Hajis from Jharkhand to fly for Haj from Jamshedpur

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 two days of their departure.
Shaukat Ali informed that the first and second floor of the Haj House has been ready completely for the Hajis. If there will be any problem in living, the alternate arrangement will be made in Schools and other places. Our first priority will be to give every facility to the Haj aspirants. Air India has announced that its flight will take hajis from Ranchi to Kolkata but it is not clear what will be the number of hajis in every flight whether it will be 10 or 200. The number of hajis per flight is yet to be announced. When the hajis will reach Kolkata they will stay for few hours in the Haj terminal where every facility will be provided to them.
30/08/09 Khabrein.Info

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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 26, Kumar, 59, and his 46-year-old wife, who were on their first flight, were grilled by the officials. They were asked for the invitation letter from their son in Finland, ordered to stay put and stay quiet because they could not provide it right away, and were rendered incommunicado by having their mobile phone snatched from them.
Bewildered and cowering under their gaze, they could not muster the courage to ask the officials why they were being detained in Paris when they were headed for Helsinki.
They had spent a small fortune on the air ticket to meet their son. To them, his was an Indian success story too - a young man who had made his way from a farmer's house in Hassan to Tampere in Finland to work as a software professional.
But, the French officials had destroyed their dream and offered no explanation. "All the 20 Indians on the Air France flight that my parents took from Bengaluru International Airport were stopped at Paris and asked to show their passports. We don't have any objection to checks. In today's world it is necessary. But, while the other 18 were allowed to go after the passport check, my parents were held back with no explanation," said Ashok Kumar's elder son Dr K.A. Darshan Gowda, who is in Karnataka.
Darpan added that the couple was carrying only E250 (about Rs 17,420) with them.
"Perhaps the French officials thought that my parents were too poor, but couldn't they check with my brother in Finland or the Indian authorities?" It turned into a gruelling 20hour drama for the Kumar couple that began on the morning of August 26 (6.45 am French time) when they landed in Paris and ended with their arrival at the Bengaluru International Airport, the next day - heartbroken and beaten. Efforts to contact the French embassy in New Delhi for its reaction to the incident proved futile.
31/08/09 Sowmya Aji/Mail Today/India Today

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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 agencies were questioning him in the airport terminal.
The Air Traffic Control issued a directive to the commander of the aircraft (flight no: KU 332) that the youth be off-loaded. This followed a request from the immigration authorities who received a tip-off. The aircraft was then taxied back to the parking bay.
The incident has come as a shock to the intelligence and security agencies, as the youth completed the immigration formalities and security check. The Kerala Police manage the immigration wing and the Central Industrial Security Force takes care of the airport security.
31/08/09 The Hindu

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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 within the country.'
30/08/09 AME Info, UAE

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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 for the consumers. The ticket booked in Germany would be different from the one booked in India,” said Alex Hilgers, Director (South Asia), Lufthansa, on the sidelines of an event introduce the new Star Chefs of The Leela Group of Hotels.
The Lufthansa Star Chef programme invites celebrity chefs from around the globe to pamper passengers with delicious local dishes.
He also added a sub-committee constituting members from the airlines is there to discuss this issue. Though we are not a member we have asked our fellow airlines to take up our issues.
“We have written a letter to the DGCA citing the problems we will face in implementing the new scheme,” added Hilgers.
30/08/09 Business Standard

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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 event was scheduled for September 3 in New York.
Besides Salman Khan, producer Boney Kapoor, former Bollywood star Sridevi and actor-turned-director Prabhu Deva were also scheduled to attend the New York meeting.
Shah Rukh Khan had alleged that he was detained and questioned at the airport for nearly two hours as his name popped up on the computer of the immigration counter.
29/08/09 CNN-IBN

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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 the Leela group.
“We aim to turn our flights into a truly special experience. This includes savouring the cooking skills of our famous ‘Star Chefs’,” said Axel Hilgers, Lufthansa’s director for South Asia.
“We cater to specific preferences of Indian customers. Together with our selection of world class wines and personal service, fine Indian dining above the clouds assures our guests a memorable journey,” he said during a media preview at the Indira Gandhi International Airport here.
The carrier operates 54 flights a week to seven Indian destinations and will celebrate its 50th anniversary of its operations to India later this year.
29/08/09 IANS/Thaindian.com, Thailand

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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 conducting security check on the Pakistani national, who boarded in Kathmandu airport on the Qatar Airways plane at 4.30 pm, the police official said.
29/08/09 Zee News

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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 certification procedures and oversight of design and production activities.
* Assessment of Indian authorities and industry capabilities to undertake certification and production work on a sustained basis to meet the FAA Standards.
* FAA conducting a Shadow Certification exercise with DGCA officials on a sample product, and satisfying themselves that Indian standard certification procedure are acceptable for high class aeronautical products.
The BASA process with a limited scope is expected to be completed by end of year 2010.
US-India Aviation Cooperation Programme (ACP)
The US-India Aviation Cooperation Program (ACP), a public-private partnership between the U.S. Trade Development Agency (USTDA), the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and U.S. aviation companies, has been established to provide a forum for unified communication between the Government of India and U.S. public and private sector entities in India. The ACP is designed to work directly with the Indian Government to identify and support India’s civil aviation sector modernization priorities.
The ACP’s specific objectives are to: (i) promote enhanced safety, operational efficiency and system capacity in the Indian aviation sector; (ii) facilitate and coordinate aviation industry training and technical ties between the U.S. and India; and (iii) strengthen overall US-India aviation cooperation. Funding for training and technical assistance programs is provided by USTDA and the in-kind support will be provided by FAA and US aviation companies.
Through the mechanism of ACP, Indian and US officials has identified specific areas for technical co-operation, which include:
· Air traffic flow management
· Certification of aeronautical products
· Certification of Global Navigational Satellite System (GNSS)
· Development of human resources.
· Assistance in the area of helicopter operations.
The training programme are targeted for DGCA personnel and industry in India. This programmes would be a joint effort between several ACP member companies including Boeing, Prat & Whitney, GE and Honeywell.
28/08/09 Press Information Bureau

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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 — had flown from the Houston area to the Rio Grande Valley and were preparing to take off from McAllen-Miller International Airport when authorities made their discovery.
The duo told ICE investigators that their neighbor in Houston — who they knew only as “Luis Carlos” — had offered to throw them the party or pay for their plane rental fees if they picked up some “stuff and grass,” according to the criminal complaint filed in their case.
If convicted on drug trafficking charges, each could face up to five years in prison and possible deportation.
28/08/09 Jeremy Roebuck/The Monitor, USA

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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 Airways said, “This deal offers our customers substantial savings when travelling in First and Club World. At three quarters of the actual price, customers can pamper themselves onboard British Airways and travel in luxury and comfort when making that long journey.”
28/08/09 WCJB.co.uk

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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 which is configured to carry 240 passengers with 12 in First Class, 28 in Business Class and 200 in Economy Class.
Chicago will be Etihad Airways second US destination joining its popular daily flight to New York. The launch of services will also add to the airline’s network in North America, which includes Toronto and enjoys an average seat factor of more than 80 per cent. The new service to Chicago’s O’Hare airport will increase the airline’s global flight network to 55 cities and follows confirmation that Etihad Airways will also begin flights to Melbourne, Athens and Istanbul this year.
28/08/09 TravelBizMonitor

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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 the floor with.
Jet Airways refused to take them to Bangkok free of cost and Air India Express, the carrier responsible for overlooking the error, declined to foot the bill. An Air India official said, "The problem arose because we did not have a Bangkok flight on Friday."
29/06/09 Times of India

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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 flew from Edinburg to McAllen’s International Airport where they allegedly picked up two suitcases at the McCreery Aviation gate.
Court records show the two men are from India but live in Spring, Texas.
The two men said they were flight training but agreed to pick up the marijuana for their neighbor “Luis Carlos” who allegedly told them he’d pay for renting the plane.
FAA records show that Thommenkudy received a private pilot license in the United States in January 2008.Thommenkudy's license shows that he's from Cochin, a city in the State of Kerala in India.
Anurag has a student pilot license that was issued in June 2008.
It shows he’s from Ranchi, a city in the State of Jharkhand in India.
Both men appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Dorina Ramos in McAllen on Thursday morning.
27/08/09 Sergio Chapa/Valley Central.com, USA

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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 India president Dinesh Keskar said the company is not in a position to say anything on this “till the first flight (of Dreamliner) takes off or the final delivery schedule is known”.
Meanwhile, Air India has asked Boeing to defer supply of six B-777 aircraft, which are expected to be ready for delivery in 2010-11. As per the contract between the two parties, Air India will have to pay penalty for the deferment.
28/08/09 Nirbhay Kumar/Economic Times

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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: “The truth should be spoken. Advani must come out and clarify events. The CCS minutes of that day need to be examined for clarification. I completely back Brajesh Mishra on L.K. Advani. IC-814 is a matter of recent history, not a party matter.”
Sinha’s reaction was in response to former National Security Adviser Brajesh Mishra saying that Advani was aware of all the key decisions taken with regard to the 1999-2000 hijacking of an Indian Airlines plane to Kandahar, Afghanistan. Mishra rebutted Advani’s contention that he was unaware about IC-814 being taken from Amritsar to Kandahar by terrorists. He also rejected the view that Advani did not know that a Cabinet Minister would be flying to Kandahar to secure the release of the hostages in exchange for the three most wanted terrorists.
27/08/09 ANI/Indian Express

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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 Thursday (August 27) told that the decision to send a plane to Kandahar with Jaswant Singh was a unanimous decision by the cabinet committee on security.
He also added that all members including Deputy PM LK Advani were present at the meeting. Mishra also stated that Advani had agreed to send the plane to Kandahar.
TIMES NOW also spoke to Jaswant Singh, the man who went to Kandahar along with the terrorists, who stood by his words that Advani knew of all key decisions.
Meanwhile, Yashwant Sinha told TIMES NOW that it's time for LK Advani to come clean.
28/08/09 Times Now.tv

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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. With an average age of less than one-and-a-half years, Air India now has one of the youngest fleets of Boeing 777s in the airline industry.
All of Air India’s 777 flights offer Economy, Executive and First Class service. Economy Class features a seat pitch of 34” for comfort, a therapeutic footrest and built-in 10.6” LCD monitor. Executive Class passengers enjoy the comfort of flat beds with a pitch of 76”, with privacy partitions and 15.4” LCD screens. First Class cabin boasts compartments with flat beds with a pitch of 80” for the ultimate comfort, a built-in massage system, buddy seat, and a large 23” LCD screen.
27/08/09 India Journal, US

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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 "Squawking IFF code" to identify it as an Air France commercial passenger plane, India's government said in a statement Thursday.
After the fighter jets scrambled, the Air France crew corrected the lack of communication and began properly broadcasting identification of the plane to Indian authorities.
27/08/09 Linda Young/All Headline News

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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 (MiG 29s) to intercept and identify the aircraft, however aborted the intercept maneouver, when the aircraft began to send the correct transponder code.
27/08/09 Simon Hradecky/The Aviation Herald

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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 Mumbai's Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport at 0840 hrs, arriving in Dhaka’s Zia International Airport at 1300 hrs. Flight 9W 275 will then depart Dhaka at 1530 hrs, arriving in Mumbai at 1700 hrs.
According to Mr. Wolfgang Prock-Schauer, CEO, Jet Airways, “With the launch of our Mumbai-Dhaka service, passengers from Bangladesh may connect on to Jet Airways’ services to North America, Europe and the Gulf, as well as other ASEAN destinations, via our hubs in Mumbai and Delhi.”
26/08/09 PRESS RELEASE/Jet Airways

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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 careful research and analysis we are convinced that it would be profitable for Air India to operate flights from Washington Dulles International Airport to key cities in India," Ray said. "Dulles airport transports close to 2,000 passengers on eight airlines and the passenger revenue amounts to approximately $1,235,000 daily," he said. Air India's two daily flights from New York, which lands by 7.30 AM and leave by 9.30 PM (local time) the same day, sit idle and incur unnecessary parking fees amounting to nearly $10,000 per aircraft, he said.
27/08/09 Press Trust of India/Business Standard

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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 bids for Salalah airport in the south of Oman is set for September 21stand September 28th 2009 for Duqm and Sohar. He added that local contractor Galfar and Turkey's Makyol were among the bidders.
A Galfar official said that "Our estimate is that the 3 airport deals will be in excess of OMR 500 million."
27/08/09 Steelguru.com

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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 is not expected. There are various pros and cons of the decision and they have to be taken into account before taking a call,” a senior civil aviation ministry official told ET.
“For certain reasons, the airline industry is considered a sensitive sector and any decision has to be taken with security in mind,” he added.
The civil aviation ministry had sent a proposal to the department of industrial policy & promotion (DIPP) for allowing foreign carriers to invest in domestic airlines. The move was aimed at making liquidity available for loss-laden domestic carriers. Indian regulations currently do not allow foreign carriers to hold equity, either directly or indirectly, in domestic airlines. It, however, allows foreign investors other than airlines to own up to 49% in Indian carriers. The existing guidelines also allow foreign direct investment by helicopter operators and ground-handling companies in local companies in the same segment.
26/08/09 Nirbhay Kumar/Economic Times

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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.
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Sellmeyer claimed that he was not aware that carrying firearms in a flight was an offence under Indian laws as he had carried the pistol all the way from the US to India. He also told the police that he had a valid firearms licence.
Sellmeyer came to Chennai on May 27 for medical treatment.
26/08/09 S Murari/Asian Tribune

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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 Africans have already discovered that India offers a host of exciting travel options, such as skiing in the Northern area, excellent beaches in the South and great shopping in Mumbai.
SAA has enhanced its product offering and service delivery on flights between Johannesburg and Mumbai, India and the airline is running a marketing promotion in support of this.
"As a further celebration and in keeping with the marketing message that India is “the fastest way to fall in love with the flavours of India”, the airline has flown in celebrity chefs from India, to cook the very best dishes India has to offer," SAA reported.
Amongst the top Indian chefs that SAA has flown in are Executive Chef Hubert Pereira; Sous Chef Bachaspati Painoli and Cook-Indian Cuisine chef Chandrakant Sutar. The chefs visiting South Africa from India, “the land of exotic spice”, will prepare a feast of mouth-watering dishes using only the finest ING redients and authentic Indian culinary styles.
26/08/09 Finchannel.com

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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 flight to Almaty which takes just four hours, but thanks to the ministry’s directive, we can only fly Air India even if it means that we reach our destination after more than 20 hours,” said a trap marksman.
“Not just that, there is a huge — perhaps three times — difference in air fare. While a direct Air Astana ticket costs in the range of Rs 26,000, an Air India flight via Tashkent or Dubai is almost Rs 60,000,” he said.
HT’s air travel bureau too confirmed the above-mentioned fares. With 22-odd marksmen and some coaches making up the contingent, the price difference can well be imagined.
“This is ridiculous. With a stopover of more than 12 hours in Dubai and the hassles relating to special gun and ammunition permits, how can we expect our shooters to be at the range fit and ready to fire after such an ordeal the day before,” questioned NRAI secretary-general Baljeet Singh Sethi.
26/08/09 Ajai Masand/Hindustan Times

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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 with the rise in passengers,” Mie Mie, an official at the MAI ticket reservation centre in Rangoon told Mizzima.
An official of the ‘Nilar’ Bodh Gaya pilgrimage tour said that the number of passengers visiting the Buddhist sacred place had increased since 2005. Bodh Gaya in India’s Bihar state, is considered a sacred place for Buddhists, as it is known as the land where Lord Buddha attained enlightenment.
The MAI is also reportedly planning to increase the frequency of the present Bangkok and Kuala Lumpur flights starting from the ensuing peak season. According to the proposal, the MAI will operate the Rangoon-Bangkok flight seven days a week from the current five days a week, starting October 25. The Rangoon-Kuala Lumpur flight will be increased to five days a week from the current four days.
25/08/09 Mizzima, Myanmar

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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 new daily flights will facilitate business and leisure travel between the Indian capital and the commercial hub of the East, Hong Kong, and complement the airline’s existing Mumbai-Hong Kong services.
From September 30, 2009 to October 24, 2009 and from March 28, 2010 to October 30, 2010, flight 9W 72 will depart Delhi at 2250 hrs, arriving in Hong Kong at 0705 hrs. Flight 9W 71 will then depart Hong Kong at 1330 hrs, arriving in Delhi at 1650 hrs.
From October 25, 2009 to March 27, 2010, flight 9W 72 will depart Delhi at 2325 hrs, arriving in Hong Kong at 0700 hrs. Flight 9W 71 will then depart Hong Kong at 1330 hrs, arriving in Delhi at 1720 hrs.
Jet Airways' Première (Business Class) guests will enjoy 180 degree lie-flat beds in a unique herringbone configuration that ensures easy aisle access from every seat, an oversized table, laptop power, telephony, SMS, Email and live text news, providing guests who want to work with a 'flying office'. Première guests may also choose from a delectable menu of Indian and non-Indian cuisine, and an extensive wine list.
Economy guests will enjoy advanced, ergonomically-designed seats to minimise muscular and sinew tension, personal reading lights and on-demand In-flight Entertainment, among other amenities.
According to Mr. Wolfgang Prock-Schauer, CEO, Jet Airways, “We are delighted to connect Delhi and Hong Kong with daily services, and launch our inaugural flight from Hong Kong to Delhi on the occasion of China National Day. There continues to remain a strong demand for quality services on the Delhi-Hong Kong sector, on account of the latter’s popularity as a leading global business and leisure destination.”
24/08/09 PRESS RELEASE/Jet Airways

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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 hotels, luxury grand palaces or the Gateway hotels," the release said.
The Taj will leverage this channel to promote various hospitality offers across destinations and hotels to reach out to customers and the airline would use this to help its members and frequent flyers earn miles on their travels and their stay as well, it said.
24/08/09 SamayLive

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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 with the skills the business requires.
To combat that, the company approached Fleming College and helped create an interior technician program.
Fleming College secured federal funding for the program, Gillespie said, and Flying Colours has hired 35 people from it since it began in June 2008.
Gillespie said one of the biggest trends in the aviation business is to refurbish 50-passenger jets into privately owned or corporate aircraft.
Doing that is less costly than building a private plane from scratch, he said, and the owners still feel like they’re getting something brand new.
The North American market isn’t large, he said, but Flying Colours’ jets go to countries like Dubai, Taiwan, China and India. The aviation market is a lot like the boating market, Gillespie said. Owners are usually looking to get the bigger, better model.
25/08/09 Sarah Deeth/The Peterborough Examiner, USA

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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 operate each week. The new flights to Hyderabad from November 2009 will join Chicago and Cape Town as the airline's newest routes.
"The winter programme for 2009-10 demonstrates our commitment to provide greater depth to the Etihad Airways global flight network. The increased frequencies will provide air travellers with a greater choice of flights into and out of Abu Dhabi and better connectivity with the rest of our network," James Hogan, Etihad Airways chief executive, said.
Etihad Airways will take delivery of three new A320 aircraft during the winter period which will support the frequency increases to short and medium haul destinations in Europe, the Middle East and Asia.
23/08/09 Gulf News, UAE

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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 Hamid, MAS regional manager for South Asia, told reporters.
Tourism Minister Datuk Dr Ng Yen Yen, who arrived in Delhi last Sunday to energise bilateral tourism between India and Malaysia, launched the "One Malaysia" marketing campaign to draw more tourists to Malaysia.
The package, which includes a four-day/three-night stay, costs only Rs17,000 (RM1,260), and is about 30 per cent cheaper than the normal packages.
Regardless of the Influenza A(H1N1) disease threatening the travel industry and the global economic slowdown, the ministry expects 600,000 Indians to visit Malaysia this year, up from last year's 500,000.
23/08/09 P.Vijian/Bernama, Malaysia

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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 was recorded at the airport during the month of July this year, as against 8,37,129 in the same period last year.
22/08/09 Press Trust of India

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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 flight, almost every passenger was wearing a mask. I felt vulnerable suddenly. Why can't we have masks on sectors which are highly prone to swine flu, she asks. If we can have mandatory vaccinations for Hepatitis A and B and typhoid, why not mandatory measures here too?"
That feeling was echoed by an AI airhostess. "Recently, on an international flight, I tended to a passenger with cold and cough. Subsequently, I was down with flu for over a week. Now, I am tense after any international flight."
Though airlines say advisories have been given about swine flu, cockpit crew of at least two airlines say they haven't received any such intimation. Most airlines have kept masks in planes, but few passengers are aware of it. Obviously, information hasn't been disseminated properly?
AI, for example, has kept 14-15 masks and gloves on international flights, which are to be given to passengers with flu symptoms, says Jitender Bhargava, AI spokesman.
But cabin crew would like these masks to be made mandatory on all flights, quite like paracetamol tablets. In Hong Kong, says one airhostess, masks are available at airline counters.
Another suggestion is to screen passengers at the time of check-in, instead of disembarkation, as is being done now. By the time a sick passenger lands after a flight, he would have infected many, says a crew member.
23/08/09 Shobha John/Times of India

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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 both countries continues to escalate, but there could be a higher number of visits if the air fares are reduced.
In June, India Tourism and Air India officials based in New York met several travel agents and discussed ways to boost tourism from Trinidad and Tobago to India.
22/08/09 IANS/Economic Times

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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 in court cases. Both entities are still being serviced by different players.
Aviation sector experts say Air India's membership of the 21-airline Star Alliance, which includes Singapore Airlines, Lufthansa, Thai, United Airlines and Air Canada as its members, could significantly boost its traffic, both internationally and domestically, and open new routes for the airlines, besides significantly upping its brand image and passenger experience.
Moreover, Air India operates on the 098 code, while Indian Airlines operates on the 058 code. Both the airlines were supposed to move to the 098 code post the merger.
Civil aviation minister Praful Patel recently said at an idea exchange programme at The Indian Express, “90% of the world business in aviation is done through alliances... This is the reason I have been pushing so hard to get Air India into the Star Alliance. Unfortunately, they haven't even integrated their IT platform in two years.”
22/08/09 Surabhi Agarwal/Financial Express

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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 and Switzerland.
21/08/09 Eric Torbenson/The Dallas Morning News

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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 Liberty International Airport last week because the organisers of his show in the US were not above the watermarks of controversies, including underworld links.
The promoters of the show were Farhath Hussain, a businessman from London, and his brother Altaf Hussain, a Chicago-based businessman. The brothers are self-proclaimed fans and promoters of Bollywood and together run the Lake County South Asian Entertainment Inc.
US authorities reportedly suspect the brothers on two counts: tax evasion and underworld links, according to a report in Times of India.
The report goes on to say that there are other promoters too along with Lake County South Asian Entertainment Inc and some of them are on the radar of authorities in the US, UK and India. It was this blip on the radar that forced the CBP to ask Khan to step aside for detailed questioning.
21/08/09 India Syndicate/MSN News

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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 2010.
Addressing a press conference at the launch of ‘One Malaysia, endless experience’ marketing campaign, Malaysia Tourism Minister Dato Sri Ng Yen Yen along with Director- General Mirza Mohammad Taiyab Beg, director of Malaysia Tourism Promotion Board Manoharan and others, said that steps have been taken to further enhance connectivity to Malaysia with addition of more airlines between India and Malaysia.
Asked about her meeting with Union Tourism Minister Kumari Selja, Yen Yen said that the talks were intended to improve relations between the two countries, to promote students' tourism, create awareness and encourage each others' tourism products.
21/08/09 ExpressBuzz

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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 condition at the hospital's burn unit.
The co-pilot, identified by his employer as Sanil Gopinath of Laurel, Md., was initially taken to Hackensack Medical Center, but the 42-year-old was expected to be taken to St. Barnabas, which has the state's only burn unit. Gopinath is in serious but not critical condition.
At about 3:05 a.m., the plane tried to abort a landing at the airport but then flew over the highway, clipped a 35-foot tree in front of a business and crashed into a grassy area of a neighboring warehouse parking lot, authorities said. Both victims are at St. Barnabas Medical Center with serious burn injuries, police said.
Teterboro is the same airport where a plane took off earlier this month before colliding with a sightseeing helicopter over the Hudson River. Nine people were killed aboard the two aircraft.
According to police, both victims crawled out of the plane and walked to a bus stop. Bergen County police officer Jason Trignano witnessed the crash and immediately went to the scene to find the two sitting on a curb by the stop, Lt. Christine Francois with Bergen County police said. The two were conscious and speaking when Trignano arrived, Francois said.
The twin-engine Beechcraft left Pottstown, Pa. carrying blood specimens for Quest Diagnostics. The main lab in the New York metropolitan area is in Teterboro near the airport, said Gary Samuels, spokesperson for Quest Diagnostics.
The plane was cleared to land on Runway 1 at Teterboro, said Jim Peters, a spokesman with the Federal Aviation Administration.
"We don't know if he touched down and then overflew the runway or tried to power up and go around the airport," Peters said. The plane hit the parking lot upright and burst into flames, Peters said.
Debris are scattered throughout the area, and the plane is in multiple pieces. No debris was found on the runway, and no power lines located by the intersection were hit, according to Bob Fretz, senior air safety investigator for the National Transportation Safety Board.
Little Ferry police officer Adam Warne, who was among the first to respond to the scene, said he was taken aback to find the men alive and talking after the crash.
"The one who had more burns sat there and was in a daze," he said. "I saw the wreckage, they both said 'We were in the plane.' I was a little taken back, you know."
Mitsu Yasukawa/The Star LedgerA detective takes a close look at the wreckage of a small plane that crashed near Teterboro Airport.
21/08/09 Christopher Dela Cruz/The Star-Ledger/nj.com, USA

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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 group. Global travel on premium tickets declined 23.8% in May from a year earlier; economy travel was down 7.6% in the same month.
“There is hardly any business class required (in West Asia),” said an Air India official, who didn’t want to be named.
The carrier’s low-cost affiliate, Air India Express, operates 186 flights a week between India and West Asia and South-East Asia. The airline will increase its services to West Asia to make up for the flights Air India plans to pull, said a government official who asked not to be named.
Air India has committed to undertake an overhaul of its business operations, restructure its massive Rs15,241 crore debt, raise funds through a public offering in fiscal 2011 and convert three out of four of its flights into low-fare services.
20/08/09 Tarun Shukla/Livemint

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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), felt that the threat was not there, however we took every precaution to make sure the flight was safe and crew and passengers were all safe. Once we decided it was ... we continued and landed in Melbourne safely,' she said.
20/08/09 BigPondNews

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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 first class seats, 45 business class seats and 183 economy class seats on India routes, starting 2 September from Mumbai and 13 October from Delhi.
20/08/09 P.R. Sanjai/Livemint

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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 an estimated loss of Rs 10,000 crore in 2008-09 mainly on account of high fuel prices, excess capacity and weak demand, has sought the government’s support. Jet fuel is about 40-45% of the total operating cost of an airline.
The finance ministry is examining a proposal in this regard, a government official told ET. At present, aviation turbine fuel (ATF) can only be imported by Indian Oil Corporation, which is the designated agency, as it is a canalised item. While there is nil Customs duty on ATF import, it faces a countervailing duty of 7.5% in lieu of excise duty levied on domestic production.
However, when airlines purchase ATF for domestic consumption, they have to bear the burden of not just 7.5% CVD or excise duty but also sales tax levied by various states. Moreover, operators of airports, where fuelling takes place, also levy throughput or service charges that range from 3-4% over and above this.
20/08/09 Deepshikha Sikarwar & Nirbhay Kumar/Economic Times

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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 the flight was under threat, but by that stage we were quite sure it was a hoax," the Singapore Airlines spokeswoman said, adding "With passengers and crew all safely in Melbourne, we checked the plane thoroughly and haven't found anything."
20/08/09 PTI/Times of India

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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 global downturn.
The wage revision, if passed by the Board, would be effective from 1997 and cover all categories of pilots. They (pilots) include First Officers, Captains and Commanders.
The Board is also likely to discuss the wage revision agreemnt with Air India officers and executive cabin-crew.
19/08/09 PTI/Economic Times

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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 Abu Dhabi) with the state of the art Boeing 737-800 aircraft on Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays effective 4th September, 2009.
These flights will depart Muscat at 2035 hrs and arrive into Amritsar at 0325 hrs, the following day, he said.
Indian Ambassador Anil Wadhwa and Air India Manager for Oman Mr. Mohit Sain at a joint press conference at Indian Embassy today said that the airline is also exploring two additional flights a week between Muscat and Kochi (via Mangalore) on Wednesdays and Fridays.
19/08/09 Mangalorean.com

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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 P Narain, head of the communicable disease programme at the WHO’s south east Asian regional office.
Salim Habayeb, WHO representative in India said airport screening is not India’s primary counter strategy. “Airport screening could have an added benefit,” he said. “H1N1 pandemic is unstoppable. Whatever has been reported so far is the tip of the iceberg. Containment is not possible,” Habayeb said.
But, the government is continuing with flu screening at 22 airports. Almost 49 lakh air travellers have so far been screened at the airports by a team of 225 doctors and 172 paramedics at 83 counters till Monday. Out of 2,026 positive reported cases, 773 were identified through entry screening.
According to Union Health Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad, the Centre will buy 24 more thermal scanners for installation at various international airports.Four thermal scanners were imported last month and were installed at the Indira Gandhi International Airport in Delhi on a pilot basis. After this, the detection rate at the airports went up from 5 per cent to 20 per cent. However, the WHO advice is different. Depending on the H1N1 prevalence, the UN health agency has categories nations into three classes – (a) no cases (b) sporadic case and (c) nations where the virus is in the community.
Surveillance test at airports is useful for the first two categories. But it is of limited value in nations where the virus is in the community. Despite prodding WHO officials did not specify the category for India.
18/08/09 Deccan Herald

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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 of India (TAFI). “Many are leaving the country because of swine flu and even the domestic travel industry has been hit,” he said.
According to Lulla, many corporate bookings have been cancelled and promotional functions called off because of the panic. The maximum rush, according to a senior airline official from a private international airline, is for the Gulf countries.
19/08/09 Shashank Shekhar/Indian Express

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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 between its three offices in Mumbai, Delhi and Bangalore employs close to 150 people.
Roshan Mendis, regional vice-president of Travelocity Asia Pacific, said the acquisition will complement the company's online business and help it access more than 4,000 hotels in India.
Industry sources told DNA that Travelguru has been in the red for quite sometime and Damera had been trying hard to find a buyer for over a year now, reaching out to the likes of expedia.com, makemytrip.com and Cox & Kings.
Travelguru since its inception in 2005 has received two rounds of venture capital funding. It raised $25 million in 2006 -- $10 million from Sequoia Capital India, which the latter followed up with a $15 million co-investment with Battery Venture.
In 2007, Travelguru acquired travel portal, desiya.com, reportedly for $25 million in 2007.
19/08/09 Ashish K Tiwari/Daily News & Analysis

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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. The culmination comes today with the certification demonstrating that SITA’s platform is fully compliant with the pre-released version of the IATA (International Air Transport Association) CUPPS Technical Specification.
Catherine Mayer, SITA's Vice-President for Airport Services, said: “This is a great day for the air transport community as it brings common use passenger processing to a more efficient level. It is also another milestone in SITA’s long history of community leadership in the common use arena. SITA first developed CUTE (common user terminal equipment) with the airlines in 1984 and is now the first to receive certification for our platform using the new industry adopted CUPPS Recommended Practice.
“This certification demonstrates that our systems can run multiple applications according to the CUPPS standards. In fact, SITA’s AirportConnect Open is the only fully-integrated common use platform supporting CUPPS, CUTE, and web-based applications, as well as CUSS kiosk applications.”
SITA’s AirportConnect Open is a proven, stable platform that has been in operation since 2004. It provides a low-risk migration path to CUPPS compared with both new platforms that may be introduced by other companies and with existing platforms where CUPPS, CUTE, and CUSS Kiosk capabilities are not integrated as a single system.
SITA is the world's leading specialist in air transport communication and IT solutions. SITA delivers and manages business solutions for airline, airport, GDS, government and other customers over the world’s most extensive network, which forms the communications backbone of the global air transport industry.
SITA’s portfolio includes managed global communications, infrastructure and outsourcing services, as well as services for airline commercial management and passenger operations, flight operations, aircraft operations and air-to-ground communications, airport management and operations, baggage operations, transportation security and border management, cargo operations and more. With a customer service team of over 1,600 staff around the world, SITA invests significantly in achieving best-in-class customer service, providing integrated local and global support for both its communications and IT application services.
SITA has two main subsidiaries: OnAir, which is the leading provider of in-flight connectivity, and CHAMP Cargosystems, the world's only IT company dedicated solely to air cargo. SITA also operates two joint ventures providing services to the air transport community: Aviareto for aircraft asset management and CertiPath for secure electronic identity management.
SITA is one of the world's most international companies. Its global reach is based on local presence, with services for around 550 air transport industry members and 3,200 customers in over 200 countries and territories. In 2009, the company celebrates 60 years in business. Set up in 1949 with 11 member airlines, SITA today employs people of more than 140 nationalities, speaking over 70 different languages. SITA had consolidated revenues of over US$1.47 billion (€1.13 billion) in 2008.
For further information go to www.sita.aero
17/09/09 PRESS RELEASE/SITA

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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 given a full refund and a free voucher for travel on any of the airline’s routes until the end of November.
With more than one million India’s residing in the UAE, India is an important route for the budget carrier.
Regional budget airlines could grow by up to 10 percent in the next two years, Al Ghaith added.
flydubai launched in June amid the global economic downturn, which has seen a slump in passenger traffic.
The no frills airline, which is wholly owned by the government of Dubai, has already launched five routes to Beirut, Amman, Damascus, Aleppo and Alexandria, and is due to launch its sixth route to Djibouti in September.
flydubai is competing with other low cost airlines including Kuwait’s Jazeera Airways and Sharjah-based Air Arabia.
18/08/09 Claire Ferris-Lay/arabianBusiness.com, UAE

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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 and revenue management, told Mint on the sidelines of its 17th annual general meeting on Monday.
18/08/09 P.R. Sanjai/Livemint

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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. The S7 Cargo has chosen iCargoNet, the SaaS offering of iCargo, that will be hosted from IBS’ state-of-the-art data centres. With this the total number of cargo customers for IBS has grown to 19 in a very short time.
iCargo, developed in association with a Core Group of Influencers comprising 6 leading airlines in the world, has, within a span of a few years grown to be an industry leading air cargo management solution globally. The IBS solution (ibsplc.com) was selected by S7 Cargo for its strong customer service and proven ability to help cargo carriers in significantly increasing operational effectivity and cost efficiency. iCargoNet, the hosted version of iCargo lowers the total cost of ownership and facilitates transaction-based pricing, whilst bringing new benefits such as ease of global distribution and ability to add new modules and system features as the business needs of the airlines grow and change.
18/08/09 NewswireToday

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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 turn to line-up on Runway 14 veered across a grass verge.
No casualties or damage to the aircraft were reported, but take-off and landing were suspended for two and a half hours from around 11am as the plane was towed away.
The Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh formed a four-member probe committee soon after the incident.
Committee head, wing commander Kamrul Islam, told bdnews24.com later that evening: "We have taken interviews of pilot, co-pilots and other crew members on the flight."
Engineers had also examined the aircraft, he said.
The 121 passengers of the Indian Jet Airways flight 271 were accommodated on another plane.
"It was a small accident. So we are priotising on finding out the cause instead of meting out penalty," said Islam. He added that the crewmembers were allowed to go as interviews ended.
"Engineers have also examined the plane. It did not incur much damage and it can take off any time."
He said they already gave permission to the plane to depart that night. Islam said his committee might take 8-10 days altogether to complete its report and any recommendations.
17/08/09 bdnews24.com, Bangladesh

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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, said she was really shaken up by the incident. "We were taxiing normally and the pilot had to make a turn to get the aircraft onto the runway. He wasn't able to make that turn and instead went on straight. The entire aircraft started shaking and stopped only when brakes were applied. Lots of passengers were very angry but no airline official was willing to explain the situation to us,'' she said.
Passengers reportedly sat in the aircraft for almost half-an-hour before they were evacuated. Marcos Toviocasal, another passenger, said a ladder was brought to the aircraft to help them deboard. "We were then taken to the departure terminal and a while later some of us were taken to a lounge. The flight finally took off from Dhaka at 5.30pm and landed in Delhi around 7.15pm, delayed by about eight hours,'' he said.
The passengers of 9W 271, who finally arrived at Delhi's IGI Airport at 7.15pm, were a tired and irritable lot.
In Delhi, anxious relatives spent practically the entire day at the airport as there was no information forthcoming from the airline.
18/08/09 Neha Lalchandani/Times of India

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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 to sources, the accused are residents of Kapusthala and Hoshiarpur in Punjab. "We found that none of them were employed with Punjab police. The accused have been identified as Hardeep Singh (26), Lakhveer Singh (30), Jasvinder Singh (30) and Taranjeet Singh (25),'' said an investigating officer. The fraud was detected by immigration officials prior to the plane's departure.
"The accused claim that one Lakhvinder Singh a sub-inspector and coach of the basketball team had collected Rs 12 lakh each from them and arranged visas from the Canadian consulates at Jalandhar and Chandigarh. We have registered a case of cheating and will nab the coach,'' added the officer.
17/08/09 Link, Canada

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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 effort. Bell has said it will not participate in the new competition.Meanwhile, the way is now clear for the implementation of the $2.1 billion contract for India to buy eight Boeing P-8I long-range maritime reconnaissance aircraft. The technical assistance agreement for the contract has now been worked out, according to Vivek Lall, head of Boeing Integrated Defense Systems in India.
The contract for eight P-8I aircraft was signed on Jan. 1. Following the recent visit of U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton here, the controversial defense technology end-use monitoring agreement between India and the U.S. has been finalized as well, making the going smoother.
17/08/09 Neelam Mathews/Aviation Week

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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 and its surrounding areas. IAF's test pilots along with the US companies pilots flew the latest war machine after it took of majestically from the Hindustan Aerospace Ltd airport in the city.
After the tests in the city, IAF plans to test the fighter jets in cold and hot conditions over Leh in J&K and Jaisalmer in Rajasthan, respectively.
The other five contenders include Gripen, Lockheed Martin's F-16 Super Viper, Eurofighter's Typhoon, Russian United Aircraft's MiG35 and France's Dassault Aviation's Rafale.
18/08/09 Sahil Online

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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 Chairman Air Commodore Saked Iqbal Khan Majlis said the passengers were immediately evacuated from the aircraft while an airforce contingent joined the rescue operation along with civil aviation workers of Biman Bangladesh Airlines and Jet airways Engineers. The incident happened at around 10.40 a m local time (10.10 am IST).
17/08/09 PTI/Economic Times

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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 year. While the lease term with Gulf Air will expire in October this year, the agreement with Oman Air continues till October-November.
“We have converted the lease with Turkish Airlines effective last month. Three Boeing 777s have been delivered to it on dry lease and another one would be delivered to it soon,'' Jet Airways Executive Director Saroj Datta told PTI.
Conversion of wet lease into dry lease would result in revenues of Jet Airways going down by almost half on these airplanes.
16/08/09 PTI/BusinessLine

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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 of the state chief ministers and the police chiefs on internal security scenario in the country here at Vigyan Bhawan.
"And to add to the complications, they allowed SRK to make a call only after two hours. Had they allowed him to make the call in first fifteen minutes, there would have been no controversy," said the minister.
Asked if India too would treat visiting US dignitaries or their high-profile citizens in the same manner, Chidambaram said: "We will tell them that we do it (frisking) and checking only in civilised manner."
The minister, however, lamented that such an unsavoury treatment was meted out to a high-profile citizen of a country where "we send our joint secretaries officers to the tarmac to receive them (visiting dignitaries.)"
17/08/09 Times of India

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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 to the problems travellers face when they are "misidentified." The Terrorist Screening Database now has over 700,000 names and includes many common Indian and South Asian names.
According to the agency, a foreign traveller who feels targeted can file an online complaint on TSA's redressal programme at www.dhs.gov/trip or mail a complaint to the agency's office.
But media reports point out that the Traveler Redress Inquiry Program better known as TRIP, has a crushing backlog of appeals. The Homeland Security Department says it gets 2,000 requests a month from people who want to have their names cleared. The average processing time is 40 days.
But even Indians placed in a cleared list complain they still get security pat-downs and a barrage of questions because airline reservation systems seem to be working with old information.
To get rid of glitches, TSA is developing a more sophisticated screening system called "Secure Flight" that should cut down on the number of people mistakenly tagged for extra security. The new system will include more personal data like birthdates and not rely so heavily on names.
16/08/09 Uttara Choudhury/Daily News & Analysis

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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 praises on Mr. Khan, saying many Americans loved his movies.
Earlier, the External Affairs Ministry took up the matter with the U.S. Embassy. Its spokesman said the U.S. Embassy was ascertaining the circumstances which led to the detention of Mr. Khan and that the Consul-General of India in New York was in touch with the actor.
Reacting sharply, Information and Broadcasting Minister Ambika Soni said such incidents recurred with disconcerting frequency and called for returning the compliments.
Stating that she too had been frisked, Ms. Soni underscored the need to “pay back in the same coin” as the number of such instances was on the rise and frisking was beyond permissible limits.
Choreographer-director Farah Khan asked: “If he can be discriminated [on the basis of religion], who else is left. Shah Rukh was on the Time magazine’s 50 Most Influential People list. It is not only discrimination but lack of knowledge also.”
16/08/09 PTI/The Hindu

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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 travelling all by himself except for his assistant Subhash Jain. He was stopped and taken to a separate room called the Passport Control Secondary.
“We did not detain him for two hours [as reported], but one hour and six minutes to be precise,” said Elmer Camacho, public affairs liaison for the US Customs and Border Protection Force, the federal government group that has the right to detain people at immigration and Customs checkpoints. “The airline he was travelling in had misplaced his bags and the time it took them to locate his bags is included in this one hour six minutes.”
“It was a normal process, part of our security routine. He was taken to the Passport Control Secondary, which in the afternoons when several flights land together can get very very packed. From people being questioned to those who have migrated to the US, all are called into this room and people may have to await their turn till their name is called out.”
India has since officially taken up the issue with the US Embassy in New Delhi , which said it was ascertaining details about the incident involving the “global icon” who was welcome to America.
News agency IANS quoted SRK as saying, in response to a question whether he felt like meting out similar treatment to the Americans, “If they want I can frisk Angelina Jolie when she is here (in India).”
Good to know his good humour has been restored.
16/08/09 Aseem Chhabra and Lakshmi Iyer/Mumbai Mirror/Times of India

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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 for 66 minutes.
Elmer Camacho, a spokesman for the US Bureau of Customs and Border Protection, said the questioning was part of the agency's routine process to screen foreign travellers, the Associated Press news agency reports.
The US ambassador to India, Timothy Roehmer, said the embassy was looking into Mr Khan's case.
He said the embassy was trying to "ascertain the facts of the case - to understand what took place".
16/08/09 BBC News, UK

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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 photo on his son's passport, officials said. Amarjit and Manga were handed over to the Sahar police for further investigation. Both are still in police custody.
"We found several discrepancies in the passport and the UK visa. During interrogation, the duo revealed that they had paid Rs 60,000 to a police constable to clear the immigration check,'' an official said. The constable, Mangesh Tamanekar, has been suspended. He had another agent, Manish Kumate, working for him and cops are looking for him.
DCP (zone VIII) Brajesh Singh said, "Tamanekar was suspended on July 23. His anticipatory bail was rejected on August 14.''
A police officer said those involved in the trafficking racket were hands-in-gloves with some cops and airport officials who helped them forge visas and passports and swap them at the airport.
16/08/09 V Narayan/Times of India

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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 channel on telephone from the US, Shah Rukh appeared to shrug off the embarrassing episode saying he had suffered similar treatment previously too.
The incident happened as the hugely popular actor, whose fans number millions in India and abroad, was on his way to Chicago to attend an event related to India's Independence Day.
Other Bollywood stars like Katrina Kaif, Kareena Kapoor and Saif Ali Khan too are set to attend the function. "They checked me because I was an Asian," the actor said. "They wanted to know why I came to the US and where I am staying."
Shah Rukh's manager Niloufer Qureshi earlier told IANS over telephone from Mumbai: "He was detained because his surname is Khan. He was kept until officials from the Indian embassy intervened."
15/08/09 Indo-Asian News Service/Hindustan Times

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"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 phone that a formal complaint about this harassment should be reported to the US State Department.
Reacting to the incident, Chandra said: "The authorities should have taken maximum 10 -15 minutes for questioning Shahrukh, but it took two hours. It is great incompetence and has lowered the image of (US) Homeland Security".
Sources said that Khan was indeed detained at the US airport and questioned for two hours. They said he was released only after Indian Officials intervened.
They added that the Consulate General of New York was in touch with Shahrukh Khan. According to sources, the Indian consulate could register a formal complaint against the security agencies involved in this "embarrassing" incident.
Some experts said that a formal complaint should be sent to the US envoy in Delhi.
Chandra, however, said that making it a big diplomatic issue would be counterproductive because the incident had nothing to do with US policy, but was the handiwork of lowly officers deployed at the airport.
15/08/09 Agencies/Economic Times

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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. He was asked several questions about the purpose of his visit. His hand baggage was checked. He was not allowed to even make a phone call for nearly an hour.
Shukla, who came to the actor’s rescue condemned this act saying, "It is really not fair. Just because he has a common surname does not mean that every Muslim can be taken as a suspect or considered to be a terrorist. The Amercian authorities should adopt a methodology so that well-known names like Shahrukh Khan and APJ Abdul Kalam are not harassed like this. They should focus on getting the actual suspects.’’
15/08/09 Bharati Dubey/Times of India

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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 racism. Shah Rukh Khan is a world figure for god's sake. Get real!
Kabir Khan: If you have a Muslim name you are bound to be questioned. It happened with me thrice in the US. ... But when it comes to Shah Rukh, it doesn't take more than 20 seconds to figure out who he is. Any search engine on the Internet will give more information on him than Hollywood stars Tom Cruise or Brad Pitt and despite that if it took them two hours to figure out, then it's harassment.
Pritish Nandy: ...Cops don't want to recognise anybody. They love to show their power and authority, especially in the US.
Kunal Kohli: It's really disgusting. Even if they had done a Google search on their mobiles, they would have seen who he is. What were they checking for two hours on their super computers? To detain him for two hours is ridiculous, disgusting and an insult to us Indians.
Arindam Chaudhari: What a shame! ..It's Shah Rukh so it's become big news. But there many who constantly go through this everyday. It's really sad.
Eesha Koppikhar: I am not sure of the exact events but if he was detained just because he is a Muslim with Khan as a last name, it is very wrong.
15/08/09 IANS/Sify

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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 sector, even as passengers flying into and out of the country grew 6%.
The Airport Authority's year-to-datedata for the current fiscal, brought out in May, show a fall of 10% in domestic traffic as international traffic went up 4% during the same period.
The share of international traffic at Delhi and Hyderabad airports during year to date jumped to 31% and 27% from 28% and 17%, respectively as compared with the year ago period.
A senior executive at the Hyderabad airport said international traffic was growing because airlines were launching new flights and adding more frequencies even as domestic airlines were cutting back capacity.
15/08/09 Praveena Sharma/Daily News & Analysis

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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 Hong Kong using its Airbus SAS made A330 aircraft, double its frequency from Mumbai to Bangkok, and also connect Mumbai with Dhaka over the next three months.
The Delhi-Hong Kong launch is expected to be on 1 October , said a senior government official who asked not to be identified. This will be Jet’s second daily service to Hong Kong after one from Mumbai, said a Jet official who confirmed the move.
Jet connects around 20 international destinations directly and has a fleet of 86 aircraft.
Jet’s rival carrier KingfisherAirlines has also tweaked its strategy on international operations from 15 September by replacing loss-making routes with ones that seem lucrative.
The airline has also applied for permission to fly from Delhi to London but the government hasn’t approved this yet. The airline already has permission to fly to Hong Kong and Singapore.
Kingfisher Airlines has a fleet of around 73 aircraft and and will use its its wide body A330 aircraft to fly international routes of Hong Kong and Singapore.
14/08/09 Tarun Shukla/Livemint

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