Agents feted by airline

Travel agents have been awarded at a function organised in their honour by Indian airline. Indian has been merged with Air-India to become National Aviation Company of India.
From Doha, Indian currently flies daily to Kozhikode and Kochi, while Air-India operates 14 weekly flights to Mumbai, Mangalore, Kochi, Kozhikode and Thiruvananthapuram.
Abhay Pathak, regional manager, thanked the agents for their support which had enabled the carrier to operate profitably from Doha. He, along with country manager Shailesh Kumar Sharma, gave awards for 'outstanding support' to six major travel agencies.
The agencies are: Tourist Travel Bureau, Trans Orient Air Services, Mannai Air Travel, Al Qayed Travel, Deluxe Travel and Qatar Oasis Travel. Also honoured wasgeneral sales agent Trans Orient Travel and Tourism Centre.
The airline's airport manager Ravi Shanker proposed a vote of thanks. Also present were administration manager Lesley George, and Air-India's Qatar manager Mehjabeen Mukhtiar. The airline gave away four return tickets as raffle prizes including one to a South East Asian destination.
02/03/08 Gulf Times, Qatar

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US aircraft maker seeks tax sops on import of jets

New Delhi: Major aircraft manufacturer in US Hawker Beechcraft on Thursday sought changes in India's import licence rules and demanded tax incentives on import of small and medium jets.
The company also said that India's import licence norms and "tax burden" act as deterrents to business.
Hawker Beechcraft, which opened a service centre here on Thursday, however, is planning to expand operations in India.
Noting that high tax burden impedes the growth of a sector, Hawker Beechcraft Corp (HBC) CEO Jim Schuster said higher levy affects the competitive environment needed to carry out business.
HBC's partner InterGlobe General Aviation CEO Nigel Harwood too stressed the need for a change in rules related to import licence.
HBC today inaugurated its first authorised service centre in collaboration with InterGlobe General Aviation -- a subsidiary of InterGlobe Enterprise -- here, that will cater to the needs of its aircrafts in India and in South Asia.
28/02/08 PTI/The Hindu

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Air Canada expands service to India

With the launch today of year-round daily codeshare service to Mumbai and Chennai in cooperation with Indian carrier Jet Airways, Air Canada has expanded its network to India from three to four destinations, and significantly increased access to India from across Canada. With the addition of Chennai, Air Canada now serves four destinations in India on a codeshare basis: Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore and Chennai. Air Canada codeshare services offer customers convenient connection options, one-stop check-in and seamless baggage transfer to final destination, on a single ticket.
"We are pleased to offer our customers more choice and convenience when travelling to India, in cooperation with our partner, Jet Airways," said Daniel Shurz, Vice President, Network Planning. Air Canada customers travelling to India now benefit from the choice of the carrier's extensive schedule of non-stop flights to London Heathrow from seven cities across Canada (Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton, Toronto, Ottawa, Montreal and Halifax) which connect in London to Jet Airways operated flights to Mumbai. In addition, flights from Toronto to Chennai via Brussels, operated by Jet Airways, are available from Air Canada on a codeshare basis. Aeroplan members benefit from mileage accumulation on these Air Canada codeshare flights.
28/02/08 Air Canada/Aviation.ca, Canada

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Pilots with foreign radio licences risk being grounded

New Delhi: Pilots with Indian airline companies, who possess foreign licences for using wireless communication sets in cockpits, are in for a hard time. Read On >>

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SpiceJet mulls flight to Gulf, China; to deploy 10 aircrafts

New Delhi: Low-cost carrier SpiceJet is gearing up to fly overseas with possible flights to the Middle East, China and the SAARC region within the next three years.
"If the government relaxes the present rules then we would fly even earlier, otherwise we plan to fly overseas by June 2010," SpiceJet Executive Chairman Siddhanta Sharma told PTI.
As per the existing rules, a start-up airline has to complete five years of domestic operations to be able to fly abroad.
The airline is primarily looking to fly to those destinations which attract a lot of migrant population from India, such as the Middle East and the SAARC countries besides China, he added.
SpiceJet also plans to deploy a fleet of 10 aircrafts initially for global flights.
"We will initially deploy 10 aircrafts that will take care of our needs till 2013. After that we may expand depending on the projections we make," he said. It has already placed orders for the 10 airplanes.
27/02/08 PTI/Economic Times

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Kingfisher to give up licences for overseas flights under brand

New Delhi: Vijay Mallya’s Kingfisher airline has to give up its licences after its merger with Air Deccan is completed in order to use the budget carrier’s entitlement to launch overseas flights under the Kingfisher brand. The merged entity would require IATA membership, besides clearing a host of other formalities.
A recent meeting at the civil aviation ministry revealed that several new obstacles have come up in the way of Kingfisher Airlines’ plan to fly on foreign routes using Air Deccan’s entitlement. It is not as simple as it looked initially, government sources said. The civil aviation ministry has said the merger of Kingfisher with Air Deccan should be completed before the merged entity gets in-principle approval for flying overseas. After the merger, the licence of Kingfisher would be cancelled and the merged entity would operate on the licence of Air Deccan. The merged entity will use the Kingfisher brand but run on Air Deccan’s entitlements.
In view of the new complications that have come up, the launch of overseas flights by the UB Group airline is likely to be delayed.
28/02/08 Nirbhay Kumar/Economic Times

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Deal with Changi on Durgapur airport

Calcutta: Singapore’s Changi Airports International today signed an agreement with the developers of an airport in Andal near Durgapur.
Under the “technical services agreement”, Changi will play a key role in preparing the master plan for the airport and provide technical knowhow for its management and operations.
“We will also supervise airport capacity, land-use plan, passenger terminal layout and other infrastructure facilities,” Eugene Gan, the senior vice-president (worldwide operations) of the Singapore company, said after the pact was signed in the presence of civil aviation minister Praful Patel.
“Training will be imparted to the airport’s senior managers on terminal management,” Gan added.
Durgapur Aerotropolis (airport city), the first of its kind in India, will also have an industrial park and a township with all amenities like schools, colleges, shopping zones and healthcare facilities.
It will be spread over 2,300 acres, of which the airport will cover 650.
27/02/08 The Telegraph

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Emirates expands India network to 10 cities

Mumbai: Emirates, the Dubai-based international airline, today announced its six-weekly, non-stop services to Kozhikode (Calicut) starting 1 July, 2008.
Kozhikode will become the third city in Kerala with non-stop Emirates flights from Dubai after the airline introduced services to Kochi in 2002 and Thiruvananthapuram in 2006. Kozhikode will also become Emirates' 10th destination in India.
Emirates will initially operate its Boeing 777-200 and Airbus A330-200 aircraft on the Dubai-Kozhikode route offering over 4,000 business and economy class seats and close to 200 tonne cargo capacity per week in both directions.
27/02/08 Business Standard

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International students: FAA, Homeland Security crack down on US

Thousands of foreign student pilots have been able to enroll and obtain pilot licenses from U.S. flight schools, despite tough laws passed in the wake of the 9/ll attacks, according to internal government documents obtained by ABC News. Read On >>

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MTR Wins HK$128 Million Order for Delhi Airport Metro Project

MTR Corp., Hong Kong's government- controlled subway operator, won a HK$128 million ($16.4 million) engineering and project management contract linked to the Delhi Airport Metro Express Line.
The contract was awarded by India's Reliance Energy Ltd., MTR said in a statement on its Web site yesterday. The subway operator will define all electrical and mechanical systems for the project, it said.
MTR is expanding outside Hong Kong to widen its sources of income. A venture with Henderson Group Plc's John Laing rail unit in June won a deal to run five railway lines in London. The company is also investing in subway lines in Shenzhen and Beijing, and pursuing projects in other Chinese cities.
The 22.65 kilometer (14.1 miles) Delhi Airport line is scheduled to be opened in July 2010, MTR said.
27/02/08 Clare Cheung/Bloomberg

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Passenger collapses at airport, dies

Mumbai: A 61-year-old air passenger who was traveling to London collapsed at the international airport and died on Tuesday morning, making this the second such case in three days.
Police sources said that the passenger, Shivaigar Gosai, who lived at Milton Keynes in England, was visiting his brother living in Porbundar, Gujarat. However, he developed severe diarrhoea a few days after arriving on February 16.
The police said that his daughter and her friend came down from England to take Gosai home. They had reached Mumbai en route to London when Gosai collapsed while boarding flight AI 125. An airport doctor rushed to the spot and took Gosai to Holy Spirit Hospital, Andheri (E), in an ambulance. However, he was declared dead before admission. The body was then taken to Cooper Hospital, Juhu.
On Sunday, 70-year-old Jose Pinto from London collapsed at the transit lounge in Mumbai and was declared dead on the spot.
27/02/08 Rajiv Sharma/Times of India

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Air Arabia takes off to Kozhikode

Sharjah: Air Arabia's inaugural flight to Kozhikode on Tuesday turned out to be an occasion for big celebrations for passengers at the Calicut International Airport in Karippur.
The first direct service by a foreign airline, the flight received a colourful welcome at the airport premises.
Upon its landing, the aircraft was given a water salute by fire tenders of the Kerala State Fire Department, in what turned out to be a first at the airport that underwent a massive expansion recently. Slogan shouting by passengers who chose not to hide their excitement of getting an overseas carrier added to the festive ambiance.
On board the flight, CEO of Air Arabia Adel Ali promised to offer prompt and punctual service to Kozhikode that experienced several delays and cancellations by other carriers.
The airline currently serves 10 destinations in India, three within the state of Kerala alone.
Scheduled on Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays, the flight will depart Sharjah at 8:30am and arrive at Kozhikode at 1:40pm. It will then turn around from Kozhikode at 2:25pm and arrive in Sharjah at 5pm. The expanded schedule will be announced later.
27/02/08 GULF TODAY/Daijiworld.com

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Srinagar Airport likely to open for international air traffic by June 2008

Srinagar Airport will open for the first time to Iinternational traffic this summer with the Airports Authority of India (AAI) taking steps to modernize the airport.
The terminal building of the airport is being expanded from the existing 6190 square meters to 16100 square meters and would have modern amenities like aero-bridges, central heating system, lifts, conveyor belts and escalators.
Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad has said the international airport terminal would be ready by June 2008.
Rakesh Kalra, Director of the Srinagar Airport, said the opening of the Srinagar Airport to international traffic would ensure better connectivity with Gulf countries, which in turn would boost tourism in the state.
Last year 430,000 tourists, including 23,000 foreigners visited Kashmir.
Kalra observed that the state's economy would also benefit with the direct export of its horticulture produce to global markets.
26/02/08 ANI/The Cheers, Estonia

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Gati, AI to start overseas cargo flights

New Delhi: Express distribution and supply chain company Gati is looking to commence overseas air cargo operations in partnership with Air India soon. Gati and AI had signed a pact late last year for commencing domestic cargo operations and already three Boeing 727-200 aircraft are being operated as freighters under this arrangement.
For the second phase of expansion, AI is readying Airbus 310 aircraft which would initially carry cargo between Hong Kong, China, India and Europe.
Gati is expected to sign a fresh agreement with Air India for overseas cargo business soon, MD and CEO Mahendra Agarwal told DNA Money.
The AI cargo business will have a national hub at Nagpur and a fleet size of 10 aircraft by the end of 2008-09; it could well become Rs 1,000 crore business by the end of the next fiscal.
Meanwhile, in a bid to strengthen its global parcel service reach, Gati on Monday entered into a strategic alliance with Amsterdam-based General Logistics Systems (GLS). As per the agreement, Gati would act as GLS’ international strategic partner in India and provide access to the remotest locations here since it covers 594 of 604 districts in the country.
26/02/08 Daily News & Analysis

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Domestic airlines poach expats

New Delhi: With carriers such as Jet Airways and Kingfisher Airlines all set to battle it out on international routes, leading expatriates with years of experience in global airlines are now being wooed for top management posts.
Jet Airways, the private airline with clearance for flying abroad, has roped in 14 expatriates from major foreign carriers.
The company was able to woo five senior management executives from Singapore Airlines - one of their key competitors, especially in the south-east Asian market.
Besides, three executives have left Gulf Air, a region that has recently been opened up for Indian private carriers, for the company. Jet started operations to West Asia in January this year.
Kingfisher boasts of five expatriates on its advisory board, out of which two are from Cathay Pacific and one from KLM Royal Dutch Airline.
Indian carriers usually have to offer executives a hike of 30-40 per cent on the previously drawn salary.
A lack of trained personnel in engineering and operations has also forced airlines to appoint expats as operational heads, albeit at a premium.
Carriers such as SpiceJet, Simplifly Deccan and IndiGO have expats heading their engineering and technical departments.
26/02/08 Anirban Chowdhury/Business Standard

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Public, private airlines of Bangladesh lock horns over deal with India

A deep rift has emerged between the country's public and private airlines over the new Indo-Bangla air services deal that allows more flights between the countries, but which Bangladeshi flag carrier Biman fears will undermine its long haul routes.
Hailing the agreement, which was signed in Delhi on February 13, private airlines said the deal offers new business opportunities for Bangladesh's aviation industry.
The pact allows Bangladeshi airlines to operate flights to 18 destinations in India and Indian airline Air India to operate flights from Sylhet for the first time.
Under the deal, the number of weekly flights between Bangladesh and India will be raised to 61 from 30. India also waived a royalty provision. Earlier, Bangladesh Biman had to pay $100 to Air India for carrying a passenger to any third country destination via India.
Biman Bangladesh officials however said the agreement will benefit India, not Bangladesh.
Terming the agreement as unwanted, the officials said India will get more advantages from the agreement as more passengers will be carried through India to Europe and the US.
26/02/08 Rashidul Hasan/The Daily Star, Bangladesh

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Turban searches delay flight in Brisbane

Brisbane Airport has defended the action of security officers when they demanded 13 Sikh community members remove their turbans and a woman take off her face veil.
The search on Saturday caused a bottleneck at a security checkpoint and delayed at least one international flight, reports said today.
Brisbane Airport spokesman Jim Carden said it was not unusual for security officers to direct people to remove headgear.
"Those regulations have been in place about 12 years," Mr Carden said.
They applied at all Australian airports to any headgear, including baseball caps, rastafarian scarves, Jewish yarmulke, Emirates' cabin crew headgear and pilots' caps, he said.
If a passenger walking through security set off the alarm, a hand-held wand was passed over them to check for prohibited objects.
"But if the screening authority is still not satisfied that the screening has still not been completed, that passenger may be asked to remove that headgear - that has always been the case," he said.
26/02/08 AAP/The Age, Australia

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Blue Dart to fly cargo overseas

Blue Dart Aviation, a subsidiary of express cargo firm Blue Dart Express, is exploring options to start scheduled overseas operations.
The move would enable the air cargo company to improve utilisation of its aircraft, which currently fly for only eight hours at night. The company not indicated any timeframe for the start of these operations.
Anil Khanna, MD, Blue Dart Express told DNA Money, "We are working closely with DHL global aviation group to see whether our aircraft can be leveraged for international operations. As part of our business expansion, we keep evaluating all options and if we find that it makes commercial sense and can be operationally put together, we will explore it." DHL, the European logistics giant, has a controlling stake in the company and operations of the two are synchronised.
Blue Dart has a fleet size of seven, made up of four Boeing 737 and 3 Boeing 757 aircraft. Express cargo operations being an overnight service, the aircraft are stationed idle during the day. Usage of these through the day for an international service would help the company make more efficient use of its assets.
26/02/08 Nirmal John & Archana Shukla/DNA MONEY/Sify

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Legal stamp must for Kingfisher overseas plans to take wing

New Delhi: The UB Group-owned Kingfisher Airlines Ltd has run into another roadblock in its ambitious plan to fly to international destinations with a necessary relaxation in government policy still pending approval even as the airline targets an August launch of its first non-stop flight between Bangalore and San Francisco.
In September, Deccan Aviation Ltd, in which UB has a controlling stake, had sought an “in-principle” approval from the government for permission to fly to as many as two dozen cities worldwide, anticipating a relaxation of eligibility criteria by December to fly overseas. Indian rules mandate at least five years of domestic flying experience before being able to start international operations.
Given that uncertainty, the next best option for the carrier was to fly on the rights of Deccan, which completes five years of operations in August. The UB Group will by April have a 69% stake in the merged Kingfisher-Deccan entity.
But the civil aviation ministry has said it still cannot grant the “in-principle approval” before the legal merger of the two entities is completed and the documents are submitted with regards to the ownership structure, according to a senior government official, who declined to be identified.
26/02/08 Tarun Shukla/Livemint

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Pune airport reopens on 27; eyes three more destinations

Pune: After the 15-day closure, Pune airport will be reopened on Wednesday with no change in facilities or schedule of the airlines. The only good news for passengers is, when the regime of restricted watch hours ends in May, destinations like Aurangabad, Coimbatore and Kolkata will be connected to Pune. The international destinations like Singapore and Bangkok are also in fray, as the international players Lufthansa and Emirates have enquired about the slot.
Air routes to and from Pune have remained disconnected owing to the critical work of runway recarpeting. The airport will be opened on February 27. “Even if the airport will be opened, there will be restricted watch hours as the work will continue. The work will end in May and probably from June 1, Pune will have the airport open for 24 hours,” said Deepak Shastri, director of Pune Airport.
Meanwhile, the critical work of recarpeting of runway will end on Tuesday. In the initial stages, the corners of the runway were repaired and that is why some part was available for the take- offs and landings. But now the work of the main part of the runway is going on.
26/02/08 Pune Newsline

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International flights set to go up from Pune

Pune: The number of international flights from Pune is set to go up significantly as a precursor to the Commonwealth Youth Games (CYG) scheduled for October 2008. Destinations include Frankfurt, Dubai, Muscat, Sharjah and Singapore.
As of now, only one international flight is in operation on the Pune-Dubai-Pune route by the Air India (formerly Indian). The enhanced international flights from Pune is expected to be reflected in the post-June operational schedule for the airliners, Deepak Shastri, director of the Airports Authority of India (AAI), Pune, told TOI on Monday. By then, said Shastri, the ongoing runway recarpeting and repair works at Pune's Lohegaon airport will be completed in all respects and the airport will have 8,300 ft runway availability — instead of the present 6,500 ft, which limits the operation of bigger aircraft. Also, flights will operate round-the-clock.
26/02/08 Vishwas Kothari/Times of India

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Emirates service to Kozhikode

New Delhi: Dubai-based Emirates Airline on Monday said it would launch non-stop services six times a week to Kozhikode from July 1, 2008. Kozhikode will become the third city in Kerala to be served with non-stop Emirates flights from Dubai. The airline introduced services to Kochi in 2002 and to Thiruvananthapuram in 2006.
On the Dubai-Kozhikode route, Emirates will initially operate Boeing 777-200 and Airbus A330-200 aircraft, offering over 4,000 ‘business’ and ‘economy’ class seats and close to 200 tonnes of cargo capacity a week in both directions.
The direct flight will operate on all days of the week, except Sundays. Emirates now operates 99 weekly flights from Dubai to Ahmedabad, Mumbai, Bangalore, Chennai, Kochi, Delhi, Hyderabad, Kolkata, and Thiruvananthapuram. Kozhikode will become Emirates’ 10th destination in India.
26/02/08 Sandeep Joshi/The Hindu

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Air Arabia to introduce service to Kozhikode

Air Arabia announced last week that it will launch services to the South Indian city of Kozhikode (formerly known as “Calicut”) beginning February 26, (subject to final approval from Directorate General Civil Aviation (DGCA) India). Roundtrip flights will initially operate three times per week between Kozhikode, the third largest city in Kerala, and Air Arabia’s hub in Sharjah. End of May, service will be expanded to six times per week. Air Arabia is the first Airline in the Middle East to commence operations to Kozhikode.
Air Arabia’s tenth destination in India, Kozhikode is also the carrier’s third destination in the state of Kerala. Currently, the carrier provides daily roundtrip service to Keralan cities Thiruvananthapuram and Kochi. In total, Air Arabia now serves 38 destinations across the Middle East, North Africa, Indian Subcontinent and Central Asia.
26/02/08 eTravelBlackboard - Asia Edition, Australia

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Era Infra, KMB JV Pockets Contract From Air Ports Authority Of India

Era Infra Engineering’s construction & contract arm, in joint venture with KMB, Ukraine has pocketed a contract worth Rs 779 million from Air Ports Authority of India.
The companies have been awarded the work of expansion and modification to terminal building for international operation at C E Pune.
The maximum time duration for the contract is 7.5 months.
Era Infra Engineering is a fully integrated infrastructure development company taking part in India’s core infrastructure and construction segments. The company is engaged in the development and construction of highways, airports, power plants, industrial projects, institutions, railways, and residential and commercial complexes.
26/02/08 Ketan Sharma/Stock Watch

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Air India witness makes appearance on murder charge

Surrey, BC: Smiling and waving at associates, accused killer Raminder Singh (Mindy) Bhandher made his first appearance in Surrey provincial court Monday on a charge that he shot a young man last month.
Bhandher had spent the weekend in jail after being arrested in Vancouver on Friday while driving with his close associate Amardeep Singh (Lali) Narwal.
Narwal was in court Monday, along with gangster Nachatar Singh (Nash) Bagri and members of Bhandher's family and his wife, Feroozan Noori.
The 30-year-old Bhandher, who was a key defence witness at the Air India trial for Ripudaman Singh Malik, is accused of killing Tejvir Singh (Sunny) Bains in a brazen evening shooting.
Bhandher, whose father Balwant remains a suspect in the 1985 Air India bombing, was called by Malik to refute the testimony of the Crown's star witness at the Air India trial. She had claimed to overhear Malik and Bhandher discussing incriminating information about the bombing in April 1997.
Bhandher and some of his associates were on hand to support Malik when the Air India verdict came down on March 16, 2005, acquitting the Vancouver businessman.
26/02/08 Kim Bolan/Canwest News Service/Vancouver Sun/Canada.com, Canada

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HAL in talks to make Honeywell engines

Bangalore: In what could be the biggest aircraft engine-sourcing contract from India, Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL) is in talks with aero-engine maker Honeywell International Inc. to manufacture more than 1,000 small plane engines locally for the global market.
HAL, the state-run defence aircraft maker, expects a contract to be signed in March for the engines of Honeywell that power small turbo-prop planes such as Jetstream of BAE Systems Plc. and Island Hopper of Integrity Aircraft Holdings Ltd Corp., both of which can carry around 20 passengers.
So far, the Indian aerospace firm has been exporting sub- systems, forgings and components for engines through its equal joint venture in Bangalore with Snecma of France— Snecma-HAL Aerospace Pvt. Ltd—set up in 2005.
24/02/08 K. Raghu/Livemint

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BJETS wants 100% in arm, to pump in $900 mn

New Delhi: BJETS Pte, a Singapore-based company owned by Balaji Ramamoorthy, a person of Indian origin (PIO), has sought permission to pump in nearly $900 million (Rs 3,600 crore) to bring 100 business jets to India for charter and fractional ownership business. The company has sought permission to buy Business Jets India, a company set up by the Ramamoorthy family, for its Indian foray, sources said.
Interestingly, the Singapore-based company has sought clearance for 100% stake in Business Jets India despite reports about Tatas picking up a stake in the venture. According to revised foreign direct investment (FDI) policy guidelines, 74% FDI is allowed in chartered airlines while NRIs are allowed 100%. BJETS has urged the government to waive the equity ceiling and allow 100% foreign investment. Industry sources say the Tata Group is likely to pick up more than 35% stake in the Indian venture of BJETS.
According to the business plan submitted to the Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB), BJETS plans to register 100 business jets in India by 2015 and fund the entire operations through infusion of $900 million out of which $200 million would be equity and $700 million would be debt.
25/02/08 G Ganapathy Subramaniam/Economic Times

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Kingfisher have to keep Deccan look to fly abroad

New Delhi: Kingfisher may have to keep a Deccan look on its aircraft to be able to fly abroad later this year.
Recently, it has filed an application for doing so on licence of Air Deccan (now Simplifly Deccan) as the latter would be eligible to do so on completion of five years this August, as per the existing rule.
But "operational issues" mean that flying on Deccan’s licence means having the brand’s livery on the aircraft.
These issues were pointed out to UB group chief Vijay Mallya when he recently went to the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) office.
This catch would make it necessary to keep Deccan’s identity intact,DGCA sources added, something that the "Captain Gopinath was aware of while striking the deal with Mallya". Kingfisher’s plan is to use its long-range aircraft for flights to Europe and US while brand Deccan will be deployed on nearby areas like southeast Asia and the Gulf.
25/02/08 Saurabh Sinha/Times of India

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Oman Air to set up international pilot training complex

Muscat: Oman Air will set up a pilot training school and simulator in Muscat this year, according to Oman Air CEO Ziad Bin Karim Al Haremi. Read On >>

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Refusal to accept baggage may cost airlines dear

New Delhi: Refusal of airlines to accept oversized baggage and belongings of passengers could be treated as deficiency in service for which compensation could be claimed. It is not necessary to show bodily injury to claim for mental agony and harassment in such cases, the Supreme Court indicated on Friday while dismissing an appeal filed by Air France.
The airline had challenged an order of the National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission which had held that refusal to accept an oversized baggage from a passenger amounts to deficiency in service.
A bench comprising justices BN Agrawal and GS Singhvi refused to entertain the plea of Air France that there is no provision for compensation for mental agony, harassment, inconvenience, etc, in the absence of physical injury under the Carriage by Air Act of 1972.
Non-bodily injuries are excluded by the Warsaw and Hague Conventions that have the force of law in India under the Carriage by Air Act. The complainant was, therefore, not entitled to any amount of compensation for mental agony, harassment and inconvenience, said Air France.
Complainant Sonali Arora — along with her two minor daughters — had travelled on Air France flight from London to Paris on July 4, 1998, and from there to Delhi. It was alleged that the staff of the airline did not allow her to carry one of her handbags on board on the ground that it was oversized. She was compelled to abandon the handbag at the Heathrow Airport in London. According to her, the bag in question contained various valuables, including a camera, two Rado wrist watches, six crystal decoration pieces and souvenirs.
25/02/08 Sanjay K Singh/Economic Times

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Embraer Reveals First Phenom Customer In India

Last week, Embraer disclosed a contract with Indian business aviation solutions company Aviators India Pvt. Ltd. for two Phenom 100 executive jets, totaling US$ 5.96 million, at list price. This order, announced at the Extravaganza Mumbai 2008, February 22-23, in India, is already included in Embraer’s firm order backlog. Delivery is scheduled to begin in 2009.
"Aviators India has over ten years of experience in the Indian marketplace. Their choice of the Phenom 100 underscores our confidence in the suitability of the aircraft for this market," said Capt. Manfred Baudzus, Embraer Director of Marketing and Sales for Asia Pacific - Executive Aviation.
The Indian company is active in consultancy services for aircraft management, purchasing airplanes and helicopters, and setting up corporate flight departments.
"Amongst the aircraft in its class, the Phenom 100 provides the best value for investment and is a great personal aircraft," said Capt. Arun Sharma, Managing Director of Aviators India Pvt. Ltd.
Aviators has been in business since 1994 and has bases in Bangalore (also headquarters), Mumbai, Calcutta and Delhi.
24/02/08 Aero-News Network, US

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Global cargo firms keen to fly into India

New Delhi: The air cargo industry in India is all set to expand its wings. According to ministry of civil aviation, three international companies — FedEx, Malaysia Airlines (MAS) and Australia-based HeavyLift Cargo Airlines — have approached the ministry seeking details on setting up and expanding their operations in India.
The three freighter service providers have sought clarification on the recent Cabinet decision to increase the foreign direct investment (FDI) cap from 49% to 74% in the air cargo sector.
When SundayET contacted FedEx, the official spokesperson declined to comment. “As a matter if policy, we don’t comment on corporate developments,” the spokesperson told SundayET. Currently, there exist only 12 aircraft dedicated to freighter services in India.
According to ministry sources, MAS plans to start a dedicated freighter service between Kuala Lumpur and Delhi this year and is also considering using Delhi as its cargo transit point from Amsterdam and Frankfurt. At present, MAS has no dedicated freighter services to India.
A World Air Cargo report says India is the leading international freight market in the sub-continent. Out of the total 1.4 million tonnes of international cargo that flew in and out of the region, India moved the maximum with 8.82 lakh tonnes.
24/02/08 Raja Awasthi & Dheeraj Tiwari

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Air India suspect's witness charged with murder

Metro Vancouver: A key witness for Air India suspect Ripudaman Singh Malik has been charged with first-degree murder in the slaying of a young Surrey man.
Raminder Singh (Mindy) Bhandher, whose father Balwant remains an Air India suspect, will appear in Surrey provincial court Monday morning.
Bhandher, 30, was arrested today. He is alleged to have entered a woman's condo on Jan. 28, 2008 and gunned down 24-year-old Tejvir Singh (Sunny) Bains, her young lover. The woman was the ex-girlfriend of one of Bhandher's closest criminal associates.
Bhandher testified for Malik in May 2004 to refute the testimony of the Crown's star witness who claimed she overheard Bhandher and Malik discussing Air India. Bhandher claimed to be in India when the conversation was said to have taken place. But he also admitted a lengthy involvement in drug trafficking, credit card fraud and other crimes. Bhandher's father Balwant, who was out of town on business when his son was nabbed, remains a close associate of Malik's and a suspect in the June 23, 1985 Air India bombing.
23/02/08 Kim Bolan/Vancouver Sun/Canada.com, Canada

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Alleged fraud ring linked to Air India suspects

Edmonton: An Indo-Canadian organization from B.C. with links to Air India bombing suspects allegedly used documents stolen from a private Edmonton registry to underpin a multimillion-dollar auto theft fraud.
Civil court documents filed in Vancouver in support of a lawsuit by Insurance Corp. of B.C. allege an organization that includes an admitted drug dealer obtained vehicle registration documents from an Alberta registry. The court documents don't name the registry or the source of the documents. But law enforcement officials in both provinces say an Edmonton criminal well-known to police engineered the breach at an Edmonton registry. The man's girlfriend worked there and stole the documents for him.
Police sources said that when the couple was arrested in 2003, she had dozens of internal registry documents in her purse. She was fired from the registry but never charged.
"She stole the paper -- identities, blank cards, the whole bit," a police official said.
About 50 vehicles stolen from Kelowna were registered using "easily obtainable stolen registrations" from the Edmonton registry, the official said.
One person named in the suit is Raminder Singh (Mindy) Bhandher, one of the witnesses for the defence in the Air India case. His father, Balwant, was an Air India suspect.
During his 2004 testimony, Mindy Bhandher boasted about his history in Indo-Canadian gang activity, admitted he smuggled marijuana, sold cocaine and ecstasy and carried a handgun. He admitted he had been involved in a credit-card fraud ring in B.C. and Calgary.
23/02/08 Charles Rusnell/Canwest News Service/Times Colonist, Canada

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A-I checks into newer US routes

New Delhi: The national carrier Air India plans to add more capacity to many cities in the US and expects a growth of 25-30% in its revenues this fiscal from this sector. The revenue from this sector is expected to touch to $830 million in the current fiscal, from $760 million last year.
“We are working aggressively on this sector which has emerged as a big revenue earner. The India-US sector is the largest revenue earner for Air India and offers us enormous potential for growth. We plan to add more aircraft to our fleet to cater better to passengers on this sector.”
The airline plans to start flights to the Silicon Valley of the US, San Francisco, from Indian Silicon Valley Bangalore with effect from August. The carrier, which plans to add 15 Boeing 777-300ER aircraft, will also start flights to Washington and Texas.
In fact, the airline started a non-stop flights between New Delhi and New York last week and offers 12,536 seats per week between India and the US on its 38 weekly flights to four US destinations. New York tops the list with 6,293 seats, followed by Chicago with 2,961 seats, Newark with 2,394 seats and Los Angeles with 888.
24/02/08 Raja Awasthi/Economic Times

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Sikh hijackers to be deported to India by Swiss govt

Chandigarh: The Sikh hijackers of who hijacked Indian Airlines planes in 1981 and 1984, residing as a refugee in Switzerland for the last nearly thirteen years may be deported to India. The federal government of Switzerland have ordered them to leave Switzerland by February 22, 2008. If they failed to leave the country they may be arrested and may be deported to their native country, says Swiss law.
Swiss government has ordered Harminder Singh Khalsa, Dalip Singh both are from 1984 hijacking case and Master Karan Singh, Jasvir Singh both are of 1981 hijacking case to leave the country with their families on or before February 22, ended Friday.
To protest against the invasion of the Indian army on the Darbar Sahib, nine Sikhs belonging to the Sikh Students Federation hijacked an Indian Airliner from Jammu to Lahore in 1984.
Reporters received here reveals that after failing their case in the Swiss court the Hijackers now pleaded to the International Human Rights Organization in UNO to take up their cases on humanitarian ground as they already served sentences in Pakistan and they never had indulged in the anti Swiss activities.
The Hijackers says that if they would be deported to India they might face the security threat to their lives. However, Swiss government has not have extradition treaty with India yet now.
22/02/08 Ravinder Singh Robin/PunjabNewsline.com

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Student with e-ticket not allowed to fly AI from KL

New Delhi: Sahil Chopra, a resident of Hisar, was not permitted to board a flight at Kuala Lumpur (KL) since the airline's network there did not accept e-tickets.
Chopra, a student in Australia, was travelling to Delhi from Melbourne via Air India (AI). AI has a shared code with Malaysia Airlines for part of the journey, from Melbourne to KL, which means that Malaysia Airlines operates the flight between that sector.

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Chopra booked his ticket through a travel agent and reached KL on February 7. However, when he went to collect his boarding card for the onward journey, the AI staff refused to issue one to him, saying his ticket was not valid.
"I did not have a visa for KL and no money. An airport employee let me use his phone. I called my parents and they bought another ticket and forwarded it to me..." said Chopra.
AI officials, however, said that if their system did not recognize a ticket, they would not allow the passenger on board.
"If the ticket was issued by our airline, it would be our responsibility. However, in this case, the travel agent should have informed the passenger and should have given him a paper ticket," said D S Kohli, regional manager (north), AI.
23/02/08 Times of India

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Airbus head sees Asian markets as fueling future growth

The Asia-Pacific region will continue as an important market over the long term, with forecasted airline traffic growth driving the requirements for larger aircraft such as the Airbus A380 and the A350 XWB Family.
Speaking to reporters at this week's Singapore Airshow, Airbus president and CEO Tom Enders said the upswing in Asian passenger volume - plus the concentration of operations at key hub cities - will create a demand for jetliners in the A350 and A380 size categories.
"We have to make the most of new technology to support such essential growth through the use of larger, more efficient aircraft," Enders said. "That's why in the next 20 years, we expect 39 percent of twin-aisles such as the A350 XWB Family to be concentrated here in Asia-Pacific, along with 56 percent of large aircraft like the A380."
He noted that more than 50 percent of passengers flying within Asia today are travelling between just 11 hub cities, which are also at the centre of 72 per cent of the demand between Europe and Asia. Routes such as Beijing-Shanghai already are operating at 85 percent load factors, and are expecting further strong growth.
These developments underscore the importance of A380s and A350s as the region's airlines evolve, Enders added, a fact reflected by orders already booked for these two new aircraft by Asia-Pacific carriers.
22/02/08 Reliable Plant Magazine, US

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Keskar: Indian airlines' losses likely to mount

India's airlines must increase their yields urgently if the country's industry is to avoid a collective $700 million loss for 2008, Boeing Commercial Airplanes Senior VP-Sales Dinesh Keskar told ATWOnline in Singapore yesterday.
"There have been signs of some fares increasing but not nearly enough to stem increasing losses," Keskar said. India's airlines lost $500 million over the past two years and he said losses are worsening this year. He added that the competition for economy travelers has resulted in fares declining up to the time of travel, resulting in passengers leaving booking to the last moment.
According to Keskar, a typical fare of $300 with surcharges often ends up at $100 the day of the flight. He also pointed to the mounting surcharges and taxes (up to $51 a flight) as a major impediment to travel.
Sources at the show told ATWOnline that some Indian carriers are selling off production slots and/or aircraft to reduce capacity. Keskar said this will help, as will the country's consolidation that will see six airlines merge into a collective three major carriers.
22/02/08 Geoffrey Thomas/ATWOnline, US

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BOC Aviation Orders Five Airbus Freighters to Lease

BOC Aviation, Bank of China Ltd.'s aircraft-leasing unit, ordered five Airbus SAS A330-200 cargo planes, valued at about $877 million in list prices, as rising global trade boosts demand for air-freight capacity.
The freighters, scheduled for delivery between 2012 and 2013, are the first that BOC Aviation has bought directly from a manufacturer, the Singapore-based company said in an e-mailed statement today. The freighter version of the A330-200 has an average price of $175.4 million apiece.
BOC Aviation aims to build a fleet of about 20 freighters in five years, to tap demand in Asia to move mobile phones and computer equipment by air. Air-cargo traffic worldwide will likely grow 6.1 percent a year until 2025, according to Boeing Co., the world's second-largest maker of airplanes after Airbus.
Air freight demand is increasing from countries such as China, where there are more than 50 cities each with more than a million people, and from India, a nation that has at least 30 cities with a similar population, BOC Aviation Chief Executive Officer Robert Martin said in a telephone interview today. China and India are the world's two-most populous countries and the fastest-growing major economies.
22/02/08 Chan Sue Ling/Bloomberg

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Asian airlines to order 3,000 planes in 20 years: Boeing

Airlines in South and Southeast Asia are expected to order more than 3,000 planes worth 103 billion dollars in the next 20 years, with India, Indonesia and Malaysia as key growth drivers, Boeing said yesterday.
Dinesh Keskar, Boeing senior vice president for sales, said 1,940 planes are forecast to be delivered in Southeast Asia and 1,067 in Southwest Asia, a large chunk of them to the booming Indian market.
Fleet revitalisation would drive orders for both regions as airlines move to meet an explosion in demand, he said on the sidelines of the Singapore Airshow.
Most of the orders are single-aisle aircraft preferred by low-cost carriers, which have mushroomed in both regions and is revolutionising air travel.
India will power the boom in airplane orders in Southwest Asia following the deregulation of the aviation industry, leading people who normally took the train to now afford travelling by air, he said. Of the 1,067 forecast deliveries to South Asia, 85 percent will go to India, while Pakistan will account for eight percent, he said.
21/02/08 Macau Daily Times, Macau

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Jet Airways snubs congested Heathrow in favour of Brussels

Congestion at Heathrow cost the airport the chance to become the European hub of Indian carrier Jet Airways.
The carrier launched an international network from Brussels last autumn despite flying from Heathrow since May 2005.
Jet Airways' European vice-president Raja Sagren told Travel Weekly: "Brussels works beautifully as a transfer point.
"The facilities are good, congestion is minimal compared with Heathrow and there are [take-off and landing] slots available."
The carrier uses Brussels as a hub between India and North America, operating three flights a day to the airport from Mumbai, Delhi and Chennai, and onward services to New York and Toronto. Flights between Brussels and Mumbai will increase from April.
Jet Airways has flown from the UK for three years, operating four flights daily from Heathrow - to Mumbai twice, Delhi and Amritsar. It also serves the UK via Brussels with a connecting flight from Birmingham on partner airline SN Brussels.
Further expansion in Europe will also be at the expense of Heathrow, with Jet aiming to begin flights from Paris and Milan.
21/02/08 Ian Taylor/Travel Weekly UK, UK

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Air India may order 10 A380s

Singapore: Airbus wants to sell another 15 A380 superjumbos to Singapore Airlines, even as it lags main rival Boeing in new orders this year and has forecast orders half as much orders in 2008 as last year.
The European planemaker's chief salesman said on Thursday that he is aiming to talk with Singapore Airlines over the purchase of the world's largest passenger jet, and another 20 A330 or A350 widebody planes.
Airbus and Boeing are competing for a slice of the Asian aviation market, projected to become the world's largest in 20 years.
Airbus Chief Operating Office John Leahy said 15 of the 30 A380s that Airbus is targeting to sell this year will be to Asian airlines, and that Airbus is targeting to sell at least 10 A380s to Air India Boeing said it does not make annual forecasts for orders, but expects overall demand for aircraft for the next 20 years to reach 28,600 planes, worth $2.8 trillion. Of this, Boeing expects 8,350 planes to be sold in the Asia Pacific.
"Twenty years from now, 40 percent of all the flights in the world will be within Asia. This will be not too long from now the world's biggest aviation market place," said Randy Tinseth, vice president of marketing for Boeing Commercial Airplanes.
21/02/08 Reuters/Economic Times

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Capgemini eyes Indian aviation sector

Mumbai: France-based Information Technology (IT) services and business consultancy firm, Capgemini, is eyeing the booming Indian aviation sector. Currently, it is in talks with the Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA), Airport Authority of India (AAI) and private airline companies, including Kingfisher Airlines, Jet Airways, Paramount Airways, SpiceJet, GoAir and IndiGo.
“All these years, airlines and airports in India did not attach much importance to IT operations. However, now they have started investing in IT operations, and we see opportunity for growth, in terms of software solutions and business consultancy services,” said Hikmat Mahawat Khan, Managing Consultant – Aviation, Capgemini, during his recent visit to Mumbai. “Our solutions help aviation players to scale up their business to remain competitive in a rapidly-evolving market,” he added.
At present, the company, headquartered in Paris, has offices in Mumbai, Pune, Bangalore, Chennai, Hyderabad and Kolkata.
22/02/08 Mayuresh Pawar/TravelBizMonitor

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Satyam sponsors first Middle East Aviation

Satyam, a leading global business and information technology services company, announced that it will sponsor the first Middle East Aviation Outlook Summit (MEAOS) 2008 as part of its plans to leverage the booming aviation industry in the Middle East. The growth in the regional market is reflected by the massive requisition it has placed to worldwide manufacturers, which has totaled to 50 per cent of the world’s aircraft orders with a collective value of USD 50 billion in 2007. In addition to the sponsorship at the event, which is being held at the Beach Rotana Hotel, Abu Dhabi from February 26-28, 2008, the company is also set to launch a series of roadshows targeting the aviation sector across the region.
Amidst this highly potent business environment, Satyam intends to bring forward its solutions for the aviation sector, which integrates deep industry and functional expertise, leading technology practices and an advanced global delivery model. Specifically, Satyam has gained considerable acclaim for its aerospace and defense solutions, in addition to its ‘Travel and Logistics Practice’, which aids companies in the passenger, freight, authorities and hospitality industries to improve their business competitiveness. Included among Satyam’s roster of high profile clients are Etihad Airways, Oman Aviation, Qatar Airways, Royal Jordanian, Kuwait Airways and Yemmenia.
21/02/08 Al-Bawaba, Jordan

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Qantas fuel surcharge

Qantas has threatened to slug its passengers with higher ticket prices, despite doubling its profit and paying less for fuel.
The airline says it is concerned about soaring oil prices and may again raise its fuel surcharge on tickets.Qantas increased the fuel surcharge on international flights barely a month ago.
Tickets to the US, India and Africa attracted a $20 surcharge, flights to Asia and the Pacific climbed by $15.
The higher costs come even though the company's fuel bill dropped by more than $200 million over the past year, as it benefits from the higher Australian dollar.
22/02/08 Sky News Australia, Australia

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Man held trying to flee with Dh6m

Ajman: The Ajman Police in coordination with Dubai Police arrested a 45-year-old Indian businessman R.K. on Wednesday at the Dubai International Airport while trying to flee the country after allegedly deceiving a group of real estate companies by forging signatures on investment contracts to help them rent out apartments and commercial units.
According to Ajman Police, the businessman issued several dud cheques and was trying to flee the country with Dh6 million cash collected as rent from tenants.
R.K., owner of a real estate agency in Ajman received Dh6 million in cash from tenants after he had rented them units belonging to more than eight real estate developing companies. He had managed to convince the real estate developers to sign investment contracts with him to allow him to rent out residential and commercial units to tenants on their behalf against post-dated cheques.
The companies discovered that R.K. had swindled them after the cheques issued by him bounced.
22/02/08 Afkar Abdullah/Khaleej Times, United Arab Emirates

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Landing without baggage

New York: Dozens of passengers, on board an Air India flight from Mumbai to Newark in the U.S., found themselves without their baggage when they arrived here early on Thursday.
The flight AI 191, which left Mumbai on Wednesday for Newark in the U.S., was cancelled in Paris after a mechanical problem and most passengers were shifted to an Air France flight.
Though the Air India staff at Paris had assured passengers that their baggage would be automatically transferred to the Air France plane, it was not done.
22/02/08 PTI/The Hindu

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Kingfisher Airlines ties up with watchmaker Hublot

Mumbai: The UB Group-owned Kingfisher Airlines has announced a partnership with the Geneva-based luxury watchmaker Hublot to produce a limited edition of watches to be made available on board the airlines. With this tie up, Hublot will launch its brand - Big Bang King - in India in association with the brand Kingfisher First. Run-up to Budget 2008-09.
"We will produce a strictly limited range of timepieces exclusively for the first class passengers of Kingfisher Airlines on the domestic as well as international routes. We may release a few watches in the high-end luxury watch retail outlets later on, but we want it to be an exclusive product available on board Kingfisher," said Vijay Mallya, Chairman and Managing Director, Kingfisher Airlines.
To begin with, 50 pieces of Hublot?s watches will be sold by next year. Though the demand is for 40,000 watches per annum, currently they can make only 20,000 pieces, said Jean-Claude Biver, President, Hublot. The watches will be priced at $12,000, he added.
22/02/08 Business Line/Sify

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Three Afghans arrested with heroin worth Rs.100 mn

New Delhi: Three Afghan nationals, including two burqa-clad women, have been arrested at the Delhi airport for allegedly trying to smuggle fine-quality heroin worth Rs.100 million in the international market, officials said Thursday. According to customs officials, Sakhi Dad and his two sisters Afghan Gul and Khanom Gul were arrested Wednesday evening after they landed at the Indira Gandhi International Airport. They were produced before a city court, which has remanded them to 14-day judicial custody.
Additional Commissioner of Customs Sanjay Kumar said the women were hiding five kg of heroin in their waist belt.
“The contraband was recovered from them after security officials found their conduct suspicious while they were passing through the green channel. The trio was stopped and frisked,” Kumar said. Kumar said it was the first time women from Afghanistan were arrested for drug smuggling.
21/02/08 Thaindian.com

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Jet flight to China delayed as Beijing drags its feet

New Delhi: Even a month after Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s visit to China and Jet Airways receiving an in-principle approval to fly to the country, Chinese authorities are ‘still dragging their feet’ over allowing India’s designated carrier to fly to Chinese cities.
During the January visit of Manmohan Singh to Beijing, India and China agreed to restrict the right of one carrier from each country to fly to three regions beyond the two countries.
Great Wall Airlines of China has already received the requisite permission from Indian authorities but is yet to start flying. In return, China was expected to give a clearance to Jet Airways for flying to San Francisco via Beijing after which the airline was preparing to fly to Shanghai and Guang Zhou on receiving permission.
When asked, ministry of civil aviation officials said the matter was with the ministry of external affairs and that Jet Airways is ready to fly to Beijing. “They have two aircraft lying unused,” a ministry official told FE. “They are still dragging their feet,” the official said referring to the Chinese authorities.
20/02/08 Financial Express

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Technical issues snag Jet Airways' Mumbai-Shanghai flight

New Delhi: China has no "in-principle objection" to give clearance to Jet Airways to operate Mumbai-Shanghai-San Francisco flight, but certain technical issues need to be first resolved, Chinese ambassador to India Zhang Yan said here Wednesday.
"There are some technical issues and we hope they can be addressed soon," Zhang told reporters.
"There has been some progress and we hope there will be more progress. It will depend on the progress of the talks between the two sides," the Chinese envoy said when asked whether there was a timeline to resolve these issues standing in the way of clearance to Jet Airways.
During the January visit of Manmohan Singh to Beijing, India and China agreed to restrict the right of one carrier from each country to fly to three regions beyond the two countries.
Officials of the two sides are planning to meet next month to resolve issues relating to the fifth freedom rights, as Beijing first wants to reach an agreement on the three specific regions to which carriers from the two countries can fly from each other's territory.
But the delay in Chinese clearance has caused some anxiety in South Block, as India was prompt in allowing Chinese cargo carrier Great Wall Airlines to fly to Mumbai and Chennai despite security concerns by the National Security Council Secretariat and other agencies. In return, China was expected to give a clearance to Jet Airways for flying to Shanghai and beyond.
20/02/08 IANS/Sify

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Air Arabia to fly to Kozhikode

Dubai: The Middle East's first low-cost airline Air Arabia will add the city of Kozhikode in Kerala to its list of destinations in India effective Feb 26.
"We are extremely pleased to announce the launch of service to our newest destination in India, demonstrating once again Air Arabia's unmatched commitment to the subcontinent," Air Arabia Head of commercial department A.K. Nizar said in a statement here.
A significant proportion of the 1.4 million expatriate Indians in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) are from Kerala.
The airline will operate its new service from its base in Sharjah International Airport.
Kozhikode will be the 10th city in India to be served by Air Arabia.
Initially the service will operate three flights a week, but plans are on to increase it to six flights a week by May, subject to approval from India;s Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA).
21/02/08 Indo Asian News Service/NDTV.com

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Private airliners may soon fly to Mauritius

Mauritius will soon allow private airliners to fly to the island nation. India and Mauritius have begun talks on a possible open sky pact.
Both the countries are expected to sign a comprehensive economic partnership agreement in the coming months. “We will soon work on an open sky policy. A large number of private airlines in India are interested in flying to Mauritius. I have spoken to prime minister Manmohan Singh about this,” Mauritius prime minister Navinchandra Ramgoolam told ET.
At present, Air India is the only Indian airline flying to Mauritius. The route is being proposed to be opened for private airliners on the lines of Singapore. He said the move will boost travel between the two countries.
Both the countries enjoy close relations and would soon sign a Comprehensive Economic Cooperation & Partnership Agreement (CECPA). The negotiations on the agreement, which will include a deal on goods, services, investment and economic cooperation, have reached conclusion stage. The agreement will provide a framework for free movement of capital, goods and services, and people between the countries. “The CECPA is near finalisation. It should be signed this year,” Mr Ramgoolam said.
21/02/08 Deepshikha Sikarwar/Economic Times

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Airbus plans to outsource half of A350 production

Singapore: Airbus plans to outsource more than 50% of A350 production and is taking note of the global supply chain difficulties that have caused delays in rival Boeing's 787 program. "We are studying carefully the lessons we should take on the 787," . CEO Tom Enders said. "Obviously the supply chain is a concern. . . We are in very close contact with our suppliers, many of which supply both Airbus and Boeing."
The manufacturer has blamed the declining value of the dollar compared to the euro for much of its recent financial woe and it views global outsourcing of A350 production as critical to keeping costs down. "We are outsourcing and offshoring suppliers to an unprecedented extent," Enders said. "We are increasingly not just outsourcing aerostructures but also engineering."
He noted that the company opened an engineering center in Bangalore last year, adding, "I'm certain Airbus will increase its footprint in India in coming years, but that doesn't necessarily mean opening a final assembly line there." Though he emphasized that there are no current plans to launch an FAL, he said, "Everything is possible in India. If they are able to graduate more engineers, then a lot of things are possible."
21/02/08 ATWOnline, US

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Qatari national traced

Mumbai: The Qatari national who escaped from the transit lounge of Sahar terminal 2A of Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport on Monday has been traced to South India. A police team has left to bring him to Mumbai.
According to the police, the deportee, Watangi Gafarsab, is believed to be somewhere in the southern part of India.
“We have got information of his whereabouts but cannot disclose it as it will hamper our investigation,” said Dilip Patil, senior inspector, Sahar police station.
Police said Watangi was the immigration department’s responsibility and only its officers should have escorted him.
21/02/08 V Narayan & Naveeta Singh/Daily News & Analysis

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HTL Logistics selects Kale's Freight Management System

HTL Logistics Limited, a Sri Lanka based leading freight forwarding company, has chosen Kale Consultants Limited to develop a web-enabled solution to automate their ocean, air and multi-modal freight operations. The solution will encompass various functions including sales, export, import, international trade documentation, tracking and integration with third-party applications. The solution will automate manual processes and will help HTL in reducing human errors and optimise operational costs.
Kale's Freight Management System is a web-based application which helps freight forwarders to improve their operational efficiency. With the help of the integrated Sales CRM module and operations module, each division can get accurate information about their shipments with one point of data entry. This eventually facilitates the customers to get a timely update of their shipment and response from the customer service, which is essential to this business.
20/02/08 Moneycontrol.com

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Jet Airways forges codeshare partnership with Air Canada

Jet Airways is pleased to announce its codeshare partnership with
Air Canada offering seamless travel to passengers between India and Canada, effective 28 February, 2008.
With this partnership, passengers can fly between Mumbai and London Heathrow on
Jet Airways operated flights continuing to/ from Toronto, Vancouver, Calgary, Montreal, and Edmonton on flights operated by Air Canada. The arrangement also includes Jet Airways’ operated flights from Chennai to Toronto, which will be operated in codeshare with
Air Canada. Additionally, passengers will enjoy frequent flyer benefits on codeshared
routes on accrual basis as well as seamless transfers with through check-in and
interline e-ticketing.
Mr. Wolfgang Prock-Schauer, Jet Airways’ Chief Executive Officer, said “We are proud to join hands with Air Canada, an airline of global stature. Jet Airways’ codeshare agreement with Air Canada will offer greater choice of destinations and enable passengers to fly with greater convenience and flexibility between India and Canada, not only through our Brussels hub but also via London.”
India and Canada have long-standing ties in the areas of tourism, business and education. Both Jet Airways and Air Canada will now be able to leverage their strengths and leadership positions to better serve the existing and tap the growing passenger traffic between the two countries.
20/02/08 PRESS RELEASE/Jet Airways

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Lufthansa to expand its services to India

From 3 May 2008, Lufthansa will be the only airline to connect the south German hub of Munich with Mumbai ( Bombay ). In future, the thrice-weekly flights from Munich, which will be operated with an Airbus A340-300, will supplement Lufthansa’s daily service from Frankfurt. In addition, the current service from Frankfurt to Kolkata ( Calcutta ) in Northeast India will also be boosted from three to five flights a week, starting on 3 June by adding a flight on Tuesdays and Saturdays . “India is increasingly gaining in importance as a strategic growth market. That is why Lufthansa has steadily expanded its flight services to the country in recent years. In future, our customers will have a choice of 50 flights a week to six destinations in India. This will underpin our position as the European market leader,” said Karl Ulrich Garnadt, Executive Vice President Services and Human Resources, Lufthansa Passenger Airlines.
The special introductory fare of 599 euros on the new route will bring Mumbai within easy reach.
The above-mentioned fare can be booked between 20 February and 31 March 2008 for travel between 3 May and 30 June 2008, subject to availability.
20/02/08 Deutsche Lufthansa AG/Media Newswire, US

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Tatas float business jet firm with Singapore co

New Delhi: After low-cost carrier SpiceJet, the Tata group is making its second investment in aviation with group company Indian Hotels Company Ltd investing 36 to 37 per cent, according to sources, in a newly-floated company, BJETS, in partnership with Singapore-based Briley Group.
Slated to start operations in May 2008, Mumbai-based BJETS will specialise in fractional ownership deals for business jets - meaning each of its jets will be part-owned by individuals who are also entitled to fixed flying time -- and aircraft management.
Briley, with interests in aviation, hospitality and BPO around the globe, will be the majority owner in the company.
As part of its ambitious drive to be Asia's largest business jet operator, the newly-floated company has also signed the single biggest order in Asia for a fleet of 50 new jets worth over $600 million (Rs 2,400 crore).
Aircraft deliveries will take place over five years beginning in the first quarter of 2008 comprising 20 Cessna Citation CJ2+ jets and 20 Hawker 850XP and 900XP jets with options for 10 more.
20/02/08 Business Standard

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Eclipse makes first jet sales in India

Eclipse Aviation Corp. has sold 10 of its very light jets to Club One Air of New Delhi, India, marking the company's first sale of the Eclipse 500 plane in that market.
Mike McConnell, vice president of sales and marketing, announced the deal on Feb. 19 at the Singapore Airshow.
"Eclipse Aviation is experiencing a period of rapid international expansion," McConnell said in a news release. "Establishing a presence for the Eclipse 500 in India through Club One Air will introduce more people to the benefits of owning and flying on private jet aircraft, which continues to be the goal of Eclipse Aviation."
Club One Air -- India's largest non-scheduled air operator and first fractional aircraft ownership company -- chose the Eclipse 500 to launch a new air charter service in India. The aircraft will be operated under a separate company that will use the Eclipse 500s to expand its offering and provide more business travelers a quick, affordable and convenient way to travel across India, said Manav Singh, Club One Air's promoter and managing director.
19/02/08 New Mexico Business Weekly/Wichita Business Journal, US

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Lee sees China, India powering aerospace industry

Singapore: China and India were on Tuesday projected as the emerging powerhouses of the global aerospace industry, at the inaugural ceremony of the first-ever Singapore Airshow.
The ongoing modernisation of the militaries of several Asian countries was also cited, alongside the “encouraging” trends in the civil aviation sector in East Asia, as the catalyst for growth in the global aerospace industry.
Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said:
“In Asia, the signs are particularly encouraging. The region is expected to lead the [global] growth in air travel, as the [civil aviation] industry’s centre of gravity shifts to the East [from the West]. With China and India integrating more closely into the global grid, demand for air travel in the region will soar.”
About other positive factors in East Asia, Mr. Lee said: “Within Southeast Asia, air travel is also expected to take off. The ASEAN countries are establishing ASEAN-wide open skies, starting with the first milestone of free access between ASEAN capitals by the end of this year.”
20/02/08 P. S. Suryanarayana/The Hindu

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Etihad Airways wins four new Indian routes

Jaipur: Etihad Airways, the national airline of United Arab Emirates (UAE), will soon introduce new flights to Chennai, Jaipur, Kolkata and Kozhikode.
The decision follows a successful bilateral discussion earlier this week between the governments of the UAE and India, aimed at further liberalising air links between the two countries.
James Hogan, chief executive of the airline, said in a statement: "Etihad is always keen to build up its Indian services and we are thrilled to have been given the rights to serve four new cities in this exciting market."
Etihad currently operates daily flights from Abu Dhabi to Mumbai and New Delhi as well as to Kochi and Thiruvananthapuram.
19/02/08 Indo Asian News Service

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Embraer participates in Extravaganza Mumbai, in India

São José dos Campos: Embraer will participate in Extravaganza Mumbai, February 22 and 23. The event, to be held in the Grand Hyatt Mumbai Hotel, in Mumbai, India, focuses on the luxury market. The Company’s stand is number 44, and a full-size mock-up of the Phenom 300 executive jet will be on display, continuing at the venue until February 29. “India is one of the world’s most promising markets, including executive aviation,” said Captain Manfred Baudzus, Embraer’s Director of Marketing and Sales for Asia Pacific - Executive Aviation. “Embraer is pleased to present a full-size mock-up of the Phenom 300 jet. We consider this aircraft a perfect fit for the demands of the Indian market.”
In November 2007, Embraer signed a contract for the sale of 18 Phenom 100 and two Phenom 300 jets with India’s Invision Projects Pvt. Ltd.. The order was announced during the Dubai Air Show 2007 and is the largest fleet order in terms of number of executive jets in India, to this point.
Besides the Phenom 100 and the Phenom 300, Embraer’s portfolio of executive jets includes the Legacy 600 and the Lineage 1000. The Legacy 600, for up to 16 passengers, will hold a demo tour in India, visiting the cities of Hyderabad (February 25), Delhi (February 26), Mumbai (February 27-28), and Bangalore (February 29 and March 1).
19/02/08 Sky Control, UK

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Air India issues tender to lease Boeing, Airbus planes

New Delhi: Air India Ltd. has issued a tender to lease new and used planes from Boeing Co.
, Airbus and global aircraft leasing companies, a senior company executive said Tuesday.
The carrier may also return to profit in the next fiscal year starting April 1, following savings from a merger with Indian Airlines Ltd. in August, Air India's Executive Director for Finance, S. Venkat, told Dow Jones Newswires.
The new planes will be leased to help the airline meet rising demand on its domestic and international routes and also because of a delay in the delivery of Boeing's 787 Dreamliner aircraft, Venkat said.
"The market is growing at 25%-30% each year," Venkat said. "We don't want to lose out on the opportunity."
Air India has ordered 27 Dreamliners, the first of which was due for delivery in September 2008. The carrier now expects the first plane to arrive in June 2009, Chairman Vasudevan Thulasidas said Jan. 18.
Air India, Jet Airways (India) Ltd. and other Indian carriers are buying new planes or taking them on lease to meet increasing travel demand in the world's second fastest growing major economy.
19/02/08 Santanu Choudhury/MarketWatch

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Flight instructor from Kerala missing in Philippines

Kollam: A 23-year-old youth who is a flight instructor with a Philippines aviation company and a native of Kollam, was reported missing from Sunday after his training aircraft crash landed in the Bay of Philippines near Manila, according to information received here. Read On >>

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Students from India, China save US flight schools

The worldwide credit crunch is forcing flight students to take up smaller student loans at higher interest rates, yet the impact on flight schools in the USA is minimised due to surging enrolment from China and India. Read On >>

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Kingfisher plans standing bar in international economy class

Bangalore: Vijay Mallya-promoted Kingfisher Airlines took service levels in the Indian skies to cloud nine. And, this time, the airline is set to revolutionize international air travel.
Kingfisher is again doing a first with its grand plans of pampering the economy class passengers on its international routes. Economy class fliers, on board Kingfisher, would be treated to their favourite vintage wine and drinks of their choice, that too, at a standing bar. Very few international carriers have a standing bar in the economy and business classes. So, it is for the first time that an Indian carrier is planning to introduce such a service in the economy class.
Kingfisher Airlines plans to add some premium to the economy class travel with this feature.
In a bid to jazz up the services, the airline is also planning to go one step further and add a social area to the standing bar in the Kingfisher first class.
Kingfisher Airlines plans to launch international operations in August 2008. It will launch daily non-stop flights from Bangalore to San Francisco and Newark in August.
19/02/08 Urvashi Jha/Economic Times

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Singapore Airshow takes off

Singapore: The first edition of the Singapore Airshow took off today at the Changi Exhibition Centre in grand style.
At a time when the region has shown a 13.3 per cent year-on-year growth rate in the aerospace business, Singapore?s premier airshow is being billed as a platform for the industry?s road forward.
Over 827 companies from more than 42 countries are participating in the airshow.
According to Jimmy Lau, managing director of the Singapore Airshow, a large contingent from the Asia-Pacific region is also present at the show, apart from participants from the western world.
"This is the largest Asia Pacific delegation at any show, with 80 per cent of the delegates from the region," said Lau.
Singapore is fast becoming a centre for aerospace companies, with leading manufacturers from around the world setting up maintenance repair and overhaul (MRO) facilities as well as training and development centres in the island country.
The 741-acre Seletar Aerospace Park in Singapore is being developed just for such purposes.
The major focus of the show is the defence exhibitors, who constitute 55 per cent of the total participation. The 30-hectare exhibition site itself is a new facility dedicated for exhibitions.
Participation is varied, ranging from Airbus and Boeing, with Airbus having brought in the Airbus A-380 for aerial display to the B-1 Lancer heavy-class bomber from the USAF and the F-35 Lightning II stealth fighter mockup from Lockheed Martin. Even companies like Eurocopter, Bell helicopters, Agusta Westland and BAE have a significant presence here.
Indian companies are participating under one roof with Tata Advanced Materials, Aeronautical Development Agency and ISRO and BrahMos being part of the contingent.
The aero show though has been constrained by lack of space. Outdoor aircraft exhibits are closely stacked and the aerial displays too are limited. Since the air show utilises the runways of Changi airport for aerial display, air traffic to and out of the airport has been curtailed for a period of 90 minutes each day.
19/02/08 Rohin Nagrani/Business Standard

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Cessna sells 20 Skyhawks to Chimes Aviation

Cessna Aircraft announced an order for 20 172 Skyhawk single-engine piston aircraft from Chimes Aviation in India.
The order was announced today at the Singapore Airshow.
It includes 11 172R aircraft for immediate delivery and nine turbo-diesel models for delivery later this year.
The planes will be used for flight training by Chimes Aviation Academy in Madhya Pradesh, India. It plans to add a second location by October.
18/02/08 Molly McMillin/Kansas.com, USA

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Honeywell APUs for Kingfisher

Kingfisher Airlines has selected Honeywell to provide 131-9A auxiliary power units for its Airbus A320s, as well as a program for their maintenance. The airline also selected Honeywell to provide the full suite of avionics for its A320, A330 and A340 aircraft. The suite includes an enhanced ground proximity warning system (EGPWS), airborne collision avoidance system (ACAS II), weather radar with wind-shear detection and Quantum nav/com system.
Honeywell is also supplying high-speed satellite communications for Kingfisher’s A330s and A340s to enable onboard e-mail, Internet access and telephony.Other new Honeywell business in the region includes a $33 million agreement to supply wheels and brakes for the 17 Boeing 737-700 and six 737-800 aircraft being supplied to China Eastern Airlines. Deliveries began in 2007 and continue through 2010. That deal comes as Honeywell celebrates a five-year deal covering a comprehensive maintenance program for Air China’s entire fleet of 180 aircraft, plus future deliveries.
19/02/08 Aviation International News, US

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Turbulence ahead for global aviation industry: IATA chief

Singapore: Global aviation faces a tough future despite making profits last year as it grapples with debt, rising fuel bills and a looming US recession, but Asia could be a bright spot, officials said Monday.
"Tough times will continue... Airlines may be out of intensive care but the industry is still sick," said International Air Transport Association (IATA) chief Giovanni Bisignani.
Airlines earned 5.6 billion dollars in 2007 but that was less than two percent of revenue worth 490 billion dollars, he said in a speech at a conference held as part of the Singapore Airshow starting Tuesday.
"Airlines are in 190 billion dollars of debt. Oil is pushing 100 dollars per barrel, accounting for 30 percent of operating costs or a total bill of 149 billion dollars," he told delegates including ministers and airline chiefs.
The industry's revenue cycle had already peaked in 2006 and the impact of a credit crunch spreading from the ailing US economy was still being calculated, he said.
But Asia's aviation industry could fare better despite the gloom due to the rapidly expanding markets in China and India, Bisignani said, although he warned the region also faced big competition from the Middle East.
Singapore Airlines chief executive Chew Choon Seng said carriers were not immune to a US-led global economic slowdown, but that the city-state's airline should weather the challenge because of its links to China and India.
Global competition for pilots, mechanics and cabin crew was another challenge, IATA's Bisignani said.
"To pilot the 16,000 new aircraft needed by 2020, we need to train 17,000 pilots a year. That is 40,000 more pilots than current capacity," he said.
In Asia, capacity would expand by 8.8 percent, with 427 new aircraft deliveries in 2008 and another 450 in 2009, but demand was expected rise by a slower 6.4 percent.
"This is not a recipe for long-term health," Bisignani said.
18/02/09 AFP

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Italian airport systems firm finds growth potential in Asia

Asia is a prime potential market for Selex Systemi Integrati’s turnkey capability in air defense systems, air traffic management and airport communications systems. The Italian group, which set up shop in Singapore in 1972, most recently supplied mobile air traffic control systems to the Singapore Air Force and has established a terminal maneuvering area system for the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS) at Changi Airport. Now, it is responding to a CAAS tender for primary L-band and mode-S secondary radars.
Selex has a long pedigree as a radar provider, but in the early 1990s it took a big step forward when it built the new air traffic control center at Milan’s Malpensa Airport. The facility, which comprises some 100 controller consoles and up to 20 radars, controls the whole of Italy’s upper airspace as well as the lower space in the country’s central region.
This project led to Selex being selected to provide equally advanced centers for countries such as Turkey, Malaysia and Thailand.
This increase in its ATC capabilities recently brought a $33 million contract from India to equip new airports in Bangalore and Hyderabad. The two facilities will be equipped with a primary ATCR- 33-S-DPC radar, a secondary SIR-S radar, an advanced surface movement guidance and control system, an area control center, digital and automated systems for telecommunication and information (ATIS), navaids (ILS and DME) and VHF communication systems. A $78 million contract signed late last year with India’s Bharat Electronics Ltd.
19/02/08 Paolo Valpolini/Aviation International News, USA

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Airport faux pas: intnl passengers taken to domestic terminal

Chennai: A faux pas was committed at the airport here when passengers of an 'Indian' flight from Muscat were taken to the domestic terminal without the mandatory immigration and customs checks at the international terminal.
Fifty-eight passengers of the Muscat-Chennai IC 946 flight were taken by the airline's bus to the domestic terminal instead of international terminal after disembarking at 0850 AM, airport sources told PTI.
This led to confusion over the immigration and customs formalities at the domestic terminal, they said.
Meanwhile, irate passengers, whose baggage were at the international terminal, were seen involved in a heated argument with the officials at the domestic terminal.
After a delay of nearly two hours, the passengers were taken to the international terminal by another bus. Indian officials told PTI that the matter would be looked into and action would be taken against the officials who erred.
19/02/08 PTI/Chennai Online

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New Year Bonanza from Etihad Airways

Etihad Airways, the national airline of UAE, kick starts 2008 with a slew of attractive offers to popular holiday destinations around the world.
Travel in style to the shopping extravaganza at Dubai with special fares offered by Etihad from 24 January ? 24 February 2008 in economy on the Mumbai-Dubai return sector are priced at Rs 13,000/- (economy). In the premium cabins, Rs. 26,000/- (business) and Rs 33,000/- (first class) are valid till 31 March, 2008. The flights from Delhi - Dubai are priced at Rs. 29,000/- (business). (Sales period open until 24 February 2008)
There is a great offer for those planning a journey to enjoy the snow in New York as well. The trip to one of the loveliest cities of the world can be enjoyed aboard Etihad from January 22 to March 31 at Rs. 30,700/- on the flights from Mumbai to New York (Sales period open until 29 February). For those traveling on the Delhi to New York route, the price will be Rs 31,500 from 1 February and 31 March 2008. (Sales period open until 31 January 2008).
18/02/08 Moneycontrol.com

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Paramount Airways to buy wide-bodied aircraft

Chennai: The Madurai-based Paramount Airways is set to announce the purchase of its first wide-bodied aircraft in the coming week.
Managing Director M. Thiagarajan told The Hindu that the airline was in the final stages of negotiations with aircraft manufacturers Airbus and Boeing and would announce a deal with one of them after discussions at the Singapore Airshow this week.
“We are very closely evaluating the A330s and A350s from Airbus, as well as the 777s and 787s from Boeing,” he said. “If everything goes, as planned, we will be announcing a deal soon. Whether it happens during the airshow or subsequently soon after depends on how fast we get the contracts sorted.”
The airline would complete the mandatory five-year period before beginning international operations in 2010, and it planned to launch its first international flight in the early 2011. Mr. Thiagarajan said Europe was the first on the agenda.
18/02/08 Ananth Krishnan/The Hindu

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Success built on simulation

Montreal: Founded in 1987 by five people who had enjoyed working together on a research project at Concordia University, Mechtronix has evolved into a multi-million-dollar, global manufacturer of high-tech flight simulators for the aviation industry. Read On >>

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Asian low-cost airlines pushing up pilots' pay: official

Singapore: The growth of Asian low-cost carriers is helping to drive pilots' salaries sharply higher, but training is being expanded to meet demand, an industry official said Monday. Read On >>

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Airlines may gain altitude with $ fall

New Delhi: Exporters may be squealing, but the stronger rupee is likely to bring in some cheer for the red-ink spewing Indian aviation industry.
Reeling under huge losses expected to touch Rs 2,500 crore this year from Rs 2,200 crore last year the local aviation industry could end up making cumulative benefits of around Rs 500 to Rs 700 crore on an annual basis from falling dollar prices, say analysts.
Industry sources say all airlines, especially the domestic carriers, are expected to rake in sizeable savings on the salaries paid to expat pilots, aircraft and engine maintenance and overhaul charges, aircraft lease and finance payments and the forever-hurting aviation turbine fuel (ATF) costs.
These comprise more than 80% of the topline expenses for all airlines.
Analyst believe that the rupee benefit has been the best news for the otherwise loss-making aviation industry.
18/02/08 Chanchal Pal Chauhan/Economic Times

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Global air security still an 'unco-ordinated mess'

International aviation security is still a mess of clashing laws and jurisdictions, a leading industry representative says.
Europe and Asia need to harmonise security laws for passengers to be better protected from the threat of terrorism, the chief executive officer of the International Air Transport Association Giovanni Bisignani told a Singapore airshow today.
"The industry is much more secure than in 2001," he said.
"But the system is still an unco-ordinated mess.
"We have not harmonised measures across borders."
Mr Bisignani praised the recent agreement between the European Union and Singapore to work under the same laws for security of duty free items.
"But why was it not an agreement that covers Asia with mutually recognised standards?" he asked.
"Our passengers deserve much better leadership than the patchwork of different standards and procedures we have today."
Asia had to watch the continuing growth of Middle East aviation cautiously, Mr Bisignani warned.
18/02/08 AAP/Sydney Morning Herald, Australia

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SA deports Indian millionaire

An Indian national who built a multimillion-rand business empire while in South Africa is believed to have been illegally operating in the country for the past 15 years.
Manjar Ali Shaik Yusuf Ulde of Rondebosch, Cape Town, was deported to India on Monday after the department of home affairs alleged that his passport and identity documents were fraudulently obtained.
He was deported even though he is out on bail and scheduled to appear in the Kempton Park magistrate's court on March 4 on criminal charges relating to the documents.
His lawyer, Zehir Omar, said he would be seeking urgent redress from the Constitutional Court on Ulde's deportation.
Ulde, his wife Sharika and three children, Mohamed, 14, Saima, 11 and Uzair, 1, were stopped by immigration officials at O R Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg after returning from a holiday in India on January 15.
Ulde's wife and children were sent back to India the next day, the same day the children were scheduled to return to school in Cape Town. Ulde, however, was detained and charged.
He said his documents had been seized and were in the possession of a Mr R Moodley, an immigration official employed by Home Affairs.
17/02/08 Juggie Naran/Independent Online, South Africa

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Asian Governments Should Lift Airline Restrictions

Asian governments need to move faster to lift air restrictions to spur competition for carriers such as Malaysian Airline System Bhd. and Garuda Indonesia, an industry body said.
Full liberalization or ``open skies'' may be achieved in eight years, as some governments start to free some air routes, Giovanni Bisignani, director general of the International Air Transport Association, or IATA, said in a Bloomberg Television interview yesterday.
Governments in Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines restrict landing rights, shielding national carriers from competition. Greater access will push fares lower, spur air traffic and may encourage mergers, Bisignani said.
``I would like to see the bilateral system in a museum,'' Bisignani said in Singapore. ``We cannot sell our product where the market is and we cannot merge and consolidate. It's not easy to consolidate because of ownership issues.''
A fully liberalized Asian air-travel market could generate as many as 1,600 low-cost routes by 2015, according to Airbus SAS. Asia's budget airlines will have a combined fleet of 1,300 single-aisle aircraft by 2025, compared with 236 now, according to Airbus, the world's largest maker of commercial aircraft.
18/02/08 Chan Sue Ling and Haslinda Amin/Bloomberg

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Losses may force Alitalia out of India

Mumbai: Mounting losses may force Italy’s leading airline Alitalia to pull out from India even as more global carriers begin flying to India and more domestic airlines explore international routes.
Senior executives of the airline could not be reached for comment but a representative at the airline’s reservation office said there are no scheduled Alitalia flights to and from India after March. “There is no formal circular issued by Alitalia indicating the stoppage of flights but there is no schedule updated on the system after March,” added the executive, who asked not to be identified. Alitalia currently operates daily flights to Milan from Mumbai and New Delhi.
The imminent exit of Alitalia comes just over a year after UK’s second largest full service scheduled airline, British Midland Airways or BMI, shut down its Indian operations due to poor passenger response. BMI, a member of the largest operating grouping of global carriers Star Alliance, operated flights on the busy Mumbai-Heathrow segment.
Executives at several travel agencies who did not wish to be named confirmed that Alitalia was pulling out.
18/02/08 P.R. Sanjai/Livemint

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ANA to Increase Narita-Mumbai Flights

Tokyo: All Nippon Airways said Monday it will increase the number of round-trip flights between Japan's Narita, east of Tokyo, and India's Mumbai to seven per week from the current six, starting in April.
The airline has been operating a business class-only flight service on the route since September last year, using a single custom-made jet developed specially for the route.
But the company had to suspend the service for nearly two weeks last month due to defects in the aircraft. ANA will deploy another jet for the route.
18/02/08 Jiji Press/Japan Corporate News (press release), Japan

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Indian carriers lose market share to foreign airlines

New Delhi: Domestic carriers such as Air India and Jet Airways seem unable to take benefits of the government’s liberalised open-sky policy. Due to high fuel prices, heavy taxation and several entry barriers, Indian carriers have lost around 6% market share to foreign carriers on the country’s international traffic.
Even as the government aggressively negotiated seat entitlements and signed agreements for multiple designated carriers under various bilaterals, domestic carriers lagged behind. Instead, this has given access to foreign carriers. For example, Air India operates seven flights per week on India-France sector. As against this, Air France operates 25 flights a week to India. Similarly, Germany’s Lufthansa operates 45 services to India as against Air India’s seven flights a week to Germany.
“Indian carriers would lose competitiveness to foreign airlines. We need to create a level-playing field for our own carriers so that they can compete with them,” an official in the ministry of civil aviation said. Out of the total bilateral seat entitlements with other countries, Indian carriers are utilising less than 40%.
18/02/08 Nirbhay Kumar/Economic Times

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Missing maid found in India

A housemaid, who was said to have vanished after being detained at Bahrain International Airport, is now back home in India, officials said yesterday.
Indian M T Khadeeja was taken to the airport by her sponsor on January 29 to be flown out of the country.
However, she was handed over to the airport authorities after she claimed she had not been paid for the last 10 months by her sponsor until the matter is resolved.
Khadeeja was due to leave by a Sri Lankan Airlines flight to Calicut, Kerala.
However, on February 3 and again on February 14, the immigration, Civil Aviation, the airline and the Indian Embassy said they had no information about the woman after she was handed over to airport authorities.
However, it emerged yesterday that she had already left Bahrain on February 4. An Indian Embassy official told the GDN that they had found out that Khadeeja has already left the country. The booking was made in the name "Mohammed", who could be her sponsor, he said.
18/02/08 Begena P Pradeep/Gulf Daily News

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