Turkish Airlines seeks to increase flights to India

New Delhi: The Istanbul-headquartered Turkish Airlines has sought Indian aviation ministry's approval to extend the bilateral limits to enable it to increase its number of flights between Turkey and India.

“We want to increase the number of flights, routes that we fly from India. For this, the bilateral limits need to be extended. We, through our government, are trying to negotiate with Indian aviation authorities to allow us to fly more flights,” said Adnan Aykac, general manager (northen and eastern India), Turkish Airlines.

The carrier has exhausted the bilateral limits with India.

30/04/12 Parul/Financial Express

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Passenger carrying excess US currency caught, let off

Mumbai: An Indian passenger was caught at the Mumbai international airport while allegedly trying to smuggle in US currency before being let off, Customs officials said today. The passenger was intercepted at the arrival hall of Terminal 2C of Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport on Saturday when he was found carrying USD 12,000, officials said.

30/04/12 PTI/IBN Live

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Silk Air offers enhanced flight options, connectivity from Bangalore in new schedule

New Delhi: SilkAir, the regional wing of Singapore Airlines, today said it would offer more flight options and better connectivity from Bangalore to other cities in the combined network of the two airlines in the new flight schedules between Bangalore and Singapore that will become effective May 5.

The new schedules have been announced following the completion of runway maintenance at Bangalore International Airport, a press release from the airline said.

30/04/12 NetIndian

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Cathay Pacific to expand cargo service to India

Hong Kong: Cathay Pacific Airways Ltd. plans to expand its air cargo services to India by launching a twice-weekly freighter service to Hyderabad and adding a third weekly freighter flight to Bengaluru, both from May 17, the Hong Kong-based carrier said Tuesday.

The plan will give shippers more choice and flexibility in connecting to the airline's international cargo network through the Hong Kong hub, the blue-chip carrier said in a statement.

"Hyderabad is one of the major hubs for the manufacturing of pharmaceuticals in India, accounting for around one-third of the country's drug production," said Cathay Pacific Director Cargo Nick Rhodes.

29/04/12 Joanne Chiu/MarketWatch

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Air India, Asiana Airways ink code-share pact

New Delhi: To provide direct connectivity with Seoul, Air India has signed a code-share agreement with South Korea’s major airline Asiana Airways which is expected to be implemented soon. “As per the agreement, which would be finalised for implementation at the earliest, both Air India and Asiana Airways would share code on the flights operated by each other on the India-South Korea (Seoul) and vice-versa sectors, on a free flow basis,” an Air India official said. The required testing system for such code-share cooperation would begin at an early date, he said.

29/04/12 PTI/Business Line

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Maharaja plans Dubai take-off

Chandigarh: After finding the city to be a profitable and sought-after place for launch of international flights for Dubai and Bangkok, the UT-based authorities of Air India have sent a proposal to its chief managing director (CMD) asking to launch international flights for these two cities from Chandigarh.

According to Air India officials in the city, the proposal has been sent to launch direct international flights from here to Dubai and Bangkok. The proposal was finalized after a lot of deliberation, conducting of a survey about potential passengers for these two destinations from the region and finding that there was a 'slot' in the wake of Ministry of Defence (MoD) not allowing an international airline, Air Arabia, to operate an international Sharjah-Chandigarh flight.

29/04/12 Ajay Sura/Times of India

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Gulf Air adds more flights from Chennai

Gulf Air, the national carrier of the Kingdom of Bahrain, has increased its flights between Chennai and Bahrain from 9 to 12 flights per week in each direction to meet growing passenger numbers.

The three additional flights have been conveniently scheduled to leave at night, thus offering more convenient flight options for customers from out of Chennai.

Now with a choice of seven morning departures and five night departures per week out of Chennai, these flights offer excellent connectivity for passengers going to the Gulf, Middle East and European countries via Bahrain in less than two hours.

With the flight increase, customers will also be connected to more new destinations on Gulf Air’s network such as Paris, London, Nairobi, Addis Ababa, Rome, Cairo, Larnaca and Copenhagen via Bahrain.

29/04/12 ftnnews.com

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Iraqi Airlines flight to land at Mumbai airport after 22 years

Mumbai: When a flight of Iraq’s national carrier, Iraqi Airways, touches down at the Mumbai international airport on Tuesday, it will be a historic moment. The airline is restarting direct flights to Mumbai after more than 22 years. The airline’s planes were grounded due to UN sanctions during the Gulf War in 1990-91, which was fought between a UN-authorised coalition force from 34 countries and Iraq after the latter invaded Kuwait. Last month, the airline resumed flights to Delhi. Before that there were no direct flights to Iraq from India.

28/04/12 Shahkar Abidi/Daily News & Analysis

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Air India's Boeing 787 rolls out of Carolina plant

North Charleston | South Carolina: US aerospace giant Boeing on Friday rolled out the first 787 Dreamliner built at its new plant in South Carolina and destined for Air India.

The rollout marked the first time the Chicago-based Boeing has produced a twin-aisle commercial airplane outside of Puget Sound, near Seattle in Washington state.

Boeing broke ground on the massive campus in North Charleston more than two years ago in a bid to ramp up production of its 787. Production began last June.

Boeing delivered the first 787, built at its Seattle area facilities, to launch customer All Nippon Airways last September, three years behind schedule.

The South Carolina-built 787 remains on schedule for delivery to Air India in mid-2012, Boeing said.

28/04/12 AFP/Deccan Chronicle

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Passenger with 45.5 lakh fake currency detained

Hyderabad: The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) officials on Friday detained a passenger who was carrying Rs 45.57 lakh fake currency at the Rajiv Gandhi International Airport (RGIA).

According to DRI officials, the passenger arrived in the airport by Emirates flight EK 524 (Dubai-Hyderabad). The DRI officials detained him when examination of his baggage revealed that he was in possession of high-quality fake Indian currency in the denomination of Rs 1000 and Rs 500.

28/04/12 New Indian Express/IBN Live

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No ceiling on the number of flights operable between India and Bhutan

In another major step forward for the aviation industry in Bhutan, an air services memorandum of understanding that removes a cap on the number of flights that can be operated between Bhutan and India, among others, was signed in Thimphu, yesterday.

The air services memorandum of understanding (MoU), undertaken between Bhutan and India, allows designated airlines of either country, which in the case of Bhutan is national airline Drukair, and privately owned Bhutan Airlines, to operate any number of flights, using any kind of aircraft not exceeding the capacity of a Boeing 747-400, on direct flights between the two countries.

Another major change the MoU brings is allowing designated Bhutanese airlines to fly to Singapore via Kolkata.

28/04/12 Kuensel Online

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Lufthansa to fly B747-8 on Delhi, Bangalore routes

Bangalore: Lufthansa will deploy the B747-8 on Delhi and Bangalore routes in the current summer schedule.

A press release from the airline said that India is the first Asian country where Lufthansa will deploy “the world’s newest aircraft”. It will deploy the aircraft on its direct Delhi-Frankfurt and Bangalore-Frankfurt routes in the current summer schedule.

Lufthansa is the launch customer for this aircraft, the first of which will connect Frankfurt and Washington from June 1 with six flights per week.

27/04/12 Business Line

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Bhutan India to update air service agreement

The information and communications ministry (MoIC) will meet their Indian counterparts to update the air service agreement between Bhutan and India, today.

A bilateral air service agreement is an agreement between two countries to allow international commercial air transport between the two territories. An air service agreement also includes specifics such as how many flights are permitted in a given period.

27/04/12 Kuensel Online

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Altran expanding India operations

Chennai/ Bangalore: French engineering company Altran Technologies, which operates across 20 countries in Europe, Asia and the Americas, plans to expand its Indian operations, by tapping the Indian market and also serving global customers in the aerospace, automotive, railways and energy verticals from India, a senior company official said here on Thursday.

The Euro 1.4-billion global leader in innovation and high-tech engineering consulting supports companies worldwide in the development of products and services in diverse verticals.

For scaling up, the firm is looking at both organic and inorganic routes.

27/04/12 Business Standard

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Air India introduces through baggage check-in facility to Macau

New Delhi: National carrier Air India today said that it had entered into through baggage check-in agreement with ferry service providers TurboJET and CotaiJet of Hong Kong on the Hong Kong-Macau-Hong Kong sector.

A press release from the airline said this was part of its constant efforts to upgrade its services to its passengers to make their travel experience better and more world class.

26/04/12 Net Indian

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Trinamool plays hard to get on aviation FDI

New Delhi: The Trinamul Congress virtually spurned an effort by civil aviation minister Ajit Singh to get the party on board to support a government proposal to allow foreign direct investment (FDI) by airlines to revive the ailing domestic aviation sector. Ajit today met Trinamul leader in the Lok Sabha Sudip Bandopadhyay in Parliament and sought his party’s backing. But sources said Ajit was met with a curt reply.

Sudip told the civil aviation minister to “accelerate and complete the modernisation work of Calcutta airport first and then we will decide on supporting FDI”, the source said. Ajit is hoping to meet chief minister Mamata Banerjee on May 5 when she will be in the capital to take part in the chief ministers’ meeting on the National Counter Terrorism Centre (NCTC).

On his part, Ajit is learnt to have assured Sudip that the modernisation of Calcutta airport would be completed soon and he would inaugurate it. The Trinamul leader urged the minister to ensure the work is completed before Durga Puja.

26/04/12 JP Yadav/News Bullet.in

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11 new foreign air services sectors to come up: Govt

New Delhi: The Government today said it has decided to open 11 new international sectors under the bilateral air services agreements (ASAs).

In a written reply in the Rajya Sabha on whether the Government has decided to open 11 new international sectors under bilateral ASAs, the Civil Aviation Minister, Mr Ajit Singh, replied in the affirmative.

26/04/12 PTI/Business Line

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India to urge airlines to boycott EU carbon scheme

New Delhi: India will urge its airlines to boycott the European Union's carbon charge scheme, raising the prospect of a global trade war over a law requiring flights in and out of Europe to pay for their greenhouse gas emissions.

A senior Indian government official told Reuters that India would soon ask local airlines not to buy carbon credits from or share emissions data with the bloc, which says other countries are not doing enough to tackle this source of greenhouse gases.

China said in February its airlines were barred from participating in the EU Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) unless they got government approval. Beijing has also suspended the purchase of $14 billion worth of jets from European maker Airbus.

26/04/12 Anurag Kotoky/Reuters

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Operation of Haj Flights by Air India

Shri Ajit Singh, the Minister of Civil Aviation informed Rajya Sabha today in a written reply that NAS Air, which was the selected airline to carry pilgrims from Srinagar on the basis of the tendering process, had entered into an agreement with Air India to carry pilgrims on the Srinagar-Delhi-Srinagar sector at the fare of US D 450 per pilgrm. Air India was paid by NAS Air for their services.

The Minister further informed that the airline chosen to operate Haj Services was on the basis of tenders in which Air India as also other Indian airlines were invited to participate. The lowest tenderers for each sector were chosen as per procedure.

During the years 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010 and 2011, Government of India has spent an amount of approximately Rs 477, Rs 895, Rs 690, Rs 600 and Rs 605 crores (excluding service tax) as subsidy on air travel of haj pilgrims, the Minister said.

26/04/12 Press Information Bureau

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Trainee pilot to be handed over to Bangladesh authorities

Behrampore: A pilot of a two-seater Bangladesh Air Force plane, which landed under emergency conditions in a field in West Bengal's Murshidabad district, was on Thursday taken to Kolkata for handing him over to the Bangladesh authorities.

Rashid Ali, the trainee pilot of the PT6 2-seater which was caught in a storm after straying into Indian airspace and made the emergency landing at Raigram village near Salar yesterday, stayed at the circuit house last night, Murshidabad District Magistrate Rajeev Kumar said.

26/04/12 PTI/Daily News & Analysis

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India to open 11 new foreign air service sectors under ASAs

New Delhi: India on Thursday said it has decided to open 11 new international air service sectors under the bilateral air services agreements (ASAs).

In a written reply in the Rajya Sabha on whether the government has decided to open 11 new international sectors under bilateral ASAs, Civil Aviation Minister Ajit Singh, replied in the affirmative.

Singh said: “Requests have been received from Indian carriers, including Air-India, for operation on 11 new sectors.”

Of these, approval for operation have been granted for summer 2012 for two sectors – Delhi-Guangzhou and Mumbai – Dar-es-Salaam.

26/04/12 Press Trust of India/Oman Tribune

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Emirates Says India Carriers Unappealing Without Greater Control

Dubai-based Emirates, the world’s largest airline by international traffic, won’t invest in Indian carriers unless the government there gives outside investors ultimate control, President Tim Clark said in an interview.

The imminent removal of a ban on foreign stakes won’t in itself be enough to persuade Emirates to bid given the limited influence on offer versus the poor financial records of Indian airlines and the prices likely to be demanded, Clark said today.

“Part of the deal would be a requirement to do certain things,” Clark said. “If we put money into an Indian carrier and then said we wanted to take down the labor force by 50 percent would they let us do it? No. If we wanted to drop airports that were uneconomic, would they let us? Probably not.”

India may delay a decision to allow foreign airlines to buy 49 percent of local operators until the parliamentary session ends on May 22, a civil aviation ministry official said April 20. Emirates, which will next month report a decline in annual earnings, according to Clark, has avoided major airline holdings since selling a stake in SriLankan Airlines back to the island’s government in 2010 following a failed a 10-year investment.

24/04/12 Andrea Rothman/Bloomberg

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Aviation FDI: Cautious, Centre set to take allies on board

New Delhi: Once bitten, twice shy. Stung by the strong attack from its allies after the Cabinet had cleared foreign direct investment (FDI) in multi-brand retail, the government has now decided to first bring about consensus among its allies before allowing foreign carriers to invest in domestic ones.

The government has decided to consult allies like the Trinamool Congress (TC) and the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) before any resolution on extending the ambit of FDI to aviation by allowing foreign carriers to buy stakes in Indian ones.

“Civil Aviation Minister Ajit Singh will meet TC chief Mamata Banerjee on May 5, when she would be in New Delhi to attend a meeting on the National Counter-Terror Centre. A meeting with DMK would also he held soon. A decision has been taken to not move any proposal without taking the allies on board,” said a senior minister, on the condition of anonymity.

In December, the government had to roll back its decision to allow FDI in multi-brand retail and limit it to single-brand retail after Mamata Banerjee objected to the move.

24/04/12 Mihir Mishra/Business Standard

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Garuda Airlines to link Chennai with Indonesia

Chennai: Boosting the bilateral trade relations between India and Indonesia, besides wooing the potential tourists from South India, State carrier Garuda Indonesian Airlines is launching direct services from Chennai. This is part of the countrywide operations, likely to be launched in June this year. Announcing this at a press conference here on Sunday, the visiting Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary, Lt General (R) Andi M Ghalib said, the airlines would kickstart the services from four metropolitan cities in India to the island nation.

“We want to raise the number of Indian tourists to Indonesia from the present 1.80 lakh to 2.40 lakh in the coming years. Also, the new air services would give a fillip for bilateral trade,” he said,adding a proposal has been put forth to open a Consulate General of Indonesia in Chennai, next only to Mumbai. Speaking about the bilateral trade, he said, Indonesia is poised to increase the trade to 45 billion dollars by 2015. Pointing out that the thrust areas are coal, wood and palm oil, he said, “Our country is supplying coal for a coal-fired thermal project to generate 1200 MW power at Thoothukudi. Several businessmen from India have invested in coal mines in Indonesia.”

24/04/12 New Indian Express/IBN Live

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Airport security beefed up after attempt to pilfer cargo

Thiruvananthapuram: Authorities have taken steps to secure the perimeter wall of the Thiruvananthapuram International Airport in the backdrop of the cargo pilferage attempt at the airport on Sunday. A pillar measuring eight feet which was part of the gate near the wall has been demolished. Lighting will be improved along the 300-metre long wall near the cargo complex and people's access will be cut off at 15 feet from the wall, said airport authorities who held a meeting with the airline officials.

"The customs rules and regulation stipulate that the cargo be handed within two hours from clearance to the custodian of the cargo complex, Kerala State Industrial Enterprises. But the airlines are biting more than they can chew and are unable to keep pace with the movement," said the airport authority official.

Four cartons of air cargo belonging to Emirates airlines containing portable fans with charger and woolen rugs were found outside the perimeter wall by a civilian at 3am on Sunday. The cartons weighed nearly 50kg.

M Jayaraj, cargo controller, Emirates Skycargo, gave a statement at the Valiyathura police station that an attempt to pilfer cargo was made in the early hours of Sunday.

24/04/12 Sangeetha Nair/Times of India

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Jet Airways’ plans for foreign loans rejected

New Delhi: The Centre has rejected a proposal by Naresh Goyal-led Jet Airways to borrow almost $700 million from the Bank of Oman for “general corporate purposes”. It has also turned down the airline’s plan to borrow from an associate or overseas subsidiary, a top finance ministry official confirmed to Financial Chronicle.

Goyal had also pleaded for relaxing end-use norms of foreign debt funds accessed for working capital purposes. This too has been rejected. Jet proposed to use funds raised through external commercial borrowings (ECB) to meet fuel expenses, catering and airport charges categorising them as general corporate purposes.

Jet had sought eligibility to borrow funds from overseas subsidi­aries (read holding company and its associates), but there were no takers in the government for such a proposal, as this would involve “round-tripping issues”. Jet Airways does not have an overseas subsidiary, but operates a holding company Tail Winds owned by founder-promoter Goyal, which is registered in the tax haven of Isle of Man.

22/04/12 KA Badarinath/Saahil Anant/mydigitalfc.com

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Govt allows 3 airlines to directly import 12.65 lakh kl ATF

New Delhi: Three Indian carriers, which have been permitted to directly buy jet fuel from foreign sources, would together import almost 13 lakh kilo litres (kl) of the fuel at a cost of about Rs 5,780 crore for the present.

The carriers which have recently received permission from the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) under the Commerce Ministry, to import aviation turbine fuel (ATF) are Kingfisher Airlines, SpiceJet and IndiGo.

Air India, which has also applied for such an approval, is yet to receive permission to import ATF. The move will help the airlines to significantly slash its operating costs.

"All the three airlines have been permitted to directly import ATF," a senior Commerce Ministry official told PTI.

While InterGlobe, owner of no-frill airline IndiGo, got approval to import 7.15 lakh kl worth Rs 3,200 crore of jet fuel, cash-strapped Kingfisher has been allowed to buy five lakh kl worth Rs 2,233 crore. SpiceJet would import only 50,000 kl worth Rs 235 crore, the official said.

The three carriers have been negotiating with leading oil marketing companies and were hopeful of beginning fuel imports in due course, a source said.

22/04/12 Press Trust of India/Business Standard

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ECB elixir for energising aviation

The Centre’s decision allowing individual airline companies to go in for overseas borrowing has come as a much needed shot in the arm for the aviation sector caught in rough weather, specially at a time when almost all domestic carriers, barring one, are in a deep financial mess.

The budget proposal to allow aviation sector to raise up to US$1 billion through external commercial borrowing (ECB) route for their capital requirements is likely to be implemented shortly. However, the ECB window would be available for one year only.

Experts say this brings aviation sector at par with other infrastructure sectors like power, which has been allowed in the recent past to raise their own working capital to bail them out whenever in trouble without depending much on the government fund.

They are also of the view that the current policy decision of allowing external commercial borrowing is the much needed dose, especially for debt-ridden private carriers like Kingfisher Airlines to raise working capital from overseas and the public sector behemoth Air India, which required monetary infusion on regular intervals to keep it going in the recent times.

So far, airlines were allowed to raise foreign capital only for import of capital equipment like aircraft. Incidentally, the Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion (DIPP) has moved a Cabinet note in this regard.

22/04/12 Anupama Singh/Deccan Herald

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Sikorsky aims to corner 30 pc mkt share in chopper sales

The world's largest chopper-maker Sikorsky Aircraft, which has a joint venture with the Tatas for assembling helicopter cabins, is targeting to corner up to 30 percent market share in India over the next five years.

"We expect to corner around 25-30 percent of the growth (in new choppers sales over next five years)," Sikorsky Aircraft Corp executive vice-president for India and South Asia Air Vice Marshal (Retd) Arvind Walia told PTI.

He said there are 300 choppers in the country currently, which is expected to go up by 250-300 units over the next five years.

The 100 percent growth in commercial choppers will be fuelled by demand from areas such as corporate and VVIP travel, medical emergency evacuation, disaster management, law enforcement and tourism, Walia said.

Keeping the target in mind, the company also plans to double capacity to two cabins a month from June and three from next year onwards, he said.

22/04/12 PTI/Economic Times

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AirAsia to re-enter India

New Delhi: Malaysia’s budget carrier AirAsia is trying to fly back into the Indian market to tap potential in short-haul international routes. Last month, the airline had pulled out all its flights out of India.

According to sources in the aviation sector, who sought anonymity, the Malaysian carrier is keen on a comeback since the bilateral landing rights, which call for exchange of landing rights for airlines of respective countries, have since been dismantled.

Sources said this means Air India would not have to compulsorily fly to Malaysia if AirAsia is allowed to operate flights into India.

“Earlier, there was restriction on one-way traffic to any country from India. Now, a foreign airline can operate flights into India sans a bilateral. AirAsia was constrained because of this policy,” a source said.

EK Bharat Bhushan, chief of the Directorate General of Civil Aviation, declined comment.

According to a source, the Southeast Asian airline has already applied for Indian landing rights and would be able to resume operations soon.

23/04/12 Praveena Sharma/Daily News & Analysis

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Air berlin flight makes emergency landing in Chennai

Chennai: A flight bound for Abu Dhabi from Kuala Lampur with 186 passengers made an emergency landing at the Chennai International Airport early on Saturday after one of the passengers complained of chest pain.

The Air Berlin flight, which took off from Kuala Lampur late on Friday night, was flying over Chennai when the passenger, Paul Rein, 38, a native of Nagercoil, complained of severe chest pain.

The captain contacted the Air Traffic Control (ATC) of Chennai airport and sought permission for an emergency landing.

22/04/12 Deccan Chronicle

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Eligibility for carriers flying abroad may be relaxed

New Delhi: In a reversal of its policy, the civil aviation ministry is open to relaxing eligibility norms for Indian carriers planning to fly abroad.

“We are open to relaxing eligibility norms required for Indian carriers to fly international. No one has approached us with a proposal to relax norms, but it can be looked at,” said civil aviation minister Ajit Singh. He said relaxation in the eligibility norms would also depend on the merit of the case.

According to the norms, an Indian airline should have domestic flying experience of at least five years and a fleet of 20 aircraft to be eligible to fly abroad. However, there are no such norms for international carriers flying into India. These only require permission under bilateral rights.

GoAir is the only Indian carrier that does not have the approval to fly abroad because it does not fulfill the minimum 20-aircraft fleet criteria. Due to financial constraints, Kingfisher Airlines has also stopped flying to foreign locations.

GoAir chief executive officer Giorgio De Roni recently said the carrier was studying possibilities to approach the government for allowing it to fly abroad with less than 20 aircraft. The airline operates with a fleet of 12 Airbus 320 aircraft, which it plans to increase to 20 by mid-2014. In June 2011, the airline had placed orders worth $ 7.2 billion for 72 new, fuel-efficient A320 NEO aircraft and the deliveries are expected to start in 2016.

21/04/12 Mihir Mishra/Business Standard

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GoAir in talks with European firms for maintenance, spares

Chennai: Wadia Group-owned GoAir has said that it is in talks with two European companies to take care of the company’s aircraft maintenance and supply of spare parts. Besides, the airline said it is contemplating to start international operations and focus will be neighbouring countries.

After launching its service to Chennai, which will be the 22nd destination for the airline in the country, Giorgio De Roni, chief executive officer, Go Airlines (India) Ltd said, currently the aircraft maintenance is done in-house. With the airline’s fleet increasing it is better to have a maintenance agreement with another carrier which will help bring down the cost.

While minor maintenance activities will be carried out in the country, major overhaul will be taken up outside India, added Kamal Kikani, vice president - customer service and airports, Go Airlines (India) Ltd.

The airline expects to take delivery of 72 new fuel-efficient A320 NEO aircraft from Airbus starting 2016. In June 2011, GoAir announced it has placed an order worth $7.2 billion, which according to the then currency strength was estimated to be around Rs 32,400 crore.

The additional aircraft will be in addition to the 11 and its proposed target of 20 aircraft by mid-2014.

21/04/12 Business Standard

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FDI may not help troubled airlines

New Delhi: Foreign direct investment (FDI) or not, domestic airlines will continue to be in the turbulent zone.

Anand Kumar and S Arun of Bank of America Merrill Lynch (BoAML) in their note on Thursday said while the FDI may pump in cash into the sector it will not change the industry dynamics materially in the near term.

They believe the regulation, which is being taken up on an urgent basis to save the sinking Kingfisher Airlines (KFA), may lead to overcapacity in the aviation sector.

“If KFA is able to secure a foreign partner, it would likely bring back the grounded capacity back into the system which could again create oversupply. Additionally, the government has approved the turnaround plan for Air India. This would likely enable AI to expand operations and play the market-share game which may hurt the industry,” said Kumar and Arun.

Meanwhile, low-cost airline SpiceJet is already flooded with offers for investment from West and Southeast Asian carriers.

21/04/12 Iftikhar Gilani & Praveena Sharma/Daily News & Analysis

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Changi backs out of joint venture with GVK, won't invest in airport arm

Hyderabad: Singapore's Changi Airport has backed out of a planned investment in the airport subsidiary of the GVK group citing regulatory uncertainty in India. Changi Airports International, a wholly owned subsidiary of the Changi Airports Group, was to invest 2,200 crore in GVK's airport subsidiary for 26% stake.

The Supreme Court's judgement on 2G spectrum also acted like a dampener. "It came like a shocker to us. Everything was working at clockwork precision until the Supreme Court announced its verdict on the 2G spectrum case," said Issac George, chief financial officer of GVK. "Though Changi has not officially written to us, they said more clarity was required on India's regulatory issues before going ahead with the investment."

Several calls made to Changi airport remained unanswered.

This is one of the first instances of a major foreign investor fleeing India on the back of regulatory uncertainty.

21/04/12 Deepika Amirapu/Economic Times

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Bell Helicopter Opens New Facility in India

New Delhi: Bell Helicopter, a Textron Inc. company, announced Apr. 19 it has opened a new office in New Delhi for all of its operations in India.

"Bell Helicopter is investing in India. We believe there are tremendous growth opportunities in terms of sales and manufacturing. This is an important day for Bell Helicopter as we celebrate our continued commitment and partnership with our customers in India," said John L. Garrison, President & CEO, Bell Helicopter.

Bell Helicopter has had a presence in India for nearly 20 years, opening a liaison office in 1995. There are currently more than 100 Bell aircraft operating throughout India.

"We have a strong history of supporting our customers in India," Garrison said. "And, we are committed to supporting them and their missions. We are honored to be part of the important work they do each and every day."

Currently, there are two Bell Helicopter Customer Service Facilities in the region. Deccan Aviation, located in Bangalore, and Air Works, located in Mumbai. Bell Helicopter also has full-time Customer Service representation.

20/04/12 Defence Professionals

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Spicejet approached by Gulf-based and Southeast Asian airlines

Dubai: Spicejet has been approached by several Gulf-based and Southeast Asian airlines but will not jump into negotiations before the government reaches a crucial decision on foreign investment, its chief executive said on Wednesday.

"We have been approached by several Gulf and Southeast Asian airlines, all on a tentative basis," Neil Mills, the loss-making budget carrier's chief executive, told Reuters.

India allows up to 49 percent foreign investment in Indian carriers but bars foreign carriers from picking up stakes. But with most carriers suffering losses, the government is now mulling allowing foreign airlines to invest directly.

India's cabinet is expected to make a decision on Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) rules this week.

19/04/12 Reuters/Economic Times

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Go Air in talks with European carriers for maintenance work

Chennai: With its fleet size set to expand, low cost carrier Go Airlines is in talks with two European carriers for an aircraft maintenance and spare parts agreement, a top company official said Thursday.

The airline, which would begin operations from Chennai from May 1 as part of a strategy to strengthen the existing network, wants the government to relax the norms of Indian carrriers flying overseas.

"We are in talks with two European carriers for aircraft maintenance and spare parts agreement. The talks are on and the deal is yet to be finalised," Chief Executive Giorgio De Roni told reporters here.

Currently, the aircraft maintenance is done in-house. "With our fleet size increasing it is better to have a maintenance agreement with another carrier so that costs come down. The minor maintenance activities will be carried out here and for major overhaul the aircraft would be flown abroad," Kamal Kikani, vice president, customer service and airports, told IANS.

19/04/12 Economic Times

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Govt reduces operation timeframe of foreign-registered planes from 6 months to 60 days

Now, it will be difficult for high-flying corporate honchos to evade duties on their private jets using loopholes in customs rules. The government, through a notification, has reduced the timeframe for a foreign registered private aircraft to operate in India from six months to 60 days.

Earlier, corporate houses used this loophole in the rule. They would register their private jets abroad through their subsidiaries and operate them back home, while evading customs duties in crores of rupees.

Last year, the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) had launched investigations against over a dozen corporate houses for allegedly evading duties. The UB Group's Boeing 727, DS Constructions' Embraer 135, Alchemist Group's , Taj Group's , Sandesara Group's and Punj Lloyd's Gulfstream jets, Essar's Boeing 737 and Hawker Pacific 850 Exp and Bharat Hotel's Embraer Legacy 600 are some of the aircraft that are under scrutiny.

While most of the companies under probe said they have been complying with existing rules, the DRI fined Bharat Hotels Rs 16 crore as cumulative of taxes and penalty . Sources said the company has paid the amount.

DRI alleged that the company imported its aircraft in 2009 and had been operating it in India without paying duties by seeking extensions of stay after every 15 days.

18/04/12 Economic Times

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Implementation of $1 bn ECB by aviation cos likely next week

New Delhi: The Budget proposal to allow aviation sector to raise up to $1 billion through external commercial borrowing (ECB) route for capital requirements is likely to be implemented next week.

"Next week ...[probably on] April 26," Joint Secretary in Finance Ministry, Thomas Mathew, told reporters when asked about the timeline for implementation of the ECB proposal.

However, the ECB window to the civil aviation sector would be available for one year only.

The policy decision is likely to help cash-strapped private carriers, like Kingfisher to raise working capital from abroad.

So far, airlines were allowed to raise foreign capital only for import of capital equipment like aircraft.

In the Budget for 2012-13, Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee had proposed to permit up to $1 billion ECB for working capital requirements of the airline industry.

The ECB route for the sector is being considered at a time when the government is actively considering a proposal to allow foreign airlines to buy up to 49% equity of domestic carrier.

The Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion (DIPP) has moved a Cabinet note in this regard.

18/04/12 Press Trust of India/Business Standard

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INS Vikramaditya air wing to be tested in June

The sea trial of INS Vikramaditya (formerly the Russian aircraft carrier Admiral Gorshkov), which is being modernised in Severodvinsk, is scheduled to start in late May and will include MiG-29K naval fighter landing tests and checks of the aircraft systems. During the first three weeks, specialists will focus primarily on running trials, while the aircraft systems will be tested in June and July.

It is planned to check all of INS Vikramaditya’s aircraft systems, which will include landing tests of the MiG-29K fighters and Ka-31 and Ka-27 naval helicopters on the flight deck. In April, aviation fuel systems will be washed, and aircraft fuel will be delivered to the ship. Right now, radar stations and navigation systems are being set up, non-slip coating is being applied to the deck, and the bow and stern aircraft lifts are being tested. Representatives of Russian Aircraft Corporation (RAC) MiG have been invited to observe test flights on the air carrier.

19/04/12 Voyenno-promishlenny vestnik (Military-industrial courier)/Russia & India Report

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Emirates airline to drag Kingfisher out of trouble?

Dubai: Dubai-based Emirates airline has indicated that it may look at investing in an Indian carrier, as India's government is mulling to allow foreign airlines to buy stakes in domestic carriers.

"The airline is open to looking at anything that helps its business and is at the right price," said Chairman and CEO of Emirates airline Shaikh Ahmad bin Saeed Al Maktoum.

He said, however, nothing is happening for the moment.

On whether the airline would consider investing in an Indian carrier such as Kingfisher Airlines, the Gulf News quoted him as saying, "Talking about the business, there are many other companies like that around the world which we could look at, but don't expect us to buy everything."

The airline has been trying to gain additional flying rights in India.

18/04/12 Zee News

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Delhi, Sydney airports sign MoU

Delhi Airport has signed an MoU with Sydney Airport aimed at collaborating with each other to strengthen avitation services between India and Australia. The MoU, signed about two months ago, explores opportunities for direct flights between the two countries, a DIAL official said. The collaboration with Sydney Airport, which is one of the world’s best airports, would be on sharing of operational expertise and further extension of Sydney Airport’s growing network of strategic partners, the official said. “Sydney and Delhi are the largest markets for Australia- India air traffic in their respective countries and both cities are the gateway to their respective countries.

Working together with Delhi Airport makes sense in terms of achieving our common objectives of growing this market,” said Kerrie Mather, chief executive officer of Sydney Airport. She said, the Australia-India market was the single largest market not served by direct services. “Delhi has a population of more than 22 million and there is strong travel between the countries for business, leisure, education and visiting friends and relatives. “With a large Indian community in Sydney and growing demand for inbound travel, India is a key emerging market for tourism, as well as business travel.

18/04/12 Day & Night News

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Man acquitted in Air India trial wants government to pay trial costs

Vancouver: A man acquitted in the Air India bombings has repaid the British Columbia government $6.3 million in legal costs and now he wants it back.

Ripudaman Singh Malik is arguing he should be granted an appeal of the judgment that required him to hand over the money the government paid to cover his 2003 and 2004 trial costs. A court hearing is scheduled on the matter next week.

Malik also sued the B.C. and federal governments for malicious prosecution and violation of his charter rights but has discontinued that application.

On Tuesday, a lawyer for the millionaire businessman told the B.C. Court of Appeal that the Appeal Court judge made errors in fact when deciding Malik must pay back the legal fees.

17/04/12 Camille Bains/The Canadian Press/Winnipeg Free Press

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Air India awaits ruling for payouts

Dubai: Air India will wait to hear a verdict by the country's supreme court before deciding if relatives of those killed in the Mangalore crash will be compensated according to the Montreal Convention, its new chief says.

The airline's chairman and managing director, Rohit Nandan, said the government-owned carrier would only pay Montreal Convention compensation amounts if the court ruled in favour of the relatives this year.

"Whatever is decided by the Supreme Court, we will abide by it," Mr Nandan said at a gathering of Indian expatriates, travel agents and aviation authorities in Dubai on Monday evening.

"We will honour the decision happily," he said, adding the payout expense would be borne by the carrier's insurance companies.

The Montreal Convention requires airlines to pay compensation to families of 100,000 Special Drawing Rights (SDR) for each passenger. SDR is a mixture of currency values established by the International Monetary Fund – equal to 7.5 million rupees (Dh535,295).

The chairman's comments come a week after 10 families in the UAE said they intended to file suits against Air India by the end of next month for compensation under the Montreal Convention before its two-year statute of limitation ends.

16/04/12 Preeti Kannan/The National

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Bahrain Air to resume flights on Friday

Thiruvananthapuram: Bahrain Air that was forced to suspend flight operations from Bahrain to Thiruvananthapuram International Airport here for the past three weeks over the traffic rights on the Bahrain-Thiruvananthapuram-Bahrain sector will resume operations from Friday.

The decision to commence the flights comes in the wake of the mandatory clearance given by the Director General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) to the low-fare premium privately owned national carrier of Bahrain to operate flights. Airline sources said the services would resume on April 20 and that flights would be operated as per schedule on Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

The stalemate was resolved following talks held among the Civil Aviation Affairs Authority; Embassy of Bahrain in India; Indian Embassy; and the Bahrain Air authorities in New Delhi earlier this month. The airline had delayed the commencement of the flight operations on the sector as the authorities concerned had not given written clearance.

18/04/12 S. Anil Radhakrishnan/The Hindu

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5 Afghan nationals held with forged travel documents

New Delhi: Four Afghan nationals have been arrested at Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport for possessing forged Finnish passports and Italian travel documents.

Another Afghan national was also arrested over suspicion of being their carrier, police said on Wednesday.

The accused have been identified as Ali Abasi alias Ahmed Nasir, Rahim Habibi alias Zargham Mohammad, Salehi Reze alias Mohammad Jawad, Hasen Jadeh alias Ahmad Fawad, and Torabi Mustafa.

“They were held from the international transfer departure wing of the airport after they arrived from Kabul-based airline KAM Air late on Monday night,” said R A Sanjeev, deputy commissioner of police (Indira Gandhi International Airport).

18/04/12 Vishnu Sukumaran/Deccan Herald

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Emirates open to India deal

Dubai: Emirates airline said it would look at investing in an Indian carrier as the Indian government moves toward opening up to foreign direct investment.

"Anything that is to do with aviation and helps our business… if it is at the right price we will always look at it, but nothing has been happening," Shaikh Ahmad Bin Saeed Al Maktoum, President of Dubai Civil Aviation and Chairman and chief executive of Emirates airline and Group, told reporters yesterday on the sidelines of an aviation conference in Abu Dhabi.

The Indian government has in principle said it will allow foreign carriers to buy a 49 per cent stake in a local carrier, although final word is still awaited.

17/04/12 Shweta Jain/Gulf News

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Cabinet note moved on FDI in aviation; PM may consult ministers

New Delhi: Before the proposal of allowing foreign airlines to buy stakes in domestic carriers is taken up by the Cabinet, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh is likely to consult senior ministers to build a consensus on the contentious issue, sources said.

"While the final cabinet note has been moved by the Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion (DIPP), the Prime Minister is likely to hold consultations among ministers for Finance, Commerce, and Home Affairs. Besides, he would also consult with Railways Minister Mukul Roy, who is from TMC, a key ally in the UPA government," they said.

It was West Bengal Chief Minister and TMC Chief supremo Mamta Banerjee who had forced the government to put on hold the decision to allow 51 per cent foreign direct investment (FDI) in multi-brand retail.

The commerce and industry ministry had moved a cabinet note to allow foreign carriers pick up equity in their Indian counterparts.

17/04/12 PTI/Asian Age

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Turkey's Celebi bids in Mumbai airport tender

Ankara: Turkey's Celebi Hava Servisi , a ground handling company, said on Tuesday its Indian unit had made a joint bid in consortium with NAS Aviation Services India Private Limited for a tender to build a domestic cargo terminal at Mumbai's international airport.

17/04/12 Reuters/Moneycontrol.com

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Near mishap for private jet

Pilot error led to a private jet aircraft flying as low as 100m over Thimphu city on Saturday.

The aircraft, a twin engine Hawker 800 business jet, was en route to Paro airport, but had made a wrong turn at a waypoint or location determined by latitude/longitude, or physical geography, in this case, Chuzom.

The aircraft, instead of turning into Paro valley, turned towards Thimphu and, as it approached the city, it prepared to land. The air traffic control (ATC) tower at Paro airport even cleared the aircraft to land, not knowing it was headed in the wrong direction.

Several surprised Thimphu residents noticed that the aircraft’s wheels had been lowered and its flaps extended, as it flew low over the city.

It was around this time that ATC at Paro airport became aware of the problem. The aircraft should have been in visual range of the tower within 3-5 minutes after last contact at Chuzom waypoint. Additionally, information had also reached ATC that an aircraft was flying over Thimphu city.

ATC then contacted the pilot, who informed ATC that he was now heading for Takti, a waypoint prior to Chuzom.

ATC, along with the department of civil aviation (DCA), realising the pilot had got confused and lost, then cancelled the flight, and told the pilot to divert to Bagdogra airport in India.

Indian air force (IAF) squadron commander at Paro airport attributed the incident to “error of judgement” by the captain of the aircraft. The IAF squadron commander said that such an incident should not have occurred, given the information and navigational instruments at the pilot’s disposal.

The private jet aircraft had been chartered by Jai Prakash, and had four passengers on board.

17/04/12 Kunsel Online

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Shah Rukh Khan detention: US informs India of new security protocol for VIPs

New Delhi: The US on Tuesday informed the Indian Ministry of External Affairs that it had put in place a security protocol for visiting VIPs who were mistakenly detained at its airports.

The move comes after India raised a huge furore over the detention of Bollywood actor Shah Rukh Khan at a New York airport for over two hours last week.

The US informed the MEA that a person mistakenly detained could access certain numbers in the US Homeland Security Department and get released.

17/04/12 CNN-IBN/IBN Live

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Bombardier inaugurates engineering service office in Bangalore

Today, at a special ribbon-cutting ceremony, Bombardier Aerospace announced the official inauguration of its Engineering Service Office located in Bangalore, India. The Bombardier Engineering Service Office began operation in December 2011 and currently employs approximately 20 people.

The new Engineering Service Office, which will house approximately 50 aerospace engineers by the end of 2013, will support Bombardier Aerospace’s in-production and in-development aircraft programs by providing assistance to both the company and the more than 400 engineers at its partners’ offices in the areas of complex engineering structure design, advanced stress analysis and project management services.

“Bombardier Aerospace is a truly global company with customers, partners and suppliers the world over, and it is essential to the success of our business that we grow our presence in the international markets,” said Jean Séguin, Vice President, Quality, Achieving Excellence System, Engineering and Manufacturing, Bombardier Aerospace. “This group of highly skilled engineers will support projects related to our in-development and current aircraft programs while strengthening our already successful relationships with our partners at Mahindra-Satyam, Tata Consultancy Services and Capgemini. This continued investment in the region will allow us to take advantage of local expertise in a market that is becoming increasingly important to Bombardier.”

17/04/12 Aviation.ca

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Haj committee seeks clarity on air fare subsidy

Kozhikode: The Kerala State Haj Committee has sought more clarity from the Centre on the allocation of Haj subsidies as part of the Haj Policy 2012.

It also welcomed the Centre's move to give more people the chance to go to Haj by limiting the government subsidy to once in a lifetime.

"According to Islam every Muslim is expected to perform Hajj once in a lifetime. So it is perfectly fine to limit government subsidy to just once. The decision to give priority to those who are in the 70-plus age category and restrictions on official Haj delegations are also welcome," said committee chairman P T A Rahim said.

He however said the exact allocation of Haj subsidy remains unclear.

17/04/12 Times of India

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Rights body urges compensation for widower in airport death case

Hyderabad: The chief minister's office has been urged to release an ex gratia amount of Rs 5 lakh to Imamsaab Lomada, a labourer from Papepally village in Chittoor, whose wife died in Muscat in 2010. Nearly a year and a half after the death of his wife Beebi Lomada at Muscat airport, widower Imamsaab is still awaiting compensation for his family's loss.

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Beebi, who had gone to Muscat to work as a housemaid, died of cardiac arrest allegedly due to starvation on October 8, 2010 at the Muscat airport. After she lost her passport in transit while boarding a flight to Chennai, she was stranded at the airport for five days as her employer had cancelled her visa.

Imamsaab blamed the Qatar Airways, the Muscat airport authorities and the Indian embassy officials there for the fate his wife suffered and claimed that the government of AP and Muscat had promised him monetary compensation after his wife passed away, but he has not received any money till date.

16/04/12 Times of India

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Solution for SRK in well-kept Delhi secret

Washington: “Why don’t you give Shah Rukh Khan a diplomatic passport?” an American diplomat who met an Indian official socially during the weekend asked as their conversation inevitably veered towards the actor’s inconvenience at White Plains airport in New York on Thursday. “That will solve the problem for us the next time he travels to the United States.”

The Indian official was a little offended because he thought the American was being his usual smart Alec, but the latter insisted he was serious. “After all, you have given Ratan Tata a diplomatic passport. He always travels with the red passport,” the American continued.

As it happened, the Indian did not know that Tata had been given a diplomatic passport by New Delhi. This official had been away continuously on foreign postings for more than a decade and had not kept close track of such developments back home.

The American told him that he had once travelled first class with the industrialist, he had seen Tata’s diplomatic passport and when they both alighted at New York, Tata went to the special immigration enclosure for diplomatic passport-holders .

When S.M. Krishna became external affairs minister in May 2009, one of his earliest discretionary decisions was to issue a diplomatic passport to Tata, recognising his emergence as a global investor and industrialist who has to travel extensively worldwide, some of those trips on behalf of the government or representing his country.

15/04/12 KP Nayar/The Telegraph

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India’s Environment Minister Links EU Aviation Scheme to UN Climate Talks

The EU’s controversial decision to include aviation under the bloc’s emissions trading scheme (ETS) has been dubbed a “deal breaker” for global climate talks by India’s environment minister, Jayanthi Natarajan. While the minister is India’s lead negotitor at the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) talks, it is not clear if her comments reflect official government policy.

Several countries - including EU member-state France - have expressed concern over the new aviation rule in the EU’s ETS, with India and China leading international resistance by forbidding their airlines from complying with the new standards. The Asian manufacturing giants say the aviation scheme overreaches Brussels’ jurisdiction and represents a unilateral trade levy disguised as an attempt to fight climate change.

While international criticism has been growing steadily since late last year, Natarajan’s comments are the first public comments from a major official to suggest the scheme could influence negotiations at global climate talks.

“I shall stick my neck out and say, for the environment ministry, yes the unilateral measure by the EU… is a deal breaker for the talks,” Natarajan said at a meeting hosted by the Energy Resources Institute (TERI) in New Delhi. “I strongly believe that as far as climate change discussions are concerned, this is unacceptable.”

16/04/12 International Centre for Trade and Sustainable Development

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Bahrain Air stops services to Thiruvananthapuram

New Delhi/Dubai: Bahrain Air, which had suspended its flights between Thiruvananthapuram days after launching them, can now resume these services with the aviation regulator DGCA granting it the required clearances. The airline had launched flights, four each week on March 16, but suspended them on March 26 due to the delay in getting operating clearances and permits. When contacted, DGCA chief E K Bharat Bhushan told PTI that the problem has now been resolved. The airline's chief executive Richard Nuttall had earlier told a newspaper in Dubai that "the delay is happening as a number of people are involved in signing the documents. We are in touch with authorities through phones and e-mails, but we are optimistic and awaiting a positive response from the Indian civil aviation authorities."

15/04/12 IBN Live

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Jet pilot in dock for botched landing

New Delhi: The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has suspended a Jet Airways pilot for a goofed-up landing at Singapore airport in November last year that could have resulted in a disaster similar to the Mangalore air crash of 2010.

The incident occurred on November 14, 2011, when the pilot, captain R Chaudhary, of the Delhi-Singapore flight was bringing down the aircraft on the Singapore runway during rush hour despite his not having landing clearance.

The aircraft, Airbus-330, with over 200 passengers on board had to go-around just 70 feet over the runway throwing Changi International Airport authority into a major tizzy.

An initial probe revealed the pilot claimed that the "go-around" was done as he was feeling uncomfortable and led to the revelation that there was no landing clearance.

The probe has also pointed to an "unstable approach" during landing which is deemed unsafe. Captain Chaudhury is also a check pilot and the DGCA has cancelled his certification. It may be recalled the investigation report into the Mangalore crash concluded that the pilot carried on with an "unstable approach" or imprudent approach, even ignoring his co-pilot's pleas, and this led to the crash. Shockingly it has also come to light that the pilot failed to inform the airline about the incident.

15/04/12 Yogesh Kumar/Times of India

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FDI in aviation may get limited response

New Delhi: Even if the government allows foreign direct investment (FDI) in aviation, there’s unlikely to be a deluge.

‘’The whole thing has been blown out of proportion. Not more than three to five foreign airlines will be keen on picking up stakes in Indian carriers,’’ says a Mumbai-based investment banker, who has worked on multiple airline deals in India.

The government is planning to allow foreign carriers to own up to 49 per cent equity in Indian carriers. A decision was deferred today to next week, for more discussion.

Foreign airlines which could be interested in taking stakes in Indian carriers are Etihad, Qatar Airways, British Airways (BA) and Singapore Airlines (SIA). This is based on their investment record and known intention to invest in the Indian market.

Etihad has taken 29 per cent stake in Europe’s third-largest budget carrier, Air Berlin. Qatar Airways has bought 35 per cent in a Luxembourg-based cargo airline, Cargolux International. Both Qatar and Etihad like to take minority stake in airlines where a good management is in place. They both have huge capacity induction plans and don’t want to spare management resources to run another airline.

Among European carriers, BA would be the most keen to buy into an Indian carrier, given its interest in India and the growth in West-bound traffic from here. With Kingfisher Airlines’ entry into the Oneworld Alliance uncertain, BA would like to protect its turf by entering into a strategic alliance with another Indian carrier.

15/04/12 Ranju Sarkar/Business Standard

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Remove FDI cap in civil aviation: Panel

New Delhi: The Estimates Committee of Parliament has recommended removing the cap in Foreign Direct Investment in the civil aviation sector.

A report of the committee on the sector, adopted in the last meeting, noted that such a cap is limiting the growth of aviation sector in India. Though adopted in the panel, the report is yet to be tabled in Parliament.

The committee in a detailed report on the “development and regulation of civil aviation” said the benefits of opening up the passenger airlines sector for investment by foreign airline companies are manifold.

“Apart from addressing the shortage of funds, this would help raise the level of services for the consumers and promote healthy competition,” the report said adding that FDI cannot be the “sole solution” to the Indian aviation sector's debt problems.

The report, prepared by the Estimates committee headed by Mr Francisco Sardinha, noted that the national carrier Air India and many private airlines are running on loss.

15/04/12 AM Jigeesh/Business Line

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160 passengers left stranded at Bangalore airport by Malaysia Airlines flight

Bangalore: Around 160 passengers were left stranded on Sunday at the city International airport after the Malaysia Airlines flight returned after almost making a landing at Kuala Lumpur.

The passengers of the flight waited for almost 3 hours without any information about the cause of the delay. The passengers were finally taken to a nearby hotel to be accommodated on another flight at about 7 pm on Sunday.

According to the Malaysia Airlines, the flight couldn’t land in Kuala Lumpur due to technical reasons and landing restrictions.

15/04/12 Daily Bhaskar

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Air India's Boeing 787 Dreamliners to be inducted in May

New Delhi: The first of the twenty-seven Boeing 787 Dreamliners ordered by Air India would be inducted in late May, as over 30 pilots are set to begin training to fly the new aircraft in Singapore.

The first Dreamliner is likely to be inducted in the second or third week of May, Air India sources said. It would be the same aircraft, carrying the Air India ensign and livery that was displayed at the Hyderabad Air-show in March.

Considered to be a "game-changer" for the ailing national carrier, the light-weight, long-haul aircraft made of composite materials like carbon fibre, is portrayed as very fuel-efficient which would help slash costs significantly.

The long-distance capability of the Boeing 787 aircraft would allow Air India to profitably operate non-stop flights to many distant cities like those in Australia and Africa besides the Americas, the sources said.

"A Dreamliner is ready in Seattle. We had brought it to Hyderabad (for the air-show) to showcase it. The government and Air India will have to decide when to take it," Vice President of Boeing International Trading Dinesh Keskar, told PTI here.

15/04/12 PTI/Economic Times

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Govt to continue with Haj subsidy

New Delhi: In an important decision, the government has decided to go ahead with the annual Haj subsidy in 2012 as well. It has decided to go ahead with the subsidy despite demands from certain quarters, including some Muslim groups, that this subsidy be done away with as it is “unislamic”. However, the government has decided to restrict it to “only once in a pilgrim’s lifetime” as against the existing once in five years.

Union minister of external affairs S.M. Krishna had recently stated that the Centre was having “second thoughts” on continuing Haj subsidy. However, the government has now made its stand clear on the issue in its new Haj policy for the year 2012, filed as part of an affidavit in the Supreme Court on Friday (a copy is with this newspaper).

“This is a major change introduced for the first time. Restrict the number of pilgrimages to a Haj applicant through Haj Committee of India(HCOI) to once in a lifetime as against the existing once in five years. This will ensure that a Haji will benefit from GOI subsidy only once in his/her lifetime,” the affidavit stated.

15/04/12 Thufail P.T/Deccan Chronicle

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India asks US to avoid SRK-type incidents

Washington: After the outrage in India over the detention of Bollywood star Shah Rukh Khan at a US airport, New Delhi has asked Washington to take steps to avoid such incidents in the future.

To "convey the deep concern that has been expressed nation wide in India" over Khan`s detention at White Plains airport near New York Thursday, the Indian Embassy here said it has taken up the matter with the US Department of State.

It has also "sought the State Department`s intervention to institute appropriate measures to avoid recurrence of such an incident in the future", it said in a press note Saturday.

According to the embassy`s version of the incident, about half an hour after the arrival of "the internationally renowned Indian film star" by a private jet at White Plains airport Thursday afternoon, the Indian consulate in New York received information that he had not been cleared by the US Customs and Border Protection (USCBP).

"The Consulate General immediately intervened with the concerned authorities for his early clearance, which was done within 75 minutes of his arrival," it said.

15/04/12 Zee News

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Emirates Airline in talks for additional India rights

Dubai’s Emirates Airline is in talks to increase its bilateral rights with India as it looks grow its network of routes across the subcontinent, a senior executive at the carrier said.

The world’s largest airline by traffic, which has already said it would be open to investments in India, said it wants to increase its frequency on existing routes, but denied any plans to invest in struggling Kingfisher Airlines.

“Emirates will look at any opportunity that makes sense commercially. We are optimistic of FDI being allowed in the sector,” Majid Al Mualla, Emirates’ senior vice president for commercial operations, Indian Ocean, told The Times of India.

15/04/12 Arabian Supply Chain

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Two Indian women jailed for theft at Dubai duty free shop

Dubai Two women are serving four months in jail on charges of shoplifting from the Dubai Duty Free while they were on their way to visit holy sites in Iraq.

Police said that two Indian women were arrested three months ago by the police at Dubai Duty Free after being accused of stealing items worth Dh5,000 from a Duty Free store at the Dubai International Airport.

According to police, the women will be deported after completing their jail term.

Police said the women were from Bengaluru in India and were on their way to Karbala in Iraq. The duo told police they were among 15 other Indian visitors heading to Iraq.

The women visited the duty free shop during a stop over to get connecting flight.

The women, who are in their early 40s, said that they bought chocolates and hand bags worth Dh5,000 from the duty free store and went to the cashier to pay for the purchase.

15/04/12 Bassma Al Jandaly/Gulf News.com

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Finnish national allegedly commits suicide at airport parking

New Delh: A 27-year-old Finnish national allegedly jumped to death from the sixth floor of Delhi airport's multi-level parking this afternoon The deceased has been identified as Arette Karlella and the incident took place at around 1:30 PM, police said. The reason for taking the extreme step was not known as he did not leave any suicide note. A personal diary was recovered from him.

15/04/12 PTI/IBN Live

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India ups ante in aviation emissions trade war

The international row over the EU's decision to include aviation emissions in its cap-and-trade scheme escalated further this week, after senior Indian officials warned that the bloc's stance could undermine international climate change negotiations.

The EU has repeatedly rejected calls from other countries, such as India, China, the US and Russia, urging it to shelve the controversial plans. The bloc maintains it will only reverse legislation requiring airlines to hold tradeable carbon allowances to cover their emissions if the UN's International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) makes good on long-standing commitments to deliver a global mechanism for curbing emissions from the aviation industry.

However, governments opposed to the EU's position met earlier this year to discuss retaliatory "countermeasures", including new levies on European airlines, while a number of countries have signaled they could order their airlines to defy the EU's rules.

The row intensified further this week, after India's environment minister, Jayanthi Natarajan, signaled that the stand-off could spill over into the ongoing international climate change negotiations.

News agency Reuters quoted Natarajan as saying the EU's emissions levy represented a "deal-breaker" for the UN climate talks, which will continue in Qatar at the end of this year.

"For the environment ministry, for me, it is a deal-breaker because you simply cannot bring this into climate change discourse and disguise unilateral trade measures under climate change," Natarajan said. "I strongly believe that, as far as climate change discussions are concerned, this is unacceptable."

13/04/12 Business Greeen

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Shah Rukh Khan detained for two hours at a New York airport

New York: Bollywood actor Shahrukh Khan, who arrived here to visit the Yale University, was detained for over two hours at a New York airport.

Before addressing the students at the Yale University, which is three hours from New York, Khan said, he was "detained" at the airport "as always happens".

Khan, who has been named a Chubb Fellow, was accompanied by Neeta Ambani and they were understood to have arrived in a private plane at the New York's White Plain airport.

Ambani's daughter is a student of Yale University. Sources told PTI, while everybody else were cleared by the immigration immediately, Khan was stopped for over two hours before being cleared by the immigration officials.

13/04/12 Times of India

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Airlines may import fuel jointly

Aviation companies plan to join hands for importing aviation turbine fuel in a bid to bring down their fuel bills.

A person close to the development said SpiceJet, Air India and Kingfisher Airlines , which had already expressed interests in importing ATF directly, were considering the consortium route to further bring down their costs.

While these airlines plan to import the fuel individually, they may partner in bringing it to India in tankers.

"It'll be more economical to transport the fuel in bulk, rather than in smaller quantities ordered by each airline.

"Oil marketing companies have suggested the airlines to jointly charter ships to save on importing.

"However, we are yet to discuss this and select a service provider who will assist us in ATF import, storage, transport and supply," said an AI executive.

The ailing state-run carrier hopes to save about Rs 300 crore (Rs 3 billion) from direct import of ATF.

The airlines have approached Reliance Industries Ltd to act as a facilitator, after OMCs IndianOil, Bharat Petroleum and Hindustan Petroleum declined to import ATF for them.

12/04/12 Rediff.com

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Decision on aviation FDI deferred for next cabinet meet

New Delhi: A key decision on foreign carriers picking up stake in domestic airlines was deferred Thursday at a meeting of the cabinet presided over by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.

"The matter has been deferred. It will come up in the next cabinet meet," Civil Aviation Minister Ajit Singh told reporters here.

Ajit Singh, who was among those present at the meeting, said foreign direct investment (FDI) by foreign carriers will have to go through the government's approval route if and when a decision is taken on the matter.

"The FDI has to abide by the rules which have been set where two-thirds of the board members should be Indian. The management has to be Indianised," Singh said.

12/04/12 IANS/News Track India

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Jet Airways eyes more internatioanl routes; expediates hiring of pilots

India's largest carrier by market share, Jet Airways is looking at expanding its international operations in a big way. The airline wants to start flying on the Manila & Kuala Lumpur routes a part form increasing flights to Europe & Gulf countries according to two sources familiar with the details.

In line with this strategy, the airline is also on a pilot hiring spree. The airline has hired nearly 20 pilots in the last few weeks and is still in the process of hiring more. It will also be aircraft fleet once these approvals come through.

'The airline will induct 10 to 12 aircraft once the ministry gives them approvals' said a source who did not want to be named.

International operations contribute nearly 60% to Jet Airways' revenues. With the civil aviation ministry ending Air India's monopoly over bilateral traffic rights, allowing all Indian carriers to utilize these, Jet Airways has also sought government permission to expand its international services to 518 flights per week from 370 at present by winter of 2012.

12/04/12 Sameer Hashmi/Economic Times

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Thai Airways launches Boeing 747 freighter service in India

Hyderabad: Thai Airways introduced its first Boeing 747 freighter service in India from Hyderabad on Thursday. It will deploy its second freighter from next month connecting Chennai to various European destinations.

Its first Boeing freighter, with a capacity of 100 tonnes, touched down in Hyderabad from Bangkok en route to Frankfurt. It will initially be a weekly service, with the airline having plans to increase frequency depending on demand.

The second freighter will connect Bangkok-Chennai-Amsterdam, facilitating air shipment of cargo to over 30 European destinations from Chennai. The airlines' strategy will be to consolidate various cargoes such as pharma products, electronic components, fresh fruits, flowers and textile from different regions across India at Hyderabad and Chennai airports for onward movement to Europe.

In addition, the airline may deploy chartered freighters and use additional belly space in its passenger flights to carry cargo from Hyderabad, Chennai and Delhi as demand picks up.

12/04/12 Business Line

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Garuda direct flight to Jakarta from Mumbai, Chennai by mid-2012

New Delhi/ Chandigarh: Indonesian national airline Garuda plans to start direct flight between Jakarta to Mumbai and Chennai by middle of this year, thus reviving its India service after more than a decade, according to Lt. General (retired) Andi M Ghalib, the Southeast Asian nationa’s ambassador to India.

Currently, passengers to Indonesia have to fly via Singapore or Malaysia. The proposed service would strengthen trade and tourism ties between the two countries, Ghalib said. “Later on, Garuda will also start direct flights from Delhi and Kolkata,” he told Business Standard.

Ghalib was in the city to meet the chief ministers of Punjab and Haryana, besides businessmen from the two states. Garuda used to operate a Mumbai-Jakarta service till the late 1990s, when economic crisis forced the airline to cut its India service.

Elaborating on the future moves, Indonesian consul Leonard F Hutabarat said his country had two years ago received India’s approval to start the service. “The Indian aviation ministry had cleared it in 2010, but we couldn’t start operations due to non-availability of aircraft,” he recalled. “Now, we have received new aircraft. We are likely to deploy Airbus-320 for the direct flights.”

13/04/12 Vijay C Roy/Business Standard

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More international flights likely from RGIA

Hyderabad: More international flights are expected to be operated from Rajiv Gandhi International Airport (RGIA) from the winter schedule this year with some of the foreign carriers planning to include Hyderabad on their global route map.

CEO, GMR Hyderabad International Airports Ltd., Vikram Jaisinghani, said that discussions were underway with quite a few airlines, including Turkish Airlines. Currently 11 international carriers are flying passengers from Hyderabad to 15 destinations.

He was talking to reporters here on Thursday on the occasion of Thai Airways commencing cargo freighter service from RGIA. Mr. Jaisignhani said the RGIA handled 8.6 million passengers, registering a 16 per cent passenger growth last fiscal.

13/04/12 The Hindu

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Dubai passenger alleges fraud by IndiGo over cancellation without prior notice

Dubai: A Dubai-based passenger is alleging fraud against Indian airline IndiGo after his online bookings for two flights were cancelled for what he slammed as dodgy reasons.

P. Sharma had bought two IndiGo tickets for his mother and daughter on March 6 with his credit card issued by a Dubai bank.

The purchase for 16,000 rupees was marked "confirmed" in the flight tickets from Delhi to Chennai that were dated April 5, 2012.

But his mother and daughter were told during check-in that their tickets had been cancelled, and Sharma received a cancellation notice on February 7 in his spam e-mail. In the instant case, we note that the credit card holder is not a travelling passenger and/or part of the party travelling. In light of the above, we are unable to honour the booking and as such, the reservation is released and refund is being processed to the credit card which was used by you to make the said booking. You will receive your refund shortly," the statement said.

12/04/12 News Track India

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Bahrain Air’s flight row likely to end soon

Manama: Bahrain Air flights to India could resume by Thursday after five trips were cancelled due to a dispute over contract renewal, said a top official.

The flights between Bahrain and Trivandrum from April 4 to 8 were called off because the airline could not get written approvals from the Indian Ministry of Civil Aviation after its contract expired on March 24.

The carrier hopes to resolve the dispute before the end of the week to resume services on its newly-launched route.

"We are still waiting for a confirmation from the Indian authorities," said airline chief executive officer Richard Nuttall. "Every indication shows we should get the much-awaited permission letter soon, but we are not sure why it's being delayed. We keep receiving calls from them asking if we have received the letter, but we regret to inform our valued customers that we haven't got it yet.”

10/04/12 Trade Arabia

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First flight imminent for GippsAero GA10

Washington DC: GippsAero says first flight of its Rolls-Royce-powered GA10 single-engined 10-seat turboprop will occur "in a month or so", followed by first flight of the twin-engined, 18-seat GA18. Both aircraft are powered by the Rolls-Royce M250 B17F-2 engine.

The GA10 is a stretched version of the company's piston-powered GA8 Airvan, while the G18 is an updated version of the Australian government's N24 Nomad, a twin-engined high-wing turboprop design for which GippsAero obtained type certification in 2008. Australia-based GippsAero is an operating unit of India's Mahindra Aerospace.

The company plans to obtain Australian certification for the GA10 next year, followed by US Federal Aviation Administration certification thereafter. The company expects to finish the GA18 and begin deliveries in 2014.

In late 2009, Mahindra invested $20 million in GippsAero product development, leading to the new certification efforts, as well as work on a five-seat single-engined turboprop aircraft, the NM5, designed jointly by Mahindra and India's National Aerospace Laboratories and now at GippsAero facilities in Australia

10/04/12 John Croft/Flight Global

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Air India crash victims' families to seek compensation

Dubai: At least 10 Indian families based in the UAE are planning to seek compensation from Air India over the Mangalore plane crash that left 158 people dead in 2010.

They are preparing to file a case within two weeks as they will lose their legal right for compensation by the end of next month, The National newspaper reported.

The announcement to this effect comes ahead of the second anniversary of the accident.

The Mangalore Air Crash Victims' Association has urged families to file claims without delay since the Montreal Convention sets a two-year time limit for any claim.

"We will be filing the papers soon. No money will compensate what we have suffered and what we imagined for our future with our family," said Santosh Rai, an Abu Dhabi resident who lost his wife, 10-year-old son and nine-month-old daughter in the accident.

10/04/12 PTI/Economic Times

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Taiwan president makes surprise stopover in Mumbai

Mumbai: Taiwan President Ma Ying-jeou's plane on Sunday made a surprise stopover at Mumbai International Airport en-route to Africa.

"The stopover was for refuelling and the president took rest in the VIP lounge for an hour," Naichi Hu, spokesperson for Taiwan liaison office in Delhi, said.

The Mumbai Air Traffic Controller (ATC) was informed just about an hour before the plane's landing early this morning."The ATC was alerted at around 4.00 AM that a VVIP flight will be landing in the city," the airport official said.

He said that the aircraft landed at around 5.15 AM and left at 7.20am.

Taiwan's Central News Agency said that the flight was scheduled to stop for refuelling in Dubai but a change to India was announced at the last minute.

Taiwan's foreign ministry spokesman James Chang was quoted as saying that the stopover "is a sign of the improving ties with India."

08/04/12 PTI/Daily News & Analysis

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MOFA denies deceiving public about president's Mumbai stopover

Taipei: The government's decision to withhold information about a plan by President Ma Ying-jeou to make a refueling stopover in the Indian city of Mumbai en route to Africa was based on an agreement with the Indian authorities, Foreign Minister Timothy Yang said Monday, dismissing criticism that it was a case of deliberate deception.

Yang said the step was aimed at building mutual trust with India and ensuring that "nothing unexpected happened."

Ma's plane landed the previous day at Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport in Mumbai for refueling before continuing onward to the African continent for Ma's three-nation state visit to Burkina Faso, The Gambia and Swaziland.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs had previously announced that Ma's plane would stop for refueling in Dubai, but the change to India was found out by the media only at the last minute.

09/04/12 CNA/Focus Taiwan

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Muslim Organisations Call for Scrapping of Haj Subsidy

Several Muslim organisations have announced to back the Centre's proposed move to abolish the subsidy on Haj, provided more facilities are given to pilgrims.

During his Kochi visit on April 2, External Affairs Minister S M Krishna said the government is having "second thoughts" on continuing with the Haj subsidy, as a number of Muslim organisations have demanded its abolition.

A senior member of Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind, Niyaz Farooqi told PTI that pilgrims do not get the benefits of the Haj subsidy provided by the Centre. "The subsidy in only beneficial to a particular airlines, therefore its withdrawal will make no difference."

The government should shift focus on providing better accommodation and food facility to the pilgrims, he said adding, "Despite the subsidy, pilgrims have to pay extra for the trip."

To hire planes for the Haj trips, the Civil Aviation Ministry had approved Rs 870 crore for 2010-11 and Rs 685 crore for 2011-12. For 2012-13, the ministry has proposed an expenditure of Rs 655 crore.

According to Muslim organisations, the rate at which tickets are provided to pilgrims are far higher than the amount being charged by some airlines to reach Saudi Arabia.

08/04/12 PTI/Outlook

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Air India crash families to file compensation suits

Dubai: At least 10 families in the UAE are expected to file for compensation within two weeks over the Dubai-Mangalore plane crash that killed 158 people.

The move comes ahead of the second anniversary of the tragedy.

Family support groups have warned relatives they will lose their legal right for compensation if they do not file a case by the end of next month - within two years of the May 2010 air crash - according to international law.

Many families in the Emirates and India had hoped the matter would be settled in their favour before they had to file compensation suits, but that now appears unlikely.

"We will be filing the papers soon," said Santosh Rai, an Abu Dhabi resident who lost his wife, 10-year-old son and nine-month-old daughter when the Air India Express flight 812 from Dubai overshot the runway in Mangalore and crashed. Only eight people survived.

"No money will compensate what we have suffered and what we imagined for our future with our family. They [Air India] think the more time that passes, people will forget, but it's almost two years and we have not forgotten. We will never forgive Air India."

09/04/12 Preeti Kannan and Ramola Talwar Badam/The National

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Air-India agents awarded

Muscat: Air-India will have robust growth in its passenger services in the region in the coming year, according Abhay Pathak, regional manager of Gulf, Middle East and Africa of Air India.

“We have achieved a large part of merger (of Air-India and Indian Airlines) and are expecting further improvement in all sectors,” Pathak said at the agent award function of Air-India on Saturday.

He said though the aviation industry is passing through a tough time, Air India registered a 20 per cent growth in domestic services last year. The growth in the Gulf, Middle East and Africa was between 10 to 15 per cent. He said a growth of 23 per cent is expected.

Mohit Sen, country manager of Air-India in Oman, attributed the achievements of Air-India to the hard work of its employees and agents. The agent award function is a token appreciation of their efforts, he said.

08/04/12 Oman Tribune

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India To Become Third Largest Aviation Market

New Delhi: India is likely to become the third largest aviation market in the world from its current position as traffic volumes grow exponentially, a top official said.

“The growth of civil aviation is likely to push India from ninth to third position in the world in terms of volume of traffic, necessitating a very strong security system,” said Gurjot Singh Malhi, Commissioner of Security (Civil Aviation), Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS).

He was speaking at an event marking the silver jubilee of the bureau where a commemorative special cover was also issued by the Department of Posts.

“The bureau has endeavoured to help equip stake-holders responsible for the aviation security in the country with cutting edge technology, skill enhancement of security personnel, training in use of advanced technology and acquisition of security equipment,” he said.

According to Malhi, the BCAS had identified key focus areas which included identification of dangerous objects, difficulties in differentiating between harmful and harmless organic objects and detection of liquid aerosol gel to ensure civil aviation security.

07/04/12 Link

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Air India to appoint GSAs in 56 countries

Mumbai: Seeking to expand its ticket sales and distribution network globally, national carrier Air India has decided to appoint general sales agents (GSAs) in as many as 56 countries.

"The airline is in the process of appointing general sales agents in as many as 56 countries," an airline source said.

A GSA is a sales representative for an airline in a specific country or a region responsible for selling tickets and cargo space, apart from providing other services relating to air passenger transportation.

The GSAs would be appointed in these 56 countries across the Asia-Pacific, Gulf and West Asia, Africa, Europe, Australia and Latin America, sources said, adding that strengthening of the distribution network across the globe would help the carrier boost its international sales.

They would have an initial contract for five years, which would be subject to review every year.

08/04/12 Daily News & Analysis

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Bahrain Air scraps India flight after rights mix-up

Bahrain Air, the Gulf state’s second biggest airline, has cancelled flights from Bahrain to Trivandrum for the next five days, having not yet received written approval to fly to the city.

The privately-owned company, which launched services to Trivandrum in the state of Kerala on March 15 this year, was also forced to abandon a flight earlier this week, which left 140 Indian passengers stranded at Bahrain airport.

Travellers booked on the cancelled flights have since been urged to contact their booking agencies or the Bahrain Air call centre for refunds.

“Bahrain Air regrets to inform its valued passengers that flights between Bahrain and Trivandrum on 4,5,6,7 and 8 of April have been cancelled due to not yet receiving written approvals from the Ministry of Civil Aviation of India,” said a statement on the firm’s website.

08/04/12 arabian SUPPLY CHAIN.com

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Uzbekistan Airways mulls flight operations to Mumbai

Mumbai: Aiming to enhance air connectivity between Uzbekistan and India, the Uzbek national carrier is working on launching a couple of flights to Mumbai from the capital city of Tashkent and Samarkand in the next three to four months.

“We are actively considering the introduction of a flight service connecting Tashkent and Samarkand with Mumbai,” Uzbekistan’s honorary consul here, Vijay Kalantri, told PTI.

He said paper work to get regulatory approvals from India for launching of this flight has already been completed and expressed hope that the service would begin by July.

Earlier this week, the country’s ambassador to India, Salikh R Inagamov, had said “the launching of the new flights from Tashkent and Samarkand to Mumbai is on the agenda.” He was speaking at a function to celebrate the 20th anniversary of establishment of diplomatic ties between the two countries.

08/04/12 PTI/The Hindu

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Iinternational flights from Madurai not on cards

Madurai : With uncertainty prevailing over the proposed flight service from Madurai to Colombo by April 14, the dream of the flyers in the southern part of Tamil Nadu to fly to international destinations from the city is likely to get delayed further.

In February, officials of Sri Lankan Airlines and Mihin Lanka Airlines, who had come to Madurai had assured the travel community that efforts are on to commence flight services from Madurai to Colombo by April 14, on the occasion of Tamil New Year's day.

Talking to TOI from Colombo, an official from Sri Lankan Airlines said, "We have already submitted a proposal to our head office in Colombo. The potential of passengers' inflow and outflow, and the complete data about the market are being evaluated by the head office. After the evaluation is over, the flight schedule will be handed over to directorate general of civil aviation. If anything comes out positively, the media will be duly informed before hand."

07/04/12 R Sivaraman/Times of India

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