Indian carriers will have to earn international flying credits

Indian carriers desirous of flying overseas once the current 5/20 norm is scrapped will be required to earn international flying rights by providing connectivity to underserved and unserved areas.

Under the current 5/20 norm, Indian airlines are required to have a minimum fleet of 20 aircraft and five years of operational experience for starting international services.

However, under the new policy, Indian airlines will be able to start overseas services if they have a minimum fleet of five aircraft and have accrued sufficient credits by deploying capacity on domestic routes. Though the five years of operations will be done away with, airlines would be given permission to fly overseas only after a year or two of domestic operations so that they are able to prove their credentials.

In cases where airlines are not willing to fly to smaller cities and towns they can buy minimum seats required for fulfilling regional route connectivity, from carriers flying to tier-2 and 3 towns.
13/02/15  Sanjay Singh/Financial Express

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Singapore Resident Complaints Against Air India Security Staff

Puducherry: An Indian national and a permanent resident of Singapore, lodged a complaint with Air India authorities on Sunday demanding action against a security staff of Air India, who he alleged, had harassed and threatened him while he was flying back to Singapore on an Air India flight, from the Tiruchy International Airport.

The complainant, Sriram Surath Kumar (20), a permanent resident of Singapore and a frequent flier, had in his petition stated the he had to board the Singapore-bound Air India flight IX-682 at the Tiruchy international airport on February 8, and was proceeding for baggage screening before the flight.

During this time, Manoharan, a security staff of Air India had stopped him, and allegedly told Sriram in a very rude manner that his baggage had to be checked.

Sriram had explained to the official that he was only carrying some sacred stones (Salagaram), seven in number, purchased from Madurai. This was the very purpose of his visit to India. The sacred stones, Sriram explained, was to be used for a pooja associated with Maha Shivaratri, at his home in Singapore.
10/02/15 New Indian Express

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India Looking Abroad For Intermediate Jet Trainers

Saddled with obsolete training aircraft, the Indian air force (IAF) has decided to snub the long-delayed, indigenous HJT-36 Sitara intermediate jet trainer (IJT) and purchase new trainers from abroad.
The IAF has issued a request for information for a lightweight, single-engine, twin-seat trainer with a secondary light attack capability, an official at India’s ministry of defense says.
“We have asked the vendors to provide cost details for the direct purchase of IJTs for batch sizes of 10, 20, 30 and 50 aircraft,” he says.
The RFI comes weeks after Indian Defense Minister A.K. Antony said the much-delayed Sitara IJT is likely to be operational this year. “All efforts are being made by the Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd. [HAL] for achieving the final operational clearance by December 2014,” Antony had said.
The IAF has been reluctant to exercise the option of buying an IJT since the state-run HAL has been developing a trainer for the force for the last 15 years.
“We are forced to take this decision as deadlines for getting the operational clearance for Sitara have been breached on a number of occasions,” the IAF official says.
27/02/14 Jay Menon/Aviation Week

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After Dubai, India to revise air services agreements with Singapore, Germany

Mumbai/New Delhi: Close on the heels of India allowing Emirates to fly jumbo jet A380 in the revised bilateral air services agreement (ASA) inked with Dubai on Wednesday, the Ministry of Civil Aviation is set to reworkits arrangements with Singapore and Germany. While seat entitlements to Singapore will not be increased immediately, the government plans to amend the agreement which specifically barred Singapore Airlines from operating A380 to India.
In case of Germany - where bilateral traffic entitlementshave been made on the basis of the number of flights permitted per week – the ASAwill be revised and expressed in terms of the numbers of seats available every week, before permitting Lufthansa to fly A380s to India.A senior official at the ministry said, “Singapore Airlineshas made representation to operate A380s to India.
We will not increase seatentitlements to Singapore at the moment but we will revise the agreement because it specifically bars Singapore Airlines from flying in A380s to India.In case of Germany, the bilateral rights would have to be reworked andexpressed in terms of seats available per week.
27/02/14 Sharmistha Mukherjee & Aneesh Phadnis/Business Standard

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‘India biggest market for biz jets in Asia Pacific’

Mumbai: India has emerged as the biggest fleet owner of business aircraft in the Asia Pacific surpassing China with business houses and high net worth individuals (HNIs) acquiring aircraft.
Even during the economic slowdown period of 2008- 12, Indian businessmen purchased 38 per cent more aircraft than the previous five years as per estimates by Beechcraft Corporation.
According to Beechcraft, a leading manufacturer of business aircraft, India has a fleet of 254 business aircraft as compared to 213 in China, 192 in Japan, 150 in Hong Kong, 66 in Malaysia, and 53 in Thailand, making it the biggest fleet owner in Asia Pacific with 15 per cent market share.
As per latest data from Beechcraft, 65 business aircraft were delivered in India between 2008 and 2012, up from 47 in the previous five years. This was compared to 119 delivered in China, 19 in Japan, 47 in Hong Kong and 10 in South Korea.
27/02/14 The Hindu

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Tanzanian Who Flew to Chennai for Heart Treatment, Dies at Airport

Chennai: He made it 5315 kilometres from Dodoma to Chennai, but before Elfalah Khamis Nassor (60) could drive another 9 km from the airport to MIOT Hospitals for his medical appointment, his heart gave out.
Nasoor and his wife had flown from Tanzania to Chennai from Muscat by Oman Air flight WY 251 which arrived at the airport at 6.15 am.
"It had taken some time for them to get their luggage and clear customs. It was a little before 7 AM when they finally reached the lift lobby and started to exit the terminal when he suddenly clutched his chest and fell down," said a vendor inside the international terminal.
Though doctors from the Apollo Emergency Clinic at the airport were called to revive him, all they could do was to pronounce him dead.
27/02/14 New Indian Express

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2 Lankans held at Chennai airport for bid to smuggle gold

Chennai: Two Sri Lankan nationals were arrested at the airport here today for allegedly trying to smuggle gold worth Rs 19 lakh.
Customs officials detained them at the airport here on their arrival from Colombo after they were found carrying 294 gm and 296 gm of gold, respectively, airport sources said.
27/02/14 PTI/Business Standard

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One held at IGI for smuggling in gold biscuits

New Delhi: CISF today apprehended a man who was allegedly trying to smuggle in ten gold biscuits on his arrival from Riyadh at the Indira Gandhi international airport here.
Sources said CISF personnel intercepted one Mohammed Naim, a resident of Muzaffarnagar, UP, when he trying to slip out through the green channel of the customs at the T3 terminal of the airport at about 1 pm.
27/02/14 PTI/Business Standard

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AviationMin allows 11,000 more seats between India, Dubai

New Delhi: India and Dubai today agreed to increase weekly seat entitlements between the two countries by 11,000 from the current 54,200 seats. The increase will be done in three phases – 5,500 seats in the summer schedule, another 3,300 more by the winter schedule and rest 2,200 by next summer.
Total weekly seat entitlements will go up from the current 54,200 to 65,200 seats a week by the summer of 2015. The Indian Express had reported on February 21, that the increase would be in the range of 20 per cent of current entitlement. “India did not agree on giving any new destinations to carriers from Dubai. The Dubai side had asked for four new destinations,” said an official involved in the day-long negotiations held today.
Sources said that the negotiations were stuck on providing change of gauge facility for the Indian carriers at the existing Dubai airport and commitment for helping Indian airlines in getting right slots at Dubai. “The Indian side fetched both for the domestic carriers. Now, they get a change of gauge facility at Dubai and they have provided us commitment that they will help Indian carriers in getting the right slots,” said a source.
27/02/14 Indian Express

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Air France allows passengers to use their personal electronic devices on-board

New Delhi: Air France passengers can now enjoy the added benefit of using their personal electronic devices at all stages on all flights to and from India. Starting 07 February 2014 Air France customers can continue to work or play from the moment they board their plane until they arrive at destination in total freedom. Air France does all it can on a daily basis to offer its passengers more autonomy. Air France guests will be able to use their PEDs in “flight mode” in all phases of the flight. Personal electronic devices such as smartphones, tablets and similar devices without Bluetooth and Wifi reception can be used from departure gate to arrival gate in full freedom during their journey.
27/02/14 Press Releases/Indian Aviation News Net

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Insulate Gulf passengers to prevent gold smuggling: Customs

Kozhikode: Exasperated with increasing instances of smugglers getting help from airport and airline employees to sneak in gold, the customs wing at Karipur airport has sought urgent steps to insulate passengers arriving from the Gulf. In a letter to the airport director, customs assistant commissioner has requested that 'high sensitive' flights from Dubai should be allotted the airway bridge so that passengers can directly enter the emigration point that would facilitate 'effective checking by customs'.
Despite enhanced vigil, the customs wing has not been able to break the nexus between smugglers and airport/airline staff. There have been at least four instances during the past one year in which airport employees were arrested for trying to help smugglers.
In the latest incident, an Air India security personnel - who had unrestricted access - was nabbed on February 6 after he collected 2.8 kg of gold from a passenger as soon as the passenger deplaned. During interrogation, the official admitted that he had helped smuggle around 11 kg of gold through the airport in a similar fashion in the recent months. The letter says that 'several smuggling instances have been noticed' by customs during the time of arrival of flight IX- 344 from Dubai.
27/02/14 Times of India

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Use phones during takeoff, landing on European birds

Mumbai:  European carriers have done away with the ritual switching off of mobile phones, laptops, tablets, e-readers and other electronic devices during take-off and landings. The relaxed norm is applicable on flights operated by these carriers out of India as well. But the devices can be left switched on only in the flight mode, which means the use of internet and Bluetooth continues to be prohibited.
"The easing of restrictions will provide an average of 30 minutes additional personal screen time. With around 300 people on a long-haul flight that will mean a combined total of approximately 150 hours extra viewing, reading or working," said Captain Ian Pringle, flight training manager, British Airways.
The small step towards more freedom in use of personal electronic devices (PEDs) came after the US Federal Aviation Administration and European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) allowed their carriers to relax the existent norms.
26/02/14 Manu V/Times of India

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Man admits leading group linked to Air India bombings

Vancouver:  A British man facing deportation from Canada has admitted at an immigration hearing that he once led the banned Sikh separatist group Babbar Khalsa in England.
Gurmej Singh Gill testified at the hearing in Vancouver that he was one of five founding members of Babbar Khalsa in the United Kingdom, and that he led the group for a period of time in the 1980s.
Gill, who is in his early 70s, says the group sought a separate homeland in India for Sikhs, and his role as leader was to highlight the cause through legal means.
Babbar Khalsa has been linked to the 1985 Air India bombings that killed 331 people on two flights that originated in Vancouver.
26/02/14 The Canadian Press/News1130

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Abacus International to invest $200 million in Asia-Pacific including India

Mumbai: Abacus International, a Singapore-based provider of airline reservation network system, plans in the next three years, to spend $200 million in the Asia-Pacific region of which the single biggest chunk would come to India.
The global distribution system (GDS) provider, which is lagging behind its competitors Amadeus and Galileo in the local market, aims to double its market share in three years, Abacus India MD Jeet Sawhney, told ETin an interview. GDS companies are providers of of business solutions to travel agents and act as interfaces between them and airlines and hotels. A GDS negotiates commission structures and passes them on to agents.
Domestic travel in India has seen a downturn because of a slowdown in the economy hurting revenues of air carriers and the overall travel industry. Further low-fare carriers, which do not use GDS, have in the last few years steadily gained access to a larger share of the market.
27/02/14 Anirban Chowdhury/Economic Times

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‘SilkAir will continue to enjoy niche market space’

Thiruvananthapuram: SilkAir, regional wing of Singapore Airlines, believes it has a niche place for itself in the Indian market. Entry of new players does not necessarily alter the position, says David Lau, General Manager-India, Singapore Airlines.
He said this in the specific context of his own airline joining Tata Sons to launch a full-services player in India and the Tatas teaming up with AirAsia for a separate venture.
“Tata-AirAsia is a low-cost domestic airline and Tata-Singapore Airlines will launch as a full-service, domestic airline,” Lau told Business Line.
On the other hand, SilkAir operates the Singapore Airlines Group’s narrow-body fleet. It extends the Group network by seeding and developing new destinations in Asia Pacific.
26/02/14 Business Line

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'Operate M'lore-Kuwait flights or give nod to pvt airlines'

Mangalore: Gulf NRI Forum, Kuwait, has urged the Deputy General of Civil Aviation, Government of India, to restart Mangalore- Kuwait flight which has been stopped recently by Air India Express or to grant permission to private international airline operators to operate flights between Mangalore and Kuwait.
Addressing mediapersons in Mangalore on Wednesday, Gulf NRI Forum (Kuwait) President P B Pinto said that the flight service has been stopped with effect from February 13, which has caused a great inconvenience to Non-Resident Indians in Gulf countries. He alleged that the Air India Express is showing step mother’s attitude towards Mangaloreans by discontinuing Mangalore -Kuwait flights and retaining the service in Kerala.
Alleging that Air India Express has completely neglected  the non-resident Indians, Pinto said that the NRIs from Mangalore, travelling from Kuwait, are now compelled to land in Mumbai and again catch a domestic flight to come to Mangalore, which will be time consuming and troublesome. This will be a great inconvenience to mothers travelling with infants, he said.
26/02/14 Deccan Herald

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Columbia Helicopters Goes Live on Ramco Aviation Suite

Ramco Systems, the global Aviation Software provider on Cloud, Mobile and Tablets, announced the successful go-live of Ramco Aviation version 5.6, at Columbia Helicopters Inc. (CHI), the world leader in commercial heavy-lift helicopter operations. CHI is one of the first customers of Ramco Aviation who have been using the series 3 for more than a decade.
With this upgrade, CHI is on the latest and state-of-the-art version of Ramco Solution v5.6. CHI is now using the fully integrated suite of Ramco Aviation including Finance & 3rd party MRO, Offline Maintenance System, Time & Attendance and Advanced Reporting.
Ramco’s Offline Field Maintenance System (OFMS) has unique features that stand apart from the traditional offline systems as it allows the system to be operated completely on a disconnected mode for as long as the situation warrants without compromising on the visibility of the records and data from the central location (head office). This feature has helped CHI ensure that records are not locked for the central control when the aircraft is offline. CHI now uses OFMS to record maintenance operations and track inventory from remote locations such as Papua New Guinea, the Amazon jungles of Peru among others.
26/02/14 PRWeb

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Protest by airlines may halve Dubai’s plea for 20,000 extra seats

New Delhi: Concerns from Indian carriers on the quantum of increase in bilateral seat entitlements requested by Dubai, may result in the Emirati city getting only half of its initial request of enhancing weekly entitlements by 20,000 seats.
A top official of the civil aviation ministry told ET, that officials of various ministries met as part of an Inter Ministerial Group on Monday where a "couple" of airlines including Air India had raised concerns against Dubai's request of enhancing bilateral seat entitlements by 20,000 seats per week.
"The concerns of the Indian airlines will need to be addressed," said the official of the civil aviation ministry. "We will need to restart negotiations with Dubai and a meeting will be set up by the Joint Secretary Prabhat Kumar very soon.
25/02/14 Economic Times

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Oman-India flights diverted as fog rolls in

Muscat: Flights from Middle East region were affected as fog blanketed north Indian cities for a few hours on Monday morning.
A Jet Airways flight from Dammam to Delhi was diverted to Jaipur due to poor visibility at 7:55am and an Oman Air flight operating on Muscat-Lucknow sector was diverted to Delhi due to foggy conditions in Lucknow.  The Oman Air flight landed at the Indira Gandhi International Airport at around 5.42am.
According to Indian Meteorological Department's (IMD) forecast, it will again be a foggy day in Delhi today, while on February 27 and February 28, skies will be partly cloudy with the possibility of rain or thunderstorm.
"We are aware of the fog in north India. We don't have flights operating to north Indian destinations and none of our flights from the region have made any stopovers in Muscat due to the bad weather in north India," Riyaz Kuttery, general manger at Jet Airways in Oman, said.
25/02/14 Rejimon K/Times of Oman

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AirAsia offers 5 lakh free tickets on select routes

Malaysian low-cost airline AirAsia, which is awaiting flying permit from the Indian aviation regulator to launch its services in the domestic market, on Tuesday said it is offering 5 lakh free seats along with 18 lakh low-fare promotional seats from Kuala Lumpur on select routes.
The bookings under the offer, which commenced yesterday, can be made till March 2 for the travel period from October 1 to April 30 next year, AirAsia said in a release here.
As part of the scheme, the airline has offered an all-inclusive fares starting from as low as Rs. 6,999 from Kochi, Kolkata, Tiruchirappalli, Chennai, Bangalore to Kuala Lumpur, the airline said adding, the fares for Chennai-Bangkok sector have been fixed at Rs. 7,999.
"This free seats promotion allows everyone to enjoy exquisite holiday destination options at very fair and
realistic prices," AirAsia group chief commercial officer Siegtraund Teh said.
25/02/14 PTI/NDTV.com

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Senator seeks probe of Cebu airport project

Senator Sergio Osmeña III on Tuesday called for an investigation into delays in the awarding of construction and 25-year management contract of the Mactan Cebu International Airport (MCIA).
In a privilege speech entitled "Shades of Piatco," Osmeña expressed concern that the award of the MCIA contract to the consortium of GMR Infrastructure Ltd. of India and Megawide Construction Corporation would cause a "grievous injury" not only to the people of Cebu but to "all future travelers to and from the Visayas and Mindanao."
"As a Cebuano, I am very much concerned because if this project is done well, it could send the people of Cebu soaring to higher levels of tourism and other commercial activity and would result in more jobs and higher incomes for tens of thousands," he said.
"If done badly, it could send our hopes and aspirations crashing to the ground, with serious repercussions on the national economy, and on our international image," Osmeña added.
25/02/14 Sun Star

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KZN nurse held in India over bullet

Durban: A KwaZulu-Natal nurse spent four days in an Indian prison as a suspected terrorist after airport police found a live bullet in her luggage.
Isra Devi Lutchman, 62, left for India last week hoping to have a wonderful holiday.
However, it turned into a nightmare when she was arrested on arrival in Delhi, on a flight from Dubai, on February 19.
She was held at the Rohini district jail in Delhi, before being released on bail at the weekend.
A relative, who did not want to be named, said Lutchman told them soon after her release that the prison system in India left a lot to be desired. She said she had been fed one slice of bread a day while in jail and had been detained in a cell with other female offenders.She was also not allowed to bath during her incarceration.The relative said Lutchman was traumatised by her arrest.
“She was not given an opportunity to defend herself. She knew nothing about the bullet,” the relative said.
“She was just hauled off to jail and only gave a statement to police when an Indian advocate - Asim Al - was appointed.” The relative said they were trying to secure the help of the Department of International Relations and Co-operation (Dirco) to facilitate Lutchman’s return home.Lutchman is staying at a hotel in Delhi  awaiting the arrival of her family.
25/02/14 Sherlissa Peters/IOL News

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Gold bars worth Rs. 60 lakh seized at Kochi airport

Kochi:  Two gold bars, weighing around two kgs and valued at Rs. 60.94 lakh, were seized by the customs officers from a passenger who arrived in Kochi from Kuala Lumpur by an Air Asia flight.
Officials of Air Intelligence Unit intercepted the passenger Kallattayil Hydru Shaju, hailing from Thrissur district, who arrived from Kuala Lumpur late last night.
25/02/14 NDTV.com

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Air Passengers Association of India challenges CCI's approval to Jet-Etihad deal

New Delhi: More trouble seems to be brewing for the Jet-Etihad deal with the Air Passengers Association of India (APAI) moving the appellate tribunal against the Competition watchdog's approval to the deal.
The association has sought to be made party in the case filed by the former executive director of Air India Jitender Bhargava. "We have impleaded ourselves as a party in support of what Jitender Bhargava had filed before the Compat," said APAI President G Sudhakara Reddyy.
Abu-Dhabi based Etihad Airways has invested Rs 2058 crore for a 24 per cent stake in Naresh Goyal-led Jet Airways. The deal got the approval of from CCI on November 12, 2014.
25/02/14 Economic Times

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‘Rahat Saab wants to fly down to India in november’

Mumbai: A few days ago, Rahat Fateh Ali Khan read that the Enforcement Directorate (ED) would be questioning him during his next visit to India. The 37-year-old Pakistani singer was detained on February 14, 2011, at Delhi's Indira Gandhi International airport after $1.24 lakh was allegedly recovered from their possession. News from Lahore is that he is willing to meet the ED officials, but before that he has hired a law firm and despatched a team to India to try and resolve the matter.
Confirming this, Salman Ahmed who is leading the team which landed in India yesterday, told Mirror, "When Rahat read the news, the first thing that came to his mind was that why this move after three years and why he hasn't received any official intimation from ED on the subject. But without wasting time, he decided to quickly clear the decks because he wants to fly down to India in November."
Ahmed asserted that they are ready to meet every official, from every department that matters, to clear the issue.
25/02/14  Vickey Lalwani/Mumbai Mirror

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26-fold jump in gold smuggling at IGI Airport

New Delhi: Gold smuggling at the IGI airport is up 26 times from previous years with 177.6kg of the yellow metal being intercepted at the airport this financial year, according to information obtained via an RTI plea and official data.
Nearly 85kg gold has been seized by the customs department since the beginning of the year. Last year, only 6.8kg of gold was seized .
On Friday, airport authorities nabbed two Sri Lankans who were trying to smuggle out 20kg of gold worth Rs 5.25 crore. The two were travelling from Mumbai. "We intercepted the duo at the domestic terminal. We X-rayed their baggage and found two 10kg gold bars," said a customs official.
23/02/14 Suhas Munshi/Times of India

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Emirates set to get more flying rights

New Delhi: In a farewell 'gift' to Gulf carriers at the cost of desi airlines, the aviation ministry is set to grant Dubai additional flying rights of 10,000 seats a week — up almost 20% from the current capacity of 55,000 seats. Dubai-based Emirates, which is known as India's de facto national airline due to its numero uno share in international traffic to and from the country (if Air India subsidiaries are not clubbed with AI), has for long been asking for more flying rights or bilaterals.
"The inter-ministerial group on the issue will meet soon. Dubai has been asking for more bilaterals as the current entitlement on both sides has been fully used up. They were last given flying rights in 2008 and have been asking for an increase for a long time," aviation minister Ajit Singh said. Dubai wanted a hike of at least 20,000 seats and is likely to get half of that. Indian carriers have almost fully utilized their share of 55,000 seats too. This will be the second hike to Gulf carriers after the ministry's largesse to Abu Dhabi last year. Emirates had linked flying the Airbus A380 to India to get more bilaterals. The airline had reasoned that it did not make sense to introduce the A380 here by reducing existing frequency of flights.
24/02/14 Times of India

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Engine snag grounds AI Dreamliner in Tokyo

New Delhi:  In yet another Dreamliner snag, an Air India Boeing-787 was grounded in Tokyo on Sunday just when it was supposed to take off for Delhi. The flight (AI 307) pushed back from Narita airport out with over 160 passengers on board but the aircraft had to be towed back after its right engine simply did not start!
"There is some problem with the engine and some of its blades have broken. So it did not start. It is an internal issue and not one caused by bird hit," said an airline official. AI is talking to Japan Airlines and ANA as both these airlines use Dreamliners and have the same engine. The airline is trying to get parts from these local carriers so that the aircraft (VT-ANI) is not grounded for long in Tokyo.
24/02/14 Saurabh Sinha/Times of India

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Flights to India now available for booking with Airberlin

Berlin: Airberlin has extended its codeshare agreement with its strategic partner Etihad Airways to include flights to India. Daily connections are now available via Abu Dhabi to Bangalore, Chennai, Hyderabad, Kochi, Mumbai and New Delhi. Tickets to these six destinations can be booked with airberlin from today.
Thanks to seven additional services between Berlin and Abu Dhabi starting on the 26th October 2014, the number of destinations available with Etihad Airways via Abu Dhabi has increased from 19 to 43, with destinations in the Gulf, northern Asia (Beijing, Shanghai, Tokyo Narita), South-East Asia (Kuala Lumpur, Jakarta) and Australia (Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane). In future, airberlin is also planning to include Perth and Seoul as destinations in its codeshare network with Etihad Airways.
24/02/14 Theodore Koumelis/TravelDailyNews

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KORWA urges restoration of M'lore-Kuwait flights

Mangalore: Louis Lobo, president of the Konkan Overseas Returnees Welfare Association (KORWA) Mangalore and vice-president Elias Sanctis on Saturday February 22 submitted a  memorandum to J  R Lobo MLA Mangalore South requesting him to try and restore the services of the Air India Express or get any other private airline to operate between Mangalore and Kuwait.
The memorandum expressed disappointment of the KORWA members over the cancellation of the flight services.
"We are shocked that the said services can continue on the extant route of Kozhikode to Kuwait even as it passes a location that has a lot of passengers that use the flight services to Kuwait," it said.
23/02/14 daijiworld.com

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26-fold jump in gold smuggling at IGI Airport

New Delhi: Gold smuggling at the IGI airport is up 26 times from previous years with 177.6kg of the yellow metal being intercepted at the airport this financial year, according to information obtained via an RTI plea and official data.
Nearly 85kg gold has been seized by the customs department since the beginning of the year. Last year, only 6.8kg of gold was seized .
On Friday, airport authorities nabbed two Sri Lankans who were trying to smuggle out 20kg of gold worth Rs 5.25 crore. The two were travelling from Mumbai. "We intercepted the duo at the domestic terminal. We X-rayed their baggage and found two 10kg gold bars," said a customs official.
23/02/14 Suhas Munshi/Times of India

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Deal with Dubai to bleed desi airlines, PM told

New Delhi: If the government agrees to a proposal from the Dubai civil aviation authority to enhance bilateral passenger capacity between Dubai and India by an additional 50,000 seats per week in each direction and for additional points of call at Amritsar, Pune, Jaipur and Goa in India to operate, Indian carriers including the state-run Air India will suffer huge losses.
This was pointed out by CPI leader Gurudas Dasgupta, MP, to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in a letter on Saturday.
Dubai authorities have also sought permission to deploy Airbus A380 on routes to India.
While the civil aviation ministry has sought the comments of Air India on the contentious issues last week, Dasgupta urged the PM to ensure that the government does not accede to Dubai civil aviation authority's request as it would lead to huge losses to Indian carriers.
23/02/14 Mohua Chatterjee/Times of India

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India set to enhance seat entitlements from Dubai

New Delhi/ Mumbai: The civil aviation ministry is preparing  to revise the bilateral air entitlement with Dubai which envisages allowing them a 20% increase  in seats to India. The move however will accentuate the bitter battle between leading west Asian carriers which include Emirates, Qatar Airlines and Etihad-Jet alliance, for a larger share of the lucrative India-west Asia to US and Europe market. Between 50% to 75% of Indian travellers to west Asia are transit passengers to US, Europe and Africa.    
An inter-ministerial group comprising of representatives of civil aviation ministry and other government departments, will meet in New Delhi in a few days to consider Dubai's demand for an additional 20,000 seats per week-a one third increase from the 54,200 seats that they already have. However between Emirates and LCC flydubai this entitlement has been fully utilised nearly two years ago and these airlines have been demanding more seats.  
23/02/14 Sharmistha Mukherjee, Surajeet Das Gupta & Aneesh Phadnis/Business Standard

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DGCA grounds United Airlines plane, US aviation authority sees red

Mumbai: A United Airlines aircraft has been grounded in Mumbai since Thursday evening with DGCA sources claiming that the aircraft is damaged, but there is a speculation that this could be the result of a power struggle ever since the US downgraded India's civil aviation security standards.
The aircraft belonging to American carrier United Airlines has been grounded at the Mumbai International Airport for over 48 hours signalling a major standoff between the DGCA and the US Federal Aviation Authority.
However, the DGCA has maintained that it grounded the aircraft because the right engine cowl was missing even as the United Airlines says the cowl is present and only has minor damages.
Meanwhile, an eight member team is coming to Mumbai from US to repair the aircraft.
23/02/14 Shawan Sen/CNN-IBN/IBN Live

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Activist stranded at Heathrow for two hours as airport staff struggled to put her wheelchair back together

She was travelling to Canada to deliver the keynote address at an international conference on ‘Leadership in the face of adversity’. -
 But even before she could reach her destination, author and activist Malini Chib faced a bigger hurdle, when British Airways, the airlines she was travelling in, dismantled and took apart her wheel chair before loading the chair in the plane’s cargo.
As a result, when she arrived in London, her first stopover en route to Canada, Chib found herself stranded for over two hours as airline staff at Heathrow frantically tried to put the machine together again. Chib, who has Cerebal Palsy, is also the secretary of Able Disable All People Together (ADAPT earlier known as the Spastics Society of India. Speaking to SUNDAY MiD DAY from London, Chib confirmed she was stranded at Heathrow after her personal wheelchair was tampered with. Chib is now in London, where she has an alternate residency. She will head the conference, organised by the University of Virginia at Canada, soon. According to her mother Dr Mithu Alur, managing trustee of ADAPT, Chib and her father Sathi Alur boarded the British Airways flight from Mumbai to London on Thursday, February 20. “They had business class tickets and the aircraft took off in the afternoon,” she said.
23/02/14 Chetna Yerunkar/MiD DAY

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58-yr-old businessman, three others held with drugs worth Rs 5 crore

Mumbai:  Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) on Saturday arrested Niranjan Shah (58), a partner of the late scamster, Harshad Mehta, along with three other people, including a Nigerian national for drug trafficking. NCB officials seized ephedrine and methamphetamine worth more than Rs five crore from two cars in which they were travelling.
"We had specific information about Shah indulging in drug peddling and hence we had kept a watch on him for nearly a month. After verifying the facts, we cornered him near the domestic airport and recovered the drugs," said an official from NCB zonal office in Mumbai.
Sources said that the NCB team had been following Shah from near his residence on Juhu Church Road. A search in the two cars resulted in recovery of 80.5 kg of white crystalline powder purportedly to be ephedrine worth around Rs 5 crore and another packet weighing 4.5 kg of methamphetamine worth around Rs 4.5 lakh.
23/02/14 Times of India

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Gold worth Rs 43.98 lakh seized at Mangalore International Airport

Mangalore: On Saturday, officers of customs at MIA seized gold totally weighing 1399.650 grams in three separate cases valued at Rs 43,38,915. One of the accused arrested in these cases involved a woman, the first such instance from January this year where a woman has been caught trying to bring in gold illegally. She followed an oft adopted modus operandi by gold smugglers.
In the first case, officers seized 10 gold pieces weighing 933.140 grams valued at Rs 28,92,734 concealed in an emergency light and a rechargeable LED flash light from the possession of a passenger Mehazabin Rumana.
In the second case, officers seized six gold pieces, totally weighing 233.250 grams and valued at Rs 7,23,075 concealed in undergarments worn by Ahmed Kabeer Moideen Kunhi, a resident of Chattanchal Kaniyadukkam, Kasargod district of Kerala.
In the third case, officers seized six gold pieces totally weighing 233.260 grams and valued at Rs 7,23,106 concealed in under garments worn by Hassainar Kombanadukkam Ismail, resident of,Chemnad in Kasargod district.
22/02/14 Times of India

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Two Sri Lankan held with gold worth Rs 5 cr at airport

New Delhi: In a major seizure, two Sri Lankans have been arrested at the airport here for allegedly trying to smuggle into the country gold bars weighing 20 kg.
Acting on intelligence, the duo were intercepted by customs officials after their arrival here from Mumbai on Friday.
On examination of their hand baggage, gold bars weighing 20 kg were found. They were carrying 10 kg gold each, a customs official said.
The value of the recovered gold is about Rs 5.25 crore, he said.
The flight was coming from Muscat.
23/02/14 PTI/Business Standard

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FAA downgrade not to impact Air India's Star Alliance entry

New Delhi: The government Friday said that the downgrading of Indian aviation sector by US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) will not affect Air India's entry into the global interline marketing arrangement Star Alliance.
Minister of State for Civil Aviation K. C. Venugopal said Star Alliance has confirmed that the FAA safety assessment is a matter for the respective aviation authorities and the downgrade has no direct impact on the planned integration of Air India.
Star Alliance decided to take Air India in its fold in December 2013.
"The integration involves aligning various processes and standards to the Star Alliance joining requirements," Venugopal informed the Lok Sabha, lower house of parliament.
21/02/14 IANS/Business Standard

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We’ll wait till elections to decide on investments in India, says Beechcraft President

New Delhi: Sixty years after it sold its first aircraft to India, US aviation company Beechcraft is still bullish on prospects in the Indian market for private aircraft. Like many others globally, the company feels that after the Lok Sabha elections, more businesses will take investment decisions, including those on buying more aircraft. Edited excerpts from an interview with Richard Emery, Beechcraft President, Asia Pacific.

How do elections affect investment decisions about buying private aircraft?
I think it is natural. There are different outcomes in the elections. Depending on what the outcomes are, they can impact businesses, individuals and State Governments. Rather than taking a risk prior to an election, it’s more prudent to wait till you understand what the outcome will be. This happens everywhere, in the US, Latin America, Europe... It’s part of a sales cycle.

Considering that elections are due in India shortly, do you see the same thing here?
Let’s take the example of Mexico, which recently went through a very important election. Though a party had been in office for two Presidential cycles, a new candidate came in from the PRI party, which is very pro-business. A year prior to the election, very few people sold very few planes in Mexico because business people and entrepreneurs were waiting to see what was going to happen. Because, if you make a substantial investment prior to the candidate coming in, and for some reason that does not turn out, you are sitting on a large asset that’s not going to be utilised appropriately.
21/02/14 Business Line

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Russian team visits HAL's Sukhoi facility

Bangalore: A high-level Russian military aircraft manufacturers' delegation visited the Sukhoi-30 MKI fighters production and overhauling facility of state-run Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL) in Maharashtra's Nasik this week, the HAL said Friday.
"The delegation had a firsthand account of our facilities set up to roll out Sukhois (Su30 MKI) under licensed production from Russian aerospace majors," HAL chairman R.K. Tyagi said in a statement here.
The Su-30 MKI, which is the main striking force of Indian Air Force (IAF) is manufactured at the defence behemoth's five divisions - at Nasik, Koraput in Odisha, Hyderabad and Lucknow and Korwa in Uttar Pradesh.
"We have delivered 134 Su-30 fighters to IAF so far producing them from raw material phase and incorporating 43,000 components for the airframe and 9,600 accessories," Tyagi said.
21/02/14 IANS/Business Standard

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African Woman Caught With $57,000 in Undergarments

Chennai: Regardless of how high a dollar is valued, this West African lady would have easily taken the prize for possessing the most expensive lingerie, as airport security found a whopping 57,000 USD stuffed inside her underwear.
According to a top CISF official, 34-year-old Choukouratoua Alayi, who belongs to the Republic of Benin, had come to board an Emirates flight EK 547 to Hong Kong via Dubai, on Wednesday night.
After checking in, the woman proceeded to the security check where a female CISF constable began frisking her.
“Normally the checks are fairly quick, but when our constable placed her hands on this lady, she seemed uncomfortable. So she asked her to submit to further search,” the official said.
When she reluctantly agreed to the full body search, the female guards were surprised to find that she had wads of US dollars stuffed all around her hip and lower abdomen, packed into her underwear.
With Customs maintaining that the permissible amount of currency for a person to carry out of India is fixed at $5000, this was well over the limit.
21/02/14 New Indian Express

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Employee of airport contract firm held for smuggling gold

New Delhi: The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) has unearthed a modus operandi of smuggling gold through nexus with an airport contract firm employee and arrested three persons for allegedly trying to smuggle into country the yellow metal valued about Rs 30 lakh.
Of the three held, one was identified as Jitin Gupta who works as senior customer service associate of M/s Global airport, a contract firm of M/s GMR at Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA) here, a press release issued today by DRI said.
Gupta was apprehended by DRI on the intervening night of Wednesday and Thursday for allegedly trying to smuggle in 1.152 kg of gold brought by Surinder Pal who, after arrival from Bangkok, handed over the metal to Gupta inside the bathroom in immigration hall, it said.
21/02/14 PTI/Business Standard

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Shah Rukh Khan creates mayhem on flight

A Mid-Day report says that King Khan was on his way back to Mumbai from Malaysia after performing as a part of 'Temptation Reloaded' tour. When he boarded the flight, the flight attendants announced the star's presence. Everyone became crazy and started cheering and shouting his name. Some people also tried to approach him for autographs and pictures. As a result the staff found it difficult to control the crowd surrounding the star.
Further to reports in Mid-dAY, Quoting a passenger, the report further adds the staff of Malaysian airlines were very excited about his presence. The pilot too could not believe his luck as he was about to fly India's most popular star. Once the pilot announced that SRK was on the flight, there was absolute mayhem. In fact it was so difficult to control the crowd that food was also served late.
21/02/14 Times of India

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'Downgraded' DGCA probes US aircraft that landed in Mumbai sans engine part

New Delhi: Will India adopt a tit-for-tat policy for 'Uncle Sam' after its aviation safety rating was downgraded by the US Federal Aviation Administration due to poor oversight capability of the directorate general of civil aviation (DGCA)?
A mega US carrier's schedule Newark-Mumbai flight landed in Mumbai in the early hours of Friday with the aircraft's right wing engine nose coil missing. The part, which provides a smooth aerodynamic cover for the engine and protects it from the environment, is believed to have flown off during the flight, raising question marks over the FAA's very own oversight.
The directorate general of civil aviation (DGCA) is sending a team of officials to inspect the aircraft. If the inspections reveal major faults, the aircraft may be not be allowed to take off till the same are rectified. Incidentally, this is the second problem found in US-registered aircraft in India in last 10 days. Earlier, a major US cargo company's freighter aircraft was also found to have the top surface of its vertical stabilizer missing. "These things do not show FAA's own oversight on US-registered aircraft in a good light," said an official.
21/02/14 Saurabh Sinha/Times of India

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United Airlines plane grounded at Mumbai airport

New Delhi: A Boeing 777 aircraft of American carrier United Airlines was grounded at Mumbai airport on Thursday night after engineers found that its right engine cover was badly damaged, official sources said on Friday.
The aircraft, operating flight UA-48 from Newark to Mumbai, arrived around 10pm on Thursday.
DGCA officials, who inspected the aircraft thereafter, grounded the plane, terming the damage as "major", the sources said.
21/02/14 PTI/Times of India

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DGCA revises licensing norms

Mumbai: The Directorate General of Civil Aviation has revised airline licensing norms, restricting foreign carriers from having management control in domestic airlines. The revised rules regarding minimum requirement for grant of operating permit were issued on Wednesday.
The amended rules also allow airlines to carry out maintenance and repairs and training of pilots and engineers at facilities belonging to other airlines. This change will benefit both Tata Singapore Airlines and AirAsia, which could use their bases in Singapore and Malaysia for training and engineering functions.
Earlier rules stipulated that the chairman and two-third of an airline’s board members are Indian citizens and that effective control and substantial ownership is vested with Indians. The revised rules state domestic airlines shall not enter into an agreement with a foreign airline or a foreign investor, which may give the latter the "right to control the management'' of the domestic airline.
21/02/14 Business Standard

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Aviation Min may allow over 10K more seats between India, Dubai

New Delhi: The civil aviation ministry may increase the weekly bilateral seat entitlements between India and Dubai. The hike is likely to be over 10,000 seats a week from 55,000 currently. The move will, among others, benefit Emirates, which has already used up its quota of seats for the sector and has asked for more.
A meeting of an inter-ministerial group (IMG) to discuss the request for an increase of 20,000 weekly seats by Dubai, is scheduled to take place next week. “The IMG is meeting next week.
We have decided on considering Dubai’s proposal for an increase in bilateral seat entitlements since carriers from both sides have exhausted the current quota,” said a top ministry official.
While Indian carriers have exhausted 95 per cent of the quota available for Dubai, carriers from Dubai, including Emirates, have exhausted all their entitlements.
The airline carries the largest number of outbound passengers from India and is far ahead of Indian carriers. The official added that the General Election process and ‘model code of conduct’ should not hold the bilateral negotiation, as it may happen before the parliamentary polls.
21/02/14 Mihir Mishra/Indian Express

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Indian airlines may buy 30 regional jets in three years: Bombardier

Canadian regional jet manufacturer Bombardier says there are a plenty of opportunities in India. The regional jet market sees at least 20 to 30 orders coming in from India, established ones as well as start-ups, over the next two to three years as airline companies look for the right kind of aircraft to service the Tier II and Tier III towns.
Bombardier's rival Brazilian regional jet manufacturer Embraer clinched a big-ticket deal this month when it signed a $2.94 billion order for 50 Embraer E190s and E195s with start-up AirCosta to be delivered from 2018 onwards. The deal is the biggest order for the regional kind of aircraft from India.
The deal may have eroded the first mover advantage that Bombardier had, considering it was the first aviation company to sign up for the technologically advanced and silent turboprops used by the Q400s flown by budget airline SpiceJet. But Bombardier's Vice President for Commercial Aircraft Sales in Asia Pacific Toby Karlsson does not agree.
20/02/14 Manisha Singhal/Business Today

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Demand for direct flights between Tamil areas and India ridiculous: Sri Lanka

Colombo: The Northern Provincial Council (NPC) has asked the governments of Sri Lanka and India to take steps to introduce direct flights from Palali and Trincomalee to India for the benefit of Tamils living in the north and east of the island nation.
However, a day after news of the resolution, passed at the council’s sixth session held in Jaffna on Tuesday, was out, Civil Aviation Minister Pryankara Jayaratne said the demand of the administration, led by the Tamil National Alliance (TNA), was “ridiculous,” a media report in Colombo said.
20/02/14 Meera Srinivasan/The Hindu

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MRPL refuses fuel on easy terms to Maldives

New Delhi: External affairs minister Salman Khurshid won’t have comforting words for Maldives on fuels supplies as Mangalore Refinery & Petrochemicals Ltd (MRPL) has refused to supply transport fuels on extra concessional terms to the islands nation on the brink of bankruptcy.
MRPL managing director PP Upadhya told the petroleum ministry last month that the firm was “not in a position” to consider Maldives request for products supply. “We cannot accept open credit, knowing very well the financial health of Maldives,” wrote Upadhya.
MRPL’s decision followed a caution from the ministry of external affairs on January 24 that financial situation in Maldives was “precarious” as the country had only about $250-$300 million as foreign exchange reserves.
21/02/14 Amitav Ranjan/Indian Express

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SilkAir to woo business class travellers from India

Kochi: Celebrating 25 years of operations, SilkAir, the regional wing of Singapore Airlines, will present a limited edition Gold Coin to its business class customers travelling from India in a special eight day promotion.
Customers from India booking their round trip Business Class flights on SilkAir from February 21-28 for travel between Mar 1 2014 to July 31 this year will receive upto two 24K gold coins of four gram each, Singapore Airlines General Manager India David Lau told reporters here.
Joy Alukkas, a renowned jewellery store chain in India, will design the Gold coin.
20/02/14 PTI/Economic Times

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Relaxed rules to fly abroad another scam: TMC leader

New Delhi: Even as the government is all set to clear the Air Asia proposal which will allow it to fly overseas from the outset, senior TMC leader Dinesh Trivedi has written to the Prime Minister yet again, describing the civil aviation ministry's decision to relax the rules for flying abroad as "yet another scam".
The Federation of Indian Airlines (FIA) has opposed grant of flying licence to AirAsia-Tata JV airline. Stating that FDI was for investment in existing airlines and not startups, FIA had written to DGCA chief Prabhat Kumar on February 11.
Trivedi has argued that the sudden relaxation of the two preconditions for flying abroad (a five-year experience of domestic flying and a fleet of 20 aircraft) — known as the 5/20 rule — was solely aimed to benefit the foreign player.
21/02/14 Times of India

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Silk Air to Reward Travellers

Thiruvananthapuram: Silk Air, the regional wing of Singapore Airlines, is all set to celebrate its silver jubilee anniversary on February 21. To commemorate this milestone, the airlines will be rewarding its Business Class customers travelling from India with a limited edition 24 K gold coin weighing 4 grams each in a special eight-day promotion.
Customers from India booking their round trip Business Class flights on Silk Air during February 21-  28  for travel between March 1 and July 31 this year will receive up to two coins each .
Customers flying from Kochi, Thiruvananthapuram, Visakhapatnam, Hyderabad and Coimbatore will receive the gold coin featuring the Silk Air and Boeing 737 logo. Those  flying from Bengaluru, Chennai, Kolkata, Delhi, Mumbai and Ahmedabad will receive the gold coin featuring the Silk Air and the special 25th anniversary logo.
Commenting on the anniversary celebrations Silk Air general manager India David Lau told mediapersons here on Wednesday that 2.5 lakh specially-priced tickets will also be released worldwide to mark the jubilee.
20/02/14 New Indian Express

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50,000 fly from Birmingham to India in six months

Long-awaited direct flights from the city to India have brought in 50,000 passengers in six months since it was launched at Birmingham Airport.
Airport bosses fought for five years to return Air India flights after they were stopped from the city in 2008, and have been repleased by the response, with four in five seats sold.
To celebrate its success in the first six months, leaders of the local Sikh community presented Birmingham Airport with a commemorative plaque to thank the team for launching the flights last year and reconnecting Birmingham with Delhi and Amritsar, an important spiritual centre for the Sikh faith.
The airport’s aviation development director William Pearson said: “The Midlands has the second largest Asian community in the UK, so it’s no surprise that the airline has carried its first 50,000 passengers and experienced over 80 per cent load factors on the route since launching last August.”
20/02/14 Graeme Brown/Birmingham Post

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Bahrain signs key deals with Indian firms

New Delhi: Bahrain has signed key agreements with Indian business organisations, aimed at encouraging greater economic collaboration between the two friendly countries.
A business delegation co-ordinated by Bahrain's Industry and Commerce Ministry and the Economic Development Board (EDB) also hosted the Bahrain-India Business Forum in the Indian capital, said a report in the Gulf Daily News (GDN), our sister publication.
More than 130 Bahraini businessmen and women promoted opportunities for Indian businesses in Bahrain and the Middle East.
Industry and Commerce Minister Dr Hassan Fakhro said the forum and the agreements signed further strengthened economic ties between Bahrain and India.
Dr Fakhro also noted that Bahrain now hosts a large number of Indian companies, including in the aviation, management services, engineering and ICT sectors.
20/02/14 Trade Arabia

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British Airways offers limited discounts on couple tickets for those travelling out of India

New Delhi:  British Airways is offering up to 70 per cent discount on limited sale of couple tickets to London and other cities in the UK for travel till June end as part of its Valentine's Day campaign.
The tickets should be booked before February 28 and is valid for outbound travel till June 30, an airline spokesperson said.
The tickets are on offer for travel from key Indian cities like Mumbai, Delhi, Bengaluru, Chennai and Hyderabad to London or destinations like Aberdeen, Belfast, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Leeds Bradford, Manchester, Newcastle and Jersey.
20/02/14 PTI/NDTV.com

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Modern Logistics Takes Off with Ramco Aviation Series 5.6

Chennai: Ramco Systems, the global Aviation Software provider on Cloud, Mobile and Tablets, today announced Modern Logistics, one of Brazil’s first “end-to-end” logistics supply chain company, as its first Aviation on Cloud customer in Brazil. The win also marks Ramco’s entry into the Air Cargo segment.
Under the agreement, Modern Logistics will implement Ramco’s full suite Maintenance & Engineering solution, comprising of Engineering & Programs, Materials Management, Maintenance, Compliance & Quality, Flight Operations, along with HCM and Finance & Accounting.
20/02/14 Aviationpros.com

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NRI held for smuggling gold worth Rs 80 lakh

Hyderabad: An NRI, who allegedly tried to smuggle 2.4 kg gold worth Rs 80 lakh, was arrested by Customs authorities at Rajiv Gandhi International (RGI) Airport at Shamshabad here.
The Customs officials intercepted Mohammed Abdul Mateen, who arrived here last evening by a flight from Saudi Arabia via Muscat.
20/02/14 PTI/Business Standard

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Many air-pockets before A380 flies into India

New Delhi: Although the Civil Aviation Ministry lifted the ban on international airlines operating the Airbus A380 into India last month, certain issues still need to be sorted out before the international carriers start flying the world’s biggest commercial jet to India.
For instance , the Directorate-General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) will have to certify that airports in Delhi, Mumbai, Hyderabad and Bangalore can handle the A-380.
 More important, the bilateral air services agreements that India has signed with various countries have to be updated to allow the aircraft into India.
19/02/14 Business Line

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Kuwait- Mangalore flight withdrawn

Mangalore: Air India Express, the low-cost carrier of Air India, suspended its only flight service between Mangalore and Kuwait from Thursday. It was operating this Kochi-Mangalore-Kuwait sector thrice a week.
The official attributed the withdrawal of the service for the national carrier withdrawing its four leased aircrafts following the expiry of the contract period. The official said Mangalore-Kuwait sector was also at a loss managing with low passenger traffic.
The official said it handled 5,568 passengers (arrival and departure) between Mangalore and Kuwait in four months from September, 2013, to December end, 2013.
For example, the official said if 378 passengers arrived from Kuwait to Mangalore in September, 2013, only 199 passengers arrived in November last year.
19/02/14 Bhatkallys.com

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Malaysia Airlines offers up to 30% discount for Indian travellers

Mumbai: Malaysia Airlines is offering discount of up to 30 per cent through the Malaysia Airlines Travel Fair (MATF) campaign, as per a release. The campaign, which will run until February 28, 2014, will be valid for the travel period between February 19 and September 30, 2014. The offer is valid for bookings to more than 25 destinations around the world from Indian cities. Travellers from India can book their journey from Delhi, Mumbai, Hyderabad, Bengaluru, Chennai and Kochi to various Malaysia Airlines’ regional destinations including its latest route, Krabi in Thailand.
Customers can purchase return airfares from Mumbai to Kuala Lumpur from Rs 19,965 all-inclusive return. Flights to Bangkok, Phuket and Krabi from Kochi are priced from Rs 15,287 all-inclusive return while Hyderabad to Hong Kong is priced from Rs 21,180 all-inclusive return. Passengers travelling from Delhi to Bangkok can enjoy all-inclusive return fares from Rs 20,247 and Rs 17,665 return, all-inclusive for those travelling from Benglauru to Krabi. The other offers include travel from Chennai to Singapore from Rs 18,705 return all-inclusive and Rs 17,709 return all-inclusive from Mumbai to Phuket.
19/02/14 TravelBizMonitor

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Malindo Air links Mumbai-Kuala Lumpur

Mumbai: Malindo Air, a hybrid Malaysian airline has officially launched five times weekly services from Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport, Mumbai to Kuala Lumpur. Malindo Air already has daily flights to Kuala Lumpur from New Delhi since December 30, 2013 and from Trichy since January 2, 2014. The next destinations from India after Mumbai will be Ahmedabad on March 19, 2014 and Kochi on April 24, 2014.
Chandran Rama Muthy, chief executive officer, Malindo Air, “As a key commercial and cultural centre in India which successfully marries tradition and modernity against a backdrop of a spectacular landscape, Mumbai has something for everyone, regardless whether you are travelling here for business or leisure.
19/02/14 Financial Express

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Getting innovative with 'time': Gold hidden in watch seized at Mangalore Airport

Mangalore: After belt, hooks and wafer tin, it was now the turn of wrist watch to become a carrier of smuggled gold at Mangalore International Airport. The officers of customs at Mangalore International Airport on Wednesday February 19 seized one kg gold bar and one circular gold piece coated with silver paint totally weighing 1116.400 gms valued at Rs 34,58,512.
The gold was brought by way of mis-declaration and concealment inside a watch and further concealed in a bag by a passenger identified as Muhammed Musthafa Eriyapadi Pallindakukkal, a resident of Kasaragod.
19/02/14 Daijiworld

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From April 1, fly to Abu Dhabi directly from Jaipur

Jaipur: For those who are dependent on Delhi and Mumbai to get a connecting flight to US, UK and Europe, here is some good news. There will be a direct flight from Jaipur to Abu Dhabi, capital of United Arab Emirates from April 1, which will help air travellers to get connecting flights to US and Europe.
Presently Jaipur airport has three international flights to Muscat, Dubai and Sharjah which usually run full capacity.
SN Borkar, director, Airports Authority of India (AAI), Jaipur said Etihad Airways will operate the flight between Jaipur and Abu Dhabi from April 1 onwards. "Presently they will operate only one flight. The schedule will be released soon," Borkar said. "Depending on the response, there is also a possibility that the frequency of the flight may increase. It will definitely help the passengers travelling to Europe and US who can avail this flight to get a connecting flight to these destinations," Borkar added.
19/02/14 Times of India

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Frankfurt Airport honored as “International Cargo Airport of the Year”

Frankfurt Airport (FRA) has been honored as the winner of The STAT Trade Times International Award for Excellence in Air Cargo in the category “International Cargo Airport of the Year” – presented recently in Mumbai during the Air Cargo India 2014 conference and exhibition. The worldwide readers of The STAT Trade Times, an Indian-based international multimodal-transport media group, voted for Frankfurt Airport and other recipients in a total of 26 cargo and logistics categories. Anke Giesen, Fraport AG`s executive board member and executive director ground handling, said: “Frankfurt Airport`s top choice as the `International Cargo Airport of the Year` is a great honor and underscores our enduring commitment to strengthen and expand FRA`s role as a strategic hub for Germany and Europe in the global economy.”
Bucking the tough economic climate in Europe in 2013, FRA achieved a new annual record of 58 million passengers, while cargo grew to 2.1 million metric tons last year. In January 2014, FRA`s cargo throughput (airfreight and airmail) advanced 7.2 percent to 160,970 metric tons. Infrastructure continues to expand, too. FRA is the only major airport in Europe to open a brand new runway (in 2011), followed by a large Pier A-Plus terminal expansion in 2012. Furthermore, new on-airport development sites are available at CargoCity. At the flourishing Gateway Gardens business park, DB Schenker opened its new European headquarters last year. In 2014, the House of Logistics and Mobility (HOLM) – the world`s first airport university campus – will open here, too. HOLM will operate as an innovation and higher-education center that harnesses international collaboration to meet the challenges of our industry.
19/02/14 ForImmediateRelease.net

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Growing middle class fuels Asian aircraft market

Airbus Group and Boeing spent a week with Asian companies sounding more like cocktails than airlines, some of which did not exist a year ago, highlighting the region’s status as a dynamic aircraft market.
From VietJet to Thailand’s Nok Airlines and Air Costa of India, short-haul startups dominated orders at the Singapore Air Show as Asia’s increasing urbanisation and growing middle class fuel a travel surge. New airlines are popping up all over Asia, including some exotically named Japanese carriers Vanilla Air and Peach Aviation.
The expo’s $32bn of orders, while modest compared with a Gulf carrier-inspired $206bn splurge in Dubai three months earlier, highlighted the emergence of the latest class of airline serving intra-Asian routes starting to criss-cross the continent. Startups such as Air Costa are jostling for position with new units at older carriers that range from ANAs Vanilla and Thai Airways International PCL’s Smile division to the Tiger brand of Singapore Airlines.
"The Asia-Pacific is unique because of the number of cities with more than a million people," Robert Martin, CEO of Singapore-based aircraft lessor BOC Aviation, said at the show. "In China there’s more than 100, India has more than 50. The number of city pairs we’ll have in the long term will be phenomenal."
18/02/14 Andrea Rothman, Kyunghee Park and Anurag Kotoky/Business Day

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London City Airport employs staff from 28 different countries

London City Airport (LCY) is an international business in more ways than one, reporting that its workforce is made up of 28 different nationalities.
More than 2,000 people work at LCY, with over 500 directly employed by the airport. They include nationals from all over Europe such as France, Spain, Italy and The Netherlands, as well as people from as far afield as Australia, Barbados, Brazil, South Africa and Uganda.
The most represented countries outside of the UK are Ireland, Portugal and Poland, followed by Nigeria, France, Germany, India and Lithuania.
18/02/14 Vicky Karantzavelou/Travel Daily News

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Kenyan arrested with Sh44m illegal sex-enhancing drugs

Nairobi: A Kenyan has been arrested at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, Nairobi with 440,000 libido-boosting tablets valued at Sh44 million.
Police said the man had illegally imported the tablets labelled Vega 100 from India without importation permit when he was arrested at the airport on Sunday evening.
Airport CID boss Joseph Ngisa said whereas the drugs are genuine, the suspect was not permitted to import them.
17/02/14 Standard Digital

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Malaysia Airlines announces 30% discount on airfares

Chennai:  Malaysia Airlines has introduced 30% discounts on airfares to more than 25 destinations as part of a Malaysia Airlines Travel Fair ( MATF) campaign from February 18 to 28. The discounts will be for the travel period between February 19 and September this year.
Travellers from India can book their journey from Chennai, Delhi, Mumbai, Hyderabad, Bangalore and Kochi to various Malaysia Airlines destinations.
18/02/14 V Ayyappan/Times of India

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Gold smuggling in India likely to rise if curbs stay - WGC

Gold demand in India is expected to be robust in 2014 and likely to encourage an increase in smuggling if curbs on bullion imports remain, the World Gold Council (WGC) said.
Indian gold consumption is expected to be 900-1,000 tonnes in 2014 for jewellery and investment purchases, according to the WGC. That is slightly behind top gold buyer China, whose demand is expected to be 1,000-1,100 tonnes.
Bullion demand in India rose 13 percent last year to 974.8 tonnes, according to the WGC's quarterly report issued on Tuesday, in a sign that consumer appetite has been largely unaffected by government restrictions on gold imports.
Struggling with a high trade deficit and a plunging rupee, India was forced to impose curbs on gold, which is the second-biggest expense in its import bill.
Indian gold smugglers are adopting the methods of drug couriers, stashing gold in imported vehicles and using mules who swallow nuggets to try to get them past airport security.
Customs officials have said that though they have increased the number of seizures, they have been able to catch only a fraction of the illegal shipments into India.
18/02/14 Siddesh Mayenkar and A Ananthalakshmi/Reuters

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Man in Hyderabad tries to hide gold in bras

A passenger coming from Dubai was caught at the RGI airport while he was trying to smuggle gold wires by concealing them inside bras.The gold wires, weighing 467 gram, were also coated with aluminium paint. The Malayali passenger, identified as Muhammad Iqbal, had denied having any dutiable goods.
Another passenger, who was on the same flight as Iqbal, was caught trying to smuggle 465 gram of gold. Shaik Jaleel, is from Hyderabad.
18/02/14 Deccan Chronicle

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2 passengers arrested with Rs 1cr gold at T2

Mumbai: Customs officials at the airport arrested two passengers who arrived from Ahmedabad. Etheshem Ali had concealed two kg gold next to his seat. His accomplice boarded the flight in Dubai and kept the gold. He got off in Ahmedabad and Ali boarded the flight for Mumbai. In the second case Syed Hussain boarded the flight in Ahmedabad. The flight originated in Jeddah and his accomplice had concealed the gold in the toilet dustbin.
18/02/14 Times of India

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Indian skies will soon see new planes, airlines

Hyderabad: Singapore Airlines, Lufthansa and Emirates are preparing to wing in A-380s to India, after the Civil Aviation Ministry last month lifted restrictions on the super-jumbo, double-decker aircraft flying to India.
Currently, four airports – Delhi, Mumbai, Hyderabad and Bangalore – are capable of handling these aircraft. SilkAir, the regional wing of Singapore Airlines, which is in transition from an Airbus to an all Boeing fleet, will fly in the next-generation Boeing 737-800s in the second half of the year, and later the 737 Max 8s.
The Tata Sons-Singapore Airlines joint venture is cruising closer to take off and may join Indian skies with a new fleet of A-320s during the year.
David Lau, the new General Manager (India) of Singapore Airlines, said the carrier will apply to the aviation ministry for permission to fly the A-380s to India within a month.
While SilkAir operates 44 flights from India every week, its parent Singapore Airlines does 63 flights a week from 11 cities, including 21 each from Mumbai and Delhi.
17/02/14 Amit Mitra/Business Line

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Emirates, Lufthansa Plan to Fly Airbus A380s to India

New Delhi: Emirates Airline and Deutsche Lufthansa  expect to start flying Airbus Group  NV's A380 into India, after the government recently lifted a ban on the plane.
Executives at the airlines said they would make their decisions depending on their studies of the ability of the nation's airports to handle the A380—the world's biggest passenger jet. The carriers are two of the biggest operators of the superjumbo jet.
"We look forward to launching the Airbus A380 services in India soon as it is one of the most important intercontinental markets for Lufthansa," said spokesman Frank Puettmann.
The Indian government on Jan. 27 lifted an unofficial six-year ban on A380 flights, allowing airlines to start flying the aircraft to four airports in the country.
17/02/14 Santanu Choudhury/Wall Street Journal

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Pak terrorist freed by India during Kandahar hijack attempts suicide

Karachi: Omar Saeed Sheikh, the terrorist freed by India in exchange for the hostages of a hijacked Indian Airlines plane in 2000, has attempted suicide in a Pakistani jail, an official has said.
The British-Pakistani national, sentenced to death for killing Wall Street Journal reporter Daniel Pearl, attempted to take his life in Hyderabad central jail in Sindh province on Wednesday night, senior prison official Akram Naeem said.
Sheikh, 41, was stopped in time by jail officials when he tried to hang himself inside his cell, Naeem said.
16/02/14 PTI/Times of India

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New rules to curb gold mules, customs duty fraud in India

New Delhi: New customs rules to be implemented from next month will require all passengers flying into India to self-declare currency exceeding Rs10,000, gold jewellery and gold bullion in their possession, according to a leading Indian paper.
The Times of India reported that passengers will also be required to declare number of baggage, including hand-carried baggage, while entering into India, new rules introduced by the finance ministry state.
The Customs Baggage Declaration (Amendment) Regulations of 2014 require an Indian citizen to fill up the immigration form only when he or she goes out of the country. Indian citizens returning from abroad are not required to fill up the form, it added.
The rules will kick in on March 1, according to a finance ministry notice dated February 10.
17/02/14 Gulf News

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British Airways Brings An Indian Married Couple Closer, Boosts Couple Flights To London

As part of its India promotions, British Airways has launched a new campaign on Valentine’s Day called “Go further to get closer”. The 5-minute film beautifully portrays the true story of Sumeet and Chetna, a married Indian couple of 3 years who despite loving each other, never really have found the time to know each other. Work pressures coupled with the responsibilities of living with parents and taking care of them, had left them with little time for each other.
The film shows how British Airways helped them get away from it all and closer to each other, with a surprise all-expense paid trip to London. The couple is shown spending close moments at strategic places in London, while the message is spread around how we need to go far to get closer. As reported by AFAQS, the film has been produced by Ogilvy and directed by Vishal Punjabi of the Wedding Filmer.
The film was launched on Valentine’s Day at the British Airways website, with promotional 70% off fares for couples to London on flights booked by 28th February and travelled by 30th June 2014. The campaign has also leveraged social media to spread the word.
17/02/14  Vinaya Naidu/Business 2 Community

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Low-cost India return fares: Mumbai for Dh734; New Delhi for Dh815

Flights to India have dropped as low as Dh734 for a return ticket to Mumbai next month, via Etihad Airways, while a flight to New Delhi is priced at just Dh815 with the same carrier.
Fluctuate those dates in a weekend in March or April and even Emirates may offer up a fare for as low as Dh1,100, with online flight portals such as Cleartrip and Makemytrip offering these take-off fares, with additional coupon codes to serve up a further discount.
Turn further afield and the Abu Dhabi-based Etihad is offering flights to the popular destination of Kochi for as low as Dh856, while the Sharjah-based low-cost carrier is serving up that fare for Dh945 for mid-March.
Meanwhile, a direct flight to Bangalore is as low as Dh1,090 via Jet Airways from Abu Dhabi
17/02/14 Bindu Suresh Rai/Emirates 24|7

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Malaysian Airlines Travel Fair offers exciting fares

New Delhi: Malaysia Airlines is offering exciting air fares through the Malaysia Airlines Travel Fair (MATF) campaign starting February 18. The campaign, which will run until February 28, will be for the travel period between February 19 and September 30, 2014.
 Travelers booking their tickets during this campaign will enjoy discounts of up to 30 per cent to more than 25 destinations around the world, an official statement issued here said. Travelers from India can book their journey from Delhi, Mumbai, Hyderabad, Bangalore, Chennai and Kochi to various Malaysia Airlines regional destinations including its latest route, the picturesque resort destinations, Krabi, in Thailand.
According to Azahar Hamid, regional senior vice president, South Asia and Middle East, Malaysia Airlines, MATF has always been very popular with all our travelers.
17/02/14 Sujay Mehdudia/The Hindu

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More airlines offering city check-in services to Hajis

Jeddah: Several airlines have shown interest in providing the city baggage check-in service to foreign Haj pilgrims in coordination with cargo companies as the service has proved helpful to airlines in carrying out smooth operation of their out-going Haj flights without delay.
Sami Hassan Yahya Matari, general manager of Alpha Cargo Services, said his company was ready to extend the city check-in service for airlines in a more resourceful and organized manner to ensure the comfort of the guests of God.
“Following the successful operation with Air India in 2013, Biman Airlines of Bangladesh has signed a deal with us this year to provide the service,” Matari told Arab News.
The service will benefit thousands of Indian, Pakistani, Bangladeshi, Indonesian, Turkish, Malaysian and African pilgrims this year, and will help reduce overcrowding of pilgrims at airports. Saudi Arabian Airlines also introduced the service for the benefit of pilgrims traveling on its Haj flights.
18/02/14 PK Abdul Ghafour/Arab News

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Three held for smuggling gold worth Rs 1 crore at airport

New Delhi: Three persons have been arrested for allegedly trying to smuggle into the country gold bars valued at about Rs one crore at the airport here.
The accused were intercepted by customs officials after their arrival from Sharjah here yesterday. On detailed examination of their baggage, gold bars weighing 3.932 kg was recovered, a customs official said.
The value of the recovered gold is Rs one crore, he said.
The trio were arrested and the gold was seized, the official added.
Last week, customs officials had arrested four persons for allegedly trying to smuggle in gold worth about Rs 1.4 crore at the airport.
17/02/14 PTI/Business Standard

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1.8 kg Gold Smuggling Bid Foiled

Chennai: Alert officials at the city airport foiled the bid of five passengers to smuggle gold and seized 1.8 kg of the precious metal, here on Sunday.
According to sources, during a routine check, the officials grew suspicious of a group of five persons, who had arrived at Chennai from Singapore.
After a thorough check, the officials found gold nuggets concealed in their shoes. The sleuths seized 1.85 kg of the metal from them.
The group had arrived from Singapore in an Air India flight AI 343 at 12.30 pm. All the members of the group were detained for questioning. After a a six-hour grilling exercise, all the five persons were arrested and remanded in custody.
17/02/14 New Indian Express

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AirAsia shuts operations to 4 Indian cities while Indian carriers expand on SE Asian routes

New Dehi:  Indian low-cost carriers may have been apprehensive of ensuing competition as AirAsia readies for its India takeoff, but they seem to have successfully dealt with Tony Fernandes' airline on the Southeast Asian routes.
AirAsia shut operations to four Indian cities over the past four years, going by its rigid stand of flying only on routes that become profitable within a year. While the airline cites high airport charges for its woes in operating to those cities its rivals from Southeast Asia and India have managed to expand on those routes by adding new flights and capacity.
In 2011, AirAsia stopped operations to Hyderabad, while its long-haul lowcost arm AirAsia X closed operations to New Delhi and Mumbai in 2012 and Thai AirAsia stopped flights to Kolkata starting this month. All these moves followed hikes in airport charges.
"The AirAsia group's philosophy is to make sure the route is profitable within 12 months. If it's not, it will not operate the route," a former AirAsia executive told ET.
15/02/14 Debabrata Das/Economic Times

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First solar-powered aircraft to begin round-the world trip next year

New Delhi: Come early next year and Indians will witness a spectacle in the skies as world's first day and night flying solar-powered wide bodied aircraft will fly into India as part of its round the globe journey.
Termed as ‘Signature in the Skies,’ the flying laboratory will provide Indian clean energy and aviation enthusiasts a lifetime experience. Switzerland based Solar Impulse, world’s first day and night-abled solar-powered aircraft is all set to visit India in April 2015.
Although the landing place and schedules are yet to be finalised, Solar Impulse CEO, André Borschberg told The Hindu that the plane would enter Asia through India from the West coast. The Indian city where the aircraft will make the first stop is yet to be finalised and the company was on the lookout for Indian partners. Following this the plane will make another halt in an airport towards the Eastern coast in India before leaving for Myanmar.
It is for the first time in history that an airplane has succeeded in flying night and day without fuel, powered by only solar energy.
16/02/14 Sujay Mehdudia/The Hindu

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A380 services to India could start this year

Commercial flights to India on Airbus’s A380 superjumbo could start this year following an easing of rules in the South Asian country, a senior executive at the planemaker said.
Speaking to Bloomberg, executive vice president Kiran Rao said that at least three carriers had sought the permission of Indian regulators to operate the world’s biggest passenger jet in the country, with Dubai’s Emirates Airline and Germany’s Lufthansa widely believed to be among them.
In a statement in January, India’s aviation ministry said that foreign carriers would be permitted to land the double-decker aircraft at four airports, including Mumbai and New Delhi.
“It’s a country of 1.2bn people and a market that’s growing,” Rao said at the Singapore Airshow. “The only way to meet that demand is with A380s.”
16/02/14  Daniel Shane/Arabian Business.com

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Malaysian Malindo Air is T2's new customer

Mumbai: Malysia's hybrid airline Malindo Air on Saturday started direct flights from Mumbai to Kuala Lumpur. While Malindo becomes the 31st airline to operate international flights from Mumbai, it is the first carrier to have started services after the Terminal 2 of Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport was inaugurated.
The development is significant with the airport's attempt to turn Mumbai, which is the economic capital of India, into an aviation hub, and subsequently increase the passenger capacity.
Terminal 2, which is part of the airport's development programme, has been built at a cost of over Rs 5,500 crore. Druk Air, Singapore-TATA, are among the other airlines which are expected to start their operations from T2 in the near future.
17/02/14 Daily News & Analysis

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Flyers miffed over new customs rules

Chennai: The new rule notified by the Finance Ministry that passengers entering the country must declare Indian currency if they are carrying more than Rs. 10,000 has drawn the ire of frequent flyers. According to the new rule which comes into effect from March 1, passengers should also give a declaration of the number of pieces of baggage they would bring into the country.
M. R. Ranjani, (25), an IT professional based out of Singapore said that such rules would cause difficulty for frequent flyers. K. Ramachandran (name changed), another passenger, also felt entry to the country would become an onerous process if they had to declare even sums such as Rs. 10, 000.
17/02/14 The Hindu

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Airlines see no lag in meeting new EU cargo security norms deadline

Mumbai: Airlines will have to comply with the European Union (EU)'s new norms for air cargo security by July 1 or face a ban at the region's airports. Airlines will now have to ensure cargo bound for the region is screened or comes from a secure supply chain. Airlines, including European ones, will need a security verification certificate for cargo operations at an airport outside the region. This means airlines will need to get their cargo security processes followed at the airports (from where the cargo is shipped) audited by EU-authorised validators. The International Air Cargo Association has warned of implementation challenges, though airports and cargo operators in India are confident of meeting the deadline.
Air India and Jet Airways did not respond to emails.
Airports have begun steps to comply with the norms. "The government could have lobbied with EU and secured an exemption from the verification process," an industry source said. In April-November 2013, airports in India handled 950,000 tonnes of international freight.
Air India and Jet Airways fly to Europe. Jet earns eight-10 per cent of its revenue from cargo. European airlines, including Lufthansa and KLM (Martinair), have direct passenger and freighter flights between India and Europe. Gulf carriers carry cargo from India to Europe and onward to the US via their West Asian hubs. X-ray screening at airports in India is done by the airline or Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS)-approved agents. The responsibility of securing items in warehouses rests with the airline.
17/02/14 Aneesh Phadnis/Business Standard

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2 kg gold biscuits worth Rs 70 lakh seized

Chennai:  Two kg of gold biscuits valued at about Rs 70 lakh was seized from five passengers who arrived at the airport here from Singapore on Sunday, airport officials said. They said the five men were frisked on suspicion after they arrived here by an Air India flight at 1230 hrs.
16/02/14 PTI/Times of India

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Two women arrested for smuggling in gold at Mumbai airport

Mumbai: Officials of Air Intelligence Unit (AIU) of the Customs department today arrested two women passengers for allegedly trying to smuggle gold worth Rs 20 lakh into the country at Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport here.
Sources in AIU said Rekha Tarunahasanee and Kanaka Pandyan were carrying 762 grams of gold each. They had arrived here from Bangkok.
15/02/14 PTI/Times of India

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Foreign currency seized at airport

Chennai: Foreign currency worth about Rs 7.5 lakh was today seized by customs officials and one person arrested in this connection at the international airport here.
Officials said when a passenger, Abubacker Siddique, scheduled to fly to Colombo by the 8.50 am Air Lanka flight, was checked, he was found to be in possession of USD 12,500.
16/02/14 PTI/Business Standard

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Smuggling : two more arrested in Mangalore

Mangalore: Two people were arrested by the custom officers at the Mangalore International Airport for allegedly bringing in 932 grams of gold. In a press release, the officials said that Shereef Abdulkareem, a resident of Kasargod was arrested for trying to smuggle two gold sheets weighing 466 grams which he had concealed in the base of brown coloured bag. Shereef was caught after he landed at the Mangalore International Airport by an Air India Express flight from Dubai on Friday evening.
16/02/14 SahilOnline

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9 gold bars hidden in dates at Sharjah Airport

Sharjah: The police at Sharjah Airport have detained two Indian nationals, identified as XAS and AHM, for trying to smuggle nine gold bars into India from Sharjah. The bullion was placed in cans packed with dates and the cans where then stuffed inside suitcases.
16/02/14 SahilOnline

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India has strong legal framework to protect IP: Boeing

Washington: Even as a section of the US’ corporate sector lobbies against India over protection of intellectual property rights, American aircraft major Boeing on Saturday said the country has a strong legal framework to protect such rights.
“In Boeing’s experience, India has a legal framework that is adequate to protect IP with no known cases of IP violation involving Boeing’s activities in the defense and aerospace sector,” the American multinational said in its remarks submitted to US Trade Commission (USITC).
The USITC this week conducted a hearing in connection with its investigation “Trade, Investment, and Industrial Policies in India: Effects on the US Economy”.
The statement from Boeing, which has major investment and research and development centres in India and has received orders worth billions of dollars in the aviation and defense sector, assumes significance in view of the fact that a section of influential American corporate sector has been lobbying at the Capitol Hill and the Obama Administration against India’s intellectual property regime.
15/02/14 PTI/Asian Age

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Emirates Offers Discount for Couples to Select Destinations

Thiruvananthapuram: Emirates has announced a special Valentine’s Day offer for couples seeking to explore some of the most popular destinations on the premium airlines’ network. The airline is offering a discount of up to 14 per cent in business class and economy class fares to select destinations for couples over this period. The Valentine’s Day sale will be open for bookings till February 16, for travel until April 10.
By availing of the offer, couples can plan their travel to some of the most romantic cities in the world: Cape Town, Istanbul, Lisbon, London, Madrid, Mauritius, Nice, Paris, Prague, Rome, Seychelles, Venice, Vienna or Zurich.
15/02/14 New Indian Express

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Customs seizes gold worth Rs 1crore

Mumbai: Customs seized gold worth over Rs one crore on Saturday morning at the airport.
In the first case, a man, identified as Mustafha Mannath, who arrived from Riyadh on Saturday, was held with 22 gold bars weighing 2.5 kg and worth Rs 67 lakAh.
In another case, gold weighing 1.5 kg was confiscated from two women flyers, identified as Rekha Tharunahasanee and Kanaka Pandya.
16/02/14 Times of India

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AirAsia shuts operations to four Indian cities

New Delhi: AirAsia shut operations to four Indian cities over the past four years, going by its rigid stand of flying only on routes that become profitable within a year. While the airline cites high airport charges for its woes in operating to those cities its rivals from Southeast Asia and India have managed to expand on those routes by adding new flights and capacity.
In 2011, AirAsia stopped operations to Hyderabad, while its long-haul lowcost arm AirAsia X closed operations to New Delhi and Mumbai in 2012 and Thai AirAsia stopped flights to Kolkata starting this month. All these moves followed hikes in airport charges.
15/02/14 Debabrata Das/Economic Times

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Sebi issues showcause notice to Etihad Airways on Jet deal

Mumbai: The Securities & Exchange Board of India has issued a show-cause notice to Etihad Airways saying it had violated takeover norms while purchasing a fourth in Jet Airways, said a person familiar with the development.
The capital market regulator seeks to know why action should not be taken against a company or person for securities law violations. The notice implies that Sebi has arrived at a preliminary finding that the deal has resulted in a change in control at Jet Airways.
If Sebi sticks to this finding, Etihad may have to make an open offer. The finding may create further regulatory hurdles as Indian aviation regulations stipule that management control has to be with Indian shareholders.
15/02/14 Anirban Chowdhury & Reena Zachariah/Economic Times

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India should review its aircraft tax policy: Bombardier

Singapore: India should review its high fuel costs and aircraft tax policy to make it viable for small airlines to operate in the country, Canadian aviation company Bombardier said today.
“India has the highest fuel cost and taxes in the world and if not it is among the top two or three” which hits the profitability of smaller airlines, said Torbjorn Karisson, Bombardier’s Vice President for Commercial Aircraft Sales in Asia Pacific.
Expressing concern over operations of smaller airlines in India, Karisson said such airlines faced many challenges in the country.
He noted that the current system imposes additional tax on aircraft which has more than 76 seats.
India would need to review taxes and allow smaller airlines to operate planes with seat capacity between 29 to 149 passengers, Karisson told PTI at the Singapore Airshow.
14/02/14 PTI/Free Press Journal

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India will see more US investment if defence FDI cap raised: Boeing

Singapore: India will see more investments from American companies once it decides to raise the foreign direct investment (FDI) level in the defence sector from 26 to 49 per cent, a top Boeing executive has said.
"49 per cent will see more investment from US companies," Lt Gen Jeff Kohler, Boeing's vice president of international business development in defence, Space & Security, said at the Singapore Airshow.
Kohler made the comments on aviation industry-wide speculation about the government increasing FDI in defence sector to 49 per cent from the current 26 per cent, with some expecting an announcement in the near future.
"It has been very difficult to go to our senior corporate leadership and justify an investment in India at 26 per cent FDI," said Kholer.
Kholer said he had often discussed investment potential in the huge Indian market with his colleagues in the aviation industry. "49 per cent or 40+ per cent makes it much more attractive," he said.
14/02/14 Gurdip Singh/Business Today  

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Pvt airlines keen on Mangalore - Kuwait sector as AIE suspends flights

Mangalore: Air India Express has officially suspended its direct flight service between Mangalore - Kuwait from Thursday, February 13. Indications were given by the Air India Express officials in Mumbai that operation had to be suspended due to the fact that AI Express was withdrawing its four leased aircrafts due to contract expiry, and also because the Mangalore - Kuwait sector was not profitable.
"Though suspension of Kuwait - Mangalore flights was in the pipeline, we did not confirm officially until recently, because efforts were always on to continue the flights, at least two per week instead of existing three per week, but shortage of aircraft put us in the backseat," said AI official in Mumbai, speaking exclusively to daijiworld. "If we get a new aircraft, flight service could be restored from next season," he assured.
Meantime, two private airlines are understood to be doing the ground study to get permission for Mangalore - Kuwait flight. An airline official who requested not to quote the airline said that there is a possibility of operating daily flights for Mangalore - Kuwait sector, but looking at the current traffic data, the idea of starting daily flights is not feasible.
14/02/14 Daijiworld

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Rachana demands resumption of Mangalore-Kuwait flight service

Mangalore: Rachana, Catholic Chamber of Commerce and Industry on Friday February 14 held a protest against Air India Express over the suspension of Mangalore-Kuwait Flights by Air
The protest was held in front of the Air India Express office, Lalbagh.
Addressing the protest, Ivan D'Souza,  president of Rachana said, "Reports in the media that Air India Express has officially wound up its flight services between Mangalore and Kuwait from Thursday, February 13, apparently due to the lack of availability of aircraft after the expiry of the contract, is shocking news for the people of region.  What we fail to understand is how the said services can continue on the extant route of Kozhikode to Kuwait even as it bypasses a location that has thousands of passengers desirous of using the services from Mangalore to Kuwait.
"As a state owned airline, Air India Express has a social obligation to serve the thousands of citizens that travel from this region to Kuwait, and the existing flight services were indeed a boon to citizens of the coastal region. The flight services also had a very positive impact on the economy of the region," he said.
14/02/14 Daijiworld

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'Kasargod gang': Gold smugglers with a bag of innovative tricks

Hyderabad:  'Kasargod gang' is the new buzzword at major international airports in the country. Reason: Gangs from Kasargod, Kerala, have been storming the country's airports with their innovative bullion smuggling skills.
In the past one week, customs officials at the Rajiv Gandhi International (RGI) Airport in Hyderabad nabbed two smugglers from Kasargod, who arrived here from Dubai with the yellow metal deftly concealed in their baggage. On February 10, the customs sleuths intercepted Abdul Rahiman, who arrived from Dubai on an Emirates flight. When his trolley bag was scanned, bright wires were visible in its lining. On closer examination, customs officials were shocked to find that the wires were not made of iron, but gold coated with aluminium. The weight of the gold was 400 grams and its value was pegged at Rs 12 lakh.
15/02/14 Mahesh Buddi/Times of India

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Since January, gold worth Rs 1.39 crore seized at Dabolim airport

Panaji: Gold bars cut-to-size and masquerading as cellphone batteries, ball-point pen refills made of solid gold, tiny cubes of bullion hidden inside a wrist watch, and nearly a kilo of the precious metal flattened out into wafer-thin foil and concealed between layers of worthless packaging cardboard-sleuths from the Goa customs have seen all this and more, in the past 45 days.
Since January 2014, the customs commissionerate has seized 5.5kg of smuggled gold, valued at 1.39 crore at Goa's Dabolim airport.
"The smugglers have become more brazen and ingenious in their modus operandi, but all the men we have intercepted are merely "couriers", who had been promised small sums of money to carry the gold. They are mostly poor labourers in Dubai or Sharjah, and a majority of them are from the southern states of Kerala and Tamil Nadu," said customs commissioner V P C Rao.
15/02/14 Times of India

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Indian held for possessing undeclared gold at Nepal airport

Kathmandu: An Indian national was arrested at Tribhuvan International Airport in the Nepalese capital today for allegedly possessing undeclared gold.
Shravan Chandra Shekharan was arrested with 248 grams of gold during regular screening of passengers boarding a Jet Airways flight to New Delhi, The Himalayan Times reported on its website.
Shekharan had hidden the gold in the battery compartment of his laptop, according to police.
14/02/14 PTI/Business Standard

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Air Costa Signs For Up to 100 Embraer E-Jet E2s

Singapore: Embraer took a giant step toward boosting its modest presence in the South Asian market at the Singapore Airshow on Thursday with a firm order for 50 E-Jet E2s and purchase rights on another 50 from Indian regional carrier Air Costa. The order calls for delivery of a mix of 25 E190-E2s and 25 E195-E2s worth $2.94 billion at list prices. If Air Costa exercises its purchase rights for 25 more of each of the models, the value of the transaction will rise to $5.88 billion.
Now flying a pair of E170s to six cities, Air Costa has registered an average load factor of 74 percent since it launched operations in October. It expects to take delivery of two E190s leased from GECAS this month, then another Embraer E-Jet every quarter starting in July until it takes its first E190-E2 in the first half of 2018. Plans call for delivery of the first E195-E2 a year later.
14/02/14 Gregory Polek/AINonline

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