The equipment has also been installed in domestic-to-domestic transfer. In phase II, it will also be installed in international-to-domestic transfer.

27/09/21 Times of India

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Centre places Srinagar on international aviation map

Srinagar: Jammu & Kashmir is set to get onto the international aviation map with the civil aviation ministry okaying the launch of the first commercial flight between Srinagar and Sharjah in the UAE in about a month.

“This is a historic step both for J&K and its people. Foreign travellers will soon be able to arrive directly in Srinagar,” civil aviation minister Jyotiraditya Scindia said at a joint press conference with J&K lieutenant governor Manoj Sinha. The media interaction followed a detailed review of all aviation matters related to the J&K, by Sinha and Scindia.

Sources said Sharjah was chosen as the first destination in view of the heavy volume of business between traders from J&K, particularly those dealing in horticulture produce, and retail outlets in Sharjah, Dubai and Abu Dhabi. The immigration infrastructure is already in place in J&K, said an officer.

“More than 77 stores in Sharjah — mostly owned by Lulu hypermarket chain — source their supplies of dry fruits etc largely from J&K. Similarly, over 60 such stores in Abu Dhabi get supplies from J&K. So there is a high demand of business-rela-ted travel between Srinagar and Sharjah, which is also a convenient transit point to reach Dubai and Abu Dhabi,” a source told TOI.

Earlier too, Srinagar handled international flights but they were only for Hajj pilgrims. Meanwhile, among the other outcomes of Saturday’s review meeting by Sinha and Scindia was the former’s assurance to hand over 122 acre land in Jammu by October 10, 2022, for the Airports Authority of India (AAI) to start work on a new 25,000 sq metre terminal at a cost of Rs 600 crore.

27/09/21 Bharti Jain & M Saleem Pandit/Times of India

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AAI mulls building parallel runway at Chennai airport

Chennai: In what could be a game changer for Chennai airport, the Airports Authority of India is mulling constructing a parallel runway to reduce congestion and improve capacity.

Sources said a few weeks ago, at a high-level meeting, an idea was proposed detailing why Chennai airport should have a parallel runway. “A team from the headquarters will carry out a feasibility study in a few months on where it can be constructed, how much land needs to be acquired, what will be the capacity enhancement and the pros and cons of building it. Only based on the conclusions of the report, it will be decided whether or not to go ahead with this plan. One of the options we have considered is to build it close to the 30-end of the secondary runway, extending towards the Tambaram side. It will be implemented only if it is safe,” a source said.

With the second airport for the city remaining a non-starter for more than a decade now, it is imperative that the airport needs some kind of an airside capacity enhancement, sources said. Chennai airport has been falling behind the other metro airports like Delhi, Mumbai, Hyderabad and Bengaluru in terms of air traffic and passenger traffic growth, especially in the last two years. The airport has been managing with a main runway and a secondary runway, whose capacity remains limited and the cross runway operations too are not carried out any more.

In 2006, there was a plan to build a parallel runway and 1,084 acres of land had been notified by the State government but it was dropped when the residents nearby opposed the plan and since there was a plan to build a second airport at Sriperumbudur. “With no second airport and limited capacity here, the airport at least needs a parallel runway now,” another source said. While Delhi had parallel runways already, Bengaluru became the first in south India to have independent parallel runways.

27/09/21 Sunitha Sekar/The Hindu

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International Charter Flights to Hit Goa Airport Soon, Says CM Pramod Sawant

On Monday, Chief Minister Pramod Sawant said that international charter flights will be hitting the runways at the Dabolim international airport in Goa soon.

Speaking to reporters after a government function in North Goa district, Sawant also said that domestic and international tourists will be confident of travelling to Goa after the state is 100 percent vaccinated by October 31.

“We will get permission to start charter flights in a few days. We have sought permission,” Sawant said.

The Goa government had earlier this month written to the Union Home Ministry seeking permission for resumption of international charter flights — the mainstay of foreign tourism in Goa — at the goading of travel and tourism industry stakeholders in the coastal state.

27/09/21 India.com

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J&K: Govt Announcement To Open International Srinagar-Sharjah Flight Creates Buzz In Valley

The government announcement to start direct international flights between Jammu and Kashmir's Srinagar and Sharjah in UAE has created quite a buzz among business leaders in the Valley with many hoping this doesn't remain a mere announcement.

Many such as Sheikh Ashiq, president of Kashmir Chamber Of Commerce and Industry feel that the move will not only give a fillip to traditional Kashmiri handicrafts and businesses but also help attract foreign tourists to the Valley.  Dubai to Srinagar international flights operated previously from Srinagar airport but the airlines stopped the operation later. “This time we expect the flight to not only operates between Srinagar and Sharjah but operates at least twice a week,” he says, adding, “It is really great news provided it happens,” he says.

“We are not so sure at the moment if Srinagar-Sharjah flight started operating. Sometimes such statements look more political. But if it does happen, it will help tourism of Kashmir a great deal,” says Nasir Shah, Chairman Jammu and Kashmir Tourism Alliance. Shah tells Outlook that they have heard that GoAir is already working on the plan. “In 2010-2011 Srinagar to Dubai international flight was operating once a week but AirIndia stopped the operation after six months. That shouldn’t happen this time. We have nearly 30,000 to 40,000 Kashmiris working in the UAE only. Lakhs of people from different states particularly from Kerala are working in the UAE and they often purchase packages from Kashmir before visiting their home states. The flights would encourage lot many others to travel to Kashmir from the UAE,” Shah says.

“If it happens it will cut down the commute and transit wait in Delhi or any other metro city that Kashmiris have to take to go to Dubai. Besides, it will be good for Kashmir tourism as travellers from the Middle East can come to Kashmir directly. And finally, Srinagar international airport will be used as an International Airport which has been a much needed and awaited decision that kept on being delayed,” says Nadima Nazir, Managing Director Jamal Carpet Industries.

“Middle Eastern buyers will have more easy access to Kashmir and Kashmir trade. It will give a fillip to the trade as well as tourism and also help students and the NRIs working in the Middle East to travel Kashmir with ease,” she adds.

27/09/21 Naseer Ganai/Outlook

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Kolkata airport all set for paperless air travel

Kolkata : The Kolkata airport is now geared to roll out the biometric boarding system (BBS) with technicians completing installation of all equipment and testing of hardware.

The system that will allow paperless and seamless travel experience is expected to be commissioned sometime in November after the software platform is tested and receives the go-ahead from the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security.

“The BBS equipment for phase I rollout — registration and self check-in kiosks and automated gates — have been installed in the domestic terminal and their hardware has been thoroughly checked. Installation of phase II equipment is currently underway and should be over this month. We will then wait for the pilot test at Varanasi to get over so that the platform is tested here before being commissioned,” said an airport official.

Phase I has two registration kiosks, eight self checkin kiosks, two entry gates, four security and transfer gates and three self-boarding gates. Phase II will add 12 registration kiosks, 15 self check-in kiosks, three entry gates, three security and transfer gates and 13 self-boarding gates. In the domestic terminal, registration kiosks have been installed at all three gates — 1, 2 and 3. In addition, terminals have been set up at the entrance where flyers will undergo facial scan post registration. Next, there are self check-in kiosks. There are also dedicated gates at the security hold area and boarding point that will be available only for Digi-Yatra passengers. The equipment has also been installed in domestic-to-domestic transfer. In phase II, it will also be installed in international-to-domestic transfer.

27/09/21 Subhro Niyogi & Tamaghna Banerjee/Times of India

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Flight from Dubai diverted to Kochi due to fog at MIA

Mangaluru: Heavy fog forced Mangaluru International Airport authorities to divert a flight from Dubai to Cochin International Airport on Sunday. On Saturday, two flights from Dubai and Saudi Arabia too were diverted to Calicut International Airport due to poor visibility.

An official from Air India Express said the flight from Dubai was supposed to land at Mangaluru International Airport around 4.55am on Sunday. However, due to poor visibility, it was then diverted to Cochin International Airport. “We requested to divert the flight to the nearby Kannur International Airport, but did not get permission. Later, it landed in Kochi,” said the official.

27/09/21 Times of India

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Flyers book tickets from Mumbai over recarpeting dates’ confusion

Pune: Many flyers planning their vacations during the winter are booking trips via Mumbai with no clarity on the total runway closure at the city airport for recarpeting.

Anand Sil, who has been planning to go to Darjeeling in November, booked a flight to Kolkata from Mumbai instead of Pune. “There have been talks about runway closure, which would stop all flight movements, but the dates are not clear. We tried asking the Pune airport authorities and they said that the IAF had not clarified the dates. We thought it would be a risk to book a flight from Pune and decided to book it from Mumbai instead,” Sil, a Kharadi resident, said.

Another resident Anshul Jadhav is also planning a trip next month. “I am not sure whether to book the tickets or wait till the runway closure dates are announced or if I should book a flight from Mumbai. Nowadays airlines take a lot of time to refund the ticket money and in many cases, they tell flyers to use it for future travel,” he said.

The total runway closure was supposed to happen in April and May, but was postponed after requests by the airport officials in view of the transport of vaccines from Pune. Airport sources told TOI earlier that the closure was expected after Diwali, but no dates had been provided. “The Indian Air Force (IAF), which manages the runway of the airport, is carrying out the work. They haven’t informed us about any specific dates. We know that the flyers must be confused,” Pune airport director Santosh Dhoke said.

26/09/21 Joy Sengupta/Times of India

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CIAL''s solar boats to be used for Kochi Muziris heritage circuit tours

Kochi, Sep 26 (PTI) The Cochin International Airport Ltd (CIAL) on Sunday signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Muziris Heritage Project Ltd. for using its solar boats for the tours conducted in Kochi-Muziris heritage tourism circuit.

As per the MoU, signed by CIAL Managing Director S Suhas IAS and Muziris Heritage Project Managing Director P M Nowshad, the boat will be used for the circuit tours conducted by Muziris Heritage Project, on a revenue sharing basis.

CIAL, known for its penchant to use green energy, owns a 24-seat solar boat with AC compartment for trial operation in the west coast canal which is being renovated by Kerala Waterways and Infrastructures Limited.

"As the tourism sector in the state has started witnessing a surge, CIAL decided to try out a new revenue stream by deploying its solar boat for cruise activity until the canal project is completed," CIAL said in a release.

Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan had inaugurated the first phase of the canal in February this year by taking a short cruise by this solar boat at the Veli-Kadinamkulam stretch of the canal in Thiruvananthapuram district.

The boat has 15 solar panels mounted upon its roof. The generated power is stored in the battery. The system can also draw power from conventional sources. The boat can be put into operation for five hours on single charging, the release said.

26/09/21 PTI/Outlook

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Andaman travel update: Fully vaccinated tourists do not need to carry PCR report

In a new travel guideline, the Andaman and Nicobar government has announced exemption of negative RT-PCR reports for fully vaccinated travellers who wish to visit the island destination. The new guideline will come into effect from September 25.

According to the latest SOPs, asymptomatic fully vaccinated with both doses of COVID-19 vaccine won’t have to carry their negative RT-PCR test report to enter Port Blair. Also, the passenger should have completed more than 15 days after the second dose of the vaccine.

Such passengers will also be exempted from undergoing additional RT-PCR tests on arrival at the airport. An ID document proof along with the vaccination certificate will be required. If someone is found symptomatic on arrival at Port Blair, irrespective of their vaccination status, they’ll have to take the RT-PCR test at the airport.

Others who are unvaccinated or are partially vaccinated and those with both doses not completed 15 days, will have to carry a negative RT-PCR report. An additional RT-PCR test on arrival will also take place at the airport.

26/09/21 TimesTravel

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BJP protests new building height restrictions in Dahisar

Mumbai: The Dahisar unit of the BJP has protested against the new building height restrictions in Dahisar, which were imposed to ensure aviation safety.

The party has claimed that the new rules will affect the redevelopment of all old buildings.

Dahisar MLA Manisha Chaudhari (BJP) has written to Union Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia to take urgent steps to redress the issue. Speaking to The Indian Express, she said that developers would shun new projects.

The local MP, Gopal Shetty, said that from Santacruz to Dahisar there were some caps on height either due to AAI or defence establishments.

The Airports Authority of India – a body of the civil aviation department — has started enforcing new building height restrictions in Juhu and Dahisar due to the presence of a communication system for aviation activity in Mumbai, and this has led to the lessening of the permissible height of new project

26/09/21  Yogesh Naik/Indian Express

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AAI sub-contractors demand action against M/s NM Construction

Imphal: Sub-contractors of Airport Authority of India (AAI) has sought action against M/s NM Construction regarding the mismanagement of funds amounting to about Rs 2 crore deposited by AAI to Manipur Tribal Development Corporation Limited (MTDC).

Speaking to the media at a press conference held at Kwakeithel today, one of the sub-contractors, H Kiran said project for development of Tezu Airport in Arunachal Pradesh was awarded to M/s NM Construction but as the progress of the project was not satisfactory, the contract was cancelled. On final settlement it was found that the company had spend a little more than Rs 1.08 crore and the cheque submitted by the company as Bank Guarantee (BG) also bounced.

26/09/21 Sangai Express

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Two flights, bound for Kannur and Mangalore, rerouted to Kochi airport due to unfavourable weather

Kochi: Two flights, bound for Kannur and Mangalore, were rerouted to Kochi airport on Sunday morning due to unpleasant weather. The flights landed at Cochin International Airport on Sunday morning. Both the Air India flights were from Dubai.

An official at Kochi airport told TNIE that the planes to Mangalore and Kannur took off at 11:15 am and 12:44 pm respectively as the weather became clear. All the passengers in the two flights remained seated on their respective planes until the airlines received orders from the authorities to depart for their respective destinations, the official said.

 Due to the unfavourable weather, a flight from Kozhikode airport scheduled for Dubai was also delayed.

26/09/21 New Indian Express

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2 new airport terminals to be established in J&K: Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia

Jammu: Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya M Scindia on Saturday said that two new airport terminals shall be established in Jammu and Kashmir soon. The Union minister made this announcement during an interaction programme with District Development Council (DDC), Block Development Council (BDC) members, Panchayati Raj Institution (PRI) members, and locals at Harwan block of Srinagar district.

Jyotiraditya Scindia said that an airport terminal worth Rs 1500 crore shall be established on 25 thousand square metres in Kashmir, while another airport terminal worth Rs 650 crore shall be established in Jammu on 22 thousand square metres land size.

The civil aviation minister highlighted that since a special focus is being given on development of both air and road connectivity in Jammu and Kashmir, a major road network including highways, ring road, tunnels and other projects are being constructed across Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh.

Jyotiraditya Scindia added that the development of connectivity shall bring more tourists to J&K and promote local craft. He pointed out that the promotion of tourism and crafts shall boost economic activity and prosperity of people of J&K.

Jyotiraditya Scindia praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi and said that under his leadership, an era of peace, progress and development has already started in Jammu and Kashmir and all the three regions including Ladakh have come on track to become number one in construction and development in the country.

He said that among other major projects, work was going on in full swing on ring road worth Rs 3000 crore, while 100 percent households are being supplied electricity now, made possible by current dispensation.

25/09/21 Sunil Bhat/India Today

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Clear skies ahead for Vizag airport

The Visakhapatnam International Airport is slowly but steadily recovering from the pandemic blues during the last couple of months.

The number of passengers handled by the airport, increased to 64,732 in June, 1,04,044 in July and 1,48,249 in August this year as the restrictions on air travel were relaxed. International flights, which were cancelled due to the pandemic, are yet to be resumed from Visakhapatnam.

However, the number of domestic passengers handled during May this year (2021) dropped to 45,726 from 1,15,143 from the previous month due to the second wave surge of COVID-19.

Flight movements had also decreased due to the cancellation of flights due to poor patronage as a result of the pandemic threat due to the second wave. The domestic flight movements, which were 1,322 in April, 2021, declined to 720 in May and 654 in June. They are, however, picking up slowly with revival of services. The flight movements increased to 964 in July and 1,292 in August.

The airport, which handled 27,03,261 domestic and 1,50,370 international passengers during the 2019-20 fiscal, registered a marginal decline in the next financial year as the COVID-19 pandemic resulted in restrictions and lockdown during February/March 2020.

The passengers handled by the airport during 2020-21 dropped drastically as the pandemic hit the aviation sector badly. The domestic passengers during 2020-21 declined to 11,06,451 and international passengers were a mere 8,192.

The aircraft movements from Vizag Airport were the highest during 2018-19 with 22,376 domestic and 1,806 international flight movements, taking the total movements in that year to 24,182. The next year (2019-20), the domestic flight movements declined sharply with the restrictions and lockdown towards the end of the financial year. However, international flight movements during the year increased marginally to 1,899 movements during that year.

25/09/21 B. Madhu Gopal/The Hindu

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With Flyers Carrying Burden of Revenue Shortfall, Airport PPP Model is Yet to Deliver

The government’s announcement of monetizing infrastructure to the tune of Rs 6 lakh crore or just north of USD 81 billion has been met with mixed reactions. Investors are both eager and wary. The announcement includes further privatization of airports though the government has been categorical in stating that ownership will remain unchanged. All indications are towards furthering the PPP model—with some elements modified. But the question remains: has the PPP model delivered for the country and its citizens?

Read the answer here >>

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Coimbatore airport to get smooth aircraft navigation system; RNP approaches being designed

Coimbatore: In a bid to provide safe and smooth navigation for aircraft, Coimbatore International Airport is presently undergoing a technical revamp. Airport authorities reportedly told The Hindu that a plan is being chalked out by the procedures department of the Airports Authority of India (AAI) to design and promulgate the 'Required Navigation Performance'(RNP) for the Coimbatore Airport, in addition to the pre-determined conventional instrument approaches.

The authorities are designing RNP approaches for runway 05 and 23 which help aircraft operate along a precise flight path.

S.Senthil Valavan, Airport Director, was quoted by The Hindu as saying the RNP approaches ensure integrity and accuracy and help an aircraft to follow specific paths using board equipment. He further added that the conventional instrument approaches, a set of existing manoeuvres, gives vertical guidance to an aircraft at the time of landing at an airport.

The conventional instrument approaches use ground-based navigation methods such as Non-Directional Beacon (NDB) and Distance Measuring Equipment (DME) to guide the aircraft. Valavan also said that the RNP procedures will have to clear massive simulator tests and flight trials before their promulgation.

24/09/21 India Today

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Kolhapur-Mum flight cancellations ground passenger plans

Kolhapur: The frequent cancellation of the Kolhapur-Mumbai flight service has been causing a lot of inconvenience to air passengers.

The flight, which is scheduled thrice a week, has already been cancelled six times this month. The flight service authorities have given "operational reasons" as the cause every time through email and text messages — creating last-moment panic among passengers.

Samir Sheth, a frequent flyer to Mumbai, said, "The passengers have to face hardships when there are sudden cancellations. They may have connecting national or international flights from the Mumbai airport. Those flights are usually on time. Therefore, if the passengers don't reach Mumbai on time, then their entire schedule can get disturbed and cause them mental frustration. People have business meetings, medical appointments, and other personal reasons to reach Mumbai. Last moment cancellations spark panic. The 72-seat flight is usually fully booked and should be operated properly."

24/09/21 Times of India

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Kozhikode plane crash: High-level panel holds meeting to discuss probe report recommendations

New Delhi: A high-level panel overseeing the implementation of the recommendations in the detailed probe report on the deadly plane crash at Kozhikode airport last year held its first meeting on Friday.

The nine-member committee has also been asked to look into the status of implementation of the recommendations in the Mangalore air crash investigation for any further recommendation for safety of operation, according to an official communication.

Chaired by Civil Aviation Secretary Pradeep Singh Kharola, the committee was set up earlier this month after the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) submitted its investigation report on the Kozhikode accident.

A source said the first meeting of the panel was held in the national capital on Friday.

Specific details about the meeting could not be immediately ascertained. The next meeting of the panel is likely to be held in early October.

As many as 43 safety recommendations were made by the AAIB in the Kozhikode crash probe report, which was made public on September 11.

As per the AAIB report, the crash at the Kozhikode airport on August 7, 2020, replicated the Mangalore crash on May 22, 2010. A total of 158 people were killed in the Mangalore accident.

In the crash involving a Boeing 737-800 aircraft operated by Air India Express from Dubai to Kozhikode, 21 people, including the two pilots, were killed and several others were injured.

The panel is examining the recommendations made in the investigation report of the plane crash and will decide on an "implementation and action plan".

Besides, it will carry out a study to examine the feasibility of wide-body aircraft at the Kozhikode airport in Kerala.

The nine-member committee''s co-chairman is Air Chief Marshal (Retd) Fali Homi Major.

Other members of the panel include DGCA chief Arun Kumar, Air India Chairman Rajiv Bansal, AAI Chairman Sanjeev Kumar, AAIB Director General A Handa and former AAI Member (ANS) Vineet Gulati.

Ex-ICAO expert Arun Rao and a representative of the IMD are also part of the panel.

24/09/21 PTI/Outlook

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New-age tech to woo fliers at Kochi airport

Kochi airport is all set to entertain and engage flyers with new age technology of gamification with the support of gamification expert Manu Melwin Joy, faculty member, School of Management Studies (SMS), Cusat.

The project ‘Hrudayapoorvam CIAL’ envisaged by Cochin International Airport Ltd(CIAL), will focus on passenger engagement as part of observing World Heart Day on September 29.

The games will focus on the three pillars of the World Heart Day celebrations -- Community, Equity and Prevention -- and teach the technique of administering first-aid when a person suffers heart attack.  A sum of Rs 100 will be donated to the heart surgery of a child that needs financial assistance in the name of each winner. 

24/09/21 New Indian Express

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Aviation Ministry floats cabinet note for Bengaluru, Hyderabad airports' stake sale

The Civil Aviation Ministry has floated a cabinet note for an in-principle nod for stake sale in Bengaluru and Hyderabad airports, sources have told CNBC-TV18. The government aims to sell its stake in the four joint venture metro airports of Delhi, Mumbai, Hyderabad and Bengaluru but the process has been initiated for Bengaluru and Hyderabad first.

The Airports Authority of India holds about a 13 percent stake each in the two airports of Hyderabad and Bengaluru.

“Simultaneously, AAI is also working on appointing an advisor for the evaluation process of the stake sale. This will help in the preliminary understanding of the stake value,” a person aware of the matter said.

Rajiv Gandhi International airport of Hyderabad is owned and operated by GMR Hyderabad International Airport Ltd (GHIAL), a public-private venture. Its stakeholders include the Airports Authority of India (13 percent) and the Government of Telangana (13 percent), as well as a private consortium between GMR Group (63 percent) and Malaysia Airports Holdings Berhad (11 percent).

Bengaluru airport currently is a public-private venture with stakeholders including Karnataka State Industrial Investment and Development Corporation (13 percent), Airports Authority of India (13 percent), and 74 percent is held by private companies Fairfax Financial (54 percent) and Siemens Project Ventures (20 percent).

In addition, the Civil Aviation Ministry is also working on a cabinet note for privatization of 13 airports, where six major airports will be clubbed with seven minor airports, people in the know said.

24/09/21 CNBC TV18

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CSMIA reports high surge in passenger traffic

CSMIA is witnessing a remarkable boost in passenger traffic on the Mumbai-Maldives route. As one of the top international destinations for Indians, the Mumbai-Male route witnessed a total of 31,051 passengers via CSMIA in the last 60 days since reopening of the route.

Weary from the pandemic, a lot of travellers are seeking sun, sand and sea which explains the popularity of this route. Maldives has featured as a prominent international destination for leisure travel throughout the pandemic. With the Air Bubble agreement signed between the two countries in October 2020 and the reopening of the Maldivian borders in July 2021 post closure, Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport, consistently recorded a significant uptick in passenger traffic throughout this period.

On this route, the airport catered to a total of four domestic carriers including Air India, IndiGo, GoFirst and SpiceJet offering direct flights to and from Male. Out of which IndiGo catered to the highest passenger traffic from the airport, handling a total of 12,995 passengers, with 9,213 handled by SpiceJet as a close second. Meanwhile, the route since the commencement of flight operations in October 2020 has witnessed a total of 1,11,283 passengers till date travelling via CSMIA. With 46,008 of arrival and 65,275 of departure passengers, the figures point towards continued interest of the Indian travellers for Maldives as the preferred international destination.

24/09/21 Anithya Balachandran/Business Traveller

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Alliance Air to start Mumbai-Sindhudurg flight from Oct 9

Disinvestment-bound Air India's regional arm Alliance Air on Wednesday said it will operate daily direct air services to the newly-constructed Sindhudurg Airport from Mumbai, starting October 9.

The move will make Alliance the first domestic carrier to launch operations to the greenfield airport in the Konkan region, which received the aerodrome licence for commencing commercial operations from aviation safety regulator DGCA last week. Alliance Air will commence daily direct flight operations from Mumbai to Sindhudurg and back effective October 9.

These services will operate under the regional connectivity scheme of the Central Government, the airline said in a statement. Alliance Air will deploy its 70-seater ATR 72-600 aircraft to connect these cities, it stated.

On September 7, Union minister Narayan Rane had said Chipi airport in Sindhudurg district of Maharashtra would be inaugurated by Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia on October 9.

Giving details of the services to Sindhudurg, the alliance said Flight 9I 661 will depart from Mumbai at 11.35 am and arrive at Sindhudurg at 1 pm. Similarly, the return flight 9I 662 will depart from Sindhudurg at 1.25 pm and arrive in Mumbai at 2.50 pm, it said.

The airline also announced an all-inclusive inaugural fare of Rs 2,520 for the Mumbai-Sindhudurg flight and Rs 2,621 for Sindhudurg-Mumbai services. At an investment of Rs 800 crore, the first green airport at Chipi in Sindhudurg district, the state is expected to bring economic boom for the region with lots of employment and self-entrepreneurship opportunities for local people, IRB Sindhudurg Airport Pvt Ltd said in a release. IRB Sindhudurg Airport Pvt Ltd is a special purpose vehicle of IRB Infrastructure Developer that was formed and mandated with the task of project development and operations.

23/09/21 PTI/CNBC TV18

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Visakhapatnam: Bomb threat mock drill held at airport

Visakhapatnam: A bomb threat mock drill was conducted at Visakhapatnam Airport here on Thursday. In a step to create awareness among passengers, the mock drill is conducted every year to check the preparedness of various agencies involved in handling bomb threats at airports. The mock drill is a procedure when an explosive is identified, multiple steps of dissemination of information of bomb threat to different agencies who work together to identify the same and dispose as per procedure. Officials from Airport Authority of India, Central Industrial Security Force, airline operators, city bomb detection and disposal squad teams, INS Dega, airport customs and immigration, health, police and fire department staff took part in the event.

23/09/21 Hans India

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Ruckus at Chandigarh airport as 30 passengers not allowed to board Sharjah flight

Mohali: Ruckus was witnessed at the Chandigarh International Airport as about 30 passengers, who were to board the flight to Sharjah were not allowed to by the immigration check officials on Thursday evening as they did not fulfil the Covid guidelines.

The airport authorities had to call the police after the passengers raised hue and cry for being denied permission to board the Sharjah flight.

DSP Amroz Singh said the police intervention prevented the deterioration of the law and order situation at the airport. He said that the passengers were not fulfilling the Covid guidelines issued by UAE because of which they were not allowed to board the flight.

The departure flight was operated according to the new Covid guidelines issued by UAE. The Rapid PCR tests for all the departing passengers was conducted at the airport itself, however some of the passengers did not fulfil the norms and were not allowed to board the flight.

It is pertinent to mention here that after a period of about two months international flight operations were resumed at Chandigarh international airport on Thursday with the departure of Sharjah flight.

Ajay Bhardwaj, CEO Chandigarh International Airport Limited (CHIAL), said that Air India Express, AXB188/187 carrying 29 passengers arrived at 2:55 pm.

23/09/21 Sanjay Bumbroo/Tribune

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Adani Airport Holdings to take 74% stake in Mumbai Travel Retail after signing share subscription agreement with Flemingo and Mumbai Travel Retail

Adani Airport Holdings Limited (AAHL), the flagship holding company of Adani Group for its airports business and a wholly owned subsidiary of Adani Enterprises Limited, has signed a Share Subscription Agreement with Flemingo Travel Retail Private Limited (Flemingo) and Mumbai Travel Retail Private Limited (MTRPL) for the purpose of a strategic partnership to operate duty free stores in airports and seaports.

AAHL will hold 74% equity share capital of MTRPL on fulfilment of certain terms and conditions linked with the transaction. That will see AAHL subscribe to 2,849,000 equity shares at a face value of Rs10 (US$0.14) each.

Adani notified the National Stock Exchange of India of the deal earlier today.

AAHL is the new powerhouse of Indian aviation, now ranking as India’s largest airport infrastructure company and accounting for 25% of total airport passenger footfall. AAHL also controls 33% of India’s air cargo traffic. In July, AAHL took management control of Mumbai International Airport from GVK.

The company will cater to a 300-million-strong post-pandemic consumer base comprising fliers and non-fliers.

23/09/21  Martin Moodie/Moodie Davitt Report

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Ganpati season boosts flier traffic at Mumbai airport

Mumbai: With states across the country easing travel restrictions, Mumbai airport saw a steady flow of passengers during the 10-day Ganesha festival that concluded on Sunday.

From September 5 to September 19, the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (CSMIA) recorded a total passenger traffic of 7,29,240, airport officials said. While celebrations for the 10-day festival began from September 10 this year, passenger traffic started rising from September 5.

The figure of 7,29,240 is a significant recovery from the recorded traffic of approximately 2,51,520 last year from August 16 to September 1, 2020. A four-fold increment in passenger traffic saw a total of approximately 3,68,110 arrivals and over 3,61,130 passengers departing across 5,783 flights operational during the 2021 Ganeshotsav period.

23/09/21 Yogesh Naik/Indian Express

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Air Alliance-Air India flight soon from Shimla Airport : MP

Chairmanship of Airport Advisory Committee and Member of Parliament Mr Suresh Kashyap said after the meeting of AAC at Civil Airport Shimla here Wednesday.

Suresh Kashyap said Alliance Air-Air India is going to start its flight ( probably from January to February) next year and Pawan Hans running Heli-taxi service on the airport is also going to add additional route so that movement of passengers between Shimla and Chandigarh could be increased .

Presently, heli taxi facility under UDAN- 2 by Pawan Hans is running on Chandigarh-Shimla route and would be made economical so that more people could afford the flight and new charges for air ticket is being planned by Pawan Hans.

22/09/21 UNI

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Operation of wide- bodied aircraft at Calicut airport soon

Efforts are on to resume the operation of wide bodied aircraft at Calicut Airport with a nine-member committee chaired by Civil Aviation Secretary Pradeep Singh Kharola positively indicating about its resumption within two months

The operation of wide-bodied aircraft has been remaining suspended after an Air India Express flight skidded off the table-top runway and plunged into a gorge in August last. The crash killed 21 people including both pilots and seriously injured 75 passengers.

Sources said that a report had also suggested that the Airports Authority of India (AAI) install a Runway Visual Range (RVR) system to enable pilots for better landing and take off. The installation of the RVR system that measures visibility, background luminance, and light intensity to help the pilot navigate the runway during dense foggy conditions, has already been given high priority by the AAI at many airports.

Calicut Airport director R. Mahalingam said that AAI was committed to implement the recommendations of the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) that went into the Air India Express accident on August 7, 2020.

“The authorities will be executing the projects in a time-bound manner,” he told The Hindu on Wednesday.

In fact, the AAI was permitted to resume the operation of wide- bodied aircraft in 2018 after it committed to the installation of a transmissometer for the RVR system. However, at the time of the accident, RVR instruments had not been installed at the airport . Now the AAIB has recommended that the Automated Weather Observing System (AWOS) should also be installed as well.

However the works for installing the Runway Centre Line Lights, another recommendation, could be taken up only during next re-carpeting due in 2023- 24.

“Immediately taking up this work that involved digging the runway was infeasible as such a massive exercise would disturb the existing operations at the airport,” Mr. Mahalingam pointed out.

22/09/21 Biju Govind/The Hindu

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Maldivian to commence direct flights from New Delhi to Maafaru & Male’ Airport

Maldives, the only International holiday respite for forlorn Indian travelers during both the Pandemic  waves  is all set to offer another reason to rejoice.

Maldivian, the national carrier of Republic of Maldives, owned and operated by Island Aviation Services Limited (IAS) will commence direct flights from New Delhi to Maafaru and Male’ on 21stOctober 2021. The airline will operate A321 & A320 on this route offering both business and economy class configuration. Currently the flag carrier of Maldives operates to Trivandrum, Cochin and to Dhaka, Bangladesh.

With the addition of new destination , which is closest to luxury Island resorts of Northern Maldives, travellers could save on time earlier spent on taking domestic airline or a seaplane plane journeys.

Bird Travels, the airline management arm of Bird Group is the General Sales Agent (GSA) for Maldivian and will be managing their sales and marketing activities in New Delhi.

Flights on the new route, New Delhi to Maafaru, will operate on Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays. Maafaru International Airport located in Noonu atoll was opened in 2019 and is also managed by Island Aviation Services Limited (IAS). With three direct weekly flights to Maafaru, another international hub of the largest source market, will connect North Maldives from India. Cocooned by some of the most sought-after luxury resorts in the destination, along with a large number of guest houses, the region is home to over 10,000 tourist beds spread across four atolls making this new route a highly lucrative leisure market.

22/09/21 Hotelier India

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Air Alliance-Air India flight soon from Shimla Airport : MP

Chairmanship of Airport Advisory Committee and Member of Parliament Mr Suresh Kashyap said after the meeting of AAC at Civil Airport Shimla here Wednesday.

Suresh Kashyap said Alliance Air-Air India is going to start its flight ( probably from January to February) next year and Pawan Hans running Heli-taxi service on the airport is also going to add additional route so that movement of passengers between Shimla and Chandigarh could be increased .

Presently, heli taxi facility under UDAN- 2 by Pawan Hans is running on Chandigarh-Shimla route and would be made economical so that more people could afford the flight and new charges for air ticket is being planned by Pawan Hans.

22/09/21 UNI

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Indore: Direct flight for Nagpur to roll out on October 1

Indore: City fliers are going to get a direct flight for Nagpur from October 1. The flight is being rolled out by IndiGo, a leading private airline. TK Jose, chairman of the Travel Agents’ Federation of India (TAFI), said on Monday that the airline was deploying a 72-seater ATR aircraft for the Indore-Nagpur-Indore sector. According to the schedule, the flight will depart from the city for Nagpur at 6 am and land there at 7.10 am.

On return, the flight will depart from Nagpur at 7.35 am and arrive here at 8.45 am. Initially, the fare of the one-way journey is being quoted at Rs 1,950. Senior travel agent Jose said that, following the end of the second wave of Covid-19, the air passenger flow between both the cities was constantly increasing. Rolling out this flight will definitely help passengers as they will be able to reach their destination in just 1.10 hours.

21/09/21 FreePressJournal

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The rise and rise of Kempegowda International airport

Since the maiden flight from the second runway at Bengaluru’s Kempegowda International airport took off in December 2019, the city has been in a neck-and-neck race to steal Mumbai’s rank as the second largest airport in India.

Former Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis had set the deadline to fly the inaugural flight from the Navi Mumbai airport in December 2019. While the Navi Mumbai International airport failed to meet the deadline, Bengaluru stole the show. The competition is head-on since then.

Last fiscal, Bengaluru airport handled 10.9 million passengers while Mumbai did 11 million. Mumbai is in a losing battle.

The latest blow comes from Akasa Air and Jet 2.0 — they have decided to set up their primary base in Bengaluru and Delhi, respectively. As the birthplace of commercial air travel in India, Mumbai should have stayed prominent on the country’s aviation radar.

But, over the past decade, the story of Mumbai, with its lone congested airport that functions out of a single runway, has been one of setbacks. Today Delhi is the primary operations base for IndiGo, Air India, Vistara, SpiceJet and GoAir; while AirAsiaIndia calls Bengaluru home.

Mumbai is currently airline-bereft. And if trends persist, it may slide further to keep company with Kolkata and Chennai in third or fourth position, which is a mighty drop from the number one position it held till 2011.

Mumbai began losing at the turn of the century with the advent of low-cost carriers (LCCs), which thrive on airports with nimble runways and fast terminals. Land, de-board passengers, board and depart as quickly as possible, is the process. Take-off or landing slots and speed afforded by Delhi airport’s parallel runways—both can be used simultaneously— have made it a natural choice for LCCs.

Mumbai too has two runways, but they lie X-shaped, a cross that LCCs were not ready to bear, given that only one runway could be used at a time.

21/09/21 Manju V/Bangalore Mirror

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Noida airport foundation event likely next month

Greater Noida: The foundation stone laying ceremony of the Noida International Airport project is likely to take place during Navratri next month.

Arun Vir Singh, the CEO of Noida International Airport Limited — the special purpose vehicle of the UP government — said more than 90% of the families affected by the project had started constructing their houses in the rehabilitation township of Jewar Bangar. “Of the 3,003 plots that have been allocated to villagers in Jewar Bangar, construction work has started on about 2,730 of them. Some families have already started staying in their new homes,” he added.

The stone laying ceremony was expected to take place in the last week of August. But, sources said, the death of former BJP chief minister Kalyan Singh and the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan kept the Prime Minister’s office and the state government busy.

As pitru paksha will go on till October 6, no big ticket event is likely to be launched during this period. “The concessionaire of the airport project has already started work on the ground. The foundation or the stone laying ceremony has to be decided by the state government. We are focused on getting the commercial operations started within the next three years and improving the accessibility and connectivity of the Yamuna Expressway region with other parts of NCR,” Singh said.

21/09/21 Times of India

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Ahmedabad airport ramps up rapid Covid-19 testing facility

Ahmedabad: Authorities at Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport in Ahmedabad have ramped up its rapid Covid-19 testing facility.

The decision was taken after Indian travellers to Dubai were required to not just carry a negative Covid RT-PCR test report but also a rapid PCR test report, within six hours of departure. As the frequency of passengers travelling to Dubai increased, the number of machines installed were also increased to 100.

A rapid PCR test is basically an RT-LAMP test which has been approved by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) as an RT-PCR equivalent for rapid Covid-19 testing.

"When the rule was imposed, the airport had barely 30 machines installed by two private diagnostics laboratories to conduct the RT-LAMP test. However, of late, the number of flights as well as passenger movement to Dubai from SVPI airport has increased. Therefore, to meet growing requirement for tests, more machines are installed," said a source at the city airport.

Sources confirmed that in August, an estimated 70 flight movements were handled from Ahmedabad to Dubai. However, the same number has now increased.

21/09/21 Niyati Parikh/Times of India

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Kolkata's Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose Airport Severely Waterlogged After Incessant Rains

Severe waterlogging occurred at the Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose International Airport in Kolkata on Monday following incessant rainfall. Torrential rains pounded Kolkata and its surrounding districts since early hours on Monday, disrupting regular life on the first working day of the week, with the Meteorological department predicting further rain for at least another day. 

Kolkata received more than 100 millimetres of rain between 1 am to 7 am, submerging many major thoroughfares and low-lying regions in knee-deep water. Kolkata Municipal Corporation drainage pumping stations recorded 136 mm rain at Dhapa, 115 mm at Kalighat, and 109 mm at Ballygunge, according to an official.
Due to the severe rain in Kolkata, major airlines operating from the airport have issued an advisory. IndiGo tweeted,"Due to waterlogging in some parts of  Kolkata, we advise passengers to keep enough travel time in hand while travelling to the airport. "Due to bad weather in Kolkata(CCU), all departures/arrivals and their consequential flights might get affected," wrote Spicejet. Meanwhile, Vistara tweeted, "Due to waterlogging on account of heavy rains in Kolkata, traffic congestion is expected. Customers travelling are advised to allow more time for their journey to the airport."

20/09/21 Srishti Goel/Republicworld.com

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IRB Infra in demand after receiving aerodrome license for Sindhudurg airport

IRB Infrastructure surged 2.49% to Rs 175.20 after the construction company's wholly owned subsidiary received Aerodrome license from the Director General of Civil Aviation.

IRB Sindhudurg Airport Private Limited, a special purpose vehicle of IRB Infrastructure received Aerodrome license for Sindhudurg Airport from the Director General of Civil Aviation on Saturday, 18 September 2021. The Aerodrome License will enable IRB Infra to open the new aviation facility for airlines and general public.

The DGCA in the license issued to the company states, The license authorizes the Aerodrome to be used as regular place of landing and departure to all persons on equal terms and conditions by aircraft requiring specifications of runway and associated facilities including granted exemptions equal to or less than those indicated in the Aerodrome Manual.

Virendra D. Mhaiskar, chairman & MD of the company said, We are very happy to achieve yet another milestone in current year and see the airport receive license to operate after successful completion. With a concession period of over 90 years and compelling regional proposition, it offers meaningful avenues of growth. We express our sincere gratitude to all Authorities and Stakeholders for extending their valuable cooperation and support in bringing up this new facility. We now look forward to opening the facility for airline operators and general public soon.

The airport will enhance air connectivity of the region with Western Maharashtra, Southern states, Mumbai and subsequently to all regions of the nation. Sindhudurg is located in the Konkan region of Maharashtra.

The company said it has developed the airport project with capital outlay of Rs 800 crore. Apart from earning revenue from the operations of airport, IRB Infra said it has the right to utilise/ commercially exploit the additional land parcels forming part of the project. With receipt of the license from DGCA, the company would commence commercial operations in due course. The concession period is 95 years commencing from February 2013.

20/09/21 Capital Market/Business Standard

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Sabarimala airport's future hangs in balance; Kerala still hopes to overcome hurdles

Thiruvananthapuram: With the land acquisition of the Sabarimala airport project in a legal tangle and the objections raised by central government agencies, the Kerala government has a herculean task ahead, but it hopes to overcome the hurdles.

Apart from the Sabarimala pilgrims, the airport project, proposed to be in Cheruvally estate in Kottayam district, about 50 kilometres from Sabarimala, also aims to cater to the considerable NRI population from Kottayam and Pathanamthitta districts of Kerala. There are also many tourists visiting nearby destinations like Kumarakom backwaters and high ranges tourist spots of Idukki district.

Special officer for the Sabarimala Airport project V Thulasidas told DH that the queries by central agencies were only part of the normal process for approval for airports. Similar queries were raised for the Kannur International Airport and those were resolved by convincing the central agencies of the feasibility, said the former chairman and managing director of Air India.

Of the Director General of Civil Aviation's (DGCA) many queries over the project proposal by the Kerala State Industrial Development Corporation, the major one was that the Thiruvananthapuram and Kochi international airports were only 110 kilometre and 88 kilometre respectively from the proposed site. As per Green Field airport policy, new airports should be at least 150 kilometre away from existing international airports...

Ownership of the land was also caught up in a legal tangle with the Kerala-based Believers Church of India claiming ownership of the 2,263-acre Cheruvally estate. A government committee had earlier found that the Harrison Malayalam plantations sold out the estate to the Believers Church of India using forged documents as the Harisson Malayalam plantations only had possession rights and no ownership over the land.

20/09/21 Arjun Raghunath/Deccan Herald

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HC dismisses plea against govt. leasing out Mangaluru airport to Adani Enterprises

Bengaluru: The High Court of Karnataka has dismissed a public interest litigation (PIL) petition questioning the Union government’s decision to hand over Mangaluru International Airport to Adani Enterprises Ltd. for operation, maintenance and development.

The Airports Authority of India (AAI) has followed the most transparent process in leasing out airports. This airport has not been leased out by way of private negotiation. Tenders were issued and the successful bidder has been awarded the contract and there is no violation of any statutory provision of law in the matter, the court said.

A Division Bench comprising Acting Chief Justice Satish Chandra Sharma and Justice Sachin Shankar Magadum passed the order while dismissing the petition filed the Airports Authority Employees Union, Mangaluru International Airport.

The petitioner union has not been able to make out a case for interference in respect of the policy decision of the Union government for leasing out airports, the Bench said, while pointing out that the union has not been able to show any violation of statutory law and Constitutional provisions.

Also, it is nobody’s case that the AAI has handed over all functions under Section 12(3) of the Airports Authority of India Act 1994 to the private company as it is pertinent to note that only seven functions, out of the 18, of the airports are the subject matter of the public-private partnership, the Bench noted.

Referring to a verdict of the High Court of Kerala, which had dismissed a similar petition filed by the union questioning the privatisation of Thiruvananthapuram airport, the Bench held that the petitioner union “has not approached the court with clean hands as it had suppressed the fact of filing a similar writ petition” before the High Court in the neighbouring State.

20/09/21 The Hindu

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2 flights to Kuwait launched from Ahmedabad

Ahmedabad: Signalling a revival in travel, two new flights to Kuwait were launched recently from the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International (SVPI) airport in Ahmedabad. These include two flights a week by each of Air India and Kuwait Airlines, confirmed airport sources.

These apart, a domestic flight to Indore also started operations recently by TruJet airline, according to the source. A month ago, at least five new flights, among others, began operations from the SVPI airport. These include flights to Delhi, Chennai, Kolhapur, Mumbai and Goa.

Flights operations to London resumed as part of the air bubble agreement. While Dubai-bound flights were the first international operations to resume, an additional flight were recently added along the sector.

Airport sources also said that another flight along the Ahmedabad-Pune flight is expected to start in the days to come. “As passenger footfalls are improving at the city airport, preference for domestic travel is going up. Therefore, airlines are more bullish on increasing frequency on existing sectors or adding more flights on newer sectors where demand is cropping up,” said a source.

According to travel agents and tour operators, both corporate and leisure travel has improved. “Corporate movement is gradually picking up and the bookings are good for leisure travel as well. With this, demand for air travel has gone up and therefore, more flights may be added,” said Manish Sharma, president, Travel Agents’ Federation of India (TAFI) – Gujarat.

19/09/21 Times of India

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Anti-hijack drill conducted at Coimbatore airport

Coimbatore: An anti-hijack drill was conducted at the Coimbatore International Airport on Friday to check security preparedness.

Officials and staff from various departments and airlines took part in the exercise which started at 8 a.m.

As per the procedures for conducting the drill, the aerodrome committee was activated. The committee assembled at the anti-hijack control room set up at the airport. Coimbatore City Police Commissioner Deepak M. Damor, who is the chairman of the committee, supervised the exercise.

According to officials with the Airport Authority of India (AAI), the drill was attended by all airlines, staff from the Intelligence Bureau, police, immigration department and the Central Industrial Security Force, which is in charge of the security at the airport. Various stakeholders of the AAI also took part in the exercise which lasted for an hour.

As part of the drill, a situation of security breach was staged at the airport. Armed CISF personnel, with the coordination of anti-hijack control room, foiled the hijacking attempt and secured persons who posed as intruders in the drill.

18/09/21 The Hindu

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Company gets aerodrome license for airport in Sindhudurg

Mumbai: IRB Sindhudurg Airport Private Limited, a special purpose vehicle of IRB Infrastructure Developers Limited, has received aerodrome license from the Director General of Civil Aviation. The first greenfield airport at Chipi in Sindhudurg will be inaugurated on October 9.

The aerodrome license will enable the company to open the new aviation facility for airlines and general public, an IRB press release said.

Virendra D Mhaiskar, Chairman and Managing Director of the company, said, “We are very happy to achieve yet another milestone and see the airport receive license to operate after successful completion. With a concession period of over 90 years and compelling regional proposition, it offers meaningful avenues of growth.”

Sindhudurg airport, with a cost outlay of approximately Rs 800 crore and a concession period of above 90 years, is the first of its kind in south Konkan aimed at establishing and enhancing air connectivity of the region with western Maharashtra, southern states and Mumbai and subsequently to all regions.

19/09/21 Indian Express

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Nepal to sign deal with India for periodic airport checks

The Tourism Ministry has given the green signal to the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal to sign a long-term government-to-government deal with India for periodic airport surveillance and radar flight inspections to avoid being possibly forced into contracting unreliable companies amid the endless Covid-19 crisis.

Nepal had recently asked India for help to conduct a flight inspection of the newly installed navigation and communication infrastructure at Bhairahawa international airport as the original contractor has been staying away due to the virus outbreak.

Raj Kumar Chettri, spokesperson for the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal, told the Post the authority had also asked the Airport Authority of India whether it could support Nepal in conducting surveillance of navigation and communication infrastructure of all airports, apart from the new airport in Bhairahawa.

“Based on the positive response from India, Nepal decided to engage the Airport Authority of India for at least five years,” he said, adding that the Tourism Ministry had consented to the proposal of Nepal’s civil aviation body.

The project has to be passed by the civil aviation board which the tourism minister chairs. Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba, who also holds the tourism portfolio, is the chairman of the civil aviation body.

“We had an appointment with Prime Minister Deuba for a board meeting this week, but could not meet him due to his busy schedule. Another meeting has been planned,” said Chettri. But the aviation authority is not sure of the date.

Airport surveillance and radar flight inspections have to be conducted every year, but Nepal has not been able to do it for the last two years due to Covid-19.

18/09/21 Sangam Prasain/Kathmandu Post

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IndiGo to start Agra-Lucknow flights from October 1

Lucknow: Air service will begin between Agra and Lucknow from October 1. The 4-hour distance can now be covered in an hour by air.

IndiGo will be starting the flight service between Agra and Lucknow.

According to the director of Agra Kheria Airport AA Ansari, the flight will leave from Amausi Airport in Lucknow daily at 2:45 pm and will reach Agra after 1 hour i.e. 3:45 pm. After a 15-minute stop, the flight will leave for Lucknow at 4:00 pm.

The airfare from Agra to Lucknow is Rs 1,999 and Flexi plus fare is Rs 2,314. The service will strengthen the connectivity between Agra and Lucknow which was earlier connected through a six-lane access-controlled Agra-Lucknow expressway.

On the other hand, now direct air service is available from Kanpur to Hyderabad, Bangalore, Mumbai, and Delhi. After Lucknow, Varanasi, Prayagraj, Gorakhpur, and Bareilly, airlines will now be available from Kanpur as well. The service will begin on September 15.

17/09/21 Abhishek Mishra/India Today

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Goa airport becomes first to install DVOR for safe navigation of flights

Goa: The Goa Airport at Dabolim has become the first airport in India to have installed the latest technology in Doppler Very High-Frequency Omni Range (DVOR ) system for safe navigation of flights.

According to Gagan Malik Airport director, The airport in Goa is the first in India the latest technology in the DVOR systems. This entire project was taken up at an approximate cost of 5 crore, and this is the latest technology in the DVOR systems.

DVOR is a standard International Civil Aviation Organization(ICAO). Ground-based radio navigational aid that provides bearing information to aircraft to define air traffic control routes for en-route, terminal and instrument approach/ departure procedures. The DVOR basically gives information on route positions and emits signals to aircraft and this makes the aircraft understand that they are on the right route.

Whenever an aircraft has to land, they have to follow a route procedure and the flight has to position its landing route after coming into the DVOR system and if the flight does not get the DVOR , they will face issues in landing.

Every aircraft in and around the airport or are flying above the airport get confirmation through this system that they are on the right route and the distance specified between them is correctly maintained and this enhances the air safety of aircrafts besides helping them.

17/09/21 Daijiworld

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Chennai: AAI gears up to prevent 2015 floods re-run

Chennai: The monsoon is a mere month away and the city airport is readying to prevent strong winds and rain from disrupting flights and preventing flooding of runways and taxiways.

A series of steps are being taken following discussions at a meeting held by the state government with the airport last week to prepare for the monsoon, said a senior official of AAI.

Airport authorities have begun desilting of storm water drains in neighbourhoods adjacent to the airport, while the desilting of Adyar river near the second runway bridge is nearing completion.

A senior official of AAI said that low lying areas near the runways have been levelled, foliage in the basic strip of runways and taxiways have been trimmed. Apart from this, the ground staff and airline staff have been told to fasten light materials and also ground handling equipment like trolleys, pushback vehicles, ladders and others to prevent them from moving astray in strong wind. The staff have been briefed to ensure mooring of small aircraft too.

18/09/21 Times of India

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IGST on import of aircraft, other goods on lease exempted from double taxation

In a big relief to the airline industry, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, speaking on the outcomes of the just-concluded 45th GST Council meeting today, said Integrated Goods and Services Tax (IGST) on the import of aircraft or other goods imported on lease will now be exempted from "double taxation".

"This will facilitate domestic industry and aviation sector, and these will also allow transfer of goods imported under lease without payment of IGST," she added.

Making other announcements, the Finance Minister said transport of export goods by vessels and air has also been exempted from GST. "This was given due to difficulties being faced by exporters for getting Input Tax Credit refund due to technical issues on GST Portal," she said.

The FM said although GST portal is "stable" now, keeping in view the COVID-19 pandemic, this exemption is being extended by one year, which she said will provide benefit to exporters.

17/09/21 BusinessToday.In

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Bengaluru Airport Launches Marketing Campaign To Encourage People To Travel

Aimed at establishing itself as a destination versus just being a transit point, Kempegowda International Airport, Bengaluru has launched a marketing campaign named 'Time to Reconnect.'

According to the official statement, "The campaign focuses on reassuring passengers about safe airport experiences and encourages them to travel and reconnect with their loved ones."

Since the pandemic began, people are missing the social interactions and connections they used to enjoy in the past. These include connecting with their loved ones, impromptu getaways, pre-flight food indulgences, gift shopping and mini splurges. Through this campaign, BLR Airport aims to encourage people to reconnect with their friends, family, or even their personal self and at the same time be reassured of a safe airport environment. 

At the heart of the campaign are three short digital films which focus on various aspects of airport operations, including vaccinated staff, contactless payments, and contactless travel. The #TimeToReconnect campaign, conceptualised by Dentsumcgarrybowen India, focuses on the theme of urging passengers and visitors to make the most of airport experiences such as shopping, dining, live gigs at The Quad by BLR and much more. The films are aimed at reminding them of little moments of indulgence and interaction that used to take place when they travelled through the airport regularly.  

Shalini Rao, Chief Marketing Officer, Bangalore International Airport, said, “As we slowly move away from virtual connection to human connection, we have observed that people are now waiting to travel again, but safety is on everyone’s mind. Through our #TimetoReconnect campaign, we want to assure our passengers about a safe airport experience, and we hope to ease their worries as they begin to reconnect with all the experiences they missed out on." 

17/09/21 Everything Experiential

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SVPI Airport runway to remain shut for 9 hours daily from Jan-May 2022

Ahmedabad: The Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International (SVPI) Airport Ahmedabad managed by Adani has proposed to the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) to shut its runway for nine hours daily from January 3 2022 to May 2022 for overlaying and maintenance work.

According to officials at the SVPI, initially, the proposal for maintenance work of the runway was to commence from November 10 this year however it was shifted to next year after keeping into consideration the upcoming festive season.

“The runway maintenance and closure were initially proposed from 10th November 2021 to 31st May 2022, however owing to the onset of the festive season and feedback from the industry fraternity we are evaluating the condition and reducing the closure period to make the airport available for our passengers,” said a spokesperson for SVPI Airport Ahmedabad.

“Accordingly, we have already applied to DGCA for a revised schedule from January 3, 2022 till May 2022 from 9 am to 6 pm except on public holidays and Sundays. This is to ensure reduced passenger inconvenience and a seamless service experience during this period,” the spokesperson added.

17/09/21 Indian Express

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Elephant Enters Jollygrant Airport

Rishikesh: A wild elephant broke into the Jollygrant Airport premises here in the wee hours of Wednesday and reached its runway.

The elephant broke the boundary wall of the airport and entered it at around 2.30 AM, Range Officer of Thano in Dehradun forest division Natthi Lal Dobhal said.

The security staff at the airport were taken aback to see the pachyderm roaming on the runway, he said.

They immediately informed the Forest Department.

It took forest department personnel nearly two hours to evict the elephant from the airport, he said.

On its way back the elephant entered a nearby village and broke the boundary walls of several houses.

Jollygrant airport is part of the state's lone jumbo corridor Shivalik Elephant Reserve which has now been denotified. 

15/09/21 PTI/Republicworld.com

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Kochi airport sees 14% surge in traffic from August

Kochi: With Gulf countries lifting the ban on flights from India, Kochi airport is witnessing a steady rise in the number of flyers after a lull in the last 12 months. The passenger traffic increased by 14% in the first week of September as compared to the same period in August. “While the airport handled 11,338 passengers per day in August first week, the figure jumped to 12,903 this month,” an official of Cochin International Airport Ltd (CIAL) said. 

As per the data sourced from CIAL, the airport witnessed an increase of 14% in international passengers in August from July. A total of 92,104 passengers travelled abroad in August from the airport, whereas the number of passengers in July was just 29,253. 

Boosting global connectivity, the airport has also succeeded in enhancing European connectivity by scheduling three flights from and to London in a week. “With this, the number of flight services has increased to 58  from 54 in August and 41 in July,” said the official. It is hoped that the airport will resume its intra-state services in its winter schedule (October to March). “We hope in the coming days, the passenger traffic will see a further surge.” 

The airport also resumed its Kochi-Thiruvananthapuram service on Monday and Friday. “The Kochi-Thiruvananthapuram service is a positioned flight coming from Kuwait and then scheduled for domestic travel. It is queued till September 27,” he said.  With more flights resuming services in both domestic and international sectors, the airport will gradually regain its passenger traffic. 

As per the data, an average of 88.32% increase in passenger movement — both departure and arrival — in the international sector was recorded in August when compared to July. The airport witnessed 85,196 international and 1,34,904 domestic passengers in July and the numbers rose to 1,60,448 international and 1,94,433 domestic passengers in August.

16/09/21 Aishwarya Prabhakaran/New Indian Express

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Booking of tickets for Chandigarh-Sharjah flights starts

Mohali: The airliners have started booking tickets for the Chandigarh-Sharjah flights. The operations are scheduled to resume from September 23 from the Chandigarh International Airport, Mohali.

Air India Express’ Chandigarh-Sharjah flight would operate two days a week – Thursday and Sunday. The one-sided fare ranges between Rs13,000 and Rs17,000.

However, the passengers need to be fully vaccinated.

As per the new travel guidelines, passengers wishing to travel to Sharjah need to get a negative Covid test report and they would also have to undergo an RT-PCR test at the airport six hours before boarding the flight. The airport authorities have allotted the testing work to Ghaziabad-based lab Genestrings Diagnostics Center, which would set up its infrastructure at the airport by September 21.

Each passenger will have to pay Rs1,727 for an RT-PCR test. The same lab is charging Rs3,000 per passenger at the Delhi International Airport.

16/09/21 Tribune

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BIAL promotes safe travel experience

Bengaluru: A major marketing camapign to encourage the public to fly was launched at Kempegowda International Airport by its operator, Bangalore International Airport Limited.

The campaign #TimetoReconnect reassures passengers about safe airport experiences and encourages them to travel and reconnect with loved ones, an official release said.  At the heart of the campaign are three short digital films which focus on various aspects of airport operations.

16/09/21 New Indian Express

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Waterlogging: Scindia requests Puri to expedite widening of drains outside Delhi airport

New Delhi: Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia on Wednesday requested Housing and Urban Affairs Minister Hardeep Singh Puri to expedite widening of northern and southern drains outside the Delhi airport, which leads to Najafgarh Nallah, in consultation with the city government.

"High levels of rainfall along with inadequate discharge capacity of the drainage system leading to Najafgarh Nallah in Delhi have been identified as contributing factor for this waterlogging (of September 11)," Scindia stated in his letter to Puri.

Delhi airport''s forecourt area was waterlogged for around half-an-hour on the morning of September 11 amid heavy rainfall. Various videos of this waterlogging situation were posted on social media sites.

Scindia replaced Puri as the Civil Aviation Minister on July 7 this year. 

Scindia stated in his letter: "Delhi, besides being the capital of the country, is one of the busiest airports and any inconvenience to passengers leaves a negative imprint on the minds of the travellers -- domestically and internationally."

The outlet of the drains of the Delhi airport are connected to drains outside the airport premises, which lead to the main drain of Najafgarh Nallah, he told Puri.

The maintenance of the drains outside the Delhi airport premises at the northern side is being done by Delhi Development Authority (DDA), he added. The DDA works under the Housing and Urban Affairs Ministry.

The Public Works Department of the Delhi government maintains the drain at the southern side of the airport, Scindia mentioned.

"The DDA may grant Right of Way for widening of drainage system to the public works department of the Delhi government," he added.

15/09/21 PTI/Outlook

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Jolted by Kozhikode crash, govt forms panel to study report, suggest remedies

New Delhi: Jolted by the Air India Express flight AXB1344 crash at the Kozhikode airport on August 7 last year, the Ministry of Civil Aviation has set up a 9-member committee to study the recommendations by the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) on the accident and suggest remedies.

In a first of sorts, the ministry has speedily put in place a review mechanism within a few days of the submission of the AAIB report on the accident. The AAIB report was submitted on August 17 and accepted by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) on August 20.

The committee will be headed by civil aviation secretary Pradeep Kumar Kharola and the heads of Air India, aviation watchdog DGCA, AAIB, Airports Authority of India (AAI), Indian Meteorological Department scientist, an expert on aerodromes Arun Rao (ex- International Civil Aviation Organization), Vineet Gulati, a member of Air Navigation Services and former Chief of Air Staff Air Chief Marshal Fali Homi Major will be its members.

The committee has been asked to look into the 43 recommendations in the AAIB report and submit its final report in 60 days. Till the time safe and feasible solutions are in place, operations of wide-bodied jets will remain on hold at the airport.

The first wide-body aircraft Airbus 330-300 belonging to the Saudi airlines from Jeddah had landed on December 5, 2018, after a long struggle by the Kerala state and local groups as the runway was shorter than prescribed levels.

The committee will look into the feasibility of operating wide-bodied aircraft and suggest measures to operate them.

The Kozhikode or Calicut air crash happened in August 2020. The tragedy struck the Air India Express limited Boeing 737-8HG with call sign VT-AXH, which was operating a repatriation flight under Vande Bharat Mission for people who had been stranded due to the Covid 19 pandemic in Dubai. While 165 were injured, 19 passengers and two pilots died in the crash.

The 9-member committee has been asked to look into the slew of safety recommendations for the Air India Express Ltd, Airports Authority of India, DGCA, AAIB and IMD.

The AAIB report on the crash had recommended that the AIR INDIA EXPRESS LIMITED in view of the failure of its pilot training programme needed to improve Simulator Training, training in realistic situations, promote assertiveness of the First Officer to take-over control and initiate a go-around on an unstabilised approach when Pilot In Command fails to respond (one of the key issues identified as the cause behind the crash).

The airline was also asked to improve pilots’ skill in tailwind landing on a wet runway, accurate aircraft performance calculations and better monitoring of data recorders.

The airline was also asked to ensure better availability of crew at all bases, consider the quantum of flights originating from respective bases and accordingly assign them as ‘home base’, especially for the captains.

The report had complained that the AIXL did not have an independent medical department and the operator was asked to employ Aviation/Aerospace Medicine Specialists in accordance with DGCA General Advisory.

16/09/21 Rahul Shrivastava/India Today

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Telangana: 16 Air Traffic Control Officers graduate from Air Force Academy

Hyderabad: Sixteen Air traffic control trainee officers graduated from the Air Force Academy (AFA) here on Thursday after successfully completing 139th Air Traffic Surveillance Services (ATSS) Course.

Addressing after reviewing the impressive Graduation ceremony held at Air Traffic Control Officers Training Establishment (ATCOTE) at AFA Academy, Dundigal, here, Academy Commandant Air Marshal Sanjeev Kapoor highlighted the importance of Radar Controllers' role in mission accomplishment.

He apprised the graduating trainees on the challenges ahead in the field of aviation and advised them to achieve professional excellence by remaining abreast with modern developments in the field of Radar Controlling.

He wished the graduating officers success in their future endeavours.

The young military Air Traffic Controllers, after having undergone 12 week long course, can now perform the highly demanding and skillful task of controlling aircraft using modern radars, the academy said in a statement here.

ATCOTE, a premier Air Traffic Control Training Establishment of the country, undertakes training for IAF Officers apart from officers from the Indian Army, Indian Navy, Indian Coast Guard, Hindustan Aeronautics Limited and officers from Friendly Foreign Countries in the field of Air Traffic Services.

Out of total air traffic control officers graduated from the academy, twelve Air Traffic Control Officers from the Indian Air Force, three from the Indian Navy and one from the Kenya Air Force graduated as Radar Controllers.

16/09/21 UNI

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