Israel wants to post personnel in India to screen Tel Aviv flyers

New Delhi: Israel wants to add additional layers to its air-security and has requested India to allow trained Israeli personnel to put flyers to Tel Aviv through a behaviour analysis.
India, which usually gives its nod to such security measures from friendly countries on a reciprocal basis, is considering the request. “India is sensitive to security concerns of other countries and we usually allow specific requests on a reciprocal basis,” said a source.
Air India (Delhi-Tel Aviv) and Israel’s El Al (Mumbai-Tel Aviv) operate direct flights between the two countries. Israel wants its personnel on El Al to conduct a behaviour analysis of flyers on its flights from Mumbai.
A Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) official — responsible for airport security — said Israel had conducted a training programme for its personnel for behaviour profiling in 2010. “Since then we have been providing training in this field and using it. Almost all drug and cash recoveries are made by observing passenger behaviour,” the official said.
31/08/19 Saurabh Sinha/Economic Times

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In a major boost to 'Make in India', HAL-made Dornier 228 can be used for commercial regional flights in Europe

In a major cheer for Modi-led BJP government's 'Make in India 'campaign, Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd's (HAL)-made Dornier 228 can now be utilised for commercial regional flights across Europe. European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) has accepted DGCA certification for this plane that is being manufactured at HAL's manufacturing facility in Kanpur. Notably, this is the first instance where an Indian manufactured aircraft will be used for commercial flights across Europe.
As per a report in the Times of India, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has given type certification (TC) for HAL manufactured Dornier 228 allowing the multi-purpose light transport aircraft to be used for civil flights by regional operators in India. DGCA chief Arun Kumar said, "Now the Dornier can be used for commercial use in Europe also. This is a big achievement for our make in India program." Here's all you need to know about India's Dornier 228.
The aircraft is being used for commuter transport, third level services and air-taxi operations, India navy and coast guard duties and maritime surveillance. Dornier's maritime surveillance and patrolling variants have been modified by HAL to cater to larger demand by the Navy, including surveillance radar, forward-looking infrared, electronic support measure, satellite communications, data links and Traffic Collision Avoidance System (TCAS) among other things. The aircraft was also supposed to be used heavily under the ude desh ka aam nagrik (UDAN) scheme but due to multiple issues, the aircraft had limited success in India.
31/08/19 Ashish Shukla/IBTimes

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IAF pilots test fly MiG 35 at Russian air show

New Delhi: Pilots of the Indian Air Force (IAF) conducted test flights of the MiG 35 fighter aircraft during an ongoing air exhibition in Zukhovski, Russia.
An Indian Air Force (IAF) delegation had visited Russia for the International Aviation and Space Salon MAKS 2019 air show that was held at the Zukhovski International Airport near Moscow between August 27 and 29.
The delegation was led by Air Marshal Amit Dev, Director General Air Operations.
The delegation was also shown the Sukhoi 57E, the export version of the fifth-generation Russian supersonic stealth jet fighter at the air exhibition.
"The Indian delegation were shown MiG-35 and Su-57 aircraft. Indian Air Force test pilots G/C BS Reddy and W/C FL Roy got an opportunity to fly two sorties on MiG-35 aircraft during the visit," the IAF tweeted.
The MiG-35 is a 4++ generation Mikoyan multi-role combat aircraft that comes in single- and twin-seater versions too. Officials said the MiG 35 as well as the Sukhoi 57E were entirely new version of the aircraft.
31/08/19 IANS/Economic Times

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No AC & water: Passengers turn to Twitter after Air India flight gets delayed by 4 hours in Shanghai

Air India passengers flying from Shanghai to New Delhi in flight number AI346 took to the social media to vent out their anger after their flight failed to take off from Shanghai International Airport due to technical issues in the plane. According to the angry passengers, the flight is stuck at the airport for the past four hours and even the air conditioning system is not working inside the plane.
Several angry passengers posted their messages on the Twitter saying that the AC inside the place is not working and they have been forced to sit inside the plane for the past four hours.
One of the passenger even complained that the Air India staff has shut down the washrooms and even not serving water to the passengers.
It was reported that the plane suffered a technical fault but the passengers complained that they were not informed about the reason for the delay.
31/08/19 Economic Times

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30 More Daily Flights to Kerala in Next 3 Months, Says Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan

Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan was on Saturday informed that 30 additional daily flights would be introduced from the four airports in the state in the next three months.
The assurance in this regard was made by the Union Civil Aviation Secretary Pradeep Singh Kharola at a meeting of CEOs of various airline companies called by the chief minister here in the backdrop of airline companies reducing flights from the Thiruvananthapuram airport.
The additional flights would be introduced during the next winter schedule of airlines companies, a release quoting the Chief Minister's office (CMO) said. Five more flights would be introduced from Thiruvananthapuram to Delhi, Kharola said.
The Civil Aviation secretary had held an informal meeting with airline companies prior to the meeting, on the basis of which it was decided that 30 more flights would be introduced to the state during the winter schedules , the release said.
In the last meeting of CEOs of airlines companies, there was a demand for reducing excise duty on Aviation Turbine Fuel (AFT) and it had the support of the Civil Aviation secretary.
Vijayan pointed out that Kerala had reduced excise duty on ATF from 25 per cent to five per cent in 3 airports--Kozhikode, Kochi and Thiruvananthapuram, while in Kannur airport it was brought down to 1 per cent.
However, not only was there no positive response from the airlines companies, but the services from Thiruvananthapuram airport had been considerably reduced, the chief minister pointed out at the meeting.
31/08/19 PTI/News18.com

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IndiGo to start flights on Delhi-Riyadh and Delhi-Kuwait route from October 11

New Delhi: Low-cost carrier IndiGo will begin operations on the Delhi-Riyadh route from October 11, making the Saudi Arabian capital its 22nd international destination, the airline said on Friday. The company said it would also be operating flights on the Delhi-Kuwait route from October 11. The airline already has direct flights on the Mumbai-Kuwait route.
"The airline currently operates daily non-stop flights between Mumbai and Jeddah, thereby extending direct connectivity between the capital cities of India and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA)," IndiGo said in its statement.
IndiGo is the largest airline in India, with around 47 per cent share of the domestic passenger market.
"Riyadh has tremendous potential as a centre of commercial and political activity and we are convinced that our services will do well there, as they have done so far to Jeddah," William Boulter, Chief Commercial Officer of IndiGo, said.
30/08/19 PTI/Economic Times

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Singapore Airlines to fly its brand new A380 into Mumbai from next week

Mumbai: Singapore Airline’s brand new A380R aircraft will be flying into Mumbai from September 1.
Mumbai International Airpot Ltd (MIAL) said the aircraft, which will operate the Mumbai-Singapore route seven days a week, will depart from Mumbai at 11:40 pm and arrive in Singapore at 07:40 am, local time.
30/08/19 Manju V/Times of India

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SpiceJet to launch 6 new international, domestic flights from 25 September; to introduce non-stop flight on Kolkata-Bangkok route

Gurugram: Budget carrier SpiceJet on Friday said that it would introduce six new flights to expand its network across domestic and international routes.
All the new flights introduced will operate daily and are effective from 25 September to 26 October in the summer schedule and then from 5 November onwards.
The carrier has introduced a second non-stop flight on the Kolkata-Bangkok-Kolkata sector besides enhancing frequencies on the domestic sectors of Kolkata-Chennai and Chennai-Shirdi. The airline will now connect Kolkata and Shirdi with a direct flight via Chennai.
"We see tremendous potential in the Kolkata-Bangkok sector. Our second non-stop flight on this route will offer a tremendous boost to the city's connectivity, considering it will also connect passengers to and from other Indian cities to Bangkok via Kolkata," said chief marketing officer Debojo Maharshi.
"Our additional frequencies from Kolkata to Bangkok and Chennai have been perfectly timed to meet and support the travel plans during Durga Puja holidays and the upcoming festive season. We are confident that the enhanced frequencies will offer better connectivity and flexibility to every traveller," he added.
30/08/19 ANI/First Post

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Air Vistara starts daily flights from Delhi - Bangkok

Looking for a perfect getaway plan for the long weekend? Well, a quick visit to Bangkok doesn’t seem like a bad idea and with Air Vistara’s new direct flight to Thailand, travellers are in for a world class experience.

Air Vistara recently inaugurated its services to Bangkok. This will be the third destination on its international network after Singapore and Dubai. The return flights from Bangkok to Delhi are priced at an inclusive fare starting from INR 16,936. With these new services in place, Air Vistara has now become the only airlines to offer premium economy class seats in addition to business and economy class. The aircraft will have three - class cabin each dedicated to business, economy and premium economy.

To make the inaugural flight a memorable experience for the fliers, Vistara presented them with gift bags and chocolates. According to CEO Leslie Thng, Bangkok is one of the most visited cities in the world and tapping into this market will open endless opportunities to further grow tourism and business.
30/08/19 Outlook Traveller

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After EOI submission, Synergy Group eyes 49% stake in Jet Airways

Mumbai: South America’s Synergy Group Corp is planning to pick up 49 per cent stake in Jet Airways. It will discuss co-investment options with its lenders and infrastructure companies, the group’s advisor told Business Standard. Synergy Group Corp, which owns majority stake in Avianca Airlines, South America’s second-largest airline, submitted an expression of interest last week to revive the grounded airline.

It’s Bolivian born founder German Efromovich will visit India next month to discuss investment options with Jet’s lenders and Indian infrastructure companies. Government norms mandate that substantial ownership and effective control of an airline must rest with Indian citizens.

“We intend to structure the acquisition as a foreign company with 49 per cent stake. Jet Airways is publicly listed and we hope lenders would be willing to convert their debt into equity. We will also discuss partnerships with Indian infrastructure companies. We have several options,” said Antonio Guizzetti, president of consultancy G&A, which is advising the Synergy Group regarding the stake buy.

Jet Airways, which shut down in April following a cash crunch, had a debt of around Rs 8,500 crore. Ashish Chhawchharia, the resolution professional handling the airline’s insolvency, has received creditor claims of over Rs 30,000 crore and admitted claims of around Rs 12,000 crore.

ALSO READ: Jet Airways crisis: Lenders extend expression of interest deadline again

“The amount of investment by the Synergy Group will depend on discussions and negotiations with banks and other creditors. In insolvency cases, it is common to negotiate for discount on debt,” he said.

Efromovich purchased Avianca, which went through bankruptcy in 2004. Since then, he has transformed it into the second largest airline in South America.

However, Efromovich is facing a crisis and had to step down from the chairman’s post of Avianca Holdings following a loan default. He is now waging a legal battle to retain control of his majority stake in Avianca after a loan default.
28/08/19 Aneesh Phadnis & Subrata Panda/Business Standard

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Depreciation costs drag AirAsia Q2 profit down 53%

Singapore: Sharply higher depreciation resulting from its recent sale-and-leaseback activity saw AirAsia Group report a 53% slide in operating profit to MYR207 million ($49 million) for the second quarter.

Revenue for the April-June period was up 20% to MYR3.14 billion, aided by higher passenger numbers and unit passenger revenue. RPKs across the group grew 16%, slightly lower than its 17% increase in ASKs, leading to a one-point decline in load factor to 85%.

The airline noted that it was impacted by a MYR160 million charge for higher maintenance provisions on its leased aircraft, stemming from recent sale-and-leasebacks of its fleet to BBAM and Castlelake, and changes in accounting standards.

Net profit fell 85% to MYR46.8 million as the company reported a MYR19.9 million loss on foreign exchange. It also recognised MYR147 million in previously incurred losses from AirAsia India, resulting from a change in its investment in the company.

Across its airline operations, earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) fell 14% to MYR436 million, as weaker results from its Thai unit offset stronger performances in Indonesia, the Philippines and India.

Indonesia AirAsia turned around its operating performance during the quarter, reporting positive EBITDA of Rp351 billion ($24.6 million), while revenue swelled 69% to Rp1.66 billion. AirAsia noted that the airline turned profitable "faster than expected" thanks to rising RASK and cost control efforts.

Philippines AirAsia's EBITDA rose nearly six-fold to Ps1.58 billion ($30.2 million), driven by a 22% rise in revenue to 7.51 billion. Load factor improved four points to 91%, while CASK ex-fuel for the unit was down 3%.
29/08/19 Firdaus Hashim/Flight Global

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Russian Helicopters eyeing Indian market to promote Ansat

Zhukovsky (Russia): Russian helicopters, a part of Rostec state corporation of Russia, is looking for promoting its chopper Ansat for civilian market in India.
“We are hopeful of promoting Ansat in India. We have very good prospects. We have applied for certificate to aviation officials of India in the beginning of this year,” Artom Fetisov, sales director of Russian Helicopters, told reporters during the ongoing MAKS air show here.
The company presented Ansat helicopter with highly comfortable cabin in Aurus car brand style for the first time in the ongoing event.
The luxury version of the helicopter, which has the largest cabin in its class, is showcased at the static display at the show.
"Aurus is a premium brand which is becoming Russia's signature. Now it includes both cars and aircraft of the same style that is as comfortable as cars,” Anatoliy Serdyukov, aviation cluster industrial director of the Rostec State Corporation, said.
He said that the advantages of the helicopters have been appreciated both in Russia and abroad.
“The new version of Ansat confirms that this is a multi-purpose helicopter and that there is great potential for its transformation to meet the requirements of various customers," he said.
29/08/19 PTI/Economic Times

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Air India Express launches three-day sale for Gulf region

Travellers in the UAE can fly to India for as little as AED269 as part of a three-day sale announced by budget Indian airline Air India Express.

The sale started on Tuesday and run until Thursday with offers of flights from all UAE airports – Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Sharjah and Al Ain – to a variety of destinations in India.

Discounted fares are available to Delhi, Mumbai, Mangalore, Thiruvananthapuram, Kochi, Kozhikode, Jaipur, Pune, Lucknow, among other cities. This includes a baggage allowance of 30kg.


In terms of the rest of the Gulf region, deals are also available from Kuwait, Bahrain, Salalah, Muscat, Dammam and Riyadh. A selection of the Saudi flights have an increased baggage allowance of 40kg.
28/08/19 Gavin Gibbon/Arabian Business

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Amritsar top International Destination for flights from Melbourne Avalon Airport

Amritsar: Sri Guru Ram Das Jee International Airport, Amritsar is in the limelight as a top destination from a foreign country airport. Amritsar has emerged as the top onward destination from Melbourne Avalon Airport on Air Asia X flights.

As per a report published by “Geelong Advertiser”newspaper from Geelong situated in the suburbs of Melbourne Avalon airport, Amritsar is the top onward destination for passengers flying from Melbourne Avalon to Kuala Lumpur. Other airports that follow in the top five list are Phuket (Thailand), Kochi (India), Penang (Malaysia) and Bangkok (Thailand). 

Air Asia X, is currently the only International airline operating flights from Melbourne Avalon after switching its twice-daily flight between Kuala Lumpur and Melbourne Tullamarine Airport to Avalon Airport in December 2018. It started its operation from Kuala Lumpur to Amritsar in August 2018 with four weekly flights using its 377-seater Airbus A330 aircraft fitted with 365 economy and 12 flatbed business class seats.
According to the report, Avalon Airport CEO Justin Giddings said that the booming Indian market provides a good tourist opportunity for the area and expressed surprise that China did not feature in the top five destinations. Amritsar features on the front cover of published report and the detailed story highlights importance of Amritsar along with a picture of Harmandir Sahib.
29/08/19 Punjab News Express

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Pak closes 3 aviation routes over Karachi for Indian flights till August 31

Pakistan has closed three aviation routes of Karachi airspace from August 28 till August 31, the country's civil aviation authority said on Wednesday after the government's announcement that it is mulling a complete ban on the use of the country's airspace by Indian flights.

The ban will affect all international flights using the three routes above Karachi. It further provides pilots with an alternate route to circumnavigate Karachi airspace.

The four-day ban will expire on September 1, the aviation authority said in a Notice to Airmen (NOTAM).

The closure came at the heels of announcement by Minister of Science and Technology Fawad Chaudhry who tweeted on Tuesday that Prime Minister Imran Khan is considering a complete closure of airspace with India.

Pakistan's Cabinet on Tuesday discussed the idea of disallowing India to use the country's airspace for flight and the land route for trade with Afghanistan. The final decision will be taken by Prime Minister Khan.
28/08/19 PTI/Business Standard

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Will handle Pakistan's airspace closure, says Air India chairman

Mumbai: Air India Chairman and Managing Director (CMD) Ashwani Lohani has expressed confidence that the national carrier will be able to meet all eventualities in case Pakistan decides to go ahead with the air space closure yet again.

"We would handle it [the situation] like last time," the Air India CMD told Indian Today TV.

Lohani, however, refused to comment on whether the "handling of situation" would be enabled by government's help in the form of some financial aid.

The latest threat by the hostile neighbour has once again made the issue of airspace closure a hot topic of discussion and concern.

Not only does the move impact Indian airlines, especially the national carrier Air India, but also turns out to be a big revenue loss for Pakistan, as has been seen in the past. But the neighbouring government is nevertheless contemplating going ahead with the move.

What has set aviation circles abuzz is a tweet by the Pakistan's Minister for Science and Technology Fawad Chaudhry.

"PM is considering a complete closure of air space to Indiaa complete ban on use of land routes for Indian trade to Afghanistan was also suggested in cabinet meeting, legal formalities of these decisions are under consideration," the minister said in a tweet.
28/08/19 India Today

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Why Pakistan closing its airspace hurts it more than it hurts India

Closure of the airspace hurts airlines from India. Hundreds of flights carrying passengers and cargo are forced into long detours that cost millions of dollars.

The location of Pakistan is crucial because it lies smack in the middle of an important air corridor. Even international carriers such as Singapore Airlines, British Airways, Thai Airways, and Lufthansa were affected by the previous airspace closure.

According to FlightRadar24, more than 300 flights were being affected every day. Pakistani airspace is divided into two Flight Information Regions (FIR) — Lahore and Karachi. Both had a huge drop in transiting traffic. In fact, this chunk of traffic ended up with Mumbai air traffic control (ATC) because flights had to take a bypass route via the Arabian Sea.

Mumbai ATC usually handles 750 overflying or transiting flights each day. This surged to 1,200 per a due to Pakistan's airspace closure. Even Indian airlines such as Air India and IndiGo had to opt for longer routes to bypass Pakistan's airspace.

What to make of Pakistan’s bravado? Closing itself off from the world to prove a point is a very risky bet for any world. And, Pakistan should think rationally.
Pakistan's aviation minister said that his country suffered loses of over PKR 8 billion ($50 million, or Rs 332 crore under current exchange rates) from airspace restrictions. This includes the income ATC's get for handling overflying flights.

This is a significant income loss for a country whose economy is in the doldrums. Foreign investment is declining, debt is rising, and there's no buffer reserve to go back to. If Pakistan wants the international community to take its economy seriously, they need to focus on building relationships, not breaking them over some other countries constitution.
On the flip side, a closure will definitely affect India. According to India's civil aviation minister, national carrier Air India lost Rs 491 crore until July 2, while IndiGo suffered a loss of Rs 25.1 crore till May 31. SpiceJet and GoAir lost Rs 30.73 crore and Rs 2.1 crore, respectively till June 20 due to the Pakistan airspace closure. These losses are minuscule stacked for an economy of India’s size.

Here only Air India’s loss is significantly high. Air India, backed by the government of India, is the only Indian airline that can boast of substantial overseas operations. Private players have a lower exposure because of international penetration in Europe and Central Asia.

Four months is a long period in aviation, and Pakistan needs to ensure it doesn’t make bypassing its airspace a “norm”. Because the inconvenience will soon become mainstream, and airlines as well as passengers will plan their fares and plans accordingly.

India is among the fastest-growing economies in the world and the aviation industry is crucial for communication. This ensures solid demand, in turn, making airlines accommodate longer routes and adjust schedules accordingly.
28/08/19 Shivam Vahia/CNBC TV18

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Time Lost & Increased Costs: What India Stands to Lose if Pakistan Completely Shuts Down its Airspace

Pakistan will shut down its airspace for India, starting from August 28, for three days in protest against the latter’s decision to abrogate Article 370 and Article 35A in Jammu and Kashmir.

On Tuesday, Pakistan cabinet minister Fawad Hussain told the media that Pakistani PM Imran Khan was considering the complete closure of the country’s air space for India, while also placing a complete ban on the use of its land routes for trade with Afghanistan.
Hussain, the federal minister for science and technology, had argued that the move was suggested in the cabinet meeting and the legal formalities for these decisions are under consideration. This isn’t the first time that Pakistan will be closing its air space. Pakistan had fully closed its airspace in February after an Indian Air Force strike on a Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) terror camp in Balakot.

For instance, flights to and from India that fly westwards towards the Gulf region, or Europe or America will have to fly longer distances to avoid Pakistani airspace. This, in effect, will increase the time taken by the flight and also exponentially increase the cost of operations.

An official of the DGCA explained, “When longer distances are flown, then more crew is required. The increased time required for the flight that different sets of crew and multiple pilots will be required. And on top of all this, the passengers are greatly inconvenienced.”

The geography of the Himalayas in the north of India is a further complication, experts said and added that the closing the Pakistani airspace impedes flight operations since the mountains are near impassable.

Generally, the airspace over a nation is controlled by that country’s aviation regulatory body (Civil Aviation Authority, in the case of Pakistan) and air traffic control organizations determine when, where and how aircraft are allowed to fly.

Flights typically like to fly a straight line to their destination in order to save fuel – but for this, the airspace has to be open and safe. But the impact of shutting down the air space is felt by both nations. After shutting down the airspace earlier in February, Pakistan had suffered a loss of USD 50 million, said Pakistani aviation minister Ghulam Sarwar Khan – but had underlined that Islamabad’s action had hit New Delhi “harder”, “It is a huge loss for our overall (aviation) industry”, he was quoted as saying by the Dawn newspaper.

But he had added “This restriction had hit India harder than Pakistan. The loss of India is almost double. But at this juncture, détente and harmony are required from both sides.”
28/08/19 News18.com

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Air India official accused of shoplifting at Sydney airport resigns

New Delhi: Air India has accepted the resignation of its Regional Director for East, Rohit Bhasin, who was allegedly caught shoplifting a wallet from a duty-free shop at the Sydney airport on June 22, airline officials said on Wednesday.

His last day at Air India would be August 31, one of the officials said.

“Bhasin’s suspension was revoked on Monday so that his resignation can be accepted on Tuesday. The revoking of suspension was just a technicality,” said the official.

Bhasin has been under suspension and not permitted to enter the premises of the national carrier since the date of the incident.

Bhasin was rostered as one of the commanders (pilots) of AI301 flight, which was set to depart at 10.45 am (local time) on June 22 from the Sydney airport for Delhi.

On June 23, the airline spokesperson said, “There is an initial report of one of its captains Mr Rohit Bhasin, who is also working as a regional director, picking up a wallet from a duty-free shop in Sydney. Air India has instituted an enquiry into this incident and has placed the captain under suspension.”

According to another airline official, around a week back, Bhasin had come to meet the Air India Chairman and Managing Director (CMD) Ashwani Lohani in order to proffer resignation under Voluntary Resignation Scheme (VRS).

Lohani refused to accept the resignation under VRS scheme, the official said.
28/08/19 PTI/Business Line

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Air India goes soft on erring pilot, again

Mumbai: Without citing any reasons, Air India has revoked the suspension of senior pilot Capt Rohit Bhasin for allegedly shoplifting at a Sydney airport duty-free outlet two months ago.
This is the second time in three years that Air India has done such a volte face.
On April 28, 2016, Bhasin had put lives of passengers on board Air India Delhi-Paris flight AI-143 at risk twice. A senior-level committee that probed the incident had recommended that Bhasin undergo psychiatric assessment by Indian Air Force doctors. But AI formed another panel which allowed him to resume flying without undergoing the assessment.
The latest incident occurred on June 22 when Bhasin, who was at Sydney airport to operate an Air India flight to Delhi as a commander, bought a jacket from a Tumi duty-free shop. “CCTV footage showed him taking a wallet and putting it inside the jacket and exiting without paying for it,” said a source.
Just after the aircraft door was shut for departure, security personnel came rushing seeking entry. “Bhasin who was in the cockpit came into the passenger cabin with the wallet in his hand. He said he didn’t know how it got into his bag and threw it away. The security personnel told him that returning the wallet didn’t end the matter,” said the source. The AI station manager gave an assurance to the security that the airline will fully cooperate with the investigations, following which, the flight was released.
Air India placed Bhasin under suspension. TOI had earlier reported that Bhasin had told the airline that he was “elated on receiving a very good news on the personal front at the airport... and in this sense of euphoria, he went shopping for some gift... and inadvertently rushed off to the aircraft without realising he had not paid for the wallet.”
Two months later, the airline has changed its tune. “It has now been decided to revoke your suspension with immediate effect...” reads the letter issued by Amrita Sharan, AI director (personnel), on Monday. With no adverse remark against him, Bhasin is now free to continue with AI or join another airline. An Air India spokesperson refused to comment on the matter.
The 2016 incident involved two violations. First, he ordered the first officer to fraudulently enter a lower temperature setting into the aircraft computer. In the first attempt, when the correct temperature (41 degree Celsius) was fed, the avionics system gave a “take-off not possible” response as the aircraft was overloaded. AI Delhi-Paris flight AI-143 took off with the fraudulent lower temperature setting, breaching the safety margin.
Later in the flight, he manipulated the on-board flight management system and initiated a climb to an altitude that was beyond the operational capability of the Dreamliner and so deemed unsafe by Boeing. At such an altitude, the aircraft could enter, what’s called a “coffin corner” in aviation parlance. That is, it could have stalled.
28/08/19 Manju V/Times of India

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Emirates SkyCargo moved 18,000 tonnes of perishables from India since May 2019

Emirates SkyCargo moves around 4,000 tonnes of fruits, vegetables and other perishables from India every month. Since May 2019, Emirates SkyCargo has moved 18,000 tonnes of perishables from India alone.

Produce exported from India include summer fruits such as mangoes and guavas and vegetables such as okra, drumstick and chillies.

The freight division of Emirates moved over 150,000 tonnes of perishables and 27,000 tonnes of pharmaceuticals through Dubai between the beginning of April and mid-August 2019. Every day, around 1,100 tonnes of food and other perishable products originating from different parts of the world move through Emirates SkyCargo’s terminals in Dubai. In 2018, Emirates SkyCargo flew close to 3,000 tonnes of perishables just from Italy to the Middle East, Australia, New Zealand and other destinations in East Asia.

Emirates SkyCargo has invested in developing extensive cool chain facilities and dedicated storage space for pharmaceutical cargo. With a combined capacity of over 2 million tonnes of cargo per annum, the terminals see movement of close to 5,000 shipments and over 6 million kilos of cargo per day including during the summer season.
28/08/19 ITL News

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Flights soon from Jaffna's Palali airport to 4 Indian cities but not Chennai; Report

The Palali regional airport in North which is expected to commence airline services to Indian regional cities in mid October as construction are to be completed with the Indian grant will not have Chennai as one of the destinations, a news report from Hindustan Times said.

Since the end of its three-decade long civil war in 2009 and with the help of India, Sri Lanka has been upgrading the Jaffna peninsula’s Kankesanthurai harbour and the adjacent air field Palali, which played a crucial role for the Sri Lankan air force to air-drop relief supplies during the brutal conflict, when supply lines to Jaffna were often cut off by the separatist Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE).

Come October, Palali will undergo a radical transformation and become Sri Lanka’s third international airport with connections to four Indian cities. However, and much to the chagrin of Tamils in both India and Sri Lanka, Chennai is not one of them.

Sri Lankan civil aviation minister Arjuna Ranatunga last week inaugurated a INR 2.5 billion expansion program of Palali’s facilities for which India provided Rs 300 million. Speaking on the occasion, the minister expressed the hope that opening up Palali to Indian visitors will attract investment, create employment and boost tourism in the Jaffna peninsula. He also announced that smaller commercial planes will operate flights to Bengaluru, Kochi, Mumbai and Hyderabad.

But what about historically and culturally linked Chennai? As of now and given the lack of land and sea connections, members of Sri Lanka’s largest minority community desirous of visiting Tamil Nadu have to take a circuitous, six-hour road trip to Colombo’s Bandaranaike international airport to fly there. Whether Chennai will be added when an extended runway in Palali is able to accommodate wide-bodied aircraft, remains an open question.
28/08/19 Times Online

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Vistara starts daily flights to Bangkok from Delhi

Indian carrier Vistara launched its daily service to Bangkok from Delhi yesterday.

The airline will now fly daily between Delhi and Bangkok, which is the carrier’s third international destination. The other two international destinations are Singapore and Dubai.

“We’re delighted to enter another new geography with service to Bangkok, one of [the] world’s most-visited cities with immense potential to further grow tourism as well as business. With Vistara, we introduce India’s best airline to Bangkok that’s committed to making a mark in global aviation with its world-class product and impeccable service,” said Vistara’s CEO Leslie Thng.

An A320neo was used on the inaugural flight. The aircraft features a three class cabin configuration that includes premium economy, cusiness class and economy class. Vistara says that it’s the only airline to offer the choice of premium economy class for travel between India and Thailand.

The aircraft has a total of eight seats in Business class, 24 in premium economy and 132 in economy class. The width, pitch, and recline of the business class seats are 22.6 inches, 41 inches and seven inches respectively.

Vistara celebrated the occasion by giving each passenger a gift bag of memorabilia and chocolates during the flight. The Tourism Authority of Thailand extended a traditional Thai welcome to all Vistara customers as well, according to the airline.
28/08/19 Business Traveller

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Thailand-bound Senegalese Woman Conceals Rs 20 Lakh in Her Groin Area, Held at Mumbai Airport

Mumbai: A Senegalese woman has been apprehended at Mumbai airport for allegedly carrying 25,000 euros (approximately Rs 20 lakh) concealed in her groin area, the CISF said in a statement on Wednesday. Rokhayatou Gueye was to fly to Bangkok by Thai Airways on Tuesday, it said.

During the pre-embarkation security check at woman frisking booth of the International Security Hold Area, Terminal-2 of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport, CISF Constable Shilpa Jain noticed suspicious activities of the woman, the statement said. She carried out a thorough checking of the Senegalese woman and detected 25,000 euros worth approximately Rs 20 lakh concealed in the groin area of the passenger, it said.
On enquiry, she could not produce any valid document for carrying such a high volume of foreign currency, the CISF said, adding that the matter was informed to senior officers of the CISF and Customs officials. The woman, along with the recovered money, was handed over to the Customs officials for further legal action, it added.
28/08/19 PTI/News18

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For second time, Spicejet's London dreams go sour

Ajay Singh-promoted Spicejet's plans to connect London from the winter have been grounded following its failure to secure slots at the Heathrow, the busiest European airport.
The Gurugram-based airline had applied for slots both at the Heathrow and Manchester to operate direct daily services from Amritsar and Mumbai, respectively, according to a source.
The Gurugram-based airline had applied for slots both at the Heathrow and Manchester to operate direct daily services from Amritsar and Mumbai, respectively, according to a source.
Spicejet has been quite aggressive on its international expansion since the grounding of Jet Airways in April, as it could bag a sizeable number of landing rights in the Gulf and Southeast Asia.
"Spicejet has applied for slots for a daily flight between Amritsar and London from this winter. As slots at the Heathrow are very scarce it could not get one," Airport Coordination Ltd, which is the slot coordinator for Heathrow airport, said in an email communication to PTI
The London-based Airport Coordination handles slots at as many as 39 airports worldwide, including those in Canada, Poland, New Zealand, and the UAE among others.
28/08/19 PTI/Deccan Herald

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Air India Express offers UAE-India tickets starting Dh269

Budget airline Air India Express has announced a mega sale on Gulf flights, with fares starting at Dh269.

The 3-day sale was launched on August 27, 2019, the airline's website said.

Passengers flying from Sharjah to select Indian cities will be able to book their tickets starting Dh269, while those flying from Dubai will be able to get their tickets starting Dh279. If you are flying from Abu Dhabi, you can fly to select Indian cities for Dh289.

Discounted fares are available to Delhi, Mumbai, Mangalore, Thiruvananthapuram, Kochi, Kozhikode, Jaipur, Pune, Lucknow, among other cities.
28/08/19 Khaleej Times

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Qatar Airways not interested in buying Air India, says CEO

Qatar Airways is also not interested in buying Air India in an upcoming government sales process, the airline’s chief executive told Reuters on Tuesday.

Akbar Al Baker was speaking at a function to announce the launch of flights from Doha to the Malaysian island of Langkawi from October.

Al Baker’s comments come as the Indian government is making a fresh attempt to sell stake or even completely exit Air India.

The government failed last year in its attempt to sell a 76 percent stake in Air India due to a lack of interest from bidders who said they found some of the stake sale terms too onerous, making it a non-starter. It is now redrawing the stake sale plans and as part of the effort it has hived off some of the loss-making airline's debt of $8.5 billion.
Al Baker had previously told The Economic Times that his airline would be interested in Air India only if it comes without the ‘baggage’. He was not referring to airline’s debt but functions such as ground handling, engineering etc, he told the newspaper.
27/08/19 CNBC-TV18

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Indian-origin hotelier and Donald Trump’s ex-partner arrested for stealing luggage at US airport

An Indian-origin hotelier, who has partnered with US President Donald Trump on four hotels, was arrested at the Memphis International Airport for allegedly stealing luggage. The local police said that Dinesh Chawla put the stolen suitcase in his car and went back inside the airport to catch a flight, The New York Times reported. The incident occured last week.
Chawla was arrested when he returned to Memphis. The police recovered the stolen suitcase and another piece of stolen luggage from his car. The second suitcase had reportedly been stolen a month ago. The police said that the contents in the two suitcases valued at nearly $4,000.
Chawla confessed that he steals luggage for the thrill and excitement. The hotelier also said that he had stolen ‘over a long period of time’ but did not provide details about thefts he had committed in the past, said the NYT report. He said that he knew that stealing luggage was wrong, but did it anyway.
Chawla and his brother Suresh Chawla run a number of hotels and motels in the Delta. They also started constructing a luxury hotel in Cleveland along with the Trump Organistaion. But the Trumps withdrew from the project in February.
The US president’s sons Donald Trump Jr and Eric submitted an undertaking that they were forced to withdraw from the project due to ‘harassment’ by the Democrats.
27/08/19 Financial Express

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PMO raises query over AirAsia India’s international rights

New Delhi: The Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) has asked the aviation ministry to explain why AirAsia India would be allowed to fly international when its approvals are being contested in a court after a BJP MP wrote to the top office.
The PMO raised the query along with a letter from MP Subramaniam Swamy, urging the government to not let AirAsia India fly overseas due to the court case, and sought replies from the aviation ministry.
Swamy had moved the Delhi High Court, challenging the airline’s appeal for international flying rights, saying it was in violation of the foreign direct investment norms. He, however, refused to comment on the matter now. “We have received three reminders from the PMO on replies to the letter by the MP. We are in the process of replying to the letter with a detailed response over the issue,” said an aviation ministry official, refusing to be identified.
“A GoM (group of ministers) was formed to clear the proposal for both Vistara and AirAsia India to fly international. While Vistara has got its clearance and started flying international, AirAsia India’s proposal is in the final stages, as it is eligible to fly international not just on the basis of new norms, but on earlier eligibility norms, too,” another aviation ministry official said, requesting anonymity.
27/08/19 Mihir Mishra/Economic Times

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Special ticket fares on Air India Express

Air India Express has announced a sale on flights between different destinations in India and Doha.
The sale period is from today until August 29, the Indian carrier has said in a press statement.
The travel period will be from today until March 28, 2020. The airline has provided a list of starting one-way fares for different destinations from Doha. A transaction fee will also be levied. Following is the list: Doha-Mumbai from QR329; Doha-Kochi from QR399; Doha-Kozhikode from QR399; Doha-Kannur from QR399; and Doha-Thiruvananthapuram from QR479.
27/08/19 Gulf Times

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Singapore Airlines, Silkair and Vistara to expand codesharing to international flights

Passengers traveling with Singapore Airlines (SIA), Silkair and Vistara will have more international flight options as the Singaporean flag carrier and its regional arm, Silkair, signed an agreement with Indian carrier Vistara to expand codesharing to international routes.

Under the expansion of an existing codeshare agreement which covers Indian domestic flights, SIA and Silkair will add nine new codeshare destinations within India on Vistara-operated flights. The following destinations will be added: Chandigarh, Dibrugarh, Jammu, Leh, Pune, Raipur, Ranchi, Siliguri and Srinagar. SIA will add its ‘SQ’ designator code to Vistara’s new international flights.

Vistara will add its ’UK’ designator code to SIA and Silkair-operated flights between Singapore and eight destinations in India, including Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Chennai, Cochin, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Mumbai and New Delhi. As part of the arrangement, Vistara will codeshare on services to more than 40 destinations from Singapore to Australia, New Zealand, Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Vietnam, Thailand, Taiwan, Japan and the US.

“These codeshares will be implemented in phases and are subject to regulatory approvals,” reads a press release from the airline.
27/08/19 GCR

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Nok Air to launch flights to Bangkok

Visakhapatnam: Thailand’s Nok Air will launch its services from Visakhapatnam international airport to Bangkok’s Don Mueang international airport from mid-October 2019, according to sources.
Visakhapatnam MP MVV Satyanarayana met Poonam Headvif from Nok Airlines, here on Monday, along with the president of the Tour and Travels Association of Andhra, K Vijay Mohan, and vice president of Air Travelers Association, O Naresh Kumar. The MP assured them his help to get clearances for the new flight, said sources.
According to Vijay Mohan, “The direct flight from Visakhapatnam to Bangkok is passenger friendly as it is cost-effective and convenient. People travelling to Bangkok through connecting flights will be able to save a lot of time. Usually, passengers from the state who fly to Bangkok via Kolkata, Hyderabad or Chennai take 8-10 hours. The Nok Air flight will enable people to reach Bangkok within three hours. Moreover, it is a midnight flight from Visakhapatnam, hence passengers can reach their destination early in the morning.”
27/08/19 Times of India

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M'sian woman arrested trying to smuggle 6.5kg of gold at Chennai airport

New Delhi: A Malaysian woman was arrested with smuggled gold worth 25 million rupees (RM1.47mil) at Chennai's international airport on Sunday (Aug 25).

Indian customs officials, acting on a tip-off, arrested the passenger on Sunday after they found 12 gold bars, weighing 6.5kg in total, in her baggage.

The 41-year-old told Air Intelligence Unit officials that the gold was to be delivered to an unknown person outside the airport, according to a customs press release on Monday (Aug 26).

Malaysian consul-general in Chennai, K. Saravanan, told Bernama that local authorities are further investigating the case.
27/08/19 Bernama/The Star

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Colombian airline Avianca’s owner shows interest in Jet Airways

Mumbai: Synergy Group Corp., a South American conglomerate that owns majority shares in airlines including Colombian carrier Avianca Holdings, has shown exploratory interest in investing in Jet AirwaysNSE 4.93 %, said a person aware of the development.
The conglomerate submitted an expression of interest for the bankrupt and grounded airline after the August 10 deadline set by the resolution professional running the bid process. The RP, Ashish Chhawchharia of Grant Thornton, will seek approval from the committee of Jet’s creditors to include Synergy in the race on Monday, he told ET.
The RP was appointed by India’s bankruptcy court after it admitted an insolvency plea from Jet’s top lender, State Bank of India, on loan repayment defaults. The committee of creditors was also formed as part of the resolution process.
The RP has collated claims from all creditors and is in charge of finding a new investor for the airline to clear its dues and give it a new life. Jet halted operations on April 17 after running out of cash and failing to raise money to keep afloat.
The RP has collated claims from all creditors and is in charge of finding a new investor for the airline to clear its dues and give it a new life. Jet halted operations on April 17 after running out of cash and failing to raise money to keep afloat.
26/08/19 Anirban Chowdhury/Economic Times

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This airline has stolen a march over IndiGo on one-stop flights between India and London

One of the most discussed questions in the aviation circles over the past year or so has been IndiGo’s intention to London from India on a narrow-body aircraft. The airline is already holding slots at London Gatwick, and has made many a move to fly Delhi–London via Baku in Azarbaijan.

Slot filings at London airport show IndiGo has currently filed A321 equipment, the same as is being used on its Delhi–Istanbul flights. The problem with that move, from a passenger experience perspective, and perhaps why IndiGo has not already pulled this one off so far, is the airline’s lack of experience to differentiate its long-haul international flights from the short-haul ones.

As reported earlier, the long-haul experiences for IndiGo, as shown by its flights to Istanbul, still have the airline serving you cold sandwiches for a meal. There is still no charging point or in-flight entertainment offered by the airline. Flying a narrow-body, which includes very long queues for the use of the small lavatories at the back of the plane.

While IndiGo is still pondering over how will it fly passengers to London, perhaps with a newer passenger experience, or perhaps on board a newer plane such as the A321XLR which will only be delivered a few years from now, it seems a middle-eastern airline has already stolen its thunder.

Jazeera Airways of Kuwait recently announced new flights between Kuwait and London, to be operated by their A320 aircraft. These flights will start operating October 27, 2019 onwards, and coupled with Jazeera Airways’ Indian network, seem to have some good connections for a low-cost experience to London.

Jazeera Airways, however, has improvised to ensure that passengers get a low-cost experience, which is still valid on a 7-hour long flight rather than cut and paste their domestic experience on to international long-haul flights, which is what IndiGo did. The airline already had a business-class experience on its aircraft, but on the new aircraft it brought in for the flights to London, it has also introduced a Premium Economy cabin.

While Kuwait Airport is nothing to write home about, the airline has built in reasonable connection times (60-90 minutes from Delhi on various days, three  hours from Mumbai) amongst others. A traveller also gets to walk a bit on the transit, allowing him to stretch muscles rather than being in the same seat, not moving for hours.
26/08/19 Ajay Awtaney/CNBC TV18

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India must now liberalize flying rights for Gulf airlines

India's airlines are now facing a crisis and Gulf carriers are perfectly positioned for Indian air traffic to take off-
See why Shafeeq Rahman, a Delhi-based researcher, says so >>

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Minister asks AirAsia not to stop its flights from Vizag to Bangkok

Visakhapatnam: Minister for Tourism Muttamsetti Srinivasa Rao on Sunday asked Thai AirAsia not to withdraw its flight between Visakhapatnam and Bangkok from next month.
In a meeting with Devasish Dutt, airport manager of AirAsia, the Minister asked the airline to continue its services – FD116 Bangkok-Vizag and FD117 Vizag-Bangkok, which are operated four times a week on Sundays, Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.
He also wrote a letter to Suresh Naik, India Operations, AirAsia, regarding the same. Visakhapatnam terminal manager Karthik participated in the meeting on behalf of the AAI.
Malindo Air’s flight to Kuala Lumpur and SriLankan Airline’s flight to Colombo had been withdrawn in the past due to poor occupancy. While Malindo withdrew its service after introduction of a flight to Kuala Lumpur by AirAsia, SriLankan Airlines found its operations unviable.
26/08/19 The Hindu

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Foreign airlines ban some MacBook Pro models on India flights

New Delhi: Foreign airlines with flights to India have begun implementing American and European aviation regulators ban on carrying some models of Apple’s MacBook Pro onboard — either in check-in or cabin bag — due to risk of battery fires. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) is also examining this latest fear in the skies and may ban affected models of MacBook Pro on board desi airlines.
Apple had recently announced a recall of a limited number of older generation 15-inch MacBook Pro models sold primarily between September 2015 and February 2017 due to fears that their batteries may overheat and catch fire. After Apple’s warning, earlier this month the European Union Aviation Safety Agency and American Federal Aviation Administration asked airlines to take steps accordingly.
Now India is also seeing if it should ask its airlines to bar the affected MacBook Pro models. “The DGCA is examining the issue and if need be, will do the needful,” said a senior official.
On Sunday, Singapore Airlines (SIA), a major operator to India, said on its website: “Customers are to refrain from bringing the affected (MacBook Pro) models either as hand-carry or in checked baggage until the battery has been verified as safe or replaced by the manufacturer. Please visit Apple’s MacB ook Pro Battery Recall Program page to get more information on whether your product is affected, as well as on the available battery replacement options.” Thai is also not allowing 15-inch MacBook Pro notebooks sold between September 2015 and February 2017 on the aircraft either as carry-on or checked luggage.
26/08/19 Saurabh Sinha/Times of India

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SpiceJet launches sale on international routes

Low-cost carrier SpiceJet has launched a “Red Hot” sale on its select international routes with ticket prices starting at Rs 3,999 for travelling till March 2020.

The five-day sale launched today will last till August 30, 2019, allowing fliers to book tickets for travelling till March 2020, amid higher demand and expensive rates during the peak season. The travel period covered is valid only for travel on non-stop international flights on SpiceJet's network. Seats will be available on a first-come-first-served basis.

The all-inclusive one-way fares begin from as low as Rs. 3999 for popular destinations such as Colombo from Chennai and Dhaka from Kolkata and Guwahati. Tickets from Kochi to Male are available for as low as Rs 4299, Bangkok-Kolkata for Rs 4699, Dubai-Mumbai for Rs 5399, Mumbai-Bangkok for Rs 6899, Bangkok-Delhi for Rs 7199 among others, the airline said in a press release.
26/08/19 CNBC TV18

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India's SpiceJet to offer discounted $75 Dubai fares

Indian budget carrier SpiceJet will offer one-way ticket to Dubai from Mumbai for $75 (Rs5,399) as part of a limited period promotional offer on select international routes.
The five-day sale, launched on Monday, will be open until Friday midnight, the airline said in a statement.
The travel period covered in this sale is till March 31, 2020 and is valid only for travel on non-stop international flights on SpiceJet's network.
Some of the other sectors on which the discounted-fare tickets are offered include Kochi-Male ($60 for one-way), Bangkok-Kolkata ($65), Mumbai-Bangkok ($96) and Bangkok-Delhi ($100).
“International holidays, especially during peak season, are perceived to be an expensive affair for Indian households. We aim to break this notion and offer ticket prices for international holiday destinations like Dubai, Bangkok, Colombo, Dhaka and Male at rates which are close to domestic ticket prices,” Debojo Maharshi, chief marketing officer of SpiceJet, has said.
The airline expects the sale, christened ‘red hot’ international sale, to help travellers looking for international getaways for a festive holiday break, he added.
26/08/19 James Mathew/Arabian Business

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This international airport was named in honour of Mother Teresa

New Delhi: Today is Mother Teresa's 109 birth anniversary. She devoted her life in caring for the sick and poor. Born in Macedonia to parents of Albanian-descent and having taught in India for 17 years mother gained popularity worldwide for humbly ministering to lepers, the homeless and the poorest of the poor in the slums of Kolkata. And to honour her Rinas Mother Teresa Airport was named.
This international airport was named after Mother Teresa in 2001.
Tirana International Airport (Nënë Tereza) is the only international airport in Albania. It was named after Mother Teresa in 2001 and is commonly known as Rinas Mother Teresa Airport. Mother Teresa was admired by many for her charitable work. She was declared Patron Saint of the Archdiocese of Calcutta by the Vatican Pope for her selfless service towards helping the underprivileged and poor in Kolkata.
This international airport was named after her. The airport is located 25km (16 miles) north-west of Tirana, in the village of Rinas.
26/08/19 Mousumi Dash/One India

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Korean man detained in India for smuggling gold

A Korean national has been detained at a New Delhi airport on suspicion of smuggling gold worth more than 19 million Indian rupees ($265,000).

News 18, an Indian media outlet, reported Friday (local time) that customs officers detained the man who arrived at Indira Gandhi International Airport from Hong Kong Wednesday. His identity is being withheld.

Officials seized 105 gold rotor plates (5,565 grams) hidden inside a Toshiba motor.

Authorities are looking into whether the suspect has been involved in other crimes.
26/08/19 Jung Min-ho/Korea Times

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IndiGo to launch second direct service from Doha to Chennai

Doha: Indian carrier IndiGo Airlines will launch an additional flight between Doha and the Indian city of Chennai next month, it is learnt.
This follows recent reports that the airline will operate additional flights to two more Indian cities - Delhi and Hyderabad - from mid-September.
According to information available on the IndiGo website, the second direct service between Doha and Chennai will begin on September 23.
Flight 6E 1001 will depart Chennai 7.45pm and arrive at Doha's Hamad International Airport at 10pm. The Doha-Chennai flight (6E 1002), also from September 23, will depart Doha at 11pm and reach Chennai at 6.05am the next day.
25/08/19 Gulf Times

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International drug lord from Myanmar held from Imphal Airport

Imphal: Despite crackdowns against illicit drugs by government agencies in Manipur, trafficking of contraband goods goes undeterred and is on upward trend in Manipur.
In the latest crackdown against the illicit drugs, Manipur police seized 40 lakh tablets of suspected WY (World is Yours) on Friday night. The drugs are valued around Rs 400 crore in the international market.
Thoubal district police has seized the 40 lakh tablets of suspected WY which they put the value in the international market at Rs 400 crore. The police were assisted by local youth clubs and women bodies in the seizure of the contraband item along with three persons.

Addressing a press conference on Saturday, Thoubal district SP, Dr S Ibomcha Singh said that the contraband item was seized by a combined team of the district police and two additional teams of police commandos with the assistance of members of Phoudel Keirambi Youth Club, Phoudel Keirambi and Panthoibi Women Welfare Association and Phoudel Keirambi.

 The drugs were found carrying in a Tata 207 DI vehicle  which was intercepted by the security forces along with the members of the local youth club and women organisations, the police officer said. He added that they detained the vehicle which was found in a very suspicious manner on the inter-village road (IVR) at Phoudel Keirambi Mathak Leikai.
The police officer then said that the vehicle along with the driver later identified as Mohammad Hussain (35), son of Zakir Hussain of Thoubal Wangkhem Muslim Leikai was brought to Thoubal police station for proper verification. Upon checking, the police detected 40 lakh of suspected WY drugs weighing around 400 kg. The contraband items were found carrying concealed inside the carpet rolls. Twenty packets each of the contraband items were found concealed in neatly prepared grooves inside the rolled carpet and each packet was found containing 2000 WY tablets.
24/08/19 Newmai News Network/The Morung Express

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Keralites top drug smugglers to Gulf from India

Kochi: At a time when the state is witnessing a spurt in drug abuse cases, Keralites are also gaining notoriety for smuggling narcotics and psychotropic substances to Gulf countries. Considering the gravity of the issue, the Customs Preventive unit has decided to enhance surveillance and screening measures at airports in the state to prevent passengers from smuggling out contraband.
According to sources in the External Affairs Ministry, recently Qatar raised the issue with the Indian Ambassador about the increasing number of Indian citizens getting caught at Doha airport while attempting to smuggle in drugs, prohibited medicines and foreign currencies. A list of people caught for smuggling contraband was handed over to the Indian Government. Qatar is currently providing visa-on-arrival facility for Indian citizens.
“The list comprises details of 210 Indian citizens caught for contraband smuggling from January to July this year. Of this, 93 are from Kerala alone. If these smuggling cartels are not contained, Qatar may be forced to reconsider its visa-on-arrival facility for India,” said a source. Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and the UAE also are concerned about rising drug smuggling incidents involving Indians, especially people from Kerala. The Customs Department has decided to follow up the matter seriously and engage its special units to crack down on drug smugglers.
“From now on, our dedicated units will be posted in the departure area of airports in Kerala. Officers will check baggage and quiz passengers about their purpose of travel and people who are sponsoring them. We have also written to CISF which operates baggage scanners and Immigration authority to ensure that contraband is not smuggled out from airports here,” Customs Commissioner Sumit Kumar said.
24/08/19 New Indian Express

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IndiGo to take on Vistara on Delhi-Singapore route from September 12

Low-cost airline IndiGo will launch flights on the Delhi-Singapore route from September 12 at nearly half the fares offered by full-service competitor Vistara. The move by IndiGo, India’s biggest airline by passengers carried and fleet size, comes two weeks after Vistara launched flights to Singapore from Delhi and Mumbai.

Currently, IndiGo flies to Singapore from Mumbai, Trichy, Chennai, Kolkata and Bangalore. IndiGo’s one-way fares start at Rs 9,999, while Vistara’s economy fares cost around Rs 14,000.

IndiGo is the only low-cost airline that will fly the Delhi-Singapore route.

Besides Vistara, it will compete with Vistara’s parent Singapore Airlines and Air India, both full-service carriers, on this route.

Launching new or additional flights on the same route as competitors is an old tactic of IndiGo to muscle them out. It remains to be seen if this ploy will work on the Singapore route, according to analysts.

The Delhi-Singapore route has traditionally attracted high traffic, aviation analyst Ameya Joshi said. "The seats on this route are still lesser than the peak traffic as (the grounded) Jet Airways use to operate Boeing 777 on this route during peak season and multiple frequencies on 737s. IndiGo will hope to get clearances for ETOPS (extended range operations)," Joshi, a columnist for CNBCTV18.com, said.

While the deployment of A321neos will result in better economics for IndiGo, Vistara is still expected to carry more traffic as it will be able to offer more connecting flights due to its codeshare with Singapore Airlines, Joshi added.

Industry experts are divided on whether the timings of IndiGo flights (see chart) will give it an advantage over competitors. While some say that these flights will be preferred by people who would want to join work the day they land, some call the timings odd and unfavourable.
23/08/19 CNBC TV18

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PM Modi inaugurates memorial in honour of victims of two Air India crashes in France

Paris: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday inaugurated a memorial in the honour of the victims of two Air India crashes at the foothills of the Mont Blanc mountain in France in which several Indians, including Homi J. Bhabha, regarded as the father of India’s nuclear programme, were killed.
The memorial at Nid d’Aigle, at the foot of Mount Blanc, was dedicated to Bhabha and several other Indians who were among the passengers and crew of the two Air India planes that crashed in 1950 and 1966.
The death of Bhabha in the crash on Mount Blanc in the French Alps in January 1966 was considered a massive blow to India’s scientific advancement. A total of 106 passengers and 11 crew died in the crash of Air India flight 101, which was named Kanchenjunga, on January 24, 1966.
The Kanchenjunga crashed in almost the same spot on Mount Blanc as an Air India flight 16 years before. On November 3, 1950, Air India flight 245 crashed on Mount Blanc, killing 48 passengers and crew.
23/08/19 PTI/The Hindu

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Emirates Aviation University offers special package for international students

Thiruvananthapuram: Emirates Aviation University has introduced an “international student study package”, offering financial benefits and support to international students, a statement said on Friday.
 The package includes 20 per cent savings on costs for university accommodation, 15 per cent discount on programme fees, and a complimentary Economy class return ticket per year on Emirates. The package would also offer the students free services for three persons from Marhaba, the world’s leading passenger services providers, free hotel accommodation for two adults for three days as well as a waiver for all visa administration charges.
 Vice-Chancellor of Emirates Aviation University Ahmad Al Ali, said, ''Getting your kids settled in a new university and city can be a difficult task for many parents. The special package will give parents peace of mind and ensure a stress-free experience, as they help their children settle in Dubai."
EAU offers an extensive range of educational opportunities designed to provide students with the best aviation related specialisations. Students can choose from vocational, undergraduate and postgraduate programmes that combine the highest standard of academics with the latest development in the field of aviation.
 23/08/19 UNI

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India to talk to airlines interested in opening Imphal-Mandalay route

India’s Civil Aviation Minister Hardeep Singh Puri has asked the State Government to talk with airlines which are interested in operating Imphal-Mandalay flight service, the Sangai Express reported.
During a video conference, the Union Civil Aviation Minister gave his approval to the idea of introducing Imphal-Mandalay flight service while asking officials to talk with airlines interested in operating the international flight service on the particular route.
Notably, Myanmar based private airline Air KBZ had already expressed their willingness to operate international flight service between Imphal and Mandalay.
22/08/19 BNI

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Amazing offers of 'Bikini Airlines' for Indians, Now fly at Just Rs 9

New Delhi: Flying abroad is considered quite expensive. Air travel requires a heavy amount. But one of the airlines has come up with a special offer for Indians. This allows passengers to travel by air for just Rs. 9.

Vietnam's Vietnam-air jet airlines have come up with the best offers for Indians. The airline is starting at Rs 9 for tickets. These airlines are starting direct flights to India and Vietnam. That's why this offer has been launched.

Cabin crew is seen wearing bikinis in some flight. This is why the airlines are also called Bikini Airlines. These airlines are starting direct flights from Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi to New Delhi. For which airlines have launched a 3-day booking scheme. Between August 20-22, airlines have withdrawn their offers. whose name is Super Saving Ticket. If you book a ticket in these three days, the ticket fare starts at Rs 9 only.

The return ticket for Ho Chi Minh from Delhi without any offer is Rs. 4200. The journey will be Rs 13,750. From 6th December, Indian passengers will be able to travel in these airlines.
22/08/19 News Track

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Rs 1.1 L for flight to Canada!

Chandigarh: Flying to Vancouver or Toronto from Delhi this month may cost you nearly double the normal price with all airlines operating at full capacity. A one-way air ticket, which on an average costs Rs 60,000-70,000, is selling at over Rs 1.10 lakh.
Ticket agents attribute the sky-rocketing prices to a significant increase in student traffic opting for undergraduate and postgraduate courses in Canada, besides suspension of Jet Airways and Asiana flights, and closure of air corridor over Pakistan.

Canadian colleges and universities offer three intakes — ‘Fall’ or September intake, the most popular among Indian students, ‘Winter’ (starts in January) and ‘Summer’ intake, which usually starts around April and May.
September intake includes most number of institutes offering the largest number of seats available in all courses, compared to other two and this is the time most number of students travel to Canada.

“Indian students are moving to Canada in droves to pursue higher education, which has pushed airfares in July and August. This year’s fares are much higher than those in the corresponding period of the previous year because of increase in student traffic and suspension of Jet Airway flights,” says Gagan Sachdeva, CEO, IV Holidays.

According to data, India continues to be the big story in Canada’s International education sector. The number of Indian students grew by 40 per cent in 2018. The Canadian High Commission data suggests in 2018, 1.72 lakh Indian students got Canada study permit compared to 1.42 lakh from China.
22/08/19 Tribune/Vijay C Roy/Tribune 

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Etihad Airways celebrates 15 years in India

Abu Dhabi: Etihad Airways, the national airline of the United Arab Emirates, is preparing to celebrate 15 years of service to its largest and busiest market, India. The airline’s milestone coincides with the third visit to the UAE of India’s Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, highlighting the importance of the partnership between the two countries.

Etihad launched daily flights between the UAE capital, Abu Dhabi, and the Indian city of Mumbai in September 2004, within the airline’s first year of operation. Three months later, flights were also launched between Abu Dhabi and New Delhi.

Today, Etihad operates 159 return flights per week between Abu Dhabi and 10 key Indian gateways - Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Chennai, Cochin, Delhi, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Kozhikode, Mumbai and Thiruvananthapuram - and through its Abu Dhabi hub, the airline connects each of these gateways to international destinations throughout the Middle East, Europe, the Americas, and Africa. Since launching operations to the sub-continent, Etihad has carried more than 16.5 million passengers on its Indian routes.

Etihad Airways Group CEO Tony Douglas said: "India and the United Arab Emirates share a long and strong economic, cultural and diplomatic relationship, and Etihad Airways connects these nations to each other, and beyond. We serve more destinations in India than any other country in our network, and connect India to the world via Abu Dhabi. Globally, we employ more than 4,800 Indian nationals, almost 25 per cent of our workforce. We contribute strongly to both economies, and last year spent US $151 million with 480 companies in India. Our commitment is significant, and will continue to grow."

Etihad’s offering in the India market continues to evolve. The airline is continually increasing flights and adding newer, larger aircraft, including its latest addition, the Boeing 787 Dreamliner, which serves cities including Mumbai, Delhi, and Hyderabad.
Etihad Guest, the airline’s loyalty programme, recently partnered with SBI Card, one of India’s largest credit card providers, to offer a unique travel-specific Visa credit card to Indian travellers. And for guests flying Etihad from India to the United States, the Customs and Border Protection facility at Abu Dhabi Airport, enables US immigration, customs and agriculture formalities to be completed in Abu Dhabi before departure.
23/08/19 Emirates News Agency

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South Korean National Held at Delhi Airport for Smuggling Gold Worth Nearly Rs 2 Crore

New Delhi: A South Korean national has been arrested at the Delhi airport for allegedly carrying more than 5.5 kg of gold worth nearly Rs two crore concealed inside a motor, a Customs official said on Friday.
The man arrived at the Terminal-3 of the Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport from Hong Kong on Wednesday, he said. On suspicion, he was intercepted by the Customs officers after he had crossed the Green Channel.
"The officials recovered 105 pieces of gold rotor plates weighing 5,565 gram concealed inside a Toshiba motor," the official said, adding that the value of the gold is approximately Rs 1.92 crore. The South Korean admitted to have smuggled gold of the same quantity concealed in a motor in his previous visit last week, he said.
23/08/19 News18.com

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Dutch court threatens to sell Jet Airways’ confiscated assets

The administrator of a Netherlands court, which is pursuing insolvency of grounded Jet Airways, on Wednesday threatened to sell off the confiscated assets of the debt-laden carrier because of non-cooperation by the committee of creditors (CoC).
A three-member bench of the National Company Law Appellate Tribunal (NCLAT) headed by Justice SJ Mukhopadhaya has sought the lenders’ response on whether they are ready to pay fees and bear costs incurred by the Dutch court administrator, Rocco Mulder.
The NCLAT said it would consider similar treatment for creditors of foreign countries as financial creditors and could allow cost of insolvency resolution process at overseas location to be borne in India. The tribunal will further hear the case on September 4.
Representing Mulder, advocate Sumant Batra told the National Company Law Appellate Tribunal (NCLAT) that the lenders are yet to decide on their claims.
“I will have to withdraw the undertaking for not disposing of the seized assets since there is no response from the CoC on my demands,” Batra said.

The administrator undertook before the NCLAT on July 11 not to sell Jet’s assets till the pendency of the case. He had challenged the NCLT, Mumbai, decision to not consider the insolvency proceedings currently underway in the European nation.

Staying the NCLT order, the appellate tribunal had said it will clarify law on the course of action when two insolvency proceedings are moved against the same company in different countries.
Jet, which terminated all operations on April 17, is facing insolvency proceedings in the Netherlands as well, where it was declared bankrupt after failing to pay two European creditors with dues of around Rs 280 crore.
22/08/19 Indian Express

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Modi Flies Through Pakistan Airspace on G7 Visit

New Delhi: Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi refused to use Pakistan's airspace, despite having Islamabad's approval, while travelling to the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit in Kyrgyzstan in June. Pakistan fully reopened its airspace to civilian flights in July this year, nearly five months after it was closed on 26 February.

Modi entered Pakistani airspace on 21 August as he embarked on a trip to attend the G7 Summit in France.

Air India One departed at 1212 local time from New Delhi and crossed Pakistan airspace near Lahore and south of Islamabad. Modi will reach Charles de Gaulle Airport in Paris at 2100 hrs (Indian Standard Time), according to global flight tracking service flightradar24, and then hold talks with French President Emmanuel Macron.

The move marks the first time Modi has used Pakistani airspace since the Balakot airstrike in February when Indian fighter planes bombed what they alleged was a terrorist training camp within Pakistan operated by Jaish-e-Mohammed.

The attack was in retaliation for a suicide bombing in Indian-administered Kashmir that killed at least 40 Indian troops on 14 February.

In June, Modi refused to use Pakistan's airspace while travelling to the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit in Kyrgyzstan, despite having approval from Pakistan to use its airspace. But the Indian External Affairs Ministry declined to use the airspace and Modi travelled instead via Oman, Iran and the Central Asian countries.
22/08/19 Sputnik

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Seven companies express interest to build NIA

Kathmandu: Seven companies from six countries, including Nepal, have shown an interest to build the Nijgadh International Airport (NIA) in Bara district.

The companies from Nepal, China, India, France, Qatar and Switzerland have submitted their proposals to the Investment Board Nepal (IBN).

An official from the IBN said that the process to shortlist the candidates is underway. “We are going through the proposals submitted by the respective firms and will submit the names of the shortlisted companies in the next full meeting of the board,” the official added, seeking anonymity.

As per the official, Matrix Enterprises of Nepal, China Airport Construction Group and China State Construction Engineering Company from China, GMR of India, Qatar Airways, Vinci Group of France and Zurich Airport of Switzerland have submitted the construction proposals of the project.

“The Nepali company has not fulfilled the basic criteria in its proposal to build NIA, whereas the other companies have presented proposals that are in line with the IBN’s expectations,” he added.

The estimated cost of the project stands at Rs 340 billion ($3 billion). The final decision regarding the construction of the airport will be made in the next board meeting chaired by Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli.
22/08/19 Himalayan Times

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Israel to launch 1st direct flights to India’s Goa, Kochi

Jerusalem: The first direct flights between Israel and India’s coastal cities of Kochi and Goa will start in September, announced Tuesday by the Israeli airline Arkia.
In 2018, there was a year-on-year 98-percent jump in the number of direct-flight passengers from Israel to India.

The direct flights will be operated between Israel’s Ben Gurion Airport and the two cities, with one flight per week to Goa and two to Kochi, respectively.

The duration of the flights will be about 7 hours in each direction, and operated through the aircraft Airbus A321neo LR.

Israel’s leading airline El Al has operated the only direct flights from Israel to India.
21/08/19 Xinhua/Brinkwire

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10 fold rise in air fares: Kerala HC seeks government's views

Kochi: The Kerala high court has sought the views of the Central and state governments on a petition seeking an order to fix minimum and maximum fares for international and domestic flights.
Justice Shaji P Chaly asked the governments to respond after considering during admission hearing a petition (WP-C No. 22581/2019) filed by Abdul Azeez Kaliyadan of Thirunavaya in Malappuram through advocate JR Prem Navaz. Rise in air fares between airports in Kerala and the Middle East, USA, and Europe are being questioned in the petition.
The petitioner, who runs a supermarket in Abu Dhabi and uses the economy class to travel, is questioning the alleged exploitation of airlines by arbitrary raising of ticket fares, resulting in tickets being prohibitively expensive. Transportation by air is a public service and only because the aircrafts are owned by private persons, they cannot be given the licence for overcharging, the petition said.
NRIs, who play an important role in the economic development of the country, are being robbed by airline companies when they travel to India during their holidays such as Onam, Ramzan, Christmas, etc. They are now constrained to celebrate the holidays abroad. Such a situation is because of the fact that there is no cap on minimum or maximum airfares, even though Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) is authorized to regulate as per Rule 135 of Aircraft Rules, 1937.
22/08/19 Mahir Haneef/Times of India

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Vistara starts daily international flights to Dubai from Mumbai

Vistara Airlines on Wednesday inaugurated its daily flights between Mumbai and Dubai. The United Arab Emirates has become Vistara's second international destination after Singapore.
"With a great product and unmatched Indian hospitality, we bring something unique to the India-UAE route and are confident that travellers will enjoy flying the ‘new feeling’ with Vistara,” Leslie Thng, CEO, Vistara Airlines, said in a release announcing the launch.
To mark its maiden journey to Dubai, the airlines presented all the fliers on the inaugural journey with a gift bag of memorabilia and chocolates.
Earlier this month, Vistara started its first international daily flight operation to Singapore from Delhi and Mumbai. The airline is slated to add Bangkok, Thailand as its third international destination from August 27.
Vistara will deploy an Airbus A320neo aircraft in three-class configurations —  business, premium economy and economy.
22/08/19 CNBC TV18

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IndiGo to restart daily non-stop flights on Delhi-Singapore route from September 12

New Delhi: Expanding its international operations, IndiGo on Thursday announced that it will restart daily non-stop flights on the Delhi-Singapore route from September 12. The low-cost carrier will also add a second flight frequency on the Delhi-Doha route from September 16.

William Boulter, the chief commercial officer at IndiGo, said, "We are committed to strengthening our international operations from Delhi to important destinations in Asia. As part of this expansion, we are introducing new flight services between Delhi-Singapore and second frequency on Delhi-Doha route."

IndiGo used to operate daily Delhi-Singapore flights earlier, but it decided to withdraw them during 2014-15 due to stiff competition on the route from full-service carriers such as Jet Airways and Singapore Airlines.
22/08/19 PTI/India TV

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Indigo adds two more direct flights to Doha from India

Doha: Indigo, the budget airline from India, has announced two more direct flights from Doha to India.
The airline has added a second direct flight each to Hyderabad, capital of Telangana, a southern Indian state and Indian capital city New Delhi.
The second direct flight on the Hyderabad-Doha route will start from September 16, 2019. The flight, 6E 1727, will depart Hyderabad at 2340 and will arrive Doha at 0125. The Doha-Hyderabad flight 6E 1731 will depart at 0225 (first flight on Sept 17) and will arrive at 0905. Booking for the flight are currently available till December 31, 2019 on the airline’s website.

The existing Hyderabad-Doha, 6E 1713, leaves at 06:50 and arrives at 09:00 and Doha- Hyderabad, 6E 1714, leave at 22.05 and arrives at 04.50.

The airline, which is the biggest in India in terms passenger volume, has also announced a second direct flight to the Indian capital from September 16,2019.

The Delhi-Doha flight 6E 1775 will depart at 20.20 and will arrive HIA at 22.00. The Doha-Delhi flight 6E 1776 will depart at 23.00 and will arrive in Delhi at 05.15.
21/08/19 Peninsula

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Businessman nabbed while attempting to smuggle in gold jewellery

A businessman who attempted to smuggle gold jewellery worth more than Rs 2.1 million into the country has been arrested by customs officials today (Aug 21).

The suspect, a 23-year old, had arrived at the Bandaranaike International Airport from Chennai, India at around 7:20 am.

He had claimed that an Indian national had requested that the jewellery be delivered to a person in Colombo.
21/08/19 Sunday Times

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'Bikini airline' VietJet to connect Delhi with Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh from December

New Delhi: The “bikini airline” — nickname earned by Vietnamese budget airline VietJet for having cabin crew dressed in bikini on some flights in the past — is going to start India flights now. It will launch Delhi-Ho Chi Minh City as a four times a week from December 6. The Delhi-Hanoi route will start as thrice weekly from December 7. “To celebrate the launch, the airline is offering super-saving tickets priced Rs 9 onwards, during its three ‘golden days’ — a special promotion by the airline from August 20 to 22, 2019,” VietJet said in a statement.
The airline, which started flying in December 2011, has made headlines in the past for having stewardesses dressed in bikinis on some flights. Last January, the Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam (CAAV) had fined VietJet for having bikini-clad models on a special flight that was flying home Vietnam’s under-23 football team from the Asian Cup in China.
Since the Indian aviation regulator has often pulled up desi airlines for their crew in regular uniform organising song and choreographed dance events onboard aircraft on special days, it is unlikely VietJet’s India flights will see crew in dresses that earns the budget airline its unique nickname. However, the airline did not say if that will or won’t happen.
The Ho Chi Minh route will operate on Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday. The Hanoi flights will be on Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday.
21/08/19 Sauabh Sinha/Times of India

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Special flights from UAE to Kerala during Onam

On the occasion of Kerala's harvest festival Onam, Indian low-cost airline Air India Express has announced the launch of additional flights to Thiruvananthapuram and Kochi in Kerala from Abu Dhabi. Flights IX450 will fly from Abu Dhabi on September 6 at 5am, revealed Dhananjay Kumar, official spokesperson, Air India.

The official clarified this is only a one-time flight for the festival season. Onam celebrations in Kerala are set to begin on Sunday, September 1 and will conclude on September 13. Presently, Air India Express operates daily flights to Kochi and Thiruvananthapuram from UAE's capital city.

According to a PTI report, the Union Minister of State for External Affairs V Muraleedharan has promised that additional flights will be operated to Kerala from Gulf countries during Onam season to alleviate the difficulties faced by expatriate passengers. "This facility will be continued during other festival seasons and holidays too," he said while inaugurating the meeting of Pravasi Legal Cell in Kochi on Sunday.
21/08/19 Dhanusha Gokulan/Khaleej Times

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How India's Vistara aims to take on the top UAE airlines

Vistara, which launched its first direct flight to Dubai from Mumbai on Wednesday, aims to take on the leading airlines of the UAE by offering a combination of world class services and premium economy on its flights between India and UAE.

In an exclusive interview with Arabian Business, Leslie Thng, CEO, Vistara, said: “There is a significant demand for an Indian carrier offering a premium experience on flights between India and the UAE, and Vistara will be that carrier for people. It is now also the only airline to offer the choice of Premium Economy on flights between India and the UAE.

“We challenged the status quo and changed millions of peoples’ perception of air travel to bring back joy and wonderment to flying (in our India operations). Our approach is not much different with international operations, and that includes the Middle East,” he said.
Air India is currently the lone full service carrier from India to the UAE and the larger Middle East region, after the collapse of Jet Airways.
The Vistara CEO said the airline would soon be expanding its operations to the Middle East region but declined to share the details of its proposed expansion plans.
“Passenger traffic between India and the Middle East continues to rise, and as a fast-growing airline with unique product and service, there’s room for Vistara to grow on the India-UAE route just as well. Naturally, we wish to further strengthen our international network with more flights to/from points in the Middle East,” Thng said.
He added the airline’s expansion plans in the UAE and Middle East region were dependent of multiple factors including bilateral agreements between the two countries, availability of aircraft and slots.
21/08/19  James Mathew/Arabian Business

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India to talk to airlines interested in opening Imphal-Mandalay route

India’s Civil Aviation Minister Hardeep Singh Puri has asked the State Government to talk with airlines which are interested in operating Imphal-Mandalay flight service, the Sangai Express reported.

During a video conference, the Union Civil Aviation Minister gave his approval to the idea of introducing Imphal-Mandalay flight service while asking officials to talk with airlines interested in operating the international flight service on the particular route.

Notably, Myanmar based private airline Air KBZ had already expressed their willingness to operate international flight service between Imphal and Mandalay.
21/08/19 Mizzima

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Indian air hostess took care of a sick man on Emirates London-Delhi flight. His Quora thread is pure gold

Being a flight attendant is one of the most hectic jobs in the world. Taking care of passengers onboard a flight to smiling while dealing with their annoying tantrums, an air attendant goes through a lot.

Quite often, passengers don’t take their hard work into consideration. Recently, we came across a Quora thread "What is the best thing a flight attendant has done on your plane?" and it will be the most heartwarming thing you will read today.

A Quora user, Arjun Gupta, narrated his experience of travelling on an Emirates flight from London to New Delhi via Dubai, and how an Indian flight attendant took care of him while he was unwell.
Read his experience >>

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Scoot becomes member of IATA Billing and Settlement Plan for India

Travel agents in India will now be able to settle payments directly as Scoot, the low-cost arm of Singapore Airlines, has become a member of the IATA Billing and Settlement Plan (BSP) under the prefix 668.

BSP is a global remittance system that consolidates payment data across agents as well as airlines, facilitating settlement through a single financial transfer for each participant.

BSP is available to partner agents on major Global Distribution Systems (GDSs), including Abacus, Amadeus, Galileo, Sabre, and Worldspan. BSP payment for Scoot flight bookings is currently available in 15 countries/territories, while BSP is operated across nearly 180 countries and territories, serving over 370 participating airlines.
20/08/19 Indian Transport & Logistics News

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Eight companies from seven countries are vying for the bid to build Nijgadh International Airport

Eight companies from seven countries, including Nepal, are bidding for the construction of the $3.45 billion Nijgadh International Airport in Bara.

At least two officials at the Investment Board told the Post that they had received proposals from investors from China, India, Qatar, Finland, Switzerland, Malaysia and Nepal to build the airport, 175km from Kathmandu in the plains. The airport is expected to serve as an alternative to congestion and winter fog at Kathmandu’s Tribhuvan International Airport, the country’s sole aerial gateway.

As per the Investment Board, the airport will be built in three phases—the first phase will cost $1.21 billion, the second phase $1.12 billion, and the third phase $1.12 billion.

GMR Group, an infrastructure company headquartered in New Delhi, India, and two airport construction firms from China have submitted proposals, sources said. One Nepali company has also submitted a proposal to develop the airport under the public-private partnership model.

The board has received a proposal also from Qatar. The Qatari government had approached Nepal in January to build the project in a bid to strengthen its presence in Southeast Asia.

The government had also mooted an option to award the project through a government-to-government deal before the 2019 Nepal Investment Summit in March.

“We have asked for proposals under the public-private partnership modality but the government has the option to build the project under any modality,” said Maha Prasad Adhikari, chief executive officer of the Investment Board.

The Malaysian and Indian governments have been eyeing the project for long. The Malaysian government, on January 6, 2016, had proposed fully-financed construction of the airport under a ‘design, finance, build, operate and transfer’ (DFBOT) model through a government-to-government deal.
In July 2015, a four-member delegation from the Airport Authority of India visited Kathmandu before heading to Nijgadh for a site inspection. The delegation had informed Nepali officials that they were ready to invest in the project, either through the private sector, government funding or both—as per the wishes of the Nepal government.

As an international airport close to the border with India would be more accessible to the large populations of the Indian states of Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, India has an interest, according to the government officials that the Indian delegation spoke to.

Adhikari told the Post that they were in the final stages of evaluating the proposals.
19/08/19 Eleven Myanmar

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BNP against providing land to India for Agartala airport

Dhaka: BNP on Monday said there is no reason for Bangladesh to provide its land to India in Brahmanbaria to expand Agartala airport.

“There’ve been media reports about it (India’s desire to use Bangladeshi land in Brahmanbaria).  We’re closely observing the matter,” said BNP secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir.

He further said, “Bangladesh government hasn’t agreed yet, and there’s no question about providing any land. There’s no reason to give our land to any other country.”

Fakhrul came up with the remarks while talking to reporters after placing wreaths at BNP founder Ziaur Rahman’s grave along with leaders and activists of Jatiyatabadi Swechchasebak Dal, marking its 39th founding anniversary.

Media reports said India wants a piece of Bangladesh’s land in Brahmanbaria to expand the Agartala airport, but the country is yet to make any proposal in this regard.

Fakhrul said their party is not ‘optimistic’ about getting any positive outcome to resolve the outstanding problems with India from the visit of its External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar.

“We’ve been hearing for 10-12 years that the Awami League government’s relation with India reached the highest level, but we still didn’t get the fair share of water from the Teesta River. Border killing could not be stopped as no step has been taken to remove the trade deficit with India,” he said.
19/08/19 UNB

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'More flights to Kerala from Gulf countries during Onam'

Kochi: Minister of State for External Affairs V Muraleedharan on Monday promised more flights to Kerala from the Gulf countries during the coming Onam season.
The Minister said starting more flight services was one way out to address the problem of steep rise in airfares for international flights from the Gulf countries during the festival season.
He was addressing the 10th anniversary of the Pravasi Legal Cell here.
Muraleedharan said the Civil Aviation Ministry was also looking at other options to address the issue of the spike in air ticket prices during festival seasons such as Onam.
Recently, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayanhad held discussions with Union Civil Aviation officials in New Delhi on various issues, including airfares, increasing flights and further developing aviation infrastructure in the state.
18/08/19 PTI/New Indian Express

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MP demands regulation of airfares to Gulf

Kozhikode: M.K. Raghavan, MP, has written to the Prime Minister and the Minister for Civil Aviation seeking regulation of airfares to the Gulf countries which have gone through the roof recently.

In a release, he said the fares from the four airports in the State to a majority of West Asian countries had gone up by 300% to 500% from between ₹4,500 and ₹13,000. The minimum fare from Thiruvananthapuram to Sharjah on August 31 would be ₹19,000. The maximum fare to Kuwait from there would be ₹92,000.

As economy class tickets were not available in most of the services, the common people were forced to opt for the business class tickets. Mr. Raghavan said this would affect the Non-Resident Keralites and their families who would be returning to the Gulf countries after the school vacation.
19/08/19 The Hindu

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Detained at Beirut airport, Mulund boys return home safely

Mumbai: Two students, who had gone to Beirut, on the pretext of getting a job into merchant navy, returned safely, but dejected as they were not received by the company representative. The duo had gone to join the ship 'MAD VOYAGE' as cadets, but since the representative of the shipping agency did not turn up at the airport to receive the two, they were detained at the airport and deported to Mumbai for having just a 24-hour valid visa.

Identified as Kush Somaiya (18) and Brijesh Rai (18) both are resident of Mulund. They took admission in SMTF Institute for the Merchant Navy training and were offered the job in Beirut.

On knowing they both were selected for the job in Beirut, they couldn't control their excitement. However, due to the negligence of the authorities both of them were detained at the airport for three days and later with the help of former MP Kirit Somaiya they were released. The Mulund police are investigating the issue.
Speaking with DNA, Kush Somaiya and Brijesh Rai said, "We took admission in SMTF Institute last year and also passed out. Later we were selected for our first job in 'MAD VOYAGE' ship as cadets for which we took a flight on August 4 and reached Beirut airport. The agency gave us a day's valid visa. On the airport, nobody came to receive us, and though we tried contacting the agency, nobody responded. Later on August 5, Beirut airport police detained us and took us in custody."

"We narrated the entire incident to the police, but they were not ready to understand. We didn't have that much money to return to and so we contacted our family in Mumbai," Kush and Brijesh said. The duo's family met the MP Kirit Somaiya for help.
19/08/19 Shirish Vaktania/DNA

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