Many Air India Passengers Still Stranded At Newark Airport

Newark: It’s been four days since the weekend blizzard, and some airline passengers still found themselves stranded on Thursday.
The problems at Newark Liberty International Airport don’t end there, though – there are also hundreds of bags that haven’t been claimed.
Passengers stranded during the blizzard spent the day looking through rows and rows of bags at Newark Liberty.
Many passengers at Air India chose to spend the night at the airport Wednesday, even though the airline offered them hotel rooms, “so they could be first and catch their flight,” they said.
“They said first come, first serve,” Kristin Machado said. “They made a ripple effect, so now every single flight, people are getting affected.”
Kristin Machado and her sister, Alexis, came to the airport only to be told passengers stuck in the blizzard would be given preference.
Still, passengers who want to get home for the New Year say there have been no guarantees for anyone. They took matters into their own hands when they saw no one at the ticket counters on Thursday morning.
“We came here and we did like community work,” Manisha Gopte said. “We put up all the aisles ourselves.”
The one thing many passengers said they were thankful for was to still have their luggage, unlike the hundreds who were still searching for theirs.
Employees at the Air India ticket counter declined to speak on the matter, and CBS 2 was unable to reach anyone at the airline’s corporate offices for comment.
30/12/10 CBS New York

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Egypt flight makes emergency landing after fire scare

Mumbai: A Cairo-Mumbai Egypt Air flight landed under emergency conditions at the Mumbai airport on Monday.
"Full emergency was declared at 07:25 am for the Egypt Air Cairo-Mumbai flight MS 968 with 124 passengers and seven crew on board the aircraft due to suspected fire in the cargo hold of the Boeing 738 aircraft," the spokesperson said. Passengers were disembarked safely and all cargo was removed, the official said.
Later an inspection of the cargo was carried out and no fire was found, the official added.
29/12/10 NDTV.com

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18hr trip in eight days

Calcutta: Snow in Europe and smog in Delhi through the holiday week stretched a US-based professor’s journey home from 18 hours to eight days while a researcher stranded in the UK finally arrived on Wednesday, only to find his registered baggage missing.
If geography professor Sujoy Chakraborty and his family braved a flight cancellation, a long wait for rebooking, several airport delays and a fog-forced flight diversion before reaching their destination, medical researcher Ambarish Dutta’s ordeal continued even after landing in the city.
“After all the trouble I have been through in the past week, I was desperate to be back in my hometown and meet my wife and little son. But Air India has spoiled the trip for me by misplacing a bag that contains gifts for my family,” Ambarish, 40, told Metro on Wednesday evening.
Not only that, Ambarish was allegedly made to queue up for an hour at the city airport to lodge a complaint about his missing bag. “The officials who received the complaint were unhelpful to say the least. I was so disappointed by their attitude,” he said.
An Air India spokesman blamed “confusion” in Terminal 3 of Delhi airport for the airline’s failure to put Ambarish’s bag — along with the registered baggage of 57 other passengers — on the connecting flight to Calcutta. “We are making arrangements for these bags to be brought to the city on various flights,” he added.
30/12/10 Sanjay Mandal/The Telegraph

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US airports snowed in, passengers stranded

Mumbai Flight operations were disrupted again on Tuesday with New York, Newark and Boston airports shutting down for a few hours due to heavy snowfall. “Passengers are avoiding transit routes via Europe. I have received enquiries for routes to US via Dubai and Singapore. These routes would take them to Los Angeles or San Francisco,” said Jay Bhatia of Tulsidas Khimji Limited. “The mad rush for seats begins after December 31,” he said.
Continental Airlines cancelled its flights to and from Mumbai on Tuesday. Most flights, including those of Air India and Jet Airways, from the US were delayed. Nearly all flights from Brussels including those of American Airlines, Jet Airways and Brussels Airlines were delayed by around eight hours.
29/12/10 Express India

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Sri Lanka gets Indian help for port, airport development

India is helping Sri Lanka to revive commercial operations at a port and airport in the island's north to re-establish regional trade and communications links, a statement said.
The High Commission of India said Defence Secretary of India, Pradeep Kumar, had discussed the projects during a three-day visit to Sri Lanka from 27-29 December 2010.
"The two sides also reviewed major ongoing projects, including reactivation of Palaly airport as a regional civil aviation hub and of Kankesanthurai harbour for regional and domestic trade and commerce."
Both are in the northern Jaffna peninsula which was badly affected by the island's 30-year ethnic war which ended in May 2009.
29/12/10 Lanka Business Online

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UAE's Royal Jet, UK's ASM ink agreement to target India market

Dubai: Abu Dhabi-based international luxury flight services company Royal Jet has entered into a partnership with Aviation Services Management (ASM) of the UK to target the fast-growing Indian market.
Royal Jet Chief Operating Officer Ahmed Al Mamari and Aviation Services Management Founder & Managing Director Vito Gomes signed the agreement.
"The number of High Net Worth Individuals in India is experiencing considerable growth, which, when combined with a significant gap in the availability of business jets with 10 to 42-passenger capacity, presents excellent opportunities for business aviation across the Indian sub-continent and for Royal Jet in particular," said Royal Jet Vice-President (Commercial) Fahad Wali.
"With ASM's strong foundation in the UAE and network of offices across India, coupled with Royal Jet's heritage and award-winning service capabilities, this agreement will undoubtedly result in positive benefits for both parties," he added.
28/12/10 PTI/Economic Times

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4 Jet crew detained in UK on smuggling charge

New Delhi: India's largest private airline Jet Airways is under scanner again in the UK. Four Jet Airways crew members have been detained by UK customs for smuggling cigarettes. The incident happened last week.
Sources have told CNN-IBN that crew members were carrying cigarettes that are banned in UK for making quick money.
CNN-IBN learns that senior officials of Jet Airways were warned earlier also by UK customs as this is not the first time smuggling happened. There have been earlier incidents of smuggling by Jet Airways employees.
Jet Airways issued a statement saying that the airline was investigating the alleged smuggling incident.
27/12/10 CNN-IBN

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Passengers stuck at NY, Newark airports due to snowstorm

While domestic flight schedules have gone awry because of the dense fog in Delhi, hundreds of passengers headed to Mumbai are stuck at New York and Newark airports in US, which are shut since Sunday because of a snow storm.
While an Air India flight for New York had to be diverted to Washington, another could not take off from Newark for Mumbai because the runway was covered with snow. Meanwhile, Jet Airways cancelled four of its flights between Brussels and New York and Newark on Sunday.
Passengers alleged they were left to fend for themselves. Dr Tilu Mangeshikar, a senior doctor from Bombay Hospital who was booked on a Jet flight from New York to Mumbai on Sunday, said, “I rang every hour till 3 pm for the Jet Airways flight to Mumbai via Brussels.
The airline staff said their flight is on schedule. We boarded the plane. The ground staff tried to de-ice the plane till past 7 pm and then the flight was cancelled. Why did they announce the flight and check-in passengers when all other flights from New York were being cancelled?’’
“We waited till 10 pm to collect our bags. Initially, the airline refused to provide us with hotel accommodation disclaiming liability as it was a cancellation owing to bad weather. Passengers were cold, hungry and had to sleep on trolleys and conveyer belts at the airport. We were shifted to a hotel only at 9 am,’’ she alleged. “We have been informed that our flight will take off from New York on 6 pm on Monday,’’ she added.
28/12/10 Aneesh Phadnis/Mumbai Mirror

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Aviation boom in Asia

Last year Asia charted a major milestone in air travel when it became the most profitable region in the airline world. That was because of the strong economic growth. Asia will again lead the way next year as its economies are booming and rising wealth is pushing air travel up.
AirAsia X CEO Azran Osman-Rani does not doubt the long-term fundamentals of the airline sector and predicts that it will be strong.
It is no wonder that the once struggling US carriers want to be back on the scene. Last week, Delta Airlines ranked the worlds No. 1 by passenger miles flown said it wanted to tap into the Asian market by mounting flights to Haneda and Shanghai initially. Hawaiian Airlines is already on the radar screen. The US carriers want to boost available seat per week to Asia by 14% between the 3Q10 and 3Q11.
Even within Asia, the carriers are intensifying efforts to grow intra-Asian routes. In India, Jet Airways wants to resume flights to Shanghai and later scale new heights by flying to Tokyo, Seoul, and Taipei. It is all about positioning and strengthening at this juncture.
Asia is essentially home to the worlds three most populous nations India, China and Indonesia where four billion people live and this represents 62% of the worlds population. The Asia-Pacific region generates about 27% of the worlds GDP and rising wealth continues to drive air travel.
There are 600 million passengers in Asia Pacific, of which about 400 million travel within the region and about 200 million take to the international skies, annually.
The percentage of people flying in Asia is higher compared to the United States and Europe. Asia is made for aviation as road infrastructure is poor and land area is huge. The growth of aviation will be vibrant in Asia in 2011, says AirAsia group CEO Datuk Seri Tony Fernandes.
Air travel moves in a 5-6 year cycle and it is currently in its fourth cycle. The first cycle began in 1979 and the fourth in 2008. During each cycle there is the boom and bust period.
History suggests that the strongest growth period occurs in the 4th to 5th year after a crisis and 2011 will be the 4th year of the current wave, Maybank Investment says in a report. It says load factor in the region is in the 70% range.
The cycle began during the downturn and the recovery has been strong with most airlines in Asia having reinstated the capacity they took off in 2008 and 2009.
25/12/10 The Star Online, Malaysia

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Indian-origin air hostess sentenced to 8-yr jail term

London: An Indian-origin former Air Canada air hostess has been jailed for eight years for trafficking almost USD 400,000 worth of drugs into UK, in what police described as a 'cocaine conspiracy'.
Mandeep Shahi, 27, who teamed up with a former schoolboy to smuggle four kilogrammes worth of cocaine into the country broke down as a Jury at Southwark Crown Court sent her to jail for knowingly being a unwitting drugs mule.
Shahi made the drug run on board and Air Canada flight from Pearson in Canada to Heathrow airport last March.
The report said the 27-year-old Air Hostess took advantage of lax security while working for Air Canada to smuggle four kilos of the drug on board in her luggage on March 26 this year.
Shahi was sentenced for her role in what the police call a 'cocaine conspiracy' to import at least four kilogrammes of cocaine.
The police said Shahi smuggled the cocaine into England in her luggage and then she delivered the drugs to her conspirators in London hotel rooms.
Simon Howard-Harwood, 28, Baljinder Nijjar, 28, and Ghulem Malik, 53, were also convicted of a number of smuggling-related offences.
Shahi is married to Nijjar's cousin, Bhupinder Sanghera. The Daily Mail reported that Shahi wept at the hearing yesterday. Howard-Harwood was jailed for nine years and Nijjar was jailed for 12 years after they both admitted conspiracy to supply prohibited drugs.
Shahi claimed she was an unwitting drug courier, set up by her husband and his cousin.
21/12/10 Express India

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Nigerian dies aboard Ethiopian Airlines Flight

Lagos, Nigeria: A Nigerian, identified as Zainab Suleiman, died aboard an Ethiopian Airlines flight from Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, to Lagos, Nigeria, Monday, the local press reported Tuesday. The report said the 62-year-old woman was returning from India, where she had gone for medical treatment.
'We travelled to New Delhi for (cancer) treatment. She was discharged and on our way back, we stopped over here in Addis Ababa where we changed planes. But one and a half hours after take-off, she died and the plane returned to Addis Ababa,' said the husband, Suleiman Abdulra'uf.
22/12/10 Afrique en ligne

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Heathrow nightmare just gets worse and worse

Another 100,000 passengers contemplated Christmases ruined and holidays wrecked by the partial closure of Heathrow, as snow and ice kept its second, southerly runway closed until 5.30pm yesterday. It brings the number of travellers to and from the airport with journeys disrupted by the airport's inability to deal with extreme weather to 600,000. Many of those camped out at the hub of world aviation will be obliged to spend Christmas in the unholy transience of an airport terminal.
By 7am yesterday, as Heathrow struggled to cope with the sheer number of people stranded, around 1,000 hopeful passengers were queuing simply for admission to Terminal 3, the key long-haul terminal at Heathrow. Two women with toddlers in pushchairs were turned away for reasons, according to one official, of "health and safety", with security staff checking tickets against lists of confirmed departures, and enforcing a strict ban on anyone departing later.
The women were directed to one of the hastily erected marquees outside the terminal where the temperature was slightly above freezing. The only brightness conferred upon those denied access took the form of a Salvation Army van, dispensing tea, coffee and sympathy to travellers whose journeys had changed character from aspiration to desperation.
Syed Muhammad Islam, a student at the University of Leeds hoping to fly on Oman Air to India, is camped outside the airport chapel. He said he could not afford to continue to eat at airport prices. "They haven't given us any indication. They say 'maybe today; maybe tomorrow'. They are not sure about anything, they're just giving us 'maybe' answers, like 10 per cent, 20 per cent. They have given no confirmation."
As water dripped through a hole in the roof beside his makeshift camp, he said Indian airports would have made a much better job of the closure. "They would be shifting us to some accommodation at least so we don't have to sleep on the floor. They would definitely have made us go to a hotel or somewhere. It might be cheap, but at least they would have done that for us."
As the world's leading aviation hub degenerated to something akin to a prison, airlines' anger at their mounting losses intensified, at least in private. One senior executive railed against the "astonishing failures in communication" by BAA, the airport's Spanish owner.
22/12/10 The Independent, UK

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Honeywell engineers learn to fly to design better products

US-based technology company Honeywell International Inc. is training its aerospace engineers in India to fly planes to give them a better understanding of how avionics systems perform in real time.
Some engineers from the first batch of eight, trained in August, have already come up with three new product ideas, said a Honeywell executive, declining to be identified or describe the ideas.
Krishna Mikkilineni, president of the Honeywell Technology Solutions Lab (HTSL) in Bangalore, confirmed the pilot training programme for the company’s engineers.
Honeywell initially sent three engineers from India to the US to take flying lessons. But “since it was not feasible to send engineers to the US for (a) longer duration, we decided to do the training in India”, said a third Honeywell executive.
The company spent around Rs.15 lakh for an engineer in training and other expenses. It wants to train 60 engineers over the next four years, the executive said.
HTSL has tied up with the Andhra Pradesh Aviation Academy (APAA) in Hyderabad for the pilot training.
One of the engineers from the programme said he and his team have drawn up a new design for landing gear after the training. A second batch of seven engineers is undergoing pilot training at APAA.
Honeywell engineers who have obtained student pilot licences will sit for tests conducted by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation in January for private pilot licences, said Reddy, who was a flying instructor at Air India for three decades.
22/12/10 Bhargavi Kerur/Live Mint

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UAC considers producing An-148 airliner in India

New Delhi: Russia's United Aircraft Corporation is in talks with Indian firms on production of the Antonov An-148 regional airliner in India in its passenger and cargo versions, UAC President Alexei Fyodorov said on Monday.
"The majority of Russian-Indian cooperation projects concern military aviation, however, it is time to cooperate in the field of civil aviation," Fyodorov told a Russian-Indian trade and investments forum.
India has been cooperating with Russia, and previously the Soviet Union in military aviation for decades. India currently produces the Su-30MKI Flanker-H multi-purpose fighters under a Russian licence.
In September, Rosoboronexport, Russia's state-owned arms seller, and state-run Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd signed an agreement to set up a joint venture to produce a Multirole Transport Aircraft (MTA).
20/12/10 Rianovosti

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7 flights to snow-hit Heathrow cancelled

New Delhi: With heavy snowfall bringing air travel across Europe to a standstill, airlines flying in and out of Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport have also announced the cancellation of all flights to and from London’s Heathrow Airport, which announced a shutdown on account of heavy snow on Saturday evening.
Seven flights to and from London were cancelled on Sunday at the IGI, including one of Virgin Atlantic, Jet Airways, Kingfisher, and two of Air India and British Airways respectively.
London’s Heathrow Airport accepted no arrivals on Sunday and allowed only a handful of departures after snow and ice forced the closure of runways. It is preparing for a full reopening on Monday, a statement on its website said, urging passengers to check with their airlines before travelling to the airport.
Airports across Europe are also reporting cancellations and delay in flight operations.
20/12/10 Indian Express

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DAA in 'detailed' talks on T2 with Air India

Dublin Airport Authority (DAA) chief executive Declan Collier has said its “detailed negotiations” with Air India on using its newly-opened Terminal 2 (T2) facility as a hub for flights to the US were “progressing well”.
Mr Collier said the DAA was also “talking to some other Asian airlines in China and southeast Asia” about using T2, and there had also been “huge interest” from some Gulf airlines in the US customs and border protection (CBP) facilities that would open next month.
CBP will allow passengers travelling from T2 to arrive into the US as domestic passengers and so avoid lengthy immigration queues.
Ireland is the only country in Europe with such a facility.
Mr Collier said Dublin airport currently handled 500,000 to 600,000 transit passengers a year. Most of these travel with Aer Lingus. “We expect that number to grow substantially in the next couple of years.”
In an interview with online trade publisher Air Transport News, Mr Collier said the DAA was also keen to pursue its Dublin airport city complex concept which was unveiled in April 2008 to much fanfare and a price tag of €4 billion.
20/12/10 Ciaran Hancock/The Irish Times

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Jet Airways seeks rail service deals in Europe to expand its presence

New Delhi: In a first for any Indian carrier, Jet Airways (India) Ltd plans to strike deals with European railway operators to let passengers reach destinations its air network doesn’t cover.
Foreign airlines such as Lufthansa, Air France SA, Emirates and Continental Airlines Inc. already have such arrangements with railway firms, allowing passengers to carry on with their journey by train after a flight, or vice versa, on a single ticket. The concept is particularly popular in Europe.
Jet Airways has sought the civil aviation ministry’s approval to sign such agreements before it approaches European governments for similar clearances, said a government official, requesting anonymity.
“It’s a first, so no one really knows how will they run it,” the official said. The approval is yet to be given.
A senior Jet Airways executive confirmed the airline was looking “at that option,” but declined to give details.
An analyst said the move will benefit the airline.
“It helps expand the airline’s network into suburban and outlying towns that are not served by air, and is sold as an add-on to the flight,” said Vikram Krishnan, associate partner with New York-based consulting firm Oliver Wyman Group. Krishnan said Continental Airlines in the US has a similar tie-up with the rail service Amtrak to take passengers from its Newark hub to cities such as Philadelphia.
20/12/10 Tarun Shukla/Live Mint

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Kingfisher, British Airways sign frequent flyer agreement

Mumbai: Kingfisher Airlines on Friday signed a comprehensive frequent flyer agreement with British Airways (BA), firming up its close bonding with the UK’s flag carrier, in a bid to boost revenues.
In September, the two airlines had entered into a code sharing agreement.
BA, as the sponsor for Kingfisher, is also helping the latter to join Oneworld, a global airlines alliance, which it hopes will happen by next year. The new agreement covers the entire route network of both carriers.
As per the new agreement, frequent flyers of Kingfisher would be able to earn points even while flying on BA flights, anywhere in the world, and vice versa.
Kingfisher will also allow its frequent flyers to redeem their accumulated “King Miles” on BA flights. The agreement has come into effect from Friday.
17/12/10 Lalatendu Mishra/Tehelka

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Lockheed celebrates India's Super Hercules plane purchase

Executives at Lockheed Martin Marietta on Thursday held a ceremonial sendoff of the first C-130J Super Hercules airplane to the Indian air force. Lee Rhyant, executive vice president and general manager of the Marietta plant, said this plane was India's first purchase of a major U.S.-made military plane in almost four decades.
India has purchased six of the cargo planes through a foreign military sale, meaning the U.S. government acted as a middleman. Besides the planes, the $1.2 billion contract includes training of aircrew and maintenance technicians, spares, ground support and test equipment, servicing carts, forklifts, loading vehicles, cargo pallets and a three-year support system during which a team of technical specialists will be based in India.
Also included in the package is India-unique operational equipment designed to increase Special Operations capabilities. The first two C-130Js will be flown to India early next year, with the remaining four deliveries scheduled for later in 2011. India's new airlift fleet will be based at Hindon Air Force Station, near New Delhi.
The plane has an Infrared Detection Set and can perform precision low-level flying, airdrops and landing in blackout conditions.
"Today begins a new glorious, enduring partnership with India, as the fourth largest air force in the world proudly joins the worldwide C-130 family," Lorraine Martin, Lockheed Martin's vice president for C-130 Programs, said during the midday ceremony on Thursday.
17/12/10 Cherokee Tribune

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Taiwan urges for an Indian carrier to fly to Taipei

New Delhi: Taiwan has identified that it is losing out on Indian outbound travellers due to lack of connectivity. So far, apart from Taiwan's national carrier China Airlines, none of the Indian carriers have connectivity to Taiwan. Following this, the Taipei Economic & Cultural Centre (TECC) in New Delhi has approached the Ministry of Civil Aviation proposing Indian carriers to fly to Taipei. Wenchyi Ong, representative for TECC revealed, “We have met with the Ministry of Civil Aviation to make them understand the scope that lies in this sector and the opportunity for Indian aviation. More than anything, it is trade that is getting affected because there is no direct connectivity from the IT hub of India. So far the response has been positive.” India eyes Taiwan for various Information and Communications Technology (ICT) industry products, which are competitive in prices than brands of other make found elsewhere. Hence, Taiwan attracts a lot of traders and based on the same, the country also wants to project this aspect in its shopping attraction agenda for Indian travellers.
18/12/10 Sanjeev Bhar/ExpressTravel World

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Finnair joins hands with Kingfisher for seamless connectivity

New Delhi: Passengers will be able to book a single ticket to fly to Helsinki from seven more Indian cities, besides Delhi, with Nordic carrier Finnair joining hands with Kingfisher Airlines for this facility. Kingfisher will offer flight from seven cities, including Mumbai, Chennai, to Delhi for Helsinki.
The passengers would also be benefited by leveraging Finnair's European network, comprising around 60 cities.
Currently, Finnair operates six flights a week between New Delhi and Helsinki, which it plans to increase to daily service from January next year. The air carrier reduced its service to New Delhi from seven to six days earlier this month.
Kingfisher Airlines was inducted into the global airline OneWorld earlier this year and this would allow partner airlines to sell routes operated by the Indian carrier.
16/12/10 Press Trust Of India/Hindustan Times

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‘Spy’ held in Mumbai underwent ground handling training

Mumbai: A 28-year-old visa agent arrested in the city last week on suspicion of spying for Pakistan had allegedly scouted 20-25 terrorism targets across the country on the orders of two diplomats posted at the Pakistani High Commission in New Delhi, the police said on Wednesday. Among the sites scouted by Javed Abdul Gafoor Mozawala were dams, bridges, cantonments and other vital installations, they said. Sources told The Indian Express that the two diplomats were senior Pakistan Army officers linked to the ISI, on deputation at the High Commission. One is believed to be of Lieutenant Colonel rank; the other a Major. A report detailing dealings between them and Mozawala is being sent to the Centre, and the process of declaring the officers persona non-grata would be initiated soon, they said.
The police have also found that Mozawala underwent a civil aviation course in ground handling. They have seized two certificates of the course conducted by a Mumbai institute. “The course deals with ground handling, and since this does not fit with his career profile it could have sinister implications. Getting a job in cargo handling could get him access to restricted areas,” Roy said.
Mozawala, a Class 8 dropout, has been booked under the Official Secrets Act and for forgery under the Indian Penal Code. He is in police custody until December 20. “From his residence we seized a manual in English on communications and tactics meant for Islamic terror organisations and groups, which is not available on the Internet or in the public domain. He was also in possession of telephone numbers of senior officials, defence establishments and vital installations that are for restricted use only. ..” Roy said.
16/12/10 Indian Exptress

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11 kg of saffron seized at Kozhikode Airport

Kochi: According to the findings of the Enforcement agencies, a new breed of international racketeers is operating in Kerala. They approach people and offer them a free trip to the Gulf countries to use them as carriers to smuggle exotic items, mainly saffron from Iran and Afghanistan.
Unearthing the tip of what could be a major smuggling racket in the state, a Customs team led by Deputy Commissioner Anwar Ali arrested two persons at the Kozhikode International Airport and seized 11 kg of high-quality saffron smuggled from Iran via Dubai to Kerala. According to the Customs officials, the two were arrested based on intelligence input and they were identified as Puthukoody Abdusamad, of Panur, and Kannoth Peedikayil Rahoof, of East Kadirur in Thalassery.
15/12/10 Ajay Kanth/ExpressBuzz

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Tatas, Lockheed join hands

New Delhi: The Tata group will partner Lockheed Martin through subsidiary Tata Advanced Systems to make structurals for the C-130-J transport aircraft. The Tatas will hold a 74 per cent stake in the venture, to be based in Hyderabad, and Lockheed the rest.
Lockheed and the Tatas were tight-lipped about the scope of the venture.
However, sources said the venture would not make the usual spares such as doors and windows, which aviation sector joint ventures usually concentrate on. It will make components such as floorbeams and ribs, the main structure on which an aircraft stands.
The government today gave its go-ahead to the joint venture, officials said. The Lockheed C-130-J is a transport aircraft, which is favoured by the military but can be used for civil transportation too. Called the Super-Hercules, it’s a four-engine turbo-prop aircraft that can carry 64 fully armed troopers, or 74 patients with medical attendants or an armoured personnel carrier. Indian Air Force has recently ordered 10 C-130Js. These will be designed for use by paratroopers and special operation forces.
14/12/10 Jayanta Roy Chowdhury/The Telegraph

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Kanishka victims not after money, says campaigner

Toronto: As the Canadian government discusses ex-gratia compensation with the families of the Air India Kanishka bombing victims, the man who started this fight for justice says that the victims are not after money.
'What is more important is the security (of passengers) in the future. That was the purpose of our fight to have the government to investigate why this thing happened and then take corrective steps,' Bal Gupta, who formed the Air India Victims Families' Association after losing his wife in the bombing, told IANS.
His wife was among 329 passengers who perished near the Irish coast June 23, 1985, when the Air India Kanishka Flight 182 from Toronto to Delhi was brought down a bomb planted by pro-Khalistan extremists to avenge the Indian Army action at Amritsar's Golden Temple to flush out militants.
In his report submitted to the Canadian government in June, former Canadian chief justice John Major, who headed a public inquiry commission into the Kanishka bombing, has recommended ex-gratia payment for the victim families alongside major steps to overhaul security systems to avert such tragedies in the future.
Though all victim families got compensation - some even up to one million dollars - in the early 1990s, the commission has recommended an ex-gratia payment for these families as a token gesture.
But this has led to headaches for the government as some people are making huge amounts of compensation, though initially it was suggested to give $25,000 to each family.
14/12/10 Sify.com

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Frisk those who frisk us: Praful

New Delhi: Civil aviation minister Praful Patel has advocated a tit-for-tat policy for countries subjecting Indian diplomats to enhanced security checks at their airports. US airport authorities singled out two top Indian diplomats for enhanced security checks recently. “Registering a protest is ok but one thing should be made clear that no special facilities should be extended to diplomats and VIPs of countries which do not extend the same facilities to us,” Patel told Hindustan Times on Tuesday. Patel said India should exempt diplomats of only those countries which accord the same treatment to Indian diplomats on their shores. According to the Vienna Convention of 1969, adopted by 111 countries, foreign diplomats are to be given special treatment by airport authorities in a host country.
15/12/10 Hindustan Times

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Sikhs cry foul over being singled out

Chandigarh: If turban-less Sikhs looking into the camera for a picture on the identity documents in France was not shocking enough for the community, the news of India's permanent envoy to UN, Hardeep Puri being asked to remove his turban, has now provoked them to question not just the increased screening guidelines, but also their own government's stand on the issue as they keep on getting humiliated at airports.
"Alarmingly, contrary to the general impression that Sikhs are racially profiled in only the English speaking world, I was asked to remove my turban at Dubai's international airport two years ago," recalled Kulbir Singh Brar, a Chandigarh-based businessman, who frequently travels abroad.
The businessman had his share of problems while travelling to US too, infact, it started right at the time of seeking visa in India itself. "The guards won't let you enter wearing your 'karra' (metal bracelet, which is part of 5 Ks) or the broad metal needle which Sikhs use, to tuck in their hair in their turbans. If you insist on carrying them saying these are religious requirements, they ask you to leave the premises,'' Brar revealed.
International NGO, United Sikhs' Indian director Gurpreet Singh, who led the protests against French turban ban during Sarkozy's visit to India, said it is the failure of the Indian government to address the issue.
15/12/10 Ramaninder K Bhatia/Times of India

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Pat down row: US gives no assurances

The pat down row between India and the United States seems to be growing. After US' ignorance to India's concern on insult to Indian ambassador to United Nations, Hardeep Puri and Indian ambassador to the US, Meera Shankar, India has taken a tough stand. Government sources have said that India is likely to reconsider privileges given to the US diplomats here in India.
This comes after the US state department said that pat down was a part of standard procedure and that no one can be exempted. US chose to ignore India's concerns on insult to Hardeep Puri and Meera Shankar.
The US state department while calling the incident as unfortunate, has refused to promise that they won't happen again.
14/12/10 Times Now.tv

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Jet Air Will Resume India-China Service Amid Good Growth, Mahadevan Says

Jet Airways (India) Ltd., the nation’s biggest domestic airline, plans to resume direct flights between India and China next year to meet rising demand for travel between the two countries.
Jet Airways will offer Mumbai-Shanghai service and plans to add flights to cities including Tokyo, Seoul, Taipei and Paris in the year starting April 1, 2011, Bharath Mahadevan, manager for the northeast Asian region, said in an interview in Hong Kong today. The new routes will probably boost annual revenue at least 15 percent, he said.
The airline will begin once-daily service between Mumbai and Shanghai by the end of next year as rising incomes in China and India, Asia’s two fastest growing major economies, prompt more people to travel by air. The gains are fueling a rebound in demand after Jet Air last year halted daily flights from Mumbai to San Francisco via Shanghai to cut costs as a global recession damped travel appetite.
14/12/10 Wing-Gar Cheng and Susan Li/Bloomberg.com

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Quoting rules, Puri thwarts US screener

Washington: Contrary to extensive reporting in the media, enquiries by The Telegraph revealed that Hardeep Puri, India’s permanent representative to the UN in New York, was not “patted down” at a Texas airport a few weeks ago. Nor did an airport screener remove his Sikh turban, contrary to reports today.
A detailed account of this incident sent to New Delhi from India’s consul general in Houston, Sanjiv Arora, reveals that unlike Meera Shankar, the Indian Ambassador in Washington, Puri stood his ground at Austin airport and was, therefore, cleared with an apology after the screener checked with his TSA superiors on the phone.
This newspaper’s investigations into the twin incidents reveal the following.
Puri, accompanied by another diplomat from the Indian mission to the UN, arrived at Austin’s airport and passed through a security-scanning machine like every other passenger. A screener then singled out Puri for a secondary search, ostensibly because he was a Sikh wearing the traditional turban.
Puri, a regular air traveller within the US who had thoroughly read the TSA rules and was keen to avoid a diplomatic incident involving his host country, politely told the screener that since the scanning machine had not triggered an alarm, it was beyond the authority of the airport’s screeners to demand a pat down.
The screener realised that this passenger knew the rules and did not pursue his demand for a pat down. But he insisted on removing Puri’s turban and physically examining it for prohibited items.
Again, Puri told the screener that under the TSA’s own rules no one was allowed to touch his turban in deference to religious sensitivities, but the screener continued to insist on removing the turban. Puri then told the screener that he obviously did not know his own department’s rules and told him to check with his superiors.
The screener was also told by Puri that under the TSA rules, if a turban had to be removed, it had to be removed by the passenger himself and the screener could only check it with a cotton swab with chemicals holding the swab with a tweezer or a tong. Under no circumstances is a screener allowed to touch the religious symbol with his own bare hands.
Faced with no option, the screener agreed to contact his superiors, but warned that Puri may miss his flight as it would take time. Puri said he would rather miss his flight than forgo his rights as a passenger.
After about 15 to 20 minutes, the screener came back and apologised to Puri, conceding that he was, indeed, right.
At no point did the permanent representative flaunt his diplomatic status because diplomats are not exempt in the US from airport screening.
Puri merely relied on the TSA guidelines which went into effect on November 1 that expressly set out the procedures at airports for dealing with passengers of Sikh faith. The specific guidelines are said to have been insisted on by the White House to mollify American Sikhs who were hurt after Barack Obama abruptly dropped Amritsar from his Indian itinerary.
13/12/10 K. P. Nayar/The Telegraph

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Diplomat told to remove turban in US

New Delhi: Following the furore over Indian ambassador to the US Meera Shankar being patted down at a US airport, it now emerges that a senior Indian Sikh diplomat was asked to remove his turban at an airport in Houston two weeks ago.
The US authorities, however, allowed India's permanent representative to the UN, Hardeep Puri, to go after he revealed his diplomatic status. He was allegedly made to wait for 30 minutes before his diplomatic status was verified.
Asked about the incident, foreign minister S M Krishna on Monday said it had strongly taken up the matter with the US authorities, with Hillary Clinton assuring New Delhi that the US was revisiting some of its procedures to avoid such incidents.
"I have taken it up with the US authorities. And the matter is at that stage," said Krishna. "Secretary of state Hillary Clinton has also given an indication to the fact that they are going to revisit some of these procedures, particularly with reference to diplomatic corps of other countries," he added.
Later, Puri himself told the media that his turban was not touched by the US authorities. The incident, however, led to a furore back home as it came close on the heels of a "pat-down" search of Indian ambassador to US Meera Shankar at the Jackson-Evers airport in Mississippi on December 4.
14/12/10 Times of India

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Pat-down of Sikh diplomat: Punjab deputy CM writes to PM

Chandigarh: Punjab deputy chief minister Sukhbir Singh Badal today asked Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to take up the issue of the pat-down of a Sikh diplomat at a US airport recently with President Barack Obama.
Badal, also Shiromani Akali Dal president, took strong exception to what he called humiliation of diplomat Hardeep Singh Puri who was asked to remove his turban during security check two weeks ago at Houston airport.
In a letter to the prime minister, he requested him to take up the issue with US president to put an end to such practices.
There was strong resentment among the Sikh community across the world on repeated humiliation of Sikhs at airports in the US, Badal said in the letter.
The Central government had failed to properly convey the hurt sentiments of the Sikh community all over the world on the matter to Obama during his recent visit to India, the letter said.
13/12/10 Daily News & Analysis

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Airbus lifts demand forecasts amid Asian growth

Airbus raised its forecast for aircraft demand over the next 20 years, citing the travel needs of 6 billion people in emerging economies as airlines stage a stronger-than-predicted rebound from recession.
By 2029, a third of all passenger traffic will be in Asia, compared with 27 percent now, while skies over North America will see their share of the global air travel market shrink to 20 percent from 28 percent.
"Demand for travel is doubling every 15 years ... but in places like India and China we expect to double in the next six years," Airbus sales chief John Leahy told a news conference on Monday.
The world's largest planemaker, ahead of rival Boeing, forecast deliveries of 25,850 new passenger and freight aircraft worth $3.2 trillion from 2010-29, an increase of 899 planes from its previous annual forecast.
The EADS subsidiary forecast average annual growth in passenger traffic of 4.8 percent over the period, up from 4.7 percent previously.
Latest forecasts from Boeing, which measures demand for aircraft of 90 seats and upwards compared with the Airbus cut-off point of 100 seats, were for 30,900 aircraft worth $3.6 trillion over the next 20 years.
Both planemakers face growing competition from Canada, China and, potentially, Brazil and Russia for sales of their smallest but most popular aircraft, the Airbus A320 and Boeing 737.
13/12/10 Reuters/Economic Times

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Buddha Air plans to start Pokhara-New Delhi flight

Kathmandu: Buddha Air is planning Pokhara-New Delhi flight as part of its cross-border commercial scheduled operation to the various Indian cities.
“The airliner has also been waiting for the approval for the Pokhara-Gorakhapur air route,” it said, adding that the planned flight on Pokhara-Gorakhapur route will take a little more time as Buddha Air still has to get approval for the air route.
One of the largest private domestic airliners said that instead of Pokhara-Gorakhapur flight, it is starting Kathmandu-Lucknow flight from January 7.
Under the revised Air Service Agreement (ASA) between Nepal and India, Nepali airlines can operate flights from 21 points — including three new points – Dehradun, Gorakhapur and Bagdogra – for Nepal, while the Indian airlines can operate flights in Pokhara, Lumbini, Biratnagar, Nepalgunj, Janakpur, Dhangadhi and Bhairahawa.
The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for the revision of bilateral Air Service Agreement and a technical accord signed in New Delhi on September 10 facilitates five-fold increase in air seats between the two South Asian neighbours. The MoU also facilitates Nepal to operate flights to Indian cities like Goa, Amritsar and Kochi.
14/12/10 Himalayan Times

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Flyers roped into fare protest

Mumbai: The air passengers’ association and Civil Aviation Minister Praful Patel on Monday pressured domestic airlines to reduce “astronomical” fares. Both expressed displeasure at spot fares — cost of air tickets bought at the last minute —more than doubling since mid-November. Patel has repeatedly asked airlines to cut ticket prices.
On Monday, the Civil Aviation Economic Advisory Council (CAEAC), formed to address the issue, met for the first time. And, for the first time, passengers got a chance to voice their grievances.
Airline managers were stumped when Sudhakar Reddy, president of the Air Passenger Association of India (APAI), highlighted the cost disparity between two Chennai-Delhi tickets sold by different carriers for the same day. While a Rs 6,000 Jet Airways ticket showed a basic fare of Rs 2,250 and the rest as taxes, a Rs 6,400 Indigo ticket reflected a basic fare of Rs 5,400.
14/12/10 Soubhik Mitra/Hindustan Times

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SriLankan resumes flights to Kochi

SriLankan Airlines will re-launch its services to Kochi from March 1st 2011, increasing its growing portfolio of Indian destinations to seven.
The resumption of flights links Colombo and Kerala's commercial capital Kochi on all seven days of the week.
The morning flight UL165/6 departs Colombo at 0725 on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays to reach Kochi at 0835. It leaves Kochi at 0925 and arrives in Colombo at 1035.
The afternoon departure UL167/8 leaves Colombo at 1420 on Wednesdays, Saturdays and Sundays to reach Kochi at 1530 and leaves Kochi at 1620 and arrives in Colombo at 1730.
Regional Manager Indian subcontinent for SriLankan Airlines, Mr. Lal Perera says, "With the resumption of our daily service to Kochi, we will aggressively promote leisure traffic to Colombo in addition to passengers travelling via CMB to Far East, Middle East and Europe "
With 2011 being declared as the year of "Visit Sri Lanka", the country opens its doors to tourists from Kochi and will also be showcased as a vibrant MICE destination.
14/12/10 Daily Mirror, Sri Lanka

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Russian wings in the Indian skies

For decades, India has been buying Russian aircraft, both military and civil. A number of military aircraft has been produced at Indian plants under Russian licences. The first model designed specifically for India was the SU-30MKI heavy multirole fighter (MKI stands for Modernised Commercial Indian).
The first SU-30MKI contract was signed in 1996 and was followed by new orders in 2000, 2004 and 2007. The prime contractor in Russia has been IRKUT Corporation.
SU-30MKIs were the world’s first production air superiority fighters and also the first exported military aircraft that came with phased-array radars. In fact, the SU-30MKI is the engineering zenith (among production aircraft) in design among fourth-generation heavy-duty fighters. The SU-30MKI’s external design was largely influenced by Indian engineers.
Currently, Russia supplies to India aircraft produced at the Irkutsk aviation plant and also complete sets of SU-30MKI parts to be assembled by HAL. After all the contracted aircraft have been delivered, the Indian Air Force (IAF) will have 230 SU-30MKI fighters. These aircraft have already formed the core of the IAF and are deployed in critical areas, ensuring absolute air supremacy over potential enemies. In mock dogfights IAF pilots flying SU-30MKI generally defeat modern fighters produced elsewhere.
In November of 2008, British journal Flight, a reputed industry publication, conducted a survey among its website visitors asking them to select the best fighter from a list containing the SU-30MKI, F-22 and F-15. The Russian fighter was voted for by 59 per cent of the survey participants.
In November of 2009, Indian President Pratibha Patil took a ride in a SU-30MKI. Her predecessor, Abdul Kalam, did the same in 2006.
The President of IRKUT Corporation Oleg Demchenko made the following comments on the project: “The SU-30MKI programme opened a new stage of Russian-Indian partnership in the aircraft industry. We have progressed from aircraft sales to R&D cooperation and aircraft production at HAL facilities. Note that these fighters will be armed with Russian and Indian-made BraMos missiles. This one-two punch, SU-30MKI and BraMos, will offer unrivalled combat performance.
Mikhail Pogosyan, CEO of Sukhoy Aviation Holding Company and MiG Russian Aircraft Corporation said: “Developing collaboration with the Indian aviation industry is a top priority for Russian combat aviation producers.
13/12/10 Sergei Ptichkin/Indrus.in

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IndiGo seeks approval from govt to launch international flights

New Delhi: Budget-carrier IndiGo plans to launch international services on 15 routes starting from the middle of next year, according to a proposal it has submitted to the aviation ministry.
The Gurgaon-based carrier, which has a 16.8% share in the domestic passenger market, will complete five years of local operations in August, meeting a key requirement for local airlines to fly overseas.
IndiGo, with at least 16 Airbus A320 aircraft to augment its fleet of 32 A320s between now and 2011, plans to launch international services in a phased manner from August, the airline said.
The carrier has shortlisted 15 sectors it wants to connect, including Dubai, Bangkok, Singapore, Kathmandu, Jeddah, the Maldives, Abu Dhabi and Sharjah, it said in the draft proposal, which was reviewed by Mint.
It has sought to launch most of its flights from New Delhi and Mumbai, while those to West Asia will be from Kozhikode, Kochi and Thiruvananthapuram, besides between Chennai and Singapore, keeping the flight range of its Airbus 320 in mind.
On 17 March, Mint had reported that the airline has sought in-principle approval from the government for a 2011 international launch so it can negotiate with airports and vendors. The ministry did grant the approval, but the second and tougher part involves seeking rights for each of the cities the airline wants to fly to now.
13/12/10 Live Mint

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North America-India fares rose the most in Oct-Dec, says study

New Delhi: Prices of air tickets bought in advance rose to the highest for flights to and from North America in the ongoing quarter, while dropping 8% for domestic flights, a report said.
The October-December quarter is considered the most profitable for Indian carriers as foreign tourist arrivals increase, together with a rise in the number of Indians living overseas and visiting the country during the festival season.
Published fares were up 5% to and from the Americas, 2% in Asia-Pacific, 2% in Europe, West Asia and Africa, but down 8% in domestic travel, while registering a 3% overall drop for the country, American Express Business Travel Monitor, a division of American Express Co., said in a study reviewed by Mint. The study compares air fares for October-December with those in the preceding three months.
Published fares are classified as regular fares for flights booked in advance and not last -minute fares that have recently come under state scrutiny.
13/12/10 Tarun Shukla/Live Mint

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Air India to offer more flights from Middle East

Dubai: The Middle East is one of the largest and most important markets for Air India and the air carrier now plans to offer flights from the Gulf region to places like South East Asia, Kathmandu, Sri Lanka, SAARC countries and New York, via New Delhi, a senior official has said.
“We are also offering Delhi hub for selling in this market where the passengers can travel from Gulf to South East Asia, Kathmandu, Sri Lanka, SAARC countries and West bound New York via India,” said Air India Regional Manager -- Gulf, Middle East and Africa Abhay Pathak.
Mr. Pathak was speaking on the occasion of the Annual Agency Award function for the year 2009-2010 in Dubai.
13/12/10 The Hindu

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Woman creates ruckus at airport

Patna: Angry over alleged mismanagement on part of Kingfisher Airlines' staff at the Jaya Prakash Narayan International Airport here, a middle-aged woman on Sunday created a ruckus-like situation.
Sources at the airport said that two passengers were not allowed to board Kingfisher's Patna-Mumbai flight (IT 3571) as they arrived at the airport after the closure of the boarding counter. Kingfisher IT 3571 was scheduled to take off from here at 2.50 pm.
"Both the flyers reached the airport around 2.30 pm. By this time all counters were closed. None of the two was allowed to undergo security check," a source at the airport told TOI.
"They immediately took up the matter with Kingfisher officials. The infuriated woman passenger slapped a Kingfisher official and created uproar," sources said.
Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) personnel had to intervene in order to normalise the situation. "Both the flyers were booked on the same flight on December 14. Neither re-booking charges (Rs 750 each) nor difference of Fair (DF) charges (Rs 1200 each) was taken from the aggrieved passengers," sources said.
12/12/10 Alok K N Mishra/Times of India

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Umar says Thasmeen and Shahid’s India trip ticket genuine

Male: Opposition Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party (DRP) Deputy Leader Umar Naseer Sunday said the e-ticket allegedly purchased for DRP Leader Ahmed Thasmeen Ali and Parliament Speaker Abdulla Shahid to travel to India to meet GMR officials was genuine.
Umar showed a letter to journalists, which was allegedly sent by the Sri Lankan Airlines Colombo office, confirming that the ticket was genuine. However, the issued date on the letter and the ticket do not match.
Asked by Haveeru about the ticket, Dammika Kulatunge who signed the letter confirmed the genuineness of the two tickets issued to Thasmeen and Shahid but said they were later refunded. According to the letter, Kulatunge is the airline’s Manager for Sri Lanka and the Maldives.
A local website earlier reported that Thasmeen and DRP council member Shahid met GMR officials in New Delhi and accepted US$1 million per person. The website further claimed that they travelled to India via Sri Lanka.
Umar earlier accused “some people of our group” accepting bribe from GMR.
Thasmeen and Shahid, however, denied the accusations and said they had never met GMR officials.
The government leased Male International Airport to GMR for 25 years on June 29. The Indian company formed a joint venture with Malaysia Airports Holdings (MAHB) and registered GMR Male International Airport Private Limited at Trade Ministry which took over the airport operations last month.
The letter sent to Umar said the tickets were issued in Hyderabad on October 16, 2010 for the two to travel from New Delhi to Male via Colombo.
“We confirm the tickets are issued on Sri Lankan Airlines by an authorised agent to travel on Sri Lankan flights,” the letter read.
But the ticket shows that it was issued on October 26, 2010 for Shahid and Thasmeen to travel from New Delhi to Colombo on October 30 at 7.30pm. The two were to leave Colombo to return to the Maldives at 11.30pm.
Umar said Thasmeen and Shahid cancelled the trip to India after DRP Supreme Leader Maumoon Abdul Gayoom called them.
12/12/10 haveeru online.com

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India threatens to review US diplomats' privileges

New Delhi/Washington: Voicing "strong concerns" over the "pat down" frisking of Indian ambassador Meera Shankar at a US airport, India on Saturday summoned US deputy chief of mission Donald Lu and threatened to review privileges granted to US diplomats if such incidents are repeated. India also asked the US to sensitise the authorities at all its airports to cultural and religious sensitivities of foreign diplomats.
Lu was summoned by Javed Ashraf, joint secretary (Americas), to his office at the external affairs ministry in South Block.
Shankar was subjected to the security search at the Jackson-Evers International Airport on Dec 4 when she was about to board a flight to Washington after attending a function at the Mississippi State University.
"We made it clear it was unacceptable," a source in the external affairs ministry said.
According to the Jackson Clarion-Ledger, Shankar was singled out from a group of 30 passengers and pulled aside. Witnesses told the paper that she was chosen as she was wearing a sari, and was patted down despite her diplomatic passport.
Ashraf conveyed to the US diplomat that despite the fact that the mission has followed the state department's guidelines for expedited clearance for ambassadors and Shankar had presented her diplomatic identity, the envoy had to undergo enhanced security checking because "as we have been informed she was wearing a sari".
The US diplomat was told that India understood and respected everybody's security procedures, but also expected that normal diplomatic privileges and courtesies are extended to ambassadors and Indian diplomats.
11/12/10 Indo-Asian News Service/Hindustan Times

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Air India lessons ignored

Security is no laughing matter, but the federal government seems determined to treat it like one, judging by its lackadaisical reaction to former Supreme Court Justice John Major's public inquiry into the Air India bombing.
All 329 people aboard died on June 23, 1985 when a concealed bomb aboard Air India 182, en route from Montreal to London, blew up over the eastern Atlantic Ocean. The culprits were Sikhs angry over an Indian military assault the year before on Sikhism's holiest shrine, the separatist-occupied Golden Temple, which resulted in heavy casualties.
Although suspects in the bombing were brought to trial, official bungling has always clouded the truth about the plot and its perpetrators. Ostensibly aiming to clear the air and prevent a repeat tragedy, Prime Minister Stephen Harper appointed Major in 2006 to head the Commission of Inquiry into the Investigation of the Bombing of Air India Flight 182. The Commission's final report was released last June and makes for unpleasant reading.
It found authorities had sufficient data to stop the bombings, but not only did they neglect to act upon them, they could not even be bothered to share them with other branches of the government, much less co-operate on airport security. Further, many of the holes in airport security which the commission identified still have not been filled after 25 years, most glaringly a lacklustre approach to cargo inspection, which violates Canada's international obligations to guard against aircraft bombings "by any means whatsoever."
11/12/10 Calgary Herald

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Veteran Airline Exec to Lead OneWorld

New York: The Oneworld alliance is getting a makeover that includes a veteran airline executive at its helm and a move to Park Avenue.
During a 23-year airline career, Bruce Ashby, a trilingual 49-year-old Stanford graduate, has been a top executive atUS Airways and has also worked at United and Delta.
Ashby will return to the U.S. after five and a half years abroad, heading India's Indigo Airlines and Saudi Arabia's SAMA. He presided over the successful star-tup of the former; the latter failed in September.
Meanwhile, Oneworld's headquarters will leave Vancouver, B.C., next summer after 10 years and move to 2 Park Ave., also the New York office for Oneworld members including American and British Airways.
The move reflects the increasing importance of the three global alliances, spurred this year by regulatory approval of three key partnerships that combine major U.S. carriers with counterparts in Europe and Japan. The partnerships enable multiple carriers to act as one on trans-Atlantic and trans-Pacific routes, which generally constitute the industry's most profitable operations.
The three big U.S. carriers -- American, Delta and United -- each anchor an alliance: Oneworld, SkyTeam and Star, respectively. A principal strength of Oneworld, whose members also include Iberia, Japan Air Lines and Cathay Pacific, is that it dominates one of world aviation's prized routes, New York to London Heathrow.
10/12/10 The Street

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Private carriers fleece pilgrims as AI bows out

Chennai: With Air India suddenly stopping its most popular flight in the Kuala Lumpur-Chennai sector in November, hundreds of Malaysian Tamils who were to take a pilgrimage to Sabarimala or visit India during December-January have been left high and dry.
Many of those who had planned trips in advance, and had even booked their tic­kets with AI, were forced to look at other options after their flight was cance­lled. They further met with the rude shock of having to shell out substantially more for tickets on other airlines — with the carriers having jacked up the fares.
“AI’s return fare was 1000 Malaysian Ringgit (MYR) and Jet Airways used to charge 1070 MYR. But after the AI flight was withdrawn, Jet Airways hiked its fare to 1400 MYR,” a Kuala Lumpur-based travel agent told Express over phone.
“We lost many regular customers, and several families that couldn’t afford the higher fares cancelled their trip. There have been about 300-400 such cancellations in the past two months. Many tourists also lost the advance they paid for hotels in India,” the agent said.
Other airlines like Air Asia are charging 1300 MYR and Malaysian Airlines 1500 MYR.
11/12/10 Mamta Todi/ExpressBuzz

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US concern at frisking of India envoy Meera Shankar

The United States has expressed regret over India's ambassador Meera Shankar being pulled out of an airport security line and frisked by a security agent.
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said she was concerned about the incident and vowed to prevent a recurrence.
The hands-on search took place last week even after Meera Shankar's diplomatic status was revealed.
Some reports said Ms Shankar, who was on her way from a conference, was singled out as she was wearing a sari.
The search took place on 4 December at the Jackson-Evers International Airport.
Ms Shankar was about to board a flight to Baltimore after attending an event at Mississippi State University.
The Indian embassy in Washington strongly protested about the incident and External Affairs Minister SM Krishna called it "unacceptable".
"We obviously are concerned about it," Mrs Clinton told reporters.
"We will be looking into it and trying to determine both what happened and what we could do to prevent such incidents in the future."
US Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano, however, said officials had handled the matter "by the book". "It was a pat-down that followed our procedures, and I think it was appropriate under the circumstances," she told reporters.
10/12/10 BBC.co.uk

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US-India 'pat-down' keeps Google busy

Bengaluru: "Patting down", has hogged the internet in India to a large extent. The term was in the limelight owing to the Indian diplomat in the US airport creating a furore because she was frisked as a security effort. While "patting down" made a rage in the Indian political circles, the term has become a mass searched word in the Google world on Dec 9.
Its rarely that people go out of their way to search for a news-highlighted person. Rajeev Chandrasekhar, too evoked curiosity in the World Wide Web as people wanted to know who had the guts to mess with the Indian business tycoon, Ratan Tata. The open-letter writing from both parties has become fodder for many media houses. It was only fair that people wanted to know who the man in question was. The Karnataka MP has gained enough interest on the internet even if he is not able to clear the gigigantic telecom mess that has been unleashed amongst us.
People's curiosity were awakened when "patted-down" did not go down well with the English-speakers in India. All wanted to know what the term meant.
09/12/10 One India

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India: Airport Pat-Down Draws Protest

The foreign minister said Thursday that it was unacceptable that the Indian ambassador to the United States was patted down by a security agent at a Mississippi airport, and that he would complain to Washington. The ambassador, Meera Shankar, left, was returning from giving a speech at Mississippi State University last week when she was pulled out of line at the airport and given a pat-down by a female Transportation Security Administration agent. Foreign Minister S. M. Krishna said this was the second time the ambassador had been chosen for a pat-down in the past three months. “Let me be very frank that this is unacceptable to India,” he said. A T.S.A. spokesman said that diplomats were not exempt from searches, and that bulky clothing could prompt a pat-down.
09/12/10 Associated Press/New York Times

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Pat-down search of envoy not good public diplomacy: India

New Delhi: India on Friday said the 'pat-down' search of Ambassador Meera Shankar at a US airport was not good public diplomacy and that it was awaiting a report from its embassy in Washington over the incident before it can take up the matter with American authorities.
"We have also asked our embassy in Washington to give us a detailed report on the incident. We haven't as yet received that, but we will be certainly looking at that before we take further action," Foreign Secretary Nirupama Rao told reporters here.
Disapproving of the treatment meted out to Shankar, she said, "It wasn't good public diplomacy and we will certainly be speaking with the American embassy here".
Rao said the Ministry of External Affairs has already been in touch with the American embassy on some previous instances though not exactly of the same nature.
"We have an ongoing discussion with them on this and we will take it up," the Foreign Secretary said.
Shankar was pulled from an airport security line on December 4 and patted down by an American security agent in Mississippi despite being told of her diplomatic status.
10/12/10 Indian Express

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Gulf flights to Kochi diverted again

Flights from Gulf continues to be diverted away from the Kochi international airport fog and poor visibility disrupted schedules for the third week in a row.
While five international flights were diverted earlier this morning, last week another six were diverted to nearby airports and many more during the middle of November.
According to airport officials the visibility levels dropped to less than 600 metres, which led to the disruptions.
Among the flights that were diverted today are that of Emirates, Etihad, Air Arabia and Air India.
Emirates Fight scheduled to reach the airport at 3.20am from Dubai was diverted to Thiruvananthapuram and later returned to Kochi at 7.20am.
Etihad Airlines Flight from Abu Dhabi, scheduled to reach at 3.25am, was also diverted to Thiruvananthapuram. Another Gulf Air flight from Bahrain was diverted to Chennai.
Other flights including an Air Arabia flight from Sharjah and Air India flight arriving from Riyad via Mumbai was diverted to Kozhikode.
09/12/10 Joseph George/Emirates 24-7, UAE

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First Super Hercules aircraft to be delivered to India next week

Washington: The first of the six state-of-the art C-130J military transport aircraft would be delivered to India on December 16, its manufacturer Lockheed Martin said today.
“The first C-130J for India will be formally delivered on December 16 at a ceremony in Marietta,” Lockheed Martin said in a statement.
“Two will be flown to India in early 2011, while two more will arrive in early summer and the last two will be delivered in late summer of 2011,” it said.
Robert Blake, Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asia, said on Wednesday that in conjunction with the purchase of six C-130J transport aircraft in 2008 the recent $ 4.1 billion C-17 Indian deal with Boeing will double U.S.-India defence trade and provide the Indian Air Force a strategic airlift and humanitarian response capability that is unique to the region and emblematic of India’s ambitions to play an increasingly global role.
“Once all the aircraft have been delivered, ladies and gentlemen, India will have the second largest C-17 fleet in the world behind the U.S. - a highly visible manifestation of the U.S.-India defence partnership,” Mr. Blake said.
The Lockheed Martin C-130J combines the latest in aerospace technology with a proven, rugged airframe design, resulting in an aircraft that gives an operator more capability with greater operational efficiency.
10/12/10 PTI/The Hindu

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Mudra West and Tribal DDB India win Emirates account

Mudra West has won the creative duties for Emirates Airlines, while Tribal DDB India, a strategic business unit of DDB Mudra, has been awarded the digital mandate. The business was won after the airlines called a creative pitch in October.
The account will be handled out of the Mumbai offices of both Tribal DDB India and Mudra West.
Ogilvy India is the incumbent agency on the business.
The account size and the other agencies vying for the business could not be ascertained at the time of filing this report.
Mudra will be responsible for building the brand further in India. With Emirates being the official partner of the ICC Cricket World Cup 2011, the agency will also work closely with the brand team to develop a communication package around the event. The sponsorship entitles Emirates to tickets and hospitality during the matches, along with branding opportunities at the venue.
For the record, Emirates, with one of the youngest fleets in the skies (with an average age of less than 70 months), flies to more than 100 destinations in 65 countries across six continents and has been fundamental in establishing Dubai as West Asia's commercial centre and aviation hub.
The airline is one of the two key corporations in the Emirates Group. The other is Dnata, one of the largest travel organisations in West Asia handling passenger, cargo, ramp and technical services for numerous airlines at Dubai International Airport.
10/12/10 Biprorshee Das/afaqs

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Harper Government Releases Air India Inquiry Action Plan

The Harper Government today released the Air India Inquiry Action Plan. The Air India Inquiry Action Plan is the Government's response to the Commission of Inquiry into the Investigation of the Bombing of Air India Flight 182. The Plan was announced by the Honourable Vic Toews, Canada's Minister of Public Safety, and the Honourable Jason Kenney, Minister of Citizenship, Immigration and Multiculturalism.
"In appointing Commissioner Major to scrutinize the institutional failings that led to the worst terrorist attack in Canadian history, our government has listened and has acted in the interests of victims when no other government would," said Minister Toews. "The Air India Inquiry Action Plan is a roadmap to help ensure that such a terrible and senseless act does not happen again."
The Air India Inquiry Action Plan responds to Commissioner Major's Report by highlighting six themes where additional action was required before, during and after the time of the terrorist attack in 1985. In ongoing work to address the remaining concerns raised in the Report, the Air India Inquiry Action Plan calls for:
"Our government would like to thank the families of the victims in the bombing of Flight 182, which was truly an act of unconscionable cruelty, for their ongoing efforts and consultation with our government on this Action Plan," said Jason Kenney, Minister of Citizenship, Immigration and Multiculturalism.
09/12/10 PR-Canada.Net

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Airbus’ Quovadis and IndiGo demonstrate first RNP approach in India

Airbus’ Quovadis RNP subsidiary and IndiGo have successfully demonstrated, using an Airbus A320, the first ‘Required Navigation Performance’ (RNP) flight of any commercial airliner in India, at Cochin International Airport – the nation’s seventh busiest airport.
Specially developed by Quovadis, the RNP procedure for this airport was validated using Airbus flight simulators. Following this successful flight by IndiGo, Jet Airways will soon also demonstrate this procedure at the airport using a Boeing 737-800. Together, all operators with ‘RNP capable’ aircraft will benefit from RNP approaches at Cochin airport, once the new procedures have been officially published by the authorities.
“RNP approaches are a great way to achieve savings while improving safety,” says Paul-Franck Bijou, Chief Executive Officer of Quovadis. “RNP navigation has the necessary flexibility to optimise and segregate trajectories from non-RNP traffic, terrain and obstacles”.
He adds: “Quovadis, together with its partners CGx AERO in SYS and ENAC (Ecole Nationale de l’Aviation Civile), have been working with Indian authorities (DGCA), Airport Authorities of India and two operators, IndiGo and Jet Airways, to develop this RNP procedure.”
09/12/10 India Infoline/India Infoline

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Indian ambassador patted down at Jackson airport

The recent Transportation Security Administration pat-down of a foreign diplomat at Jackson-Evers International Airport has upset state hosts and elected officials.
Meera Shankar, Indian ambassador to the United States, was in Jackson last weekend as a guest of the Janos Radvanyi, international security studies chair at Mississippi State University.
But her departure is what has many concerned.
New TSA regulations went into effect Nov. 1 allowing federal security officers at airports to switch to more thorough - but often controversial - "pat-downs" for passengers who require hand searches.
Shankar presented her diplomatic papers to officers and was escorted by an MDA representative and an airport security officer, but witnesses said she was subjected to the hands-on search.
"The way they pat them down - it was so humiliating," said Tan Tsai, a research associate at MSU's International Security Studies center who witnessed the screening. "Anybody who passed by could see it."
Gov. Haley Barbour's spokesman Dan Turner said the governor's office is looking into the incident.
"At this time, we're trying to find out exactly what happened - all of the details," Turner said.
Until the office has done a complete review, Turner said it would be inappropriate to comment on what action may be taken.
The new guidelines do not expressly exempt foreign dignitaries but allow for discretion on the part of TSA officers.
Radvanyi also witnessed Shankar's search.
"I know authorities have established stricter rules for the holiday season, but I don't understand why she was singled out," he said.
Tsai said the ambassador was the only person in a group of at least 30 passengers to be pulled aside.
Nationally, less than 3 percent of passengers receive a pat-down, according to the TSA.
Those who witnessed the ambassador's screening said officers told her that she was singled out because of the way she was dressed. Shankar was wearing a sari - a traditional Indian robe that is draped across the body.
The TSA has guidelines that allow additional screenings when passengers are wearing "bulky" clothing.
"This passenger was screened in accordance with TSA security procedures," TSA spokesman Jon Allen said in an e-mail Tuesday.
08/12/19 Elizabeth Crisp/Clarionledger.com

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‘Air Sarko One’ makes quiet entry, exit

Mumbai: Like US President Barack Obama, French President Nicolas Sarkozy also skipped Mumbai airport’s main runway. His plane used the smaller runway for both touchdown and take-off on Tuesday. Sources at the Air Traffic Control told Hindustan Times on condition of anonymity as they are not authorised to
speak to the media that the presidential plane, a newly-modified Airbus A330-200 nicknamed ‘Air Sarko One’, landed on the secondary runway to avoid flying over the slums surrounding the airport. Obama’s Air Force One also used the runway citing the same concerns. An airport spokesperson confirmed this.
At 11am, the pilot of the presidential flight with the call sign ‘CTM 0001’ asked the Mumbai tower for permission to land.
Sarkozy’s visit did not have any impact on air traffic. At 10.58 am, a JetLite flight to Bangalore was the last scheduled before Sarkozy’s plane landed. Jet Airways’ flight 9W 2532 to Bhopal was the first to take off after Sarkozy’s arrival.
Air traffic was smooth also because the airport had suspended repairs on the main runway, which has remained shut for eight hours every day except Sundays since November 1.
08/12/10 Soubhik Mitra/Hindustan Times

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Air India inquiry head baffled by Ottawa’s response

Ottawa: In his Calgary law office, Justice John Major tried but failed to make sense of a one-page press release outlining the federal response to his exhaustive Air India report.
“I can’t make much out of it,” he said frankly in an interview with the Star.
The former Supreme Court of Canada judge expressed disappointed bafflement at the announcement the federal Conservative government rejected several key recommendations of his three-year Air India inquiry.
In his June report, Major recommended changes to aviation and national security practices, and warned gaps that led to the 1985 terrorist bombing that downed an Air India plane killing 329 still exist.
However, the Conservative government said Tuesday it has already taken several steps to increase air security, and dismissed Major’s call for a national security “czar” because it wants to avoid creating a “new bureaucracy,” said Public Safety Minister Vic Toews.
Toews said key agencies, the RCMP and CSIS, already report to a central cabinet minister – him.
Major said of all the recommendations in his report, that one was central, and envisaged “a very small change” not the creation of “a whole new department.”
“The national security advisor (recommendation) was one person, it wasn’t a bureaucracy,” said Major.
08/12/10 The Star.com

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CVC probes Airbus for unfair business practices

New Delhi: India's topmost anti-corruption body, the Central Vigilance Commission has begun a probe against European aviation giant Airbus for indulging in alleged unfair business practices.
The CVC has registered a complaint it received from Hyderabad based Flyington Freighters that charged EADS Airbus with non delivery of aircraft resulting in loss of business to the company. The firm has been demanding action against the aviation firm under the Competition Act.
It charges Airbus for using its order for 12 A-330-200 cargo aircraft to pitch for the USAF tanker contract and then delay its deliveries by three years.
EADS North America first bagged the contract in early 2008 proposing a tanker variant of the A-330. The orders were cancelled that year and fresh tenders were floated.
Flyington says Airbus was depending on its proposed production line in Mobile, Alabama to supply aircraft to the Hyderbad firm. The new production facility however did not materialize owing to the restarting of the USAF deal.
06/12/10 Sandeep Unnithan/India Today

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Race horses hit legal tangle at IGI

New Delhi: Three Austrian horses, each costing around R70 lakh are locked up in a corner of IGI Airport’s cargo terminal for the past three months as the young racer who had bought them and the authorities are involved in a court battle over the horses’ entry permits to India.
The adult black horses of Hanoverian breed, a favourite with racers, were imported by Arjun Sahlot, a Saket resident on September 8, 2010. But quarantine officials refused to let them in due to non-compliance of import license, quarantine regulations and confusion over their place of origin and ordered their deportation.
As Sahlot lost two rounds in the Delhi High Court, the animals continued in lock up. The court endorsed the Quarantine Office’s decision.
BL Wali, the lawyer representing the Celebi Delhi Cargo Management, which runs the cargo terminal, says, “These poor animals are alien to Indian environs. We have provided a cooler and a shade. But are unable to provide proper medical facility and expert care”.
“We have urged the court to direct the authorities to deport them. Despite orders to this effect three months back, nothing has been done,” he said.
Wali said the horses, imported without proper health documents, were also a risk to the other livestock. The court had ruled that strict compliance with quarantine rules was non-negotiable as horses imported from Austria were prone to communicable diseases.
06/12/10 Harish V Nair/Hindustan Times

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JetAir will link more European destinations

New Delhi: Riding a turnaround in Indian aviation, Jet Airways — the country’s largest airline by market share — plans to expand to other European destinations, after launching its daily Delhi-Milan direct flight on Sunday.
“Our mature international routes are doing very well and have an average load factor of 82%. We do have plans to expand to all primary gateways in European gateways,” Jet Airways chief commercial officer Sudheer Raghavan said. The Naresh Goyal-controlled airline already operates flights to London and Brussels.
Asked why Milan was chosen over Rome, Raghavan said apart from being a major business centre with a large Indian diaspora, the route utilisation worked out better for Milan. “Rome is definitely an option and we will fly there too. It is just a question of time,” he said.
The company sees the Delhi-Milan route becoming profitable much before the 18 to 24 months it takes a new international flights to become profitable. The Mumbai-based airline operates to 24 international and 47 domestic destinations and has a fleet size of 80 aircraft.
Jet Airways CEO Nikos Kardassis said the airline would soon work out a code-share agreement with Italy for Milan as well as other routes.
06/12/10 Anindya Upadhyay/Economic Times

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Air India to seek $840 m from Boeing for 787 delay

Mumbai: National carrier Air India will send a $840-million compensation claim to US aircraft maker Boeing for the inordinate delay in delivery of Boeing 787 Dreamliners. The compensation package would be a mix of both discount in services and cash.
“The package is being finalised... the compensation is a mix of different services discount and money,” Air India chief operating officer, Captain Gustav Baldauf, said. Earlier, Air India chairman and managing director Arvind Jadhav confirmed that the airline had sought $840 million from Boeing for the delay. Air India had ordered 27 Dreamliners, but Boeing failed to supply the planes as per schedule. Air India had placed orders for 111 aircraft at an investment of over $13 billion with Airbus and Boeing in 2006 to replace its ageing fleet and leased planes.
The supply of Dreamliners was a part of these orders. As per the original delivery schedule, Boeing was to start deliveries of these planes from September 2008.
06/12/10 PTI/Economic Times

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KLM Airlines fined for hassling passenger

New Delhi: The apex consumer forum has ordered a Dutch airliner to pay Rs 50,000 to a senior Indian citizen for putting him to "a series of hassles" during his flight to Seattle from Delhi in 2006.
While flying with KLM Airlines, D K Kapur had to stay in a Delhi hotel during delayed hours of flight. Then his baggage was misplaced at Detroit and later he was put in a low-cost airliner for onward journey from there.
The National Consumer Dispute Redressal Grievance Commission (NCDRC) ordered payment of compensation to Kapur, finding the airlines guilty of rendering deficient service and putting him to physical and mental strain.
The NCDRC gave the ruling upholding two concurrent rulings by two lower fora holding the Dutch airlines guilty of rendering deficient service.
05/12/10 Indian Express

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Date rape drug kingpin arrested in Bangalore

Bangalore: Custom officials nabbed a 55-year-old man from Chennai who is said to be the kingpin for smuggling Ketamine on Saturday.
Ketamine is popularly known as the date rape drug in the international market.
Aleem used to identify men from extremely poor backgrounds and used them as carriers for exporting the drug. He offered them free foreign trips to UK, Kuala Lumpur with a promise of Rs. 10,000 on every trip.
06/12/10 NDTV.com

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Lankan caught smuggling gold into India

A Sri Lankan passenger had been caught trying to smuggle 900 grams of gold into India yesterday (5) at the Tiruchchi Airport in Chennai, say diplomatic sources.
When the passenger was checked at the airport, Indian Officials had detected the gold hidden in his waist belt. The value of the gold carried was said to be around two million Indian rupees. It was thought that although the receiver of the gold might have been at the airport as well, news of the detection would have scared him off.
09/12/10 Thilini de Silva/Daily Mirror, Sri Lanka

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Air India memorial site unveiled in Montreal

Government officials helped break ground Sunday in Montreal on the final of four memorials dedicated to the victims of the Air India bombing.
Jason Kenney, minister of citizenship, immigration and multiculturalism, joined families of the victims at the site of the memorial, which will be located on Monk Island at the Lachine Canal National Historic Site.
"The Memorial … will serve as a place for quiet contemplation to remember the victims of the worst terrorist attack in Canadian history," Kenney said in a release. "It will be a reminder to Canadians that we are not immune from the threat of terrorism."
Kenney also said the Harper government will present a plan this week that "will lay out a roadmap to help ensure that such a terrible and senseless act does not happen again."
The plan will be based on an inquiry report by former Supreme Court of Canada justice John Major that catalogued a litany of federal failures before and after the attack. The June report warned that holes persist in the system that protects Canada's national security.
Major's key recommendation called for beefed-up powers to allow the country's national security adviser to set security policies and priorities and oversee communication between agencies.
Prime Minister Stephen Harper has apologized on behalf of the government but hasn't acted on other recommendations made in the report, including a one-time payment to families of victims. On Sunday, Kenney said compensation was forthcoming, but gave few details regarding the amount. He suggested it would be far less than the millions received by the families of victims in other high-profile terrorism cases.
06/12/10 CBC NEWS, Canada

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Airline refuses to fly Indian tourist home after stroke

An Indian tourist has been stranded in Adelaide since having a stroke in August, with an airline refusing to fly him home.
Sarwaruddin Syed, 77, arrived on a return ticket with Malaysia Airlines to visit his son and grandchildren.
He has been desperate to return to his home in Hyderabad, where he can access free medical treatment as a military service veteran.
His son, Nassir, 44, a chef with three children, has been paying his father's medical bills not covered by insurance, including several thousand dollars for two weeks in rehabilitation.
"Doctors have said he was medically OK to fly in September and he wanted to go home, but Malaysia Airlines wouldn't take him.
Malaysia Airlines says it does not have to honour Mr Syed's return flight ticket because he cannot walk unaided to his seat in the plane. Any refund can be accessed only when he returns to India.
Malaysia Airlines area manager SA Steve Abbott said according to medical advice, Mr Syed would need to be transported to his seat from his wheelchair via a hoist.
Although this was possible on the Adelaide-Kuala Lumpur leg of his flight, it was not possible on the Kuala Lumpur-Hyderabad leg, because the aircraft on that route did not have the hoist facility.
Mr Syed has booked a flight home with Singapore Airlines but cannot get a seat until January.
05/12/10 Sarah Mennie/News.com.au

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Airline fined for poor service to ex-armyman

New Delhi: In a ruling that will bring joy to many international airlines passengers in India, the National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission (NCDRC) has directed KLM Northwest Airlines’ to pay Rs50,000 to a former Indian army officer for poor service.
In 2006, Colonel DK Kapur had planned to board a from New Delhi to America through KLM but his journey was jinxed from the beginning. Aggrieved by the service, he filed a complaint in a district consumer forum. At first, Kapur and other passengers were put up at a hotel where they were treated shabbily.
For the journey, Kapur was given a low grade seat, but this proved to be the least of his problems. After landing at Detroit, one of his bags went missing and he had to spend hours looking for it. This resulted in him missing his connecting flight.
04/12/10 Pankaj Sharma/Daily News & Analysis

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Did Boeing set the terms for Air India Express' dry lease tender?

New Delhi: Air India Express, the low-cost arm of the national carrier Air India, has tendered for the dry lease of four Boeing 737-800 aircraft.
Nothing unusual except that the author of the online tender document is shown to be one Michael R. Sessions of Boeing Company.
Generally, when Air India issues a tender, it is the user department concerned that provides details for the tender to be uploaded on the airline's Web site.
But is this a case of a vendor helping the airline put up a tender for which it or one of its affiliates could be in the race?
Sources in Air India indicated that some help might have been sought from Boeing for the tender as the aircraft being leased are brand new. “The specifications for new aircraft keep changing. So, the airline might have sought help,” sources indicated, pointing out that the word documents sent to assist the Maharaja might have been inadvertently put up on the Web site.
When contacted about this issue, a Boeing spokesman said, “This is something that needs to be checked from Air India.”
Meanwhile, doubts are also being raised on whether the leasing proposal has been cleared by the Air India board. Sources indicated that at the last board meeting, there was opposition to leasing more aircraft.
However, the board, while not rejecting the proposal to lease more aircraft, called for a detailed report on how these planes would be utilized.
04/12/10 Ashwini Phadnis/Business Line

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MASkargo Urged To Take Advantage Of Opportunities In Indian Drugs Sector

Hyderabad: GMR Hyderabad International Airport Ltd (GHIAL) officials hope that Malaysia Airlines Cargo Sdn Bhd (MASkargo), the cargo division of Malaysia Airline System Bhd, would take advantage of the opportunities available in the lucrative Indian market, particularly in the pharmaceutical sector.
Yesterday, German cargo carrier Lufthansa-Cargo (LHC) and GHIAL signed a memorandum of understanding to jointly develop the airport into a major Asian cargo hub for the shipment of temperature-sensitive pharmaceutical products.
GHIAL is a joint-venture company in which the Malaysian Airport Holdings Bhd has a 11 per cent stake, GMR Group (63 per cent), the Indian government (13 per cent) and the Andhra Pradesh government (13 per cent).
04/12/10 Manik Mehta/Bernama

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Heavy snowfall in Europe hits charter flights to Goa

Panaji: Heavy snowfall across Europe and in the United Kingdom (UK) has affected charter flight operations to the state.
While Russian charter flights have been unaffected, according to tour operators charter flights from the UK are being rescheduled with a 24-hour delay.
Dominic Kostka, airline representative of Thomson Airways, told TOI that a Thomson flight arrived empty at Dabolim on Friday morning. "It was supposed to arrive on Thursday morning, but the Gatwick airport was closed due to heavy snowfall. However, we cannot inconvenience our customers - the tourists here in Goa - who have to return home. So, an empty flight was sent in from Manchester airport," Kostka said.
"The situation is clearing up and schedules should be normal at Gatwick by Sunday. However, there will be a backlog," he added.
Martin Joseph of Freedom Holidays said two UK charter flights were supposed to arrive on Friday, but, will now arrive on Saturday. "A Monarch flight was supposed to land at 5am on Friday. It is now rescheduled for a 5am arrival on Saturday," he said, adding, "also, a Thomas Cook flight was to arrive at 10 pm on Friday. It has been rescheduled for a 4 am arrival on Saturday." Bush Miranda, airline representative of Condor, said that its weekly flight from Frankfurt saw a minor delay on Tuesday.
04/12/10 Times of India

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Snowfall in Europe hits flights from IGI

New Delhi: With large parts of Europe experiencing heavy snowfall, air traffic took a major hit with runways across the continent covered under a thick blanket of snow. In Delhi itself, at least one flight was cancelled while about five to six were delayed.
According to airline sources , they had the advantage of long haul flights — six to eight hour long — and hence had been able to make alternate arrangements for passengers. '' We rebooked many passengers and for those who were headed for the US and had stopovers in Europe, we booked them on direct flights. For those who were likely to miss connections, arrangements were made at the local airports ,'' said an official.
Finnair cancelled one of its flights but that was due to a cabin crew strike. '' Lufthansa and British Airways were among those airlines that had to delay flights. The delays ranged from one hour to four hours. The change in weather was rather sudden this year as such heavy snow normally falls around mid-December or January. Airports were not prepared but still managed to organise things in time. Several flights, including Air India's , took off on time from Delhi since the weather here is clear but it is anyone's guess whether they would be able to land or not,'' remarked another official.
Sources did say that the delays revealed IGI's unpreparedness to deal with several delays .
03/12/10 Neha Lalchandani/Times of India

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Indian accused of molesting teen in Dubai-bound flight

Dubai A 36-year-old Indian national has been accused of molesting a teenage Moroccan girl on board a Dubai-bound Emirates flight, charges he has denied.
Prosecutors accused the man of consuming liquor and sexually molesting the 15-year-old Moroccan girl on board the flight, a newspaper report here said.
It was not clear when the incident happened.
The man, who works as a blacksmith and identified only as V D, pleaded not guilty to the molestation charge as he appeared before the Dubai Court of First Instance. He, however, admitted to consuming liquor.
"I consumed liquor but I did not molest the girl. I am innocent on that count," the man said before the court.
According to the charge sheet, prosecutors said that the Moroccan girl was asleep when V D sat beside her and molested her. The 15-year-old schoolgirl, B B, testified that the alleged incident happened while she was seated alone on the window seat, Gulf News reported.
01/12/10 ExpressIndia

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Foreign carriers scaling up India ops as growth takes off

Mumbai: It’s not just the domestic air carriers that are riding the aviation boom. In the past few months a number of foreign carriers have either resumed or increased services to the Indian destinations. They are looking at adding new destinations and providing value added services to lure travellers in the one of the world’s largest markets.
“The growth of the Indian economy has resulted in the growth of the masses. India has a 300 million strong middle class who can afford outbound travel,” said Olan Bundhuratana, general manager- India, Thai Airways International.
Thai Airways is not the only one looking at the India story. Lufthansa, Air Asia and Air Arabia are some of the players which have either introduced new flights, increased frequencies or lined up value-adds.
Within India, Mumbai and Delhi seem to be the first priority to increase frequencies. Recently, Thai Airlines announced three flights between Mumbai and Bangkok, taking the total number of weekly flights to ten. It plans go double daily on this route by April with 14 weekly flights. Austrian Airlines, which had suspended Mumbai flights around a year-and-a-half back, has also resumed five flights on the Mumbai-Vienna route.
Some of these airlines are also looking at other Indian cities. Lufthansa is also keen on increasing its exposure here and along with Mumbai is looking to increase frequencies in Pune. Air Arabia is also seeking to ramp up operations.
01/12/10 Amritha Pillay/Daily News & Analysis

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