Jamshedpur: The official announcement of transit flight between Ranchi and Kolkata for the Haji has been made. The aspirants of Haj from Jharkhand will take the Air India flight from Ranhi to Kolkata and then they will depart for Haj. This information was provided to the media by officer of the state Haj Committee Shaukat Ali. He said that the exact date of departure will be announced very soon. The Hajis will have to report at State Haj House before...
Showing posts with label Foreign Aug 2009. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Foreign Aug 2009. Show all posts
Monday, August 31, 2009
A nightmare for couple at Paris airport
New Delhi: Hamhanded French officials at Paris's Charles de Gaulle Airport put a helpless Indian couple through hours of humiliation and bullying before bundling them onto a flight back home.Farmer K.N. Ashok Kumar and his wife Meenakshamma from Karnataka's Hassan district were in transit in Paris, and headed for Finland to meet their son K. A. Darpan Gowda, when they were stopped by the French officials.Over the next 20 hours on the morning of August...
Man wanted by IB off-loaded from flight
Thiruvananthapuram : A 28-year-old youth from Wayanad, Kabeer Sayed, who is a suspected activist of the terror outfit Indian Mujahideen, was off-loaded from a Kuwait Airways flight minutes before take-off to Kuwait from the airport here on Sunday as it was found at the last minute that the Intelligence Bureau (IB) had issued a lookout notice against him three months ago.Airport officials said the youth had been detained and intelligence and security...
SpiceJet appoints Sharaf Travel as GSA in UAE
Sharaf Travel has been appointed as the first General Sales Agency for SpiceJet in UAE with immediate effect.As per an exclusive agreement, Sharaf Travel will promote, advertise and sell SpiceJet tickets to people residing in UAE.Mr. Salah Sharaf, Chairman of Sharaf Travel, said: 'It is an honour for Sharaf Travel to represent Spicejet, here in the region. We are very happy with this partnership and expect to meet the growing demand of travelers...
Sunday, August 30, 2009
Merging fuel surcharge with base fare difficult: Lufthansa
New Delhi: German airlines giant Lufthansa has cited serious difficulties in implementing the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) order asking the airlines to merge the fuel surcharge with the base fare. Lufthansa has said that it is not in accordance with the global norms.“Implementation of the DGCA order will take five to six months. This will be a more complex set up. As the new scheme is not globally accepted it will also be difficult...
Post SRK detention, Salman cancels US trip
New Delhi: Learning lessons from the Shah Rukh Khan episode, Bollywood star Salman Khan has cancelled his upcoming trip to New York to promote his latest movie Wanted.Organisers and promoters associated with the event cited Shah Rukh Khan's detention at Newark Airport early this month, where he was questioned by immigration officials and taken for a second screening, as a major reason for Salman cancelling his New York trip scheduled in early September.The...
Lufthansa promises rich Indian gourmet treat above the clouds
New Delhi: German carrier Lufthansa Saturday unveiled a new in-flight menu to give its first and business class passengers on India route a rich gourmet experience with Indian culinary delights especially crafted by two well-known chefs.Prawn curry masala, Tomato pappu (lentils), khade masale ka paneer (cottage cheese), lal mans (lamb) and Alleppey fish curry are some of the creations of Farman Ali and Surender Mohan, both of them master chefs with...
Pak national arrested with Indian rupees from Nepal airport
Kathmandu: A Pakistani national has been arrested from Nepal's international airport today for illegal possession of 2.3 million Indian rupees.The police arrested Abdul Karim, a Pakistani national during a security check as he landed in the Tribhuvan airport from Qatar Airways illegally carrying India currency in Rs 500 denominations, according to Nepal police spokesman Binod Singh.The Indian paper notes were found hidden inside a suitcase while...
Saturday, August 29, 2009
Bilateral Aviation Safety Agreement between India and USA
India and USA are working on a Bilateral Aviation Safety Agreement (BASA), which would lead to mutual acceptance of aeronautical products/parts developed in either country. Since aeronautical products are now being designed and manufactured in India, a need was felt for international acceptance of such products.The steps involved in BASA process include: * Skill upgradation of Indian DGCA certification experts by providing advanced training in...
Indian pilots smuggled drugs in exchange for party
McAllen, Texas: Two student pilots from India agreed to smuggle drugs on a training flight from McAllen to the Houston area in exchange for a $300 to $400 party, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials said.Federal agents arrested Snigdh Anurag, 28, and Moby George Thommenkudy, 31, on Wednesday after discovering two bundles of marijuana weighing about 46 pounds hidden in luggage on their Cessna 172 aircraft.The men — both Indian citizens...
British Airways Specials to Mumbai, Chennai and New Delhi
British Airways is launching a 25% discount offer to its First and Club World (Business Class) customers travelling from India to London, Europe and the US. The special offer is valid till this month end from five cities in India - Chennai, Hyderabad, New Delhi, Mumbai, and Bengaluru.Tickets are valid for a year. Outbound travel must happen between August 28, 2009 and December 31, 2009.Judy Jarvis, Regional Commercial Manager for South Asia, British...
Etihad Airways offers inaugural fares for its new flights to Chicago
Mumbai: Etihad Airways will start flights to the Chicago from September 2, 2009. Passengers flying to Chicago from Mumbai, New Delhi and Chennai can avail of inaugural fares starting at Rs 47,000 (all inclusive) and from Kochi, Thiruvananthapuram and Kozhikode at Rs 53,000 (all inclusive) for a limited sale period until September 30, 2009. The airline will operate a three cabin Airbus A340-500 wide body aircraft on the Abu Dhabi to Chicago service...
Russian woman and child waits for flight to Bangkok
Kolkata: The ordeal continued for Sokolovskaya Ksenia and her two-year-old son Sherbatov Galaktion on Friday. The two had been stranded at Kolkata airport since 6.30 pm on Thursday after immigration authorities denied them entry because the child did not have a visa.The Russian woman had to spend hours in a public lounge with no privacy as the airport lacks an enclosure for stranded passengers. Sokolovskaya was given food and a blanket to sleep on...
Friday, August 28, 2009
Indian pilots jailed in US drug case
McAllen,Texas: Two pilots from India remain behind bars in McAllen after authorities allegedly found two suitcases full of marijuana aboard their private plane.U.S. Immigration & Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents arrested Moby George Thommenkudy and Snigdh Anurag on federal marijuana charges on Wednesday.Court records show the two men piloted a private plane from Spring, Texas to the South Texas International Airport in Edinburg.The two men then...
AI may be compensated for Dreamliner delay
New Delhi: Boeing has said it will consider Air India’s demand to pay compensation for delay in delivering B-787 Dreamliner only after the jet is ready for commercial flight.This will give a fair estimate of the total compensation to be paid by the company to the airline due to the delay in meeting the delivery schedule, an executive of the firm said. Air India is reported to have claimed over $700 million compensation from Boeing for the delay.Boeing...
Yashwant backs Mishra on Advani’s role in Kandahar hijack
New Delhi: Former External Affairs and Finance Minister Yashwant Sinha on Thursday said that he completely backed former National Security Advisor Brajesh Mishra statement that senior BJP leader L.K.Advani was aware of all key decisions related to the hijacking of the Indian Airlines plane IC-814 to Kandahar in Afghanistan.Confirming that Advani was present at the meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) on December 31, 1999, Sinha said:...
Will Advani explain his Kandahar 'lie'?
With the Congress and other political parties upping the ante against Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader LK Advani to explain the facts behind the hijacking of an Indian Airlines aircraft to Kandahar, all eyes will be on Advani to set the record straight over the Kandahar hijacking.This comes after Brajesh Mishra, who was the National Security Advisor and a vital player in the events that unfolded during the handling of the IC-814 hijacking, on...
New Boeing 777s For All India-US Air India Flights
New York: With the introduction of 777-300ER service from Newark’s Liberty International Airport on September 1, all of Air India’s flights between the United States and India will now be via new Boeing 777 aircraft. The airline’s daily non-stop flights to Mumbai and Delhi from JFK International Airport in New York have been operating with 777-200LRs, and their daily service to Delhi from O’Hare International Airport in Chicago is also aboard 777-300ERs....
Thursday, August 27, 2009
Indian Fighter Jets Scramble To Intercept Air France Passenger Jet
Amritsar: India's Ministry of Defense announced Thursday that its military planes had intercepted an Air France passenger plane that was flying without broadcasting a correct identification code.An Indian Airforce MiG 29 fighter jet intercepted Air France flight 164 after it was picked up by IAF radar southeast of Amritsar in the Northern Sector flying at 37,000 feet.However, the plane was not in communication and it was not broadcasting a proper...
Air France A343 near Amritsar on Aug 27th 2009, loss comm
An Air France Airbus A340-300, registration F-GLZN performing flight AF-164 from Paris Charles de Gaulle (France) to Bangkok (Thailand), entered Indian Airspace near Amritsar on an official airway entry point at FL370, however without establishing contact to Air Traffic Control and sending a wrong transponder code so that the airplane showed "unidentified" on both civilian and military radar screens. The Indian Air Force dispatched fighter planes...
Jet Airways to introduce services on Mumbai-Dhaka-Mumbai sectors
Mumbai: Effective September 15, 2009, Jet Airways, India’s premier international airline, will introduce new daily, direct services on the Mumbai-Dhaka-Mumbai sectors, aboard state-of-the-art Boeing 737-800 aircraft.This will be Jet Airways’ third daily service to the Bangladesh from India, and connect travelers to and from the Gulf with Dhaka, via Mumbai. The airline currently flies daily from Delhi and Kolkata to Dhaka.Flight 9W 276 will depart...
USAsian asks for daily Air India flights for Indian cities
Washington: An advocacy group of Indian and Asian American has asked Air India to start its daily flight service between Washington and Indian cities.The proposed daily flight has been in the pipeline for some time now, for which the federal authorities have given the necessary license, but Air India has been unable to start the service as the state-owned airline is struggling for its survival, said Devasish Ray, Executive Director of USAsian."After...
Dodsal among three qualified to bid for Omani airport contracts
Reuters reported that foreign firms including South Korea's Hanjin Heavy Industries, Greece based Consolidated Contractors Company and India's Dodsal have been qualified to bid for 3 Omani airport contracts.An official involved in the tender said that "The Salalah airport will be converted from domestic to international, while the new Sohar airport is for airfield works and it will be Phase II for Duqm airport."He said that the submission of the...
Wednesday, August 26, 2009
Foreign airlines' FDI bid fails to take off
New Delhi: Security concerns have forced the government to put on hold a proposal allowing foreign airlines to invest in domestic carriers.A proposal by the civil aviation ministry to permit foreign airlines to pick up a 25% stake in domestic carriers is currently under the consideration of a committee of secretaries (CoS).“Because of the turmoil in the aviation sector, an early decision on allowing foreign carriers to invest in domestic airlines...
American gets jail for carrying pistol
Chennai: A local court has sentenced an American national to one year in jail and imposed a fine of Rs 5,000 for trying to carry a loaded pistol on a flight.Larry Sellmeyer(58) was caught by security personnel at the Chennai international airport on June 11 last when he tried to board a flight to Mumbai on his way back to Arizona. Security personnel recovered from him an Austrian-made calibre 40 pistol and 35 live bullets._______________________Read...
SAA spices up its route to India
South African Airways (SAA) has taken up a number of initiatives to spice up and strengthen its route to India.Following South Africa’s successful hosting of the IPL cricket event earlier this year where thousands of cricket fans poured into the country and offered constructive suggestions on product and service enhancement from customers, SAA is improving its offering on the route to India, traditionally a very popular route for traders.Many South...
Flying Air India gives country’s top shotgun shooters goose bumps
New Delhi: The Sports Ministry’s ‘verbal’ directive to the national sports federations that they can only fly Air India, the national carrier, has the National Rifle Association of India (NRAI) in a quandary.The shooting team is scheduled to participate in the Asian Clay Championship at Almaty, Kazakhstan from September 21-29, but the very thought of boarding the flight is giving the shotgun shooters sleepless nights. “There is a direct Air Astana...
MAI to fly to Bodh Gaya
Rangoon: The ‘Myanmar International Airway’ (MAI) will launch a Rangoon-Bodh Gaya (India) flight from October 25.The ticket reservation centre of the Burmese National Flag carrier said MAI will operate the Rangoon- Bodh Gaya flight twice a week - Wednesdays and Saturdays. The airfare is yet to be fixed.“We are operating this flight as the number of pilgrims is increasing. We will fly two days a week initially and increase the frequency in keeping...
Tuesday, August 25, 2009
Jet Airways to launch Delhi – HK daily services
Mumbai: Jet Airways, India’s premier international airline, will launch its second daily flight to Hong Kong from India, with daily services on the Delhi-Hong Kong sector aboard state-of-the-art wide-body Airbus 330-200 aircraft, effective September 30, 2009.The airline will also flag off its inaugural flight to Delhi from Hong Kong on October 1, 2009, China National Day, the anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China in 1949.The...
Taj ties up with three airlines for their frequent flyer progs
Mumbai: India's Taj Group of Hotels has partnered with three global airlines, All Nippon Airways (ANA), Sri Lankan Airlines and Etihad Airways for their frequent flyer programmes.The partnership envisages the travellers of three air-carriers earning airline miles while staying at Taj property, a company press release said today."A customer will earn valuable airline miles on the frequent flyer programme while staying at any of the group's luxury...
Flying Colours sees continued growth
Business is soaring for Peterborough-based Flying Colours, and the company is looking ahead to ensure that business continues to grow, its president said yesterday.John Gillespie was the guest speaker at the Peterborough Rotary Club’s Monday lunch meeting.Flying Colours, a family-run business, began in Peterborough 35 years ago with 25 employees.Now the company boasts 165 employees, and Gillespie said one of its biggest challenges is finding people...
Monday, August 24, 2009
Etihad's new schedule offers additional flights
Abu Dhabi: Etihad Airways will offer air travellers a greater choice of flights and improved connections as part of its winter 2009-10 schedule, with a new service to Hyderabad in India and additional services to Athens, Istanbul, Beirut, Cairo, and Kathmandu among the highlights.The new winter flying programme starts on October 25 and by January 2010 it will be almost 15 per cent larger than the same period last year with 950 flights planned to...
One Malaysia Holiday Campaign Enchants Indian Travellers
Chennai: The "One Malaysia Endless Experience" package jointly promoted by Tourism Malaysia and Malaysia Airlines (MAS), which offers an affordable package to woo more tourists, is becoming a hit in the Indian market."The response was overwhelming. We received 1,500 bookings from passengers since we launched the campaign last Monday in Delhi. We have offered 8,000 seats and by the end of the campaign next month it could exceed 75 per cent," Azahar...
Sunday, August 23, 2009
India main driver of Abu Dhabi air traffic growth
Dubai: India remained the largest market and primary driver of air traffic growth of UAE's second largest airport in Abu Dhabi, with 18.9 per cent more Indians travelling through the facility this year.While the airport witnessed a 10.3 per cent increase in traffic, Indians were the primary drivers of this growth while Pakistan retained its second place, figures revealed by Abu Dhabi Airports Company (ADAC) said.A total passenger traffic of 9,23,124...
Swine flu gives jitters to cabin crew
New Delhi: While on the ground one sees a surreal atmosphere with people in masks, immigration personnel suitably covered up, hand sanitizers at various points and thermal cameras, in the air, the cabin crew seem unprotected. With WHO warning of an explosion in cases, they are a worried lot. After all, a woman pilot in Noida and a CISF personnel at Delhi airport were recently detected with swine flu.Says a Spicejet airhostess, "Recently, on a Delhi-Pune...
Air fares between India and Trinidad to become cheaper
Port-of-Spain: Indian High Commissioner to Trinidad and Tobago Malay Mishra has announced that state-owned Caribbean Airlines and Air India are working on a project to reduce air fares between the two countries.He told a meeting that when the programme become operational "an airline ticket purchased in Trinidad and Tobago will connect a Caribbean Airlines flight with Air India in New York."Travel for trade, cultural and religious reasons between...
Saturday, August 22, 2009
Lack of infotech integration takes toll on AI-IA synergy
New Delhi: After two years of embarking on a merger plan, the back-end operations of Air India and Indian Airlines continue to be hit by delays and controversies, much like their integration. This has seriously hampered the airlines' attempts to provide seamless travel to customers, which, in turn, has affected their revenue.The integration of call centres of the two airlines, the contract for which was awarded in January this year, is also embroiled...
American raises baggage fees on some routes
Fort Worth-based American Airlines Inc. raised fees Friday for passengers checking a second bag on some international routes, matching similar pricing by other carriers.The carrier will charge passengers flying from the U.S. to India and several European countries $50 for a second checked bag; passengers can check one bag at no charge.Besides India, the destinations for the new fee include Belgium, England, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Spain...
Shah Rukh Khan detention issue takes a new twist
Like in most Bollywood flicks, there is a new twist to the much hyped and publicised story of the detention of super star Shah Rukh Khan in the US last week.The story thus far was that Khan was a `victim' of racial profiling and that he was detained for detailed questioning because of his name, religion and, probably, the colour of his skin.But now there is a new angle: the US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) may have detained Khan at the Newark...
Travel to Malaysia made easier
Hyderabad: As part of exploring avenues to increase tourism, investment and cultural exchanges between India and Malaysia, the Malaysian Government has decided to increase airline services between the two countries in order to achieve its target of six lakh Indian tourists' arrivals during the year. Number of airline services between Hyderabad and Malaysia would be increased from three to four times from September 2009 and upto five times by April...
Friday, August 21, 2009
Small plane crash near Teterboro Airport: Pilot and Indian co-pilot escapes miraculously
Teterboro: A small plane approaching Teterboro Airport ferrying blood specimens crashed in a parking lot on Route 46 early this morning, but the pilot and co-pilot walked away from the fiery wreckage on their own, authorities said.The pilot, identified by his employer as George Maddox of Sinking Springs, Pa., was taken to St. Barnabas Medical Center, hospital spokeswoman Sally Malech told the Associated Press. She said Maddox, 54, was in critical...
Air India to convert several business class flights to all-economy
New Delhi: Air India, the flag carrier operated by National Aviation Co. of India Ltd (Nacil), will replace several of its West Asian flights that offer business class travel with all-economy flights of its discount carrier in an attempt to reduce costs and increase revenue.Business class travel has been declining globally amid an economic slowdown, according to numbers released by the International Air Transport Association, an airline lobbying...
AFP investigate bomb hoax on flight
Australian Federal Police are investigating a security scare on a Singapore Airlines flight to Melbourne.A Singapore Airlines media spokeswoman said the airline received a bomb hoax call in relation to flight SQ 227 from Singapore to Melbourne just before 1am (AEST) on Thursday (AEST).She said the crew informed the 197 passengers of the threat and conducted a 'discreet search' of the plane and did not find anything.'We investigated it (the hoax),...
Swiss Air to add first class seats on Mumbai-Zurich flights
Mumbai: Swiss International Air Lines Ltd, or Swiss Air, will introduce a first class section on its flights on its Mumbai-Zurich route beginning September and its New Delhi-Zurich route in October, the company said. The new section is in addition to its business and economy classes.Holger Hatty, member of board and chief commercial officer of Swiss Air told Mint that his airline will introduce a new wide body Airbus A330-300 type plane with eight...
Thursday, August 20, 2009
Jet fuel import may be freed
New Delhi: In a move that could provide some respite to ailing airline companies, the government is looking at allowing them to import jet fuel on their own. Import of jet fuel under the open general licence (OGL) would allow airlines to avoid high sales tax levied by state governments varying from 12% to 23%.OGL is the most liberalised form of import licence that does not place any export obligation on the importer. The airline industry, which suffered...
Mumbai call centre gets bomb threat call for Singapore flight
Melbourne: A bomb threat was reportedly received in a Mumbai call centre for a Melbourne-bound Singapore Airlines flight that was preparing to land here today.The flight SQ227 with 198 passengers and 20 crew, was alerted to a bomb threat after a call was received in a call centre at Mumbai, an airlines spokeswoman was quoted by the 'The Age'.The crew alerted passengers to the potential threat. "Once we were sure the bomb did not exist, we told passengers...
AI board may discuss rescheduling of aeroplane delivery
Mumbai: The Air India board in crucial meet tomorrow is likely to discuss rescheduling of Boeing aircraft deliveries and revision of wages for pliots and senior executives.Air India sources said wage revision of erstwhile Indian Airlines pilots is expected to be the main agenda in tomorrow's Board meeting.They further said the board is also likely to discuss deferment of delivery of Boeing aircraft in the wake of Air India's financial woes and the...
AIE to add new flights from Oman to M'lore
Muscat: Air-India Express, the low cost subsidiary of Air-India has announced new flights to various destinations in India from gulf today. Addressing the press Air India Manager for Oman Mr. Mohit Sain said that, in keeping with the increasing demand, and also with a view to improve the business relationship between the Sultanate of Oman and India, Air-India Express proposes to expand further by connecting Muscat with Amritsar - New Delhi ( via...
Wednesday, August 19, 2009
Stop screening for H1N1 at airports: WHO
New Delhi/Kolkata /Bhubaneswar: With the A(H1N1) virus spreading across the world, the World Health Organisation (WHO) feels screening at 22 international airports in India should be discontinued.However, WHO officials maintained that it’s a “political decision” that the government has taken and the UN health agency “respects” the decision.Screening by doctors at airports and thermal scanners have limited effect in a country like India, said Jai...
H1N1: Return flights packed as NRIs cut short holiday
Mumbai: The swine flu scare has made several NRIs and people working abroad — particularly the Gulf — visiting Pune and Mumbai to cut short their vacation prematurely, say travel agents in Mumbai.According to travel agents, a large number of Indians living in the Gulf countries have cancelled their travel plans in the past two weeks.“In all, there has been about 40 per cent cancellations,” said Pradeep Lulla, National President, Travel Agents Association...
Travelocity Global buys Travelguru
Mumbai: Travelocity Global, the US based online travel firm, has acquired Travelguru, one of India's largest online hotel distribution networks, for an undisclosed sum.Industry sources, who termed the deal as a distressed sale, pegged the acquisition size at between Rs 45 crore and Rs 50 crore.Travelocity Global said that the Travelguru will remain a separate entity with co-founder and CEO Ashwin Damera continuing to head its operations.Travelguru...
SITA achieves first cupps certification
Geneva: A new standard in passenger processing has arrived with the announcement today that SITA is the first platform provider to achieve CUPPS (Common Use Passenger Processing System) compliance certification and to successfully complete its CUPPS Pilot program.The SITA CUPPS Pilot started in January 2009 at Orlando International Airport with the check-in and boarding of WestJet passengers, followed recently by Continental Airlines passengers....
flydubai still committed to India flights plan
Low cost airline flydubai remains committed to its Indian hubs, despite postponing three of its routes this month, its CEO said on Tuesday."India will be operational. We are committed to operating [routes] to India," Ghaith Al Ghaith said without elaborating.Last month the Dubai-based carrier was forced to postpone all three of its routes to Lucknow, Coimbatore and Chandigarh due to operational issues.Passengers affected by the cancellation were...
Jet expects profit on UK route this winter
Mumbai: London operations of Jet Airways (India) Ltd will become profitable this winter schedule, which lasts October through March, a top company official forecast earlier this week. The firm will also introduce a larger aircraft on that route in October.“Jet Airways claims a market share of 37% in the India-UK market. We are expecting our India-UK operations to be profitable in winter season,” Anita Goyal, executive vice president, network planning...
IBS' Airline Cargo Solution Makes a Mark in Russia
Trivandrum: IBS Software announced that S7 Cargo acting on behalf of S7 Airlines and GLOBUS airline, based in Russia, has signed up for iCargo, its new-generation cargo management solution.Leading IT solutions provider to the global travel, transportation and logistics industry, IBS Software announced that S7 Cargo acting on behalf of S7 Airlines and GLOBUS airline, based in Russia, has signed up for iCargo, its new-generation cargo management solution....
Tuesday, August 18, 2009
Jet, crew probed after runway incident
Dhaka: A CAAB probe committee on Monday interviewed the 10 crewmembers of an Indian Jet Airways flight and examined the aircraft to gain clues as to why it had veered off a runway at Zia International Airport, holding up flights for more than two hours, earlier in the day.Zia International Airport director, wing commander Saeedul Hasan Khan, told bdnews24.com that the plane, scheduled for a 10.43am take-off, came out of Hangar Bay 9 and during a...
Anxious moment for kin at IGI
New Delhi: Rehana Shafiq had spent some anxious moments before boarding the Jet Airways flight from Dhaka to New Delhi on Monday morning it was only the second time the 20-year-old was travelling by air. However, just before take-off, the aircraft reportedly skidded, taxiing off the runway and moving 3.5 metres onto a grassy patch. All passengers were safe, but the flight got delayed by eight hours.Shafiq, who was returning home after seven months,...
Punjab Police Inspector Accused Of “Kabooterbaazi”
New Delhi: The Delhi police is hunting for a sub-inspector posted with the Punjab Armed Police for allegedly arranging visas for four youths to illegally enter Canada.This was revealed during the questioning of the four who were arrested by the IGI Airport police on August 2 while trying to board a Japan Airlines flight along with the Punjab contingent. The contingent was to represent India at the 13th World Police Games at British Columbia.According...
Boeing Eyes Indian Prospects
New Delhi: Boeing has decided to bid on India’s programs to purchase 22 combat helicopters and 15 heavy-lift helicopters.Proposals for the combat helicopters are due Sept. 22, and the deadline for the heavy-lift helicopters is the next day.This is the second time India has issued a tender for attack helicopters. The first tender — issued in May 2008 — was scrapped in March by the government. Neither Bell Helicopter nor Boeing participated in that...
IAF begins flight evaluation of MMRCA aircraft
Bangalore: The Indian Air Force today launched the flight evaluation and performance trials of combat aircraft from six foreign defence firms in its bid to zero in on the final pick for acquisition of 126 Medium Multi-role Combat Aircraft (MMRCA).The acquisition cost estimated at USD 10 billion is the biggest ever defence buy by the Indian armed forces.First to begin was the Boeing's F/A-18 Super Hornets that zoomed across the skies over the city...
Monday, August 17, 2009
Jet Airways plane skids off runway in Dhaka, passengers safe
Dhaka: A Delhi-bound Jet Airways aircraft carrying 139 persons skidded off a runway just before its take off from the Bangladesh capital today but no one was hurt in the accident.The Boeing-737 aircraft of India's private Jet Airways skidded the runway by over three meters at Dhaka's Zia International Airport just ahead of its take-off.However, all 139 persons onboard the aircraft were safe, officials said here.Bangladesh Civil Aviation Authority...
Jet Airways talking to airlines for wet lease conversion
New Delhi: Private airline Jet Airways has converted the wet lease of its aircraft -- where airplanes are given along with the crew and maintenance obligations -- to Turkish Airlines into dry lease, which comes without staff and other frills, and is hold ing talks with GulfAir and Oman Air for similar conversion.The Naresh-Goyal promoted airline had given on wet-lease two Airbus 330 to Oman Air and four Boeing 777 planes to Gulf Air earlier this...
US 'overdid' SRK's questioning: Chidambaram
New Delhi: Home minister P Chidambram on Monday said the Americans had "overdone it" by detaining Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan for two hours at Newark airport in New Jersey, for questioning."Had it been for ten minutes or even twenty minutes (of detention for questioning), one can understand it. But one fails to understand how could they hold him for two long hours?" said Chidambaram, talking to reporters on the sidelines of the annual meet...
Sunday, August 16, 2009
Travellers struggle with Uncle Sam's loopy terror lists
New York: Chances are high that if you are routinely subjected to extra airport security or unable to print boarding passes for airline flights at US airport kiosks then your name has somehow got mixed up with those on Uncle Sam's bulging terrorist watch lists.Civil liberties advocates say the bulging watch lists spawn "faster than rabbits."Ann Davis, a spokeswoman for the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), told DNA the agency is sensitive...
Shah Rukh a welcome guest: U.S. envoy
New Delhi: Even as there were sharp reactions in India to the detention of Shah Rukh Khan for two hours at the Newark airport on Saturday, U.S. envoy Timothy J. Roemer said the actor “is a very welcome guest in the United States.”“We are trying to ascertain the facts of the case to understand what took place,” he said soon after India took up the matter with the U.S. Embassy here. Mr. Roemer regarded the Bollywood actor as a global icon. He heaped...
SRK wants to frisk Angelina Jolie
India and Shah Rukh Khan may have gone into a tizz about the star being detained at Newark airport on Friday night but American authorities maintain that it was a “routine formality,” and have accused us of blowing the event out of proportion.Shah Rukh Khan who was travelling to the US for a show at Atlantic City, New Jersey, was held back after the computer at the Customs red-flagged his name. Shah Rukh who usually travels with an entourage was...
Row over US Bollywood 'detention'
India has asked the US to explain why a leading Bollywood film star was allegedly detained for two hours at Newark airport, which serves New York.Shah Rukh Khan, who was released after India's embassy in the US intervened, said he felt angry and humiliated.The actor, who is promoting a film on racial profiling, said he was stopped because he had a Muslim name.But US customs officials denied that Mr Khan had been detained, saying he was questioned...
Man tries to sneak youth out on son's passport, held
Mumbai: A man from Nagpur recently tried to get a youth, who did not have a passport, out of the country by using his son's passport. Amarjit Singh has done this several times in the past, but he ran out of luck when immigration officials caught his bluff.Amarjit and Manga Singh (the youth he was trying to traffick abroad) were arrested while trying to board the Air India Express (flight 131) from Mumbai to London on July 20. Amarjit had pasted Manga's...
Saturday, August 15, 2009
Shah Rukh Khan detained for 2 hours at Newark Airport in US
New Delhi: Bollywood icon Shah Rukh Khan was on Saturday questioned for two hours at the Newark airport in the US over his surname and was freed only after Indian diplomats intervened.The Indian government and entertainment industry reacted furiously after the 43-year-old actor, named by Newsweek last year as one of the world's 50 most powerful men, revealed how he was detained and stopped from even using his mobile telephone.Speaking to CNN-IBN...
"It is great incompetence and has lowered the image of (US) Homeland Security"
Newark(New Jersey, US)/New Delhi: Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan on Saturday said that he was doing well and was fine after histwo-hour-long ordeal at Newark International Airport.Khan was detained for about two hours on Saturday morning at the airport in New Jersey, USA.India's former ambassador to the United States Naresh Chandra said that Khan's detention clearly exhibited the "ham-handed" approach of American security agencies.He said over...
SRK detained at US airport for being a Khan
Mumbai: Superstar Shahrukh Khan was detained for about two hours early Saturday morning (around 1am IST) at Newark airport in the US because his surname featured on the most common list. The actor, who is visiting the US to attend a South Asian event where he was the guest of honour was released after Congress MP Rajiv Shukla spoke to the authorities in the US and the Indian counsulate.The actor was detained after his name flashed on the computer....
Shah Rukh's detention has Bollywood shocked, disgusted
Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan's two-hour detention at Newark airport in the US over his surname had members of the Indian film industry fuming. Karan Johar was "shocked", actress Priyanka said it was "downright disgraceful" and filmmaker Kabir Khan termed it "harassment".Karan Johar: I am shocked and upset...feeling terrible for Shah Rukh.Priyanka Chopra: Shocking, disturbing and downright disgraceful. It's such behaviour that fuels hatred and...
More people flying abroad even as local travel declines
Bangalore: Shrinking number of air passengers on the domestic sector has pushed up the share of international sector in India's total air passenger traffic.Latest statistics put out by the Airports Authority of India (AAI), shows the domestic sector's share declined to 71% last fiscal from 74% in financial year 2008 even as the international sector's share moved up to 29% from 26%.The drop was on account of an 11% drop in air passengers on the domestic...
Jet, Kingfisher looking to South-East Asia for succour
New Delhi: Jet Airways (India) Ltd and Kingfisher Airlines Ltd plan to expand services into profitable routes to destinations in South and South-East Asia this winter season to tap tourist demand which peaks around then.The move will help the two loss-making airlines utilize their fleets more efficiently. They also stand to benefit from lower jet fuel prices in these markets compared with India.Jet will launch its direct service between Delhi and...