Showing posts with label Foreign Aug 2018. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Foreign Aug 2018. Show all posts

Friday, August 31, 2018

Jet Airways losing ground among international fliers

Jet Airways, the troubled airline, has not just lost share in domestic market, but also among international fliers. Numbers reveal that the company’s share in international market out of India has dropped in the last one year.
The biggest gainer is IndiGo, which has already become a dominant player in the domestic market.
Statistics from aviation regulator DGCA reveal that Jet Airways' share in the international passenger traffic from India dropped to 13.9 percent in the first three months of 2018, compared to 14.5 percent in the same period in 2017.
On the other hand, share of IndiGo – which has been eating into the business of its peers in the domestic market — has risen to 5.8 percent in the January to March period, from 4 percent a year ago.
The loss among international fliers will hurt Jet Airways particularly because for years now the overseas market has been an area of focus for the Naresh Goyal-owned company. Its partnership with Etihad Airways, which owns 24 percent in Jet Airways, was supposed to help improve the Indian airline’s showing.
31/08/18 Prince Mathews Thomas/moneycontrol.com

Centre’s Udan could put 3 state airports on the world map

Bangalore : Fasten your seat belts and don’t be surprised if you hear a boarding call for an international flight from a Tier-II city. These are not flights of fancy but they could soon be a possibility as the state government is proposing new routes from where it can operate international flights under the Civil Aviation Ministry’s UDAN scheme for international routes.
So far airports in Tier-1 cities used to be the starting point for international flights. But now airports like Hubballi, Belagavi and also Kalaburagi, which can operate wide-bodied aircraft, could be chosen for international flights under the scheme.
Recently, the Civil Aviation Ministry released the ‘draft scheme document of international air connectivity scheme’, UDAN (International). The Ministry had said that the scheme intends to enhance air connectivity between States and selected international destinations and invited stakeholders to send in their views on the scheme by September 4.
In response to the draft, Karnataka’s Infrastructure Development Department (IDD) will be holding discussions with Civil Aviation Ministry officials in New Delhi on September 1.
31/08/18 Hemanth C S/Bangalore Mirror

Airlines asked to pay Rs 35 lakh as compensation for deboarding three of family

Chandigarh: The Punjab State Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission here has ordered two airlines to jointly pay a compensation of Rs 35 lakh to a woman and her two minor children for the "mental agony, tension, harassment" suffered by them after being asked to deboard a Toronto-bound flight at Delhi airport last year.

Minali Mittal along with her two children--11 year old daughter and 3-year old son -- was travelling to Toronto in September, 2017. They boarded a Jet Airways flight from the Chandigarh International Airport at Mohali to Delhi for onward journey to Canada.

In her petition, Minali submitted that having boarded the Air Canada flight in Delhi her daughter Teesha Mittal had to use the washroom and finding it locked, she kept on waiting at its door.

It was alleged that the "washroom was emitting a foul smell," as a result of which Teesha suffered from nausea and vomited at the door of the washroom.

"Crew staff of Air Canada screamed at minor complainant and wrongly termed it as sickness of complainant No.2 (Teesha), minor, and on that grounds they misbehaved and forced the complainants (mother and her two children) to deboard the plane, taking the plea of safety of other passengers," the Commission said in its order.
31/08/18 PTI/Economic Times

Netherlands targets 25% growth in Indian travellers

New Delhi: Placing India as its joint second fastest emerging market along with Brazil, Netherlands Board Tourism & Convention (NBTC) has witnessed splendid growth from the Indian market last year and wants to continue the momentum in 2018. Netherlands welcomed 1,65,000 Indians in 2017 witnessing a 31% increase over 2017 and has set a target to clock 25% growth this year thereby reaching the figure of two lakh Indian arrivals. NBTC has already recorded over 67,000 visitors from India until May 2018.

Carola Muller - van Rijn, Global Travel Trade Manager, NBTC Holland Marketing shared these statistics at the Holland Sales Mission 2018 organised in New Delhi recently. The sales mission was also organised in Bengaluru and Mumbai where NBTC Holland Marketing along with Jet Airways, KLM Royal Dutch Airlines and five other players from Netherlands participated and interacted with over 300 travel trade members across the three cities to educate them about the new tourism offerings in Netherlands.

Muller - van Rijn said that around EUR 500,000 is the annual budget allocation for marketing and promotions for the four emerging markets i.e. Russia, India, Brazil and China and any increase in that budget allocation will help us better present ourselves in India which can help attract good numbers.
31/08/18 TravelBizMonitor

Thursday, August 30, 2018

Air Arabia to connect 13 Indian cities with Prague via Sharjah

Air Arabia will operate a direct flight from Sharjah in the UAE to Prague in the Czech Republic starting December 11.
Adel Al Ali, group chief executive officer of Air Arabia, said the airline is focusing on the continued expansion of its international routes. He said, “With the launch of the Sharjah to Prague route, we aim to offer our passengers a chance to discover the colourful and historic capital city. Our newest destination in Europe will be available direct from the UAE.”
Arzan Khambatta, head - Czech Tourist Authority, CzechTourism India, said, “The popularity of the Czech Republic as a tourist destination is exponentially increasing in India. Several Indian travellers want to explore this wonderful destination. Air Arabia will now connect Prague with 13 cities across India making the Czech Republic even more accessible to Indian travellers.”

Air Arabia will connect 13 Indian cities with Prague via Sharjah. The 13 cities are Chennai, Jaipur, Kochi, Nagpur, Coimbatore, Thiruvananthapuram, Goa, Kozhikode, Hyderabad, New Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Ahmedabad.
30/08/18 V Ayyappan/Times of India

GoAir to start international operations from Oct 11

Budget airline GoAir will start international operations from October 11, its chief executive officer Cornelis Vrieswijik said today.
The inaugural flights will operate to Phuket from New Delhi and Mumbai.
The airline will also launch flights to Male in Maldives from Mumbai and Delhi on October 14.
The bookings for the maiden international flight will commence soon, a source had earlier said.
The city-based airline will be the sixth domestic carrier to have international operations.
GoAir became eligible to fly overseas two years ago when it took delivery of its 20th aircraft, which was also the first Airbus A320 Neo for the airline.
30/08/18 PTI/Economic Times

Air India to connect Mumbai with New York, resumes Frankfurt services

Mumbai: National carrier Air India will start flight services to New York from here, besides resuming services to Frankfurt, which it discontinued in 2010, from winters this year.

At present, the government-run airline flies to New York, Washington, San Francisco from New Delhi; Chicago from Hyderabad through New Delhi and to Newark from Mumbai.

Among European cities, Air India flies directly to destinations such as Stockholm, Madrid, Vienna, Paris, London, Rome, Birmingham and Milan.

"Air India is set to spread its wings further in the US and European skies from the coming winters.
29/08/18 New Indian Express

Guwahati-Singapore Drukair Flight To Take Off On Sept 1

Guwahati: As the inaugural Guwahati-Singapore Drikair flight is set to take off from Guwahati airport on September 1, Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal said that diplomatic relations between India and Bhutan would receive a major boost with the launch of new international flight by Drukair – Royal Bhutan Airlines, connecting Guwahati with Singapore.

He said this while taking part at the ceremonially launch of this new international flight in a programme held at Hotel Vivanta by Taj in Guwahati on Thursday. The inaugural flight between Guwahati and Singapore will take off on 1st September from Lokapriya Gopinath Bardoloi International (LGBI) Airport here.

Sonowal termed the initiative historic and expressed his deep appreciation to the Royal Government of Bhutan and Drukair – Royal Bhutan Airlines, for the endeavour to connect Guwahati directly with Singapore. He said that the initiative would not only facilitate trade and people-to-people contact among Bhutan, Assam and Singapore but also contribute towards strengthening social, cultural and economic ties.
30/08/18 Shillong Times

Air India to start flight services to New York from Mumbai, resume services to Frankfurt

Mumbai: National carrier Air India will start flight services to New York from Mumbai, besides resuming services to Frankfurt, which it discontinued in 2010, from winters this year.

At present, the government-run airline flies to New York, Washington, San Francisco from New Delhi; Chicago from Hyderabad through New Delhi and to Newark from Mumbai.

Among European cities, Air India flies directly to destinations such as Stockholm, Madrid, Vienna, Paris, London, Rome, Birmingham and Milan.

"Air India is set to spread its wings further in the US and European skies from the coming winters. As part of this, it will launch flight services for the first time to New York from Mumbai and restart operations to Frankfurt in Germany," a source said.
30/08/18 PTI/First Post

Uganda: MP Zaake Blocked From Travelling to India Hospital

Tortured Mityana Municipality Member of Parliament, Mr Francis Zaake, who is scheduled to travel to India for specialised medical attention, has been blocked at Entebbe Airport.

The MP who was arrested and tortured by security operatives on the eve of Arua Municipality by-election, two weeks ago, is stuck in the VIP Lounge at the airport.

Mr Zaake left Rubaga Hospital, where he has spent a fortnight, in an ambulance on Thursday morning.

Mr Asuman Basalirwa, one of Mr Zaake's lawyers said at the airport that they are not aware that his client is wanted by police or court to warrant police clearance, before travelling.
"A police officer by the name of Oloka has informed me that we need police clearance from police for him to be able to travel. We informed him that we are not aware that the Hon Francis Zaake is wanted by police or court. But even if he was wanted, his condition cannot allow him to either go to police or court," Mr Basalirwa said. "So, the best thing is for government to clear him to travel to India for medical treatment. His condition is dire. If he is not cleared, Hon Zaake could easily die from here. So, we are waiting for 12 o'clock which is check in time, we try to get him to the plane, if they stop us, then we will see what to do."
30/08/18 James Kabengwa/All Africa

IndiGo Announces Kuwait and Abu Dhabi as New Destinations

IndiGo is adding Kuwait and Abu Dhabi to its route network, with both new services starting in October 2018.

As part of the international expansion, Kuwait will be the 57th and Abu Dhabi will be the 58th destination on its network.

To provide more enhanced connectivity across India, IndiGo has added 24 new flights to its network. IndiGo will become the first domestic airline to introduce services connecting Port Blair with Hyderabad and Vadodara. These flights will commence from September 2018.

In addition, the Indian airline will operate its first daily return flight between Surat and Chennai, daily non-stop return service between Delhi and Imphal, direct flights to Vijayawada from Delhi. The airline will also add two international new routes connecting Doha with Ahmedabad and Trivandrum. These new services will be effective October, 2018.
30/08/18 Aviation Tribune

Why that's NOT a $199 fare to India

This week WOW Air rolled out a "$199 fare" between the US and India. It made headlines across the internet on major travel and news sites and I'm sure snagged thousands of clicks.
But if you are thinking that $199 to India sounds too good to be true, you'd be right. As a matter of fact, if you wanted to fly from the Bay Area to India and back on WOW Air, you'd pay almost 400% more.
Wait. What?
Here's a lesson on what to look for when you see a fare that seems too good to be true using this $199 to India fare as an example. Below are questions you need to ask yourself to determine if the fare is indeed a good deal. For this post, we are pricing a hypothetical roundtrip, one-stop itinerary between San Francisco and Delhi for late January, 2019.
Which airline is offering it?
What's the roundtrip fare?
When/where do I have to fly to get the deal?
What's the bag fee?
Where will I sit?
How much are other airlines charging?
29/08/18 Chris McGinnis/Chron

Wow Air to fly between L.A. and India starting at $199. Just watch out for those extra fees

Budget travelers may bite on the latest bargain fare between Los Angeles and New Delhi. Iceland-based Wow Air in December will begin flying to the Indian city from major U.S. hubs, including L.A. The initial ticket price: $199 each way.

Tickets are on sale now for flights that begin Dec. 5 and stop in Reykjavík. I checked the airline’s website Tuesday and found the $199 fare from L.A. available Jan. 21. However, the cheapest return I could find for the week of Jan. 27 was $354 (I selected Jan. 30 to test this fare). Total round-trip airfare costs $554, including tax, one of the cheapest fares around.

But that price assumes you are bringing only a personal item on board, defined as something roughly 17-by-13-by-10 inches.
29/08/18 Mary Forgione/Los Angeles Times

British national with satellite phone detained at airport

Kolkata: A British national was detained by the Central Industrial Security Force at Kolkata Airport on Thursday for carrying a satellite phone. He was later handed over to the police. The officers at NSCBI Police Station seized the satellite phone. Around 3.30 pm on Thursday, the 33-year-old British national, Prior Mathew, was detained at the airport after the CISF personnel found a satellite phone in his handbag. It was found during the pre-embarkation security check through X-BIS machine in the Security Hold Area at the airport.
Sub-inspector Ved Prakash of CISF detected the satellite phone from Mathew's handbag. He was supposed to travel from Kolkata to Delhi by an Air India flight. He was scheduled to take a connecting flight to Hong Kong from Delhi.
According to police sources, the satellite phone was seized as its use is ban in India. He was allowed to go following discussions over the matter with the British Consulate in Kolkata.
30/08/18 millennium post

Wednesday, August 29, 2018

Spreading wings: Vistara to start flights to Phuket, Colombo

Full-service carrier Vistara, a joint venture between Singapore Airlines and the Tata Group, is set to fly on international routes from October. Sources told FE that the airline’s international flights will be from New Delhi to Colombo in Sri Lanka and Phuket, an island off Thailand’s west coast.

Under the new policy, an airline needs to have 20 aircraft for domestic operations to be eligible to fly overseas. Vistara, which began operations in January 2015, got its 20th aircraft in April and now has a 22-aircraft fleet so it can begin services to two overseas destinations.

Sources said Vistara wanted to fly to Dubai but the quota under the India-Dubai bilateral is full. The quota can be hiked under a new policy, but since Indian carriers are negotiating for better slots at Dubai airport the entire matter is stuck.

According to travel trade experts, launching overseas flights in October makes sense for the airline as it is a good period for travel given that it is the festival period and is a small vacation time.
29/08/18 Manisha Singhal/Financial Express

First batch of haj pilgrims returns home

Gaya:  The first batch of 150 haj pilgrims from Bihar, 46 of them women, arrived at the Gaya international airport by a special Air India flight on Tuesday afternoon.
Scheduled for 2.15pm, the flight landed about 75 minutes late at 3.30pm. The pilgrims who returned hail from eight districts of the state, including Patna and Darbhanga. Sources said arrangements had been made to escort the pilgrims to the state capital in airconditioned buses under police escort.
The pilgrims were received at the airport by state minority welfare minister Khurshid Ahmad, State Haj Committee chief Mohd Iliyas and Gaya DM Abhishek Singh. All the 4,798 pilgrims from the state will come back in the next two weeks. The last batch of pilgrims will be reaching Gaya on September 11.
28/08/18 Times of India

Lufthansa bags Airline of the Year award at IGIA Awards 2018

Lufthansa German Airlines, Europe’s leading airline in India and first European airline with 5-star Skytrax rating was awarded as ‘Airline of the Year, Europe & North America’ at IGIA Award 2018. Organized by Delhi International Airport Authority (DIAL) in collaboration with KPMG, Lufthansa was recognized under the category of ‘International Airline – Europe & North America‘ for the seventh consecutive year.
Held at a ceremony in New Delhi, the award was received by Lufthansa India team in the presence of key stakeholders. The award celebrates and recognizes the outstanding efforts of the Lufthansa team at Indira Gandhi International Airport for raising standards of excellence and serving the ever increasing demands of passengers.

Lufthansa India team after receiving the award

Lufthansa offers its passengers state-of-the-art products and best-in-class services such as in-flight entertainment and enhanced FlyNet allowing in-flight, high-speed internet to help stay connected with business partners or family on ground. The airline recently introduced a brand-new in-flight menu offering passengers an array of delectable and healthy meal options. Guests with special meal requests such as diabetic, Jain, Kosher and those with food allergies have scrumptious options to choose from. Passengers can also relish special Chaayos Masala Tea, crafted exclusively for the airline and featuring a special blend of high quality natural ingredients.
As the leading European airlines in India, Lufthansa Group has been in India for more than 50 years and its carriers Lufthansa, SWISS and Brussels Airlines currently offer 61 flights from four Indian gateways, namely Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai and Bengaluru connecting to 343 destinations in more than 100 countries via its four European hubs of Frankfurt, Munich, Zurich and Brussels.
The IGIA Awards were conceptualized in 2011 to honour and reward the efficiency and achievements of various service partners such as airport retailers, F&B, etc. at Indira Gandhi International Airport.
29/08/18 Lufthansa/Press Release

AirAsia offers cheap international flight tickets from Rs 4,399. Details here

New Delhi: AirAsia is launching lucrative discounts for all its international flyers in its 'Thailand on Sale!' deal.
The tickets under the offer start at an all-inclusive rate of Rs 4,399 and are only available for select routes.
In order to avail the benefits of the scheme a customer has to book tickets till September 2, 2018.
Also, the customers need to book the tickets in advance in order to get the benefits.
The offer is only available on connecting flights and can be availed by bookings done on the website.
28/08/18 India Today

Cabinet approves signing of Air Services Agreement b/w India & Morocco

New Delhi: The Union Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday approved the revised air services agreement to be signed between India and Morocco.
After the new Air Services Agreement comes into force, the existing Air Services Agreement of
December, 2004 shall stand superseded.
According to an official source, the Air Services Agreement signifies an important landmark in the civil aviation relations between India and Morocco and has the potential to spur greater trade, investment, tourism and cultural exchanges between the two countries.
29/08/18 UNI

Tuesday, August 28, 2018

India Clears Decks For 24 American MH-60 Romeo Helicopters For Navy

The Indian Navy gets to exhale a bit, as a crucial and long-pending demand for a replacement of its old fleet of Sea King anti-submarine/utility helicopters gets off the ground. The Indian Ministry of Defence (MoD) on 25 August 2018 cleared decks for the navy to go ahead and contract for 24 Lockheed Martin-Sikorsky MH-60 Romeo maritime helicopters in a government-to-government deal with the Pentagon. The deal is expected to be worth $1.8 billion.

The move comes days before Delhi and Washington engaged in a crucial ‘2+2’ dialogue in the Indian capital, in which US Secretary of Defense James Mattis will meet with his Indian counterpart Nirmala Sitharaman on a range of issues, including military trade. The MH-60 Romeo proposal has been key to discussions over the better part of three years now.
27/08/18 Shiv Aroor/Swarajya

Willing to help SL develop ports and aviation: India

India is willing to assist Sri Lanka in developing its ports and aviation, India's External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj told Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe today.

She had said this when she met the Prime Minister in Vietnam today on the sidelines of the ongoing Third Indian Ocean Conference in Hanoi.

They had also focused on the security situation in the Indian Ocean region and they had steered frequent meetings among the members of the Indian Ocean conference in addition to official sessions.
27/08/18 Daily Mirror

1981 Indian Airlines flight hijack case: Two acquitted over ‘benefit of doubt’

New Delhi: A Delhi court on Monday acquitted two men of charges of waging war against the country in a case relating to the hijacking of a Delhi-Srinagar Indian Airlines flight and forcing it to land in Pakistan in 1981.

Accused Tajinder Pal Singh and Satnam Singh were granted “benefit of doubt” by the court, which said the prosecution has failed to prove the charges beyond “reasonable doubt”.

According to the prosecution, Indian Airlines flight IC-423 with 111 passengers and crew members took off from Delhi’s Palam airport for Srinagar on September 29, 1981. It was hijacked by the accused, who forced the plane to land in Lahore, where they were arrested and underwent imprisonment from September 30, 1981 to October 31, 1994 as part of their life sentence by a court there. The hijackers, who reportedly belonged to Dal Khalsa, had sought release of several Khalistani extremists, including Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale.

Additional Sessions Judge Ajay Pandey said: “Mahinder Singh (counsel for accused) rightly submitted that specific role and identification of accused persons was required from witnesses… In this case accused persons were not identified by any witnesses produced by the prosecution to have done any such act of waging or attempting or abetting to wage war against Government of India.”
28/08/18 Abhishek Angad/Indian Express

Helicopters to remain in Maldives for extended duration: India

According to several media reports of India, the two naval helicopters that were gifted to the Maldives from India, will remain in the archipelago for an extended period of time, to be returned after a duration of an estimated 2-3 months.

The Times of India quoted an Indian government official that the two helicopters and 48 army officers stationed in Maldives for their operations, will remain in the Maldives for this duration. Additionally, he mentioned the possibility of a further extension on the duration of housing these aircrafts in the Maldives.

He further highlighted both countries being in discussion on the dealings of these aircrafts and reported these negotiations being carried out 'smoothly'.

However, the Maldivian government has not officially made a statement regarding the matter.
27/08/18 Lujine Rasheed/Edition

First special Hajj flight landed at Srinagar airport

Srinagar: The first special flight, carrying Hajj pilgrims from Jammu and Kashmir, landed at Srinagar International Airport on Tuesday.
Senior civil and police officials received the pilgrims at the airport.
The authorities had issued special passes to relatives of pilgrims to receive them at the airport.
About 9,800 pilgrims had performed the Hajj pilgrimage from Jammu and Kashmir this year.
28/08/18 UNI

Monday, August 27, 2018

Delhi Court Acquits Two Men For Hijacking Air India Plane in 1981 and Forcing it to Land in Pakistan

New Delhi: A Delhi court on Monday acquitted two men, accused of hijacking a New Delhi-Srinagar Air India flight and forcing it to land in Pakistan in 1981.
Additional Sessions Judge Ajay Pandey granted the relief to Tajinder Pal Singh and Satnam Singh.
According to the prosecution, on September 29, 1981, the two allegedly hijacked an Air India plane from New Delhi en route to Srinagar via Amritsar and forced it to land in Lahore, Pakistan, where they were arrested and sentenced to life imprisonment.
Both were deported in 2000 from Pakistan after serving life-term for hijacking.
They had later sought their discharge from the case but a sessions court had dismissed their plea.
In 2011, the Delhi Police had charge sheeted them under various sections 121 (waging war against the government of India), 121A (conspiring to commit certain offences against the state), 124A (sedition) and 120B (criminal conspiracy) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).
27/08/18 PTI/News18

Global airlines struggle in India as price wars crush profitability

Global carriers have flocked to India, lured by a domestic travel boom and what’s expected to be the world’s third-biggest aviation market by 2025. Yet India has proven an intensely competitive market, where profits are scarce and the life expectancy of weaker airlines is anything but certain.

Jet Airways India Ltd., one of the first carriers to launch after the market opened up in the early 1990s, said in a filing this month that it needs cash to meet liquidity requirements. Its stock price is in a free-fall and the company’s board, which deferred announcing earnings by more than two weeks, is due to meet Monday to discuss austerity measures and a turnaround plan.

It’s the latest sign of financial distress in a market beset by a crushing fare war that’s made life difficult for foreign carriers, ranging from Malaysia’s low-cost AirAsia Group Bhd. to Singapore Airlines Ltd., not to mention a teeming field of domestic players. The competition is set to intensify if Qatar Airways follows through with its proposal to start a short-haul airline in the country.
27/08/18 Bloomberg/Financial Express

Indian airlines exhaust 80% of flying quota on key foreign routes

The Indian government’s policy to not grant any new flying rights to foreign nations within 5,000 km radius of the country till Indian carriers utilise at least 80% of the existing quota seems to have paid off with Indian carriers exhausting their quota with key nations.
According to updated data, utilisation by Indian carriers has crossed the mandatory 80% on routes to Doha and Singapore, where they had lagged for quite a long time.
“The utilisation on these routes has increased primarily on the back of IndiGo adding flights to these destinations. With the utilisation crossing 80%, these routes have become eligible for negotiations under the new rules,” a senior aviation ministry official said on condition of anonymity.
The official added that utilisation on routes to Dubai and Sharjah are already above 80% and utilisation between India and Kuwait is set to cross the 80% mark by the end of this summer schedule that ends in October.
26/08/18 Mihir Mishra/Economic Times

Cabinet approval sought to upgrade Palaly airport

Three ministries have sought Cabinet approval to upgrade Palaly airport to a regional airport with flights operating to and from South India, the Sunday Times reports.
A paper submitted by the ministries of Transport and Civil Avaition, Policy Planning and Economic Development and Tourism seeks Rs 1.2 billion for the development plan.
“The initial plan will be to convert Palaly into a regional airport and thereafter to an international airport with flights to other countries,” Minister Nimal Siripala de Silva was quoted by the paper as saying.
The airport, which is currently within a militarised high security zone on military-occupied land, currently functions as a military airport.
Jaffna's District Additional Secretary, S Muralitharan told the Sunday Times that a feasibility study had been carried out. Of the 1000 acres of land on which the airport is situated, 750 acres would be used to develop the new airport, whilst 250 acres would be released to civilians.
27/08/18 Tamil Guardian

Nigerian national held with fake visa

Bengaluru: The Bureau of Immigration officials at Kempegowda International Airport arrested a 25-year-old Nigerian national while she was boarding a domestic flight to Delhi with fake visa permits on Wednesday.

According to officials, Ogah Oluwtomisin Stella from Abuja, Nigeria, forged a visa and had been living in Delhi for one year after her original student visa expired. She was able to procure the forged documents through a contact identified only as Ijata. Inquiries revealed that the woman had come to India in October 2016 on student visa and enrolled in a private college in Bengaluru to study theology. She later moved to Delhi as she was unable to adjust to life in Bengaluru.

Y.S. Saini, Immigration officer, in his complaint to the police said that when her visa expired, Stella managed to procure fake documents. It was on these documents that she recently travelled from Delhi to Bengaluru, and got caught during her return journey. Mr. Saini, while verifying her passport and visa documents, realised something amiss. On closer inspection, he realised that even the seal of Delhi airport immigration authorities had been forged.
26/08/18 The Hindu

Sunday, August 26, 2018

Flight to Frankfurt to resume from October 29

Pune: German airline Lufthansa will resume its Pune-Frankfurt flight from October 29. It had suspended the service in July citing operational and commercial reasons.
"We can confirm that Lufthansa will resume operation from Pune. The first flight will take off from the city on October 29. Flights can be booked through travel agencies or by logging on to www.lufthansa.com," a Lufthansa spokesperson told TOI.

The flight will depart from Pune at 2.10am and arrive at Frankfurt at 8.45am.

The resumption of the flight will provide relief to passengers from Pune who regularly travel to destinations in Europe and the US. The Pune-Frankfurt will be operated by Privatair. The airline had increased the flight in July last year to six times a week as against the earlier four.
26/08/18 Joy Sengupta/Times of India

Two airline firms asked to pay for consumer's baggage loss

The Suburban Mumbai District's consumer dispute redressal forum found two air firms, British Airways as well as the American Airlines, guilty of providing faulty services to one of their consumers who had lost her baggage in the travel. It directed the companies to pay back towards the consumer's loss. Apart from the compensation towards the loss of her property, the forum has also asked them to pay an amount towards the complainant's mental agony as well as her litigation charges.

Chandrika Soni, a Gorai resident was traveling from Orlando to Mumbai on April 28, 2016, and for the same, she had purchased a ticket worth Rs 56,596. It was not a direct flight and so initially she boarded American Airlines, which took her to London and from London, she boarded British Airways to reach Mumbai. While boarding her flight from America, she had checked in along with four luggage bags, however, when she reached Mumbai, one of her bag which had gifts which she had received, few clothes and some of her jewelry, went missing.
When she inquired for the same at Mumbai airport, they could not find the bag, rather after continuous follow-up, she was informed that they were unable to trace the bag and hence offered her a deal of Rs 35,000 for the loss. When she refused the offer, she was asked for the receipts of the gift items which were present in the bags which had gone missing in order to find out about the right worth of the bag.
26/08/18 Pranali Lotlikar Chindarkar/DNA

Saturday, August 25, 2018

Lufthansa rolls out exciting fare options to Europe and North America


Lufthansa German Airlines, Europe’s leading airline in India and first European airline with 5-star Skytrax rating, announces special fares in the Economy and Premium Economy Class.
Applicable to select destinations in Europe and North America, bookings have to be made by September 16, for travel until December 31, 2018. Passengers can enjoy Lufthansa’s extra special Economy Class fares to Europe and North America starting at INR 35,000 and INR 56,500 respectively.
Flyers opting for the Premium Economy Class can enjoy fares to Europe and North America starting from INR 74,500 and INR 99,500 respectively. Premium Economy Class passengers can avail double baggage allowance, wider seats and additional legroom.
Aiming to inspire Indian travellers to explore the world and embrace new experiences, these special fares will be applicable for travel from the airline’s four gateway cities in the country - New Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru and Chennai.

Lufthansa offers passengers state-of-the-art products and best-in-class services such as in-flight entertainment and enhanced FlyNet allowing in-flight, high-speed internet to help stay connected with business partners or family on ground.
Lufthansa recently introduced a brand-new in-flight menu offering passengers an array of delectable and healthy meal options. Guests with special meal requests such as diabetic, Jain, Kosher and those with food allergies have scrumptious options to choose from. Passengers can also relish special Chaayos Masala Tea, crafted exclusively for the airline and featuring a special blend of high quality natural ingredients. For further information, guests may log on to www.lufthansa.com or contact their nearest travel agent.
25/08/18 Press Release/Lufthansa

Vistara offers pilots opportunity to fly Scoot aircraft overseas

Mumbai: To achieve synergies and resource optimisation within the group airlines, full-service carrier Vistara is sending its pilots to fly budget airline Scoot overseas. Scoot, which is facing a shortage of pilots, is a subsidiary of Singapore International Airlines. Singapore Airlines holds 49% stake in Vistara with the balance held by the Tata group.

In a mail addressed to its first officers on August 21, Vistara said that there are a limited opportunities that the airline has identified, keeping in mind the “overall value proposition of resources mobilisation across Vistara and SIA Group”.

Vistara is offering its younger pilots the chance to fly the Airbus A320 fleet for Scoot and gain international experience. Vistara has a total of 3,000 employees but it did not share the total number of pilots on its roll. The pilots who will go to Scoot will be on a kind of deputation since their continuity of service, seniority etc will be maintained with Vistara whenever they return to it.
25/08/18 Financial Express

Guwahati to be Connected to 6 International Airports

The Union civil aviation ministry is planning to connect the capital city of Assam to six international destinations under the UDAN Draft Scheme Document of International Air Connectivity Scheme.

The objective of the scheme is to enhance international air connectivity between Indian states and select international destinations through provision of financial support to airlines.

The draft of the scheme has been placed in the website of ministry and Airports Authority of India for wider consultation of the stakeholders. The ministry has through a notification sought inputs and comments on the draft from interested stakeholders by September 4, 2018.

According to the scheme, the draft of which has been put up in the website of the ministry, Guwahati is likely to have direct air connectivity with Dhaka, Kathmandu, Yangon, Singapore, Bangkok, and Kuala Lumpur.
25/08/18 North East Today

Friday, August 24, 2018

IndiGo to commence flight operations to Kuwait, Abu Dhabi from October

New Delhi: Budget passenger carrier IndiGo will commence flight operations to Kuwait and Abu Dhabi from October 2018.
"As part of the international expansion, Kuwait will be the 57th and Abu Dhabi will be 58th destination on its network. Both new services will commence from October 2018," the airline said in a statement on Friday.
According to the company, it will also enhance connectivity across India with the addition of 24 new flights to its network.
"IndiGo will become the first domestic airline to introduce services connecting Port Blair with Hyderabad and Vadodara. These flights will commence from September 2018," the statement said.
24/08/18 IANS/Business Standard

Air India And Avianca Sign Codeshare Agreement

Air India (AI), the national airline of India and Avianca (AV), the national airline of Colombia has signed a code share agreement that will come into effect from 28th August 2018. Under this arrangement, Avianca will place its ‘AV’ code on flights operated by Air India on the Delhi-London-Delhi route. Likewise, Air India will place its ‘AI’ code on flights operated by Avianca on the Bogota-London-Bogota route. Travelers will earn miles on these flights in their respective frequent flyer programs:  Flying Returns for Air India and LifeMiles for Avianca.

This code share agreement between AI and AV, will be the first and the only one, which will provide seamless connectivity to passengers travelling between the two countries, India and Colombia.

“This new codeshare agreement with our Star Alliance partner Air India, will allow us to continue expanding our network to offer our Latin American customers broader traveling options to the Asian market; furthermore, it is an honor for Avianca to offer passengers originating in India the World Class Service that characterizes us”, said Hernan Rincon, CEO and Executive President of Avianca.
24/08/18 T3

6-hour flight delay leaves passengers to Dubai grounded for about 10 hours

Pune: Passengers flying to Dubai from Pune on an Air India flight suffered a delay of nearly 6 hours on Thursday.
The flight was supposed to take off at 3.40pm and finally departed around 9.35pm. Sources attributed the delay to the late arrival of the flight from Dubai.

“The flight arrives from Dubai to Pune and waits at the airport for some time before flying back to the city in the United Arab Emirates with passengers. On Thursday, the flight from Dubai was delayed. We don’t know what led to the delay,” an official told TOI.

A passenger, who did not wish to be named, said, “This was the first time I am going to Dubai with my wife to visit our son. I came to the airport around 11:20am, checked in and completed all formalities by 1pm. We were stuck at the airport for at least 10 hours. The airport in Pune is not that big so that we could pass our time. It was frustrating.”
24/08/18 Joy Sengupta/Times of India

GoAir approved to fly to Thailand, says country's ambassador to India

New Delhi: Almost 13 years after its launch, low cost GoAir may finally start overseas flights. Thailand’s ambassador to India Chutintorn Gongsakdi on Friday tweeted (from his handle @Chutintorn_Sam): “Go Airlines (India) or GoAir has been approved as designated airline to fly to Thailand since August 10, 2018.”
GoAir did not comment on the issue, like when — and if — it will start the much-awaited international operations. This summer, the Wadia Group airline had sought DGCA’s “preparedness clearance” to fly to Phuket from both Mumbai and Delhi. The regulator had earlier this year given clearance to GoAir to fly to Male. “We will believe GoAir has started international operations only after they actually do so, if they do so,” said a senior aviation official when asked about GoAir’s plans.

The airline had last year blamed its international launch on the behind schedule deliveries of A-320 Neos due to unending problems with the Pratt & Whitney engines. In India, IndiGo and GoAir have opted for PW-powered A-320 Neos.

24/08/18 Saurabh Sinha/Times of India

Russia to offer the Ka 226 to Indian Navy for naval utility helicopter

Moscow: Russia will offer the Kamov Ka 226T chopper that it will produce in partnership with Hindustan Aeronautics Limited(HAL) for an upcoming Rs 12000 crore `Make in India’ deal for a naval utility helicopter.

The helicopter, which will be produced for the army and air force as part of a government to government between Russia and India but it does not have a naval version yet. If it participates, the Russian chopper will compete against competitors from Airbus and Sikorsky. "A naval version is currently under development by Russia."

“We believe that the joint venture with HAL for the KA 226T can be offered for the Indian Navy requirement. It will not be an import but will be a made in India system. We are ready to negotiate on this with our Indian partners,” Alexander Mikheev, DG of Rosoboronexport said in response to a question by ET.
23/08/18 Manu Pubby/Economic Times

Bangkok Airways expands codeshare with Jet Airways

Thailand-based regional Bangkok Airways and Mumbai-based Jet Airways are expanding the two carriers’ existing codeshare agreement, enabling passengers to have more access into additional cities within Southeast Asia and India.

Bangkok Airways already flies its own Bangkok-Mumbai route and codeshares on Jet Airways flights to Bangkok from Delhi and Mumbai. Following the enhanced agreement, which went into effect Aug. 23, Bangkok Airways passengers can connect to Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Kolkata, Delhi, Goa and Chennai from Mumbai; and Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Mumbai and Chennai from Delhi.

Similarly, the codeshare agreement also helps Jet Airways to enter the Vietnamese market, riding on Bangkok Airways’ service from Bangkok to Da Nang and Phu Quoc, in addition to routes serving Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai, Koh Samui, Krabi, Phuket, Sukhothai and Trat in Thailand.
23/08/18 Chen Chuanren/ATW

Vistara to start international operations by end of 2018, says CEO Leslie Thng

Leslie Thng, who was brought onboard by Tata Sons-Singapore Airlines joint venture Vistara as chief executive officer in October last year, has been mandated to strengthen the carrier’s domestic operations and take it international. In an interview with Shahkar Abidi, Thng talks about the airline’s future plans, introduction of ‘Lite’ fares and Regional Connectivity Scheme (RCS).

What are Vistara’s short term and medium term plans?

We aim to start our international operations, subject to necessary approvals, before the end of this year, with destinations within the range of our Airbus A320neo aircraft. As we induct more aircraft in our fleet from the Airbus A320/A321neo family starting next year, we will densify our domestic network and expand on other international routes. Our wide-body aircraft are scheduled for delivery between 2020 and 2021, during which time we plan to further expand our international operations on medium and long-haul routes.

Why is Vistara’s aircraft order conservative in comparison to its peers?
I wouldn’t call a commitment of 56 aircraft, including those on lease, which are scheduled to be delivered in a period of five years, conservative. In fact, it reflects a very strong growth ambition. Our approach to business from day one has been to achieve measured growth.
24/08/18 Shahkar Abidi/ZeeBiz

Airbus A320 Engine Fix Won't Come for Months, Lufthansa Says

Engine glitches that have disrupted Airbus SE A320neo jet operations around the world may take at least three more months to resolve amid a scarcity of upgraded turbines, according to comments from one of the planemaker’s biggest customers, Deutsche Lufthansa AG.
Fixes for the snags afflicting the geared turbofan, or GTF, powerplant made by United Technologies Corp.’s Pratt & Whitney unit and its partners won’t immediately filter through to the Lufthansa fleet, according to the German carrier’s chief executive officer, Carsten Spohr.
“Our dialog with the manufacturers, especially Pratt & Whitney, on the big issues surrounding the A320neo engine suggests there’ll be no relief soon,” Spohr told staff in comments confirmed by Lufthansa. “For another few months we’ll be on our own. At the earliest, the fixes will come in November.”
While Pratt has eliminated the most pressing faults with the GTF, it’s having to juggle demand for replacement engines with the need to supply turbines to about 100 new planes that have been parked up awaiting the fix. That’s meant that Lufthansa and other early customers for the A320neo, most of them in Asia, are having to wait in line until spare turbines become available.
Among issues afflicting the GTF, Pratt has fixed a faulty knife-edge seal in all turbines by reverting to an older design while working on a more durable replacement. The retrofit of a new combustor has yet to be completed, with the glitch causing some recent groundings at India’s IndiGo, whose aircraft fly in hot, dusty conditions that put a strain on engines.
24/08/18 Richard Weiss/Bloomberg

IndiGo adds Kuwait and Abu Dhabi to its international network

Budget carrier IndiGo today said it will add Kuwait and Abu Dhabi to its international destination from October this year. The carrier will operate a daily flight from Chennai to Kuwait and from Calicut to Abu Dhabi from mid October. Besides, it will operate a daily flight from Abu Dhabi to Kochi, a statement issued by the airline said.
Beginning October 1, it will also operate a daily flight between Doha and Thiruvanathapuram and a daily flight between Doha and Ahmedabad.
On the domestic sector, IndiGo will become the first domestic airline to introduce services connecting Port Blair with Hyderabad and Vadodara. These flights will commence from September 2018.
In addition, the airline will operate its first daily return flight between Surat and Chennai, daily non-stop return service between Delhi and Imphal, direct flights to Vijayawada from Delhi.
24/08/18 PTI/Economic Times

India adds Qatar to list of countries eligible for e-visa

Doha: India has added Qatar to the list of countries eligible for e-visa facility, currently given to passport holders of some 167 countries/territories.
This facility is in addition to the existing visa services being provided by the Embassy of India in Doha, the mission said on Thursday.
Indian embassy said e-visas are issued on the basis of an online application and do not require the application to be submitted physically at the embassy or a visa-sticker to be affixed on the passport by the embassy.
Indian embassy said, “It needs to be noted that this facility is not the same as visa-on-arrival, as the entry into India is subject to prior clearance in the form of the ETA. Travellers who arrive in India without the ETA will not be allowed entry under this facility.”
e-visa is valid for entry through 25 designated airports (Ahmedabad, Amritsar, Bagdogra, Bengaluru, Kozhikode, Chennai, Chandigarh, Kochi, Coimbatore, Delhi, Gaya, Goa, Guwahati, Hyderabad, Jaipur, Kolkata, Lucknow, Mangalore, Mumbai, Nagpur, Pune, Tiruchirapalli, Thiruvananthapuram, Varanasi and Vishakhapatnam) and five designated seaports (Kochi, Goa, Mangalore, Mumbai and Chennai).
23/08/18 Gulf Times

Emirates SkyCargo Transports Flood Relief Cargo for Kerala

Dubai: Emirates SkyCargo will carry flood relief cargo of over 175 tons to Kerala, India, joining the UAE community in their support of the people of Kerala.
Over more than a dozen flights, the air cargo operator will transport the relief goods, which have been donated by various UAE-based businesses and organizations, to Thiruvananthapuram - the nearest online Emirates station to the areas most affected by the flood. The goods, including lifesaving boats, blankets and dry food items, will be handed over to the local flood relief and aid organisations for distribution.
23/08/18 AviationPros

Turkmenistani woman caught by Customs at Delhi airport for smuggling gold

New Delhi: A Turkmenistani woman has been arrested by Customs officials for allegedly trying to smuggle into the country gold worth nearly Rs 27 lakh at the Delhi airport.

The accused was intercepted on arrival from Turkmenistan last Friday, an official statement issued today said.

“Her personal and baggage search resulted in the recovery of three chains of gold, collectively weighing 1 kg (market value Rs 27.09 lakh),” the Customs department said in the release.
24/08/18 India.com

French national held on charge of assaulting CISF officer at Airport

Panaji: Goa Police have booked a French National and arrested him for allegedly assaulting a Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) at Dabolim Airport at Vasco in South Goa on Thursday.
According to Vasco Police Station In-charge Nolasco Raposo, Vairet Guillam, the accused resident of Caluire-et-Cuire in France, was arrested under section 353 of the Indian Penal Code (assaulting government servant while discharging duty).
24/08/18 UNI

Thursday, August 23, 2018

Jet Airways taps Thailand codeshare

Mumbai: Bangkok Airways will be flying more Indian tourists to destinations in Thailand following an extension of a Jet Airways codeshare agreement with the Thai airline.

Jet Airways customers will be able to ticket and fly through to final destinations across Thailand and Vietnam from points in India.

It will also allow them to check their baggage through to final destinations in Thailand and Vietnam, while passing through Bangkok’s crowded Suvarnabhumi airport as transit passengers.
23/08/18 TTR Weekly

Air fares leave returning UAE-based Keralites enraged

The Keralite expats on summer vacation in their state, who have faced the worst-ever flood of the century, has another nightmare now. Finding a ticket to return to their workplace in the UAE.

Exorbitant prices of air tickets from Kozhikode, Thiruvananthapuram and the nearby airport of Mangalore (Karnataka), to the UAE have enraged expats, who are trying to find their way back to the UAE. One-way tickets are coming at Dh2,000 and above, many of the expats pointed out.

"A one-way ticket from Kozhikode to Dubai on SpiceJet on August 28 is priced at Dh2,223. People have lost so much; we have faced such a massive natural calamity.

The least airlines can do is not to increase prices in this manner. SpiceJet is a budget airline - the prices are too high," said an upset Naveen Mangad, a Sharjah resident living in Kannur, Kerala. "We have been devastated by floods. How are we supposed to pay so high prices!" he asked.
23/08/18 Dhanusha Gokulan/Khaleej Times

Wednesday, August 22, 2018

Government identifies eight international routes under UDAN scheme

New Delhi: The government has identified eight international routes for extending its subsidised UDAN (ude desh ka aam nagrik) scheme to neighbouring countries and ensure affordable flying for the masses. Six routes are from Guwahati to Dhaka, Kathmandu, Yangon, Kuala Lumpur, Singapore and Bangkok. And two routes are from Vijayawada to Singapore and Dubai. The policy for UDAN (international) will soon be finalised and then sources say the same may be kicked off by the year-end.
Aviation minister Suresh Prabhu tweeted: “The objective of the UDAN (international) scheme is to enhance international air connectivity between Indian states and select international destinations through the provision of financial support to airlines. It is the next step after the positive domestic impact of UDAN. The scheme will involve a State Government led effort wherein State Govts will propose the list of routes to be connected. Presently, the state of Assam and Andhra Pradesh have come forward to participate under the scheme and have identified the (eight) routes.”
“Under the scheme, the state governments will be responsible for funding the financial benefits. The scheme envisages providing monetary support, in the form of a subsidy per seat, for the unsold seats from the number of seats as bid by the airline to make operations viable,” Prabhu added. Which means as more states come forward to participate in this scheme, affordable international connectivity to neighbouring countries will improve under this plan.
22/08/18 Sauabh Sinha/Times of India

SpiceJet Airline Set to Launch 6 Flights From October


New Delhi: Budget passenger carrier SpiceJet on Wednesday announced its decision to launch six new daily direct flights on domestic as well as international routes from the month of October.

The airline reportedly stated, “SpiceJet is the first airline in the country to introduce a daily direct flight on the Guwahati-Patna route.” As per the statement, “The airline is also introducing daily direct flights on the domestic sector of Hyderabad-Guwahati and the international route of Hyderabad-Bangkok.”

According to the company, the domestic routes costs Rs 3,099 and the inaugural fare of the international route of Hyderabad-Bangkok which includes the “to and fro journey” costs Rs 9,999 and Rs 8,299, respectively.
22/08/18 India.com

Jet Airways Announces 'International Flight Sale'

Jet Airways has announced a sale offer on tickets for international flights to destinations such as Amsterdam, Paris, London, Manchester, Toronto and Dubai, among others. The sale offer is applicable to premiere and economy class bookings, according to the airline's website -- jetairways.com. Customers need to make bookings before August 25, 2018 to avail Jet Airways' discount offer. The travel must commence on or after September 16, 2018, the airline noted. However, travel to Manchester must commence on or after November 5, 2018.
The offer is applicable on select booking classes only, the airline mentioned. Child discount, date change, flight change, refund charges, weekend surcharge, blackout period, flight restriction and/or travel restriction will be applicable as mentioned in the fare rules, said Jet Airways.
22/08/18 NDTV

Tuesday, August 21, 2018

Government unveils draft UDAN scheme for international routes

The Centre on Tuesday unveiled a draft scheme for extending the affordable air travel programme UDAN to international circuits, with state governments identifying the routes for operation.

The draft International Air Connectivity (IAC) scheme envisages to increase the international ticketing to 20 crore by 2027.

"The scheme is to be made operational only for states, which demonstrate their commitment to implement and provide the requisite support for promoting operations under the scheme," the draft reads.

Stakeholders inputs and comment have been sought till September 4.

UDAN was launched in 2016 to make air travel affordable for people through subsidised ticket rates and to provide air connectivity to smaller towns.
21/08/18 PTI/Times of India

Make in India jet deal: MiG to partner with HAL, says will be most cost effective

Moscow: Preparing to take another shot at a mega Make in India contest for new fighter jets, Russian manufacturer MiG has said that it will partner with state owned Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) to make an offer and believes that it will be at least 20 percent more cost effective than any of its competitors.

The Russian aviation giant, which has been the largest supplier of fighter jets to India in the past, is offering its MiG 35 jet for an upcoming contest for 110 combat aircraft. While the fighter jet did not qualify in technical trials in a past contest for a medium combat jet by the Indian air force, its manufacturers say that they are offering a `completely new aircraft’ with an upgraded radar and `50 percent more combat potential’.

Revealing its Indian partner for the upcoming contest for the first time, senior executive of Russia’s United Aircraft Corporation Victor Chernov says that tying up with HAL will help it leverage existing production facilities in Nasik.
21/08/18 Economic Times

Aeroflot completes 60 years of scheduled flights to Delhi, India

Russia’s flagship carrier Aeroflot has just marked 60 years of scheduled flights to Delhi, the capital of India. The first regular flight between Moscow and Delhi took place on August 18, 1958 on a Tu-104.

India was Aeroflot’s first country in Southeast Asia, and since then Aeroflot has been operating the Moscow-Delhi route without a break.

As demand on the route increased, so did the flight frequencies.

At the end of 1950s, Aeroflot offered only one weekly flight to India. Today, the Russian flag carrier operates two daily flights between Moscow and Delhi using modern and comfortable Airbus A330 aircraft.
21/08/18 STAT Times

Immense Opportunities in India For Aeroflot – KPMG India

New Delhi: As Aeroflot, the state carrier of Russia, celebrates the 60th anniversary of its Moscow-Delhi route, Sputnik talked to Amber Dubey, a partner and head of aerospace and defence at global consultancy firm KPMG, about passenger expectations and the opportunities India offers Aeroflot.

Sputnik: Aeroflot is celebrating its legacy of 60 years of operation connecting India with Russia and Europe. What kind of opportunities is the airline looking at for expansion of business in India?

Amber Dubey: Given Russia's unique geographic location, it offers an attractive option for flights to Canada and northern USA through the polar route. Aeroflot's code-shares with Delta gives it access to all key locations in the US. There's a large Indian diaspora in and business travelers to North America. A lot of that traffic passes via the Gulf hubs. The bilateral quotas between Indian and most Gulf countries are nearly exhausted. India is not increasing the quotas, to protect the interests of its own carriers.  The existing Indo-Russia bilateral quota is anyways heavily underutilized. India's National Civil Aviation Policy (NCAP 2016) has announced open skies with all countries beyond 5,000 km from India.

Aeroflot, therefore, has a strong opportunity on the Indo-America route via Moscow.  The ticket-pricing, additional goodies and layover time at Moscow may have to be tweaked to make it competitive vis-à-vis the strong gulf carriers.

21/08/18 Sputnik News

Italian DJ slapped at Hyd airport? Air India denies, cops say it was a minor scuffle

An Italian DJ has alleged assault and mistreatment by Air India's ground staff at Hyderabad's Rajiv Gandhi International Airport (RGIA) on Sunday. Taking to Facebook, the DJ, Olly Esse, said that her flight was delayed by nine hours and she got no response when she went to the gate to ask for help – and was instead slapped by a staff member. Air India has denied the allegations, while the police say the CCTV footage of the incident shows a scuffle but no assault.
"I went to the help point like everyone else. Someone had a baby in a hospital, while another lady was crying because her mother passed away and she should have been in Mumbai to take care of her funeral, while others had work," Olly narrated.
The DJ said that she then walked up to the counter of Air India and asked her for help, but did not get any response. When the DJ asked again, she alleged that the woman at the counter replied rudely and claimed that it was not her job.
When the DJ took out her phone and threatened to file a complaint with the airline, she alleged that the ground staff slapped her and her cell phone fell from her hand.
20/08/18 Nitin B/News Minute

While Arguing Sexual Assault Case, Indian Man Resorts To Blaming Tamil Film

National Award-winning filmmaker Vetrimaaran’s 2015 crime-thriller Visaranai — which was nominated as India’s official entry for the Oscars in 2017 — has been one of India’s proud treasures. But Vetrimaaran probably would have never imagined that his film would one day be used to defend the assailant in a case of sexual abuse. The legal counsel of Prabhu Ramamoorthy (35), who was convicted of sexually assaulting a sleeping co-passenger on a Detroit-bound airline in the United States, has now brought in the Tamil film to argue his defence.

During the trial, Ramamoorthy’s attorney, James Amberg, cited Visaranai, which depicted “corrupt police using violence to coerce guilty pleas,” to support the argument that he was afraid of facing a similar threat in the US, The Washington Post reported.

Earlier, Ramamoorthy, a resident of Rochester Hills city, had told investigators that he was sleeping and did not assault his co-passenger. However, while speaking to an FBI agent, Ramamoorthy later claimed that he “might have” undone the woman’s bra and unzipped her pants. According to the complaint, he also cupped her breasts and digitally penetrated her.
Back in January, Ramamoorthy had sexually assaulted a 22-year-old woman, who was asleep, during a Spirit Airlines flight from Las Vegas to Detroit, while his wife sat next to him. When the woman woke up, Ramamoorthy stopped, following which she alerted a flight attendant.
21/08/18 inuth

Monday, August 20, 2018

AirAsia X adds Amritsar to growing network

AirAsia X introduced its third destination in India when it began flights from Kuala Lumpur (KUL) to Amritsar (ATQ) on 16 August. The long-haul LCC will operate the 4,276-kilometre airport pair four times weekly using its A330-300s. It faces direct competition from Malindo Air, which already offers daily flights on this route. AirAsia X already serves Delhi and Jaipur from its Kuala Lumpur base. Benyamin Ismail, CEO, AirAsia X said: “We are excited to bring the AirAsia experience to Amritsar for the very first time. Amritsar is of significant interest to tourists thanks to the Harmandir Sahib (The Golden Temple) and the city’s numerous historic and cultural sites. Following a recent network review, Amristar and other cities in India were identified as being underserved from the Asia Pacific region, particularly when it comes providing affordable long-haul travel. We are confident the new services will prove popular for both tourist and domestic visitors alike.”
20/08/18 anna.aero

Air India flight returns to Saudi from midair due to technical snag

Jeddah: A technical snag forced a Hyderabad- bound Air India flight, which took off from Jeddah's King Abdulaziz International Airport in Saudi Arabia on Sunday, to return to the airport, reports Saudi Gazette.

The passengers of Air India flight AI-966 had to sit through a delay on the night of Saturday. The indirect flight was en route to Hyderabad before flying to Mumbai, the report added.

After the flight took off on Sunday, it had to return to the airport within an hour in mid-flight due to a technical snag.
20/08/18 Khaleej Times

Sunday, August 19, 2018

Hilsa fiasco: AI captain blames delay on security

Kolkata: The captain of the Air India flight that was held up for an hour at Dhaka airport on August 8 has conceded that he did order hilsa to take it home, but denies the delay was on account of him. He blamed the airline’s security officer and country manager for the delay. He was taken off flying duties on Saturday.
In a clarification to the AI management, captain Rajesh Kuyeskar admitted he had indeed requested a member of the airline’s contractual ground staff to get him raw hilsa.
According to Kuyeskar, he was engaged in pre-flight formalities for the Kolkata-Dhaka sector when he received a call from the security officer and stepped out of the aircraft. He was told at the aerobridge that the packet of hilsa would not be allowed as it was a contraband and had been brought in without permission.
At this point, Kuyeskar claims, he walked back to the flight deck to complete preflight briefing. It is then that the situation became complicated with the security officer, who had — till a few minutes ago — stopped the entry of the hilsa package, allegedly escorted the ground staffers with the package right into the cockpit to hand it over to the pilot to apparently avoid delay and heartburn.
“My co-pilot and I were alarmed at the action of the officer. He brought the package into the aircraft cockpit in brazen contravention of the very rules he had been stating. I asked them to immediately leave the flight deck with that package as it did not belong to anyone and requested for the Aircraft Release Certificate so that we could fly out. But it was not brought for another 25 minutes, keeping passengers and crew members waiting. Once the formalities were over, we pushed back in a minute. It is all there in the CCTV footage of the aircraft and the cockpit voice recorder,” the captain said.
19/08/18 Subhro Niyogi/Times of India

Australian writer’s deportation from Bengaluru airport highlights tricky areas in visa conditions

On July 31, a writer from Australia who had landed in Bengaluru on a trip to meet friends was deported from the airport by Indian authorities. They did not give her a clear explanation about why she was denied entry. She was forced to take the next flight back to Australia, which was via Singapore. In Singapore, Kathryn Hummel, 36, said she booked a ticket to Bangladesh, a country she frequently visits for work and leisure, which she had intended to visit anyway after her trip to India. However, authorities at Singapore’s Changi Airport detained her until the next flight to Adelaide, her hometown in Australia, was boarding, and ensured that she got onto it. She said that her passport was confiscated and she only got it back when she arrived in Australia.

Hummel is a poet and author of several works of fiction and non-fiction. She has also contributed as a researcher to several journals and publications on subjects that include gender, feminism and culture.

The chain of events that led to Hummel’s deportation from India highlight tricky areas in visa conditions that people in the fields of art, writing and academics could find difficult to negotiate. They run the risk of sometimes violating visa rules inadvertently.
19/08/18 Abhishek Dey/Scroll.in

Doha Bank, Jet Airways join hands to offer 12% discount on flight tickets

Doha Bank has announced the launch of a new campaign to offer a 12% discount on airfare on flights booked on Jet Airways.
This reinforces the "bank’s commitment to introducing unique and diverse banking products and services", according to a press statement.
During the campaign period running from August 15 until July 31, 2019, customers using Doha Bank credit cards to purchase flight tickets can take advantage of the promotional offer.
JetPrivilege members holding valid Doha Bank credit cards can convert their Doha Miles to JPMiles, receiving one JPMile against one Doha Mile for a minimum transfer of 2,000 Doha Miles. JetPrivilege members can redeem their JPMiles, the reward currency of JetPrivilege, for free award flights on Jet Airways or any of the programme’s more than 20 airline partners.
18/08/18 Gulf Times

Offer for students travelling abroad

With more than 5,00,000 students from India expected to travel abroad for studies this year, airlines are offering travel packages to them. Jet Airways has launched eduJetter programme for this year. eduJetter includes a host of benefits which include an exceptional baggage allowance of up to 69 kg tagged and checked-in till the final destination, 7500 JPMiles, 8 per cent discount on Base fare, as well as a bouquet of partner benefits such as Forex Card from Cox & Kings, free SIM card with exclusive calling rates from Uniconnect, as well as 10 per cent discount on JetEscapes travel/holiday packages.
Apart from the above-mentioned benefits, the airline has also simplified the entire process of eduJetter application and booking, as part of enhancing the appeal of the programme. The new, automatic application process is extremely user-friendly and allows students to apply in three simple steps – book a flight ticket, visit the eduJetter page on the Jet Airways website (www.jetairways.com) to fill an online request form. The student then receive an updated ticket from the airline with applicable eduJetter benefits within 72 hours.
19/08/18 Tribune

SriLankan airlines announces alternatives for passengers flying to Cochin

Colombo: SriLankan Airlines has made an announcement that passengers who purchased air tickets to Cochin, India will be able to fly to any of South India’s airports without having to pay extra charges.

This is due to the Cochin International Airport being temporarily shut down owing to the bad weather conditions in Kerala.

Sri Lankan Airlines Media Spokesperson, Deepal Perera said further details on the matter could be obtained from the hotline 1979.
19/08/18 News First

Saturday, August 18, 2018

Flight plan: After taking off domestically, Udan to spread wings internationally

New Delhi: The regional air connectivity scheme or Udan (Udega Desh ka Aam Nagrik), which has been in operation on domestic routes for more than a year now, is likely to be extended on the international circuit covering neighbouring countries, but permits will be given to only domestic carriers and not international ones at the start.

Sources in the civil aviation ministry told FE that though international carriers have evinced interest in the proposed Udan scheme for overseas routes, the domestic carriers have opposed it and the ministry also thinks that initially only domestic carriers should be allowed to participate in it.

“There could be an argument for a level playing field for all airlines. But the thinking is to start with domestic airlines only. It could be domestic carriers now and international players can join in later. We are really moving fast on international Udan and the bidding could be held sometime in September or October,” a civil aviation ministry official said.
18/08/18 Financial Express

Air India initiates probe into flight delay from Dhaka to Kolkata

Air India has initiated a probe into the cause delay of a Kolkata-bound flight from Dhaka on August 8 amid a report claiming that a pilot was attempting to sneak in hilsa fish. Flight AI229 from Dhaka to Kolkata was delayed by one hour. The flight, scheduled to depart at 9.25 pm, finally took off at about 10.30 pm.
While a report claimed that a pilot had a fracas with the security over carrying the hisla, sources said that an engineering snag was mentioned in the log book.
When contacted, an airline spokesperson said they were investigating the cause of the delay as there can be several reasons arising from engineering issues to operations and ATC clearance.
18/08/18 PTI/Economic Times

Air India Pilot Delays Dhaka-Kolkata Flight To Get Expensive Hilsa Fish, Smuggling Suspected

The Air India management has ordered a probe into a pilot’s attempt to ‘smuggle’ out hilsa on a flight from Dhaka to Kolkata earlier this month and asked him to explain the subsequent delay in take-off. Though the airline’s security officer foiled the pilot’s attempt, the fracas ensued delayed the August 8 flight by nearly an hour.
Airline insiders said all 54 passengers had boarded AI 229 by 9.15pm (local time), well in time for the 9.25pm departure. But, much to the chagrin of passengers, the Airbus A319 aircraft would not budge.
TOI checked with several people in the know and all of them confirmed that there was a heated exchange between one of the two pilots and the airline’s security officer in Dhaka over a consignment that the pilot wanted to carry on the aircraft.
All of them corroborated that a contractual worker, employed by the airline, had come to deliver an ice-pack containing a 2.5kg hilsa tothe pilot just minutes before departure.
18/08/18 Subhro Niyogi/India Times

Kerala Floods: Air India to operate Gulf flights from Trivandrum, Kozhikode; Vistara caps economy class fares

As the Kochi international airport will remain closed for operation till August 26 morning due to torrential rains, national carrier Air India said the flight scheduled to fly from Cochin to Jeddah will operate from Trivandrum Airport. The shutdown of Kochi airport has also prompted authorities to divert many incoming and outgoing flights to Trivandrum or Kozhikode.

Air India stated that “on August 16, our Kochi-Sharjah-Kochi and Kochi-Bahrain-Kochi will operate from/to Kozhikode. All other Kochi-bound flights will operate from/to Trivandrum,” For further assistance, flyers can contact Air India Express control room helpline at 0484 - 2610040, 2610050, the national carrier tweeted.
Air passengers travelling from Cochin are facing severe inconveniences due to heavy rains in Kerala, as airlines had to cancel flights operating to and from Cochin in the wake of operations at Kochi airport remain suspended till Saturday.

Many airlines, however, said that penalties on change in date or cancellation on confirmed tickets to Kochi have been waived off. Vistara, for example, has started special flights from Trivandrum.
17/08/18 ZeeBiz

Bangladeshi national caught with valid Indian passport

Bengaluru: Immigration officials at the Kempegowda International Airport on Thursday arrested a 37-year-old Bangladeshi national arriving from Dubai with a valid Indian passport.
Hoque Mofizul, a resident of Nathore in Bangladesh, returned to the city after going to Dubai on a
short-term visa, probably to look for a job.
The police said Mofizul had submitted his travel documents for immigration clearance when immigration official
Chinnadurai spoke to him casually, and later picked him up for questioning on suspicion.
During a detailed inquiry, Mofizul revealed his real identity, saying he crossed the IndiaBangladesh
border illegally last year and stayed in West Bengal, where he forged documents to avail an Aadhaar card and Voter ID card to apply for his passport. Mofizul had a valid Bangladesh passport, which has been seized by the immigration oicial for further investigation.
18/08/18 Bellie Thomas/Deccan Herald

Italian held with satellite phone at IGI Airport

New Delhi: An Italian man was apprehended by the CISF at the IGI Airport here today for allegedly carrying an unauthorised satellite phone, a senior official said.
L D Giorgi was apprehended after the satellite phone was detected in his baggage. He was bound for Amsterdam, he said. The man was handed over to the Delhi Police.
17/08/18 PTI/Tribune

Friday, August 17, 2018

Waiting for FAA nod

Indian civil aviation waited with heightened anticipation as a US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) team descended upon the Director General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) during the third week of July for an audit under its International Aviation Safety Assessment (IASA) programme.
The idea of being audited by another nation’s regulator should by itself have been a cause for indignation but it is hard for India (or for any other nation) to stand up to the US and resist an audit which it insists upon.
IASA is designed for all countries with airlines that operate, or seek to operate, into the US, or code-share with a US airline. The assessment determines whether or not a foreign civil aviation authority is compliant with the safety oversight standards set by the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) — a UN body (and not FAA regulations). Those that meet the ICAO safety requirements are placed in Category 1, and those that do not, in Category 2. India had been placed in Category 1 in 1997 but after an audit in 2013, FAA, citing deficiencies in 33 areas, including shortage of skilled manpower and frail safety surveillance regulations, downgraded India ignominiously to Category 2. The status was restored only in 2015.
17/08/18 AK Sachdev/Deccan Herald

Korean man held with unauthorised satellite phone at IGI Airport in Delhi

New Delhi: A Leh-bound South Korean passenger was on Thursday apprehended by the Central Industrial Security Force at the IGI airport here for allegedly carrying an unauthorised satellite phone, a senior official said.
J Geonchang (35), who had a South Korean passport, was apprehended by CISF personnel after the satellite phone was detected in his baggage, he said. Geonchang was handed over to the Delhi Police as carrying a satellite phone is against the law, an official said.
Only defence and other authorised personnel are allowed to possess the communication gadget, he added. This is the fourth such incident in the last month.
17/06/18 Hans India

Thursday, August 16, 2018

Airbus appoints Anand E Stanley to head India's business

European aviation major Airbus, which is facing flak here over the Pratt & Whitney engine issues in its A320 Neo planes, today said it has appointed Anand E Stanley as its India unit head.

Stanley's appointment will be effective from October 1, the company said in a release. A global aerospace and defence industry veteran, he will succeed Pierre de Bausset, who is currently holding the position of president and managing director of Airbus India, it added.

"I am delighted to see Anand taking Airbus India's leadership to drive the company on its next phase of growth," said Patrick de Castelbajac, executive vice-president for strategy and international, Airbus.

16/08/18 moneycontrol.com

Man convicted of sexually abusing woman on Detroit-bound flight

A jury on Thursday convicted a Rochester Hills man of sexually abusing a sleeping woman on a Detroit-bound airplane.
Prabhu Ramamoorthy, 35, faces up to life in prison when he is sentenced in December. If he is ever released, he will be deported to India, federal officials said. A jury deliberated for 3½ hours following a five-day trial before finding Ramamoorthy guilty of touching a woman while she was sleeping Jan. 3 on a Spirit Airlines flight from Las Vegas to Detroit, according to federal officials.

The 22-year-old woman woke up "to a hand in her pants and noticed that her pants and shirt were unbuttoned," according to the federal complaint. She reported that the man, who was sitting next to her, was shoving his "fingers in her (genitals) and vigorously moving them. When she fully woke up, the man stopped," the complaint said. The woman reported what happened to flight attendants.
16/07/18 Detroit Free Press

Wednesday, August 15, 2018

SriLankan Airlines flights to Cochin suspended until August 18

SriLankan Airlines has temporarily suspended flights to and from the South Indian city of Cochin until 18th August, following the closure of Cochin Airport due to flooding in the region.

Cochin Airport was closed today (15th August) until  2 p.m. on 18th August due to heavy floods  in the area and further updates on the situation are awaited from authorities at Kochi Airport.

Accordingly, SriLankan Airlines wishes to inform all passengers booked to fly to or from Cochin during this period, that they may opt instead to fly from or to another city served by SriLankan in South India, at no extra charge.
15/08/18 Ada Derana Biz

Wrong data inputs caused Jet 777 late take-off at London Heathrow

Jet Airways has amended its standard operating procedures for take-off following a late take-off incident that occurred on 30 August 2016, involving one of its Boeing 777-300ERs at London Heathrow airport.

The aircraft, registered VT-JEK, was departing from on a flight to Mumbai at 20:30UTC, when it crossed the airfield boundary at 13ft above ground level and an adjacent road at 30ft above ground level. There were no reports of injuries among the 15 crew and 231 passengers on board.

The UK Air Accidents Investigation Branch classified the case as a serious incident, and delegated the investigation to India's Air Accident Investigation Bureau.
14/08/18 Aaron Chong/FlightGlobal

Air India flight from Dubai to Bengaluru via Goa delayed for over 14 hours

Dubai: Uncertainty continues about the  Air India flight 994 from Dubai to Bengaluru via Goa that was to leave on Tuesday night, leaving the passengers in a disarray. The flight that was to leave at 10.50 pm on Tuesday was later supposed to leave at 7pm on Wednesday night but at 8pm the time of departure was still not clear.
Earlier an Air India spokesperson who had  told Gulf News that the flight was delayed due to a technical snag: ““The aircraft had a major technical issue and was not found to be airworthy. Therefore, we had to deplane all passengers and provide hotel accommodation. The snag has been addressed and the flight will leave by 7pm on August 15.”

The spokesperson had added that it would be ready to take off at 7 pm on Wednesday. However, when the flight had still not taken off until 8pm no one in Air India was available for any comment or clarification.
15/08/18 Gulf News

Tuesday, August 14, 2018

Kochi: Flight landing off centered

Kochi: Heavy rains the city caused Kuwait Airways flight KU357 carrying around 160 passengers to land off-centered from the runway on Tuesday at 2:20am.
Cochin International Airport officials informed that the flight which was entering its final lap of landing was suddenly moved off the center of the runway due to sudden crosswind along with rains drastically bringing down the visibility on the Southern side of runway causing a flight to land away from it's designated path.
During the landing, the flight also knocked off a couple of airport's side runway lights as well.
The pilot had immediately taken control of the situation and eventually taxied the flight at the parking stand.
14/04/18 Times of India

Flights connecting Australia with Amritsar from Aug 16

Amritsar: Air Asia-X world’s second largest low cost carrier from August 16 will connect Amritsar with Australian cities of Melbourne, Sydney, Perth and Gold Coast with convenient connections via Kuala Lumpur.
The convener of Fly Amritsar Initiative Sameep Singh Gumtala said on Monday that the airline will operate four weekly flights between Amritsar-Kuala Lumpur connecting Sydney and Melbourne within 2 to 3 hours.
14/04/18 UNI

Bangladeshi lady arrested from Dum Dum Airport, Kolkata with fake passport

At at time when the government and Opposition are at loggerheads over NRC and immigration issues, a Bangladeshi lady named Parvina Bibi was arrested from Dum Dum Airport while leaving for Bangladesh.

The lady was about catch an Indigo flight yesterday but was detained by the immigration department and was questioned by them. A fake Indian passport was recovered from her possession.
14/08/18 DNA

Monday, August 13, 2018

India's GoAir set for int'l debut in 4Q18 as Vistara slips

GoAir has once more, set out plans for its much anticipated international debut, now due to take place during the final quarter of this year.

According to the PTI news agency, India's Civil Aviation secretary R N Choubey told reporters last week that GoAir had applied for, and been granted, permission to start flights from the new Kannur International Airport, set to open on October 1, to Dammam, Saudi Arabia.

Founded in 2005, GoAir currently operates a fleet of nineteen A320-200s and eighteen A320neo on flights spanning 23 towns and cities across India. In preparation for its inaugural flights abroad, the Indian Ministry of Civil Aviation (MOCA) has already endorsed the LCC's Air Operator's Certificate (AOC) for international operations.

Vistara is also in the process of putting together plans for its own foreign services but may have to modify them given a lack of space for an additional Indian carrier on the routes it wants to serve. In July, The Economic Times reported the Singapore Airlines/Tata Group joint-venture airline had applied to MOCA for international traffic rights to serve multiple South East Asian and Indian Subcontinent destinations.
13/08/18 ch-aviation

Rafale deal row: Modi government catering only to self-interest, alleges Congress

New Delhi: Raising the heat on the Modi government over the Rafale jet deal, the Congress today accused it of promoting crony capitalism and its own "self interests" and ignoring national interests.

Congress spokesperson Priyanka Chaturvedi asked why Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his government is not answering why Rs 41,205 crore more out of the public money was paid for the Rafale fighters and accused the prime minister of violating the 'defence procurement procedure'.

The opposition party alleged that Reliance Defence was chosen as the local partner for offset contracts worth crores, as per the 2016 annual report of Dassault Aviation and a press statement of Reliance Defence.

Reliance Defence and Aerospace, in a statement, said that it or any other Reliance group company has not received any contract from the Defence Ministry till date, relating to the 36 Rafale aircraft.
12/08/18 New Indian Express

Israel woos Indian travellers

Kolkata: In an effort to encourage more Indian travellers to visit Israel, the embassy in India has opened a Kolkata Israel Visa Application Centre for West Bengal and northeast states.

The states include Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland and Tripura.

Also, visa applications under the New Delhi centre will be accepted at the new Kolkata Centre.

The visa application categories include B1 for employment, B2 for business, tourism, meeting or conference and A2 for students.
14/08/18 TRweekly

Brazilian held with cocaine worth Rs. 2.5 cr.

Mumbai: A Brazilian national was caught on Sunday by the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) at the Mumbai airport for allegedly smuggling in cocaine-filled capsules worth Rs. 2.5 crore by concealing them in talcum powder boxes.

Ferreia Nascimen, who arrived from Addis Ababa on an Ethiopian Airlines flight, was intercepted on suspicion when he was headed to board a connecting Air India flight to Delhi, airport officials said.

CISF official Manoj Kumar, on checking his hand baggage, discovered a few plastic talcum powder boxes. A detailed examination revealed that 457 grams of cocaine had been stuffed in capsules, which were concealed in the boxes.
13/08/18 The Hindu

Zambian caught with drugs in Cricket pads in India

A Zambian man has been apprehended by the CISF at the Delhi airport for allegedly trying to smuggle out 24 kg drugs by concealing them in thigh pads used in cricket, a senior official said today.
He said R Silavwe (39) was intercepted yesterday by the security officials on the basis of suspicion at the Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport.
The Zambian national was travelling to Mumbai from here and then to Addis Ababa in Ethiopia.
A search of his bag led to the recovery of 46 cricket thigh pads which had the drugs, pseudoephedrine, stuffed in them.
12/08/18 Zambian Watchdog

Bangladeshi national caught in Thailand with Indian passport

Bengaluru: A 28-year-old Bangladesh national with a valid Indian passport, who escaped detection at Kempegowda International Airport in Bengaluru, was caught by the Thai immigration officials. He was deported to the city on Thursday.

This is the second incident in less than two weeks where a foreign national has been caught flying out of the country from KIA on an Indian passport.

In the latest incident, Elias Akanda Kustiyanamapara who hails from Biddayaganjj, Bangladesh, told officials that he was hoping to get a job in Thailand. He was arrested on his return to India and questioned by the Bureau of Immigration. According to the immigration officials here, Elias had crossed the border into West Bengal in December 2015 via Hili Land Port in Bangladesh.

He then travelled with a group of labourers to Tamil Nadu and worked in a garment factory in Tiruppur for two years. While working there, he met Rakesh, a tout who promised to get him the required ID cards so that he could apply for an Indian passport.
12/08/18 The Hindu

Chinese among six held for smuggling gold at Delhi airport

New Delhi:  Six people, including a Chinese national, have been arrested by customs officials at the airport here for allegedly trying to smuggle 3.1 kg gold worth nearly Rs one crore into the country, an official statement said today.

The accused were held in separate incidents of gold smuggling reported over the past three days at Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA).

Four Indians, including two women, were intercepted after their arrival from Bangkok yesterday, the statement said.

A detailed personal and baggage search resulted in recovery of multiple gold rods, crudely given the shape of bangles and collectively weighing 1.4 kgs, from them, it said, adding that the value of the seized gold was ascertained to be Rs 43.6 lakh.
13/08/18 PTI/India Today

Sunday, August 12, 2018

AI captain upgrades envoy from European country, gets notice

New Delhi: Extending diplomatic courtesy to the ambassador of a key European country to India by upgrading him on a flight to Delhi has landed an Air India captain in trouble. The airline has issued a showcause notice to the senior commander who flew the diplomat in business class on the eighthour journey on August 3.
However, the airline management may not have been aware of the identity of the passenger and issued the notice after getting a complaint from a cabin crew member about the upgrade — which under current rules can only be authorised by AI chairman.
“During boarding, the country manager (commercial) informed me that His Excellency Ambassador of (the European nation) would be travelling and this program was not made aware of earlier (sic). The manager requested if (due) diplomacy upgradation (be) initiated. I felt that in interest of diplomatic relations and protocol the same would be in order… informed the manager (his request) may be complied with.. all courtesies as per diplomatic may be extended to His Excellency the Ambassador,” the captain says in his clarification to the airline.
12/08/18 Saurabh Sinha/Times of India

Air India fails to fly luggage with family on Singapore vacation, fined Rs 1.10 lakh

Ahmedabad: A consumer court has ordered Air India to pay Rs 1 lakh compensation to a city-based family after the airlines failed to fly their luggage to Singapore along with them on a vacation.

The Consumer Dispute Redressal Forum, Ahmedabad (City) held this as a deficiency in service and unfair trade practice on part of the airline and asked it to pay additional Rs 10,000 to the passengers towards legal expenditure apart from Rs 1 lakh compensation. The order was delivered last week on July 30.

According to case details, Bhat resident Dayal Wadhwani boarded on an AI flight for a vacation in Singapore, Malaysia and Thailand in January 2015. Upon reaching Singapore airport, the family of five panicked on not finding all their four pieces of luggage missing on the conveyor belt carrying bags of other passengers. After waiting for half a day for their luggage, the family was told by AI officials that their bags were not loaded in the flight at Ahmedabad airport. The airlines assured them that the baggage would reach them in the next flight by evening.
12/08/18 Saeed Khan/Times of India

Emirates offers major discounts on India, Pakistan tickets

Dubai: Emirates has launched one of its biggest sales yet with special fares to over 70 global destinations within its network. Passengers can still plan a short getaway before the summer season ends to destinations in the Americas, Europe, Middle East, and the Far East.
The offer applies to bookings made today until 20th August 2018 for travel between 1st September 2018 and 31st March 2019.
Economy Class passengers can enjoy fares to Beirut starting at Dh945, Mumbai starting at Dh995, Bangkok starting at Dh2,345, Lisbon starting at Dh2,945, Mauritius starting at Dh2,995, Los Angeles starting at Dh4,835 and Santiago starting at Dh5,105.
Business Class passengers can enjoy fares to Mumbai starting at Dh2,795, Beirut starting at Dh5,245, Bangkok starting at Dh9,795, Mauritius starting at Dh9,975, Lisbon starting at Dh15,415, Santiago starting at Dh20,925, and Los Angeles starting at Dh21,275.
12/08/18 Khaleej Times

Plea for Kovai-Middle East direct flight service

Chennai: The Tamil Nadu BJP has urged Union Commerce & Industry and Civil Aviation Minister Suresh Prabhu to take steps to introduce direct flight services from Coimbatore to the Middle East at the earliest.
Union Minister of State for Finance and Shipping Pon Radhakrishnan and Coir Board chairman and former president of Tamil Nadu BJP, C. P. Radhakrishnan who had called on Mr Suresh Prabhu in Delhi, stressed the need for operating the direct service from the textile city. Mr Prabhu was said to have assured his full support.
 They had also sought for an early morning flight to Delhi and various amenities pertaining to Coimbatore airport.
 At present, Mangaluru is domestically connected to Bengaluru, Mumbai, Hyderabad, Chennai and Delhi with either direct or hop on hop off flights and internationally to almost all major destinations in the Middle East.
12/08/18 Deccan Chronicle

Brazilian held with Rs 2.5-cr worth cocaine at Mumbai airport

Mumbai: A Brazilian national has been apprehended by the CISF at the airport here for allegedly smuggling in cocaine-filled capsules worth Rs 2.5 crore by concealing them in talcum powder boxes, a senior official said today.

F Nascimen, who arrived here yesterday from Addis Ababa, was intercepted on the basis of suspicion, he said.

The Brazilian man, who was bound for Delhi, was frisked along with his bag in which few plastic talcum powder boxes were found.
12/08/18 PTI/India.com

Friday, August 10, 2018

GoAir to start international operations in October; to connect Kerala's Kannur to Saudi Arabia's Dammam

New Delhi: Travelling abroad is going to become a little easier as the fifth Indian carrier is set to take Indian passengers abroad. Starting from October, GoAir is commencing its international operations. The airline has been given permission to start international operations from the new Kannur international airport to Dammam in Saudi Arabia, Civil aviation secretary RN Choubey told reporters. The secretary also spoke about a host of issues from the government's proposal to bail Air India out to sea plane operations.

GoAir operates only domestic flights despite meeting the eligibility criteria for flying on international routes as it has a fleet of over 20 aircraft. In a written reply in parliament today, the government informed that the 'air operators' certificate' has been endorsed for GoAir to start international operations. At present, the Air India group, IndiGo, Jet Airways and SpiceJet fly abroad. The Air India group comprises Air India and its low-cost subsidiary Air India Express.

Choubey also added that IndiGo will operate a flight from the city to Doha and Jet Airways will start a service from there to Abu Dhabi. The services are expected to start from the winter schedule, beginning October end, he further said.
10/08/18 Business Today

DGCA to seek report from British Airways on deboarding of Indian family

New Delhi: Civil Aviation Minister Suresh Prabhu has directed the aviation regulator to obtain a detailed report from British Airways over an alleged incident of an Indian passenger and his family being asked to de-board the airline's flight in the UK.
"I have directed the DGCA to obtain detailed report from British Airways on the issue," Prabhu tweeted.
The development comes after an Indian passenger, identified as AP Pathak a Joint Secretary level officer in the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, complained that he and his family were discriminated against on racial lines.
The alleged incident took place on July 23, when the family was travelling from London to Berlin on a British Airways flight.
"After the security announcement was made my wife tied my child to the window seat but he started crying as he was feeling awkward and was a little hungry," he told a news channel.
"Crew member shouted at my child and said I will throw you and your family out of the window."
10/08/18 IANS/Business Standard